A loud yell was heard from the Hunter household that night. One that echoed through the neighbouring houses, causing a slight alarm, mostly because it was still only 8 am.

Max was, obviously, incredibly shocked.

As for a terrified and horribly embarrassed Rose, who hadn't heard the house door open, she didn't know what to say.

Her crush had just seen her in a towel.

Granted, he hadn't seen anything, but still....

And as for a tired and sleepy Julianne Hunter, she debated getting up and stopping them, but she figured it would be fine. After all, it wasn't like her son was going to be killed.

And on the very scene, it was a few seconds before Max finally regained his composure and could say something.

Max: Wh... what... What are you doing here?!

Rose: I... um.... I....

It was hard enough answering him in such a situation. Sure, she had a perfectly good reason to be there, but answering him while he was so intense.

Rose: I... well... I....

Max: And.... you took a shower?

Rose blushed in embarrassment.

Rose: (embarrassedly) I... well.... I.....

She didn't know where to start.

And he didn't know where she'd begin.

This girl was in his house. taking a shower..... like she lived there.

Rose: I....

It took a while, but Max eventually very slowly learned what had happened from a very shy Rose.

He would later check his phone and find out that his mother had sent him a text explaining all that. Of course, he would not learn to check his phone from this situation, but that is a tale for another day.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

That much having been explained, Max, about 30 minutes later, found himself on the dining room chair, eating the food Rose and his mom had earlier prepared quite relaxedly.

Rose, in the meantime, changed clothes and shyly walked downstairs to have a chat with Max.

That rush she felt when he suddenly appeared. She couldn't get it out of her head. "Why couldn't her heart stop beating?" She asked herself this over and over.

Was it because he'd just appeared out of nowhere? Was it because he reacted so loudly?

Was she just rattled?

No. She knew it wasn't just that.

Once she'd finally made it downstairs...

Rose: Umm... Max.....

Max: Oh... Hey.

She was wearing clothes Max's mom said would be just fine for the night. Nothing revealing, just simple and comfy. And because Rose was a little smaller than Julianne, a little baggy. But that only served to make it comfier.

Max, after his reply, quickly took a few more bites of food before something finally occurred to him.

Max: Did you and mom make this?

She flinched. Not because hed figured it out, but rather in honest hope and anticipation of potential acknowledgement.

Rose: Y... yeah....

A normal thing for most infatuatued folk. The object of their affections holds more sway to the way they see themselves than most. Like in this case....

Max: Really? That's awesome. You must be a great cook.

He said this in his ordinary, carefree way, without giving much thought. He liked it, but he didn't mean it enough for Rose's response to make sense to him.

Rose: Really!?

She jolted and looked at him like she wanted to hear him say it again.

Max: Uhhhh.... sure.... yeah.

And a confused Max still didn't know what was wrong with her.

She let out a huge sigh in relief, confusing Max more.

Rose: Thank you.

Max: Are... you ok?

Rose: (jolting) Y... yeah. Yeah. Im ok.

Max: Ok... then.

This confused Max even more.

But his confusion did not put a pause on his appetite, and so he continued to eat, seemingly unperturbed until he looked questionably at Rose, confusing her as well.

Why was he staring at her? She slowly grew more horrified before...

Max: You know, you don't have to keep standing there.

The first statement made her flinch in the air.

Max: You can have a seat.

The next both calmed her and freaked her out, making her jolt once more, only serving to perturb Max even more.

Rose: Y... yeah. Sure.

He motioned her to the seat right at the table, and she subsequently calmed down, telling herself to calm down and not to freak out. After all, she was going to sit on the next table as him, alone and unsupervised by anyone else.

The dining table was circular with six seats. She, in her nature, did not seat herself next to him or across from him, but rather chose a chair away from him, all the while twiddling her thumbs.

Rose: (thinking: What is this feeling? Why can't I calm down? Am I just... excited to meet another alien my age?)

This quiet, shy looking, blushing alien's thoughts ran rampant inside her mind.

Rose: (thinking: Does he think Im weird?)

And Max was none the wiser, as he gazed at her, not knowing why she seemed so anxious.

Max: (thinking: I guess Ken was right. She is just like that.)