Just A Girl And An Alien

DARA:

“I can’t believe they fired me!” I mutter under my breath as I drive onto the street where my apartment building is.

I’ve been working as a waitress at Jenny’s—a small diner—for seven months now. And they just fired me today. And just because I was ten minutes late nineteen times this month! Like, the world is getting so strict these days. That’s why I didn’t go to college. Too many rules. Instead of going to college, I decided to get my own apartment and just get a job. And I’m not against college or anything, it’s just not for me. I could barely survive high school.

I gasp as a huge silver saucer hovers in front of my car. Just like the ones in the alien movies. This can not be happening.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

Oh, this is so happening!

I really couldn’t decide if I wanted to leave Lavendura (My home planet. If you’re an Earthling, than you’d probably consider me an alien.) to come to Earth to study the creatures of Earth. It's really hard for me to make decisions. Because on the one hand I have always been fascinated by that blue and green ball up in the sky and the beings that inhabit it. But on the other hand, saucer-travel can be very dangerous. And what if the humans are not peaceful creatures? I mean they look just like us, practically, so they probably act like us too. But I didn’t have a choice. The Master of our Zone said that I had to go and collect research.

I peer out the saucer window. There are so many humans! And all in one Zone! I can’t decide if I should be taking notes right now. I take the book out of my pocket, but then put it back in.

The Lavenduran girl—Zura, they sent to study the humans—turns to me. “Are you taking notes?”

“Um, yes! No! Yes?” I say.

“So, yes?” Zura asks.

“Yes.” I say.

Zura has shiny black hair and narrow purple eyes, just like everyone else on Lavendura. I heard that humans have all different colors of hair! But that’s just a myth. No one’s ever been to Earth yet. That’s what me and Zura are for. This is so exciting! Oh my gosh. This is so scary. Can’t I just go back home? But also this is so amazing. Why can’t I just make up my mind already?

DARA:

At home—my tiny apartment—I open up my news app. And the first thing I see is an articles called: IS IT TRUE OR IS IT A HOAX? ALIEN SAUCERS SPOTTED IN MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE WORLD!

So then I skim the article: MANY PEOPLE SPOTTED METAL DISCS FLOATING OVER CROWDED CITY STREETS IN NEW YORK, RIO, CIARO, TOKYO, PARIS, AND ROME.

And: IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED! THE SAUCERS ARE INDEED FROM ANOTHER PLANET. ALIENS ARE IN OUR MIDST AND THEY ARE IN HUMAN-LIKE FORM. EVERYONE IS ADVISED TO STAY INSIDE AND PRECEDE WITH CAUSION.

I roll my eyes. Okay, so I believe it. Because what else can explain what I saw? Plus I've always had a feeling that aliens were real. But the reporters always blow everything way out of proportion.

I decide on an impulse to go outside for a jog. All this alien drama is kinda stressing me out.

I put on my expensive running shoes and tie them quickly. I really couldn’t afford them. I don’t know what I was thinking buying them, It’s not like I even jog often. Every one says that I’m impulsive. That I need to start looking before I leap. Where’s the fun in that?

LEVI/LUCIAN:

I walk into—what a human outside called—an apartment building. I carefully take my steps making sure to stay safe in this unknown human place. You can never be too careful. I stop for a minute in a hallway to take notes. Luckily there are no humans around.

And just as I was thinking that, a human comes from out of nowhere, running into me and Knocking me to the ground. I struggle to stand up and quickly pick up my notes from the floor and shove them into my pocket before the human sees.

Then I inspect the human, taking mental notes so I can write them down later. Human. Obviously female. Probably about 21. But she’s so different than the Lavenduran girls. And get this, her hair is orange! This is so exciting! And it’s not straight like Lavenduran’s are, it’s curly and knotted up in a fascinating way. And instead of having pale, blemish free skin, her face is covered in freckles. She is wearing gray pants that look comfy, and a red, baggy shirt.

She is so unique, it’s crazy!

And then for some reason I ask, “Can I touch your hair?”

DARA:

After my jog I ran into the hall, more swiftly than smart, I guess. But I really needed water. But then I run into this guy who was just standing in the hall. Then he just stares at me for awhile and asks me if he can touch my hair!

“Um, no. That’s kinda weird.” I tell the guy.

“Oh. Okay. I'm sorry then.” The guy says.

He looks like he’s about my age, he’s wearing weird black pants and a silver shirt. He is tall and skinny and he has black hair. But the first thing I notice is his eyes. They’re purple. The strangest eyes I've ever seen.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

It’s awkward for a minute, but then the girl asks, “So did you just move to this building?”

