“You’re just lucky Ms. Zardow runs the company and has a lot of influence.”“What is your problem with me anyhow?”“That’s easy,” Marion...sneers. “I just don’t like you. You’re an Earthling that should be in one of those pods instead of the captain of this ship.”Regina laughs. “Your mother is an Earthling.”“Don’t patronize me,” Marion says. “She is one of the founders. We’re first generation and you’re the only one of us born of Earth.”“And that’s a bad thing?”“Of course it is,” Marion answers. "But both men were shaking their heads. "Not necessarily a blessing," the Sheriff said. "True, I've always been able to detect a lie – at least a strong one, anyway. What we would normally call an outright lie. But now I'm struggling with the little lies. The white lies as people call them. 'Good morning, Sheriff.' How in the hell could that be a lie? But then I realized the greeting was coming from someone who had received a written reprimand recently. He mouthed the correct platitude or. The woman gave a smile and as she moved towards where the crockery was kept, said. "I'm Val"."Robert", he replied.There was no doubt the woman was friendly and her smile was quite infectious, in fact she was an individual that could be the 'life of a party'. While he moved the furniture, they chattered and socialized so by the time the first of the public had arrived they were laughing as though they had known each other for years. Maybe it was because of that association that when he came back. "I'm sorry about that," Joseph said, turning back to me. "Y-you looknice, even wearing boy clothes," he said, and blushed, looking down athis menu."Thanks," I said, smiling. Was he into me? It kind of looked that way.Not that we could do anything about it; I was grounded indefinitely, andhis parents would never let him date a trans girl. But it felt nice tohave a boy look at me that way, the way I wished Andrew would look at me.He was kind of cute, though not super hot like Andrew.Nick came.