Chapter 8- Jump and Rattle

Chapter 8- Jump and Rattle

               Lily Pad had been very hurt by Heather’s remarks about her. So much so that she began a rather relentless campaign against her in an effort to get her to leave the house. Lily Pad wasn’t used to anyone coming between William and herself. They had been together for so long. She wanted them to be together forever. If Heather didn’t want her there, she’d get rid of Heather.

               Heather had walked in expecting birthday greetings and hugs. Instead, William seemed angry simply by her entering the room. 

                William was shocked she had the nerve to face him, alien that she was. He should have known that she’d been corrupted and taken control of. He’d suspected they’d landed the same night they’d taken all the crystal statues in the backyard off their plinths. Lily Pad had just confirmed it. 

                “Alien!” He shouted at her. “I will no longer be involved in your plots. Romantic or otherwise!”

                “Wha-“ Heather barely managed to get a breath in before he started again.

                “No,” he backed away from her. “I won’t let you corrupt me. I must remain true to the Earth. It is my destiny.”

                “Your plots to contaminate my kind are at an end,” William had been expecting a lot more from Heather. She merely seemed defeated by his strange announcement. “You shall no longer touch me. And I shall do my utmost to thwart your vile plans for domination of this household!”

                Heather stepped back for a moment.  ‘Does he seriously think I am suddenly an alien?’ 

                The thought alone was enough for her. She’d stuck her neck out since they were little kids. She’d gotten ridiculed and in trouble for standing up for him. But he had also stuck by her, just as she had for him. Fine. If he wanted it to be over, it would be over. 

                Heather walked away from him without a single word. It wasn’t worth it. Once William went off on one of his stories, he was almost impossible to turn. Besides, most of his ideas remained ingrained even after they were proven false. He still refused to drink from the school water fountains for fear of poison.

                Lily Pad watched the exchange in silence, not letting any emotion show on her face. At least she had William out of Heather’s coils. It would be the two of them again; the two of them having fun!

                William truly didn’t understand the heartache he had caused. Heather had built an idea of the future in her head. And it revolved totally around William, security, and stability. There was so much she had depended on, and now needed. Food and a roof for one thing. Where could she turn for comfort now?

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                His hunger driving him to the kitchen, William came across Craig and Kiley also eating lunch. 

                “So, what are you planning to do for your girlfriend’s birthday?” Craig asked William as he walked to the table.

                “William had composed a song to sing to Heather today. You should hear him sing it-“

                “I’m singing nothing to that alien,” William interrupted.

                “You worked on that song for weeks! And don’t call Heather an alien, son. She’s your girlfriend. She deserves better. She’s had it tough enough before you told me about her situation and we were able to take her in.” Craig was unaware how deep his son’s beliefs went. Most of the time, he thought William was doing it merely for attention.

                “She’s not my girlfriend anymore.” William said as Heather walked past the trio. She had decided to eat her lunch in the dining room.

                “She’s an alien! I found this site online that tells just how she got corrupted by the alien science team sent down here to study us and to get ready for their global takeover!”

                Craig choked a little on his sandwich. William had broken up with the girl? On her birthday, none the less? And now accused her of being an alien? 

                William slammed his hand down on the table to make a point, making the plates jump and rattle. “We’re just lucky I caught her plotting before she turned us all too!”

                Craig had had enough. He swiftly got up from the table.

                Kiley, too, was a little sickened at the boy’s callousness.

                William was merely hungry.

                “William,” Kiley began. “You accused someone who is dear to you, on a day that is special and meant to be happy, no matter what race they are, of being an alien. I declare that you are no longer fit to act as an officer of the Earthling Defensive Coalition. You broke rules that firmly state that we must treat races of other origin as humanely as possible in order to show them the true wonders and positive capabilities of our home planet. “
                William looked up at Kiley wide-eyed with surprise.

                “You are relieved of duty until you can show humanity in a better light,” Kiley continued. “Dismissed Lieutenant.”

                Craig knew that Kiley had always been the girl for him. Seeing her deal so very effectively with his son only stiffened his resolve.

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                Heather had spent a lonely lunch in the rather cold dining room.  No one had come into sit with her, or even look for her.

                Unknown to her, her ever step was being monitored by Lily Pad. Lily Pad was determined not to let Heather have a chance to speak with William. William was really only half convinced Heather had been abducted. Lily Pad just didn’t have enough time to fabricate more evidence. The website she’d set up was hurriedly slapped together, and she knew that if William tried to find the site without her, he’d know it had been a hoax. She couldn’t risk letting Heather force him to show his evidence.

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I hadn’t really intended for the two to break up, (come on, why else would I have her move in?) But she had just done a mean interaction or two on William that I didn’t catch until it was too late and the damage to their relationship was done. (She has the mean spirited trait and I'm forever foiling her attempts to create drama I don't want.) At that point he had rolled a wish to break up with her and I went with it. Sad. She’s so damn cute. I was all eager for their babies…
 Also, The statues really did disappear leaving nothing but the round bases they stand on. You can see them through the window in the shots up top. I have no idea what happened to them as I have a ton of Twallan's mods monitoring my game, and every in every save of the game I checked they were gone there too. However, this will further be addressed later in the story so I won't go too far into it here.