I want to say that this was a pretty good Thursday. Although it started off sucky, with me being at work, I didn’t have much fun. Especially considering how I work at my Uncle’s Computer and Hardwire store. All I ever really do is stand around, and wait for someone to come in and ask for Tech-Support. If I knew that this was what I would be doing all my life, I would’ve moved to India; if anything, they get better luck than here, and I’d have something to do in the meantime.

It’s a short 2-mile walk away from my home in Pike County. After my Uncle handed me my usual $25.00 paycheck, I walked toward the back door and scratch his cat, Boise behind his ears, and make my way back. My Uncle waved good-bye to me as I began down the road that my home led to, and I smile and wave back to him.

It was 6:00 by the time I’ve reached the first mile. I don’t have a car, because I know that it’s not that far from here, and it’s the healthiest way to get around. Not only do my legs get an exercise, so do my eyes. I look around and see numerous trees and birds behind the dark, midnight-ish canopies. It can be either creepy or just beautiful; it depends whether or not you’ve had a good day. Aside from the yellow lines in the center of the road to my left, I see no cars drive by. I look up, and I can see numerous stars in the night sky. It’s like for the last 10 years, the universe had improved in its own artistic abilities; I mean, there’s so many, it’s no wonder we haven’t found any planets, let alone Pluto! You can never tell what is, and what isn’t. It’s so beautiful…

While looking up, however, I began to notice something strange. It had flames at the end, and was rather big. At first, it looked more like a meteor or a comet, but I began to notice something either better or worse.

The better was it was something not even I could believe. It had silver, coma-like alloys, and it looked vaguely cartoonish. I knew exactly what it was, and what it meant.

The worse; it was heading straight for the forest.
It wasn’t going so fast that it could’ve killed me, but I was still blown away by the impact, and my back stopped onto a tree. I looked up, and saw fire drawing lines all along the concrete, metal and glass lying about the road, and the remains of something beyond even our own Solar System. …Beyond Pluto.
Not caring for the scrapes and cuts along my arm, my leg, and the right side of my head, I quickly ran over to the old machine, and looked about. Eventually, I found the unthinkable.
I nearly stepped on some… someone green and lying on the grass in pain. A white cloth wrapped around his head, already covered in blood. The spikes surrounding his body are covered in scratches and wounds, dropping a lot of blood.
Thinking who it may indeed be, I pick him up by his jagged-shoulders and take a quick look at his face. It was Emory; he had groaned when I picked him up. At least I knew he wasn’t dead; that would’ve made me feel worse. I held him up by his arm, or where his arm should be, and try to look for Oglethorpe.
I walked to the other side of the broken ship, and see an orange-themed organism. A piece of cloth resembled that of Emory’s, only it had been around his neck instead of his head. He had the exact same scrapes and wounds on his spikes and his face looked like he had been in more pain than Em.
I pick him up the same way, only to find that he is really heavy; just as he had been drawn to look.
That reminded me, they both have their outline, their animation, and their expressions. Are they from an alternate universe? Maybe this is plutonian physics? …I’ll think about it later. I had to continue getting back home to clean them and myself up before any police officers show up. If anyone ever learns about them, they’ll probably try to cut them open like a sausage, learn more about them and their organs. The only upside to it would be that they’d know Pluto existed; still, I chose not to risk it.
I walked the final mile and make it up the stairs to my door. Knowing that they’ll need as much rest as possible, I’ll let them stay in my room for right now. Before entering, I had set them in the hall so that I may attempt to clean up the majority of injuries along their bodies. I made some progress: cleaning their heads and shoulders with a soaking, muslin square, covering it up with soft-enough paper towels, and using an extra one to hold ice-packs up to their heads. Who’s to say that they don’t have a concussion or a migraine?
For some strange reason, I had two beds in my homemade abode. I guess I still miss my sister; before she left for college, she slept at the bed closest to the door while I’m opposite, to the right.

I set Oglethorpe on my sister’s bed and Emory on mine, trying not to wake them. If I did, that’d make it all the more awkward. I covered the twosome up with the two quilts and walked out to clean myself up. I took a good shower, cleaned up my clothes, threw on some new ones, and walked back upstairs to get to bed. It’s around 11:30 right now, and I’m already tired enough as it is.

I can only imagine what it’ll be like for the Plutonians once they wake up. I guess you can say, I was wrong; I was wrong for wanting to let science handle itself. If I did, Oglethorpe and Emory would be on TV right now, probably about to be put behind some glass chamber or something.

As far as I’m concerned about Pluto itself, I’ll keep that a nice secret, for just the three of us.

