Blind Speed Dating #28 (YA)

Title: ROGUE HEALER

Genre: YA Light Sci-Fi

Word Count: 80,000

Query:

Eighteen-year-old Lexi Garner is a lonely alien hidden in the donated body of a formerly suicidal human teenager. When her race fled to Earth, they created a catalogue of diseases they can heal, depression being one of the few exceptions. But in possessing a human body—a requirement if they're to survive Earth's climate—the aliens can make the pain go away.

Since human fear of the unknown has led to dozens of alien murders, Lexi hides her true nature, even when she falls for her classmate Garrett Donovan. Eager to be close to him, she links her thoughts to his and is overwhelmed by his intense depression.

Lexi knows only too well how suicidal humans can end up. With Garrett’s mental health declining, she must choose between healing him—if it's even possible—or supporting her race with another donor body. Suddenly, keeping secrets is more important than ever, but now it's from her own endangered species—a species vigilant enough to notice her betrayal. And desperate enough to ensure it will never happen again.

First 250:

I knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but I'd gotten used to it. I had to get my information from somewhere.

On the way through the main doors, Trow had boasted about a surprise in class today. If I'd learned one thing since I'd arrived here, it was that advance knowledge made it easier to prepare an appropriate reaction.

"Bet Matt's going to flip," Trow said.

Beth's initial response was too quiet to catch. Praying they wouldn't notice, I reduced the distance between us to just under what was socially acceptable, but all I heard was a mumble. I slunk after them into Modern History class.

Trow's elbow almost grazed my face as he snagged Beth's sleeve and leaned toward her. Feigning preoccupation with my textbook, I hugged their backs, my ears wide open.

"You know Matt has major issues with Relatives, right?" he asked. "Well, Mrs. Knapp's going to introduce us to one."

Just inside the door, my amygdala went hyper, neurons fired, and adrenaline flushed throughout my human body. I stopped cold, and if I hadn't known better, I would have been sure my heart had stopped too. Someone behind me didn't notice me standing stupidly in the way and smacked into my back.

I whirled around. It was the new guy who'd been sitting at the rear of the classroom since last week.

"Sorry," I stammered, as my brain scrambled for composure.

Introduction to a Relative? That was impossible. Trow didn't mean me. He couldn't mean me.