Date on Earth: Monday, October 2
I hated bullies.
Always picking on people that weren't on their "godly" tier. Walking like they ran everything. Never thinking of how it may affect the person that they threatened to beat up, or stole homework from.
I hated them so much.
And the worst part?
I used to be one of them.
That was before they found out I wasn't as big as I made myself out to be. Before they realized what a coward I was.
And as cowards go, I was the biggest one ever.
Need proof? Take it from a few weeks ago at basketball practice:
"Tristen! What are you doing? Don't be a coward, take the ball!" Coach Clarissa demanded as I watched the player dribble by me.
Or from this morning:
"Come on chiquito," Ma exclaimed. "Just tell this girl how you feel! Women like men who are confident, not cowards!"
Or, if that's still not enough, just take it from the kid who had shoved me into the lockers and was currently dangling my phone in his hand.
The boy's name was Jason. His thin blond hair and white clammy skin didn't do any assistance in upping his physical appearance. But what he lacked in complexion he made up for in muscle mass. Biceps bulged out from under his sleeves and his tightfitting shirt only made his six-pack more obvious . Only an idiot would be dumb enough to pick a fight with him. I'd know.
"Jay, come on. Give it back." I held out my hand. The words weren't demanding. I'd learned better than that. Now it was nothing more than a plea.
Jason scoffed. "Oh, you want it back? Why don't you come and get it then?" He brought the phone closer to my face, taunting me. With a grunt, I reached forward to grab it, only for him to pull it back at the last second. His dark laugh echoed against the walls of the highschool.
I swore and grabbed my backpack, walking away. Begging to Jason never worked. Ignoring him was always a better method.
"Coward!" he yelled from behind me. I felt something hit the back of my head and realized with anger that he had thrown my phone.
It fell to the ground with a smack. I sucked in a breath as I picked it up. The screen was shattered. Pressing the power button, I cheered silently as my lock screen appeared.
When I looked behind me again, Jason had disappeared. I breathed a sigh of relief and cursed him again under my breath, putting the phone in my backpack. I'd have to hide the damage from Ma; I had just gotten the phone two weeks ago, and she would not be happy to know I'd already broken the screen.
It was funny how quickly things changed. Felt like only yesterday when me and Jason were middle-schoolers, bonding over the fact that both of us towered over our peers. We were dubbed the "Twin Towers", until our teacher explained to the class why that nickname was not appropriate.
It never was the healthiest friendship. Too bad by the time I'd realized, it was too late.
Sighing, I quickly made my way down the hall. The more distance I put between me and Jason, the better.
Time seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, the last bell of the day rang. I had wasted a whole day.
Oh well.
I packed up my things and started walking to the school buses that stopped at the side of the building.
"Tristen?" I heard a familiar voice call out from behind me. I froze and turned around.
Behind me stood Kate Burns, the prettiest and most popular girl in school. Half the boys had a crush on her, and she knew it. You could tell just by the way she walked that she was bad news.
However, that didn't stop my hands from getting sweaty and my brain from going blank. I mentally slapped myself.
Come on Tristen, get it together.
"Hey, Kate," I tried saying as confidently as I could. "How you doing this fine day?" I cringed at myself. So much for being a smooth talker.
She did her flirtatious laugh. "I'm doing pretty good. Where were you today? I didn't see you in second period."
I folded my arms and slouched my back, trying to look nonchalant as I told her, "Oh, you know...ditching."
She laughed again. "I should've known better. You actually being in class is rarer than Mrs. Street having a good hair day ."
I smiled at the memory of the math teacher with her seemingly electrified hair. "Very true."
We stood there in awkward silence for a while. Kate tugged on the ends of her skirt.
"So...I wanted to ask you..." She spoke while looking me in the eyes. "You know about the party tonight, right?"
"Party?" I dug through my memories. Now that I thought about it, I vaguely remembered last week someone mentioning something about a party at my ex-friend Danny's house. I remembered thinking the concept of holding a party in the middle of the week was stupid and completely defeated its purpose.
Out loud I said, "Heard of it. Why?"
She grinned widely. "Because I was wondering if you would want to go with me."
