Catching Up

Leia:

The second I hear the doors open, I look up and see Alieen.

"Alieen," I say. I smile and step toward Alieen. I expected her to do the exact same. I expected Alieen to smile and step toward me too. Only, Alieen didn't.

Instead, she just stands where she is. She looks at me with a blank expression. I don't see the usual smiles or twinkling eyes. In fact, I don't see anything.

"Leia," Alieen says so coldly, I feel a shiver run down my spine. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh yeah," I say, clearing my throat and stepping back. "I, uhh, I came here to ask you something."

I look around the pet shelter's waiting room and eye a few cameras. Also, despite how Diana said she would walk the dogs, I can still see her through the double doors with her ears open.

"Can we go somewhere else to talk in private," I ask.

"Sure," Alieen sighs. "I can't leave the shelter but I do have an idea."

Alieen disappears through the double door for a few minutes. She then returns with a small dog in her arms. The little guy barks and wiggles as he runs around in Alieen's arms.

I feel a smile growing as I watch the little dog. He seems so happy and playful. However, Alieen seems the complete opposite.

Alieen is frowning, and instead of looking at me or even the dog in her arms, she's staring at the tiled floor.

"I told Diana I would take Henry out for a short walk," Alieen says. She then places Henry the dog on the floor. The second his paws hit the floor, Henry starts to run around. In fact, if it wasn't for the leash Alieen is holding, Henry would probably run around the whole room.

"Come on. There's a Starbucks nearby. We can talk there."

"Sure," I say, walking to the door. I hold it open for the two but Alieen is moving slowly. She's practically had to be dragged out of the waiting room by Henry.

We walk for a short distance before finding ourselves at Starbucks. Buying some drinks for ourselves and a few snacks for Henry, we find a table away from everyone.

The second we sit down, I immediately ask.

"Alieen, why were you, Matt, and Alfred at the gas station last night? I thought I asked to stay away from A."

"And I am staying away from A," Alieen answers. As she answers, she keeps looking away from me. It's not she can't meet my eyes.

"I was just dropping off some food and clothing," Alieen goes on, her eyes focus entirely on her cup of iced coffee. "That's it. After the three of us dropped them off, I told A it was probably for the best we never see each other again."

Alieen then looks at me. For the first time in days, Alieen looks at me, but when she did, I didn't see the sparking that is supposed to be there. I didn't see the girl that always was hopeful and always willing to help people. It felt like I was looking at a completely different Alieen.

"After all, isn't that what everyone wants."

"What everyone wants," I repeat. "Wait, what?"

"Isn't this what you wanted," Alieen says. "For us to stay away from A. Well, it's exactly what we're doing. And while we're at it, maybe we should stay away from you too."

"Wait, what! Alieen, what are you talking about--"

"I don't know what A is," Alieen says, cutting me off. "I don't know what you are. Honestly, I don't even know if the last two years of my life were real or not. Maybe it was an illusion or a hallucination. I know A had the power to erase and alter memory. Do you too? Did you alter my memory so I think we were friends?"

"No," I shout, getting up. "I didn't--"

I stop when I realize some people are looking at us. I clear my throat before sinking back into my seat.

"No," I quietly shout. "I didn't! I promise. Alieen, you know me."

"Do I? Do I really know you? What do I know? What do Matt and Alfred know? When you disappeared, we all search for you. Even A. We all search for you but that's when it dawn on me. I don't know anything about you. Wait, no. That's wrong. I know three things about you. One, you worked at a gas station. But then, again you've been missing so maybe you got fired."

"I didn't get fired," I say. "I called my manager and asked him for some days off."

"You didn't use whatever power you and A shared to get these days off."

"No! I really asked him and he said yes."

"Sure. Of course. You really did ask him and he said yes. Fine, I believe you. Happy?"

With each word Alieen says, I feel a stab in my heart.

"Two," she says, counting her fingers. "You go to San Francisco State University. I know that's true because the three of us have actually seen you there a few times and we went to the cafeteria altogether."

"Those were some of my best times," I say. Alieen stops when she hears me say this. She freezes and looks at me. A single tear falls down her face as she looks at me.

"They were some of my best times too," Alieen says, putting down her hands. "Do you remember Matt asking you and me if we could scream so loud we could break glass?"

"Yeah," I say, letting out a small chuckle. "It was for one of his stupid Youtube videos."

"Do you remember what Matt did to try and get us to scream?"

"Yeah. He put some fake bugs in our drinks. I still remember the looks on his face when we throw not only our drink but our food at him."

"He had tomato eyes, lettuce hairs, and a bunch of flies for friends."

We both chuckle at the memory. It's a quick chuckle, however.

"Third," Alieen says, her hands staying down. "You have powers. Powers I never knew you had."

"You were never supposed to," I sigh. "It was supposed to stay a secret."

Alieen opens her mouth. She tries to say something but stops.

"What," I ask. "What are you going to say?"

Alieen opens her mouth again. She tries to say something but stops again.

"What," I ask again. "Say it. Say whatever you want."

Alieen opens her mouth for a third time. This time, she says something.

"Then maybe it should stay a secret," Alieen says. "If you never come back, then it will stay a secret."

"Never come back," I repeat. "No, no, no. Alieen, what are you saying? If I never come back? You can't be serious."

"I am," Alieen says. Her head drops and she looks back at her iced tea. "I'm telling you, Leia. For the sake of Alfred, Matt, and myself, please never come back. You wanted us to stay away from A because apparently, he's dangerous. Then, what about you?"

I want to say something, anything to Alieen. I want to tell her that I don't want to leave the apartment. I want to tell her that that apartment is my home. The apartment with the three is home, but I don't hear anything. I open my mouth but I don't even hear a whisper.

"Bye Leia," Alieen says. With that, Alieen takes Henry and leaves. She leaves me alone at Starbucks. She leaves me alone at a table at Starbucks. She doesn't even bother to finish her drink.

As Alieen leaves, I stare into space. I try to make sense of everything that happens but nothing makes sense.

"Alieen just told me never to come back," I tell myself. "Alieen, the same Alieen that made me so happy to live down here, just told me never to come back."

I can't be sure how long I stay sitting at Starbucks but after some time, I finally get up and leave.