Alien Proliferation

comprehended that he was so asking. Sometimes, I didn’t even catch a straight-out statement, as Chuckie could absolutely attest. My superhero name could be Density Girl. “But once I’d met Jeff . . .” I shrugged. “I don’t know how far you two actually got, but unless Jeff’s an anomaly, trust me—once you go alien, you never, ever go back.”
    “We’ve only done it a couple of times,” Amy said while she stripped and put her underwear back on.
    I recognized the look on her face—it was a combination of pleased and guilty. “How many times? Exactly?”
    She blushed. “Three.”
    “Kind of fast, for how long we left you two alone, I mean.”
    She turned bright red. “We only did it twice here.”
    The light dawned. “Aha. So, where did you two find time to fit in the dirty deed during all the excitement?” She mumbled something. “Sorry, can’t hear you.”
    “The changing room at the gift shop by Notre Dame.”
    “Wow.” Marked this as a great idea.
    “He almost died! And he was so brave—you missed most of it, but he was just so amazing, and then they had him hanging there and he was hurt but still trying to protect us and . . .”
    “And staring at him half-naked and spread-eagled was more than the ol’ libido could take?”
    “I’m a slut, aren’t I?” She pulled her jeans on, but she wasn’t looking at me.
    I couldn’t help it, I started laughing. “Ames, geez. You’re twenty-nine, he’s almost thirty-two. I couldn’t resist Jeff, at all. Still can’t, not that I want to. They’re gorgeous, and you love the brooding, serious types.”
    “Why didn’t you go all the way with Christopher?” Shoes on, still not looking at me.
    “Because we weren’t right together, and I was already in love with Jeff, even though I didn’t want to admit it. Why didn’t you sleep with Michael? I know he gave it his best shot.”
    She shrugged. “He’s gorgeous, but he’s a player. I . . . I don’t want to just be someone’s . . . experience.” I heard the fear in her voice.
    “Christopher’s in love with you.”
    “I know he likes me, but I don’t think he loves me.” She pulled her shirt on. “I mean, he doesn’t really know me.”
    I sighed. “He’s an imageer. Among the many talents is the ability to touch a picture or video of someone and know everything about them. He touched the picture of me, you, Sheila, and Mom and Dad from my sweet sixteen.”
    “To find out about you.”
    “Yeah, true.” Oh, well, she’d find out sooner or later anyway. “I look like his mother, Ames. So does my mom. Christopher was interested in me because I reminded him of his mother, and he attached to Mom for the same reason.”
    “A lot of guys want to marry a girl just like their mother.”
    “Maybe. I’m betting she was more like you than me. Jeff says I think the way Terry did, but I’ll bet cash money I don’t act like she did. Christopher and I are great as friends, as family, as someone to cover each other’s backs. And, trust me, I need him, because the superpowers are weird and scary. Awesome, but scary, too, and I need him to help me when Jeff can’t or won’t. But we would never have worked. The things I do that Jeff thinks are adorable Christopher is amused by only because it’s not his girl doing them. Christopher hasn’t been interested in me for a long time now.”
    “But he was in love with you for a while.” She looked sad.
    “So what? Jeff and Christopher were both in love with an A-C girl named Lissa. She was going to pick Christopher, but she was out with Jeff when she was murdered in front of him. I could spend the rest of my life wondering what things would be like if that hadn’t happened. But what good is that?”
    “He’s only known me for a couple of days.”
    Her hair was messed up again. I dug my brush out and handed it to her. “Ames, did you listen? He touched that picture and others. He touched every person in the pictures too. I know because, shocker alert, I never dust. That means he’s always known you, since he met me. He just hadn’t met you in person yet. But I think he wanted to. And I know once he did, he confirmed it.”
    “Confirmed what?” She gave me back the brush, and I dropped it in my purse. Noted all six Poofs were there, snoozing.
    I put my free arm around her shoulders and looked at her in the mirror. “That you’re the girl he’s been waiting for.”
    She leaned her head against mine. “Are you