Chapter 3

I was typing away to my computer.  I was done with my school work for the day, and as usual it was all a piece of cake for me.  Sometimes I think I'm ready for college already.  As usual, I went on chat to see if giggler was there.

brightbabe92: u there?

I could see she was online, but it said she was idle.

giggler920: yup, I'm here.  How are u?

brightbabe92: I'm not sure...

giggler920: what?  Somethin botherin u?

brightbabe92: not exactly...

giggler920: come on, spit it out.

brightbabe92: what's ur real name?

For some reason, she's never told me her real name.  And, as for her age, 'I'm about the same age as you' when I said I was seventeen.

giggler920: I've told u b4!  I can't tell u...

brightbabe92: fine!  So then don't.  Then I won't tell u my name.

Giggler is too secretive.  Since I talk to her so much, I'd like to know her name!  It's inhumane to think of her as giggler.

brightbabe92: what about earpieces?  What's your earpiece code?

Ear pieces are what we use for our on the go form of communication.  It's like cell phones from the twenty first century!  Except with these, you just say the earpiece's code for the person you want to talk to, or say 'earcode ID [insert person's name here]', since you can easily say that person's name in conversation and not actually mean that you want to call them! 

These earpieces are microscopic little chips in our ears and mouth that were implanted at birth.  They work well in emergency situations because they always work (lifetime guarantee!), and can stand almost anything, including a punch to the jaw.  I just hope I'll never have to go through that.

giggler920: brightbabe!  I can't do that.  U know it's my parents, or I would.

brightbabe92: then decieve them!

giggler920: I would never!  U know I'm just like u!

Giggler and I are geek-goody-two-shoes together.

giggler920: so what were u saying b4?  What was botherin u-or whatever it is that u are feeling.

brightbabe92: I met a Brightian guy yesturday.

giggler920: Hmm.  A Brightian!  What about him?

brightbabe92: he was adorable, and I'm creeped out that I feel that way.

giggler920: ooo la la!  You've never told me that u liked a guy b4.

brightbabe92: that's cuz I never have...you know the shpeel.  All the guys here are ugly and stupid.

giggler920: True.

brightbabe92: yes!  And now this Brightian comes along-and I've never even seen a guy variant of them before-and he's literally the cutest guy I've ever seen.  No guy compares to him...not ever close.

giggler920: u know his name?

brightbabe92: Yes, his name is Dumar.

giggler920: earpiece #?

brightbabe92: sadly, no.  I left when I saw him right away...he said hi to me and I hit the hills.

giggler920: oh come on, you can do it.  Granted I would do the same thing, but I believe in u!

brightbabe92: G2G.

giggler920: ok, bye.  You find him!

So I decided to go for a walk for a while to clear my head, and to just think.  I started to pass by the giant building that Harah works at, and I noticed a lady going in.  This building is so mysterious to me!  I know literally nothing about it.  People just go in there and I have no clue why.  Heck, everyone goes in there but me-even kids my age.  I've never been there in all my life, and I'm denyed the right to even just check it out!  That building is a symbol of my life's mystery, that I didn't always live in this time and place.

Then I felt like running up to her.  I wanted to go over there and ask her why she's going to go in, what they do in there, but I knew the answer would be the same. 'That's confidential information, young lady.  Now, run along.'

I saw that she noticed me running, and she raised an eyebrow.  I can just think what was going through her mind.  Pch, kids.  Running all the time, always in a rush!  I am not a kid-I'll be eighteen- so an adult- before anyone knows it.

"Why are you going into this building? What's it called?"

"Whoa, whoa.  Hold it there.  I can't tell you why I'm going into this building, it's confidential information.  The name of this building is also top secret.  Now run along young lady!"

At least she didn't call me a kid, I'll give her that.

But really, I'm so annoyed that no one will ever tell me anything about this building-not the smallest little clue... I could try to break down anyone-it doesn't matter who, no one would ever give in no matter what.  If I were a seriel killer, theoretically as I would never kill anyone, and I tried to get this information out of someone by threatening to kill them if they wouldn't tell me, than I can see everyone willing to die because of this secret.  How can everyone be on this but me?  I guess that's not possible.  There's got to be others besides me.  Maybe it's a top secret government project or something.  I don't know.

So I continued to walk, and I made it to the dome part of the neighborhood.  The really rich people can afford to live in the domes.  Their houses are usually only okay, but they obviously like the atmosphere of Earth.  The same method is used in residential domes as the commercial domes.  Through a tube, carbon dioxide is pumped in, and some of the oxygen is pumped out.  This procedure can be very expensive to mimic, which is why only the rich people live under domes.  The more plants they have, the more expensive it is.  I think it's the filter-they're made with uranium, a very expensive, rare metal.

Then I started to walk into town a bit more, and I thought of Dumar.

Ha.  Where is he?  Why did he just let me run away...Oh, of course I know the answer.  He was 'just not that into me'.  Why would he be?  Compared to all the other girls here, I look like a monkey.  But he did say hi-that's a good thing, right?  But why should I like him anyway.  He's not even of my species!  He's a Brightian.  A Brightian!  When am I going to get it through my head?  I don't want to be one of those freaks with xenosexuality.  Right?  RIGHT?

I have never had any dilemmas in my life, especially none of this magnitude.  It's a new feeling.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.  I found myself hoping...