My brain spiraled in a thousand different directions. Having the Kate Burns ask you out was practically every guy's dream. You'd have to be a madman to turn her down.
But...the last party I was at did not end well. As for every party before that. It had become no less than a curse and I had promised myself to never attend one ever again.
And for some reason I had a large pit in my stomach, leaving me feeling like I was missing something.
But she looked at me adorably with her large amber eyes.
I felt my reserve melt away.
Trying my best to throw the worries that plagued me out of my mind, I responded. "Well...don't have basketball practice today, so sure. It's at Danny's, right?" She nodded.
"Do you know how to get there?" She asked.
"Yeah, I can drive you if you like," I said without thinking. I mentally slapped myself. Should probably have asked Ma first-
"That would be great," she responded before I could amend my statement. "Pick me up eight o-clock at the skatepark?"
"S-sure," I stuttered as she walked away. I stood there frozen for a second.
What just happened?
When I could finally think again, I heard the sound of an engine. My eyes widened as I spotted the big yellow bus start to move.
"No, no, no!" I ran in vain to the vehicle. The bus's wheels screeched as it drove away.
The bus that I was supposed to be on.
I let out a muffled scream.
Now I had to walk two hours to my house. Just another thing to add to this amazing day.
I contemplated asking Ma to pick me up, but she was at work till four, and she really needed to look good for the job that she managed to find.
She'd been job-hopping for a while now. Ma never finished high school, so it was really hard for her to find decent paying work. And it didn't help that Paps left us when I was five, only to get himself in trouble with the law.
Somehow, she managed to feed me and her and let us sleep in a nice, air-conditioned home.
Wish I could've been as strong as her.
I quickly sent her a vague text, telling her that it may be a while till I got home.
Begrudgingly, I put my headphones on and started the long walk.
----------
"Where were you?!" I flinched. It was no surprise she'd overreact. In my arms I held Doug, our pug, and stroked his fur.
"I've been waiting here for an hour, Tristen! An hour!"
"I know, but-"
"I was this close to calling the police! I didn't know if you got kidnapped or were hurt, or-or something! And you didn't even send a text!"
"I did send a text!"
"Not last time I checked."
I took a deep breath. "Ma, check your phone." I pointed to the screen.
Sure enough, there was a notification from me two hours ago, clearly stating that I would be late.
I couldn't stop my mouth from curving into a smile as she huffed.
"That wasn't there last I checked."
"Sure, Ma. Sure."
I put Doug down and he ran into Ma's room. I was finally able to walk past her and into the living room, swinging my backpack on the floor. Sighing, I flopped myself onto the couch.
Tonight, I'd be with Kate at an absurdly timed party. Trying by best not to mess up horrendously like last time and cause Danny's whole house to...
Flashes of my other party disasters flooded my brain.
I quickly stopped that train of thought.
"Care to explain why you missed the bus?" My Ma raised an eyebrow at me as I laid down on the couch.
Swallowing hard, I knew I would have to tell her, and ask her about the car situation.
"This...girl asked me to hang out with her tonight." I left out the part that it was at a party, since she had banned me from ever going to one again, after the many incidents.
"Oh, my chiquito is growing up so fast!" She kissed my forehead before hugging me. I rolled my eyes at the nickname. Despite Ma being Hispanic, that was probably the only Spanish word she knew.
"And I kinda said I would drive her..." I added before she got too happy.
She let out a sigh. "Tristen, you know I need the car tonight."
"I know," I mumbled.
"However..." I perked my head up. "...I guess I could get Mrs. Miller to pick me up. But then you have to promise to give the girl a good time."
"Really?"
"Don't make me change my mind."
I smiled, trying to keep my excitement under control. "Thanks Ma."
I got up and walked to my room, getting my clothes to take a shower. When I was done, I put on a suit and tie and practiced a smile in the mirror's reflection before coming out to meet with Ma.
"Perfect timing!" She said as she saw me. "Mrs. Miller should be here any minute."
Surely enough, the sound of knocking came from the front door a few moments later.
"Coming!" Ma yelled as she ran towards the door.
She greeted the woman at the entrance and ushered her in.
