Life became a routine for Mark, not that he was complaining. It was school, star-gazing, and performing in the park. He had made a friend for the second time in over three years. That was what he liked to call it, "friendship." Jenni was still odd, that was for sure, but she was no longer an alien from a galaxy far away. She was human, and she came from the same world as he did. So how could they end up so drastically different?

      It was a Friday night when he finally knew Jenni.       "That star, right there," she pointed up with such purpose it seemed hard to believe she was making this up in the moment, "That star holds the poor soul of your once natural hair, now murdered with chemicals. May it rest in peace."       "That star, right there," Mark played along, "That star holds the desperate souls of countless, helpless animals: fish, foul, and beast alike. All viciously devoured by a Miss Jenni Lim." She scrunched her nose up at him. That was another thing he learned about her, she scrunched her nose when she was annoyed.       "Point taken." She changed her tone, "That star, right there, that star is my dad."        "Will you tell me about your father?" The words slipped out of his mouth, curiousity conquering common sense. She often spoke of him, always in past tense, but Mark had never pried further, not until that night.       "Remember that you were the one that asked." She stood and offered him a hand.       "What?"       "I couldn't possibly tell you such things here. No there is only one suitable place to speak of such a person."       "And this place?"       "My house, of course."   ***       They arrived and walked inside. There was Jenni's mother, reading a book in a chair. Her face was one worn from laughter and tears, Mark knew the type. It was the same as Jenni's.       "You're home," she said, then taking notice of Mark, "Who's this?"       "This is Mark, a friend of mine." That was the first time Jenni ever called him a friend. It was always allies or acquantances.       "I see, make yourself at home, then."       She led Mark into her room, but she left the door wide open. He liked something about that, that she didn't feel the need to hide from her mother. She sat down on the floo