Don’t Blame Me I’m A Martian-21

Chapter 21

Mom drives and we’re quiet at first as we drive through the rain and pass buy a few places mostly chain food places. Some’s not bad I like Dairy Queen and Burger king if for burgers because a good burger should be flame broiled. A&W is good buy shy works there and so that’s out of the question. We actually settle for Fu-lamb’s Kitchen a mom and pop Chinese place.

I like Chinese and it’s one of those foods where you have the places around but you just don’t end up eating there often.

The place isn’t big really just a few seats with it being mostly a take out and it smells really good. Cheyenne’s looking a bit nervous and she’s looking through her wallet and at the overhead menu like she’s trying to figure out what to be able to afford.

I nudge Mom who looks at me and nods. “Cheyenne put you money away I’d be shot when we got back if I went for Chinese and didn’t get stuff for everyone.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pain.”

“Yes I’m sure and you’re staying with us remember?”

“Uhm…”

“At least until I can talk with your parents once they become available.”

“I’ll try to reach them. But they’re also traveling.”

“I know but I’ll feel a lot better about it than you being out on your own.”

“Okay…”

Shy still sounded sort of unsure about that and everything so maybe despite what he…no what she said their home life might not have been that great. I can almost sort of feel the uneasy feeling with them like some kind of breeze almost like it’s there around me but it’s elusive?

I swear these girl hormones are making me feel some pretty strange things sometimes.

We start by getting a great big order and thankfully they have those big catering tin trays and roasters for some of the stuff. I’m good as long as we have lo-mien, chow-mien, and egg rolls, a lot of people don’t like eggrolls but I do and I know that I’m not really original in the stuff I like most but I actually haven’t eaten a lot of Chinese food some but not enough to be all informed and stuff.

It’s so strange too…

After like a little bit while we’re waiting I notice Shy watching them a little off in space and moving her lips and then she goes up to the counter and she starts to talk like Chinese to them.

Like took a class for a few years Chinese.

He…she turns to me and mom. “They have some stuff on the back menu if you guys are interested?”

“Back menu?”

“The stuff they cook for other Chinese people because most westerners won’t eat it.”

Mom nods. “Sure you go ahead and order for us?”

Me I’m like. “You speak Chinese?”

“Actually it’s Cantonese but sort of?”

“Sort of?”

“It took me awhile to figure out the differences.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a big country and just like over here people don’t sound the same or use the same words so I had to figure it out.”

“Okay…but you speak Chinese.”

“My family taught us a few languages because there’s some major ones in the world.”

“Like?”

“North American, Spanish, French, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi…”

Mom nods. “Most of the major languages where there’s huge populations and are pretty wide spread.”

Shy blushes and sort of smiles. “Uhm…yeah we get taught back home pretty young and stuff so it sort of sinks in and we get a better handle on it and the more languages you know the more I guess your brain can figure things out if other languages.”

I’m staring a bit all impressed. The thing is…wow dammit smart is pretty sexy.

Mom’s shaking her head. “Y’know that makes a lot of sense but try and tell that to the schools in this country…we might get Spanish…maybe in the younger grades and maybe a few other languages in high school classes but that’s it.”

“We sort of teach in like a co-op group home school way until they thing that we’re ready to head out.”

There’s some stuff that’s just really strange like three different noodle dishes with different noodles I only think I recognize like rice noodles in one. I’ve certainly never heard of Chow fun or Jook-sing? And there’s a stir fry that’s like bamboo shoots mostly but like broccoli too? Fried soft shell crabs which is from here but in a spiced tempura batter. Lot’s of pot stickers…okay those I like but have only had once and then there’s desserts too. Like a sesame flavoured steamed custard? I’ve never had custard and does sesame even have a flavor? I mean you don’t really taste them on a hamburger right? And I’m really dubious of tofu in desserts too.

It’s a good thing that Mom got us some eggrolls to nosh on for the drive back because the smells of the food is driving us all nuts I think. The weather clears as we get home and we stop at Shy’s motel first and get her things. Wow…okay we pack kinda light to like live here for the summer but shy has one hockey gear bag and a backpack or a rucksack? That’s what mom calls it and she’s impressed by shy having one of those as she is by their book collection. I’ve heard of some of these people and it’s like all university English kind of course stuff.

I take her bags as her and mom talk Jane Austin. I’m not dumb but I’m not much of a reader either I think the last real novel or book I read that wasn’t assigned was…huh I can’t really remember it but I do read a lot of articles and stuff off my Face book I don’t even read comics that much but I’ve read all of Dad’s Heavy Metal magazines…I like the fact they’re graphic novel excerpts and short stories and I like his Epic Illustrated as well.

