Parasitic Love Redux - 23. The Rules

M bounced out of bed, crushing Connor's ankle in the process.

"Oww!" Connor groaned, but M didn't hear him. He giggled and rolled on the floor with the dog. Jack playfully nipped the hem of his shirt and made happy dog noises.

Connor rolled his eyes as he watched the scene play out. He grew tired of the horseplay almost immediately and got out of bed to search for an outfit.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said to the room at large as he pulled some jean shorts and a plain white tee out of his dresser. "I think I'm starting to smell a little ripe."

M flopped on his back and let the dog nuzzle his chest. He laughed and put his arms around the mutt. "You're growing a beard, too," he said, looking up at Connor. "Smelly and fuzzy… You're like a big dog-person!"

"Wow," Connor sneered. "What a sweet thing to say."

M giggled.

Connor gathered his change of clothes and headed down to the second-floor bathroom. He found a clean towel and a washcloth in the little closet behind the door and then took his clothes off, tossing them into the corner carelessly. He put his clean stuff on the sink for later and climbed into the shower.

Under the hot water, he felt the stubble on his jawline. He hadn't properly shaved in days and the light dusting of hair was growing into a thick beard.

He'd have to find a razor after this… Nathan probably had one laying around somewhere…

Suddenly, the shower curtain was ripped back.

Connor shoved his hands through his hair and blinked as the spray of water from the showerhead misted into his eyes.

M stood on the bathmat, bare-ass naked. "Can I get in?"

Connor stepped back and made room for the blond in the shower stall. "Uh, sure."

M got in and the curtain dropped back into place. They were alone in their own steamy little world.

"So," M said. He beamed up at Connor. "Now that we're here, we really need to figure out our next move," he said. "Bradley's right. None of us are safe with the Man in Black lurking around."

Connor stumbled over his words. "I-ah— Yeah. The Man in Black…" Feeling ridiculous, he reached around M and wetted his washcloth in the spray of water. He grabbed the only soap he could, something pink and girly with flowers all over it. Whatever. He squirted some gel onto his washcloth and started soaping up.

"You remember what happened last night, right?" M rubbed his hands over his chest, playing in the water that cascaded over his shoulders in little rivulets. He touched one of his pink nipples and gasped softly. He flicked it with the tip of his finger a few times, gasping with unashamed pleasure and Connor clamped down hard on his tongue as a helpless groan fought its way up from deep in his throat.

"M…" Connor hissed at the boy. "Why are you playing with your nipple?"

"I'm not," M said quickly and he dropped his hand and turned to face the water. He got his front wet and then leaned in to get his hair soaked as well. The blond's ass ended up bobbing in energetic little circles as he washed his golden locks in the spray of water.

Connor moaned at the enticing sight. He couldn't help it. He lined himself up with the blond's pert little ass, his cock rising immediately to attention. Connor's cockhead was just inches away from M's dark crack… He imagined he'd spit in his hand, lube the red straining tip of his erection and push it deep into the boy's tight asshole in one strong push…

Instead of doing that, though, he ghosted his hands over M's narrow waist and made a little outline of his lovely ass with the tips of his fingers… he didn't actually get to touch the beautiful boy… He just pretended…

M turned suddenly, squirting Connor in the face with a mouthful of water.

Blinded, Connor sputtered and covered his eyes. M laughed and pushed him under the showerhead. "Hurry up and get clean!" He demanded. "You're hogging all the soap and you're not even doing anything with it!"

The little blond snatched Connor's washrag from his unresponsive hand and took up the bottle of flowery soap he'd left behind. He squirted a huge handful into the rag and smooshed it into a soapy mess.

He came at Connor then, attacking his arms and chest with the soapy rag. He got under Connor's arms next and worked his way down his ribs, dipping his finger into Connor's belly button and smiling up at him wickedly.

Connor's erection had yet to go down. M was tracing the rippled lines on his muscled abdomen, now and was doing a good job at pretending an 8-inch cock wasn't poking out between them. When M got down to the thick of Connor's pubic hair, though, he didn't hesitate a second more. He dropped the washcloth and wrapped his hand around Connor's hot length of flesh.

Connor released a breath he hadn't even known he was holding in an almighty gust of air. He moaned helplessly.

"I like the beard," M said casually as he soaped up Connor's cock. He reached up with his free hand and tangled his fingers in the hair growing at his jawline. Connor sucked his lips into his mouth. He didn't know what to say. He didn't want M to stop.

But M slipped his soapy fingers back behind his balls and pressed his finger into Connor's tight anus. That made him jump.

M laughed and just like that, he withdrew his hand. "Dirty boy," he said. "Finish up. I heard the girls making breakfast downstairs." He smiled knowingly and picked up the soapy rag. He started washing himself now, winking at Connor as he trailed his slick fingers down his own chest.

Connor's cock throbbed with need. He turned his back on M, got under the water, and grabbed his dick. He stroked himself quickly a few times, grunting at the end of each stroke, squeezing the head of his cock tightly and twisting the tight skin gathered there.

"Fuck, M…" he hissed as he came powerfully, splattering the tiled wall of the shower with his jizz.

Connor's vision swam and he slapped his hand against the wall to steady himself. His breathing was erratic and he waited for it to slow into normal rhythms again.

M, the little shit, started chuckling.

"Are you alright?"

Connor flipped him off, made sure he was free of the soapy remnants of their shared shower, and then he stepped out of the water. He grabbed his towel and dried off quickly, cursing under his breath. What the fuck kind of game was M playing?!

Connor dressed rapidly, the shorts and the t-shirt sticking to his moist flesh. He didn't care.

Down in the kitchen, Hannah was seasoning eggs in a skillet while Julie buttered toast beside her. Bradley was lounging at the island, sipping a glass of OJ.

"Morning," she called.

Connor stalked to the island and plopped his ass in the stool next to the cop. "Yeah. Morning," he grunted.

"How'd you sleep?" Bradley asked.

Connor shrugged, but then he remembered the agent standing outside their window last night… He peered at Bradley from the corner of his eye.

"What about you?" he asked cautiously.

Bradley primly sipped her juice. "Very comfortably," she said and then with a lecherous smile: "And with a beautiful woman."

They both looked across the room at Hannah. She cheerfully served a helping of eggs onto a plate Julie had waiting.

"Um…"

Bradley laughed. "There was a pillow between us the whole night."

Connor snorted.

Julie appeared at Connor's elbow with a plate of eggs and toast. She pushed it across the counter to Bradley.

"Thanks, ma'am," Bradley said with a wink.