“Um…” I don’t know what to say. Should I tell her the truth? Yes. But The Master said never to tell any humans that you are Lavenduran when you’re on a mission. So, no. I shouldn’t? “Yes. I just moved into this building.”

“Cool, so we’re neighbors.” She says, smiling.

“Um, why is that cold?” I ask.

Then the girl bursts out laughing, and I'm so confused. “You’re funny.”

“Thanks?”

“So what did you say your name was?” She asks.

“Uh,” I try to remember what that human who told me what an apartment was, what his name was. “Levi? Yeah my name is Levi.”

“Okay see you later Levi.” The girl says, waving her hand back in forth. That must be some sort of human thing.

Then the girl opens her apartment door and is about to leave, when I say, “Wait, you didn’t tell me what your name was!”

The girl turns around and smiles. “Oh, right. Dara.”

DARA:

It’s been three months since the aliens invaded Earth and since I met Levi. Not much has changed with the whole alien thing. No one can really tell who is an alien and who isn’t, unless they’re riding in a saucer. The government told everyone that they had it all under control and not to panic. That’s how I know that the alien stuff is getting serious. But mostly every thing is the same, except for some reason people have been buying a ton of toilet paper and there is a minor shortage. I’m kind of mad about the whole alien invasion thing. I mean, come on. How come we haven’t started fighting back already?

I exit out of my news app angrily and toss my phone on the couch. How can this even be happening? Then I pick up my phone from where it bounced off of the couch and onto the floor, and head to the park where I'm meeting Levi. Levi and I have been friends ever since the day he told me he was moving into my building. We're actually pretty good friends now.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

I’ve made so much progress with my research on Earthlings! And humans are so interesting! Well, sometimes they can be a little boring, but the rest of the time they're really interesting.

I scan the outlines of the park searching for Dara. She was supposed to be here twenty-one minutes ago. It amazes me how flaky humans can be, especially when they're carrying around those cellular devices that feature clocks and timers! But Dara is especially flaky. And impulsive. And even though I am only supposed to be doing research on humans, I think that me and Dara are actually friends. I can't decide how I feel about it though. Because, Dara’s cool (she taught me that that means okay or amazing, and not physically cold!) And everything, but sometimes it feels like she is too negative. She’s always complaining about something.

DARA:

I spot Levi pacing near a maple tree in the center of the park. He frowns when he sees me and points to his strange watch. “Dara, you were meant to be here twenty-one—no twenty-two minutes ago.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Oh, keep your shirt on, I'm here now.”

Levi looks surprised and confused. “Why do you think I'm going to take off my shirt?”

“Seriously? It’s a saying. It means, like, calm down.”

“Oh.” He says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly and still looking confused.

Seriously, it's like this guy was born on another planet!

LEVI/LUCIAN:

Humans have so many weird sayings! It's like, how can they even keep track of them all?

“So what do you want to do?” Dara asks me, walking backwards on the path to face me.

“Um, can were go to the library again? I wanted to read more of those human books.” I feel my stomach churn as I realize my mistake.

“What did you say Levi! There were dogs barking, I didn't hear a word that you said.” Dara says.

I release a relived breath. “Whatever you want to do Dara.”

“Okay. Let’s…” She bites her lower lip, thinking. “Skydiving?”

I shake my head dramatically. “No way.”

“Shark cage?” I shake my head. “Bungee jumping?” “No.” “Noodle house?”

“Finally, something good.” I say.

DARA:

After me and Levi finished eating our noodles I said I needed to go outside to get some fresh air. Because it was so smoky in the noodle house. No one else seemed to notice the smoke, I think they burned something in the kitchen. But Levi said he wouldn’t mind some fresh air either, so he followed me out to the side of the building. Levi walked around the empty parking lot and I sat on a milk crate near the dumpster. The sun was shimmering on my back, making my skin moist. So I pulled off my sweater and sat on it.

I sit there and zone out for a few minutes. Then I look at the clock on my phone realizing how late it is.

“Well, I better get going.” I stand up. “My apartment isn’t going to clean itself.”

Levi nods, absentmindedly. “See you later then.”

When I am two blocks away I realize that I left my sweater on the milk crate. I get a notification on my news app that says that they found out that the aliens have purple eyes. So that’s how they can find the difference. For some reason a picture of Levi’s face pops into my head. Purple eyes. But Some people have purple eyes. Right? I swipe the article and the thought away.

When I reach the side parking lot of the noodle house, I'm surprised too see Levi still there talking on the phone. I’m about to go up to him and say hi, when I notice something fishy. I duck behind a bush and watch.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

After Dara leaves I pull out my Earth to Lavendura contactor to update The Master of our Zone. And tell her about my progress.