I was right!  It was Dumar.

"Hello miss.  Nice to run into you again!  What is your name?  I never quite caught it before."

"Yes-um..my name.  Quite.  My name!"

At least this time I'm not running or feeling especially faint.  But I am not able to blurt out my own name-now that's a cliche roadbump.

He just smiled at me in his alien way.  Let me just say that aliens have a good way to smile.

I continued to stare at his smile. Let me make that a great smile...

"Yes, I'm Jezabelle.  You can just call me Jez!  When people aren't calling me Jezzie!"

I looked at the sky cross eyed, annoyed when Harah calls me that, and even more so when Niki calls me that.

He just smiled at me.  Idiot.

"Hello Jez.  I am quite happy to meet you."

We continued to stand there a while.  An awkward silence washed over us.

I was just staring at his face, rude may it be.

I could make out his features that described his species.  Large orange eyes (oh, how deliciously large), they were also far apart and slightly slanted up.  His nose bridge was really low, and he had narrow, plump lips.  Oh, how beautiful his lips are!

Jez-you're talking to an alien.  Heck, just admit it to yourself.  You have a crush on an alien!  People just don't have crushes on aliens!  Just leave him-forget this ever happened, and be on your way.

But I couldn't find the strength to leave.  He was just so exotic and handsome.

"Do you want to go to the park with me?  I have some things I'd like to discuss with you."

Wait-this Brightian boy has something he wants to discuss with me? Me. Why me?  I don't even know him!

But of course I couldn't help but agree.  I am weak!

The walk was filled with small talk.  He mentioned how he just came here from Java-their planet, to live here.  He said his mother 'had to be here for personal and business reasons.'  Great, just as secretive as all of the other people here!

When we got in the park, I breathed the natural air in and I sighed with happiness.  It may not be all natural, but it is the freshest air I've ever breathed before being taken here.

I could feel his hand brushing mine.  I expected it to feel sticky, or cold, or something.  He is alien and he is orange. See-that's a reason why I shouldn't like him!  He has orange skin. But his hand felt exactly like anyone else's hand.  It was lukewarm.  I didn't dare to try to hold his hand.

Then I saw another Brightian-a girl Brightian.  Dumar looked at her.

He went over to the chess table she was sitting at and sat down on the other chair.

"Hey miss.  How are you doing?  My name is Dumar."

"Hello Dumar.  My name is Chesca."

I watched them talk, and my stomach did a flip flop.

Of course!  I'm a fool.  I recall reading that Brightians are especially friendly.  They'll go up to almost anyone in the vicinity and strike up a conversation with them!  Just to be polite.

"What are you doing on this fine afternoon?"

"Trying to figure out how to play chess.  I was failing miserably, so I stopped."

"Here, let me show you."

"Thanks Dumar!"

They started playing chess for a few minutes.  Dumar was giving her some pointers.  I saw that she was smiling at him.

I looked at her closer, and I noticed that she had the same features as Dumar, except she had light brown eyes.  Just like all the women here, she was beautiful.  And just like all the other ladies, she looked like she was in her twenties. Oh Dumar should just go for her.  She's gorgeous, she's your species.  Why would you ever want me?

"Good luck Chesca.  You can continue to practice-but I promised a conversation."

He looked at me, and both of his pupils expanded and dialated.  That's the Brightian way of winking. 

"Why don't we go and find a bench?"

We found a nice bench in front of the makeshift stage.  Sometimes girl bands like to play in here.  They're always girls-the guys just don't have the talent.

"I would like to share a story with you."

My eyes expanded.  I thought we were only in the 'small talk' position of our relationship.  But I'm not a Brightian, so I guess I don't know what they consider to be appropriate.

"Have you ever heard of the Bermuda triangle?"

"Yes."

"The Bermuda triangle is located on Earth, you know that, I'm sure."

"Yes, of course."

"Well, my people were fisherman there-my anscentors.  Our anscentors were homo sapiens just like you.  Well, a long time ago, fisherman were taken in the Bermuda Triangle.  An alien species called the Polonialts took us for observation.  They used that part of the world since they knew they could seal it up with strange occurences that people would think is normal-at least, more normal than an alien species taking humans."

I continued to stare at him as I listend to this strange story.  I've never heard it before-anything.  Nothing I've read about the Brightians even mentioned the Bermuda Triangle.  I don't recall reading about how they became a species before...

"These aliens wanted to observe us without the mass of the population knowing.  I don't know why, that's what I know.  So we were taken to the planet Java with them.  But you see, after many centuries we evolved and learned their knowledge.  Of course they were a vastly superior alien race.  But we wanted to have revenge.  We had a great war for a few centuries-and we won, miracuosly, us Brightians won.  You see, over the course of our long stay, we evolved to an all new species.  The red sand turned our skin orange.  We found out that homo sapiens had some hidden yellow pigment in our skin that just never showed-and it mixed with the red sand, and our skin turned colors.  The blindingly bright sun turned our eyes orange.  The new terrain shaped us in many, countless ways."

My eyes got so big.  I've never heard any of this before.  But why is he telling me-a girl that he just met.

"This is why we try to be so friendly.  We are ashamed of our ancestors' fighting, and we dont' want it to be like this anymore."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I-I-I don't know."