6 Welcome to the Jungle

A fire snake? Didn't those things only exist in some poorly crafted mobile game?

"I don't think so." He grumbled, looking away.

"Doesn't matter what you think. You incinerated that wasp with a huge amount of fire power. You're a fire snake!"

Alekai scowled. "That's because I was thinking at this thing to shoot fire. It's not like it will get rid of that nasty bug if I asked for water to come out and splash on it."

She laughed. "You wouldn't be able to shoot a stream of water out even if you tried. It's not like you're a water snake."

Alekai said nothing.

He aimed the glove weapon at a hibiscus bush beside them. In his mind, he focused on watering it with a water hose and a nozzle.

Immediately, the weapon shot out a stream of water. It hit the hibiscus bush with such force that several stems broke.

Jesse's eyes popped. "How did you do that?"

Alekai glanced at her. "Didn't you just tell me to think about what I needed it to do and then tell the glove to do what I ask?"

"Yes, but…" she scratched her head. "I'm confused. Are you a fire snake or a water snake?"

He turned to her with a fierce look. "I'm not a snake!"

"Fine. You're not a snake. You're a—what the heck are you?"

"I'm a human."

"Are you a fire-human or a water-human?"

He growled a curse word deep in his throat. "I'm just a human. Not a fire-human or a water-human."

For a moment, it seemed as if Jesse was going to say something else to refute what Alekai said, but she heaved a huge sigh.

"Can you please take me to your house?"

"Why do you need to go there?" He gave her a guarded suspicious look.

Jesse closed her eyes. "I need to go to the bathroom, okay? Can I please just go to your house?"

Alekai's mouth twitched.

This girl was simply shameless. What kind of girl would ask to go to a guy's house to use the bathroom?

Her eyes scrunched up and she hugged her stomach with her arms. "I need to go, bad!"

He grimaced and pointed to the bush. "Just go in there. I won't peek. I'll even keep a look out for anything dangerous."

Her eyes grew desperate. "No! I need to do more than just a quick leak. I can't do that out here. Take me to your house!"

"My house is twenty minutes away from here though."

"It's fine. I can hold it until we get there. But please hurry!"

"Get on." He snarled and pointed to his motorcycle. "And don't you dare poop all over my bike or I will make you clean it!"

Jesse looked as if she was ready to cry so Alekai turned and got on his bike.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get on!"

As soon as he felt her body land on his bike, he took off.

He felt a bit badly as her hands wrapped around his waist and her head leaned into his back.

But then he remembered that she had stood on the seat behind him and shot up into the sky with her coffee mug and all sense of pity for her evaporated.

And to think, only a few hours ago, the worst thing that he had to deal with was itchy flaky skin.

Since it was a Sunday afternoon, the road was mostly empty of the normal work commuters so their ride was fairly straightforward.

He drove in a steady manner, careful to avoid as many bumps on the road as he could. He did not want a bump to trigger a massive colon void from the girl.

Gritting his teeth, Alekai sent up a silent prayer to all that was holy. He had no idea what Tom was going to say about him bringing home a girl.

And she wasn't just any average girl either.

My gods. She was a beauty! Pale blonde hair, bright blue eyes, the palest of porcelain complexion, and a cute pink mouth with a bubblegum tongue.

His mouth pressed into a grim line as he tried to eliminate the thoughts of her pink lips.

Maybe if he told Tom she just needed to use their bathroom, it could just turn into a non-event.

In any case, he couldn't just abandon her in the middle of the road. The chance of something terrible happening to her was something he could not allow to happen.

Even as the rogue thoughts ran through his head, his body made the automatic turns that took them back to his house.

Damn his muscle memories. If he didn't think about any destination, his body automatically took him home. It never failed.

From the main road, Alekai turned onto a busy thoroughfare.

Within a few minutes, he had reached the intersection of Pine and Needle. It was such a stupid intersection name, but it is what it is.

He turned onto Needle and drove the short distance to Tom's front yard.

Without bothering to activate turning blinkers, Alekai swerved into the short driveway.

He pressed a button on his bike and the electric gate slid open with a whir of gears spinning.

His bike slid in with a low full-throated growl through the barely opened gate.

He punched the gate button again and the gate reversed trajectory, sliding shut with a quiet clack.

"Welcome to The Jungle."

"Wow!" Jesse looked around, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "This place really is jungly!"

He shrugged. "That's why it's called The Jungle." He pointed to a large sign above them.

Sure enough. In large orange words was a sign proudly proclaiming the place as THE JUNGLE.

She looked up and then looked around. "Why are there so many trees here?"

"It's a tree farm. They are all in pots."

"Oh that's right! I would have never expected to see a jungle in the middle of a crowded busy city." She breathed.

He shrugged. "This place used to be out in the middle of nowhere. The city crept in on us and next thing we knew, we were in the middle of a huge sprawling metropolis."

"Wow. I can see how that happened."

"What do you mean?"

"This area is like paradise! Who wouldn't want to live here?"

Alekai pointed to a modest house up ahead.

"There's my house. I'm going to take you around to the back. Go in, do what you have to do, and then come back out."

"Okay." Her voice shook.

He grimaced. Her stomach must be giving her serious pain. He needed to get her to the back door, fast.

As his bike slid into the side yard, he saw the back door open up and a familiar figure walk out.

Alekai swore.

There went his stealth plan.