Page 7 of Alien in the Attic

“Sofia! I’m so sorry,” she said to Arccoo and then turned to glare at her sister. “I thought Elena would react this way, not you!”

Elena huffed in the background.

“I just… I’ve been searching for so long, and then he just appears out of nowhere?”

Carmen sighed. She knew her sister had placed a lot of hope in her research, searching for something more.

“It’s real, sis. Isn’t it amazing?”

Sofia nodded slowly. She eyed Arccoo again. “He is dressed weirdly. And that fabric is otherworldly soft. And his eyes are strange.”

Carmen snickered. “Heis right there, and he understands you.” Sofia at least had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she said to Arccoo. “It’s nice to meet you. I have so many questions.”

Arccoo laughed, and Carmen felt the rich sound right through to her core. “I’m sure you do,” he replied kindly.

The younger sisters peppered Arccoo with questions, and finally, Carmen stood up. “Why don’t we give our alien a break from the interrogation? Sofia, you’re on shopping duty. Elena, start packing personal things away.”

“Bossy,” Sofia muttered, but they followed her instructions. When the kitchen was silent once more, Carmen turned to Arccoo. She found him studying her, his head tilted to the side as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. She flushed slightly under his scrutiny.

“We’re prepping to do the house up for Halloween,” she explained, rambling slightly. “It’s something my grandparents always used to do, and Halloween is huge in this town. Everyone goes all out. It’s so much fun. Do you have Halloween? No, of course you don’t.”

Arccoo came up to her and her breath quickened. He smelled fresh, like he’d just showered, and she could feel the warmth coming off his body. He smiled down at her and reached out to brush back a lock of hair.

“We don’t have Halloween, no, but we have a few books on Earthen culture. Not much, but I’ve heard of it. I always found it fascinating. You dress up. Don’t you?”

Carmen swallowed, trying to regain some composure.

“Yeah, uh, we…we dress up. Sofia can tell you all about the traditions. She loves it.”

He nodded. “You feel responsible for them,” he observed quietly.

She looked away. Her last relationship had ended because she always put her sisters first.

“After our parents died…” She cleared her throat, looking up at him. “I just want to be sure they’re taken care of. You know?”

“I understand. I am responsible for my people, and it weighs heavily on me.”

Carmen sighed, turning away to clear up the coffee mugs and pot. She ran some hot water into the sink to wash them, her thoughts spinning around losing her parents and now her grandparents. Arccoo joined her and grabbed a dish towel. Carmen stared at him in surprise. He just winked.

The silence was comforting while they worked. Carmen stared out of the window at the clear fall day. The swing that they’d played on as kids looked dilapidated, the rope fraying and the tire dirty. She took in the large garden, noting the overgrown lawn and the ivy strangling the big willow.

She could feel Arccoo’s gaze on her, pulling her from her thoughts and sending delicious tingles of warmth through her.

“Do you travel around often?” she asked, taking the towel he held out to dry her hands. Their fingers brushed. He lingered near her, seeming to consider his words carefully before he replied.

“The first sibling in the royal family—my brother—is next in line for the throne. Traditionally, the second sibling becomes an ambassador of sorts. I travel to different planets and forge alliances, smooth over relationships, and so on.” He paused when Carmen opened her mouth to ask a question, but she shook her head.

“I was going to ask how many planets there are, but I think Elena would want to hear that answer, so tell us later.” She smirked.

Arccoo huffed a laugh. “It is not an easy answer. Though I’m duty-bound to serve the monarchy, my position has allowed me some freedom to explore. I enjoy seeing new places and meeting different people.”

“I think experiencing different cultures gives you a lot of perspective about humans—well, people, beings, whatever. It makes it easier to understand why they do the things they do.”

Arccoo nodded, his eyes lingering on hers. She felt a kinship with him that she had never felt with anyone else before.

Carmen and her sisters spent the day planning for Halloween. She didn’t see Arccoo again until dinner, though the alluring alien was constantly on her mind.

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