After I had woken up, I did find myself in the guest bedroom. The only thing different was that when I got up and walked into my bedroom, I saw that both beds were made and empty. …I thought to myself, “I guess it was just a bad dream…”

I walked downstairs about to get my morning coffee and to get ready for another uneventful day of shopping for myself, cleaning after myself, and working on my already overloaded list of art projects. It felt a little disappointing to think that such a suspenseful thing could ever be a regular dream.

…That is, until something stops me.

I nearly walked into the kitchen and see the two figures once again. Oglethorpe and Emory had been bickering about something, trying to keep their voices at a low tone. I don’t say anything yet, but I do smile. “I’m glad to see their okay after all,” I thought again.

Oglethorpe was still wearing his ice-pack and bandages while Emory was now wearing his sweatband, with his shoulder still wrapped up. He finally noticed that I had been standing there, and Oglethorpe turns to look at me, also. They both dumbfounded; I guess they really weren’t used to seeing a girl in the mornings. They continue to stare, back to themselves, and then back to me, over and over again, until I began to feel uncomfortable, even though I like them.

My face grew warm as I thought about what to do. The sheer silence feels scary, and I didn’t really know what to say. So, I didn’t. Instead, I just walked into the kitchen and sat in a chair. I clasp my hands together and look back to them, and they continue to stare at me, too. I was eventually pushed from the level of being nervous to being annoyed, rather quickly. I mean, if they weren’t going to say something, then I would. And I did.

“It looks like it’ll be a nice day out, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Emory replied, looking out from the window by the sink.

“Yes, today does look interesting,” Oglethorpe replied, in his thick, German accent.
It was exactly the same as it had been from the Television series, and I couldn’t help but smile to him. He doesn’t smile back, but instead, looks up to Emory, trying to read his profile. He had little luck, because my interpretation of whatever he could’ve been thinking was beyond even a human’s capabilities. Oglethorpe eventually continues, realizing the awkward situation, also.
“I am Oglethorpe, and this is my colleague, Emory.”
“Well,” I replied, “I am Ellie Tithes; age 24 and currently have no job.”
“Well, Fraulein Tithes,” Oglethorpe began again, “Might I ask what we are doing here on Earth?”
So that’s what I did, I told them about last night. I explained the fire, their ship, and about taking them home. Oglethorpe’s response was an agape mouth and open eyes. Emory spoke for him, however.
“Oh well, thanks. We wondered where we were when we woke up this morning.”
After that, he threw on a smile. I always liked it when Emory smiled. It was always a little, curved smile, which made him look so nervous but also so kind, too. I can’t help but hold back a smile of my own, either. Oglethorpe looks to him and back to me, looking a tad suspicious of me.
“So, are you going to take us to some kind of experiment after this?”
“How do you mean,” I replied.
“Well obviously, you are human and you do want to know more about your own universe, don’t you! You humans want to kill us for your own disgusting research!”
I was taken aback by him, raising his voice to me like that. Not wanting to show any threat to them, I told them what I had intended.
“Well Oglethorpe; I can assure you, I have no association with the authorities and I want nothing to do with them, either!”
He took a step back, trying to act like the victim in this. Even though his scowl in paranoia remains, he feels threatened by my kind. I can’t imagine why; I mean, in the show, the only other people he and Emory know on Earth are Carl, Frylock, Meatwad, and Master Shake. There’s no way they can be that fearful of my species…
“Well, in the case, we might as well take our business elsewhere.”
Emory replied, “Actually man, we probably should stay here.”
We both looked to him, surprised. How was it possible that one over the other trusted me? A human girl who lives in solitude, with nothing but her artwork to live for?
“I mean, we can’t really trust anyone else. Besides, our ship’s busted and probably taken off to the lab where we should’ve been, if it weren’t for her.”
It eventually began to knit together. Oglethorpe spat back at the poor, green fellow, “You can’t be serious! You want to stay on Earth, full of diseases and other stuff that will probably hurt us!”
Emory began to look scared, but replied, “No man, it’s just we really don’t have anyone else to go to or to trust. And anyway, as much as I want to go home, we’ll have to accept that this is a conflict of interest for us. We’ve just got to wait, okay?”
Oglethorpe looked lost in thought. He wasn’t used to Emory standing up to him and not following his demands and warnings, and had to think of a good comeback. Alas, he couldn’t. Instead he, once again, took Emory’s idea for granite.
“Okay then, I’m glad I made the decision to stay, after all! I’m going back upstairs.”
He walked out of the kitchen and walked up the steps, leading to my bedroom, wanting to do whatever. I really didn’t want him to go in my room again, so I followed him. I had my voice raised.
“Oglethorpe, don’t go in my room. I have an extra one, just so you know!”
Emory followed behind me just in case he felt the need to intervene. I walked into my room and saw Oglethorpe sitting on my sister’s bed, once again, reading one of my afghan booklets. I was rather short with him, but ended up changing the subject.
“You’re… able to hold a book without your other arm?”
“Nein, Fraulein; you see, in case you haven’t noticed, I have plenty of arms to hold them!”
I heard Emory standing behind me, and I didn’t really want to lose my temper in front of him. So I told Oglethorpe, “Listen, if you go set up shop in the other room, I’ll help you guys make it look a little better! A few posters, a bit of paint, some new furniture; whatever you guys like!” That did the trick; Oglethorpe literally jumped off the bed, shoved Emory out of the way, and headed for what used to be my brother’s room. “I call dibs on this room, sucker,” he yelled, while running down the hall.
I looked to Emory, who was flustered by his old roommate’s behaviour in my household. I didn’t have the nerve to make him feel any worse, but I still wanted to know what happened when they were off-screen.
“…Does he always act like that?” I asked Emory in an honest tone.
“Well, yeah. I mean, he means well.”
With that, he walked to the bedroom opposite to my brother’s. From the show, he always followed Oglethorpe around, like he was his puppy. That wasn’t true; I guess knowing Oglethorpe, he was always in danger of losing his friend. I didn’t blame the poor guy.
Still, I’m glad to know that no one had been killed, or at least, severely maimed. I should probably find a way to celebrate with them, while they’re here on Earth. After all, they are my favorites! It’d be a shame not to do anything for them!