Julie quirked an eyebrow at the butch lesbian, smiled, and then turned a little, leaned in and pecked a kiss on Connor's forehead.

"Ack, mom!" Connor pushed her away.

Julie laughed. "I'll get you some orange juice," she said.

Connor rubbed his mother's kiss away and ducked his head when he saw the way Bradley was looking at him.

She laughed under her breath. "That's real cute."

Connor flipped her off too! Fuck everyone! Fuck everyone and their opinions!

Bradley snorted and started on her plate of eggs.

"Is sunny-side OK?" Hannah asked from the stove. She was already cracking the eggs into the skillet though.

"Yeah. Fine," Connor said. He was just glad someone was finally making him some breakfast.

Julie served Connor some juice and then went back to the counter to pop some bread in the toaster. She took a deep breath and released it with a carefree laugh.

"I feel great today," she said. "So refreshed."

"I think we're all in a pretty good mood," Hannah said cheerfully. "It always seems as if sleeping in your car is a viable option. And then you're actually trying to fall asleep in the backseat of your mother's sedan."

Julie put a dainty hand over her mouth and giggled.

"It was amazing to get some horizontal rest," Bradley added around a mouthful of toast. "This old body's not what she used to be." She stretched her arms over her head and Connor heard a distinct crack as something popped in her back.

He cringed but tried to keep his disgust to himself. He sipped his OJ and took a mental note to tell M about everyone's peaceful nights. Apparently, the agent's scanners hadn't alerted anyone else. Nobody had been bothered.

Hannah served some sunny eggs onto a waiting plate and Julie added the toast. The women chatted amongst themselves as Connor's mother brought the eggs to the island. She set the plate in front of him and immediately, Connor tore into the food. He dipped his first slice of toast in the yolk and devoured the entire thing in a single bite.

Julie ruffled his hair and Connor was too content to dodge out of the way this time. He put up with the woman-handling in silence and with a look of utmost displeasure.

"Hey, Connor," Hannah called from the stove.

"Wha?" Connor asked as he chewed his food.

Hannah raised her nose up arrogantly. "Gross. Close your mouth."

Connor stuck his tongue out.

Hannah shielded her eyes in disgust. "Is M awake? I was going to make him something to eat too."

Connor shrugged half-heartedly. "He was getting in the shower when I was on my way out."

"Awesome," Hannah said pleasantly. And then she cracked two eggs into a small bowl and started to whisk them into a froth. She added a little milk and a pinch of shredded cheese from a cutting board on the counter beside her.

Connor hadn't noticed the extra ingredients when he'd been waiting for his eggs and he scowled a little, poking an accusatory finger at the girl. "Why does M get cheesy scrambled eggs? You didn't I get that option?"

Hannah gave him a look. "Your pregnant boyfriend can't stand the texture of runny eggs," she said. "And I can whip you up some scrambled eggs, too. Here." She held out the skillet. "Toss your egg in and I'll scramble 'em for you."

Connor rolled his eyes. "So sorry. I was just wondering." He went back to his runny egg. Hannah snorted and poured the egg mixture into her skillet.

Julie chuckled. "Where do you two know each other from again?"

"She my ex-girlfriend," Connor deadpanned. "We met in college."

Julie gasped and immediately started to grill Hannah about their time in university. She seemed uber excited about Hannah's master degree program.

"We're not dating anymore, mom," Connor scoffed. "Fuck."

"I know," Julie said with wide eyes. She brushed her hair out of her face and collected Bradley's and Connor's emptied plates. "I'm just curious."

M appeared in the kitchen entrance, then. He was dressed in hot red shorts, a large neon blue tank top, and white flip-flops. He smiled around the room at everyone and winked specifically at Connor.

The little blond was a riot of color. His cheeks were pink and his green eyes shone brilliantly in the bright Florida sunshine. His hair was still drying and a shock of the light golden strands stuck up in the back.

He walked across the room, his eyes locked on Connor's.

Connor turned to greet him, almost against his will… He couldn't keep his eyes off the luscious blond and his warm, tanned skin…

M came to stand just below him, sliding between Connor's knees. He rested his palms on his thighs and smiled.

"Hannah's making you scrambled eggs," Connor said softly. He looped his arms around M's shoulders and brought him closer, smoothing down his wild hair.

"Mmm," M hummed. He twisted around to give Hannah a thumbs-up. "Thanks! I'm starving."

Hannah nodded. She was busy getting everything on a plate.

Julie washed dishes while M ate his breakfast. He stood between Connor's legs and ate standing up. He was cheerful and talkative and he and Bradley made small talk about the dog.

"He's out on the porch," Bradley said. "We let him out when he came nosing into the kitchen."

"He's enjoying the sun," Hannah said. She looked out the kitchen window, shielding her eyes. "If you guys don't have anything dangerous planned for this afternoon, I was thinking of doing the same thing."

"Working on your tan?" Bradley joked.

"I'm jealous of M's glow!" Hannah said. "Maybe I can get a little bronzed up too. I can't believe it's almost October."

Connor snorted. "What are you going to do? Go topless? Did you actually pack a suit?"

"I was probably going to wear my bra and panties." Hannah blushed a little and beside him, Bradley went stiff. "I packed a cute pair… I don't know what I was thinking."

Connor laughed. "Should I take a wild guess?"

Hannah glowered at him.

Nobody had any better ideas about what to do with the day, so Connor, M, and Hannah headed upstairs to change for the pool.

"I should probably avoid the chlorine," Bradley was saying to Julie as the others left the kitchen. She gingerly touched her bruised cheek as Julie muttered something soft and understanding.

Connor hurried through the foyer and jogged up the stairs to the second floor. M and Hannah trailed behind him, taking their slow ass time. "See you outside," Connor called sarcastically over his shoulder and he strode down the hallway with long, measured steps.

It took M a couple extra minutes to join him in the attic. Connor had already stripped and changed into his new pair of swim trunks. Julie had picked them up at some point… It was the first time he'd bothered to put them on.

M didn't come far into the room. This time he went to the desk in the corner and sat in the swivel chair there. He spun in a lazy circle.

"Aren't you going to change?" Connor asked.

"I'm already in my speedo." M touched his bare inner thigh and Connor caught a glimpse of the tight swim pants cupping his balls.

"Uh," Connor struggled for something to say. A sudden spark of inspiration struck when he thought about enjoying M's supple, tanned little body down at the pool. "Nobody noticed the agent's scanners last night. Everyone said they slept well."

