Page 11 of Breathless Recruiter

“What do we say about differences?”

An office in Secret Identities had been transformed into thecoachingroom. Each of us spent time there, talking to our respective mentors. Orion had a historian who tried to overcome his conspiracy theories. Drew had a therapist wanting him to be more assertive. Housed in Janet’s garage for months, I overheard their conversations from behind the water heater.

For me, I had Kiki, a bona fide human… sort of.

“Differences make us special.”

Kiki sat in her oversized comfy chair, legs crossed. With each nod of her head, her bushy hair fell into her eyes. Her hands were pressed together in her lap, almost hidden by the flowing red gown covered in pink flowers. She let the words hang in the air, convinced they needed delivery into the universe.

“Very good, Wyatt. I think this deserves a hug.”

Her arms wrapped around her chest. Kiki waited for me to follow her lead. Once we were hugging ourselves, she gave a little wiggle. I knew enough about Earth customs to understand Kiki would be considered unusual. I wasn’t human, andIknew her methods were outlandish. Yet, I hugged myself, and the tension left my shoulders.

“Before we continue, I want to acknowledge your growth journey. It’s only been a few months, and I’m seeing the Wyatt from beyond the stars bond with Earth Wyatt. You are a glorious being.”

Kiki had clearance amongst the superhero community. Arthur found her after getting a recommendation from another alien. I could count on one hand the number of people who knew about Halo. Kiki’s supernatural ability to only recall memories in particular locations made her the perfect human coach. When she walked out of our office, she’d forget everything we talked about. Though, I often wondered if she turned it off and collected to retain the happy thoughts.

“Thanks, I guess.”

“I think you sell yourself short, Wyatt. Humans are incredibly complex creatures, and none of them are the same. Each has a history, a culture, an identity unlike the next.”

“But—”

“Shh.” Her lips thinned as she hissed. “You’re exploring what it means to live amongst humans. At the same time, we spend our entire lives learning what it means tobehuman. We’re all a little confused.”

“I’m a lot confused.” That reminded me of the conversation yesterday. “What’s a quickie?”

Kiki’s eyes widened at the question. Sex. It definitely related to sex. It was the only time her eyes grew to the size of her polka-dot-colored glasses. “That sounds like a Janet question. Let’s talk about your homework?”

It never changed. Interact with Earthli— people. Without my memories of Halo and Earth Mom living in isolation, Kiki claimed I needed to be around more people. While she said I needed friends outside of work, I thought the four people in this office were plenty. Five if you counted the fax machine.

“I met someone.” My hands shot up, covering my mouth. The words escaped my mouth without thinking. I hadn’t thought of the assignment when I collided with Dustin. Going through my humanisms never crossed my mind as we walked to work.

Kiki’s face lit up, the smile making her eyes thin slits. She gave a little clap. “Tell me about him.”

“A furry hell beast tried to kill me.”

Her eyebrow rose. “Describe it.”

I let out a sigh. She wouldn’t let me continue unless I used the correct word for this tiny-eyed terror. “About this big.” Yes, I lied and said it was three times the actual size. “Pointy nose. Whiskers. Long serpent-like tail.” Kiki’s head tilted to the side, unable to connect the dots. “It likes cheese.”

Her finger went up. “A-ha! Wyatt, that’s a mouse. Maybe a rat.”

“Hell beast,” I muttered.

“What about your new friend?”

“He’s one of the security guards downstairs.”

She nodded. “At least he’s not fromthisoffice.”

“He saved me from the hell— mouse. After he rescued me, we talked for a few minutes.”

“Tell me a fact about him.”

“He’s brave.” Dustin hadn’t flinched when he went searching for the mouse. I marveled at how he didn’t think twice as he leaped in front of danger. For a human, he wasn’t just brave; he bordered on fearless.

“I talked to him again this morning. He’s very handsome.”

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