Confusing Earth - Chapter 27: Blink

birchmark (59)in #fiction • 6 years ago

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Chapter 27: Blink
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Jack arrived at Nathan’s house. His dog plopped down alongside him at the door. Jack knocked on the door and Nathan answered it. Nathan and Jack looked at each other for a moment, and then Nathan said “They are in here.” Jack and his dog followed Nathan into the house. They went into the lounge room and there was Jack’s family. They stared up at Jack. Bella gasped. Max was just shocked. Maree looked unsurprised and then quickly changed her expression to one of shock. She consciously did a very noticeable blink of surprise. Liam held his arms up towards Jack, excitedly. There was silence for a moment and then Bella finally looked from Liam to Jack and said, “At least someone is glad you’re back.” Bella looked at Nathan.
“Nathan, did you tell him we were here?” she asked.

Jack felt the same uncomfortable feeling he felt weeks ago when he said the wrong thing around Bella. It was clear to him that she hated him for what he said and was before. And she was right. He wasn’t good. He needed to convince her he was good now.

“Bella, I’m sorry” said Nathan “It was what I had to do.”
“I told you he had been horrible to me” said Bella.
“Wait!” said Jack, “I was but I’m not now. Bella I now realise that the organisation is horrible and that Banbazoidians like you are actually good and that I was completely wrong. I’m sorry.”
Bella looked at Jack for a moment. She still remembered being a brainwashed Banbazoidian herself and then discovering the truth for herself. Jack was acting horrible earlier, but so did she back in the early days too. It was the organisation's fault, not Jack's.
“I know you are hurt” said Jack.
Bella looked at Jack and then smiled.
“That’s okay” said Bella, “It’s good to have you back on the mission and with the family and it is great to hear that you no longer follow the organisation.”
Bella hugged Jack. Then Bella turned to Nathan.
“Thank you too Nathan for taking care of us for the last few weeks”. The words ricocheted through Jack’s mind. He turned to Nathan too.
“The last few weeks?!” he exclaimed, “You only said a couple of days ago that you had not seen them!”
“What?!” said Bella.
“Bella please understand” said Nathan, “I didn’t know at that time that he was good.”
“You did so” yelled Jack, “I told you on the mobile that night that I left the organisation and cared about my family.” Liam started to cry.
“Great guys” butted over Bella, “You have upset Liam. He doesn’t like people fighting while he is in his current body. Now can you please tell us what is going on, Nathan?”

Bella and Jack looked at Nathan. Nathan felt incredibly on the spot.
“I’m sorry” said Nathan, “I just have had a really crap time before you guys came to my place and I didn’t want to lose my new life. I should have realised having another alien in the midst would make for an even better new life rather than make me lose the life you guys gave me. I’m glad to have you Jack and I am sorry for keeping you away.”
Nathan breathed heavily, hoping that actually worked and he got out of having to admit his true feelings towards Bella.
“Well that’s okay” said Jack, “You will have so much fun seeing how much more fun life will be with all of us around. We can be the two males together, like how two males on the primitive holoscreen end up where they spend time with females together. Well not together, not two males with a female, like they help each other to get in the situation where they can spend time alone with a female. Well not alone, I guess, since there is one female and one male, but the other male doesn't do that with him but he helped the one with the female impress the female to get them to go and do whatever they do together, together.”
There was silence for a moment as Nathan processed all of that.
“That would be a wingman” said Nathan finally “And married people don’t do that. You only do the things they are trying to do with those females with one female.”
“Only one?” complained Jack. Bella frowned. Jack noticed.
“One is fine” said Jack quickly, “You are a great one and I would never need any other one to feel how great I feel around you.”

“Let me show you Nathan’s house” said Bella to Jack. They left the room with Bella showing Jack where they had been staying.
Maree and Max looked at Nathan. Max had Liam in his arms as he had been calming him down after he got upset. Eventually, Nathan got sick of their stares and said “What?”
“You are lucky that excuse worked Nathan” said Max, “It’s obvious to us two that even though perhaps your life was carp before, that isn’t the reason you would do something like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You love Bella” teased Maree, “Nathan and Bella sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I…”
“That’s enough” said Nathan “Okay maybe I do. And where did you learn that anyway?”
“School” said Maree, “And you love Bella.”
“Ssssshhhh” said Nathan, “They might hear you and also Max, the word is crap not carp.”
“Then what is carp?”
“A type of fish, but it tastes like mud so you're not 100% wrong in confusing the two” answered Nathan, “And yes I do love Bella but I told you already Maree, I can’t do anything. They are married and now that Jack is here it is more real than ever before.”
There was silence for a moment and then Nathan panicked.
“Don’t tell Jack or Bella about this” he said.
“We won’t” said Maree. She sat on the couch gently kicking her legs.
“We won’t” said Max. Liam just pointed at his mouth.
“Yeah I know you can’t Liam” said Nathan, “Anyway I have to go and do something.” Nathan left the room and the conversation was over.