𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍

it's been two days since we "adopted" Nova as Zion likes to call it. Two days since I'd really gotten any more than an hour of sleep. Two days since I'd really eaten anything. I've been questioning every part of life and other forms of existence that's out there since I was five years old.

And here it is, just showing up in my lap.

It's been hard to believe at all. That this is the life for me. But why me? Out of all the people in this universe, why me?

For two days I continued to ask myself that and never got an answer...

Nova

Everything about this planet is... strange. These people who call themselves "humans" are very mixed up. They say confusing things I do not understand.

Like the other day Zion said he would give me a high five and then did not. I did not know what this "high five" was but it was promised and I didn't receive it.

And then I asked Brandon a simple term on this planet "are you ok?" and he said "I'm fine". But he was not fine and he looked like everything but fine.

Maybe I could make him happy...

People on my planet loved to be happy with songs. I could sing him one of mine from my home planet.

I walked up the stairs holding on to the railing and pressed my back against the walls as I put a foot in front of me and slid up. Edwin was at the top as he looked at me in confusion.

"What are you doing?" He asked me as if it were not obvious to what I was doing.

"Going up the stairs." I replied as he laughed at me and I laughed with him not knowing what was funny.

"That's not how you do it.." he said still laughing at something.

"But I watched an old women do it like that on the box." I explained remembering the commercial that said "life alert" with the wrinklier human and she was going up the stairs like me.

"What women... what box... what?" Edwin asked me as his eyebrows touched each other. He studied me in thought before his face sprung into action, "The TV!" He exclaimed as I nodded.

TV.

He reached for my hand, motioning for me to let go of the railing as I stood up straight. Then he walked away from my up the stairs in a different way. I gaped at the realization as I walked just like him.

Following his movements I held onto the rail with my right hand and put one foot in front of the other as my legs grew tired. "Thank you!" I said smiling at him happily as he replied matching my mood as he said, "No problem." with a smile.

I headed down the hallway to Brandon's room, "Uhm I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Nick told me as he walked down the hall.

"But you're not me?" I said confused as he stood there letting out a long breath, "I'm an alien and you're a human-"

"Yea... I'm aware." He said as he walked away seeming angry about something.

I twisted the knob with my hands as I stepped into the room.

"Hi Brandon!" I greeted him pleasantly as he didn't blink in my direction, he laid on his bed, surrounded by books with planet and the universe on them.

"I...I wanted to sing you a song because.. you seemed kind of sad." I said before I cleared my throat and let out a loud noise that made Brandon yell in aggravation as he shuffled under the books and pressed his palms against his ears.

"Shit!" He cursed, aggravated as I stopped and he slowly brung his hands to his sides.

"I'm sorry.." I sniffled looking at Brandon's annoyed and frustrated expression as my eyes started to leak, what humans called crying, something I did a lot of. "I didn't mean to make you mad.." I said closing the door and hanging my head low.

✯

"Hey..." Brandon said as he came up to me no longer looking sad. "Thanks..for trying to cheer me up." His said as I felt a warmth in my chest, knowing that I had helped him.

"Of course! So you want to hear the song again?!" I asked him, happy that something from my planet had cheered him up so drastically.

"No!" He said loudly as I started at him. Then he blinked and repositioned his glasses on his face and then repeated, "no" in a softer tone as I smiled at him anyways.

"That's ok, you can hear it later!" I said with excitement already waiting for tomorrow to come. He chuckled nervously before licking his lips and turning his gaze back to me.

"Do you want to go outside?" He asked me looking into my eyes as I thought about it. I'd been in this house so long I forgot outside had been a thing.

"Sure!" I said as I got up from the couch and followed Brandon who only laughed under his breath again.

✯

"Tell me the rules we said again." Brandon asked me as I went over them in my head.

"Don't talk to anybody, no powers, don't go anywhere without you." I said hoping that I got it correct. I watched the back of his head as he walked in thought.

"Yea that's it." He replied quietly as I made my way by his side,

"So I got it right!" I said looking at him as he just stared ahead of us and kept walking.

