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where’s the party tonight?’
    David shifted restlessly in his chair. ‘Umm … at Tiffany’s house.’
    â€˜She invited you?’ His mother’s head whipped around. ‘Even after she dumped you?’
    David shrugged but his face reddened. ‘Yeah.’
    Kora tried to hide her snigger. It seemed even the human girls could not stand him.
    She could feel Marcia’s eyes on her. ‘Who else is going?’
    â€˜I dunno, Mum.’ David pushed a hand through his shaggy hair. ‘Just Hammer and the usual crowd I guess.’
    Marcia nodded thoughtfully. ‘Be home by midnight. And for goodness sake would you cut that hair!’
    â€˜Dinner’s up,’ said Rodney. He placed a steaming bowl of pasta in front of each of them. ‘Hope you like tofu and mung beans.’
    David groaned. ‘This isn’t that gluten-free pasta again, is it?’
    Rodney smiled at Kora and patted his stomach. ‘I’m gluten-intolerant. I hope you don’t mind.’
    Kora smiled. ‘Of course not.’ She placed her fork into the pasta and wound the long hideous strands around it.
    â€˜See, Kora likes it.’ Marcia said to David. ‘It’s good for all of us to make healthier choices.’
    â€˜That’s right, David.’ Kora turned her head so that only David could see her transform the sticky tofu pasta into a decadent chocolate cake. ‘Healthy and delicious.’
    He glared back at her and she smiled. She thought for a moment he was going to whisper a wish but Rodney interrupted him. ‘What happened to your arm?’
    â€˜Burnt it on the kettle.’ David pushed at his food with his fork. ‘It’s all right.’
    It was strange sitting there listening to Marcia and Rodney grill David. Although she liked watching him squirm there was also something familiar about it and a wave of homesickness washed over her. She wondered what her mum and dad were doing now. Were they thinking about her? And what about Atym? She had never imagined she would miss her annoying brother so much.
    â€˜Are you all right, dear?’
    She looked up and realised Marcia had been talking to her. She wanted to say no, I am not all right. I want to go home and I miss my family. In fact, right now she missed them so badly she would settle for her globe and Amurru.
    She put her fork down, no longer interested in eating. ‘Sorry, I was daydreaming.’
    â€˜I was just saying what an unusual accent you have. Have you moved here recently?’
    David cut in before she could answer.
    â€˜She’s here as an exchange student.’ He pushed his plate away. ‘We should get going, the party starts in half an hour.’
    Rodney’s face dropped. ‘But you haven’t finished.’
    â€˜I’m not really hungry.’
    â€˜I saw the empty wrappers in your room this afternoon.’ Marcia looked accusingly at her son. ‘No wonder you’re not hungry.’
    â€˜Yeah, sorry, Mum.’
    â€˜Oh, go on then.’ Marcia waved her arms. ‘But don’t be late.’
    David stood up, tall and straight in his army costume. He looked eager to get out of the house. Kora slid her chair back and rose to stand beside him. She couldn’t wait to leave either.

Stargazing
    It was a beautiful summer’s evening. The moon hadn’t risen yet and the sky was filled with a million gleaming stars. The scorching heat of the day had finally blown away with the arrival of a soft, balmy breeze that had travelled in from the Indian Ocean, which David had told her was quite some distance away, beyond the city. Even the disgusting Earth smell she so detested seemed softer and more fragrant.
    Darkness had settled quickly over the forest once the sun had dropped down beyond the horizon. But even without the moon she could still see quite well by the faint glow of light that reflected up from the small township of Panda Rock, four or