The Survivor
an excerpt

So mom got all excited and is inviting Aren over again. I think he was embarrassed. I wonder if mom likes him. Either way, I don’t think Aren likes her. He seems older than twenty. I still say his stutter sounds funny, too.
He has really dark skin, and he says the reason his ears are so big is because of where he lives, where it’s hot, and he says it’s also because his body temprature or something is higher? I don’t know. He gets all technical on me, and I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about especially when he starts stuttering really bad. I guess I have to be patient if I want to have a conversation with him, but that’s just annoying…
I don’t know, though. He’s nice. He’s coming for lunch soon, I think, and he said he’d teach my mom to make something new. It’s supposed to be sweet, which makes me happy because we don’t have much sweet things usually. Er’k used to bring us suger and make rolls and once he made something called a kake? It was really good.
Now I’m hungry. I think I’m going to go see what mom’s up to… I can here her working.

So Aren’s gone now. He said he’s a traveller, just like Er’k! THAT IS SO NEAT! I started talking to him a lot more after that. I made him smile a few times. …I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think he’s cute. And now I’m blushing. Damn it.
I hope mom never reads this. Does this mean I like guys? I’ve never liked girls, that’s true…but is it natural to like guys, too, if you’re a guy? I hope so. I don’t want something to be wrong with me. But Aren is really really cute.