Alien Pets, Trisha McNary [free novel 24 .txt] 📗

The next day in gym class, as Antaska expected, Eegor made his visit to her side. She was lying on her back on a raised platform doing bench presses. He stood close behind her head and placed his hands on top of hers on the bar to guide it up and down. Eegor spoke to her as she lifted.

“I know by now you’re wondering when I’ll get together with you outside of class,” he said.

Antaska kept lifting the heavy bar and didn’t say anything in return. A day ago, she would have been thrilled to meet with Eegor. But now, even though she was still aware of his physical perfection, she felt only bothered and embarrassed by his closeness.

Eegor seemed to realize that she was resisting his charms because he abruptly changed his attitude.

“I’m a very busy man, so you’ll have to wait till I have time for you,” he said. “I promise it will happen before the ship reaches the Verdante home planet, but it’s good for you to have time to think about me and long for me. And you’ll be in better shape in a few more weeks. So you’ll be more worthy of me than you are now. This will motivate you to exercise harder.”

Is he trying to use that lame tactic of playing hard to get combined with a small put down to get me to appreciate his obvious superiority and desirability? Antaska wondered. Does he really think I’m that stupid?

Antaska burned with irritation, but she still didn’t answer Eegor. She tried to look away from him. That was difficult because he was so close and so large. She completed eleven repetitions of her set. Then on the twelfth, Eegor let go of her hands and walked away just when the weight got too heavy to lift.

With her chest muscles almost spent, Antaska strained to lift the heavy bar on her own. The weight wobbled. Fear that she would drop it on herself broke Antaska out in a sweat. But at last, she placed it back on the supports built into the platform.

Antaska heaved a big sigh of relief that included relief that Eegor was gone. She knew a confrontation with Tilde was coming, and she found herself actually looking forward to trying out the defensive moves she learned in the virtual game. But as Hide approached, clearly angry and clearly the superior fighter, Antaska knew she didn’t have a chance. Then a new inspiration hit.

Maybe if I explain to her that I’m not interested in Eegor, we can avoid all this unnecessary violence, Antaska thought.

Tilde stopped in front of her. Before Tilde had time to lift an arm or leg in preparation to strike, Antaska spoke quickly.

“I guess you’re upset about the attention your partner has been giving me. I want to reassure you that I’m not at all interested in him. You don’t have to worry about anything happening between us. The next time he asks me to meet him outside of class, I’ll tell him no. I promise,” Antaska told her.

She up looked hopefully at Tilde. But she was baffled and also frightened to see that her words seemed to have had the opposite of her desired effect.

“What insult is this?” Tilde shouted. “You are nothing! My partner would never stoop so low as to your height! And you dare to tell me he doesn’t interest your nothingness! These are the lies of a lying snake!”

Well, that didn’t work, thought Antaska. Her relationship is really messed up, and I need to stay out of it. What was I thinking about even looking at Eegor? He’s nuts. I can’t believe I almost fell for a handsome face and a hunky body.

Antaska didn’t have time to think much more because Tilde struck out with a punch toward her chest, To the great surprise of both them, Antaska blocked it with an out-thrust arm. Then she lunged to the side to avoid the kick that followed. Tilde landed a furious kick on the back of Antaska’s upper leg. Her legs were still sore from the previous day’s workout, so the kick was quite painful.

Antaska sunk down to the floor. She grasped her leg and moaned in pain. She looked up at Tilde and saw her smug but fake-looking smile. Then Tilde turned and walked away.

This time, it didn’t take long for the pain to fade from the kick to Antaska’s leg muscle. As she felt better, she also felt a sense of having won a small victory. She looked across the room and saw that M. Hoyvil was watching. Antaska gave him the thumbs up sign. He made the thumbs up sign back at her with one big green hand.

Starting that night, as he had promised, M. Hoyvil gave Antaska holograph videos of fighting for her to practice along with.

