Chapter 11

The four friends walked into Taco Bell. Leah rushed into the line to order, but as she got close to the older couple in front of her, Evan whispered, "Hey." He pointed to the dots on the floor. Leah remembered then she had to keep a distance from others.

Bob turned to Evan and Justice as the two were staring at the menu. "So what's the person's name who runs your homeless shelter?"

Evan had no trouble answering that question. "Mrs. Loman. Why?" he asked.

"I was just curious," Bob replied. "I wondered what a person is like who helps a lot of homeless people." Leah didn't say anything, but she was really excited to hear what Bob was thinking.

Justice couldn't wait to tell what she knew. "I love Mrs. Loman!" she said excitedly. "She's the librarian at our school too. All the kids think she's the best!"

"Really?" Bob asked as he took out his phone and started tapping away on it. Leah knew he had a big idea. She slipped out her phone too, trying not to let Bob notice.

Evan started to talk, but Justice cut him off. "No, let me tell him! When we had the Book Fair at school, Mrs. Loman bought a book for me and Evan, since she knew us from the shelter."

Evan added a couple words after Justice took a breath. "She made sure no one knew she helped us. We read those books like a hundred times after that."

"And she doesn't even make much money," Justice said, jumping back into the conversation. Bob looked up from his phone, listening carefully to her. "My teacher told us. She said Mrs. Loman loves to help the homeless and she usually doesn't get paid to do it."

"Thanks, that's all I need to know," said Bob, as he noticed it was their turn to order. "Now let's get as many tacos as we can!"

Leah looked at him and sent a Mind Talk message. "Don't be crazy! If you spend all the money you have we won't be able to carry all the tacos! And the manager will know for sure you're not an eight-year-old boy."

"I know, I know," Bob thought back. "But let an alien dream a little, ok?"

Leah laughed and Evan and Justice looked at each other, confused.

After Bob ordered plenty of tacos for everyone, they waited for their food. Leah continued their Mind Talk conversation. "You're planning to do something big for all the kids at the shelter, aren't you?"

Bob worked away at his phone and replied to her with his thoughts, "Yes, I got a great idea that should be in place before we finish lunch."

Leah looked down to her phone and sent a quick message to their home planet. It read, "Hello Barthus. Bob should complete the mission in under 20 Earth minutes. Please begin preparing the ship. And no, he still doesn't know."

Continue to Chapter 12!!