I was so glad our movie trip was over. First, Dean was taking me to the mall, and now the movies? And worse of all, he was digging into my personal business again. This game has been getting harder and harder for me lately. It's like I'm in one of those hard boss levels that's taking me forever to defeat. If he keeps pushing harder, then it's game over for me. I won't let that happen; I will not give up.
After two weeks of acting goody-goody and silently suffering the agonizing torment, I noticed that things started to get strangely–but peacefully–quiet. Sunday morning I went down for breakfast and noticed something was missing. It was not the waffles, which were already on the table, it was not the milk, and it was not the rich smell of Mom's coffee. It was Dean who was missing.
Hallelujah!
I casually sat at the table and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I was able to hear myself chew without being vandalized by suspicious stares and fake smiles.
"Hey, Mom. Where's Dean today?" I asked.
"He had to go back to work. Said it was urgent," she said.
"When will he be back?" I asked, but not really caring.
"I don't know. He might not be back for a while."
"Yessss!" I exclaimed accidentally.
Mom looked at me suspiciously and put her hands on her hips, wondering what I was cheering for. I blushed and said, "I mean, yes, he's doing a great job with his work...and I'm proud that he's working hard for this country."
Nice recovery, Kaley.
Mom lifted an eyebrow at me, then shrugs her shoulders, smiled, and patted my hair saying, "That's sweet of you, honey."
By Monday, during lunch at school, I told Dainu, Pam, and Amy about the exciting news about Dean.
"Really?!" Amy exclaimed. "He's gone for good?"
"Yes! He's gone like the wind," I said. "He's out. Bye-bye, adios, sayonara, aloha!
"That's great," said Pam, clapping excitedly.
"That is excellent news, Kaley," Dainu said. "He will not disturb you any longer."
"He won't even disturb me while I'm eating," I added.
"You know what that means?" Pam said. "Dainu can hang out with us in the outside world."
I gazed at Pam, and then at Dainu, who was pleading me with his puppy eyes again.
"Well, about that," I started, "I would love for Dainu to hang with us, but where should we take him first, without people staring or panicking when they see Dainu."
"How about the park?" Amy suggested.
"No way," Pam protested. "Not the park. We're trying to show Dainu the sights of the city, not some boring old park."
"Parks are not boring," Amy argued.
"Be at peace, my friends," Dainu interrupted. "I do not mind where you take me, I'll be happy to tour your world in every direction you take me."
"See?" Amy told Pam. "Dainu doesn't care where we take him, as long as he's with us and having fun."
I interrupted, "Who's gonna go first?"
"Why not we all take him?" Pam said.
"Yeah," Amy said. "We can hang out at the park, or at the arcade, or even better, go on a shopping spree!"
Pam and Amy cheered and high-five each other.
"You guys are so crazy," I laughed.
"Only crazy for Dainu," Amy added, ruffling his hair.
"So when should we take him out?" Pam asked.
"We can start on Friday after school, and continue on the weekend," I said.
"Great idea, Kaley," said Amy excitedly. "With the three of us showing Dainu a good time, it will be like a date."
"A triple date, if you'd ask me," Pam added, winking and nudging at her.
We laughed some more. I was cracking up so hard I almost choked on my chips. Suddenly, my eyes caught Carmen walking past our table. She caught her sight at our table, except she wasn't looking at Pam, Amy, or me. She was flirtatiously eyeing Dainu. She kept her gaze at Dainu as she walked steadily towards her table, smiled her cherry-red, mischievous lips, and winked her deceitful, seductive eye at him. I felt hot with anger, my hands and legs tightened. If she did that again, I'm going to break all her pretty polished nails.
Pam and Amy were shocked when they saw that too. We also noticed Carmen's walk, swaying her hips far out on each side like a skank. I checked on Dainu, he was eyeing away from Carmen's catwalk with an expression of embarrassment and shame.
"That witch!" Pam exclaimed. "Who the heck does she think she is?"
I comfortingly patted Dainu's shoulder. "It's OK, Dainu. You're a good guy; I know you wouldn't do anything to upset me. Just ignore her, and she won't get in our way."
