"Dude! This is an awesome party, man," said Johnny as he held onto the fireplace mantle for support. Josh looked around and shook his head. "Hey, we need to clean this up tomorrow after you sleep it off." Josh scanned the living room, seeing red plastic cups and empty beer cans strewn all over the floor, the counters, in the shower. People unknown to the hosts were passed out on the couches, the floor, and one in a closet. "Johnny! There's food squished into the carpet, which will probably be the reason we don't get our deposit back." The room-mates have lived in their two bedroom apartment just a week, and this was their house warming party. Probably the first party of many for the two twenty-two year olds.
Josh heard a feint knock at the door within the loud music. Josh opened the door. "Hi! I'm Becca. I live three doors down and heard the music so I thought I would come over."
Josh shook her hand. "Of course! Come on in!" Josh stared at this new, girl that entered his home. Becca was twenty-one, long, dark hair with purple highlights that fell past her shoulders, and was beautiful. "Becca, I'm Josh, and I must say, you're beautiful!" "Well, thanks. You're sweet."
"What do you do, Becca?"
"I work as a Production Assistant for a television studio in Los Angeles. I also take acting classes twice a week in hopes to someday launch my career."
"Of course...I can picture you on TV."
"Thanks, Josh. I'm from Colorado."
"Never been there. I hear it's beautiful."
"Yep, it's got some scenery, that's for sure."
"Well, make your self at home, Becca, and if you ever need anything, just knock." "Thanks, I will."
Becca started to turn towards the living room. Josh said, "Oh. That drunk guy leaning against the fridge about to dent the stainless steel as he's unknowingly kicking his heel into it is my friend, and soon to be ex-room mate, Johnny." Becca laughed. "Boy, that was a mouthful! You're a funny guy Josh. What do you do?" Josh looked down at the floor before responding, "Oh, I work for the University." Becca put her hand on Josh's shoulder and replied, "Okay, are you one of those guys I have to ask a million questions to get you to talk? What do you do at the University?" Josh smirked, thinking he just blew any image of him being cool.
"I'm sorry. I work for the campus police. I actually enforce parking regulations. It gives me a discount on tuition. I just didn't want to come out and say I work in law enforcement too soon." Becca smiled and replied, "Oh, so you waited seven-seconds to get to know me better before you told me. Good plan!"
Josh laughed and looked into Becca's light green eyes, framed by dark black, thick eyeliner. "Becca, I've got a good feeling about you." Becca put both hands around Josh's neck and said, "Very trusting, aren't you?" She leaned in and gave Josh a kiss on the cheek, winked, and walked away. Josh caught up to her and suggested they swap phone numbers. "Just incase you feel like calling instead of knocking. It's always good for neighbors to have each others phone numbers...you never know." Becca
grinned. "You're cleaver, Josh. What a way to get my number!" Josh grinned and put her hand on Becca's shoulder. "Seriously, it's a good idea, neighbor." Becca gave Josh another kiss on the cheek and put her empty red cup on the coffee table. "I would put my cup in the trash, but it appears it needed emptying two hours ago." Josh looked towards the kitchen and saw the trash was overflowing with red cups, plates, and half eaten sandwiches on the floor. Johnny staggered out of the kitchen towards the front door. "Becca, this is my room-mate Johnny."
"Welcome Buh...Buh...Becca. Sorry, I've had a few beers."
"Really! I never would have guessed that!" Becca smiled. "I just told Josh here my apartment is three doors down, and I'm from Colorado. Now you're caught up."
"Never been to Colorado. I hear it's beautiful."
"Wow, now where have I heard that before? Did you two rehearse?"
The three laughed.
Johnny swayed in a circular motion as he stood. "Nice meeting you. I better sit down." Johnny sat on a chair in the living room. Becca said, "Alright Josh, I'm gonna cruise the party a bit."
"Enjoy, neighbor."
Becca walked around checking out the apartment layout and the people at the party.