“Lucian?” The Lavenduran woman says with a thick accent, that for some reason sounds a like a mix between Russian and Japanese. (Don’t ask me how that happened!) “How is the research working?”

“Yes, Master. I have found out so many interesting things about the Humans! They are so scary sometimes! But I also really love them!”

The Master clears her throat violently and I have to move the contactor away from my ear. “Good. Lucian, I need you to not get distracted. I know how you are. Keep your head in the mission.”

A vision of Dara automatically pops into my head. But I shake it out. Dara will not be a problem. Yes, we’re friends. Good friends. At least I hope. But she will not get in the way of my mission. “Yes. Of course master nothing will distract me from the missio—” I start, but am cut off when Dara darts out of the bushes, her face a dark shade of red.

“You!” She screams, her voice quivering with fear and anger. “You’re one of THEM! I can’t believe you lied to me Levi! Or is that your name? What did that weird woman on the phone say? Lucian?”

My heart races in my chest, threatening to fly out of me. And when she says my real name a lump forms in my throat. I always wanted her to know my real name. But not like this. Never like this.

DARA:

My throat aches from screaming and my nose burns as tears threaten to pour out of my face.

Levi—or Lucian... whatever it is—just stares at me, wide eyed, looking guilty and scared. He looks like he wants to say something, opening his mouth to speak, but then closing it again when nothing comes out.

I clench my fist. More angry than I've ever been in my life.

“Dara, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell the truth, but The Master said I couldn’t. She had very strict rules for us when we came here to study the Humans. I'm sorry.” He looked like he was going to say more, but I yelled at him.

“So that’s why you…you creatures…are here! You’re studying us, like guinea pigs?” I pause, a flame of anger burning in my chest with a thirst to burn Levi. I try to smother it, but it only burns deeper into my heart.

I take a breath and finish. “That’s why you’ve been hanging out with me…You were doing research…I loath you…” My voice breaks on the last word.

“No. Dara that’s not it. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” His face was sad and sincere.

But it just made me want to punch him all the more. I picked up my sweater and hurled it at his feet before running away swiftly.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

I melt on the pavement, laying on the hard parking lot. The sun burning my guilt-stricken body. I just wanted to make things better. But I don’t know how. And it isn’t all my fault. I thought I did what was right. Dara definitely overreacted. At least a little bit. I don’t even want to do any research anymore. I just want to go home. I don’t belong on Earth.

DARA:

It’s been four months since I found out Levi was an alien. I am still seething. But I haven’t had much time to contemplate everything, because Earth and Lavendura are now at war. This is worse than both world wars. Because we have no idea what to expect from our enemies. Luckily there hasn’t been very much bloodshed. The war started when the Lavendurans suddenly attacked us out of nowhere. And of course we had to fight back.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

The war started a month ago and I've been telling everyone—both Human and Lavenduran—that it needs to end. This is just a huge misunderstanding. The Lavendurans only came to study, not to do any harm. And I'm sure the humans are just scared.

I stare out the saucer window at tall, dry grass blowing in the wind.

“I need to make a plan!” I say to myself.

“What?” Zura—my Lavenduran study partner—asks.

“Nothing.” I mutter.

DARA:

I hear a pounding on my apartment door and sit up from where I was laying on the couch, sulking. “Coming!” I yell, admittedly feeling a little drunk, even though I promise you I am completely sober. It’s probably from the lack of sleep.

I open the door to see Levi or Lucian standing there, his posture perfect. And I can tell it is false confidence. “Get out. I don’t want to see you again.”

I try to slam the door in his face, but he pries it open, with a surprising amount of strength coming from his twiggy arms. “Hear me out, Dara. This is for the safety of your world and the people who live here. Do you really want a bloody war?”

I want to rebel and say yes, but that would be a lie. “No. But how can I trust you. You lied to me about your name for crying out loud!”

“I thought you were the kind of girl who got a thrill from taking leaps of fate?”

I can’t argue with that. I guess we are going to save the world together.

LEVI/LUCIAN:

A week later me and Dara walk to the edge of the roof of a tall building in the middle of New York City. I grab her hand for strength, I will need all the strength in the world for what we were about to do. (Not hand holding in a romantic way, just friends needing each other’s support) Dara pointed her cellphone camera at me, about to send a live video to YouTube, so the world could hear what we had to say. As I started yelling into the megaphone I could see people on the city sidewalks peer up at us.

I explained everything. How everything was just a huge misunderstanding. How the Lavendurans wanted nothing but to learn about the humans.

Dara smiled at me, her teeth an endearing shade of yellow. Then she explained her side of everything. And I knew everything was going to be okay.