Buu grinned and threw me a very stilted thumbs up. Holding his hand up still, he looked to Dace. Dace threw him a thumbs up back.
“Can I ask, what it was like growing up? You said you grew up with your mates and their brother and they’re hybrids like you.” Dace brought fresh bowls of popcorn for everyone each our own so Buu couldn’t hog it all.
It was harder than I thought talking about it and I choked up a little, but I told her about what it was like in our small, snowy town, my parents, the guys, Sunny, Forest.
Buu asked questions too.
Before I knew it we’d completely forgotten about the second movie in favor of us all sharing stories about our lives, what it was like. Buu had lost his entire family and was living all alone before he came across Dace.
Dace’s family was a hot mess. She was closest to her Grandfather, who taught her how to hunt, track, trap, use a bow, clean and fire a gun, change a tire, the oil on her car. Her mother sounded completely awful and made me feel grateful for mine despite all the crazy mine had kept from me.
“They wanted me to try and have a normal life.” I shook my head at the idea. “I don’t see how, though. I’m still Lepyr and Lo denaii. I could have met and married some human guy, thinking I’m totally human, then popped out a furry baby. Could you imagine? With zero knowledge of any of this. It would have been confusing as hell, and risked the baby and me being exposed. Our government is whacked. Who knows what could have happened if it was discovered I was part alien back on Earth.”
“My Joalee say gudverdment knowed aliums egg-cyst. They just not say. Hide,” Buu rumbled out quietly.
“They’ll lock you up for believing any of it,” Dace scoffed.
A heavy knock on Dace’s door had Buu putting a hand out to stand and approach the door. Leaning in close, he rumbled, “Who knock?”
“Who think?! Open for better friend than Dace!” Rek bellowed belligerently from the other side of the door.
Buu grinned and threw the door open. “Rek come for Buu?” Buu looked pleased by this development.
Rek stepped in and lifted his head for a sniff. “Why smell funny?” Rek grumbled.
“Popped corned,” Buu said quickly.
Dace had a set of panels she set over her little chittery friends, cleverly camouflaging them. Buu had helped her make it and kept her secret for her.
When one began to chirp a little too loudly at being shoved into darkness, Dace shouted, “Karaoke time!” and just burst into song.
My jaw about hit the floor as she belted out “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” like she was practicing for cover artist of the year.
Rek glanced from me, to Buu, then back to Dace sharply.
“Crazy face… crazy,” Rek grumbled, yet allowed Buu to lead him out the front door.
“Buu come back for popped corn. Dace make for my Joalee and mates too?” Buu called out.
“I’ll bring as many kernels as I can come by!” Dace promised.
“Buu watch cluked headed clumbers aliums moodvie,” I heard Buu telling Rek.
“Rek not say no watch that one?!” Rek sounded like an incensed old woman.
Buu didn’t seem to care. “Buu like. Not scare Buu,” I heard him telling Rek.
“Why not scared?” Rek asked quietly, curiously, like he too would like to learn this trick.
I listened in until their voices faded into the distance.
Dace had already locked the door and was starting to take the covers off the cages when there was yet another knock at the door.
“Maybe Buu forgot something,” I muttered and started looking around for forgotten items.
Dace walked to the door. “Who is it?” she called out.
There was a pause and then, “Kehlor.”
