The air between them was thick with tension as Ethan dusted himself off, his clothes still torn from his frantic escape. Liam and Sophie exchanged incredulous glances, their initial shock giving way to an undeniable curiosity.
"What do you mean by 'what am I?'" Ethan asked, his voice defensive yet tinged with exhaustion. "I'm a boy, just like you."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "Normal human guys don't move as fast as you do."
Ethan blinked at him, then shifted his gaze to Sophie, who stared at him as if he were a puzzle to be solved. "Are you an alien?" she echoed, her tone skeptical.
Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wish. If I were, at least I'd have somewhere to go. I started running because the cops back in Canada wanted to deport me—they couldn't find evidence that I was born there."
"So, you ran from Canada to the United States?" Sophie's voice carried a note of disbelief.
"Umm… looks like it." Ethan's lips quirked into a weak smile.
"That's not normal, bro," Liam interjected, folding his arms.
"Alright," Ethan admitted, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Maybe I'm not human, but it doesn't change the fact that I have nowhere else to go. My parents wouldn't be at our house anymore, even if I decided to go back. The cops got them. I don't even know where to go."
The vulnerability in his voice softened Sophie's expression, but Liam grinned. "You can stay with me," he said nonchalantly.
"What?" Ethan and Sophie exclaimed in unison.
"I mean, it could be fun having an alien around. Especially one that's super-fast. He can help me in many ways."
"In what ways?" Ethan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You'll see." Liam's mischievous smirk deepened, and Sophie groaned.
"You think it's wise bringing someone you just met into your house?" Sophie asked, her skepticism returning.
"If you don't take risks, you won't go far in life," Liam replied with a casual shrug.
"If you take too many risks, you won't live long enough to go far in life," Sophie shot back. "How are you going to tell your parents?"
"Easy… I won't." Liam grinned.
"Won't they find out?" Sophie asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Nah. We have a basement that looks like another room. They haven't gone down there in years; I don't think they'll start now."
"If you say so," Sophie said, unconvinced.
Liam turned to Ethan. "So, are you interested in staying at my side till you can find your parents? Of course, you'll help sort out some minor problems."
"Seeing that I don't have too many options, I guess have to say yes."
Liam clapped his hands. "Great! I'll introduce you to your new digs." He then glanced at Sophie. "I guess I'll see you around."
Sophie gave Ethan a lingering look before walking away.
Back in Canada, inside a dimly lit detention facility, Grace Bennett sat on a hard bench, her hands clasped tightly together. Across from her, Todd leaned against the cold metal wall, his face stoic.
"I wonder how Ethan is doing," Grace said softly, breaking the silence.
"I'm sure he's fine. He's a strong kid. He can handle himself," Todd replied, though his tone betrayed a flicker of doubt.
"I really hope so," Grace murmured. "I don't want anything to happen to him. We have to tell him the truth about himself. We should've told him a long time ago."
"Not this again," Todd groaned. "We both agreed not to burden him with the truth until he was ready."
"He was always ready for the truth. You were the one who wasn't ready to tell him that he wasn't your son, and now we might not get the chance to." Grace snapped, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
Todd sighed heavily. "We're literally in prison right now, and you're still nagging me. Give me a break—let me serve my time in peace."
"You realize I'm in here too right?"
"How could I forget?"
"let's just hope they decide our fates on time and let us out of here."
Back in the United States
Ethan stood in Liam's basement, taking in his surroundings. The room was cluttered with old furniture, boxes of forgotten items, and a faint musty smell that hinted at years of disuse.
"This is where you'll stay," Liam announced, gesturing grandly. "It's not much, but it's private."
Ethan chuckled. "It's perfect."
Liam wasted no time in testing Ethan's abilities. He handed him a tennis ball. "Okay, throw this at the wall as fast as you can and catch it before it hits the floor."
Ethan hesitated. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. Come on, show me what you've got!"
Ethan shrugged and complied. In a blur, the ball zipped through the air, bounced off the wall, and landed back in Ethan's hand before Liam even registered the movement.
"Whoa." Liam's jaw dropped. "That was insane. Do it again!"
For the next hour, Liam concocted various challenges—stacking objects at lightning speed, running laps around the basement, and even balancing a broom on his head while moving. Ethan played along, enjoying the distraction from his troubles.
Just as Ethan was about to attempt a new trick, they heard the creak of the basement door.
"Liam? You home? I need your help in finding my tool box." a voice called out.
Ethan froze.
"Relax," Liam whispered. "No one comes down here. He'll search for it someplace else."
But as footsteps descended the stairs, panic flashed across Liam's face. His dad appeared at the bottom, scanning the room. His eyes landed on Ethan, and he froze.
"Liam?" his dad said, his voice sharp with suspicion. "Who's that?"
Liam slapped his forehead, muttering under his breath, "Of course, the one day I hide someone in the basement is the day my dad remembered that he left a toolbox here in 1948."