"He's messing with me," M sighed. He stopped the chair from spinning and then started it up again in the opposite direction. "Oh, hey. Our phones…" He grabbed a little box from under the desk and looked inside. "Sweet!" He pulled out his beloved cell phone along with a charging cord. "I bet we have a million messages."

Connor shrugged, but he came closer to investigate. He pulled his phone out, wiping a speck of white from the glassy screen with his thumb. He got his charger and went about plugging everything in. They probably did have a lot of messages. From Julie and Jamie and Nathan… he didn't care. He missed having the distraction of his news blogs and podcasts though. He set the phone aside to charge and stopped beside M. He ran his fingers through M's silky locks once more… He couldn't get enough of his soft hair.

M stood up and slipped his arms around Connor's waist. He smiled and his hand came up to scratch through Connor's facial hair. He looked into Connor's eyes with some of the old hero worship he'd used to carry around all the time.

Connor was a little overwhelmed by the look and he felt his chest grow tight. He tilted his head down and claimed M's sweet lips with his own. He kissed him deep and slow and rocked the little blond in his arms.

M melted against Connor. He moaned into his mouth.

"You're driving me insane, M," Connor hissed into his ear. He grabbed a handful of the blond's firm asscheek and buried his face in the crook of his neck. He kissed and licked his salty-sweet skin.

"I'm not doing anything," M giggled.

Connor nipped him affectionately and M squirmed in his arms and wiggled away. He smiled and Connor gazed after him longingly, his cock aching for some attention…

"We're going swimming, Connor."

Connor ground his teeth together. "I want you," he said. "And you're teasing me. It's not fair, M."

"So." M stuck out his tongue and then he pulled his top off. His pregnant belly pushed his little spandex shorts down around to his groin. They hugged his cock and balls indecently. "See you downstairs." M winked and tossed his shirt onto the swivel chair. He breezed out of the room leaving Connor alone… and with a very chubby dick.

Connor clenched his fists and took a couple deep, calming breaths. His dick slowly started to go down. With a sigh, Connor made his way out of the room.

Downstairs in the foyer, Connor ran into his mother. Julie had an armful of beach towels and her cell wedged between her shoulder and her ear.

"Yes, I could be there at 2," she said. Connor tried to slide past her, but he was spotted instantly. Julie beamed at him and shoved the towels into his arms "Thanks for calling!" She said into her phone and Connor pushed past her at last. "Sure, see you then!" Connor hurried through the living room and out to the pool.

Hannah and M were already splashing each other in the shallow end while Bradley watched, dangling her feet in the water. She sat on the edge of the pool with her jeans rolled up to the knee.

"Hey, Connor!" M called from the pool.

"Come in! The waters warm," Hannah said, splashing M in the face. The little blond laughed and hid his face in his arms.

Connor thought they were both way too dry. He tossed the towels on one of the pool chairs then took a running leap for the water. He splashed everyone with a magnificent cannonball effect.

"Connor!" Hannah cried, her hair now dripping wet. "I didn't want to get soaked!"

"You're in the pool," Connor sneered. "Get over it."

M doggy-paddled to his side and wrapped his arms around his neck. He kissed Connor repeatedly, messily, on the lips and face.

"Save me!" he gasped. "Hannah's attacking me!"

Connor grabbed M's ass under the water, kneading the mound of flesh. He shifted the blond to his back and M hung on like a little sea monkey.

They advanced on Hannah.

"Connor! Stop!" Hannah cried, backing away.

Connor was faster than her. He brought his arm cutting through the water and made a huge wave. It crashed into her with force.

"Nooo!" Hannah blubbered.

The water rushed past her and towards the edge of the pool. It splashed over the edge, washing Bradley's rolled-up jeans in chlorine. She gasped and kicked some water in Connor's direction. "You're a dick," she said good-naturedly.

"Thanks!" Connor grinned.

They played around for a while longer, laughing and splashing each other. Maybe a half hour into their little pool party, Julie came out on the patio, wearing a fancy white dress with strappy sandals. Bradley whistled in appreciation and everyone turned to look.

Julie blushed a little, but she smiled and curtsied. "I had an appointment with my hairdresser in a couple weeks, but she just called and got me in today. There was a cancelation," she said. "She's always so busy. Her waitlist is always overbooked."

"Do you desperately need a haircut or something?" Connor asked. Her hair looked fine… normal… Julie's black curls were streaked with white. They rested on her bare shoulders.

"I could use a refresher," Julie said, touching the edges of her curls. "I've been so stressed lately… I've been driving around in that Godforsaken Hummer, meeting with the divorce lawyers, driving Nathan to work and Jamie to the prenatal appointments… Oh, and I've been especially worried about you and M."

Connor flicked some wet hair out of his face and avoided her gaze. Guilt festered inside of him.

"I haven't been taking care of myself for a while though," Julie continued in a low voice. "I thought it would be nice to get pampered a little."

"Aww," Hannah swooned. "That's a great idea."

Julie smiled. "I'm going to do a little shopping first and then get my nails done. The appointment for my hair isn't until 2."

"Have fun," Connor said lamely, but Julie wasn't affected by his tone. Her smile was fixed firmly on her face.

"I better run," she said and she waved at everybody and turned to go back into the house.

Hannah climbed out of the pool as Julie went in. Connor treaded water in the deep end. M had drifted to the shallow side and was trying to climb onto the inflatable raft draped over the pool edge. Connor watched him, his eyes just above the water, lurking like an alligator searching for his prey. He'd had fun playing in the water, carrying M effortlessly on his back as they splashed the girls. They were done playing though it seemed.

Hannah stretched out on the side of the pool, on one of the beach towels. Connor hadn't noticed her bra and panty set until now and he blushed a little because he recognized it.

It was a sexy black set with lace-ups on the side. Her cleavage was accentuated nicely and the cut on the panties showed off her curvy butt.

Connor noticed Bradley gawking unashamedly at the girl and he pitied her. He realized they might have more in common than he'd initially thought… From the lust in Bradley's gaze, Connor was sure she understood his sexual starvation.

For whatever reason, M was still punishing Connor for being a socially inept dick. The sexual teasing was a messed-up game he was playing, but Bradley… well, she was chasing after a straight girl… And poor Hannah had been spoiled for the past few years on Connor's gorgeous cock, of course she balked at the idea of a cunt with a strap-on…

Connor smirked as he swam to the shallow end, closer to the object of his affection. He felt superior in a way. At least he wasn't suffering from a case of unrequited love. M was just being stubborn.

"Connor," M whined when he got close. "Hold this, please. I can't get on."