After the guys set up shop in their rooms, I walked back down to my Uncle’s store. Or, I tried to, until I was stopped by the police, who were investigating the fiery explosion. That half of the forest had already been charred, and diminished. Next to the cars was a helicopter for the local news station. I could hear the man in front of the camera, making his report.

“This half of the Pike County Forest has been brought upon the enveloping flames of what appears to be some kind of machine. The whereabouts of the vandals show no indication; although we have found this--” the reporter held up my wallet. I guess I dropped it when I crashed into the tree “—wallet. The print is illegible, the lamination is ripped, and the picture is half-burnt, so we can’t tell who this is. All we know is all signs point to a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a series of freckles along her face. If you’ve seen this girl, call our station at 1-585-218-2990.”

I’m glad the officers couldn’t see my face, as it had been hidden beneath the thick hood of my heavy jacket. I should probably call my Uncle and tell him …the majority of the truth. He’ll never believe that I let animated, jagged aliens into my home and I’m letting them crash with me, anyway, so I’ll just tell him I’m moving into the city where it’s a tad further from his home.

The chief of police pointed me a detour where I could go, for now. It cut through the forest, so that made the scene all the uglier. I made my way toward the super-store and picked up what I had written along the way. Watching the show, I already had a few ideas of what the guys had in mind.
Oglethorpe:
•
Mirror Ball
•
Flat Screen TV w/ Remote
•
Bedside Table
•
Lamp
•
Desk
•
Beanbag Chair
•
Regular Chair
And that cost me about $480.00 in cash and tax.
Emory:
•
A couple of hard-covered Men’s Journals
•
Mattresses (2)
•
Desk
•
Desk Lamp
•
Bedside Table
•
Pencil Case/Lockbox
•
Wall Mirror
•
Computer
Lucky for me his was a little cheaper; $109.00. With only $84.00 left in my purse, I had to find a new job, one that’ll be much better than the computer shop.
I walked down the detour and back to my cul-de-sac home. I was surprised to see that they were still in their rooms; I expected the worst, something along the lines of arguing or just missing. Oglethorpe was just sitting on the bed that sat in the corner, griping that he’s bored. Emory found one of my favorite books on the bookshelf downstairs, and was so concentrated, that he didn’t even hear me come in.
Without saying a word, I walked back to room to assemble their unpack some of their newly-purchased belongings. Whenever I buy a new piece of furniture, I start with the big stuff, and then continue with the smaller. When I was finished, I went back downstairs to make some dinner for them. Knowing all the heavy junk, I’ll have to make it pretty big.
I looked in the cabinets and the fridge and saw the biggest foods we had were fish sticks, macaroni and cheese, and tuna fish sandwiches. I had the tuna fish sandwiches while the two had half-helpings of Fish Sticks, with a side of Kraft Mac-and-Cheese. …I’m gonna really need a job after this dinner!
I wasn’t even halfway finished with dinner when Oglethorpe came down; I knew it was something you could smell a mile away; humans anyways, but I had no idea Plutonians had such a keen sense of smell! He noticed it was something that included cheese, and was smiling the entire time. I could barely anticipate the look on his face was he eats it, because I can make some pretty good M.N.C.!
As soon as I was done, I called the guys down.
“It’s time for Dinner, you guys.”
I didn’t mean to use a particular tone of voice, like I did then. I guess I was still upset about what had happened; with the detour, the forest, and having to quit my own job. Oglethorpe had been waiting on the stairs the whole time, while Emory was still upstairs. I heard him come down, and he joined his friend for dinner. But, he noticed that, not only didn’t I have a plate prepared, but I wasn’t even beginning to sit down.