Mrs. Miller was a tall woman, which contrasted with her daughter Diana's petite build. However, she had Diana's frizzy red hair and strong appearance that told everyone this person was not to be messed with.
"Ready to go?" Mrs. Miller asked my ma. She nodded.
"Have fun!" Ma gave me a hug before walking out of the house. "Don't be too late!"
Before I could respond, the door slammed in my face.
With a sigh, I checked my phone. It was only 7:05 pm, but there was nothing left for me to do. So I filled up Doug's food bowl before grabbing the car keys and sliding into the car.
My mind kept racing as I drove. I was really doing this. I was going out with Kate Burns. The thought gave me hope, that even though I had screwed up everything at school, that maybe I could still have a part of my old life back.
Sure, there were many things I regretted doing during that period of time, but...sometimes it was nice. Having all that attention and respect. Things like that made a person feel special. Like they meant something.
Plus, hopefully the party and Kate would help me get my mind off of another girl. One that I was completely insane to think that she'll ever like me back. In fact, I'd be happy if she ever stopped hating me.
Diana.
It was stupid for me to feel that way towards her, but I couldn't stop my heart from beating faster every time I looked at her. The way she spoke without hesitation. How she didn't let the factor of her sight get to her. And...how brave she was, standing up to Jason and his gang, which at the time I was also a part of.
I hated saying and doing all those horrible things to her, but I just felt stuck in a pit with steep walls and no escape. With either route I took, I'd end up getting hurt. It was either be the bully, or get bullied.
She didn't know about my internal conflict though. I was pretty good at making it look like I enjoyed it. So to her, I was probably the biggest jerk ever.
I'd been trying to make it up to her ever since, being extra nice to her and her friend Mia. But it didn't help that her mom and mine were best friends. She probably thought I was just being nice because my mom had forced me to.
All in all, too much drama.
When I pulled into the skatepark, Kate was already there, talking to one of the skater boys. She laughed loudly after the boy whispered something in her ear. I tried to not think too hard about it.
I rolled down the window, letting my arm hang out.
"Hey Kate!" I shouted. She quickly jerked her head my way. Based on her expression, it was clear that she wasn't expecting me to be there right then. Kate gave a quick wave goodbye to the skater boy before picking up her things and getting into the car.
"You know, I didn't think it was possible for you to be early for anything, but here we are," Kate noted as she smiled.
"There are many things you don't know about me," I declared with an aura of mystery.
"That's true. I've always wondered what you do all the times that you've ditched. Are you a secret agent?"
"That information is classified."
She raised her eyebrows teasingly.
We drove the rest of the way in silence. Kate kept on fidgeting, tapping her feet and playing with her bracelet on her left wrist.
"Nice bracelet," I commented, trying to spark a conversation. "Where'd you get it?"
She looked down. "A...friend," she responded vaguely.
Just like that, the conversation died off again.
I pulled to the side of the road next to Danny's house. It was a huge two story tan house with strands of vines wrapping around the sides. There was a large window that showed a spiraling staircase. A bright fancy chandelier glittered through the glass.
"That's some house," Kate stared in awe. I had to agree. No matter how many times I had visited the beautiful mansion, it never ceased to amaze me.
"Just wait till you get inside," I said with a smirk.
I walked around the car and opened Kate's door for her. I waved her forward as she chuckled.
"Thank you kind sir," she curtsied.
"Anything for you, Your Highness," I responded with an exaggerated bow.
We walked up to the door, hand in hand, down the sidewalk. Red and yellow flowers outlined the sides of the concrete while the full moon shined down on us. And being the hopeless romantic I was, I couldn't help but notice how perfect the moment seemed to be.
That blissfulness however disappeared as soon as the red double doors swung open.
Loud music blasted from hidden speakers and bright multi-colored lights flashed on the people below. The teens, all of which I recognized from school, were all packed together. Some danced, while others hovered around the snack bars, stuffing their mouths with whatever they could find. There was even a couple kissing in the middle of the crowd, and I couldn't help but sneak a quick glance at Kate. She was looking back at me with a slight smirk plastered on her face. I returned her expression, forcing myself not to blush.
We made our way to the snack bar. I don't think either of us were sure what to do at the time.