Dainu smiled warmly. "No evil will touch me as long as you continue to breathe."
"Awwww," wailed Amy and Pam.
By the time I got home, I asked Mom about hanging out with my friends this upcoming weekend.
"You're going to give a personal tour guide to whom?" Mom asked.
"We have a foreign exchange student in our school," I explained. "Amy, Pam, and I are his best friends and we promised him to show him around town. Is that OK?"
Mom paused, lifting her brow and biting her lower lip in thought. She also does this when making a decision.
"Well," she said, "I guess it's OK. Just make sure you finish all your homework on Friday, so you won't be rushing to finish it on Sunday night. And don't forget to call me when you're done, and be home before sunset."
"I will, Mom," I said, hugging her. "Thank you so much."
"You're such a good daughter," she said, kissing my head.
As soon as we knew it, Friday came quickly like a jet plane. We were so excited that we were jumping and screaming like a bunch of fangirls. I have to admit we looked like total weirdos doing that. We went to our homes first to freshen up, get our wallets and cell phones, and to get some gum. We met by the corner, and began our tour guide.
Amy was pointing out the baseball fields, picnic spots, youth centers, community swimming pools, and the graffiti on the sidewalks and walls. She was talking so fast she could've hyperventilated by now. After walking three blocks, we finally arrived at the park. No one was there, except for a near-sighted old lady feeding the pigeons and squirrels. Amy pointed out at the jogging track, the children's jungle gym, and the basketball court. We rested on the green grass, distance away from the old lady. Dainu happily watched the old lady feeding the animals. Amy told him she always sits at the park once a week feeding the animals.
"OK, Amy," I said. "I think that's enough details for now. If you continue, we'll all die of boredom."
"Shut up," Amy joked.
After we visited the park, we went downtown to the Way-Out mall. Rush hour took effect; there were tons of people filling up the mall, bumping each other's shoulders and enclosed in tight spaces. No one seem to notice Dainu; probably because they were too busy shopping or texting their cell phones. Before we entered, I quickly took off my scarf around my neck, and wrapped it around Dainu's face securely so that only his eyes were visible.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"It's just for precaution," I explained.
"C'mon, Kaley," Amy complained, "he doesn't need that. He looks like a robber or a terrorist. People will stare at him more."
"He does need it," I argued. "Do want to cause mass panic? Do you want security guards to take him away?"
"Calm down, you guys," Pam said. "Kaley does have a point. Here, Dainu can use my beanie." Pam took off her beanie, and placed it on Dainu's head.
We took Dainu a isolated fitting room in the Men's Department. We advised him about fashion tips, how to look, and how clothes can label a person. I thought about a casual, but chic, look for Dainu; Amy suggested a preppy, model-type look; and Pam thought of something mystical, but attractive in a good way. We had trouble deciding, until Dainu asked, "Can I not choose my own apparel, and agree on what fits best for me?"
We were silent for a moment, but we nodded our heads.
We picked up many clothes off the racks, while Dainu waited in the fitting room. Dainu tried on many clothes and many styles. His first choice was a preppy look that didn't seem to suit him well. Another choice was a white shirt and beige pants attached with suspenders on his shoulder. We gagged at the sight. Next, Dainu tried a buttoned blue shirt with some khaki pants. It looked suitable on him; however, Amy wanted more. She went up to him, and started unbuttoning his shirt from the collar to his chest. She told him it was a part of fashion, but that was just her excuse to feel his muscular abdominals. Talk about being too horny. I came up, slapped her hand, and told her to behave. Dainu's next choice was a mixed of punk and gangster. His shirt was sleeveless with raggedy seams, a leather jacket hanged on his left shoulder, and navy blue jeans with a chain hanging on his right hip.
"Oh, yeah!" cheered Amy.
"Sweeeeeet," enthused Pam.
"That is H-O-T!" I exclaimed.
A retailer briefly peeked in and looked at us with a disapproving look. I guess we were starting to get loud, but we were so excited we couldn't help it. I gathered all the clothes his liked and paid for them with my credit card.