After about ten minutes and saying casual hellos to a few folks, Becca headed towards the door to leave. As she walked across the living room, a twenty-five year old guy named Chad, stepped in front of her and put his hand up to halt her movement. "Where you going baby girl?" he said with slurred speech and an odor of stale beer. She replied sternly, "One, Idefinitely'm not your baby girl and two, I gotta go." She walked around drunk Chad to leave. Chad grabbed her upper arm firmly and said, "But I didn't get your name?" With eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed tightly together, Becca gave Chad a harsh stare, like no one had ever given before. Not only was her face tense with anger, her eyes rolled over into her lids, revealing only white eyes, glowing like a chandelier set low with a dimmer switch, but definitely illuminated.
She focussed her stare on Chad's eyes and then his gripping hand as her face grew red. After about three-seconds, Becca took her other hand, grabbed Chad's thumb, and bent it back with such force it dislocated it in two places, causing him to let loose of his grip. "Ouch! What the heck did you do to my hand?" As soon as the word "hand" came out of his mouth, Becca raised her right knee sharply into Chad's groin, causing him to fall quickly to his knees. "Don't you EVER touch me again!" Becca walked briskly out of the apartment. At the doorway she paused, turned towards kneeling Chad who was holding his groin. "Who in this world do you think you are? Idiot!" Becca's eyes became normal again, showing her beautiful green color. Although in pain and impaired from alcohol, Chad saw Becca's eyes change back. He thought to himself, "What the?" Becca turned and rushed out of the door.
Chad got up slowly, and walked towards the kitchen. "I need another beer." His upper arm was grabbed from behind. He flinched with fear, thinking Becca had returned to give him another injury. He slowly turned to look and was relieved when he saw the
hand belonged to drunk Johnny. Johnny helped Chad to the kitchen. "What happened dude? I saw you and that neighbor girl get into it."
Chad made a fist and punched a cabinet. "That girl! That girl with the purple in her hair! She was leaving and all I did was ask her her name, and she attacked me!" Johnny raised his eyebrows, puzzled.
"What did she attack you with? She's just a small girl?"
Chad shook his head. "She's got this weird power Johnny. I saw her eyes glow! They glowed, man! She may not be from around here, dude."
Johnny smiled. "I know, I know, I think I heard her say she's from Colorado."
"No! I mean I think she's from another planet. Look at my thumb!"
"She can't be from another planet you big dummy." "Where's your brain?" Josh laughed for a moment and added, "Glowing eyes! Have you been taking the marijuana?"
Johnny brought Chad to the kitchen and put ice in a plastic bag and gave it to Chad for his thumb. Chad looked at Johnny. "So, she's your neighbor, huh?" Johnny glared at Chad. "Yeah dude, but leave her alone. My roomie Josh might have a thing for her."
As people talked during the rest of the party, word got back to Josh regarding Chad's altercation with Becca. Josh, although having just met Becca, was intrigued to see where it may go with her, and respected her. Josh went up to Chad and asked him to leave. Chad leaned in close to Johnny's face. "This is Johnny's place, you can't kick me out." Josh fired back angrily, "It's our place! Let's go pal!" Josh grabbed Chad's hurt thumb, and lead him through the door. Before slamming the door Josh yelled, "Don't come back here and leave Becca alone!" Chad turned and walked slowly to the parking lot. He said to himself, "Becca, huh?" Just before the parking lot he saw a cluster of mailboxes. He saw the name Becca Peterson, and an apartment number only three doors down from Johnny and Josh's. Chad smirked, raised one eyebrow, and walked to his car.
Chad stumbled his way to his car and dropped his keys as he tried to put them in the door lock. A man saw this and said, "Hey pal, you probably shouldn't be driving." Chad picked up his keys and looked at the man. "Stay out of this buddy! You don't know me!" Chad entered his car, backed out of the parking space, and right into a tree. The
impact caused the red lens of his right tail light to break apart, now showing a white light to the rear of his vehicle. The man in the parking lot called the police, giving a description of Chad's car and his direction of travel.
Within five minutes, a police car pulled in behind Chad, with the officer being blinded by the white light he was behind. Chad was stopped and the officer smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage within the vehicle, and noticed Chad's eyes were red and watery. After failing a series of field sobriety tests, Chad was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, and his car was towed away. Chad was booked and had to spend the night in jail with his aching, dislocated thumb. Unable to take responsibility for his own actions, Chad said to himself, "This is all Becca's fault!"
