Part 5
Hermione swiveled on one platform shoe and squinted one eye at the two women trying to hide behind a small brown haired man and a Hershey bar display. "What's this?"
"Asteria Grace? Amelia Belle? Is that you?" Her voice rose slightly with each word, culminating in a squeal. "You mean you finally condescended to visit your poor, neglected mother?" Her shoes made an uneven clatter on the tile floor as she raced towards them.
Mique's eyes widened, and he tried to scurry out of the way. All was for naught, trapped between the two sisters, both of whom were trying to crawl inside his shirt; he was treated to the onslaught that was Melly's mother. The woman hitched up a brassiere strap and engaged the girls in a group hug, including by default one seriously over-squished catman.
"Mom… geez…." Melly's voice wound rapidly towards a whine. "You'd think you hadn't seen us in years… Mom, people are looking…"
Star dragged her nose out of where her mother had jammed it into her cleavage. "Hi Mom… long time no see. How's dad? How's Bingo?" She managed to free herself and looked hopefully at Percy, who had just finished paying for the gas up of the motormen.
The behemoth did not disappoint. "Hey darlin', who's this? Anybody I should know?"
Hermione melted with predictable ease. After all, Percy was all that, and then some. "And who might you be?"
Mique took offence to all the attention going on, none of which included him. He decided then and there to step into the limelight. "Hi Mom!" He exclaimed and gathered the matron into a bear hug. "Melly said you were a looker, but BOY HOWDY! She never said you were just the sweetest thing since shoo-fly pie!"
"What.. what?…" Hermione sputtered. All of a sudden, her eyes narrowed slightly. Recognition dawned in her eyes much to the surprise of her offspring. "Why, you’re a.. a.. Felinsi.. a Catman…
"Oh Shit!!" Mique sputtered and did a quick step backward. "Mel! She knows we slept together, run! Save yourself!"
"What? What the hell are you talking about? We slept, idiot. That's all we did. Man, what color is the sky on your planet?
"Blue… same as yours!" Mique back pedaled into the his large furless friend…
"Lotta help you are, fuzz face." Melly shifted her attention from her friend to the incipient danger that was her mother.
Mique dropped to his knees and scooted backwards through the gap in Percy’s legs. He peeked around one denim-clad leg. "Hey… wait a minute, how do you know what a Felinsi is?" He asked with a whiskered frown.
Unaccountably, the human tornado was briefly silent. Scuffing one platformed toe absently on the floor, she finally muttered "I just do…anyway, that’s not important right now." She looked at him oddly, then turned once more on her daughters. "Amelia Belle… where have you been? I’ve called and called, but you never call me back. What kind of a mess have you made this time?"
"No, no, no." Mique pulled himself up and marched over to the older woman. "I asked you a question." He demanded, nearly setting his chin in her cleavage.
Thwack. Melly dealt him a solid blow right between the shoulder blades, just as Star grabbed him by the arm and yanked him around to face her. In the end, it was Star’s abuse of his arm that saved him from getting his chin in any deeper. He didn’t have time to worry about it because they were both shaking him and shouting in unison, "Don’t get snotty with Mom!"
"WHAT?" Poor Mique suddenly knew how a wishbone felt on Thanksgiving. Both of the young women were pulling him in separate directions.
Finally the big biker intervened and tugged his friend out of harm’s way, placing him safely out of the way behind a Doritos display. Percy leaned over to Star, "DO something!" He begged in a low voice.
Star looked at him blankly for a moment, then laughed sheepishly. "I kinda thought I was." She gave him a quick hug, just because she could, and then turned to look at her sister.
Melly was standing staring into space, with a very strange look on her face. She looked like she’d been hit by lightning. Star glanced surreptitiously around to see if she’d missed anything.
Mique was still safe behind the Doritos, but their mother had made a break for the telephone and was talking rapidly into it. Star could hear her telling someone where to pick up her car and explaining that she’d be away for an indefinite period of time. An icy feeling of dread settled into the pit of her stomach, and refused to be dislodged.
Both the sisters shared a sorority moment in uttering, "Oh shit."
Melly saw her opening and took it in a mad dash for the door, only to get wedged with her sister who had the same thought. "Ugh…" She moaned popping through the glass and aluminum like a cork.
The two of them ran for the bikes, but halfway there they slowed to a stop. They were free, but the guys weren’t. Resolutely, they turned back to face the music. Neither of them was prepared for the sight of their mother coming through the door escorting a pitifully hobbling Mique. Percy was right behind them, grinning like a demon.
"Um, …Mel, Mom is coming with us." Mique shot a hangdog look over at Percy. "She seems to think that she knows where we can find a certain bunch of strange characters that blew through town not two days ago." The small catman caught up with the redhead and whispered in her ear "…but she still won’t tell me why you guys can see me."
Melly shuddered violently. Just the thought of a road trip with her mother terrified her. There’d be nowhere to run. Desperation thrummed through her, leaving every nerve vibrating painfully. "Does she really know, Mique? Maybe this is just some bizarre game to her… maybe she’s working with them…" Melly’s voice trailed off to a whimper as a furry finger shushed her gently.
"She knows what I am, Darlin’." He told her as quietly as possible. "I hate to say it but your mom sounds like she’s been for a spin on an Uphogh or two. It might be hard for you to believe but I think that your mom may be an ‘ET groupie’.
"A what?" Melly looked at him in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? And what the hell is an Uphogh?" Despite herself, she felt a little better. As usual, he’d managed to both baffle her and cheer her up at the same time.
(c) 2002 S. Day & M.C. Sak