Connor wrestled the inflatable raft under his arm. He held it steady as M climbed on.

The blond stretched out, displaying his smooth, tanned skin to its full potential on the neon orange floatie. The swell of his round stomach was speckled with glittering drops of water. Connor watched the little beads of moisture track down his pregnant belly. It was getting bigger every day…

Helplessly, his gaze trailed downwards. M's little shorts had grown even tighter in the water. They'd slipped down into the crease between his groin and his thighs, revealing his tender inner legs to the sunlight. There was only a thin strip of red concealing M's nether regions and even then, Connor could clearly see the outline of his cockhead.

"Oooh," M hummed with pleasure, completely clueless about the brazen sexuality he was exuding. "The sun feels amazing."

Hannah voiced her agreement from the edge, throwing an arm over her face as she settled in on her towel.

Connor pushed M in a lazy circle through the water. He studied the blond's glowing body as he floated beside him and fantasized about touching his warm flesh. He didn't lay a finger on him though. He knew better. He just looked…

M eventually fell asleep on the floatie. Connor pulled the raft into shallow waters and climbed out of the pool. He checked on Hannah, finding her napping on her towel.

"There's a pack of cards on the table," Bradley said, pulling her legs out of the water. "What to play?"

Connor shrugged. He couldn't think of anything better to do.

Bradley suggested they play a few rounds of poker and Connor agreed. He'd played a couple times before.

They ended up bickering more than anything else. Bradley won every hand and Connor knew she was cheating. Their arguing was probably what woke everyone up.

M whined from the pool. He'd drifted over to the deep end and he started to paddle towards the shallow water. "I'm hungry," the blond said in a little voice. He jumped off the raft once he was near the ladder and he gasped as he was plunged into the cold water.

Hannah giggled. "Breakfast was like 2 hours ago."

"So." M pouted. "Come help me. Let's make some sandwiches."

Hannah sat up. "We could make some fruit bowls too. Julie has a lot of fruit we can cut up."

M froze. "You can cut the fruit," he said slowly. "I'll put the sandwiches together."

Hannah blinked at him. "Ok."

Bradley tried to teach Connor how to play rummy next, but his heart wasn't into it. He was waiting for the sandwiches.

When M and Hannah finally came back, they had a stack of turkey sandwiches dressed with lettuce and tomatoes and Swiss cheese. There were bowls of colorful fruit too, and everyone dug in immediately.

M's phone had finished charging and he loaded up some music on his YouTube app. They listened to some slow R&B stuff Connor had never heard before… He decided it wasn't terrible.

After lunch, Connor and Bradley resumed their game and M and Hannah went back to tanning.

Connor was getting bored. The music on M's phone had turned into some formulaic hip-hop bullshit and he didn't understand how to play Bradley's card game.

"You have to pay attention. We're keeping score," Bradley said. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands behind her neck. She rested that way for a minute, flexing her bulky arms. "I'm winning, at any rate."

Connor swiped his arm across the table. The cards fluttered away, landing on the patio and a few flying into the pool.

"Great," Bradley said, watching the cards float away. "I guess we're done."

It was just as well. The patio door slid open and Nathan stepped out.

The dog barked from the grass and leapt up to greet the teen. Nathan scratched Jack behind the ear. He stood up again and pulled a blunt from under the brim of his hat. He lit up casually.

"What is that?" Bradley asked, narrowing her eyes. She sniffed the air.

Nathan blew a cloud of skunky smoke in her direction and smiled.

"I am a cop, you know," Bradley said.

"A cop on vacation," Nathan said. He chuckled and took another hit off his burning roach. "Hey, Connor. I need a ride. Mom said you could get me to work."

"Now?"

"It's almost 3. I start at 3:30."

Connor nodded. "Let me go change first."

He headed inside. Behind him, M was asking about the car wash and Connor hurried to shut the sliding glass door between them when Nathan started bragging about his tips.

Connor was annoyed but proud of his stupid brother… He just didn't want to talk about money anymore… He hated being broke.

He changed quickly upstairs, throwing on a shirt and some jeans. He shoved his feet into his boots, grabbed the keys and his phone from the desk, and ran back downstairs.

He peeked through the foyer, but Nathan wasn't on the patio. He was probably waiting out front...

Nathan was smoking in the driveway, leaning against the Chrysler.

"You don't have to be so obvious, you know," Connor said. He unlocked the car and hopped in.

Nathan got in beside him. He had dark sunglasses on now and Connor couldn’t see his eyes. He didn't say anything, but he rolled the window down and continued to smoke.

"If you're going to stink up my car, you could at least pass the smoke," Connor said coolly.

Nathan sneered, but he passed the weed. "So, who's car is this? You disappear and show up with all these crazy ass stories…"

Connor laughed.

"Bro, you are seriously fucked, you know that?" Nathan said. "Your boyfriend has a big pregnant belly."

Connor's smile dimmed. "Yeah."

"What the fuck is going on?"

Connor drove out of the neighborhood and paused at the main intersection. "Which way is the car wash again?"

"Make a right," Nathan said. He pulled his sunglasses off and looked Connor in the eye. "Tell me M isn't a secret girl—"

"He's not."

"Then tell me this is all a fucking joke, and M gained a fuck-ton of weight while you were away!" Nathan cried. "I don't believe this alien shit!"

"Shut up, Nathan. Yelling isn't going to make it any less true," Connor snapped. He handed the blunt back to his brother and concentrated on driving. He recognized this road… He was pretty sure the car wash was down on the right, after the shopping plaza they were coasting past.

Nathan sat back and glared out the window. "Why do you have to be gay? Why do you have to be so fucking weird?"

"Why are you such a fucking brat?" Connor hissed, clenching the steering wheel and barely managing not to run them off the road. He was shaking with anger and almost foaming at the mouth.

"I'm not a brat." Nathan lifted his chin. "I'm responsible. I have money to burn, Connor," he sneered the name and Connor's knuckles cracked on the wheel with the amount of pressure he was exerting on them.

Nathan pulled his wallet out of his back pocket as Connor spotted the car wash ahead. He got into the far lane and made a quick turn.

"I know you're jealous of me, but you don't have to be, bro," Nathan said. He rummaged through his wallet and threw a handful of bills into Connor's face as they whipped into the parking lot. "Maybe you should buy your boyfriend a ring. Be responsible and marry his ass, Connor. He's obviously pregnant with your baby."

Connor screeched to a halt beside the car wash. "Just get out," he hissed. "You are so fucking stupid."

