Out of my paranoia, a flutter of panic went through me as I turned to face him. But this time, I knew who it was.

Staring back at his amused face, a grin spread helplessly across mine before I rushed to finish putting my bike away. Then I ran to the porch, up the steps and into his arms. He took a step back from the unexpected impact, but didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me nearly as tightly as I hugged him. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes, neither of us moving in the silent darkness.

"I've missed you so much, David," I whispered.

He pulled me away from him, placing his palm against my face and without saying anything in reply, he simply kissed me. But it spoke more to me than any words he could have uttered.

Then we parted for a brief moment, our faces still lingering close together. "I was afraid you left without saying goodbye," I said, my voice strained.

"Jamie," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders and looking at me with an intense gaze. "Please know I would never do that to you."

I smiled softly. "Then what took you so long?"

"Well, I have been gone quite a bit lately--busy, really--but the truth is, I've been trying to let things blow over. I've kept in touch around here one way or another and heard about some of the things happening around town. I admit I kept my distance from you and your friends after that night your parents came to the forest, but I didn't want to get you in any more trouble. I'm sorry for not contacting you in some way."

"Oh. I understand. I would always watch for your star in the sky and whenever I saw you, I'd wait, hoping that you'd come to see me. But then you disappeared every time. Why tonight?"

"Because I saw you coming to see me."

"You were in the forest, too? So you saw everything, then?"

He nodded. "Yes, unfortunately. They're still trying?"

"Yes, still trying and still contacting me." I paused, the elation of seeing David again wearing off and reality settling back in. I glanced around and over the fence at the neighbors' houses. "I don't want anyone to see us," I said. "My mom's at work--but of course you know that." I stepped toward the door. "You can come in, if you'd like."

"Of course," he said with a nod.

We stepped in through the backdoor and I lead him into the living room, darkness and silence enveloping us tighter than outside. Suddenly, however, there was a rustle and jingle of dog tags as I switched on the lamps to reveal Sheba standing up from her bed. Immediately, she approached David and sniffed the hand he extended to her, before he lowered himself to his knees to pet her. He glanced around the room, before I drew his attention by closing the window curtains.

"Are things really that bad?" he said, concern shadowing his features. "You aren't having people coming to your house, are you?"

"No. Not yet, anyway. But we can't be too careful. Whether they saw you or just me, it wouldn't be good."

"Yes, about that..." he trailed, taking a seat on the couch.

I sat across from him in the chair. "Sorry, I'm not used to having guests. Would you like anything?"

"No, thank you."

"About that?" I said, recalling what he had previously said.

"Yes, I've only heard some things, but I decided it would be best to catch up on the latest with you."

"Okay. Well, the drama really began that night our parents came to the forest. It's a good thing you left as quickly as possible. We couldn't even put our candles away fast enough." I sighed. "That didn't go well, to say the least. I don't think I've seen my mom so furious. We had it out when we got home. She was mad at me for lying and ditching her on a night she was supposed to fill in for someone at work. She took it off so we could have a weekend night together like we usually do, but I said I had something else going on. That was towards the beginning that we met you. She wasn't happy to find out what it was about."

"What exactly did she find out?"

"Nothing about you, of course--I kept that completely secret. But she demanded to know what was going on, so I told her I was contacting aliens and that nothing happened. The gang all stuck to that same story, too. But it was too close for comfort. Plus, my mom threatened to take me to a psychiatrist and forbid me from going to the forest anymore. I figured it was best to lay low, anyway."

"Yes, I figured so. When I never saw your signal, I began to think you had given up, too."

"I didn't want to. It killed me not being able to be out there with you. But I knew I shouldn't risk it."

"Yes, I understand. Seems like we both found ourselves in the same place. What else has happened since I've been away?"

"Well, then the whole town began to find out. My mom was embarrassed that I was trying to contact aliens, and I'm sure the others were as well. I don't know who leaked the story, but I have a feeling it was Cynthia, Kyle's mom--even if he shamed her, she couldn't resist the urge to blab." I laughed shortly. "The day after the incident, the gang and I went to the diner to talk about laying low for a while or until we heard from you. That's when we were approached by some guys from school. I'm sure they just loved making a scene. Everyone else in the diner looked at us like we were outcasts. I think that's when I realized how much it had already spread. As for the conspiracy theorists, it only made them try harder. Letters and phone calls every day and night. It didn't bother me so much, except when I'd be home alone and feared someone would find my house. We would have to unplug the phone sometimes. But we haven't had any encounters since the store parking lot. I still think about him, he's been one of my letter writers. And those people in the forest tonight, too." I ended abruptly, finally noticing David's gaze as he listened intently to my story. Feeling self-conscious, I shrugged quickly with my hands. "That's it, really."

David chuckled. "Well, sounds quite exciting since I've been away."

"Yeah, maybe. It hasn't really."

"Why?"

I stared at the floor, biting my lip as I tried to think of something to say. I didn't know how to explain how the last several days had really been. "I don't know. It's been empty...without you."

