Time seemed to slip away, and his expression never changed. The moment we had watched fireworks light up the sky, a part of me felt like I was dying on that hood. This was all we would have. “Next year, I can’t guarantee I’ll make the party.”
“I know,” he said as he kept staring at the sky. “I’ll be here every year though. Drought or no drought, I will always come. You’ll always find me here at the hood.”
I heard the horn on my parent’s car. It was time to go. I wanted to grab his hand and say something. The last night with Mister Fourth of July. Tears started to creep in my eyes, and I knew there was no excuse. I did the best with what time I could, so I slowly began to leave the hood.
His hand grabbed mine though before I completely left. “Alicia.”
I turned back and looked at him. His eyes were filled with misery as he clung onto my hand. “Miss Fourth of July, Candace told me that you liked me.”
Oh no, I knew it. She could never keep her mouth shut. It’s probably the reason he was so bitter with me toward the ending. He felt sympathy for me being so pathetic. That was the last thing I wanted. Damn Candace.
“Before you go, I have to let you know.” His breathing became rapid, and I saw a small bubble escape his mouth again. “I do too. Even though it’s once a year, I can’t stop thinking about you. I dream of Fourth of July.”
Air rushed out of my lungs as I heard his words. He felt the same way. One day a year, but he felt the same thing I did. I couldn’t help myself as I started to cry. What if he said the words? The words I wanted to hear so bad, and yet didn’t at the same time. Because I knew if it were true, it would hurt twice as much.
“Alicia, get away from him!” I heard my father call out. Before he reached me though, Vinnie said those words I feared would come.
I love you. He shouted it as my father pulled me away from the car
Everything that happened is still a blur as I accepted his words into my heart. Mister Fourth of July loved me.
He loved me.
~Mister Fourth of July~
I had to tell her, I couldn’t let her go without knowing. I had no idea her dad was going to ruin the moment. His expression toward me was anything but friendly as I jumped to the top of the car. Poor Aunt Cheryl, I hated to crawl all over her car but I didn’t want to hurt Alicia’s father. Her dad followed me to the top though, so I had to jump off and go around again. I couldn’t hurt an innocent Earthling but this guy was nuts. Okay, so maybe I only saw his daughter once a year, and he didn’t actually know me, and I did just confess my feelings. Yeah, he might have figured out I was alien which meant I could take her away from Earth forever. I’ll give him that, but couldn’t we at least not play some juvenile tag?
“Leave Vinnie alone, he has done nothing wrong! It’s love!” Aunt Cheryl yelled at Alicia’s father. “Stop climbing my car and stop chasing my nephew!”
“He’s an alien, I know he is, and he’s in love with my daughter!”
“I don’t give a shit, stop chasing my nephew!”
Yep, I knew it. He knew. Still, I couldn’t buy Alicia without permissions so this was overreacting. I never knew my Aunt Cheryl had the language skills she was showing to Alicia’s father, she had always watched her mouth so well. A lot of things dawned on me at that moment. I don’t think her father could control his anger, and I didn’t want to hurt Alicia by fighting him or sending him to jail. Two, she was staring at me through her side window in the car where her mother took her. I didn’t look too long, knowing all that would make me do is consider more ways to get her from Earth. Three, I was apparently the traditional Earth Romeo now. I don’t mean a guy that finds a cute girl and sweeps her off her feet.
Nope, I was the guy that everyone wanted to keep away from Juliet.
Not a pleasant realization to have, but I didn’t care what role I was now pressed into. I would find a way to keep contact with Alicia, even if her father tried to chase me away. I knew her feelings now and that in itself would change the way I interacted next year. The Earthling though couldn’t play tag with me for too long. He was worn out, glaring at me like I was the devil. Alicia was in the car, still staring at me. It was time to get away, but I couldn’t leave without saying something.