"I'm stupid? Because I don't believe in aliens and fairies?" Nathan laughed and threw open the passenger door. He jumped out and said through the window: "I'm done at 8. Someone better pick me up. I haven't saved up enough money for a new car yet."

Connor flipped him off and tore out of the parking lot. He rolled up the windows and yelled in frustration. The heat in the car made his head spin, but he didn't care, how the fuck had Nathan pissed him off so quickly!

Connor fumed and he drove in circles with no direction in mind. He didn't want to do it, but he gathered up Nathan's dollar bills, finding a couple 5's in the mix. He rolled his eyes. $17?

Nathan was such a retard. What was he supposed to do with $17? That wasn't nearly enough money for any sort of ring Connor would ever buy… but it was definitely enough for some fuel.

Connor made a quick right and pulled into a gas station up on the corner. He parked next to a pump and went into the grungy little store to drop $16 on his pump and then he bought a candy bar.

He angrily ate his candy bar as he fuled up the car. He was completely at a loss as to what he should do now, but besides deciding he wasn't going back to Julie's, he hadn't a clue where to go.

In his back pocket, Connor's phone buzzed twice in rapid succession. A text message.

He shoved the rest of his chocolaty snack into his mouth and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. It was a picture from M… the blond was curled up in one of the lounge chairs next to the pool, the dog's muzzle resting over his thigh. M's cheerful face beamed at him from the screen of his phone and Connor couldn't help smiling back at him a little.

Connor sent M a smiley face from a list of emojis and then backed out of the message. He really wasn't in the mood to talk… But then he saw Marcus' name in his messenger app. He had 20 missed texts from him.

Connor had no dying need to reach out to the other young man, but he did feel guilty for disappearing without a trace. He already knew how his family had felt about the utter lack of contact. He felt like he owed Marcus a little closure at least…

He finished filling up the Chrysler and got behind the wheel once more. He scanned through Marcus' last few messages and then typed out a short reply.

'I'm back in town. M and I had to drop everything and run. We're still having a lot of problems with that stalker I told you about.'

Connor set his phone aside and started the car. He brainstormed a couple ways to waste his time. He wasn't ready to return to the house. M's picture was cute and everything, but Connor was still seething from the little spat he'd just had with his brother.

His phone buzzed again and Connor flipped it over to check the notification.

It was a message from Marcus.

'Where are you?'

Connor looked around.

'At a gas station.'

'LOL. Do you remember the bar close to my place? Come have a drink with me.'

Connor checked the time. It was almost 4, a little early to begin drinking, but not insanely so. He pictured the bar Marcus was sitting at, his smile warm, the beer cold and the conversation light…

Connor had a feeling the conversation wouldn't be as light and easy as it usually was though. He decided right there and then that he wasn't going to fill Marcus in on any of the alien stuff… or the pregnancy… He couldn't handle another fight today. He didn't want to defend his sanity anymore.

He sent Marcus an affirmation. Connor promised to meet him in less than 20 minutes…

He turned around and pulled out of the gas station. He headed back to Julie's house but went past her street and down a couple intersections until he was cutting through a little neighborhood. He spotted Marcus' bar a few blocks down and searched for a spot to park on the side of the road as he got closer.

He found one close to the bar's entrance and taking a deep breath, Connor got out of the car and headed inside.

As soon as he walked in, he regretted spending his money on gas. Had he only waited a few extra minutes, he would have had some drinking money…

"Shit—Connor!" Marcus called from a booth in the back. He stood up halfway and waved Connor closer.

Connor hurried across the room, glancing at the other patrons; a young couple playing pool off to the side and a grizzled old guy sitting at the bar. He was so pale, he could have passed for a corpse…

Connor reached Marcus' booth and braced himself when the big black guy got up and threw his arms around him. They hugged briefly in a friendly kind of way. Marcus squeezed him enthusiastically and Connor found himself pulling away, slightly uncomfortable. He didn't know why really, but he was blushing a little.

"How've you been?" Marcus asked. He peered at Connor with concern. "You're all flushed."

Connor looked away. He shuffled awkwardly into the booth when Marcus casually asked him to sit.

"Hello?" Marcus sat beside him, blocking Connor's exit from the table. He moved in closer. "You texted me something about a stalker. Where the hell have you been, man?!"

Connor cleared his throat. "We had to leave town," he repeated. "We didn't tell anyone, we didn't take our phones and we didn't try to contact anyone while we were in hiding—"

"Hiding?" Marcus laughed. "What the hell?"

"This guy wants to kill M," Connor said simply, skipping all the crazy Sci-Fi stuff. "But we can't shake him. No matter where we run, he finds us."

"Well, where did you go?" Marcus asked slowly.

Connor rubbed the back of his neck. "Back to South Dakota."

Marcus snorted. "Then you come straight back to Tampa? Could you be any more obvious?"

"Fuck off," Connor growled. He glared hard at the table, he couldn't bear to meet Marcus' stare. "Our options are pretty limited. We're always broke."

Marcus leaned back in the booth and looked up into the empty rafters of the open bar. "I'm collecting unemployment. It's pretty sweet."

Connor huffed. "How long is that going to last?"

Marcus shrugged. He let his eyes close halfway so he looked uber casual. "A couple months," he said and then he grinned lecherous lay, showing his all his teeth. Connor's spine stiffened in anticipation of Marcus' next words. "But I've got a sugar momma now," he said finally and Connor's eyebrows climbed into his hairline. "Remember Rose?"

Connor sighed and rolled his eyes. "The secretary?"

"She's good with money," Marcus said, smiling off into the distance. "It's been nice, having someone to take care of me."

"Are you fucking serious?"

"No, I'm lying," Marcus chuckled. "Don't be so judgmental. I don't have a rich mommy on the bay like you do. I have to make ends meet, anyway I can."

"What about that brother of yours in L.A?"

"I called him a few days after you disappeared. He just lost his job, too. He's couch surfing."

Connor crossed his arms. "So much for that plan."

Marcus laughed. "Sorry I couldn't be of any help."

Connor pouted a bit. Mostly, he felt stupid. From Marcus' perspective, Connor was a fucking idiot, running in circles like a chicken with its head cut off… And to top it all off… Connor was also a mommy's boy…

"Hey, let me get you a drink," Marcus said and he started to get up. "What do you want?"

"Whatever's on tap," Connor sighed.

Marcus went up to the bar. Connor folded his hands on the table and waited with his head down. He could feel eyes on him… the stare burned into the center of his forehead until he had to look up just to fight the uncomfortable feeling of being watched…

The creepy old man was staring at him. Connor glared at the old-timer until he looked away, down into his tall bottle of booze.