"Oh, is that all?" he said, but his smile told me he was teasing. "You're sitting so far away. I feel like I'm on a night show. Come over here." He moved over and patted the cushion beside him. When I sat down, he continued, "You have a nice house."

Having expected him to say something profound or even supportive after everything I had just told him, I smirked at his simple remark. I wondered if he had even paid attention. But perhaps being an alien rock star made the crazy happenings in my world seem ordinary. "Are you kidding?" I replied, lightheartedly. "It's nothing. It's just an old house."

"But it's nice--nice to get away from all the crowds and smoky rooms and the whole rock 'n' roll scene for a bit. Even space."

"Really? No, space has to be better than anything, especially this house."

"I don't know. It's empty, though...without you." A grin spread across his face.

"Are you mocking me?" I said, slapping the back of my hand on his arm.

He tucked his leg up underneath his other and stretched his arm across the back of the couch. "Maybe," he replied.

There was a lull in the conversation, but it was a comfortable one as I looked at David's arm on the couch extending towards me. It was the first time I took in his appearance, the geometric patterned suit of red and blue, large red lapels, and a silvery tie. I placed my hand on his for a brief second, before he coaxed me closer to him and wrapped his arm around me. We sat there in silence, his unusual alien warmth radiating like the star that he was. I looked up, expecting to see his beaming smile in the light, but only saw the shadows that eclipsed his features instead.

I sat up suddenly and peered at him intently. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and cast his eyes down for a brief second, but it was enough to make my stomach flip. "There was another reason why it took me so long to come back," he began. "I've been thinking over what we should do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that our secret is almost out--has come dangerously close to it--and our discretion is crucial if others, including a whole town, is to not find out the truth about the situation." He paused and I even noticed him swallow. "I think we should say goodbye."

I gaped at him, my mouth opening but not producing a sound. I thought David had decided to see me, because he really loved me after all and wanted to be with me. I thought it would be the first of many more visits together after our small hiatus and I was elated to resume our conversations again. I didn't realize how much I had missed his mischievous smirks and playful banter until he was before me once again, where he was tangible and could hold me in a way that made everything okay.

But now that was all crashing down. The warmth between us vanished, though unrequested, and was replaced with the cold void of space. The melancholy in David's face only confirmed in me that he was serious.

"You really mean it," I said.

"Yes, I do," he said. He waited for me to respond, but tears began to well up in my eyes. Concern appeared on his face as he rushed to explain. "Jamie, please know I really wanted to see you and I really want to continue seeing you--and the rest of the gang. But our secret has gotten out too much and spread too far that I'm afraid people will learn of the rest. It's only a matter of time before someone catches sight of me, especially with those others coming out to the forest. You do understand what would happen, if that were the case."

I let out a sob I had been holding back. "Okay, yeah but...I don't understand why we have to say goodbye."

"Jamie, don't be upset. Please don't cry. I don't like to see people cry. But the world isn't ready to know I'm an alien. They're not ready to see any aliens. They can hardly agree about aliens from their own planet, let alone outside of it. It's best for everyone, not just me. I'm thinking about you, too. These letters and phone calls and all the people trying to contact you. It would only continue, if not escalate if they saw me. I don't want to burden you any more than I already have."

"But it's not a burden."

"Only because you don't realize it."

I scoffed. "You sound just like Nancy. She knows about us."

"Well I'm no saint, because it took me a long time before I realized it, too. This all began with an innocent meeting, but as they continued, so did my love for you. Eventually, I found myself wanting to be with you regardless of the consequences. I wasn't careful and now look where we are. I'm afraid we've both made mistakes."

I sighed. "Maybe you're right. But I'm not ready to say goodbye."

"I'm not either, but I'm afraid it has to be done."

I looked up at him, his words finally sinking in. "Do you really love me?"

"Of course I do. I thought you already knew that."

"No. I mean, I thought that was all just in my head. I never really knew how you felt. I almost wondered if I was just another fling to you."

"Well, I suppose it sort of looks that way now, doesn't it?" He paused, smirking at his joke. "But I don't mean for it to be that way. I'm sorry."

He took my hands in his and smiled warmly at me. Doubt had entered my mind when he first proposed the idea of saying goodbye. Was he finished with us--upset with how far things had gotten out of hand that he was ready to drop everything, even this little "fling" we had? But I had grown to know him well enough to not believe that thought, and by one small gesture of holding my hands, he made me feel like he really cared.

As the conversation lulled, I glanced around the room. The lamp cast a yellow glow across the wall and beamed towards us, illuminating the right side of David's face. The other side, however, was shadowed despite how close we sat together. Suddenly, I realized the similarity of my observation with that of our relationship. I only knew half of his personality and life--a small fraction of everything that contributed to who he was--while the rest remained a mystery. There was so much he knew about space and the Infinites, and now that others were beginning to discover our secret, I couldn't learn about it. I had always thought we would have plenty of time, but now I realized time was running out.

"What about everything you were going to tell us?" I said, aware that I was changing the subject. "About space and the Infinites and black holes and planets. We'll never get to know about it all."

