FALLEN

I should have been more specific when I asked the universe for a friend. I didn´t think it would grant me a loud, argumentative stranger that bullies people as a sign of affection.

I didn't mean "anyone" to just literally be "anyone"

"Hey, Maddison, it's going to be a great night tonight. Let's end our shift a little early okay?" my friend (sort of) slash tormentor, Rosie asked me. ¨Also, please clean that table over there, there's a gross goo of unknown substance on it, and I refuse to touch it,¨

Of course she does. She barely ever touched anything here.

"What's so great about tonight?" I asked while trying to balance a bunch of plates on the tray that I'm carrying.

My arms were about to fall off from carrying all this heavy dishes all day, and all Rosie ever did was reapply her lipstick every minute, and make duck faces on her compact mirror.

I'm not mad that she wasn't helping me on anything, but seriously?! Duck faces? Who the hell still does that?

"Don't you watch the news?" she gasped as if I just committed blasphemy.

And by "news" she meant all those paparazzi entertainment crap that's totally an offense against journalism with all of their stupid click baits and false stories.

For all I know, all this fuss about going home is early is just an excuse to spend more time with her boyfriend.

Sometimes, I feel sad for Rosie and her string of bad choices AKA – her "boyfriends". I don't know how she could manage to keep all three boyfriends at once without any one of them finding out.

Normal people can't even manage to keep one.

Which boyfriend is it going to be this time? The blonde Dumbo? the college hippie? Or that really sketchy dude she said she met on a craigslist ad?

I didn't even attempt to ask what the ad was about for fear of my life.

"Oh come on, Rosie. As if you watch the news," I informed her bluntly as I wiped the mess on table 5. Melted ice cream and ketchup doesn't look good on tables. It looked like somebody just died and bled to death.

I worked at Joe's Diner as a part-timer. It doesn't pay that much but I find it rather enjoyable.

Also, I need all the cash I can get since it's hard to be studying in the city as a college student while my Dad is working his ass off on the countryside. He has given up his nine-to-five city job for a peaceful life at a farm. 

I just had to help in any way that I can. I can't afford to be lazy like all other kids, like for example--this girl whose gawking at me right now for not watching the news.

"Why don't you just help me so we could close it a little early like you wanted to instead of gawking at me for no apparent reason," I told her.

She looked up from her mirror and said, "Maddison, one of the perks of being the owner's daughter? I could be lazy,"

"Whatever, Rosario" she hated it when I call her out by her full name. I could already see her shooting daggers through her eyes.

"Double time, Cinderella!" Rosie joked.

Rosie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz owns the place I'm working on. Probably the only reason I got the job is that I'm their daughter's 'closest friend'--which isn't true by the way.

Rosie and I weren't exactly the type of person who would get along according to the status quo. We have nothing in common and our personalities just clash. So, it came as a shock to me when one day she approached me in school for a 'business proposal'.

She decided to bring me in and have me work part time for their restaurant because I needed money, and she needed someone who would act as her friend to introduce to her parents so they wouldn't think she is an outcast in school.

But between the two of us, I was the real outcast.

Sure, she doesn't have any friends from school, but that was because no one was good enough for her. She was an outcast by choice which made her even cooler, and I was just…well an outcast.

However, Rosie decided that I was good enough to be introduced as her closest friend so her parents would think she has been studying with her nerd friend whenever she's not home.

I'm not opposed to this façade.

Science explained symbiotic relationships are essential for survival. I mean I don't exactly have the cheery personality fit for a waitress, and I'm not good enough to be a cook either, so no other restaurant would accept me anyway.

This business proposal was my best shot at landing a job.

"Haha, you certainly looked like the evil stepsister," I sometimes forget that Rosie is Mrs. Diaz' daughter. Rosie certainly didn't inherit any of her kindness, or her knack for cooking, but then again, Rosie and I weren't friends because we're kind to each other.

"Gotta go now, Maddie! My boyfriend's waiting," Rosie announced.

I bet it meant what it sounded. Plural.

"Go. I can close the store alone,"

"Thank you so much, friend! I promise I'd be including you in my wishes. I'd even sacrifice my first wish for you. I will wish that Maddison Charlotte Hart would finally get over that good-for-nothing heartbreaking bastard,"

What a sneaky revenge for calling her Rosario.  Even with her sacrificing her first wish-upon-a-star, she still insists we're not best friends.

I love this girl.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." I said so bitterly that even Rosie-all-sunshine-and-daisies can't help but frown.

I could see her contemplating on what to say. It would probably between the lines of "There's so much more fish in the ocean" or "He doesn't deserve you anyway" lines that I've heard a million times before.

