How To Break Up With An Alien

by Magan Vernon

  "You owe me big for this," I grumbled.

  I glanced over at Simone as she tried to hide her smirk.

  As promised, my mom let us take her car after grilling us and eavesdropping on our conversation. She gave me the keys to her car and took mine home from Cuppa Java. When seven o'clock rolled around, Simone tossed off her apron and locked the door to the shop behind us.

  "You know you want to go." She winked.

  "Whatever." I rolled my eyes and unlocked the doors to my mom's car. I drove around in a POS and she got a brand new car with remote start. Unfair.

  Simone and I both slunk into the seats, overwhelmed with the scent of my mom's lavender air freshener.

  "Come on, it could be fun."

  I started up the car and pulled my seatbelt around me. "Yeah, so could a lobotomy."

  Brody's parents' farm was off Cunningham, like just about everything else in Winnebago. The sun hadn't fully set, so streaks of purple and orange dashed across the sky, skimming along the tops of the corn fields. The long gravel driveway continued on for at least half a mile before we reached the white farmhouse with its big wraparound porch and lace curtains in the bay window. Smoke billowed from behind one of the large red barns and wafted in the warm summer night air. I parked behind one of the many cars lining the grass turnabout and sat staring in the rear view mirror.

  "If you really don't want to go, we can just turn around and head back." Simone leaned forward.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Ace had texted me a few times, but I didn't answer. What was I supposed to say? Sorry I ditched you because my mom is forcing me to hang out with other people?

  "Hello? Alex?" Simone waved her hand in front of my face.

  "I'm good." I slid my seat belt off and hopped out of the car. Simone followed closely. She looked around the farm, her eyes landing on each barn like she had never seen one before.

  "Who the hell invited you?"

  Without even walking a full ten feet, Gemma was already barreling at us.

  "It is your boyfriend's house, so obviously he did." Simone smirked, looping her arm through mine and walking around Gemma. "Maybe you two should work on your communication skills."

  I glanced back and saw Gemma's hands ball into fists before she stomped in front of us and headed toward the rest of the group at the bonfire.

  "Hey, you made it!" Brody stood up from his tree stump, ignoring Gemma and walking over to us.

  "I couldn't let Alex miss all of this." Simone smiled and waved her hand in a circle. I couldn't tell if she was being serious or just really good at sarcasm.

  "Well good, glad you came." He smiled, dusting off his hands on his faded blue jeans before putting one hand out to Simone. "I'm Brody, by the way."

  "Simone." She shook his hand limply before releasing it. I do kind of see you every day when you come in to flirt with Alex."

  I sucked in a deep breath. She did NOT just say that?

  "Ha, yeah I like keeping her on her toes." He didn't miss a beat, grinning from ear to ear. He then clasped his hands together. "Come on and join the party. We were just about to start Never Have I Ever."

  Simone and I followed Brody and sat down on one of the fallen logs around the fire. The summer heat was starting to dissolve as the night progressed, but the fire felt like it was lapping right at my legs.

  Brody's crowd wasn't exactly the popular crowd, but maybe just one rung below, like the vice presidential populars or something. Gemma and Rachel Johnson sat on the other side of the fire, both of their hands pulled tight around their giant orange Rugby sweatshirts. Brad Gage flanked Rachel's left side, spitting some chew into an empty peanut can.

  The group was rounded out with their usual cronies: Carson Jones, Matt Lane, and Ryan Brown. All of them had gone to school together since preschool, all of them played some kind of percussion instrument in the school band, and all of them thought they were better than most people.

  "Did we miss anything good?" Ryan's girlfriend, Tiffany, stepped up to the fire with her best friend, Lacey, in tow. They were inseparable and most people had just called the girls Tiffacey since they were practically attached at the hip. Both had short brown hair, bright green eyes, and knew every piece of gossip in school. Ugh, what was I doing? These weren't the people I wanted to hang out with. I scoured my brain for a way out, any way.

  "Yeah." Brad smiled as the girls took their seats on one of the logs by the fire. "Alex was just about to start us off with Never Have I ever."

