We got back to the car, notebook-less, and told my dad that it wasn’t there. Then Charlie “remembered” leaving it in a drawer at home. I hated lying to my dad, who was being really cool about everything. But there are levels of cool, and allowing me to keep an alien in my closet was probably one level above what my dad would put up with.
Dad parked the car and went into the house while Charlie and I stayed outside to game-plan.
“I have no idea,” I said, frustration leaking into my voice. “All I know is that I brought those aliens here, so it’s my responsibility to see them home.”
“See them … ” Charlie repeated slowly. “I wonder if everyone can see them? Or just people who play Alien Invasion?”
“Hmm. I don’t know.” It was a good question. When Monsters Unleashed had accidentally unleashed monsters into town, only people who’d played the game could see them. But things seemed different this time. These weren’t video-game aliens. They were real aliens who’d been living real lives before they were teleported here.
Charlie’s older brother, Jason, came out of their house and started pacing the front yard. Jason was only two years older, but he was double our size. He had a buzz cut and shoulders as wide as a doorway, which together made him look pretty intimidating. But I’d watched him nearly pee himself as a monster held him six feet in the air, so that took some of the fear away.
Now, he walked toward us, running his fingers along the back of his head like he was searching for buried treasure.
“Um, what are you doing?” Charlie asked.
“Looking for a bump on my head,” Jason answered.
“Did you hit your head?” I asked.
“Not that I can remember, but I think I have a concussion. Maybe there was a play in practice that was rougher than I remember.”
Charlie frowned. “If you don’t remember getting hurt, why do you think you have a concussion?”
Jason stopped rubbing his head and stared at us. “You have to promise not to tell Mom. She’ll just freak out and make me get another MRI, and I’ve had, like, twelve of those this year. It’s getting boring.”
Charlie nodded. “I promise.”
Jason took a deep breath. “I thought I saw an alien in our backyard.”
My heart skipped a beat in my chest. Had Vera run away? Or had my mom found her? Oh, gosh, what happened?
“An alien?” Charlie repeated, keeping his voice level.
“Yeah. It was blue and had three legs and a really bad haircut.”
All the breath I’d been holding came out in a whoosh. Vera was still safely inside. Jason had seen Bob. Which was both good and bad.
Charlie’s finger shot into the air. “I think I have it figured out!”
“You do?” Jason said.
“You do?” I said, even louder. I didn’t want him to tell Jason about our little alien problem quite yet. I didn’t want anyone to know until we had the situation under control.
“Who are we playing against next week?” Charlie said. “Runswick, right?”
Jason’s eyes lit up. “The Runswick Martians!” He shook his head. “Those jerks. They’re dressing up and trying to scare our best players.” He pointed at himself, in case the implication wasn’t clear.
I had to hold back a giggle. I’d always thought that Runswick had the dumbest team name ever. Though, as the Wolcott Devils, we didn’t exactly get points for creativity. But Charlie’s quick thinking had saved us in the moment. It was a relief to know he and I were on the same page about telling Jason—that we were still on the same page about something.
Jason took off, grumbling about revenge.
“We’ll get our revenge on the field next week!” Charlie called.
When we were alone again, I turned to Charlie. “Well, now we know two things.”
“One,” Charlie said. “Anyone can see the aliens.”
“And two,” I added. “Bob isn’t interested in the observatory. Whatever he wants is around here.”
Charlie nodded somberly. Then he glanced at the time on his phone. “I have to go.”
“Really?” I said, surprised. “You don’t want to come see Vera again?” I mean, for a science geek like Charlie, having a real life alien next door must have felt like opportunity of a lifetime.
“I would, but I have an appointment.” He smiled huge. “My braces are coming off.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that was happening.” Poor Charlie had had braces on his teeth for nearly three years, so I should’ve been delighted for him to finally get them off. But instead I felt strange. Like this was yet another change coming at me too quickly. And I’d noticed he’d grown a bit, too. He was finally taller than I was. Charlie was changing inside and out.
“Text me later,” he said, running off.
“Hey!” I called out. “Got any science jokes for me before you go?”
He stopped and shrugged. “I don’t really think those up anymore.”
I sulked back into my house and upstairs to my room. Vera was safely in my closet, on the last page of my math book, orange peels littering the floor. I opened the Alien Invasion app and asked, “Everything good here?”
“Yes,” Vera’s robotic translation said. “No problems. But I would like another math textbook.”
I sank onto the end of my bed. “Okay, I’ll put that on the list with more oranges and a bigger brain to figure out how to help you get home.”
Vera frowned and climbed out of the closet, flinging a shoe out of her way. “Bex, my friend. You seem sad. Did Bob destroy your favorite observatory?”
“No. He wasn’t there. Charlie’s brother actually saw him skulking around the backyard again.”
Vera’s face darkened. “He is planning something. He is no good.”
A knock came on the door. My dad’s voice called, “Can I come in?”
Vera’s neck eyes bulged in fear.
“No!” I cried. “Not right now.”
“Why not?” Dad asked, suspicion in his voice.
Because I have an alien in my room really wasn’t a non-suspicious answer. But a thought occurred to me. Something he would understand.
“I need to ‘decompress’ from our trip to the observatory,” I said, using his favorite word.
“Oh.” He sounded kind of stunned. “Sure. Of course.”
Vera nodded at me, impressed, then headed back to her spot in the closet.
I smiled huge. It worked! But I couldn’t keep my parents out of my room forever. And this problem seemed to be lasting longer than I’d originally thought it would. Vera couldn’t stay here too much longer. I’d have to figure out another solution.
A shoe that had apparently gotten in Vera’s way launched past my head and hit the wall behind me.
And that solution had to come soon.