The day everything started was just another hot, smoggy November day in Los Angeles. The science fiction club and I went to see the latest science fiction film, just as we always had ever since sixth grade.
"Well, that was a rip," Jermaine glumped (as he always did) on our way out. "Those space ships would never break atmosphere, and as for the aliens, why is it they always look like someone barfed on their faces?"
"Part of the alien myth," Jessica said, yanking open the heavy glass doors. "Like Santa and his red suit. Only aliens have to be ugly."
I grinned to myself as I followed the others out into the hot afternoon sun. Once they'd gotten all the bad science out of their systems, they'd decide they'd liked the movie. Since I plan to be a writer, not a scientist, these things don't bother me as much.
"Extra terrestrials are myths?" Natalie asked, fanning her face with a battered Star Trek paperback as she walked next to me. "I thought a myth can't be true--like elves. There could be beings out there somewhere."
Noah shook his head. "There's exactly the same amount of scientific evidence for aliens as there is for elves--which is to say, none."
From Noah's other side, Marcos snorted. I looked over, saw Marcos's wheelchair, looked away again quickly in case he thought I was staring. I still had trouble trying to get my brain to put Marcos Arkardian, once the star athlete of middle school, together with my science fiction club. Every girl at school had had a crush on him--including Yours Truly, not that he ever noticed--until he disappeared one winter after a drunk driver had wiped out half his family and landed him in the hospital for a long stretch. When he got out he stayed away from the sports field and somehow found out about our club--not the book discussion days at school. He still didn't go to school. But he came along on our Saturday movie jaunts. Not that he ever talked much, except to Noah and Jermaine.
"But there could be life on other planets," Natalie exclaimed, her huge blue eyes bigger than ever. "We don't have evidence that we are alone in the universe--"
"Of course we do," Jessica replied calmly. "No probe or signal ever sent out has gotten a response, and all we hear is noise from space--"
"I'll believe aliens over those space ships," Jermaine said.
"Or that fake-o ancient civilization," Noah chimed in, wiping his sweaty glasses. "Geez! Is Hollywood's idea of a convincing culture a bunch of buff people all in their twenties? I didn't count one kid--"
"Or old person," Jessica added, following the others across the street to the ice cream store. "Or family."
At the doors, we paused. "Table for six free," Jermaine said. "Marcos, it'd be a squeeze, but--"
"Gotta go," Marcos said. "Later."
"Wow, he actually spoke," I muttered behind my hand to Natalie.
"He's not a talker," she said. "But he sure reads a lot."
"How did you know?" I asked, surprised. "He's actually spoken to you? I didn't think he talked to anybody."
"Well, whenever I see him he's got at least three science fiction books in that side pocket in his chair," she said. "Coming in?"
I looked at my watch, and felt my heart start to wham. I was actually supposed to go to my aunt's, but when Tia Nita asked me to come she'd said Top Secret. "No," I said as casually as I could. "I, uh, have to be home."
The others went inside. Natalie didn't follow--she paused at the door then turned and smiled at me. She was pretty and popular, but she seemed to like hanging around me--at least at school and on club days. She'd only been to my house a couple times, and I'd never been to hers.
She said, "Talked to your aunt lately? What's she's working on now?"
I shook my head, wishing I could tell her that was where I was going. Except for the club I'd always been kind of a loner, until Natalie came to our school the year before. Kids think I'm weird because I'm interested in everything, but Nat is even more interested, if that's possible. "No idea," I said, truthfully. "Tia Nita only talks when she's ready."
"If I had an inventor in my family, I would be over there helping every day." Natalie sighed. "Then I'd know all about her projects!"
"Yeah, well, I gotta go." I gave her a limp smile, and walked away.
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