School Visit

10:00 a.m.

A small silver disc landed in the middle of a snow-covered field. The top flipped opened like a switchblade. Smoke floated out of the disc. A head popped out. The small, black eyes looked around.

“What is this place?” their owner asked.

“Planet 1998275, Earth,” the ship said. The eyes scanned around in the snow.

“What is this white stuff on the ground?” the owner asked. The computer in its ear beeped as the lights danced back and forth.

“According to my reading, this white stuff is snow,” it said.

“Is it safe?”

“Yes.”

“Oh…” How could this pure white material be snow? Snow back on its planet looked like old gray dirty socks. It smelled terrible too. He couldn’t smell a thing out here.

“May I take off my helmet?” the visitor asked.

“Analyzing the air quality,” the computer said. The beeping and the lights sped back and forth.

“Yes,” it said. The visitor took off their helmet. Long bright pink hair slipped out. The visitor opened her eyes. She wrinkled her nose.

“The air’s making my nose feel funny,” she said.

“Hey!” someone shouted. “Hey!” The visitor looked up in time to see a soccer ball sailing towards her.

“Duck!” the computer yelled in her ear.

“Huh?” the visitor asked.

“Duck!” her computer yelled again. The visitor slid to her left in a flash step. The ball sailed past her and hit the fence behind her. Three boys raced over to the visitor dressed in dark green track suits.

“Hey!” one of them yelled. “You okay?”

“They are asking about your well-being,” the computer told her.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“You have to let them know you are unharmed somehow.”

“But how do I do that?”

“Just flash the V-Sign.”

“Are you sure that’s fine?”

“You have to give them something.”

“Are you okay?” the boy asked again. The visitor’s body stiffened.

“Okay…” she muttered. The pink-haired visitor flashed a V-sign to her chest. The boys gave her strange looks when they got closer.

“What’s with that weird suit?” one of the boys asked.

“Where did you come from?” another boy asked.

“Who are you?” the third boy asked. The visitor stared at them with a puzzled look on her face.

“Translate,” she said. The computer read back their questions to her. The visitor nodded.

“Can you please translate for me?” she asked.

“Yes, miss,” the computer said. The visitor cleared her throat.

“I am a bit lost,” she said through the translator. “I was coming to tour this town and I don’t know where I am. Can you help me out?” The three boys looked at each and whispered. The main one finally turned his attention back to the visitor.

“Well, this is our soccer field at our school,” he said. The visitor blinked.

“Soccer… field? School?” she asked. The boys gave her equally puzzled looks.

“She’s not from around her, is this?” one of them whispered. The boys shook their heads. Their friend held out his hand.

“Come with us,” he said. “You’ll need to blend in around here.”

“Blend in?” the visitor asked.

“Yes,” the lead boy said. “Just come with us. You stand out in a that weird-looking suit.”

“What’s wrong with my suit?” she asked.

“It looks weird,” he said. “I can get you a uniform to wear.” The boys headed back over to their gym. The visitor stood, blinking.

“These humans are weird,” she said to herself.

“You coming?” the boys asked. The visitor ran and floated over to her new tour guides near the gym.

Stranger in a Strange Land