He asked me, in a concerned voice, “Hey, are you not gonna eat with us or something?”
I replied, “I have to go… back upstairs. I’ve got more than enough… work.”
“Is everything cool? You look a little upset.”
“…Oh no, I just… had to make some sacrifices. I’ll see you guys later, I guess!”
Emory just stared at me. He knew I had something on my mind, but I didn’t want to make matters worse than they already were. Besides, my words didn’t sound that encouraging. But, instead of insisting, he just looked back to his plate, and ate a fish stick.
…I felt horrible, inside. Why didn’t I just tell him what was up? Emory felt like someone I could talk to when I needed it. And boy, did I need it! I guess I just didn’t want them to feel sorry for me. An even worse feeling comes to mind: what if they think that I feel uncomfortable being close to them? That was not true, whatsoever. So far, having them in my life has made me feel better about myself than I ever could’ve felt growing up! …I figured I’ll worry about this later…
I pushed all of the heavy stuff into Oglethorpe’s room, and then Emory’s. On their new beds (big improvement, by the way) sat two of my most beautiful and favorite quilts and quillows! The first one was an orange-and-beige triangular pattern, while the second one was of the same pattern, but in purple. Orange and Purple are pretty much my two favorite colours, and that’s why I picked them.

I hooked up Emory’s computer and hung Oglethorpe’s mirror ball. In their second appearance on the series, they had another one of their own, who he referred to as “Orbnauticus”. I don’t really know what Oglethorpe saw in that disco ball or why he thought it was some kind of deity, but I left that alone for a while.
I could hear them about to come up the stairs, so I ran back to my room and left the door open a crack, so I could see their reactions. They were priceless: Oglethorpe had his eyes agape and an enormous grin while Emory began laughing like an excited teenager, at the sight of all the cool stuff. I smiled; because it made me happy to see the looks on their faces.
After a minute, they ran back out to see each other for a minute to talk about it.
Oglethorpe began with, “Someone left us new pads for us!”
Emory said, “It’s amazing and I think that comforters were handmade. It’s incredible!”
He quickly looked back to my bedroom door and saw that I had been peeking. My face got warm again, and so I closed it shut and began laughing to myself. I eventually found the doorknob shaking, so I opened it and saw Emory and Oglethorpe standing in front of me, with happy and surprised looks on their faces. Before things could get awkward, Emory broke the silence.
“Thank you for our new rooms.”
I replied to him, beginning to feel another warm face, “Its fine. I figured since you guys are gonna be here a while, why not let you have your own rooms?”
He smiled at me, and I smile back. I turn to Oglethorpe and begin to see him carryon the same profile he did the first time we met: the paranoid look in his eyes, that he doesn’t trust me. Did he trust anyone, aside from Emory?! He didn’t say anything and continues to stare me down. Emory finishes off with, “Well, I thought all the stuff in there were pretty cool. I’ll see you… later, I guess.”
I see how he blushes when he finishes, still smiling. I can’t get enough of it!
He turns around and walks back to his room, and Oglethorpe is still glaring at me, like I’m about to do something bad. I closed the door behind me and have a seat on my bed. …I’ve got a strange feeling that Oglethorpe didn’t want to know me, to begin with.

Sometime last week, the guys really got used to sleeping in their new rooms. I had to admit, the place did look better to know that I’m not alone. Granted, I’m not the most social of people, but it felt good to know that they existed, and that they took the time to get to know me. I’m glad I got the chance to get to know them.