It was late afternoon three days after the party. Becca returned home from work and parked her car in her spot in the carport. As Becca put her left leg out to exit her car, Chad, who had been waiting around the corner of the building, ran up and shoved her back in and across to the passenger seat. Chad drove off with Becca screaming. "What are you doing! You're crazy!" Chad laughed. "No girl disrespects me, and now I have to deal with a DUI charge and Hit and Run! I don't even have a car or license anymore thanks to you!" Becca's mouth hung open. "What do you want? What are you going to do?" Chad was silent for about fifteen-seconds then with a smile looked at Becca. "I want you to feel pain, then feel nothing at all!"
Becca reached for the keys and turned them to the off position, causing the engine to shut off. Chad used his elbow and hit Becca in the side of her head in the temple, causing her to go unconscious. Chad restarted the car and sped down the road. Becca woke up about forty-five minutes later, as Chad was coming to a stop on an unknown dirt mountain road. "Where are we?" a confused Becca asked as her head was throbbing. Chad chuckled. "You don't need to know. Now get out of the car!" Becca replied, "No! I'm not getting out!" Chad took the keys with him and walked around to the passenger door angrily flinging it open with force. He grabbed the much smaller Becca around the shoulders and threw her to the ground, causing dust to rise from the dirt.
Becca got up to her knees. Chad's eyes widened on a red face as he punched Becca's car. "Remember at the party when I was on my knees in pain? Your turn!" Chad shoved her, causing her to fall onto her back. Becca tried to get up but Chad shoved her to the ground again. "No girl walks out on me at a party! I'm the Chadster!" While Becca laid motionless, Chad picked up a rock about the size of a football. He walked up to Becca's feet, standing over her as she continued to lay flat on her back.
Through the rising dust, Becca was able to make out the size and shape of the rock. Chad's eyes widened again. "And this is where you take a big rock to the head, I place you over the cliff, and if the coyotes and mountain lions don't tear apart your dead body, they will think you hit your head after you accidentally fell off the side of the trail. After it is a beautiful place to hike." Chad smiled as he began to raise the rock with both hands over his head. Becca just looked at him and smiled, taking away Chad's moment of intimidation. Chad's anger enabled him to reach up high with the rock to get more throwing power. Just prior to letting the rock fly, Chad saw Becca's eyes glow again. He threw the rock and grunted as he released it in order to get more force, similar to a martial artist about to deliver a powerful blow.
A very angry Becca, complete with glowing eyes, miraculously was able to catch the rock between to soles of her flat shoes. She tossed the rock to the side and in one ninja type move without using her hands, thrust her legs up and then forward to the ground, enabling her to stand. Eyes still glowing, she approached Chad who threw a right punch towards her face. Becca caught the punch with one hand, and leaned inward so Chad could get a close look at her all white eyes that glowed with anger. Chad started to shake, feeling an overwhelming amount of fear as he fixed on her white, glowing eyes.
Becca bent Chad's hand back towards the top of his wrist, completely breaking it at the wrist, causing the hand to just hang loosely at the end of his arm.
Chad screamed in both pain and fear, as today he knew he was not under the influence, no alcohol, no marijuana, nothing. He was able to barely squeak out the words softly, "What are you?"
"What do you mean, man? I'm just a girl, right? Isn't that what you think...that you're better than me?"
"You're not from this planet...you couldn't be!"
Becca walked a complete circle around Chad, who was still shaking. Becca stopped in front of Chad and grinned.
"I have been sent here to blend in, collect data, and study your kind. I have found most are good, but others are like you, just taking what they want with a feeling of entitlement. Your faces are always buried in your phones or violent video games, not experiencing this beautiful green planet in which you live. And that is a shame."
Chad was gasping for breath as he replied, "Yea, well...nobody talks down to the Chadster." Chad picked up another rock with his only good hand. Not as big a rock as the other, but plenty big, about the size of a softball. He raised his arm as if to throw it. Becca's eyes glowed even brighter. She didn't give him the opportunity to throw, as while his arm was raised, she slapped the rock from his hand. The rock exploded into several pieces when she hit it, like dropping a drinking glass on the floor. She grabbed his non-injured hand, her eye's glowing even brighter. She smirked, and pulled downward with tremendous force. Chad's arm tore completely away from his shoulder joint. She held his arm in front of his eyes as he screamed, blood flowing from the shoulder joint. She swung her leg, kicking Chad in his right knee then his left, shattering both knees. Chad fell to the ground and was nearly unconscious. She threw the amputated arm over the cliff.