Marcus came back with two big mugs of beer. Connor took his drink immediately and sipped off the top. He wiped the suds from his upper lip.

"Thanks," he said.

"Anytime." Marcus took a drink of his beer, too. He smiled. "So, do you have any plans now? What are you going to do next?"

"We're trying to figure that out now," Connor said. He tried to relax a little. He cupped his mug and took a big drink of the bitter beer. "The guy already knows we're here. He was standing outside our window last night."

"Creepy," Marcus said. And then he burped.

Connor snorted. "That guy over there is creepy… What the fuck is he looking at me for?"

Marcus craned his head around and looked back at the bar. "He's definitely checking you out," he whistled and laughed. "Fuck, Connor are you sure he isn't another stalker? How do you end up in these situations?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Connor said. He scrubbed his hand across his face. "I just want to drink."

Marcus clapped his hands together. "I'll race you." He grabbed his mug and tipped his head back. Connor smirked and prepared to chug his beer. They went at it, slamming their mugs down when they were finished. It was nearly in unison, but Marcus was slightly faster.

They drank a couple more beers and kept the conversation light. The pale, corpse-like man shuffled off to the bathroom and never came back.

They were hypothesizing what had happened to the old guy when Marcus' phone rang and he rushed to answer it.

"Hey, baby… Yeah. I'm at the bar… I'm with Connor actually." He smiled at Connor and pulled the mouthpiece away from his face. "It's Rose," he said.

Connor nodded, but he felt uncomfortable. He didn't want to listen to the conversation, no matter how innocent it may be.

"You should come by. Say hello," Marcus said to his girl. He laughed. "No, you're not interrupting anything."

Marcus kept it short and hurried off the phone. "She's coming by in a little while. She just got off work."

Connor nodded awkwardly. "I don't know if I should stay much longer. I told everyone I'd be right back."

"What's a cell phone for anyway," Marcus said lightly and Connor blushed. "Naw, I get it. You don't want to see my sugar momma."

"No. Actually, I don't," Connor said.

Marcus bristled. "Are you jealous or something?"

"Not at all. I just thought you were better than a piece of ass. I think you were an actual man."

Marcus chuckled. "Wow, that was harsh."

"When this shit is over, I'm getting a job. I'm moving out of my mom's and I can't fucking wait to have my own stuff again. I can't stand this lifestyle. I need to be on my own again."

"With your little callboy sleeping in your bed every night?" Marcus winked.

Connor stood up. He finished his third beer in a single gulp and flicked Marcus off. "See you around, man."

"Send me a text sometime. I'm not doing anything," Marcus called after Connor. "I'm usually free to hang."

Connor got out of the bar and headed to the Chrysler. He couldn't believe how awkward that meet-up had gone. He kinda wished he hadn't stirred the pot, texting Marcus out of the blue like that…

He drove back to Julie's place and parked crookedly in the driveway. He went around to the back of the house, expecting to find M and Co. lounging around the pool, but no one was out. A beach towel was draped across one of the pool chairs and M's floatie was spinning lazily in the deep end. Connor huffed and went to the sliding glass door, but it was locked!

Starting to get angry, Connor stalked around to the front of the house and jabbed the doorbell.

He waited a good two to three minutes for a response. He tapped his foot impatiently and glared up into the little window in the door that looked into the front hall.

Bradley's battered face popped into the window frame. Then she ducked out of the way and fumbled the door open.

"Fuck, are you guys on lockdown or something?" Connor shoved his way into the house.

Bradley shut and locked the door behind him. She nodded quickly, her dark eyes serious. "This creepy old guy stumbled into the backyard. Scared the shit out of us. He was scrawny and pale and he couldn't speak, he babbled."

Connor froze. "Did he look like a walking corpse?"

"Yeah," Bradley said. "I got everyone inside and Jamie helped me secure the doors and windows," she said. "Everyone's upstairs in the attic. We've been trying to call you."

Connor pulled his phone out of his back pocket and saw that he'd missed several calls… He checked the ringer, but it was set to the highest volume and the vibration was on, too. He should have felt the damned phone buzzing if he hadn't been able to hear it ringing… But he hadn't even known he'd missed a call to begin with.

Connor led the way upstairs. Bradley stuck close to his back, scanning the hallways for threats. They went up to the attic bedroom and almost immediately, M jumped off the bed and rushed into Connor's arms.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" M cried into Connor's chest. "I was so worried about you!"

"Why? I'm fine." Connor patted the blond on the back. "I met up with Marcus for a bit… 5 minutes alone with Nathan and I needed a drink," he laughed weakly and M looked up at him with a scowl.

"Well, you could have answered one of my many texts or calls," he said.

"Babe, I didn't know you had called—"

"You had your phone on mute?" M gasped.

"No, well, yes… I guess I did. I didn't hear it either way… The music was kind of loud," he said apologetically.

M glared at him and broke away, heading back to sit on the edge of the bed, beside the dog and Jamie.

"Who's Marcus?"

"Just some guy I met," Connor said, tearing his gaze from the pregnant, unhappy boy on the bed and his equally pregnant girlfriend. He focused on Hannah. She sat at the window seat in the back of the room… staring blankly out the window.

"Met where?"

"That's not the issue right now," Connor snapped and Hannah looked at him, her eyes widening with something like shock. "Listen," Connor said briskly. "When I was at the bar, we saw this creepy, dead looking guy drinking a beer. He went to the bathroom and never came to out."

"Did he say anything?" Bradley grabbed the other end of the window seat. She sat and crossed her leg over her knee. "The guy we saw couldn't even manage to mumble a single coherent word."

M shivered. "It was scary, Connor. His eyes were completely empty. There wasn't a single emotion on his face, his mouth was hanging open and drool was leaking out —"

"OK," Connor said, cutting M's tale of terror a little short. "The guy at the bar wasn't drooling… And he had a drink, so he must have been able to say a few words to the bartender at least." He came further into the room and leaned hesitantly against the frame of the bed, close to M but not touching. "It probably wasn't the same guy you saw."

M sighed. "I don't know what he wanted, but as soon as we came inside, he staggered off towards the bike path."

"Like he was searching for easier prey…" Bradley's eyes narrowed as she peered out at the pool.

"Do you think he's related to the agent, M?" Connor asked slowly.

The blond was quiet for a long moment. "I really don't know," he said.

