Zalien Invazion

8

   "Hi Harry," Liam greets as he frantically enters the bakery, trying to make up for lost time. He passes the small café area filled with  tables, taking in the familiar warm smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries and donuts.
    "Hello Liam!" Liam's close friend, Harry, replies in his normal, slow manner. He was already behind the counter, curly brown hair tied back and frosting croissants.
   "You're late Li," Harry comments as Liam walks into the back room to put his stuff away and grab his apron.
    "I had stuff to do this morning," Liam excuses as he clumsily ties the apron around his waist.
    "What kind of stuff?" Harry wonders as Liam comes up by his side to help him with the croissants. Liam glances over his shoulder and sighs. He didn't want to, but he had to tell someone.
     "You're not going to believe this," Liam starts with a sigh then continues to explain the story of Zayn from how he saved him last night and brought him home to stay for a while and eat all his food and to his disappearance sometime in the night.
    "That's unusual..." Harry comments. Liam glances at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.
    "That's it?" Liam asks disappointedly. "I tell you that whole story and all you say is 'that's unusual,?" Liam asks. Harry shrugs.
    "I'm just trying to process it all," Harry reasons. "It doesn't make sense to me."
    "Me neither," Liam agrees.
     "Why would you even let him stay at your place to begin with?" Harry asks.
     "It seemed like the right thing to do, I guess," Liam admits stupidly.
     "Li, that's dangerous," Harry informs him.
     "Yeah I know. Paul told me so but I didn't listen to him," Liam adds with a grin.
    "So that's the real reason you did it. Paul told you not to so obviously you HAD to!" Harry concludes with a laugh.
    "Right! Who listens to Paul anyway?" Liam adds with a joking smile.
     "I don't..." Harry answers with a devilish grin. "Did.... That guy," Harry starts.
    "Zayn?" Liam interrupts.
    "Yeah. Did Zayn take anything before he left?" He wonders.
     "Not that I know of. I searched through everything this morning. It's all there," Liam explains.
     "Then why'd he just leave like that, all of a sudden in the night without tellin' anybody?" Harry asks in confusion
      "I don't know!" Liam exclaims. "I've been trying to figure that out all day! And how he even left is a question too. If he would have opened the door, Watson would have FREAKED out and started barking. But he just slept through the night and didn't do anything. How could Zayn have left without opening the door??," Liam tells Harry.
    "Hmmm..... Very peculiar," Harry comments thoughtfully, pausing from the frosting and rubbing his chin with his index finger, staring out the main window of the shop. "Maybe he disappeared to another place. Teleportation, you know?," Harry suggests.
    "Harry. That's impossible," Liam tells him.
     "Not as impossible as you would think Liam," Harry tells him. Liam shoots him a doubtful glance. "It's been proven before. People have done it," Harry declares firmly.
    "Oh yeah? Where'd you here that?" Liam tests.
     "A reliable source," Harry answers.
      "One of your conspiracy theorist nonsense magazines?" Liam wonders.
     "They're not nonsense Liam," Harry assures him confidently. "It's true science," he adds.
     "Mhm. True science," Liam agrees sarcastically, focusing down on the baked goods in front of him.
     "Liam," Harry calls after a brief period of silence.
    "Yeah?" Liam replies.
     "You said Zayn doesn't answer questions you ask him. What kind of questions did you ask?" Harry wonders.
     "Simple things like his childhood, where he grew up, his family, friends, a job. Things like that. He doesn't answer," Liam replies.
     "I see," Harry nods.
     "What are his body proportions like?" Harry asks curiosity.
      "Excuse me??" Liam questions awkwardly.
      "What are his body proportions like??" Harry repeats 
     "I don't know...." Liam tells him. "What does that even mean??" Liam wonders.
    "Does he do anything strange, like reach really far, or turn his head in unusual angles or anything like that or have abnormally large arms or eyes? Especially eyes?" Harry asks.
     "No..... He's a normal guy like every other one," Liam informs him in confusion. "But I mean, he is pretty good looking, if you'd consider that I guess," Liam adds.
    "Would you say he is so unusually attractive it doesn't seem possible?" Harry questions. "
     "Well yeah, I guess he is quite attractive," Liam admits. "Harry, where is this all going?"
      "Liam. Your friend Zayn is controlled by aliens," Harry states. Liam can't help but break into a loud fit of laughter. The few people sitting in the cafe glance back at him curiously.
    "Are you joking Harry?" Liam asks.
     "No Liam. I am very serious," Harry says.
     "Zayn is an alien?" Liam repeats
     "Worse. He's Controlled by aliens. They want something from us," Harry states, resting his hands on the counter and shaking his head.