Jax has a huge collection of Mad Magazines too, those are pretty cool. Oh and Penthouse and Hustler and Playboys too. Although I haven’t really looked at anything like that since all this stuff started. I honestly don’t know where my head would be in like respects to porn?

But yeah…kind of a non-literary guy reader. Still a jock really. I really don’t have a thing with people that do read. I’d love to find the time and the mental energy to get really into books and stuff but I haven’t got the taste for stuff like that. I do like a girl that reads though.

There is something so sexy about just and watching a girl reading a book. She becomes real when she reads…naked in a way because when she’s really into it…she is herself and on auto-pilot when she takes a drink, moves to get more comfy or adjusts her hair.

I’m so having smart girl images of Shy reading right now.

And then this little daydream of her naked…strong body and shoulders around a cello and playing in this oh so hot way…

It’s funny since I’ve never really seen cello played before but I’m really turned on by the idea.

And there’s a second where I know I’m being watched and I turn to see and Cheyenne is watching me and she’s checking me out and …I mean she’s really checking me out like both the girl parts of me and my guy parts and its real looking and real feeling.

I’ve never really felt a connection or chemistry like this between me and someone else.

And at the same time as it’s such a really good thing there’s guilt about feeling this way about Shy when I’m seeing Kaylee.

It’s right about the time that I see Shy turn around from me and shoulder their rucksack and her and Mom get back in and ready to go…huh…I’m so sort of getting the girl vibe off of shy right now and it’s sort of that…unsettled? Upset?

But…

Why?

I can get that she might be scared or nervous by coming to live with us but that just doesn’t jive.

I’m still mulling it over as we head back to the family cottage area and we get out and start to take the Chinese food into the house so most of it can get reheated in the oven. Shy’s well being shy and I can see that I’m not the only one looking at Cheyenne and getting sort of semi-confused?

And Shy’s well she’s so giving off he right now in that quiet guy hands in their pockets hunchy defensive sort of way. But the small breasts are still visible and she still has a soft girl’s voice even if she has those velvety earthy undertones to it and…

Well I’m not the only one getting hit with Cheyenne’s wow factor…even some of my straight cousins look like they can’t get what’s going on with them and Shy but I can almost see it and feel it as they are sort of just all kind of hanging around?

I’m not sure if I’m amused by this.

………………

Nope….

I am not amused.

I have the over whelming need to want to tell them all to back the hell off. It must have bugged Shy too because one minute he…she’s there and the next minute she slipped out somehow? The odd thing is I seem to be the only one that noticed. It was kind of weird seeing how they were all so into him…her just a few minutes ago.

Dammit that’s annoying.

Why can’t I get her pronouns right? I mean I know she’s a girl but she so gives off this sort of very guy vibe.

Except when she doesn’t?

I see them outside at one of the older picnic tables down closest to the beach and I wonder about coming over to sit with them but it’s like they’re there sort of hiding out so maybe it’s better to give her some space?

I sigh and head to my camper and go and crawl up into my bunk. All this emotional stuff and living in my head is kind of tiring. I can’t sleep though because I keep turning the thoughts of me and Kaylee over in my head and Cheyenne now too.

I really like Kaylee, she’s been there for me this summer and we’ve gotten really close and really hot over each other and even if there’s so much more of her liking the girl part of me because she’s a lesbian or a sort of lesbian I didn’t/don’t mind that. Heck I even really dug the last time we were out and getting to sort of be this lesbian kind of couple.

I liked feeling pretty and attractive. It was liberating as much as it was very out of my box. Heady even. It was like being really popular, and who doesn’t like being popular?

And then there’s Shy.

Honestly I’m almost scared of the attraction that I have with her. It’s like there’s this wildfire chemistry there.

I sort of lay there and stew for awhile and then I get up a while later and head outside and go and find Jax who’s in the communal area and way in back at the sorta gym room where he’s working out on the punching bag.

I step in and hold the bag steady like I usually do and spot for him.

“Can we talk? I need some advice on women.”

“You sure you want to talk to me about this and not Hill?”

“Yeah I’m not sure Hill would have the right perspective on this. I think this is me having a guy issue.”

He stops and looks at me, wipes his face with the towel around his neck. “Okay glove up and we’ll talk.”

I smile…yeah…I kind of need this.