Love at First Sighting

Chapter 2: Space Stop

I woke up to the whir of an engine and idle chatter, the memory of the night before foggy as I slowly woke up. I lifted my head up from the pillow and looked around, seeing we were back in the RV. 'The boys must have gotten up early and brought me into the RV so we could get on the road early,' I thought, straightening up and looking around. I was still in my clothes from yesterday and my alien plush was laying sadly on the floor, obviously I had pushed him out of bed in my sleep. I leaned down and picked him up, stroking his cheek softly as I remembered how I had gotten him.

I'd gotten him in university after my boyfriend at the time had broken up with me. I'd gone down to the arcade during one of my meltdowns and saw him in one of the claw machines. I'd spent nearly 20 dollars trying to get him out, but when I did it was like I'd met my best friend. He was fairly large, grey, wearing a pair of cargo pants I'd found at the op shop. For some reason he just looked right with some pants on. He stood nearly up to my shoulders, which wasn't much since I was 5'3, and had very soft fabric that made it comfortable to cuddle up to. The boys thought it was weird that I had a life-size alien plushy that I cuddled every night, but that's nowhere near the weirdest thing about me.

I got out of bed and walked over to the kettle, putting it on to boil and started making myself a cup of tea.

"Lilly! You're awake! Sorry we didn't wait for you to wake up, we were in a rush to get on the road this morning and thought it best to let you sleep," Graeme explained, looking over his shoulder slightly before turning back to the road.

"Nah, it's fine. I like it better this way anyways. I just think it's funny that you had to drag me down to the parking lot," I smiled, finishing up my cuppa and taking a seat at the table with my sketchbook. I looked out the window and saw we were in the middle of the desert, presumably heading to the Black Mailbox. From the look of the discarded alien head, I'd missed out a couple of stops already. I didn't mind though; I was more interested in the black mailbox than anything. Area 51 intimidated me, but the black mailbox. There was something about it that made me feel that something was going to happen soon. Something important.

"Sorry that you didn't get to do the first couple of stops, we didn't want to wake you."

"Plus, we know you mostly want to see the black mailbox," Clive added, sipping from his Star Wars travel mug.

"Aw, you boys know me so well," I smiled teasingly, bringing my sketchbook into my lap as I started drawing. A few hours went by and we stopped at an alien themed truck stop for some petrol and a bite to eat. The boys and I quickly took a picture by the fake UFO out the front and walked in, sitting down at the counter.

"Afternoon ladies, what can I get ya?" The waitress smiled, walking up to us.

"Hmm, I think we'll have a cuppa tea and some pie and then we'll look at the memorabilia," Clive smiled, leaning forward on the counter.

"Well, we have some bumper stickers you might like," The lady started, handing each of us a cup of tea each and putting a piece of pie in front of each of us before leaning down to pick something up from behind the counter. "Watch the skies or Alien on board?"

The boys shared a look and I nodded, pointing at 'Alien on board.' "That one please."

"Ok," The lady smiled, slapping the bumper sticker onto the counter before turning around to put the other bumper sticker somewhere else. "If you're sure."

I zoned out of their ensuing conversation and looked around at the alien stuff around me. It was a little overkill, but kind of interesting. Clive got up and went to the toilet when I noticed some hill-billie types walk in, going on about bull's and such. I rolled my eyes and turned around, but Graeme tried to fit in, laughing along with them. They stopped suddenly, staring at him angrily.

"What?"

Graeme gulped and turned around, picking up his comic book.

"Goddammit Graeme," I muttered, sipping from the alien shaped mug of tea.

"I don't know you."

Graeme muttered to himself, trying to seem busy and I shook my head, leaning against my hand as I watched the chaos ensue.

"How do you think that makes me feel?" The man started walking over. "Be rude to me."

They sat behind us and I elbowed Graeme and just as I did so, Clive walked out of the washroom.

"Eggy!"

I groaned and banged my head on the counter, my hands over my ears. Confrontation makes me nervous, especially with men two times the size of me. "I'm going back to the RV," I exclaimed, getting up from my chair and walking out. The two men stared at me as I left, my hands shaking slightly as I fumbled with the door. I got into the RV and flopped onto the bed, pulling my alien plush close to help me calm down.

After a minute Clive rushed in, getting into the driver's seat. A second went by and Graeme followed, sitting in the passenger's seat.

"What took you so long?" Clive asked, frowning in concern.

"I was putting the sticker on, you already Lilly?"

"I'm fine, just stressed is all," I called out, opening my 3DS to continue playing Zelda before I was pushed into the back of the RV, followed by a large crash.

"You guys hit their truck!" I yelled, jumping up and rushing over the two of them.

"Surely not, it could have been a pole!" Clive exclaimed, clutching the side of his seat.

"Want me to go and check?"

"Nah."