“Sir.” I tried to stay polite for Alicia. Her father reached out to grab my leg, but I moved it too fast. “Technically I could arrest you for opposing me, but I am going to let this go since your Alicia’s father, however one day you’ll owe me an apology.”
Her father screamed some colorful language again. This time though while he was throwing his hat down on the ground in frustration, I slid into the side window from the roof and my Uncle Scott took off out of there with my Aunt Cheryl yelling some more colorful language of her own.
~Alicia~
I confronted Candace at school the next day, asking her if she knew the feelings were reciprocal, and I got more than I bargained for. Vinnie had been begging for my address, my number, and anything else he could get out of his cousin since we met again at eighteen. He had even got in a fight last year with Kyle over me.
“He got worse over the years, just like you,” Candace confessed. “He’s the reason I couldn’t invite you again, Alicia. He was falling for you, you were falling for him, and it wasn’t changing. This wasn’t a little cute crush that faded away, it just grew each time you saw each other.” She shook her head. “Frankly, you two scared me. No one gets together like that. Love at first sight, I always thought it was a myth until I saw you two.” She rolled her eyes. “Look, I am going to regret this, but mom says if you want to be at the party next year, you can.” She laughed. “Apparently? Vinnie’s mom didn’t seem surprised, she was pleased as punch. I think there’s something she knows that Vinnie doesn’t about this situation. But? I don’t think your dad is going to let it happen though, he won’t let you near him. His ‘baby girl’ next to an alien hero. Oh yeah, that can’t be good.”
“My dad’s a big step,” I agreed, “but what about Vinnie’s parents? I don’t think I ever even met them at the parties. If I did, I didn’t even realize it. How do they feel about it?”
Candace was quiet a moment. “Do you remember why we have the family parties? That it’s a kind of reunion?” She sighed. “What I doubt Vinnie told you yet was why. It started as a traditional day to pick for everyone to come down and meet each other, but then it changed afterward. It has to do with Vinnie’s father.”
My mouth fell open. “Vinnie’s father?”
“Yeah. It’s not easy. Vinnie didn’t hurt himself with fireworks, that wasn’t what caused his fear. It’s not my place, but Vinnie will tell you one day himself.” Candace patted my shoulder. “You’ve only met his mom once because she never comes. She has duties on their colony to throw a different party on that day. It’s also why my mom went mondo crazy in the car when she was yelling at your dad. Oh my gosh, I never saw my mom so steamed in her life. You? You take the cake for bringing drama, Alicia. I hope I never give my parents the grief you give yours.”
It’d not like I meant to cause that kind of trouble. Grasping for a small chance, I asked if she knew his number. She did, but Earth communication wouldn’t allow it to go through easily. I needed special permissions, like her family. I needed access to something called ‘outernet internet.’ I didn’t even know what either of those words meant. Without relation already being away from Earth? There was no way I could legally be on a call.
I would have to wait until the next Fourth of July to see him. All I had was a tiny picture in my ring, and I couldn’t even see it.
It was no surprise that the party was out of the question the next year. My dad started to choose my dates, and not a week would pass by without having to see someone. A dinner, movie and a static conversation were the most they would ever get. Really, my parents were making the situation worse. The more they forced me to date others, the more I missed the one I genuinely wanted, and the more determined I became. I didn’t know how I’d do it
, but I would find a way to meet Vinnie on the Fourth of July.
My mom was the first to loosen up on Vinnie. She asked me questions about him, about how we first met, and she seemed to come more over to my side. Especially when she found out he was a Champion Adventurer. How could you deny someone wasn’t good when their job was to save people? She couldn’t help alone though because dad wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t impressed that he was a hero, he just cared that he wasn’t an Earthling.
Mom said we had a star-crossed situation that we might not be able to get out of. “I’ve seen many things in my life, but never anyone who could take seeing each other only once a year,” my mom said seriously. “However, I do remember your young man’s statement to your father. The way he spoke? He isn’t an off-the-cuff young man. This is not fleeting to him, either.” She sighed but didn’t say much more.