"We were talking about that right before you showed up," Hannah said. "Unless someone in the neighborhood has a mentally ill senior citizen living with them… I don't know," she shook her head. "That was really strange. It seemed like something out of a movie, like Night of the Walking Dead or something."

"Aliens Vs. Zombies? I think that is a movie." Connor sneered.

"Whatever. It was completely irrational though. It was right up M's alley." Hannah looked pointedly at the blond on the bed.

"Me?" M gaped. "I don't have anything to do with that guy!"

"So, have you come up with any brilliant ideas yet?" Bradley spoke up. She dropped her chin into her hand and looked boredly in M's direction. "How are we supposed to defeat an invincible alien?"

M sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, Bradley."

The dog flopped around on the bed and Jamie scratched him affectionately behind the ear. She turned to rest against the headboard and got comfortable against the bed pillows like it was no big deal. "I have no idea what's going on, but this is fascinating," she said. "C'mon boss, what's the plan?"

M pouted. "This is serious business, Jamie."

She giggled.

Connor shifted over the frame of the bed and slumped onto the mattress beside M. He kicked Jamie's feet to shut her up. She snorted louder.

"Let him talk," Bradley snapped.

Jamie shut her mouth, blinking dazedly over at the cop.

M cleared his throat. "I haven't thought of anything brilliant yet," he said snidely. "But you're right. The agent is almost invincible… And I'm not. Without Mother's help, any damage the agent does to this body, I'll have to live with. There's no more magical rejuvenation."

Connor took M's hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Well, we aren't going to let you die. That's not going to be part of the plan."

"But it could happen," M said, staring up into Connor's eyes. He sighed heavily and everyone held their breath, waiting for his next words. "There are a few rules we always have to follow, on any planet we may find ourselves on that isn't the homeworld," he said cryptically. "The most important thing we must never do is expose ourselves to the natives—"

"The natives?" Hannah snorted. She seemed offended. Jamie was struggling not to laugh again. Her fingers were pressed over her lips.

"We can't use our powers in public. We can't fly any of our spacecraft within human sight or use our technology against you… I mean, we use cloaking devices and tricks with memory to overcome the last part. We would cause a mass panic though if we started fighting for real. It would be a huge showdown, I'll bet. That's why he's trying to lure me away from you guys. He doesn't want to cause a scene."

"Yeah, but you're not stupid enough to wander off with the enemy," Connor growled. "So, what's he waiting for? He can't possibly think he's going to convince you to donate your brain to science! He was here last night, right? He could have snuck in at any time, knocked us unconscious and grabbed you!"

"I can sense his power. If he was close enough to do anything to us, I would know immediately—"

"Bullshit!" Connor cried. "There's something else that's keeping him from taking you. I don't believe you're some kind of superhero…" Connor still had a grip on M's hand. He shook the blond's scrawny arm like it was a noodle. M put up no resistance. "This is stupid! Why doesn't the Man in Black sneak in here right now and take us all out—"

"Because I'd explode the house before I let him do that," M spat. "I'd kill us all before I let him take me." M flexed his arm and suddenly Connor couldn't move him anymore. M narrowed his eyes and locked his fingers around Connor's.

"Fuck!" Connor gasped. M forced his wrist back and easily twisted his arm around. "Fuck! You're going to break it!" he shouted as the tendons stretched unnaturally in his restrained limb.

M released him at once, but the fire didn't die in his eyes. The green orbs glowed with a menacing light.

"I'm not weak, Connor. I can and have defended myself," he said and Connor scoffed and looked away, his heart pounding in his chest. Maybe M could beat him up, but Connor still didn't believe M had any power against the agent… He was always so vulnerable…

Jamie stared at Connor, her eyes huge. They flitted back and forth between Connor and M and Connor had to stop looking at her, he was getting so annoyed by her stupid gawking.

Bradley had stood up at some point. She was halfway to the bed and had her arms outstretched like she was going to rescue Connor from M's ferocious strength if need be.

Hannah merely watched in silence. She looked a bit flustered, overwhelmed or something…

Connor glared at them all and slid off the bed. He tried to shake off the lingering fear M's eyes had struck into his heart and he put some distance between himself and the others. He went to the swivel chair across the room and threw himself into it. He spun to face the wall, but it didn't make him feel any better… He could feel everyone staring at him like he was going to cry or have some other kind of lame panic attack…

"Listen, Connor. Both of us are trying to avoid an all-out fight," M said from the bed. "If the homeworld finds out we've exposed ourselves, we'll be decommissioned."

"What does that mean," Jamie asked in a little voice.

"That our bodies will be taken from us," M said grimly. "And our minds will be put into an eternal cryosleep… It's basically death." "

"That's fucked up," Connor grumbled. "If they want to kill you, why don't they?"

"My kind doesn't believe in destruction," M said and Connor turned to look at him, sneering when he saw M raising his chin with pride. "There is the hope that one day all wrong-doers will have a chance to redeem themselves, but until then, they'll remain in suspended sleep."

"How noble," Connor grunted.

"When you're in a suspended slumber, hundreds of years can pass in just the blink of an eye," M said softly. "The real punishment is being separated from your body and your life… I would never see you guys again," he said.

"Stop with this sad shit!" Connor snapped. "None of that stuff is going to happen. You're not going anywhere, dumbass. You already said, if anyone tries to take you, you'll kill yourself before that happens. Remember that?"

M rolled his eyes. "I was trying to avoid that too, but sure. Yeah. I guess death is better than leaving you behind… Even though you're a jerk most of the time." He smiled a little and there was a round of nervous laughter from their friends. Connor didn't appreciate the joke, but he let it slide.

Just then, there was a light knocking on attic door. "Yoo-hoo!" Julie called through the door. She paused an extra moment, and then came into the room. Her hair was shiny, straight and jet black, like Connor's, and she'd gotten it cut into a short pixie style. She wore a tight red dress now and her feet were in heels. Somebody had touched up her makeup, too. It was different than usual. It was nice. She looked nice.

"Wow, Julie," Jamie said. She jumped up from the bed and came closer to examine the older woman's miraculous makeover. Hannah got up to join the clique of girls as well and seeing an escape route, Connor got off the swivel chair and tried to sneak behind his mother, towards the stairs…

"I got Chinese takeout," Julie said as Connor slipped out of the room. "Help yourself, Connor. It's down in the kitchen."

Connor was relieved. He went downstairs and got a plate. There were several big foam containers of Americanized Chinese dishes. There was shrimp stir fry and General Tso's chicken. Pork dumplings and rice. Lots of rice.