The next three weeks passed fast. Antaska settled into the routine of going to gym class, M. Hoyvil’s school classes, and nighttime fighting practice. They made trips with Potat to all six of the viewing lounges on the ship. On the two days of rest each week, they visited M. Hoyvil’s friends, and Antaska spent time with and got to know many of the other Earthling companions.

As time when on, Antaska and M. Hoyvil began going to the game room, viewing lounges, and other places around the ship in groups with several Verdantes and humans. Antaska was so busy that she would have completely forgot about Eegor if he didn’t still pay her his now unwelcome visits each day in gym class.

Daily hard workouts made a steady improvement in Antaska’s physical fitness. Fat melted from her body, and her muscles grew much stronger. Her speed and stamina increased, and she learned new fighting moves. Antaska didn’t just feel physically stronger. She noticed that her mind seemed clearer, and she was able to concentrate and focus better than ever before. Emotionally, she felt happier and more relaxed. The super healthy food and intense exercise were starting to make a big difference.

After about two weeks of practicing in the virtual suits, Antaska was able to beat Chan in every game in the beginning level of the martial arts game. And after she progressed to the medium level, it became harder and harder for Tilde to land blows on her in gym class.

The something else changed. It seemed like Tilde was getting frustrated and embarrassed because she couldn’t hurt Antaska anymore. Now when Eegor gave Antaska attention, Tilde didn’t come after her. Instead, she started hitting and kicking the other humans in the class. And they didn’t have the fighting skill to avoid her or to fight back.

Antaska talked to M. Hoyvil about it one day when they were in their quarters after class.

“I’m relieved that Tilde has stopped bullying me. But I feel upset and guilty because now the other humans in the class are getting hurt.”

“You’ve become strong, and she’s the kind of person who picks on the weak, but that doesn’t mean you caused her bad behavior,” said M. Hoyvil. “You can’t change her, but maybe you can help the others to learn how to fight back too.”

“You’re right. I’ll do that,” said Antaska.

Antaska went into her room. She was only partly relieved by his assurances. Deep down, she believed that she wasn’t completely without guilt. She confessed her feelings to her most impartial and understanding confidante, Potat, as they sat together on the round bed.

“M. Hoyvil thinks I’m completely innocent. I’m not going to argue with him about that, but I know that’s not true,” she began.

Potat looked up with ears pointed toward her and opened to their fullest, as if to say, “I’m all ears.”

“I’m sure that things wouldn’t have got this far if I hadn’t kept staring at Eegor in the dining hall. Once I saw him with Tilde, I should have ignored him, and I should have said something to him in gym class like ‘please stop bothering me.’ But I kept fantasizing about him, and I didn’t do anything to discourage him. Even though I knew he had a partner. I guess that was pretty crummy of me,” Antaska said.

She looked down at Potat. The little cat expressed her judgment by purring and rubbing her head against Antaska’s hand. Antaska was comforted, but she didn’t really believe that Potat understood her.

Maybe she understands on some level, she thought hopefully.

“I knew that I shouldn’t be thinking about him. And I knew that I should discourage him, but it was hard for me to do that. He was the most attractive man I’ve ever seen—almost impossible to resist. I hope I’ve learned something from this. I’d like to say that I’ll never do anything like that again, but I’m afraid that I might. You understand that, don’t you?” Antaska asked as she lifted Potat up into a hug.

Potat purred loudly. She understood more than Antaska realized. She knew that Antaska, like all humanoids, had flaws, made mistakes, and basically, wasn’t perfect. But luckily, a more intelligent and perfect being—Potat—was close by to look out for her.

Once again, Potat tried to talk to Antaska telepathically, even though she knew that Antaska would tell herself something like, “Oh, I’m just imagining that a cat is talking to me.”

“I know you’ll make more mistakes, but I’ll be here to tell you what to do. If only you would listen!” said Potat in an amused and exasperated mental voice.

As Potat expected, Antaska said, “All this stress is making me imagine things again. Now I’m imagining that you’re saying exactly what I want to hear.”

She put Potat back down and went to get ready for M. Hoyvil’s next class.

“So stubborn!” Potat said telepathically.

But Antaska was pretending not to hear her again.