Page 86 of I Think I’m in Love with an Alien

Jaz pauses, glancing between us. “I didn’t expect to come to a consensus tonight. But if they know—and we can trust them—they will help protect us.”

“That’s an unsettling proposition,” Ravik mutters. We sit quietly for a few moments while they weigh the decision.

“They’re coming back,” I point out.

“Yes. Tell them,” Ravik finally replies.

As Tad, Poppy, and Jen reach the steps, Jaz says, “Let’s not play another round. There’s something we need to discuss. Privately.”

“Everything okay?” Poppy asks.

Jaz nods slowly, but her gaze doesn’t waver. “This isn’t the place for a serious conversation.” She flicks a look at the men in their coordinated shirts and another group of young humans who have entered the premises as our match concluded.

“Should we head to my campsite?” Tad suggests, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the RV park that skirts the edge of town. “People will stay at the fairgrounds for hours yet. It’ll be as private as it gets during Space Con.”

“Perfect,” Jaz says.

Jen drives me with Poppy in the back seat while the others go with Tad. I wonder if this is really a good idea. I hope my trust is warranted. I’m not worried about Jen; she already knows everything. But telling Poppy and Tad—that’s the risk.

Once we reach the RV park, Jen stows her car behind Tad’s, and then he builds a fire while the rest of us get comfortable around the firepit. The embers of the campfire crackle and pop, casting a warm glow over our small assembly. As he predicted, the place is practically deserted, no lights on in any of the campers or vans nearby.

“Okay.” Tad takes a seat, folding his hands in his lap. “What’s up?”

Jaz takes a deep breath, scanning the three humans. I sense Ravik’s tension beside me; it mirrors my own. We stand upon a precipice, one I never would’ve imagined. Telling others who I am? No. I never intended to do that. But I’ve done it once already, and it made me feel so much less alone.

“You might not believe us at first, but…right now, Seeker, Ravik, and I…We’re not dressed in costumes. This is how we look.”

Poppy tilts her head, skepticism lining her features. Jen’s hand finds mine, an attempt to comfort me, perhaps. The contact grounds me, no matter how Poppy and Tad react.

Then Tad laughs. “Good one! You had me going.”

“I’m serious. We’re not…from here,” Jaz continues. “Not from this country or this planet. We’re extraterrestrials.”

Tad’s mouth drops open, disbelief etched across his face. “Tell another one.”

Poppy’s skepticism morphs into awe, her gaze flitting between the three of us as if seeing us for the first time. “I did think your cosplay was a little too real. Do you mind…”

She reaches toward Ravik, who tenses but doesn’t recoil. “Go ahead if you need proof.”

“Oh my God,” Poppy breathes. “That’s your skin. I know how grease paint and body paint feel and you’re not using any.”

“Obviously,” Ravik replies.

“You’re doing this too?” Tad frowns at Poppy. “It’s not cool to mess with people!”

“I already knew,” Jen says then. Her smile hasn’t shifted. “About Seeker.”

The group falls silent, contemplation hanging heavy in the smoke-scented air. In their eyes, I see the gears turning, reassessing every interaction, every shared moment under the light of this new starlit truth.

Poppy can’t stop staring at Ravik. “I have so many fucking questions. I don’t even know where to start.”

“We’re still us,” Jaz says softly. “Still your friends. That hasn’t changed.”

Tad hasn’t moved. Nor does he seem as openly delighted as Poppy is.

“That remains to be seen,” Tad says in a tone quite unlike his customary cheer. “You’ve run beneath the radar, fooled us so far. Why are you telling us now?”

Private Chat