Nine. [preview]

I was stupid. No more than stupid. I was begging for danger to come crashing through the door and kill the thing I love most dear.
Yup. That is it. But I was still packing clothes to go over to Kate's house to stay with her for the next week. I mean, I can't completely blame myself. Well, I can, and I am. But you should have seen the way she looked at me. As if I was superman or something that would chase the boogy man away from under her bed. Not that I'm saying I wouldn't, but, you know what I mean.
I packed for two weeks, just in case, and then headed over to her house. Maria greeted me at the door and took my bag upstairs to the spare room I was going to sleep in. I asked her where Kate was and she said that she was swimming outside.
Great. Just what I need. I'm already in love with her, I don't really wish to see her in well, a bikini. I mean, I may not be from this planet, but I'm still of the male race. And I do like women. But no doubt, I would go out there and see her. She was the reason I was there anyways, to comfort her, and help her feel like she wasn't alone. Probably one of the craziest missions I've been on, but no doubt was going to be the hardest of them all and I wouldn't even have to use my special talents. Rather see if I can go a week without them. Act normal.
Kate was indeed swimming when I found her outside, laps actually, probably how she was so fit. And she wasn't wearing a bikini either. Rather a more modest swim suit that covered her well and didn't try to show off her figure. Looks like I underestamited her.
She was heading back to the shallow end so I stood there and wait for her to come up for air. She eventually did.
"Hi there."
She rubbed the water off her eyes and looked up at me.
"Hey, sorry, I swim alot. 20 more laps and I'll be done. I have to keep in shape for cheerleading."
So, she was a cheerleader? Something new I didn't know.
"That's alright. Mind if I join you? We could race?"
"Um. You wouldn't want to race me."
"Really? Are you sure you just aren't afraid of losing?"
"Of couse not. I just don't want to embarrass you your first night here."
She was also very confident. I added that little fact as well to my growing list of Kathren Lancer.
I gave up on trying to race her and instead just sat by the pool and looked up at the stars. And there it was. My home planet. Not that I had ever been. I was born on the island, but it still was the planet that I would call home. Earth was just a temporary thing, and America was just my escape from my father until I found a way back to my home planet.