Dainu changed into his new clothes in the fitting room area. I made sure that every inch of his green skin was covered, and placed the scarf and beanie back on his head. As we continued to walk around the mall, people, especially girls, started to notice Dainu in his new attire. But it wasn't just the clothes that was giving the appeal, it was because of his attractive features. The tight leather jacket contoured his lean muscular arms, his broad, perfectly shaped chest showed off through his t-shirt , and his pants screamed attracted to his legs. Even though his face was still covered, his bodily features was still a sight to see. The girls looked like they wanted to be all over him as if he was a rock star. I overheard these two girls walking behind us were giggling and talking about him. One of them said, "Oh, my God! He is so hot. He's tastier than a Hershey's bar."
"I know, right!" breathe the other. "I could just eat him up right now! And look at his muscles. They look so perfect. It's like a work of art."
I was so glad to hear that. It gave me confidence that taking Dainu out to the public wasn't such a bad idea after all.
I suggested to my friends that we should get something to eat. They agreed. We got ourselves smoothies, and sat by the most isolated table in the food court. I didn't want Dainu's attractiveness to expose any more attention.
"So, Dainu," I said, "how do you like your first day out?"
"Exceptionally pleasurable," he said.
"See?" said Amy. "I told you he would love it here."
"And no one seem to notice him at all," added Pam.
"Except for these two girls that were walking behind us," I said. "I don't know if you guys noticed, but these girls were all, like, hyperventilating when they noticed Dainu's attractive body and they were, like, 'oh, my god, he's so hot I could just eat him up.'"
"Oh, we heard them alright," laughed Pam. "I wanted to laugh out loud. They were like groupie wannabes or something. It was so funny."
"Talk about 'desperate housewives'," said Amy.
We laughed our heads off.
"But," Dainu said, "if they find my appearance attractive, then why do they want to eat me?"
I laughed again. "No, Dainu, they don't want to literally eat you. That's just an expression that means I want your body."
I gagged.
"Too much lust is a deadly act," stated Dainu
"That's right," I said, matter-of-factly.
Amy's phone started to ring. She took it out of her pocket, and checked the screen to see who was calling her.
"Shoot," she said. "I have to go home. My mom's gonna flip if I'm not home by curfew. See you guys later."
Amy got up from her seat, and walked out of the food court.
We continued to browse around the mall some more. Pam's mom started to call her to come home, too. Pam said her goodbyes to us, and left.
"Oh, well," I said. "It's just you and me now. Let's walk around some more; I'm not due until sunset."
It was already six o'clock, and some of the stores were beginning to close. Dainu and I went to the movie/video game store. I explain to Dainu what a movie and a video game was. He told me that he has never heard of this type of technical entertainment, but on his planet, there are play performances and musical concert. He also explained to me that there is not much technology on his planet, except for solar power to store and conserve energy. He told me that the energy storage on his planet is so powerful that its power has kept his planet strong and extremely healthy for over a thousand generations. That must be a very long and very healthy lifespan than Earth.
Dainu browsed around the movies, while I went searching for a movie I wanted. Thank goodness we were the only ones at the store. Everyone else probably went home, so we were fortunate to be by ourselves without any unwanted attention.
After picking out my movies, I went to find Dainu. He was at the far end corner of the store, watching a movie on the TV screen that was hanging in the corner of the ceiling. My heart jumped when I realized what he was watching. The 1986 movie Aliens. It was at the scene where the Xenomorph was violently tearing up a man with its horrific jaws. I felt my throat clog up with shame and guilt. What should I say to Dainu? Should I lie to him? Should I pull him away? My mind went blank.
"Kaley," Dainu said. "Tell me what that repulsing creature is, and answer me honestly."
My mouth and throat went dry. My heart was punching inside my chest. I inhaled deeply and said, "That thing...is an alien."
"I had thought so," he replied.
I turned to look at his face. "Dainu, it's not what you think. Many people don't know what an alien looks like. They would use their imagination just to entertain others. I know it's insulting to you, but I'm so sorry about this. I didn't want you to know what other people think aliens look like because we're too ignorant. I know we as a human race are too judgmental and stereotypical, but please don't take it personally."
Dainu looked at me with no sign of hatred or disgust.
