No Aliens Allowed

- Epilogue -

six months later

Catelin was at another party with Ben. Personally, I thought that three parties in a row was a little stupid, especially with the fourth of July coming up and all of that, but hey. It was summer.

I, on the other hand, had pretty much sworn parties off for life. Sure, I'd been at one when Allen had been stupid and crashed his damn ship into the field, but the other ones included Penn having a panic attack and then Rosalie pushing him off a building.

Speaking of Penn, he'd woken up from his coma just fine with the help of the remaining medicine. I had owed him a major explanation, but he'd believed me just fine. I knew he had a sci-fi geek buried underneath all his metal band shirts and leather jackets.

Cade was with Cate and Ben too. He was still blissfully oblivious to the whole thing, and Eason, already training for the football season, was as well. Basically, the whole school bought the story about the mill collapsing and Allen moving back to New York, and everything was wrapped up with a neat little bow.

The FBI had been confused as fuck when the aliens they'd been tracking both mysteriously disappeared, but left Ogallala a few months back.

We'd all gotten through the SATs just fine, which I think was the reason Cate, Ben and Cade had been out non-stop.

I, on the other hand, was perfectly satisfied sitting in my room like I was doing now, watching the fifth Harry Potter movie with my fan on high so I could swaddle myself in blankets.

I missed Allen terribly, in case anybody was wondering. I felt his absence every single day, like a hole in my heart. But I didn't pine for him, or cry over him, or lock myself away from dating forever. I'd been on a few dates, but being in love with an alien had set my standards unrealistically high.

Screw Allen for that. Yay for beautiful aliens!

My phone rang, and I scrambled around to pick it up, trying to untangle myself from my blankets so I could answer it.

"Hello?" I said dryly, assuming it was someone calling to ask for a ride.

"KALI!" Catelin shrieked. "Look at the sky! Look! The field! Go!"

She hung up, and I clawed at the blankets. Her call didn't make much sense, but from what I could understand...

No. It couldn't be. There was sixteen percent chance. He even said so.

But there it was — a bright, yellow light, slowly burning its way across the sky.

I snuck downstairs because my parents were sleeping, jumping over my dad's surfboard and several pressed Hawaiian shirts.

I slid my feet into a pair of flip flops, grabbing the keys to my car and sliding out the door.

I drove like a maniac, racing the streak in the sky, which sped up as it got closer to the ground. I could tell the location now — the same place as last time.

I took a hard left, veering into a familiar lane. Faded tire ruts carved into the ground from the many times I'd parked here. Just as I was about to get out, the grass around me flattened with the sudden gust of wind and something lowered itself into the field. The night stilled around me again and I jumped out of the car.

My heart was beating in my throat and my stomach was twisted with nervousness as I stumbled along the path, which was a bit grown over now, but still visible.

When I reached the seeming end of the path, I reached out. My hands made contact with something smooth and cool.

"Allen," I whispered, his name finally spoke by me after all this time. I pushed open the door, and cool air rushed out to greet me. I stepped inside the dim ship, unable to fight the smile that spread across my face.

My eyes were met with familiar blue ones, so blue they were almost purple.

"Kalea Brooke Mahelona," he said, and when I rushed at him, the biggest grin on my face, I felt so motherfucking glad that aliens were allowed.

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Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom. DONE. 

I shed a single tear while writing this, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Once again, thank you DEARLY to everyone who read this whole thing through from the bottom to the top, and commented and voted. You are all very near and dear to my heart. 

If you're truly desperate for something more to read, check out Paper Cranes, my newest short story. Or, if you don't mind a bit of waiting, read The New Adventures of Lewis & Clarke, which is gonna be my new long story coming to a device near you in August. 

Thank you all for everything. It has been an epic ride. 

-talking_to_nobody