Page 34 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

Seeker: You’ve met us now, haven’t you?

Stargazer: And without binge drinking! So I guess it’s down to me. I failed fifth grade. My parents divorced and I stopped doing my work.

Jeneticist: Did it have a huge impact on you? Being held back, not the divorce.

Stargazer: I was small for my age, and I’d actually started kindergarten when I was four, so after flunking, I was the same age as other kids. It turned out to be a good thing. It made my parents start paying attention to me again too.

Seeker: Thanks for telling us.

FarfromHome: This game wasn’t bad.

SquidHead: Yep, I’m glad we did this. I’m off. Trivia night at Café Cruz!

Jeneticist: Have fun, Squiddy.

13

Jennette

I stare at the walls without seeing all the kitsch and the license plates.

They seem to have plates from all fifty states and a few from Canada too. The Prince Edward Island one is pretty with the flags and the picture of Parliament. I’m mentally rating all the plate designs when Jaz and Seeker return from the bathroom. I’m not sure what they said to each other, but he studies her throughout the meal and she’s carefully not looking in his direction. I can’t explain the atmosphere change, but nobody else seems to notice.

Maybe I’m overreacting, inventing a tension that isn’t there. I have no reason to be jealous; we’ve barely even agreed that we’re flirting, let alone anything more definite. But I recall how he admired Jaz’s singing, and I stifle a sigh.

“Anyone got plans for tomorrow?” I ask.

“Totally,” Tad says, producing his phone. He flashes the checklist on his notes app with a sheepish expression. “I also have panels and sessions cross-referenced by probable popularity, so I know how early to get there. First, I want to check out…”

My attention wanders, and I don’t check back in until the waitress returns. We order, chatting until the food arrives.

Since I’m distracted and Seeker can’t stop looking at Jaz, Poppy and Tad dominate the conversation. I do try to hold up my end, but I’m too conscious of the new weirdness to focus. I expect to figure out the source of the friction, but I can’t. And that bothers me.

Jaz never eats much. She rearranges her food with artistic flair, but in high school, I had a classmate with an eating disorder. That’s what she did to hide her anorexia.

Did Seeker notice? Maybe he called her out on it.

Then again, I’ve clocked him refusing food as well. In his case, judging from where he’s staying, I think he might be on a tight budget. He can’t afford all these meals out, so he orders water and attends to be social. He’s probably got cans of soup or cereal bars in his luggage, so he’ll have that later.

Finally, Ravik says, “It’s late now. I don’t want to go back to the party.”

“Me either,” Jaz agrees. “I need some downtime.”

Tad sighs. “Might be a missed opportunity, but it’s only running another forty-five minutes anyway. And we have the rest of the week to cut loose.”

“We need to pace ourselves,” Poppy puts in.

I nod. “That’s true.”

I’ve attended a few cons before, though not Space Con, and if you dump all your energy into the first few days, you’ll have nothing left for the rest of the week. Then you’ll end up like I did, overwhelmed and hiding in your room because you can’t face another round of small talk. Panels take the pressure off, at least, because you’re passively absorbing information, so there’s no need to talk if you choose not to.

Soon, we split the bill and Seeker accompanies me to my car. I take comfort in knowing that whatever happened privately with Jaz, he’s still leaving with me. Damn. I really want to ask, but I’m afraid he’ll lie. Things have been okay, apart from my colossal embarrassment when he asked the others if they’re into con flings. Honestly, I’m a little mad about that. When you add in the bizarre dynamic with Jaz, maybe I let my imagination run away with me.

Still can’t figure out what he was trying to achieve. I don’t think he’s a player, but some of his behavior is definitely raising red flags. Yet I don’t want to spend the drive in awkward silence, so I’ll keep trying.

“Did you have fun?” I ask, unlocking the car doors.

“I did. It was a long day but an enjoyable one.”