"You know what, Maddie, you're pretty, and smart, and sugar and spice and everything nice. That boy doesn't deserve you. Not even a little bit," she starts nagging.

Yep. Definitely heard that one before.

"Of course I knew that," I lied just to calm her down.

"So why are you still so hung up on him?"

"I'M NOT!" I said a bit louder than I intended it to.

"Yeah right you're not! Look how worked up you are right now denying the truth," Rosie said. "You're going to find someone better Maddison. I just knew it. I could feel it my bones. He's going to come like a shooting star that would light up that dark, dark heart of yours. It's going to be a life-altering love story, Maddie,"

"Stop being so dramatic," I gave Rosie a fake smile, and being my sort of best friend, she knew it was fake, but she didn't pry. That's why I like her, she knows me too well and she knows how I've been lying to myself this past few months.

I'm not okay.

I'm not over him.

I'm never going to find someone better.

I once promised myself I'm never going to be that sappy teenager who got her heart broken by a good-for-nothing boy like what we have all read in those sappy YA books.

But here I am. What a cliché.

I can't believe people still believe in stuff like a "wish-upon-a-star" anyways. It's not even a star that's falling. It's a meteor. It's a rock in space that burns as it enters our atmosphere. Stars don't fall to Earth for chrissake and even if it does, we all should be worried, not excited.

When stars fall they die, and create black holes.

I think we all know the equation that comes after that, a black hole is equal to complete annihilation and I don't think anyone in their right mind has ever been excited about the prospect of dying.

After I closed down the diner, a little after midnight, the "stars" started falling. I admit it was a marvelous sight. It brought me memories I have so long suppressed.

I met him on a starry night like this, too.

I was in the middle of my inner brain ramblings when suddenly I heard a loud explosion from a distance. It seemed like something crashed and judging from the sound of it, it was something HUGE. An image of large trucks carrying logs ala Final Destination style popped into my mind.

My curiosity got the better of me so I searched where that sound came from.

Somebody might be injured and needed help. I just can't walk away from that like I didn't notice anything.

I ran towards the direction where the sound of explosion came from.

Just a few blocks away from me, I saw some weird vehicle-like object emitting a blue light. As I approached closer, I realized it was cube-shaped and covered in strange drawings all around. The carvings were glowing in blue. The thing was jet-black and looked metallic.

It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before.

I walked slowly towards it. I knew doing this wasn't the safest decision, but the science nerd me just begs to be there.

I could feel myself feel a little giddy.

Ah, like I said, no one should be this excited about the prospect of possibly dying.

But I was.

This might be some NASA worthy discovery I just made! and I´d gladly sacrifice myself for it.

I would have thought this was just some prop from a movie if it weren't for that weird blue light emanating from the inside of the vehicle. It's not something that can be created by special effects or any of that sort. It looked like something from out of this world—divine even.

Is that really a spaceship? It can't be! Could it be? Or did I just finally snapped and I'm hallucinating right now?

I rubbed my eyes hard just to make sure I am awake. Nope, I'm not dreaming and its still there!

THIS IS REAL?!

Should I call the NASA? Should I dial 911?

My head felt like it was about to burst from the initial shock of finding a spaceship.

I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm going crazy. I'm seriously going crazy.

Ok, keep calm Maddie.

So I just did what my gut was telling me to do.

I approached it -- with all the bravery I could muster.

4 steps

3 steps

2 steps

1 step away

This is why I am going to die first in a horror movie.

When I approached it, I saw someone standing with his back to me.

To be honest, I think I shouldn't have listened to my gut instincts. My guts are stupid.

Looking at this certain someone's silhouette, he looks like a man. A tall and lean man. Did he come from that ship?

Rosie should have been more careful about asking the universe for MY life-altering experience. Because the universe heard and gave the most life-altering experience that could ever happen to a human being -- meeting an alien.

His clothing looks weird but more than that, he's got a weird blue light surrounding him.

Oh no, is he an ALIEN? This is not what I thought aliens should look like.

This is definitely a movie scene. This can´t be real. I looked around to see if there were filming crews around.

I waited for an angry director to yell ¨CUT¨ and curse at me for ruining their shoot.

There was none.

I was about to run away and call for help when that "someone" suddenly grabbed my arm, making me face him, but I closed my eyes.

How did he reach me so fast? If it all comes down to it, I don't think I could fight an alien who has super strength. I am so doomed!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," he mimicked me.

I was shocked. He's got a human-like voice. I must admit it was a deep and sexy manly voice, not the electronic high-pitched voice I was expecting.