I plopped one of the small treats that was set on the table in my mouth, and a few moments later, she did the same.
Some of the kids around us were acting loopy. One kid was stumbling around and bumping into people that surrounded him. In his right hand he held a plastic cup, which one could only assume was some sort of alcohol.
Seeing the same filled cups on the bar, I made sure to stay clear of it. Couldn't get drunk when I had to drive me and Kate back home.
I noticed Kate getting fidgety again, looking around in different directions. Not quite frantically, but pretty close to it.
"You good?" I asked her. Her anxiety was starting to wear off on me. Had I done something wrong? Was she freaking out because of me? Should I-
"Oh, don't worry about me," she interrupted my train of thoughts. "I'm great! I am so glad that I decided to go with you." I felt my face heat up at her confession.
"You know, out of all the girls in school, I never thought someone like you would ever think that I was worthy to be graced by their presence, much less invite me to a party with them."
I counted it as a score when I saw Kate's cheeks form an adorable blush.
"I didn't tell you this before, but I think you look really handsome tonight. That suit really fits you well," she complimented.
"I'd say the same thing about you, but you could make anything look good."
Kate's face went nuclear, and she made a cute embarrassed giggle. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the mass of dancing couples. She pulled my arms around her and then placed her own on my waist.
I laughed as she started swaying. I copied her movements until we were in sinc.
The noise around us started to fade into the background. I looked into her eyes as she looked into mine. And for a moment, it was just us two, like in all those cheesy romance movies. Everything in the world actually seemed...okay.
My breath caught as she rested her head on my chest. She must have been able to hear the hampering of my heart, since it felt like it was beating out of my chest.
I didn't notice I was staring till she looked up and smiled at me. In those few seconds, I vaguely noticed her getting closer. Slowly leaning in...
A loud BANG! shocked us both out of the trance, sending us jumping back. Everyone was staring at a tall overweight man standing at the front door, holding a gun pointing straight up at the sky. By the look on his face, he was not happy.
"All right everyone! Party's over, now scram!" The scary man shot another bullet from his gun, and this time no one hesitated to run as fast as they could out of the mansion. Kate grabbed my hand and together we bolted out the door.
I snuck a quick glance back to see the man grasping his son, Danny, by the arm tightly. He had his furious gaze directed at the boy, who looked ready to burst into tears. And I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy towards Danny, remembering the times in the past that we would hang out together, being reckless and breaking rules. Of course he had also abandoned me along with everyone else. Just another reminder of how fake everyone was.
We both jumped into the car, panting. I rested my head on the steering wheel before turning my gaze to the girl next to me. Kate stared at me with wide eyes, probably still trying to process what had just happened. Then out of nowhere, she started giggling. It started off quietly, but then I joined in. Before we knew it we were both laughing hysterically. I was glad we were in a car, not in front of other people that could witness our insanity.
Kate took a few deep breaths to steady herself. "I've always heard rumors about you having horrible luck at parties, but I didn't think it was true!" She wiped away tears.
I managed to calm my breathing as well. "You know, last party I was at, I somehow caused a fire by charging my phone, which exploded."
She studied me for a second to see if I was joking. When she saw my serious expression, she burst out laughing again.
Kate gave me directions to her house as I drove. After twenty minutes of jokes and flirting, we finally arrived. I walked side by side with her to the front door. When we reached the front door, she turned around to face me.
An almost anxious look came across her face as she looked down at our intertwined hands. "I had a good time tonight," Kate said, almost hesitantly.
I smiled at her. "We should do it again sometime." I froze as she looked up at me and quickly stood on her tiptoes, pecking me on the lips.
"See you tomorrow," she said simply before entering her house and closing the door.
I stood there in shock, subconsciously reaching up to feel my lips. For a second it seemed like I had imagined the whole thing. It was all so unreal. The whole night was unreal.
But I hadn't imagined it. It had all happened.
She kissed me.
I spent the whole time replaying the night in my head. On one hand, I had kept up my reputation of having the worst luck when it comes to parties. I mean, Danny had a history of holding the best parties, and not once did his insane, gun-wielding Dad come barging in, shooting bullets, and kicking everyone out like we were a whole bunch of rats.
