• Deep breathing. Feet pounding on the cold sidewalk. Someone was running behind me. I glanced half-ways behind me, nobody was there. Then where was the noise coming from? I looked behind me again, nobody. That's when I realized that it was me he was breathing heavily, my feet pounding against the hard pavement. But what was I running from? The angry cheerleaders that I had just threw tomatoes at? The loser guys who wanted me? No, I was running from my best friend. Why? Because he was an alien...

    It all started earlier this morning. I woke up, got ready for the day and went down stairs. My parents and my annoying little brother were already there, eating breakfast. A normal day. I sat down, gulped the OJ that was in front of me and gobbled the toast.
    "Why rush?" My mother asked. I shrugged.
    "Got things to do," I replied. She gave me a skeptical look. Rushed breakfast usual meant I had something to look forward too, something that involved some stupid stunt to impress people or something. Not today though. I had business to take care of.

    I stood up from the chair and took my plate to the sink and grabbed my messenger bag and flew out the door. I walked quite calmly to school, considering. As I drew nearer to school, I noticed some guys checking me out. It gave me goosbumps. Guys never looked at me that way...well they never looked at me period. I shrugged and continued on my path.

    Finally I reached school. I shoved my stuff into my locker and went into class. They day went fast, considering all the teachers talked about were the upcoming exams. I made my way to my locker, fighting the crowd of people who were hyped up for the cheerleading try-outs. I grabbed my back pack and shoved through out the door.

    I did a roundabout, going around the school. I saw the field and all the crazed people who were likely to embarrass themselves and be badly disappointed. I snickered to my self, trying to imagine their faces. Still laughing from the thought, I ran sneakily down the field and took off my backpack and pulled out the bag of tomatoes that I "borrowed" from the school cafeteria.

    I waited for the right moment. I wanted to make sure the tomatoes would hit the two cheerleading captains. About a few days ago, they had done something that had angered me, not to mention embarrass me in front of the whole school. I shook my head angrily, as if I were trying to shake the thought out of my head.

    Finally, I reached my perfect opportunity. I began to chuck tomatoes at the lot. I laughed as I heard the screams from the crowd. After I finished the bag of tomatoes, the captains finally realized what happened, they looked up and saw me. They glared and started to yell at the crowd of wanna be cheerleaders to get me. Before I knew it, I found my self running back to the school building as 50 plus girls chased me. I laughed, feeling the exhilaration of a job well done. Karma might come back and slap me in the face, but for now I enjoyed my self.

    I entered the school building again, the halls deserted. There were no clubs of after school activities today, the captain cronies wanting to have the tryouts for themselves. I walked through the empty halls, happily enjoying a moment of relief. My breathing slowed. As I was about turn around and sneak out back, the guys from earlier, stood there before me, smiling as if they were the hunters and they have just captured their prey.

    I recognized these guys; they were high school drop outs who were known for selling drugs to the kids on the streets. I backed away, my heart beat spiking slightly.
    "Nice aim," one of them said. I glared at them.
    "Thanks..." I continued to back away as they continued to walk towards me.
    "Why are you backing away from us? We aren't going to hurt you," another one said. The group laughed.
    "Yeah right," I muttered quietly to myself. The one he spoke earlier come forward and grabbed my arm and spun me towards him.
    "Hey! Let me go!" I yelled, the group laughed again.
    "Now why would I do that?" he said. Then, as I thought that this was it, I heard a huge BOOM come from down the hall. The guy released me, and looked around. Then I saw it. Josh, my best friend, looking like he was about to kill. A weird aura was emitting from him then a huge energy came and struck the guys. They yelled their faces terrified and then they ran.

    I stood there, frozen from fear. What had just happened? Am I going crazy? Am I delusional? There must have been something funny in my OJ this morning. Just as I was coming out of my shock, Josh turned around to look at me. He still had the look of irritation on his face. He began to walk towards me, but I backed up. He stopped walking and gave me an odd look.
    "Jamie, I am not going to hurt you," he said quietly. I looked at him incredulously. What was he playing at? He almost killed those guys just now!
    "Don't come any closer and I won't be tempted to use force," I said, with false confidence. Josh sensed the fear in my voice and laughed.
    "You really think you can hurt me? What force would you use anyways? Are you some Martial Arts genius? How come you didn't tell me before?" Josh laughed again. I glared furiously.
    "Hahaha, very funny, I should be asking you the same!" Josh stopped laughing and gave me the same weird look as before. Before I gave him a chance to speak, I started to run, flying by him before he had a chance to use his freaky power again. I ran out the exit, not even bothering to stop and taunt the cheerleaders who went back to their tryouts. Behind me, I could hear Josh calling my name. I didn't stop, I didn't look back, I just kept running. Half-way to my secret hideout, I came to the conclusion that Josh was an alien. Yup, an alien, that was the only way to explain it. He must have come down from Mars or something, on a mission from his master to
    destroy Earth. I kept running and running, and finally I reached
    my secret hideout. I ran through the door and dropped to the floor.
    "What the hell?!" I muttered to myself, it was the only question that ran through my mind. Suddenly, a thought came to me. Should I tell the FBI? Would they even believe her? Maybe she should try the Men in Black....But would I really do that to her friend? Was he even my friend at all? I had told him so much over the course of our friendship, but was it just a rouse that he put up; pretending that he even liked me? Why had he even chosen to be my friend in the first place? First I was a girl, and second there were other girls who would think being friends with Josh Macintyre was something of an award. He was the schools heartthrob anyways. Why he chooses a dowdy, tomboyish girl like me, I have no idea.

