Page 42 of The Bully Alien

The Grots. The most warmongering human species there is in the entire universes.

They destroy entire planets. Leave them ruined and uninhabitable. And that's after they kill every single one of that human species on the planet.

"No," I utter. "That... That can't be."

"It is," Franx utters sorrowfully. "I was scheduled for a run to Halio. My ship was hit when I fled, and... The government here has decided that I'm a refugee. I can't live. They're afraid that if I do and the Grots learn a Grolla is still alive and was on Halio, that their planet will be next. They won't let me go, and I couldn't use my ship to fly form here even if I wanted to risk it. It was too heavily damaged. Their aircraft are so foreign to mine that I would have to convince one of their pilots to come with me to fly it, and I just don't see that happening, but, frackling, is it good to hear from you! I'm not alone after all!"

I'm dead inside. Everyone I know, everyone I left behind, everyone I so desperately wanted to see again, they're all dead.

My entire planet is dead.

Franx keeps talking, and I force myself to answer him, but it's not easy.

Even my soul is dead.

15

Delana

Wyatt's not in school the next day. I don't bother to go and check to see him. He might be working on the ship some more, and I don't want to distract him. From watching him the other day, it's clear enough to me that I know absolutely nothing that can help. He doesn't need to hold thins in place, and he doesn't even trust me with screwdrivers or a hammer.

But when Friday comes around, and he hasn't been in classes the rest of the week, I decide to head to his dorm. I know he doesn't have a roommate, but maybe someone has seen him, and there is a chance, albeit a small one, that he might be in his room, holing up there.

I knock on his door.

No answer.

I try the knob.

It's locked.

I sigh. I doubt I can pick it. I've never tried to before, and there's some traffic in the hallway, so I'm not about to even attempt it.

I rub a hand down my face. I guess I'll head out to the spaceship after all. Deep down, I figured he was out there all along, but I guess I kind of want him to just move on and accept reality.

Like I have.

Life sucks, and then you die.

There's no escape except death.

We'll die here, him and I, the only two on this planet to know the truth, that the world out there is so much vaster than anyone else does, with so much more potential than there ever can be here on Earth.

A throat clears behind me, and I turn around to see a guy. My hair is long on purpose, so when I turn around, I make sure my hair covers my scar.

"Are you looking for Wyatt?" he asks.

"Yeah, actually, I am. Do you know where he is?"

The guy shrugs. "Nah, sorry. I live next to him." He points to his door, not that I turn around to look at it.

"When was the last time you saw him?" I ask.

"Two, maybe three days ago," he says. "I haven't heard anything from his room in all of that time either. Not sure what he's up to, but maybe he found himself a girl to get lost in. I know that I would be willing to get down for that."

"That so?" I ask, rolling my eyes and purposely tucking my hair behind my ear to reveal my scar.

His eyes widen, but he brings his gaze back to my eyes quicker than I would've thought he would. "Sorry I can't help you with Wyatt. If he turns up, do you want to leave me your number so I can give you a call?"