“I will, as soon as we get settled.”
She smiled at him.
Karuk stared at her, enchanted by the smile.
Those eyes.
He felt a stirring inside that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.
She waved as she walked along with the rest of the Earth people.
6
“Wow, that was weird,” Brooklyn said to Jenny, once they got settled in their apartments on the station.
“What?” Jenny asked, her mind still not fully settled into the fact that she was actually in space, in orbit, around her planet. She reached over and pinched her arm.
“Did you just pinch yourself?”
“Well, yeah. Doesn’t it feel like some kind of dream?” Jenny asked.
Brooklyn grinned. “Something, for sure.”
Mister Fluffikins meowed as he pranced throughout the space apartment, sniffing and rubbing on everything, determined to make this place home.
“Space apartment,” Jenny said, looking around. “It seems rather dorm-like, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t know what kind of dorm you had, but I sure didn’t have a couch and kitchen in my dorm. The only thing dorm-like in here is the fact that we share the bathroom.”
“True,” Jenny said. “I didn’t actually live in a dorm. I lived at home while I went to school.”
“Cheaper that way. I had the dorm experience. Two out of ten, would not recommend.” Brooklyn said, her gaze darting to Mr. F as he roamed around. “He seems happy.”
“Think he’s just happy to be out of the carrier.” Jenny watched her new friend. “Why didn’t you like the dorms?”
“Mean girls, mostly.”
Jenny nodded, understanding fully. “They’re at every school, aren’t they?”
“Yep.” She glanced out the windows. “If they could see us now, right?”
“Exactly!” Jenny grinned. “Who’s a nerd now?”
“Selfie!” Brooklyn said, and pulled out her own phone, and they posed for several shots.
“Too bad we can’t post them,” Brooklyn said. “There’s a few people I’d love to see their faces.”
Jenny smiled just as Mister Fluffikins leaped onto the back of the couch, and walked up and down it, pausing only to rub his face on one spot or another. Marking his scent on the furniture.
“Oh, did we forget you?” Jenny said, petting his head.
He spun around and started rubbing his face on the couch.
“How could we,” Brooklyn said with a far-away look in her eyes.
“Yeah, Mr. F is pretty special.” She petted him again, and he arched his back into the stroke before strutting away.
Brooklyn waved her hand. “Not that. I mean that alien from before! He came right over to you!”
