How To Break Up With An Alien (5 page)

Parts of downtown were still really rundown, but the city square was the mayor's major revival project. A long cobblestone street stood covered in an archway of lights with boutiques, bakeries, and trendy restaurants lining the path.

"I don't get out here too much," I said as we stepped out of Simone's car and into the muggy night air.

Simone tossed our aprons in the backseat, wrapped her hair in a low bun and headed down the cobblestone path. "I try and get out here when I can. I like it. It makes me feel like I'm everywhere and nowhere all at the same time."

"How do you figure?" I adjusted my glasses as we headed toward an electric blue building. Several wrought iron tables sat outside with a few people sitting at them and drinking coffee, even though it had to still be at least eighty degrees out.

"Well." She twirled, her wide-legged jeans skimming against the path while she stood up on her tippy toes. She landed back on her heels, facing me with a large smile on her lips. "We are in the middle of a city, but somehow we can go two blocks one way and hit cornfields, go two blocks the other way and see the projects." She took my wrist, pulling me toward the purple and blue stained glass door of the restaurant.

"Then we get here and experience a blend of cultures that can only be described as everything and nothing."

I smiled. I had no idea what Simone was saying, but somehow I understood every single word and couldn't wait to hear more.

Chapter 8

We sat at a small booth in the corner near the windows, so we could people watch as well. The seats were striped teal and orange on either side of a clear table on a granite slab. The walls were painted a deep purple with small brass colored chandeliers above every table and photographs of local Rockford landmarks lining the walls. A small stage sat directly to the left of us where a guy with a blue Mohawk played an old rock song on the guitar and failed at singing along to the music.

"So, this is the kind of music you're into?" I chunked the ice in my glass with my straw. The glasses were actually mason jars filled with the fruitiest sweet tea I'd ever had.

Simone almost spit her tea all over, but covered her mouth. She sucked in the liquid and tried containing her laughter. "Heck no, I just come here for the open mic entertainment."

The Mohawk guy's voice squeaked as he tried to hit the high notes, and Simone and I burst into a fit of laughter. By the time we were able to catch our breath the waitress came by with our food. She rolled her eyes behind her thick-framed glasses, tossed back her rainbow hair, and walked away.

"I hope she didn't spit in our food," I whispered.

"Maybe it will add some extra flavor. Waitress spit has a distinct taste of cigarettes and old bubble gum." Simone laughed before taking a bite of her portabella burger.

"I'm glad you're a connoisseur of waitress gastronomy." I laughed before stuffing a potato wedge in my mouth.

Simone licked her lips and swallowed her bite. "A trained barista knows no bounds of the spit world."

The Mohawk guy ended his set and a girl with long red dreadlocks and an acoustic guitar covered in Barbie stickers took the stage. She strummed a few chords and then started a smoky, whiskey-ridden rendition of a Joni Mitchell song.

"I like this song," I mused and stuck another wedge in my mouth.

"Yeah, I wish my ex could hear this," Simone muttered.

"He really doesn't know what he is missing out on." I smiled.

"You don't know what you've got till it's gone."

I tried not to choke on my potato wedge."You aren't going to go up there and start singing with her are you?"

Simone grinned and threw a piece of lettuce at me. "No, you big goof."

I opened my mouth to respond, but felt my phone vibrating inside my pocket. I slid it out and unlocked the screen.

Where are you? I've been sitting in your room for an hour
.

"Boyfriend?" Simone asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sorry."

Out with a friend, be back later
. I texted him back and slid my phone back into my pocket. If he could get away with always being late and too busy to care about Fall Ball, then I could enjoy some human time.

"Does he always need to know where you are?"

I shrugged. "I usually don't get out too much."

"So you're telling me this is the most excitement that you've had besides phone sex with your boyfriend?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ew!" I laughed. "Not quite like that."

We finished our meals and headed outside. The temperature dropped enough so that a comfortably cool summer breeze caressed the bare skin of my arms. Even with all the streetlights, the stars still shone brightly in the sky.

A group of guys stumbled out of a bar a few doors down, leaning on each other and laughing like they had just heard the funniest thing in the world. There were five of them and each one carried the strongest scent of cologne and alcohol. Simone and I made a point to walk near the art gallery that was across from the bar.

"Hey, Elvira, why you gotta be like that?" One of the guys yelled. He had douche bag hair, the kind that was overly gelled and didn't move, like a Ken doll's.

The rest of his friends let their bloodshot eyes trail in our direction. I tried to walk faster. Not only were their cat calls annoying, but I was afraid of what was on the mind of five drunken guys who saw a couple of teenage girls walking alone.

"Yeah, if you prefer some sparkly vampires, I can put some glitter on my balls for you!" Another guy laughed, swinging his hips, his greasy hair flailing around his head.

"Ugh, boys." I rolled my eyes. "Let's get out of here." I pulled Simone's elbow and tried to edge her toward the car.

But Simone didn't keep walking. She stopped, moved my hand, and did an about-face, walking right up to the greasy haired guy.

His chapped lips parted into a scummy smile. One like the villains always had in cheesy cop shows. "Hey, baby, you gonna take me up on that offer?"

I ran up to try and stop the guy from grabbing Simone, but before I got there she launched her hand out and grasped the front of his jeans. A sound like a dying rabbit came from his mouth as he kneeled down before her.

"Let's get this straight, glitter boy." She looked down at him, not letting go of his pants. "Where I come from we respect women, and nobody, I mean nobody, wants to hear you spew your nasty dribble. Got it?"