I faced the facts though, my real enemy was my own dad. He would not give in and wouldn’t let down his guard. While Mister Fourth of July might be able to defeat a bunch of villains? I don’t know how he could ever get around my father.
Colony A111111: First!
~Mister Fourth of July~
I didn’t bother saying much as I unlocked the door to go into my house. I threw my work bag in the nearest chair and made my way to the refrigerator.
“I need to talk to you.” Mom stood by my front door. “About the reunion, and about Alicia.”
“It’s fine,” I insisted, inviting her in. “Nice to see you again.”
“Alicia”, my mom said again. “So what happened with her father?”
I looked at my work bag. If only there was an emergency right now. I didn’t want to have love conversations with my own mother.
“Fess up,” she egged me on. “What happened?”
“I told her that I loved her,” I finally blurted. “He overheard and freaked. I didn’t hurt him.”
“Oh.” I heard a giggle come from her. “Spill. Details. Now.”
“There’s nothing,” I lied. She wiggled her eyebrows at me. “I told her that I loved her at the fairgrounds. He was upset and we played tag around the car until Uncle Scott drove me out.”
“Oh, shoot.” She leaned on her hand. “If I would have known that would happen, I might have gone this time.” She stood up. “Crazy romantic, just like your father had been.”
My dad. It had been some time since she mentioned him. It had been some time since she even visited me.
“Alicia is the one,” she said casually. “Your powers and your mixed elemental abilities? It is from your father’s side. Your Earthling roots, they are from my side. You blow bubbles around her, don’t you?”
That embarrassing fact? “Yeah,” I admitted. “How’d you know?”
“They are the signs of compatibility in your father’s species.” She smiled. “Your father blew a bubble the first time we talked. Compatibility for mixed elementals isn’t easy, Son. That’s the reason you’ve never had many wants or desires for a lady to be yours. Even your girlfriends have been sporadic, more for show. Water connects and flows in certain ways, and certain people connect more than others. When a man blows a bubble at a woman, it usually means he likes her. You first did it? When you first met Alicia as a child.”
What? “I did it way back then?”
“Yes. Yes, and that’s why, even with what happened to your father. I couldn’t forget it,” she said. “You were a bonified Champion Adventurer, just like your father before you. Yet? You never showed any kind of interest for anyone. That’s why I made you go back down. It was more than to just face your fears again. It was to see what happened with that girl. If your water senses can actually reach to her on an unconscious level and cause her to hiccup a bubble? I couldn’t waste the chance to know.”
The bubbles. This whole time. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to make it awkward for you,” she admitted. “What if it was one-sided? It would be too hard to break away. If she likes you though this much, pulling these silly stunts like you. Love makes people act like children. I guarantee she is blowing a bubble or two as well.” She laughed. “Now that I know, I told your cousin Candace. Your Aunt Cheryl already knows. I can have an impromptu marriage done anytime; I have everything on standby.”
“Marriage.” We just confessed our feelings. How could I get her to do that?
“I know it seems impossible, Son, but she is an Earthling. This road, it may take a little while,” she warned me. “Don’t give up on her. Next year? Bring her up here instead.”
Bring her up to my colony. Bring Alicia here, for Fourth of July. Technically, if Candace holds permissions over from a party . . . yeah. There were so many loopholes I was starting to see.
Next year, Fourth of July would never be the same for her.
Chapter Seven: Twenty-One
~MISTER FOURTH OF JULY~
Candace did it again, she was a good liar. She promised I wouldn’t be at the party this year, that I had been called for an emergency that would last one week.
Tonight, I wanted to make real progress with Alicia. One night wasn’t enough, and Fourth of July had a backdoor in it that would step over the Age of Independence clause. Even my mother was excited about it, warning me to watch the time and not take long.
