Page 80 of Her Alien Neighbor

Me:She said something in passing when I ran into her at the grocery store. Something about how she couldn’t leave Trevor alone with the girls for too long.

Sam:Wow.

Me:Yeah.

Sam:How’s Axil doing? Have you talked to him?

Me:We’ve had dinner the last two nights, but it’s weird. I can’t stop thinking about what will happen if they charge him. And what will happen to his brothers the moment they discover he’s different? The vibe between us has just been tense. He goes to touch me, and I pull away.

Me:He keeps telling me there’s nothing to worry about, but I don’t think he understands how bad this could get.

Sam:That sucks.

Me:Ugh, I know.

Sam:How are the brothers holding up?

Me:By “the brothers” do you mean…Mylo?

Sam:I hate you.

I’m tempted to call her a liar and continue teasing her, but I’m too tired. These last few days have been exhausting. I’m sure it’s directly related to stress, but I’ve struggled to get out of bed, and even when I do, after a few hours, I lie down for a nap.

Sam suggested I distract myself with busy work––easy activities that will occupy just enough of my brain to keep me from worrying, but not so much that I actually have to think. So I’ve been making mood boards on Pinterest for how I’d like to redecorate the house.

I’ve also been writing letters to Aunt Franny. They’re not drafts of my good-bye letter––I refuse to spread her ashes and let her go for good, which I know isn’t great since the date I was supposed to spread them has passed––but more random thoughts that pop into my head. I write them down addressed to her, read them aloud, and throw the paper away. I just need the ability to vent to her, because I feel so alone right now, and I wish more than anything that she were still here.

At some point, I’ll write my good-byes and go through the motions of spreading the rest of her ashes. I’m just not ready. Maybe when I’m less terrified about what will happen to my alien boyfriend, but I can’t do it now.

Since I’m stalling on saying good-bye, I also haven’t found the treasure. It seems silly to put off such a major task that I’ve been desperate to accomplish since I first arrived, but fear of the unknown has left me paralyzed and unmotivated.

My stomach drops when my phone starts ringing, but the tension fades when I see that it’s Willa. She’s been checking on me every few hours since she first heard of Trevor’s death, and even though I can’t have Aunt Franny here, I’m so happy I have Willa.

“Hey, kid,” she says when I pick up my phone. “Doing okay today?”

I let out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess. You going to the funeral?”

“Ugh, I don’t want to,” she groans, “but Beth’s daughters are in Jordan’s class, so if I don’t, it’ll become a whole thing with the other moms.”

“Yikes,” I say, not knowing how else to respond.

“I’ll swing by after, if you want?” she offers.

“Yeah, sounds good.”

The funeral is set to begin in just over an hour from now. I can’t imagine a more perfect time to close my eyes and let the world around me fade to black.

By the time I wake up, it’s already dark out. It seems I slept right through lunch, which is very odd for me. I’ve never been one of those people to “forget to eat,” and I’ve never understood the people who do. My stomach growls just thinking about catching up for the meal I missed as I get out of bed and pad to the bathroom to splash water on my face.

The moment I step out of the bathroom, the doorbell rings. It’s probably Axil, checking in about dinner tonight, though he usually comes in through the back door.

Oh, Willa said she was going to come by after the funeral. It must be her. A smile tugs at my lips as I head toward the door. I’m very much in need of one Willa’s too-tight hugs. But when I open the door, it isn’t Willa.

It’s Officer Burton.

“Good afternoon, Vanessa,” he says stiffly. “I noticed you weren’t at the services today for Trevor.”

“Right,” I squeak out. This is awful. Terrible. I want to scream for help, but what good would that do? “I, uh, wasn’t feeling up to it.”

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