He nodded, all the color leaving his face before Simone released her grip and he fell to the street below.

"Come on, Alex, let's get out of here."

Without looking back she turned and looped her arm through mine as we headed toward her car. Suddenly I had a whole new respect for the lead barista and possibly my new best friend.

Chapter 9

I hadn't really had any dreams since I left Circe. I used to have nightmares when the queen of Calta was sleep creeping on my dreams. Once those had stopped, so had any form of a dream.

My visions blurred to the streets of New York: images of me walking with a coffee in one hand and a copy of Tolstoy in the other as I strolled near the streets of Columbia's campus. I saw a small studio apartment decorated with posters from Broadway musicals. Articles I'd written for the school newspaper covered the entire fridge. It was a life I had almost forgotten about.

"Alex."

Brody was even in my dream. His voice was soft and cool. He spread his long body next to me on the tiny twin-sized bed while a pair of birds sang outside the window.

"Alex."

His fingers were warm against my cheek. His palm slid down and cupped my chin while his fingertips traced my lip line.

"Alex."

His words breathed onto my lips and smelled of coffee and spearmint gum. I'd always thought Brody was hot, but never really had much of a sensual attraction to him. But in the dream all I wanted to do was reach out and feel his tanned skin against mine.

"Alex."

His lips were right there. Smooth and dusted with trace amounts of Chapstick. I wanted them against mine. It was a dream after all; it didn't count as cheating if my lips just happened to touch his.

"Alex."

I slowly inched forward, parting my lips and waiting for his warm mouth to open into mine.

"Alex, wake up. What are you doing?"

My eyes snapped open and it wasn't Brody in some New York apartment, but Ace in my bed in Winnebago.

"Uh, what?"

I rubbed my eyes and grabbed my glasses from the nightstand.

"I thought you were having a dream that you were eating a hot dog or something. You came at me with your mouth wide open."

I shook my head, getting rid of the lingering thoughts. Brody, New York, and most of all Columbia.

"No, just a silly dream. I've already forgotten all about it."

He sat there on my bed, his back pressed against the wall and those dark eyes staring daggers at me. "Where were you last night?"

"What?" I yawned, stretching my arms over my head.

"I've barely seen you all week and when we plan to spend time together you don't get home until after midnight."

I got off the bed, shaking my head and pulling down my sleep shorts that were riding up to my belly button. "I told you, I went out with a friend from work."

"So, you leave me here to go gallivanting around with someone you just met?"

I rolled my eyes, grabbed a brush from my desk, and started pulling the tangles out of my hair. "Are you saying you don't want me to have friends? It's not like you haven't left me waiting before."

Ace sighed, getting off the bed and standing before me. He was almost a foot taller than me and his body was molded of pure muscle that even he couldn't hide under his temperature control suit. "I'm sorry I guess I'm just not use to this not getting to see you when I want thing."

He leaned over, his fingers running through my hair. The warm grasp from his fingertips automatically sent a buzz from my hair and through my scalp. I could have dreams about Brody all I wanted, but it was always Ace's touch that sent my body into hyper shock. "I guess that will change next year when you are at college."

"Yeah." It was all I could manage. I couldn't dare tell him that ever since I talked to Mrs. Huff I had been thinking about Columbia.

"Why don't you get ready and then we can spend the day together? It is Saturday after all. We could meet somewhere private, no one can find us. Just you and me."

"Oh, uh, well actually I have to work," I said carefully.

"But it's the weekend." He arched an eyebrow, tilting his head ever so slightly.

"Yeah, but not everyone gets the weekends off. Remember my dad didn't qualify as a resident for Arizona, so I've got to figure out a way to help with my out-of-state tuition to Northern Arizona somehow." It came out snarkier than I intended, but I couldn't help it. Anytime I wanted to hang out with him he always had to work and now he was griping at me for doing the same thing.

"Okay." He nodded. "But we still have tonight after you get off work, right?"

I thought for a moment. I knew I didn't have any plans, but I always thought it was better to keep him waiting. "I can probably arrange that."

A large bang followed by the shuffling of feet came down the hallway. Elijah was up and we only had a few minutes before he either burst into my room or ran into the kitchen to grumble for some breakfast.

"I guess I'd better get going, so you can head to work." He looked down at me. I could tell by his deep stare that he didn't want to leave and wanted me to say something more.

"I guess." I breathed and stood on my tiptoes to lightly kiss his lips. "I will text you at work and try to see you tonight."

He nodded, moving his hands to briefly graze mine before he stepped to the other end of my bed. "I will see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you, too."

With that he held his hands together and disappeared in a stream of blue light.

I let out the air that I didn't know I was holding in, set down my brush, and headed out of my room and into the kitchen. Elijah was already up and sitting on the recliner watching cartoons while mom sat at the kitchen table staring blankly at her laptop.

"Do you think someone would actually believe in an alien and human romance?" mom asked, not looking up from the screen.

"Um, what?" I blinked. Did she know something?

"My agent wants me to try to break into the science fiction market and write an alien and human romance."

"Oh, ha." I turned away and grabbed a box of cereal from the cupboard.

"It is simply ridiculous. Who would ever believe that an intelligent life form from another planet would want to date a human?" Mom ran her fingers through her hair and closed her laptop. Even in the morning with her thick glasses and worn-out black sleep shirt she still looked like she just walked off the runway. Somehow I just inherited her bad eyesight instead of her flawless skin and fast metabolism.