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Authors: Peter Goodman
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interested in boys or men.”
“Yeah?”
We bubbled with laughter.
“Why did you invite Sir to daddy’s meeting?” quizzed Wendy.
“Sir?”
“Mr Whitehouse.”
“Oh, Simon.”
She smirked. “Simon?”
“Simon-Mr Whitehouse is a believer too, and he has something in common with daddy. They are both scientists.” I admitted that I was a little disappointed in Simon-Mr Whitehouse. I was hoping that he would have taken part in the debate on the comet, but he remained an observer instead. Still, I was rather pleased that he had turned up. “Mr Whitehouse and I are good friends.”
“Good friends? I think it’s rather unnatural to be friends with a teacher, Jade…if that’s all it is,” she commented slyly.
What? My sister could be so unbelievable sometimes.
When the others had left later, leaving poor, old mum to clear up after them, I made daddy some cocoa. I took it up to him in his attic observatory. The scene was a familiar one by now. He was behind his telescope again, tracking the rogue comet. He didn’t notice me here as I put his drink down by his computer. My mind was a lot clearer now. I was upset earlier. I remained scared but calm.
He spoke, “Jade, you were behaving strangely tonight. Is everything all right at school?”
“Fine.”
When he looked up, drawing on his pipe, he saw the truth in my eyes.
“The comet?”
I nodded.
I wanted to run into his strong, reassuring arms. I didn’t. I was confused. “Daddy, what will become of us after the comet?” I asked.
He smiled reassuringly. “That won’t be our problem, sweetheart. The comet won’t collide with the earth for at least another one hundred years or so.”
But he was wrong.
4. THE ALIEN VISITORS
When I woke on that Thursday morning, which would change our lives completely, in early November, I felt extremely happy because it was my birthday. It was my birthday. (I liked repeating it.) I was 14, and I’d be 14 for the rest of the year. I was almost an adult. I am an adult. There was only one dark cloud on the horizon that could mar my extremely happy day, school, pity. If only my birthday fell on a Saturday or a Sunday every year. That’d be great! Still, you can’t have everything in life. I’m only kidding of course. I do love school, my friends and everything. I remained happy nevertheless, pushing all dark thoughts into the back of my mind.
When I‘m feeling extremely happy, I’m usually wide awake instantly. I sat up in bed and opened my scrapbook. I turned over a page or two until I found it again, smiling. I fondly ran my fingertips over daddy’s picture. Daddy’s comet story had finally made it onto the front page…of the Science First journal. A full-length article appeared inside. Someone was starting to take daddy seriously at last. I had cut out the story and stuck it into my scrapbook needless to say.
I looked up when someone outside started scratching on my door. I grinned. He couldn’t get in because I’d started locking my door in the mornings.
I looked on the window briefly. The post girl was new. She was quite young, almost pretty (but wearing too much make-up, I thought) with short blonde hair and a slim figure. She had my birthday cards in her hand. I smiled when she dropped them in our letterbox. Then she looked up and caught me.
As I crossed the landing in my dressing gown with my bathroom things, I bumped into Wendy who stepped out of her room in her pyjamas.
“Many happy returns, Jade.”
We hugged and kissed.
“Come into my room a minute, Sis,” requested Wendy.
It was an offer that I could hardly refuse. I followed her into her room.
She gave me my present and a big birthday card. Wendy had something else on her mind.
She bit her lip. “Jade, I…”
“Wendy?”
“Jade, would you invite Kevin Willis to your birthday party tonight?” asked Wendy in one gulping breath.
I groaned inwardly. I still couldn’t believe that my beautiful, elder sister had a crush on
“Yeah?”
We bubbled with laughter.
“Why did you invite Sir to daddy’s meeting?” quizzed Wendy.
“Sir?”
“Mr Whitehouse.”
“Oh, Simon.”
She smirked. “Simon?”
“Simon-Mr Whitehouse is a believer too, and he has something in common with daddy. They are both scientists.” I admitted that I was a little disappointed in Simon-Mr Whitehouse. I was hoping that he would have taken part in the debate on the comet, but he remained an observer instead. Still, I was rather pleased that he had turned up. “Mr Whitehouse and I are good friends.”
“Good friends? I think it’s rather unnatural to be friends with a teacher, Jade…if that’s all it is,” she commented slyly.
What? My sister could be so unbelievable sometimes.
When the others had left later, leaving poor, old mum to clear up after them, I made daddy some cocoa. I took it up to him in his attic observatory. The scene was a familiar one by now. He was behind his telescope again, tracking the rogue comet. He didn’t notice me here as I put his drink down by his computer. My mind was a lot clearer now. I was upset earlier. I remained scared but calm.
He spoke, “Jade, you were behaving strangely tonight. Is everything all right at school?”
“Fine.”
When he looked up, drawing on his pipe, he saw the truth in my eyes.
“The comet?”
I nodded.
I wanted to run into his strong, reassuring arms. I didn’t. I was confused. “Daddy, what will become of us after the comet?” I asked.
He smiled reassuringly. “That won’t be our problem, sweetheart. The comet won’t collide with the earth for at least another one hundred years or so.”
But he was wrong.
4. THE ALIEN VISITORS
When I woke on that Thursday morning, which would change our lives completely, in early November, I felt extremely happy because it was my birthday. It was my birthday. (I liked repeating it.) I was 14, and I’d be 14 for the rest of the year. I was almost an adult. I am an adult. There was only one dark cloud on the horizon that could mar my extremely happy day, school, pity. If only my birthday fell on a Saturday or a Sunday every year. That’d be great! Still, you can’t have everything in life. I’m only kidding of course. I do love school, my friends and everything. I remained happy nevertheless, pushing all dark thoughts into the back of my mind.
When I‘m feeling extremely happy, I’m usually wide awake instantly. I sat up in bed and opened my scrapbook. I turned over a page or two until I found it again, smiling. I fondly ran my fingertips over daddy’s picture. Daddy’s comet story had finally made it onto the front page…of the Science First journal. A full-length article appeared inside. Someone was starting to take daddy seriously at last. I had cut out the story and stuck it into my scrapbook needless to say.
I looked up when someone outside started scratching on my door. I grinned. He couldn’t get in because I’d started locking my door in the mornings.
I looked on the window briefly. The post girl was new. She was quite young, almost pretty (but wearing too much make-up, I thought) with short blonde hair and a slim figure. She had my birthday cards in her hand. I smiled when she dropped them in our letterbox. Then she looked up and caught me.
As I crossed the landing in my dressing gown with my bathroom things, I bumped into Wendy who stepped out of her room in her pyjamas.
“Many happy returns, Jade.”
We hugged and kissed.
“Come into my room a minute, Sis,” requested Wendy.
It was an offer that I could hardly refuse. I followed her into her room.
She gave me my present and a big birthday card. Wendy had something else on her mind.
She bit her lip. “Jade, I…”
“Wendy?”
“Jade, would you invite Kevin Willis to your birthday party tonight?” asked Wendy in one gulping breath.
I groaned inwardly. I still couldn’t believe that my beautiful, elder sister had a crush on
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