The Wild One

Nikolas didn't answer.

'Look. I know you said you don't like questions,' she said. 'But if you want me to stay, you've got to start talking. Your choice.'

'Okay, okay,' Nikolas said. 'I broke out of my pod first. I waited for a while, but I got cold and hungry. I left the cave. I dragged my pod with me-my own little security blanket. I got adopted. My family moved to California a few months later,' he said in a singsong voice. 'A few months ago I started getting these dreams and visions. I knew I had to come back. So I arranged it. And here I am. Happy?'

Isabel stared at him, shocked. A Project Clean Slate agent might have been able to come up with that whole story. But if so, they knew a lot more about the aliens than Isabel had ever imagined.

Nikolas's golden brown eyes narrowed as he stared at her. 'Don't you believe me?' he murmured.

Isabel could think of only one way to test him.

Slowly she reached out and touched Nikolas's face. She took a deep breath, trying to form a connection. Once they were connected, she would be able to see Nikolas's memories. She would know the truth.

Nikolas knocked her hand away and sprang to his feet. 'What the hell are you doing? You think I'm just going to let you open my head and take a look around?'

So he knew she was trying to form a connection. And he knew about the pods. And he knew about dream walking. 'You're telling the truth, aren't you?' she whispered. 'You really are one of us.'

'Well, duh.'

Isabel shook her head, trying to clear away the confusion that seemed to be clouding her thoughts. Another alien. Another one of them.

Just like she had always dreamed.

'I'm sorry I tried to connect without asking or anything. It's just… I thought you might be with Project Clean Slate,' Isabel explained in a rush.

Nikolas sat back down. 'I don't even know what that is.'

'It's a government agency that was formed to track down aliens living on Earth,' Isabel said. Suddenly the confusion was gone. Suddenly she wanted to tell him everything. He was one of them! Practically family. She felt as though she had to explain her entire life to him, the life with Max and Michael that Nikolas had missed, growing up alone. 'Sheriff Valenti-the Roswell sheriff-he's one of them,' she added. 'He's looking for us.'

She glanced over at Nikolas, trying to gauge his reaction. When she'd found out the truth about Valenti, it had terrified her.

'So that's why you were so scared. Because you thought I was an alien hunter or something?' Nikolas asked.

'Yeah,' she answered. 'You've got to be careful, Nikolas. Really, really careful. You have to stop using your powers. Even little stuff like what you did to the mascot or to my golf ball. That was you, right?'

Nikolas nodded. But he didn't look upset. Isabel wondered if he was in shock or something.

'I don't get it,' Nikolas said.

'I know. When I found out they were watching for us, I was blown away. But if you're careful, then-'

'No. That's not what I mean,' Nikolas interrupted. His golden brown eyes burned with intensity. 'I don't get why you're afraid of Valenti-or anyone else. I mean, they're only humans. How can you even think that one of them could hurt you? You're the one with the power.'

Isabel blinked in surprise. I'm the one with the power. The thought repeated itself over and over. I'm the one with the power.

Nikolas was right. Why was she so frightened of Valenti when she was the one with the power?

Isabel felt all her muscles begin to relax. Muscles she hadn't even realized were tense. I got so used to being afraid, she thought. It started feeling normal to me.

'This is so amazing,' she whispered. Impulsively she reached for Nikolas's hand. 'We didn't know… we thought we were the only ones. It never even occurred to us that there might be another one of us. You have to meet Max and Michael.'

'I started thinking I might be wrong about you and Max and Michael,' Nikolas told her. 'I've been watching you for a couple of weeks, and you never used your powers. Now I know why. I still can't believe you let some human scare you. And there are three of you. I could take on Valenti by myself, easy. So could you.'

An image of Valenti lying on the ground at Isabel's feet, begging for mercy, flashed into Isabel's mind. She smiled.

'Max believes in being careful,' Isabel answered.

'Careful. Is that what you call it? What a waste.' Nikolas reached for a strand of Isabel's blond hair and slowly twirled it around his finger. 'You're lucky I showed up, Isabel,' he murmured. 'Someone needs to teach you what your powers are for.'

***

Alex glanced across the quad. Isabel and that new guy Nikolas were still over by the pecan tree, talking. Talking and standing very close together.

'Can I have some of your pork rinds?' Max asked.

'Yeah. Sure. Whatever.' Alex shoved the bag at him without looking away from Isabel. Max, Liz, Michael, and Maria probably thought he was pathetic. And they were right. He knew he should stop staring at Isabel like some kind of stalker. But he couldn't. It was physically impossible.

It was the hair. He knew it. Red hair could look amazing on girls. But there was no guy equivalent. Just a bunch of clowns with, like, orange hair.

If Alex didn't have red hair, Isabel wouldn't be over there with Nikolas. She'd be sitting right here, next to him. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Alex thought.

Alex shot another quick look at Isabel and Nikolas. They were heading over. Oh, great. Now he was going to be tortured up close while he was trying to eat lunch.

'Hey, guys.' Isabel squeezed into the circle between Michael and Maria. She grabbed Nikolas's hand and pulled him down next to her. Alex noticed she wasn't too quick about letting go of his hand, either.

Isabel did a quick introduction. She basically talked directly to Alex's ear when she got to him. It's worse than I thought, Alex realized. She can't even stand to look me in the eye.

It's not like he and Isabel were going out or anything. But he'd gotten the impression that she thought something was happening between them. He definitely felt something when they were together, something special.

Alex caught Liz and Maria exchanging one of those significant looks girls give each other. It was pretty clear that they thought it was uncool of Isabel to show up with another guy when Alex was right there. But they were his friends before Michael, Max, and Isabel ever joined their group. Of course they would side with him.

'We've got something to tell you,' Isabel said. She sounded all breathy and excited. Not at all the way she usually did.

I feel like one of the guests on some dumb talk show, Alex thought. I know there's no way I'm going to like what I'm about to hear.

'Nikolas is one of us,' Isabel announced, glancing back and forth between Max and Michael. 'His parents were on the spaceship, too. He broke out of his incubation pod before we did and got adopted. His family moved away before he started school. That's why we didn't know.'

Alex felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Oh, man. Nikolas didn't just have brown hair. He was an alien, too. There was no way Alex could compete.

For a moment everyone just stared at Nikolas.

'Wow, you must have been so lonely,' Maria finally said. 'At least Max, Isabel, and Michael had each other.'

'I don't buy it,' Michael said before Nikolas could respond. He turned to Isabel. 'I can't believe you just brought this guy over without talking to us first. He could be anyone. He could work for Valenti. What were you thinking,