"What is there left to know?" he replied, but before I could quickly refute, he continued. "The universe is endless and I've seen very little myself. Space exploration on Earth is just beginning, but you will learn more in due time. You don't need to learn it from me."

"But I want to. You clearly know more than we could ever learn."

"And what would you do if I told you? You couldn't share it with anyone. Plus, there's some things about space that can't be described. They can only be experienced."

"I suppose you're right." I paused, my thoughts returning to the one thing I knew about. "So I guess this...between us is over."

He avoided my gaze and dropped his head to look at our intertwined hands, clasping both of his around mine. "Well, think about it. I'm twenty-six, you're still in high school, I'm a rock and roller, and you're not. We live very separate lives. Even if we were to continue this, think of what would have to happen. Would your parents be happy about it? We couldn't go on keeping it a secret, so everything we've fought for so far would be all for nothing. And we can't afford to do that."

"But we could find a way."

He shook his head. "No, it's just not possible, Jamie. Besides, it just isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's something else between us." He paused and I furrowed my eyebrows in concern, fearing whatever he had to say would reveal the truth about how he really felt about me. But then he said, "Josh likes you."

All my guilty feelings for drifting away from Josh came flooding back. I had ignored him when David came into our lives, gravitating instead into the orbit of a brighter star. I blushed, realizing Nancy and the gang weren't the only ones who saw the drama unfold. David had a knack for observing things and now I sat open and vulnerable in front of him. Now it was my turn to focus on our hands, wondering about the damage I had done and if it was already too late.

He continued, "Have you noticed a change in him lately? As our visits have gone on, I've felt him distancing himself. Whenever I'd look at him, I'd get the sense that something was bothering him. You remember that night I held your hand briefly in front of the others? That's when I fully realized he likes you--and how much. And I think you have, too, because you took your hand away. He's a nice kid and I feel guilty for taking his girl away from him."

"We're not together."

"But he wants to be. And I think you do, too. I hope you don't forget that night I saw you kids in the forest before we met. You two sat together and there was clearly something between you. I hate to take that away, beside everything else already against us. I do hope you agree. He's good for you and you two belong together--not you and me."

I nodded. "Yeah, I understand. I've felt guilty for a while, too. I guess I was selfish. I didn't really care about my friendship with Josh. I could only think about you."

"And I could only think about you, too. I should have done something about it sooner. But now we need to look at the big picture. I need to get back to my life here on Earth and as a Starman, and you need to get back to yours. School will be starting soon and you have your whole life ahead of you."

I wiped away a tear that had escaped down my cheek and nodded. "I'll probably have to sleep on this," I said with a small laugh. "But you are right. I trust you know what you are doing. This is for the best." I looked back up at him, finally able to meet his face. "Thank you for everything."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm happy to have shared these many moments with you. And I figured you would want to sleep on it, so I decided to meet with you all one last time in the woods--if that will be okay. I think we can afford one more visit. Then, I'll get to explain everything to your friends. I'm happy to have spent this time alone with you, though."

"Me, too," I said. "And of course we'll meet with you. Tomorrow?"

He nodded and we shared a smile in agreement. Then he stood up. "You're leaving already?" I said, quickly standing up as well.

"No," he said, glancing around. "Just looking for your radio."

"Oh," I said, feeling embarrassed. "It's there in the kitchen."

Spotting it, he walked over to the counter and turned on the radio. Then he approached me and said, "Let's dance," before smoothly taking hold of my hand and swaying our bodies to the soft music playing through the speaker. I felt all too aware of his hand placed gently on my hip and the absence of space between us. Though we had been close together before, it felt intense as we danced slowly in the middle of my living room.

"Did you plan this?" I said. "I mean, the song, too."

"Maybe," he said, smirking. "No, I didn't. Just pure coincidence."

A few moments passed between us before David spoke, not interrupting his movement. "You know, I was thinking...we've come from different sides, different worlds. Maybe our convergence for this short time is a beginning of something new. Maybe the Starmen won't have to disguise themselves amongst humans. If you and your friends are willing to accept that aliens exist, maybe others will, too. I can't imagine it would last, but perhaps I'll be able to prove myself in the future."

"But you said this supposed to be kept secret."

"Yes, for now. But maybe things won't always have to be that way. Who am I to say? I'm only a Starman." He grinned, before spinning us around in a moment of happiness. Responsively, I forgot all proper dancing etiquette and threw my arms around his neck.

"I'm going to miss you, David."

"I'm going to miss you, too."

Then we stayed that way, dancing continuously and kissing occasionally. Even though this was our last night alone together, feeling his warmth as he held me closely seemed to melt everything away, all the while making the sadness okay. I was happy for what I had had, not sad for what I would miss. Because though nothing would drive them away, though nothing would keep us together, we could steal time--and be us--just for one day. And most of all, we could be heroes, maybe not just for one day, but forever and ever.

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Well she handled that a lot better than me in my experience. And that's all I'll say about that...

Anyway, we're getting close to the end of the story! I can't believe it.

Thanks for reading :)