Right before Becca's eyes changed back, she said to the unconscious, extremely injured Chad, "Now, maybe coyotes or a mountain lion will tear you apart!" Becca's eyes fully returned to their pretty shade of green. She looked up and to the East, as she heard a familiar sound. A low pitched humming that would pulsate from softer to louder, then soft again.
The sound got louder as the space ship got closer. Within a few seconds, it landed. It was all silver with an odd shape, looking like a horse shoe with windows and lights below and on top. It landed on silver metallic legs that folded out from below as the craft was about twenty feet from the ground. It was pretty big, about fifty feet long on one side, then the curve, then the other side a matching fifty feet.
When the craft landed on the flat dirt space, all the lights shut off and a ramp lowered from underneath. Walking down the ramp were three beautiful girls, each about twenty- one years old. They all wore different clothes, each very stylish for modern earth. One wore blue jeans tucked into thigh high black boots with a pink floral tank top, one wore
denim shorts with the hem rolled up and tan ankle high boots with fringe hanging down. The third, a yellow sundress and heels. They looked as though they could be models. "Come on Becca, your work on this planet is done," said the girl in the blue jeans. She continued, "You did a good job investigating your region and sending forward your data. We all did a good job. We were able to blend into their society, gathering information on Europe, Asia, all the continents." The girl in the shorts remarked, "Why did I get the place called Texas? What did I do to deserve such a treat?" she said as she shook her head. The girl in the jeans replied, "You're the rookie." The jeans girl added, "Look, those people have barked about seceding from the union, and we just wanted to know if you felt they could form up and actually become their own country."
"Not even close," the shorts girl replied with a slight laugh in her voice. Becca replied, "California could. Especially if they teamed with Oregon and Washington."
Becca looked a little worried as she looked at her car. She shook her head and asked, "But what about my car? I just can't leave it here." The alien girl, wearing the yellow sundress held her hands out palms down, pointing at the car. Her eyes turned white and glowed, then all of a sudden the car vaporized into thin air." There, no more worries." The girl in the blue jeans asked, "Hey, did anyone on earth notice your eyes glow to generate power Becca?" Becca replied, "The idiot I just dealt with saw mine, but he won't be a worry to our identity. I just felt his life energy leave. He won't be around to attack anymore women, or harm anyone on this planet again." "Then let's go home!" said the blue jeans girl, who was apparently in charge of their mission.
The four girls walked up the ramp. As they walked, the girl wearing the sundress asked, "How the heck do these women wear these shoes!" The girls laughed as they entered the craft. In a few seconds the humming engine noise sounded, and all lights came on. The craft hovered for a moment, spraying a large volume of air downward, to wipe away any space ship tracks in the dirt before rapidly going up and to the west in the sky. Meanwhile, night fell over the area and Chad's body laid in the dirt. A pack of eight coyotes with their extremely keen sense of smell found Chad's body.
Three weeks later, Josh was in the kitchen of his apartment and asked Johnny, "Hey have you heard from Chad, or for that matter, where did our neighbor Becca go?" Johnny finished wiping the area near the kitchen sink and replied, "No, it's the weirdest thing. I think Becca just got mad after the party and left the area in a hurry, and Chad doesn't answer his phone. Who knows. Maybe he'll be a changed man after getting beat up by a girl at our party." Josh smiled. "That guy was a first class jerk! Maybe he will learn from this and be a better guy in the future." The guys were startled when Josh's phone rang.
"Josh, this is Becca." Josh replied, "I can barely hear you, there is a bunch of static. Becca, what happened to you?" She hesitated as if searching for a plausible response. "Well, a few days after the party I decided to start fresh. I drove east and wound up in..." Becca did not know what to say, searching her head. After three seconds of she blurted out, "Texas." Josh scratched the top of his head. "Texas...really?"
"Hey, Josh...I left some furniture and clothes in my apartment. Please tell the superintendent he can donate those to charity. And also, Josh, it was great meeting you, and we could have dated if I stayed, but I don't believe in long distance relationships. You're a good guy." Josh replied, "But you won't be like, way far away. I can come visit." Becca laughed for a second and replied, "Oh, I'll be farther than you know."