Even at the hands of this unknown possible extraterrestrial being, I still think he's got a sexy voice? What is wrong with me?

I opened my eyes.

What I saw shocked the hell out of me.

He looked ENTIRELY human.

And when I say human, I mean the perfect kind--the Greek- god type of human.

He's got deep set brown eyes, perfect eyebrows, and perfect nose. He suddenly smiled at me, showing a perfect set of pearly white teeth.

His smile is weird. It was that kind of goofy smile that showed off all his teeth -- a smile that could reach up to his ears.

The blue light surrounding him shone even brighter.

"What a-a-a-are y-y-y-ou?" I stuttered.

He looked weird with that robe-like black outfit and white purplish hair. I was expecting someone menacing would come out of that "spaceship" but he just looked at me with a child-like confused expression.

He stared at me for a little while.

"Hey, CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME?" I said, slowly. I think calling him "hey" was rude.

"WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?" I said even more slowly, trying to find some sort of comprehension in his face.

I sighed. How can I expect an alien to understand me? Yeah, really smart Maddie.

I mentally facepalmed myself. How could I talk to him? It? Or whatever this "someone" is? What baffles me more than trying to get this "alien" to talk, was the fact that I still wasn't running away from him.

I really can't resist someone who needed help.

I feel like this protective instinct of mine would get the better of me someday.

"Excuse me, but" I began.

And then suddenly, the ALIEN in front of me KISSED me!

All my reflexes and taekwondo skills, kicked in (pun intended). I literally kicked him where it hurts and slapped him so hard, he was momentarily dazed.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU KISS ME? PERVERT!!!!" I shouted. I can´t believe I actually thought that this is some science discovery. Is this the new modus operandi perverts are using to kidnap unsuspecting girls like me??!!

I was about to hit him again when he suddenly spoke.

"I need to do that, so we could understand each other," he looked flabbergasted, as if contemplating why he was being kicked when he did the right thing. He looked at me innocently which made me question about my decision to slap a complete stranger in the face.

Even when that stranger could possibly be the death of me.

"What? Understand? What you did was plain rude, you stupid alien or whatever you are" I angrily blurted out. "You don't just kiss people!" I wiped my lips and almost gagged. 

"At least you had one fact right. Indeed, I am an alien. I was merely transferring data from your mouth into my system, so that I could copy your language and talk to you,"

Transferring data? What? System? From my mouth?!!

"That is a gross way of learning," I facepalmed myself. Literally this time.

He laughed.

"You humans call it a "kiss"? That's a cute way of naming it." He smiled again.

If he's not an alien, he must be some sort of perverted psycho targeting girls at night.I prefer he's an alien than the latter thought.

"I am not a perverted psycho, I don't even know what that is," he smiled again. "I haven't had all the records transferred since you cut that kiss short. It would have been better if it lasted for two minutes? Maybe three minutes more?" he winked at me.

HE JUST FUCKING WINKED AT ME! I knew he was just some pervert! I mean aliens? Who am I kidding? Why would they visit us in this godforsaken place anyway?

He's not an alien. I am just going crazy!

"No, you're not crazy. You're very lucky"

Did he just?

"Yes, I just read your mind. That is one of my gifts."

NO NO NO NO.

So, he's really an alien, if so, then I have just been kissed by some extraterrestrial being.

Oh no! I might get some intergalactic virus that could bring the end of the world what shall I do?

I wiped my mouth harshly and forced myself to puke.I did not live in this world to bring the apocalypse. Surely, that should not be my destiny! I was in hysterics but that stupid alien or whatever -he –is, was just laughing.

"Miss, I do not carry any virus with me, don't worry."

I sighed in relief. He continued on laughing.

"Why are you laughing at me?" I angrily shouted at him.

I can't help but stare at his lips as he kept on laughing. The words 'three minutes or more' was echoing very loudly in my mind.

"You naughty girl, why are you always thinking about "our" kiss?" he said in a singsong voice.

Did he just call me cute?

And WHAT?! KISS?! OF COURSE NOT!

"Stop your nonsense. I.AM.NOT.THINKING. ABOUT.THAT. KISS," I stormed off opposite his direction. I need to get away from him.

I walked away as fast as I could but he caught up in no time.

"Where are you going Earthling?"

"Home? Or perhaps South Korea? Or make it the Maldives. Just anywhere away from you,"

"Well, that wouldn't be good. You can't do that,"

"Why is that so? You don't own me."

"Well, the thing is, after that kiss which was cut shorter than I would have liked it to by the way, I do own you. You're mine now, Earthling,"

After hearing those life-altering words, I pass out.

Curiosity killed the cat indeed.