"N- no," I say firmly. "It's MY party. And I- Petra is- is my friend.Just like all of you are." Friends don't spit on each other, though," Harriet say...s, making megrimace as all of my other friends glare angrily at Petra. Maybe it wouldbe easier if I just sent her away... Then again, it'd have been easier ifI'd just worn trousers to school, instead of a skirt. It'd have beeneasier to just go along with Melissa and her gang, like Petra did- orrather, was forced to. It maybe would have been easier. Her brain was swollen. The swelling would go down ... or not. Time would tell. That, and the fact that she'd lost a lot of blood, would keep her in the ICU for the moment.He had stood, looking at her, willing her eyelids to move, so he could see her hazel eyes staring into his. She was a patchwork of bandages. He was able to see her hands, which looked almost normal. He had an errant feeling of relief. At least she could still grip a racquet. Otherwise, she just looked like she was resting. The. " You go get 'em, Stinky," Josiah said, punching Timothy in the arm."Yeah, Stinks, don't take nothing off nobody," Mark added.By this time, Nathan had retrieved all of his possessions and joined us."You know, you could be a free man when you turn 18," he said, extendinghis hand out to Timothy."Really?" Timothy answered."Really," Nathan answered. Texas will consider you an adult, and you cancome and go as you please. In fact, they will insist upon it." So I could, you know...?" Timothy's voice. Sighing Sam tried to keep his anger under control. It wouldn’t do to kill a few thousand when he had just arrived.Might as well as get started he thought. Moving toward the largest city that he’d seen from orbit he was soon met by a huge contingent of gray people.The throng stopped before Sam with an older looking gray stepping forward. “We were told that a Cliveastone was coming to our world. At first we were frightened that you were here to finish our people off. Queen Triada plus several.