  "What?" I snapped my head toward Brad. He had a smug smile that reminded me of an evil cartoon villain, and it took everything that I had not to say something snarky back to him.

  Brody handed me and Simone each a red solo cup. I knew the rules about not taking drinks from guys at parties, even though this technically wasn't a party, but more of a kickback. Either way, I wasn't planning on having anything in the red cup.

  "Yeah, come on Alex, if you want I'll start us off." Brody smiled, taking a seat right between me and Simone. His smile put me at ease and Simone sitting next to me helped, at least I knew I wasn't alone.

  "Never have I ever got caught doing the nasty by my parents."

  Everyone laughed, most of them taking a sip from their cup. Getting caught by their parents doing the nasty? It could be way worse, like getting caught sneaking out with your boyfriend and causing an intergalactic war because of it.

  "Uh, I'm going to use your bathroom, is that cool?" I shot up and looked at Brody. Finally, an excuse.

  "Yeah, that's fine." He pointed his thumb behind him. "In the house, first door off the living room, you can't miss it."

  "Thanks." I nodded and headed toward the house before anyone could follow. Not only was it awkward to be sitting around with people who had made fun of me since middle school, but Ace was blowing up my phone with text messages.

  I went up the cement steps and opened the screen door, hoping his parents didn't stop to question me. The front room was covered in floral wallpaper and furniture you could tell no one sat in. Beyond that was a high-end, stainless steel kitchen, and I could see a faint glow from a TV on the other side.

  Turning to the left I spotted the mint green bathroom and went in, closing and locking the door behind me. I knew the house had been in Brody's family for awhile, but it would have been nice if they could have updated the bathroom since the fifties. I don't think I'd ever actually been in a bathroom with carpet before, or speckled pink wallpaper until that moment.

  I set my glasses down on the counter, turning on the faucet and splashing my face with the cool water.

  "What am I doing?" I stared at my reflection in the mirror and out of the corner of my eye I made out a trace of a blue light coming from the bathtub.

  I put my glasses back on and whipped around to see Ace standing in the mint green bathtub.

  "What are you doing here?" I hissed, hoping Brody's parents didn't hear anything.

  "I should be asking you the same question." He stepped out of the bathtub and stood before me. His arms were crossed over his chest and his brow furrowed in my direction.

  "I'm hanging out with my friends. Is that some sort of crime in the alien world?"

  He sighed, putting his arms down to the side. "No, but I wish you could have told me you weren't going to be home. I waited in your room for hours. I was actually planning on telling you that I got clearance to go to Fall Ball."

  I widened my eyes. "Really?

  He nodded. "Yeah, it was going to be a surprise. But since it seems like all of this high school stuff is such a big deal to you, I couldn't refuse."

  High school stuff? So, he didn't really want to go, he was just doing it so I would stop complaining. Ugh, real romantic.

  "And anyways, when did you start hanging out at parties? You don't usually like big crowds." He arched an eyebrow.

  I shrugged, folding my arms across my chest. "My friend wanted to come and it was just nice to get out after working all day."

  "Your fri
end? You are trying to tell me that a new friend has you constantly ditching your boyfriend?" He stepped closer, the cold radiated from his body and poured on me like a waterfall.

  "Yeah, a friend. A girl from work." I looked down, scratching the back of my neck.

  "Really, Alex, I'm supposed to believe that some sort of a girlmance is keeping you from me?"

  "Girlmance?"

  A knock came at the door. Ace stood still and I turned toward the sound.

  "Alex, is that you?" Brody yelled from the other side.

  "Yeah, be out in a minute."

  "A girl? Really? That sure didn't sound like a girl to me." Ace stared at me, his coal black eyes growing darker.

  "No, Ace, that would be Brody. The guy whose house we are at," I whispered, hoping Brody didn't hear us.

  "Well, Alex, I'm glad you have your priorities straight." He walked toward the bathtub. "I saw the Columbia acceptance letter on your desk, too. Right by where I placed a box of Feeble Weebles, but I guess you don't need me or any alien cereal now."

