No Aliens Allowed

- Twenty-Two -

Oh, and a voicemail from Penn.

I was so tempted to delete it right from my phone without listening to it, but it was from ten hours ago.

I clicked play.

"Um," he started, then stopped, his ragged breathing from the other side. Something shook around in a bottle, sounding like pills. "Shit. I just wanted to say...um, not sorry, I guess, because I know you won't accept that. Maybe just..." He trailed off. I heard him audibly swallow. "I suck, Kali. I really do. That's all."

The message ended. There was a bitter taste in the back of my throat. For Penn to call me, and to leave a message like that?

Maybe I could forgive him.

I texted Eason back, knowing he was up at eight in the morning. He liked to go to the gym early.

KALI: Sorry for last night, I was exhausted. We still good for coffee?

He responded right away.

EASON: Of course!!! XD :)

KALI: Ok good. I feel really bad too.

EASON: Don't feel bad. I love you <3 <3 <3 :D :D :) ;)

KALI: Thanks, Eas :)

EASON: Sbux in 30?

KALI: Make it 20.

EASON: Done. See you there!!!

Eason was the only person who could use three exclamation points and seventy billion emojis and get away with it.

I rolled out of bed, throwing on a pair of jeans and a pullover for Hawaii Pacific University. I pulled on some socks, my boots, grabbed my jacket off the floor and headed downstairs. After jamming a hat over my messy hair, I grabbed the keys to my car and scribbled a quick note to my mom (who was out at work for the morning) telling her where I was going to be.

I drove to Starbucks, avoiding the little traffic there was. I was looking forward to seeing Eason. I missed him.

Or maybe I just missed being friends with people who weren't going to shout in my face eventually.

Like this one time, Mom got so mad she almost gave herself a heart attack because Alana and I had been in the back yard having a water fight with the hose and we drowned her flowers and made the grass muddy and she marched out there and we started to run away from her but we-

I hit the brakes hard a red light, spotting a parking spot across the street. I parked and reluctantly got out of the car.

The wind bullied me with cold blasts and snow whipped across my face as I hurried across to Starbucks, where I could see Eason sitting by the window on his phone.

I entered the shop, where Eason immediately stood and strode towards me before wrapping me up in a hug so tight I felt like my lungs were becoming one.

"Eason," I choked. "Too...tight!"

He laughed, letting me go. I stepped back, massaging my chest with watery eyes.

"Oh my god, you hug way too hard," I said.

Eason grinned at me. "Good to see you. I like your jeans."

"Thanks," I replied. "Nice shirt."

The shirt in question had taken a leaf out of Penn's book and said GO AWAY in large, black letters. Eason was wearing a jacket and nice pants, his shoes not showing any sludge or splatter from the snowy hell outside.