A L I E N // joshler

4

I walk Tyler towards my car and see him staring at the black van with worried eyes.

"What's the matter? Hoping for a Limousine?" I ask while opening the door. He stares into the car.

"Limousine? I don't know what that is? What is this? Is this your work?" He asks. I laugh and shake my head. I point to the seat and he sits in it. I shut the door and walk around the car before getting into my seat.

"This is my car. This is how I get places. We don't have space ships on earth. Well we do but only astronauts can use those. People like me only get cars." I say.

"What do astronauts do?" He asks. I smile to myself.

"Well, they get to explore space. They get to go beyond earth which is pretty awesome if you ask me." I say. I start the car.

"Then why aren't you an astronaut?" He asks. I bite my lip.

"Well Tyler... I wish I was. I would've been able to find you if I had been. I wasn't... uh... smart enough I guess." I say.

"You're very smart!" He says.

"I didn't really pass my classes too well in school." I respond quietly.

"But I read your note books, you know so much about space!" Tyler says. My eyes widen and my heartbeat quickens.

"You read my notebooks?!" I gasp. He nods.

"Yes I couldn't sleep so I looked at all of your notebooks. You wrote about places I might be or that I might have seen! To me Josh, you are a genius!" He exclaims. I smile a little bit. I look over and see he hasn't buckles his seat belt yet. I lean over and I can hear his breathe hitch and I laugh. I click the belt and then lean back and buckle myself in. I was so close to him for a moment. Just like the other night.

"I'm just buckling your seat belt." I say snapping myself out of my own thoughts. "And before you ask, it's made so if we were to crash the car we wouldn't get too hurt."

I start the car and start driving. He looks out the window.

"Would you die if we crashed?" Tyler asks. I frown at the sad tone hidden within the question.

"I could die. You could too. That's why we have seat belts and air bags to help keep us safe." I say quietly. He shakes his head.

"I wouldn't die." He says. I look at him surprised. I realize I'm staring at him for a little too long and look back to the road.

"Why?" I ask.

"You see Josh, I have healing powers beyond the human race. Let's say I got a paper cut, it would heal in a second. If i got stabbed it would take me five minutes to heal. If I got into a car crash it would take me maybe ten to fifteen minutes." He says playing with a string that is on his shirt.... my shirt. I bite my lip. He really can't get hurt. I am protecting him for no reason.... there is a reason.

"What can kill you then?" I ask. I realize that's a very insensitive question and sounds slightly psychotic. "Sorry I shouldn't have asked that... you don't have to answ-"

"My own people can kill me. To much fire can kill me but that's only if I can't get out for like ten minutes or something. That is all as far as I know." Tyler says. I nod and glance at him only to find he is looking out the window.

"I am sorry that was such a strange question." I say with a forced laugh.

"It's alright Josh." He says. "Are we almost at job?"