     "Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Liam asks sarcastically.
    "Think about it Li! All these signs are adding up positive: he doesn't talk about his childhood/past/family because he HAD no childhood or family to raise him on this planet so he has nothing to tell you. He has no understanding of objects considered normal to every human because they don't have those where he's from. He has a very unusual diet. His unnaturally beautiful appearance. He has to be extraterrestrially empowered," Harry states knowledgeably.
    "Do you have any idea what you're even saying?" Liam asks in amusement
    "You don't believe me?" Harry asks.
    "No! I don't believe you!" Liam states as he reaches for a tray of donuts.
     "Okay. Why did he leave in the middle of the night then?" Harry questions.
    "I don't know. Maybe he decided he doesn't like me and I'm too annoying and boring like everyone else in the world thinks about me," Liam shrugs sadly in frustration.
   "Wrong," Harry states flatly. "He has a mission. Why else would he be here??. And he's only using you for a cover. He's looking for something.....For someone," Harry says, his eyes suddenly growing large. "OH MY GOOD GOD ABOVE IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING!" He states in full panic.
    "Would you please stop Harry. Please," Liam demands, unamused with Harry's antics. "Zayn isn't an alien he's a normal guy who is just a little confused right now," Liam assures him. Harry shakes his head, refusing to believe what Liam says. "And Zayn's not even Zayn."
    "What?" Harry asks.
     "His name isn't Zayn," Liam states.
    "What is his name?" Harry asks.
     "His real name's like.... zahyaxyN- I don't even know. It's really weird.... I think it's middle eastern or something because he kind of looks Arabic actually... But I don't  know. I just call him Zayn because it's easier to say," Liam admits. Harry stares at him with large green eyes full of fear.
    "Does that name sound any bit human to you??" Harry asks. Liam rolls his eyes.
   "Watch out. Whatever you do. Keep your eyes open. We don't know what he wants or why he's here," Harry states. "Just watch out," he advises. Liam rolls his eyes.
    "It doesn't matter. I'm probably never gonna see him ever again anyway. Alien or not," Liam tells Harry. Harry is about to respond, but an old couple comes up to the counter and he waits on them, giving him 2 cups of coffee and a donut each.
"That'll be €16.89, please," Harry says with a friendly smile. Liam watches as the older gentleman hands him the money with a smile and picks up the coffee, handing it to his wife and they walk to one of the tables to sit at.
Harry sighs and turns back to Liam 
    "Don't say anything," Liam tells him.
    "I'm not. I'm done," Harry assures him. "I've said my warning and my thoughts, do with them what you want," he adds, holding his hands up in surrender.
    "It won't matter Harry. Zayn's gone and I don't have to worry about him,"'Liam tells him. Harry nods slowly, holding back his tongue from continuing on about the dangers of any type of unknown alien species for Liam's sake.
   "I just hope you know what you've gotten yourself into," Harry concludes. Liam shrugs, not really sure himself.
    "But if I he ever does show up again sometime, you should meet him. I think you would really like him. He's quite chill," Liam tells Harry. "Even though he barely talks but that's okay. He's just quiet," Liam dismisses. "He's really a very nice guy though. He would always ask for things, and he was very considerate if I would ask him if he wanted something, he would make sure it wasn't a problem first," Liam remembers with a slight smile. "He's easy to get along with, he really doesn't do anything," Liam adds. "I'm kinda sad he's gone. No in not. That's a lie..." Liam admits contradicting himself. "And I mean... He loved Watson. And Anyone that likes my dog is automatically okay for me," he adds.
    "But who doesn't love Watson?" Harry asks.
    "Louis," Liam replies with a grin.
    "Well... That's because Watson's taller than he is..." Harry explains jokingly making Liam laugh. "He sees him as a threat or something," he adds. "And he just... Doesn't like anything really," he adds, deep in thought. Liam laughs and agrees with a good-natured smile.
"Speaking of Louis, Niall and I are planning on going to dinner somewhere tomorrow night. Lou's probably coming too. You in?" Harry asks.
"Yeah of course," Liam accepts excitedly. "Where did you have in mind?" Liam wonders.
"Oh anywhere really. We just wanted to get out since we haven't done anything together the 4 of us in a while," Harry tells him.
"Yeah that sounds like fun," Liam smiles. "I'm excited," he adds.
The boys finish up the rest of their work day, neither of them mentioning anything about Zayn or the imminent alien take over that Harry was so convinced would one day happen.
After saying their good-byes around 3:30, they part ways, each heading home.