"It is alright, Kaley," he said. "I am not mad at your people. It is not their fault; it is part of their own nature. I do not feel wrath or hatred by their judgments. I feel sorry for them, because they rely too much on their own instinct and fear. When you rely on your fear, it cause judgment, hatred, and destruction. When you rely on your instinct, your pride will overcome you. Too much of anything will corrupt the mind and body. The only way that will make them change is see through the eyes of another. Let them learn from their mistakes, so they will understand. I do not find their interpretation of an outside being so appealing, but I forgive them, because they do not know, and have much to discover."
His touching words eased the aching in my pounding heart. He was the sweetest, forgiving person I ever met. Most people are short-tempered and easily offended, but not Dainu. He omits any negative emotions like anger, fear, despair, and hatred. I've never met anyone so patient, forgiving, and understanding like Dainu.
I hugged him tightly and ruffled his head. "You're so cute," I squealed.
Dainu asked me if I can buy him some alien movies just to see different points of views on the aliens' look and stereotype. I took out Star Wars since it had a good variety of different alien races, both good and bad ones. We left the mall just in time for the sun to set.
"Thank you very much for showing me your environment," Dainu said as we walked down the sidewalk.
"You are very welcome," I said. "I'm glad I took you out. Maybe I was a little paranoid. It's just that I don't want anyone hurting you, Dainu, especially that government idiot. But since he's gone, I don't have to worry about it."
Just to make sure, I scan my surroundings to see if Dean was anywhere in sight. You might never know when somebody is hiding somewhere secretly, or if they are disguised as someone else. I double checked the area, I even checked to sky to find any suspicious helicopter following us. The coast was clear.
"Are you aware of that suspicious man?" Dainu asked.
"I was just being on the safe side," I said. "It never hurts to double check your surroundings."
"That is correct," he said.
We passed by an Asian old man who was sitting on the bench, probably waiting for the bus. When he saw us, he stood up and starting speaking to us in Chinese—or maybe it was Korean. He was blabbing away with his words, and I stood there dumbfounded.
I had no idea what he was saying, so I said, "Uh, Kon'nichiwa?"
He continued to blabber away.
"Me no speak," I enunciated.
"It is alright, Kaley," Dainu said. "Let me handle this."
He turned to the old man, swallowed a huge gulp in his throat like he did before, and started speaking to him in the same foreign language.
They spoke with each other so quickly that it was starting to sound like gibberish to me. I watched their mouths move swiftly like a butterfly's wing. I listened hard to try to guess what they were saying, but it was no use. I wish I could translate other languages like Dainu.
After the conversation, Dainu turned to me and gulped again back to English.
"What did you say to him?" I asked.
"He was in search for the food market," he said. "I told him to follow west towards the setting sun and to keep his eyes appealed for a fruit stand. I also told him to see what you smell, and you will be guided."
"Wow," I said. "That is some proverb. I like that one."
"I am capable of knowing five hundred thousand proverbs throughout the seven galaxies."
"Whoa!" I sighed. "That's a lot to memorize. I can't even remember the longest poems I've memorized in school. But how many languages can you speak?"
"Six million," Dainu answered.
I almost choked on my saliva. I couldn't believe it! He speaks six million languages all so fluently and perfectly. I've known a girl in my school that can speak fourteen different languages fluently, and I was stunned by that. But six million? That's one unbeatable record.
"I see you are awestruck," Dainu commented with a sly smile.
"No, duh," I said. "It's just that I have never met anyone who can speak six million languages. That's so cool. I've heard about some people speaking fourteen different language, but, now, you've broke the record. I wish I could speak that many languages."
"If you study well, you will fluently know what you speak."
We finally arrived home as soon as the sun was hiding beneath the horizon. Dainu and I went inside our houses. Mom was already napping on the couch while the TV was on. I tucked her in a blanket, and kissed her forehead.
At the corner of my eye, I saw a light in the window. I also heard a humming of a car coming. I raced to the window to see if it was you-know-who. As it came into my view, it wasn't the car or person I was expecting. A red Cadillac zoomed by filled with frenzied colleagues, dancing to the blasted music. I sighed. Thank God Almighty, it wasn't him.