Connor got a little bit of everything before M and the girls came down to join him. Julie said she wasn't hungry, but she hung out in the kitchen with the young people, chatting about the situation with the lawyers and Greg's continued incarceration.

Connor wasn't interested in listening to the details, but he was glad to hear the divorce was moving along. Julie had access to the money again, at any rate. She looked and was acting much happier than Connor had ever seen her before and he felt vaguely responsible for the cheerful smile on her face…

"Connor sweetie?"

Connor looked up from his food.

"Nathan gets off at 8. Do you think you could pick him up?"

Connor sighed wearily. "Sure." He checked the time on his phone. "I guess I'd better go after I finish this."

Julie beamed at him. "Why don't you take the Hummer?" she said. "You parked all crooked in the driveway. I had to park the monster on the curb. Thanks a lot," she chuckled.

"Oh, sorry," Connor mumbled… He couldn't remember why he'd parked like an asshole… probably to prove some kind of point.

He wanted to kick himself… sometimes he was no better than his shitty half-brother.

***

Twenty minutes later, after parking the Chrysler on the correct side of the driveway, Connor hopped into the Hummer and steered it into one of the neighboring drives. Julie's attempt at parallel parking was pathetic and he struggled not to take out any of the mailboxes while also trying to avoid running through the yard.

Connor backed into the street, cutting the wheel sharply to get the right angle. He shifted into drive, turned the wheel straight and took off in the powerful truck.

His blood raced through his veins.

M had stopped him in the front hall before he'd left. He'd pulled Connor aside and warned him to be careful… He didn't think the agent would go out of his way to bother Connor, but: "It wouldn't hurt to keep your eyes open."

Connor shook his head… As if his eyes weren't already wide open. Connor had never felt so goddamned paranoid in his fucking life!

It was starting to get dark. The sun was an orange glowing ball on the horizon. Connor put the visor down, but the sun was too low, the visor couldn't stop the unrelenting glare.

Connor pulled into the car wash a couple minutes after 8. It didn't look like it was closing. There was a car going through the wash and Connor pulled to the side to wait for his brother.

He looked around the lot. He could hear some kids yelling back and forth inside the car bay. He could tell from their deep, booming voices that they were teenagers. They were shouting about the water pumps.

A minivan pulled onto the property from the street. It drove past him and circled around to enter at the wash bay from the back. Connor tried to make out the driver through the tinted front window, but he couldn't tell if it was a male or a female.

As the minivan disappeared around the building, Connor's gaze settled on a small building to the right of the main car wash. There were thick, black pipes running from the building and into the little shack… Connor wondered if it was connected to the water pumps.

Tap, tap, tap…

Connor whirled around.

Nathan stood outside the passenger door, rapping the edge of his phone on the glass.

Connor unlocked the doors and Nathan hopped in with a groan of discontent. "I thought you weren't coming for a minute there," he said. "I just got off the phone with ma."

Connor glanced at the time on the dash. It was 8:04 and as he watched, it became 8:05. "I wasn't even five minutes late," he said. "Man up, you gigantic pussy."

"Sometimes I get out a little early," Nathan said through his teeth. "I'm not a pussy, I thought maybe you were going to abandon me. Teach me a lesson or some shit."

Connor rolled his eyes. There was more shouting from inside the car wash followed by the sound of mechanical hissing and groaning.

"What's that sound?" Connor asked. He rolled his window down a little. The sound only got worse.

"I don't know," Nathan huffed. "I don't know anything about the machines. I dry people's rides and collect tips."

Connor rolled his eyes. He was about to pull out of the car wash without a second thought when he saw something out his window. A thin figure was standing behind the little shack. It was a man… Connor could see him through the mess of pipes leading to the main building. The shack looked like it housed the water source for the whole operation.

Connor looked hard… He blinked, but the thin figure didn't disappear… The man started to creep through and over the pipes, shifting his limbs slowly over and then under them, his body seemed to be made of rubber the way it bent and curved to fit around the metal.

"Do you see that?"

Nathan stared over Connor's shoulder. "What is that?"

As they watched, the thin figure forced his head up and over the tallest line of piping threaded through the shack. Like a slug, the man pulled himself over the thick bar and wrapped himself around it completely. His body was totally limp. He seemed to be boneless.

"Let's go!" Nathan said loudly. "What the fuck!"

Connor ignored him. He peered into the shadows, the sun didn't quite touch the narrow area between the two structures. The car wash had a tall roof and that too added to the gloom.

But Connor was sure… That old, gaunt face, the gaping mouth, the skin pale and almost translucent… it was the guy from the bar, the guy who'd showed up at the house to scare everyone with his zombie impression… Now he was some freaky slug beast?

Connor reversed and spun the Hummer towards the road as Nathan yelped and hollered with excitement.

Behind them, there was the horrible sound of metal against metal then a huge geyser of water tore through the roof of the car wash. It shot high into the air and then rained torrentially down on the buildings and the surrounding lot. The Hummer was completely soaked and Connor flipped on the windshield wipers as Nathan screamed wordlessly. Connor couldn't see the creepy man anymore through the gushing water, but he knew he was there. Some boys ran out of car wash exit. They wore matching blue uniforms and they were drenched.

"Go!" Nathan cried. "Fuck! I want to get out of here! Go!"

Connor couldn't rightly disagree. He stepped on the gas and jetted out onto the street. Cars on both sides of the road were stopped, rubbernecking the car wash disaster as it unfolded. He weaved around them.

"What was that thing?! Was that an alien?" Nathan yelled.

"I think so—"

"Oh, you think?" Nathan gave Connor a nasty look. "How the fuck do you not know?"

"I've never seen that guy before today," Connor said quickly. "But he already messed with me earlier and he was at the house too."

"He just destroyed my job!"

Connor chewed his lip. "Fuck," he muttered. "M told me to be careful."

"What did you do?!" Nathan cried. "Are you responsible for that?"

"Fuck you." Connor flipped the teenager off. "M told me to keep my eyes open… he was right. Seems like danger's around every corner now… Fuck."

"You're the one who brought it here," Nathan said snottily and once again, Connor couldn't disagree.

"Well, you'll probably get a few days off, but then get slammed with business after this winds up on the news and stuff," Connor said.

Nathan snorted with amusement, but he seemed very unhappy. He snuck looks at Connor from the corner of his eye.

They drove home in silence. Nathan cracked the window open and stuck his fingertips out into the warm air. Connor kept his eyes peeled the whole ride back, watching for signs of any Men in Black or old zombies.

He didn't feel safe anymore…