  Crap. I knew where this was going.

  "Ace, wait; I can explain."

  "Don't worry about it." He put his hands to the side as his body slowly started to melt away in a flash of blue. "I'm sure your new friend is waiting."

  Chapter 12

  The dreams came again. This time they involved a senior year without Ace. Flashes of parties at Brody's farm and me posing in the hallway with Gemma and her friends for pictures during Spirit Week filled my mind.

  When I woke up, I knew one part of the dream was definitely real: Ace was gone. After he left Brody's, I went back to the party physically, but mentally all I could think about was Ace.

  I tried texting him repeatedly, but there was no answer. When I woke up I felt like I had a sleep hangover and could have stayed in bed all day. Luckily I had the next few days off work because I don't think I could have concentrated on anything and I didn't want another person telling me I screwed up a mocha choca or whatever they ordered.

  My laptop beeped, forcing me to get out of bed. I prayed it was Ace calling me for a video chat, but when I opened my laptop I just saw Jen's big blue eyes staring back at me.

  "Good Morning!" She beamed.

  "Jen, it's Sunday, and I've had a long night..."

  She rolled her eyes." I figured. Malcolm told me that Ace was moping around like a kid who lost his balloon, so I figured something had to be going on."

  I let out a huff. Jen was finishing her senior year at UCLA, but Malcolm graduated and was working full time at Circe, which also kept Jen in the loop of everything going on there.

  "So, what's up?"

  I smoothed a piece of hair out of my face. "I made a new friend at work and went with her to a bonfire. He thought I was with another guy and got angry."

  "Who could blame the guy for being jealous? You are looking hot! Who did your eye makeup? It still looks perfect after sleeping in it."

  I blinked. "Oh, uh, my friend, Simone, didn't feel like making espresso at work, so she showed me how to put on eyeliner."

  "Oh, so you do have a girlmance going on?"

  I rolled my eyes. "What is with everyone and that girlmance word? Can't I just have a new friend and be happy? Just because I'm promised to Ace doesn't mean that I can't enjoy some human time."

  "Alex, there is nothing wrong with a girlmance." She leaned into the screen. "And I'm sure Ace will get over his jealousy. Believe it or not that crazy Caltian does love you."

  "I sure hope so."

  "Please, Alex." She flicked her curly, blonde hair behind her shoulder. Even early on a Sunday morning she still looked like a super model, a super model who also happened to be a biology genius. "Now that I know you haven't started another intergalactic war I'm going to get breakfast."

  "Alright, later, Jen."

  "Bye."

  I shut my laptop and turned toward my bed. Sitting there with Snickers on his lap was Ace. He looked like he didn't have a good night's sleep either with his ashen skin and disheveled hair.

  "I didn't hear you come in..." I bit my lip, turning side to side in my chair.

  He scratched Snickers ears and then set her beside him. "I'm sorry for overacting. I was once one of the most powerful princes in the galaxy, and in all my years never have I been left standing and waiting for someone."

  "Ace." I stood up and walked over until I was directly in front of him. "I didn't mean to leave you waiting. I should have told you where I was. I just…I don't know. This whole distance thing has been hard and it's even harder trying to balance a normal life and an alien one."

  He stood up. His fingers pressed against my chin as he gingerly lifted my face toward his. "I need to learn that I can't control you. I never can and I never will."

  "I..."

  He put a warm finger to my lips. He smelled clean like fresh laundry and stainless steel. I had to stop myself from kissing each one of his fingers and then letting that kiss carry to the rest of him.

  "No, Alex." His eyes met mine. Every feeling swirled through them like a mass of emotions in black brimstone. I couldn't tell if he was sad, angry, or what. "I came here to tell you that maybe it is best for you to be able to live your life. I love you and I don't want you to regret our courtship."

  I tried to fight back the tears that were begging to break through my eyes, but a tiny one escaped rolling down my cheek. "What are you saying Ace?"

  He sighed, looking down. "I don't want to keep you from having friends or going to New York or whatever other human things that you want to do."