On the other hand, me and Kate had a great time together.
And she kissed me. Kate Burns kissed me.
I swallowed back an uncharacteristic squeal. I really needed to stop obsessing over that fact and calm down before Ma started asking questions.
I arrived home and parked the car in the driveway. The first thing I noticed was that all the lights were off. So either Ma hadn't come home yet or she had and went to sleep early.
My speculations were answered when I walked in and heard the hum of the humidifier that Ma always slept with. Through the crack of the bedroom door I saw her lying peacefully on the bed.
I felt something lick my leg and chuckled softly as Doug's wet tongue slobbered all over me. He looked up with his large round eyes and ran over to the back door before running back towards me. It was his way of telling me he needed to take a dump. Ma must've forgotten to take Doug out before going to sleep.
I grabbed a plastic bag from the pantry and opened the door to our fenced-in backyard. Doug immediately dashed outside and rolled in the weeds, as if it was his first time out of the house in a hundred years. I kneeled down next to him and rubbed his belly, laughing as the pug made whistling noises through his nose. He flipped over again and ran to a bush situated in a corner of the property. Doug looked like he was about to relieve himself when he started growling.
"What is it boy?" I asked him, making my way to where he was. Doug just kept on yapping as he looked up to the sky. Then his growling turned into whimpers, and he ran behind a bush.
A bright light filled the corners of my vision. I turned around cautiously as I saw a luminous star that seemed to be getting bigger by the second.
No, it wasn't a star.
And it wasn't getting bigger.
It was getting closer.
And closer.
When my eyes couldn't handle the piercing light anymore, I turned around quickly and shut my eyes. My legs were frozen in place and all I could do was pray that whatever that thing was wouldn't hit me.
The sound of it crashing on the grass sounded ten times louder than the bullets at the party. The sheer amount of power from the impact sent me flying backwards, landing head-first into the ground.
I groaned as I got up, rubbing the back of my neck. For a few seconds all I could hear was a loud ringing noise. I shook my head back and forth, trying to get it to stop.
Slowly, the horrible noise started to die down, and I willed myself up into a sitting position.
I turned around and my eyes went wide as I saw what had nearly hit me.
The thing was shaped like a cube, with strange glowing markings that made random patterns across the sides. It was made of some sort of metal, but something seemed off about it. It gave off a weird feeling, almost as if...
Almost as if it was alive.
But that was crazy. The object was clearly not a living thing. It was probably just some little kid's toy, or something.
That just so happened to fall straight out of the sky.
Even my imagination scoffed at the explanation. What kind of kid would have this kind of toy, idiot?
A spike of anxiety washed over me and I put my hands in my pockets to stop them from shaking. Shutting my eyes for a second, I took a deep breath to calm myself before studying the cube again.
Somehow, it seemed to glow even brighter than it did a few seconds ago. That, and it seemed to have a gravitational pull towards it. Almost making me want to pick it up and inspect it from close, something I would never ever want to do. Which did a great job of freaking me out even more.
Doug was still doing a wonderful job of hiding in the bushes. And at the moment that didn't sound like too bad an idea.
But something in the back of my head kept on urging me towards it. I took a step closer.
What the heck are you doing?
Another step.
Stop. Moving.
Another.
You are going to regret this!
Slowly, carefully, I bent down as I locked my gaze on it. The glow seemed all-consuming, and everything surrounding me started to fade into a single bright light. Even the barks of Doug sounded muted. Soon, all I could see was the strange cube that had fallen out of the moonlit sky.
Don't you dare-
In a moment of spontaneity, I reached out, making the decision that would change my life forever.
My fingers barely grazed its surface, and immediately a painful jolt passed through my body, as if I had been struck by lightning. Everything seemed to freeze for a second, including my heartbeat.
Then the energy transferred into my limbs, and I felt them jerk uncontrollably. I couldn't even tell if I was screaming. Only thing I could do was watch helplessly as my arms and legs flailed around.
As if a switch was flipped, the jerky movements suddenly stopped. My vision started to spin and my breaths became short.
A blanket of darkness came over me and I passed out.