"Yup.." He said his tone seeming like it was hiding and you could only hear it by searching for it. I wondered what could be wrong with him.

"Where are we?" I asked him gazing up at the multiple rooms all reading something like "PINK" and "Hollister" looking at the clothes hung up on racks as other people carried bags in the crook of their arms.

"It's called a mall. People come here to shop and buy things with their money, our way of paying." Brandon said sounding in a lighter mood.

"Mall...do you need to shop for something?" I asked him as his eyes lit up at the question but he turned away and shrugged like nothing happened.

"I mean... I guess.." he mumbled as I got excited to be able to cheer him up. I grabbed his arm and rushed the both of us forward towards a store.

"Wait no this isn't for me—" he said nervously for whatever reason as I gazed around the nicely decorated store.

"What do you mean? It's perfect!" I squealed looking around at everything. There had been so many other women around us and one in particular, dressed apart from the others walked up to us.

Brandon continued to look down as the woman stared at him in confusion. "Welcome to Victoria Secret, is there anything I can help you with?!" She said in a tone that brushed off her lips cheerfully but her face was bored, waiting to find something to do.

"Thank you! We are here to shop and pay money!" I said looking at Brandon trying to make sure that I got it right but he kept his head down and mumbled something.

"We? Ohhhh we.." the woman dragged out as her face found something to do and it pulled her lips into a smile, "you're a couple!" The woman said as she laughed. I wasn't taught that term yet, couple.

"No we—"

"Yea! We're a couple!" I said happily as the woman finally returned my glee and laughed.

"Ok..well our more comfortable bras and underwear are in the back and there's also dressing rooms too and on your right you'll find lingerie—." She said as Brandon yanked my hand mumbling a "thank you" under his breath.

"What's wrong?" I asked him unknowingly. Had I gotten something wrong? Was I not supposed to say were shopping?

"This is not a store for me.." Brandon said trying to clear his throat but it didn't work. He kept his gaze on the floor and didn't look at me.

"What do you mean? It's so nice in here." I made my way to the back as i admired the oddly shaped but nicely patterned things that were labeled "bras".

Another lady who was dressed like before walked up to me, her face more awake as she looked at me, "would you like to try that on?!" She asked as I said "Yes!" Already excited to try it as I picked up the bra and made my way to the dressing room.

𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍

If I caught another dirty look from a woman I was out of here. I kept my head low and tried to pull my hat over my face. Nova had to bring us into here. At least she's been going good as far as adjusting goes so far..

She hasn't done anything that would call attention to herself in an unusual way—

At that thought Nova walked out of the dressed room and started moving around looking uncomfortable for a second before she smiled. She was always happy after everything, I wanted to know how.

She walked over to me smiling, "Hey Brandon!" She greeted me as I laughed at her, I tried to keep it in but I had to laugh. She had the bra positioned sideways over here hair as she stood there, "how do you humans like this?" She asked me as she touched the polka dotted bra with caution.

"That's not how you put the bra on.." Brandon said chuckling to himself as she began to roll her eyes. She probably learned that from Zion. After a couple minutes of struggle we finally got the bra off her head as she suddenly gasped.

"Oh my god!" She screamed in horror as her voice fell into this broken screams as her eyes watered.

I panicked looking at her expression as my heart sped up. I looked in the direction she was gesturing as she brushed past me. "S-She doesn't have a head!" She gasped looking at the white mannequin who was dressed in red matching undergarments.

"Nov-" I tried to call out as everyone began looking at her in confusion as they began mumbling and talking about her as she wept over the inanimate objects "death"

"Nova! Let's go!" I snapped as she didn't move. Without thinking I made my way towards her and grabbed her by the arm making sure not to hurt her.

"B-Brandon what about my hat..." She said choking on tears. I walked out the store, holding onto her and rubbing her back thoroughly in circular motions. "Don't worry about it, want some ice cream?"

"What's that?!" She stopped crying and smiled as I laughed and brang her to get ice cream.

𝐈-

𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬?????????

𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬❤️❤️❤️

𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐳 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.