  "Ace." I grabbed his hands and tipped my head up to his, forcing him to look at me. "I chose to be with you. You didn't force me to do anything and you aren't keeping me from my life."

  "Are you sure this is what you want? To have your alien boyfriend dragging you down?"

  I rolled my eyes and threw my arms around him. "First off, you aren't dragging me down. You are quite possibly the best thing that ever happened to me." I pecked his cheek before gazing right back into his face. "And second, don't you think we are past that whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing?"

  A small smile crept across his lips as he let his hands trail around my waist and to my back. "Would you rather I go back to calling you princess?"

  "Ugh, I don't think that is one that I'll ever get used to. Did I tell you that some lady came into the coffee shop the other day and knew about me?"

  Ace pulled back, his palms on my waist, but just so he could look me in the eyes. "What did you just say?"

  I shrugged, trying to inch closer to him. "Just that some lady came into Cuppa Java and said the Martians told her I was working there."

  Ace stood up, causing me to fall forward, but luckily I caught my knees before I came tumbling down on the bed.

  "Alex, do you know what this means?" He paced back and forth in the small space between my dresser and my bed.

  "That I have crazy alien fans that want an invite to the wedding?"

  He stopped pacing, shook his head, and sat back down on the bed next to me. "No, it means that aliens know where you are. It means that if someone were to come after you, you wouldn't be protected. Maybe I should work on getting some Circe guards stationed near you."

  "Whoa, whoa!" I put my palms toward him. "It was just one crazy lady. I'm telling you, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me."

  He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to all of this. Not just a human and alien relationship, but a relationship period. Forgive me, it will be easier next year when you are closer and I won't worry so much." He looked up, his dark eyes peering into me. "Unless you've changed your mind about Northern Arizona?"

  I let out a deep breath. "I've already committed to Northern Arizona and I'm committed to you. Maybe we just both need to get used to this whole long distance relationship thing."

  He lifted his hand, letting it graze my cheek. "As long as you'll still have me and wish to take your alien boyfriend to the Fall Ball."

 
I tried not to smile too widely; I thought he would never still want to go. "For real?"

  "Alex, everything with you is always real."

  Chapter 13

  Monday I dreaded going to school. Gemma gave me the stink eye all night, and I was afraid what would happen once she found me alone. Sure I could stand up to one of the most powerful queens in the universe, but the mean girl at school was a different story.

  "Move out of the way, Wop."

  I cringed, hearing Gemma's raspy voice, but there was something else I heard. Like horse hooves. I turned to see that she was limping on crutches, her left leg in a giant pink cast.

  "If you don't move your ass, I'm going to take you out with one of these crutches," she spat.

  I turned and hurried up the stairs. I didn't want to be happy for Gemma's pain, but it actually was nice to see her taken down a level.

  "Hey, what happened to your girlfriend?" I asked Brody as I plopped down in my desk behind him. Mrs. Huff was still sitting at her desk and I wasn't even sure if she would hear the bell ring.

  Brody turned toward me. "What girlfriend?"

  I rolled me eyes. Was this his pathetic attempt at flirting?

  "I'm guessing that you are talking about Gemma?" He leaned in, resting his elbow on my desk.

  "Is there another girlfriend?"

  "No. Gemma and I broke up, but that isn't how she broke her leg." He shifted, tugging on his Carhart jacket. "She was sleepwalking and ended up falling down the stairs."

  "Seriously?"

  Brody nodded and turned back toward the front of the room as Mrs. Huff crept toward her podium. "Guess it happened Saturday night," he whispered over his shoulder.

  I didn't even know they were fighting. All I knew was that I was embarrassed as hell when I walked out of the bathroom and explained to Brody that I was just talking to Ace on speaker phone.

  "You still fighting with your guy?" He glanced behind me while Mrs. Huff situated herself behind the podium. We had plenty of time to talk since it usually took her a good five minutes before she actually started her lecture.

  This had to be flirting. Good thing I wasn't that good at flirting back, or that I even would want to. "No, Ace and I are all good. Just a misunderstanding."