    Footsteps came, and as I heard them come closer, my heart stopped. I held my breath, almost willing who ever it was to go away.
    "Jamie?" came the familiar voice of Josh. I shook my head angrily. Of course he would come looking for me here, he was the only person who knew about this place. I refused to answer him though. Then the old, wooden door swung open and Josh came into my view. He was wearing the same expression as before, though I thought I saw a hint of amusement in his face.
    "What?" I said, my voice colored with anger and slightly with fear. He took a step closer, but I didn't move. Then, he closed the door behind him and sat down on the ground in front of me.
    "I guess I should explain, shouldn't I?" He said with a sigh. I nodded slightly, looking directly at his eyes. While most people were afraid to look people in the eye, I had the problem with not being able not to. It didn't get embarrass and I didn't blush as most girls did.
    "You think I'm an alien from Mars sent by my master to destroy Earth," he said, not asking me, but stating it. He looked amused. I looked at him like he was insane. Does he read minds to?
    "Pretty much," I said, determined not to show the fear I felt. He laughed the sound sounding like a melody.
    "Funny. Where did you come up with that idea?"
    I shrugged. "It was the only other explanation."
    "Is it?" He too was looking me directly in the eye. For a moment, I got lost in his crystal clear blue eyes, but then shook my head.
    "What? Aliens are more real than magical powers and beings, so..." I trailed off. I looked up at his face again, waiting for his reply.
    “Why would, stupid, little twerps like aliens, be more real than magic?” He asked, his voice a bit angry.
    “I dunno….are you trying to tell me that you have magical powers?” I said, feeling like I was step ahead of him. Josh was now looking at me again. He was quite for a while then said, “I suppose I am.” Once again, I stared at him like he was insane.
    “Ahahaha!” I laughed. “Very funny! Now seriously, you’re an alien right? I won’t call the Men in Black on you, I promise,” I said. Josh didn’t laugh. I didn’t even look at me.
    “Why are you so narrow-minded? I am not an alien. I am not some form of outer space species. I a do have powers,” Josh said angrily. I glared at him. Why was he acting like this? He had never been angry with me before, and now he was trying to tell me had powers? But I did see proof, but surely he was just an alien?
    “You’re crazy.” He looked at me incredulously.
    “Me? Crazy? You just saw proof, yet you refuse to believe evidence!”
    “Yeah, well, maybe I am crazy! Maybe all I saw today was just an illusion! Yes! An illusion. That would explain everything. There was something funny in my OJ this morning!” I half yelled, mostly talking to myself. Josh looked at me as if I needed to go to the hospital, but then soon relaxed his expression.
    “You’re incredible,” he said with a sigh. I laughed, hysteria bubbling in the laugh. Then before I could stop and think about what I was about to do, I grabbed the pocket knife that was lying beside me and pointed it at Josh’s heart.
    “Make any movement and I’ll hurt you,” I yelled. Josh didn’t look frightened, but concerned and shocked.
    “What the hell, Jamie!” He yelled, and grabbed the knife from me. I glowered at the floor, and then attempted to get out of my hideout. Josh blocked me.
    “You need to calm down,” He said. I looked away.
    “Let me out.”
    “Not until you calm down.” I took a deep breath and put on a fake smile.
    “See, calm. Now let me out!” Josh looked at me, but then moved away from the door. I quickly ran out and didn’t stop until I came into view of my house. I noticed, as I walked through the door, that my parents weren’t home and neither was Nick. I didn’t care; I would rather that I didn’t speak to anyone at the moment.

    I walked slowly up to my room, and plopped onto the bed. As lay there, my mind began to go over everything that had happened. Then Josh’s expression as I left my hide out. Had I imagined it, or did he really look hurt?

    -To Be Continued...-