This year, we wouldn’t be having a pool party on Earth. I was bringing her to my colony, to the hero pool party. So many things she never would have seen before. Maybe she’d even be fascinated enough to never want to go back. I doubted it. She loved her family, her friends, and I knew she’d never even thought about leaving Earth.
But maybe? Maybe tonight. Magic between us could happen.
A trip to Earth was a simple half hour process. I had to make sure I convinced her to come and have her back home at decent times. Otherwise, her parents wouldn’t be happy. I needed them to be happy because one day, they might be my parents too. Last thing I’d want to do is tell our kids that I had to arrest their grandpa as a villain when I was first getting to know their mom. Ha ha.
And then? She appeared. Twenty-one, a knockout. It didn’t even take a whole thirty seconds before I hiccupped a bubble. “Hi, Alicia. Do you wanna go swimming?” I asked right away. I watched her pop the bubble that came out of my mouth. Damn, I wanted her.
“Oh. Was that okay?” she asked afterward, like she might have done something wrong.
Nah. She could pop my bubbles all night. “I want you to come away with me tonight. Candace is coming too,” I insisted.
She was excited. “Really? Where to?”
“My planet,” I said. “Half an hour, it’s not far.” Then, she started to curl up. “I know it’s a big step.”
“I?” She looked toward Candace who was urging her on. “That’s illegal.”
“No, it’s not.” I touched one of her hands delicately. “Your parents gave Candace permission to watch and make decisions for you at the Fourth of July party. She never said where it would be at.”
“That’s a trust issue.” Alicia wasn’t jumping.
“Well, you have to come.” Candace was by us listening. “I’m in charge of you, and if you get caught, next year there’s no way we are going to get this excuse. Besides, Alicia. You are twenty-one now. Twenty-one. This is your one chance to run away and be free. I give you permission to do anything that feels good tonight,” she winked.
Right. “Tonight, you’re more than an average girl,” I encouraged her.
“Right,” Candace added. “You’re a woman.”
“A half hour trip,” I insisted. “My mom wants to meet you. Everybody wants to meet you.”
“Your whole family is going to be there?” Oh, now she was getting nervous again.
“No. It’s a Champion Adventurer kind of pool party.”
“I will be there too,” Candace reminded her. “Alicia, you won’t regret it. We are going to meet more real heroes. You’ll only regret it if you don’t go.”
I didn’t know if she was going to move
on it. She didn’t look comfortable with it, and I didn’t want to jeopardize anything with her. “We can stay, if you really want to.” I didn’t want to. One night per year, and I had to make the best impressions, but I couldn’t scare her away either.
“Can I think about it a little?” She asked. “It’s not a yes or a no. I just want to . . . think?”
Pace herself? Yes, that’d be great. Maybe I still had a chance. “As long as you need.”
“I’m going,” Candace warned her. “I’m not losing my chance to flirt with a hero.”
“Candace,” Alicia warned here. “It’s only one day.”
“Point?” Candace asked.
Yeah. That was my cousin Candace. I relaxed by the pool as Candace talked to me about who she’d have the best chances flirting with as Alicia walked around. Candace would probably have the most fun with Ryder, but she could harmlessly flirt with Dexx. He’d never bother her. Candace was still an Earthling at heart, her views were still tame and mostly talk, so I had to make sure to give her a list of names not to talk to. She liked fun but there were real consequences off Earth. I did my best to prepare her while ignoring Alicia.
I needed to give Alicia her space. It was a big decision. I knew that not all parents could let go as easily of their children, but I never had that problem. This would probably the first huge decision she’s actually been allowed to make, and if she made it? I would take her down further into losing that childhood innocence. I was sweet and kind, a real gentleman but give me half a chance and I wouldn’t waste a single chance with her. To put it plainly? I wouldn’t be playing the ‘good boy’ I’ve been so far with her.
“Hey,” Alicia said as she walked over toward me. “Still want to . . . try some spinners?”
Damn.
“On your planet?”
Yes.
Colony A111111: First!
Alien Mister Fourth of July Page 5