Another thing happened that made my heart sink just earlier this morning. I remembered skipping dinner with the guys just so I could work on their rooms, and what I thought they had been thinking of me afterwards. If anything, I don’t blame them. Ditching them like I did wasn’t the kindest things I could’ve done for them.
Just minutes ago, I had been working on another art project. Even though I’ve got too many than I could ever afford, it still felt pretty good I had such a unique talent at a young age (despite the fact I’m in my 20’s). Anyway, I had weaved a basket made from yarn and construction paper; a simple crafting idea from the 4th grade.
I flinched as I heard a knock at my bedroom door. I was probably expecting Oglethorpe, who just wanted to give me his “Evil Eye” again. But instead, I saw Emory. He had been carrying one of his quillows, which had a rip in it. He said he needed me to sew in back up, which I had no problem with.
I walked over to my sewing box to look for a needle and thread, which was easy to find, considering how I’m an extremely organized person! When I had turned around again, I saw Emory looking at my finished basket, amazed and smiling.
“This is incredible! Did you make all the stuff in here?” He asked me, wanting some closure. I smiled, for I was happy to oblige and reply.
“Well, yeah! I’ve always loved patchworks, yarn, and sewing in general!”
He looked back to me, and said, “That is so cool! Did you also make our quilted comforters?”
“Yeah, I try to work on the simple stuff, so it’s really not much…”
He continued smiling, and sat on the bed across from mine. He eventually frowned and said something that made me perk right up.
“I’m sorry if I made you feel bad about leaving us at dinner last week. You obviously wanted it to be a surprise.”
I looked to him, who had been staring at the ground. I replied, trying to beg dissent, “Oh no, Em, it’s okay. I really shouldn’t have left you and Oglethorpe to eat by yourselves. I know how crazy it’s been since you crashed in town.”
He sighed in depression, and looked back to me. “Yeah well, you’re from this place, so you’re used to it all…” That remark, I think he might’ve exaggerated, just a little. I mean, it’s not true; I’ve been in those types of scenarios plenty of times when I was a kid! I wanted to tell him that wasn’t true, but considering how it’s been so long, I had no recollection.
“Well, don’t worry. As long as we all stick together, we’ll be cool! As far as I’m concerned as to getting home, I think that we should probably wait, and let science handle it. Is that cool with you?”
“Yeah, I guess so. At least we have someone like you to trust,” he said, beginning to smile again. I know it’s getting old every time I say it, but I felt my face getting warm again. I can only imagine how he felt about the awkwardness of all this. If anything, this is probably the best thing to happen to the three of us.
Before anything else could continue, I heard Oglethorpe call for Emory. He had been standing outside my door, listening in on our conversation.
“Emory, come here. We need to discuss something; me and you.”
Emory’s smile went away as he heard his colleague rudely interrupt our conversation. But, not wanting to lose his friend, he got up and walked out of my room. My smile went away when his did.
…That’s when it hit me; what does Oglethorpe want to talk to Emory about, anyways? He’s probably playing some game to try and trick Emory into not trusting me anymore, so they can leave. I liked them both too much to let that happen.
I walked out of my bedroom and followed the twosome back into the den. As much as I know how immature eavesdropping is, I didn’t want to take any chances. Oglethorpe thinks he can’t trust me?
I heard Oglethorpe being the first one to speak.
“You aren’t serious about this, are you?”
“About what,” Emory replied.
“You know damn well; you like that human girl!”
Emory flinched at the absurdity, “What? Oglethorpe, that’s insane. We just met her over a week ago!”
Oglethorpe scoffed, “Yeah okay, that’s why you two were alone in her room; blushing!”
“Blushing?”
“What are you, a parrot? Yes; your facial expression proved that you do, indeed, feel at least one thing for our human fraulein!”
Was that true? I’m not sure whether or not I’d like for that to be, but…
Emory continued, “You know what, I don’t have time for this. I won’t explain; I’m just going to walk away.”
He nearly faced the door and I stuck to them door, heart beating like I was about to be exposed. But, before Emory could leave, Oglethorpe apprehended him, verbally.
“I know you like this girl, Emory! And you know what; I doubt she likes you, too!”
That’s where Emory stopped in his tracks. He didn’t say anything and he didn’t do anything. The only action that escaped him was a berated sigh. I could quickly tell that he really was saddened by Oglethorpe’s opinion. I wanted to storm back in there and slap Oglethorpe silly, but then they’d know I was eavesdropping, and I really do care what they think.
Before anything else could happen between the two, I walked back to my room, and sat on the chair, in front of the basket project on my desk. I just thought to myself for a minute, “…Man, I had no idea Oglethorpe could be so harsh…” On the deleted scenes of the Aqua Teen’s Colon Movie, Emory said he can get lonely, just flying through the void of space. Now that Oglethorpe’s said something so cruel and horrible, it probably made Em feel worse about himself.
“Does he ever feel bad about all this?” If anything, he should. If this is one of those things that he says to Emory while they’re out in space, than I should really teach Emory how to stand up to him for this.
One last thing hits my brain.
“Do you like him, too?” I ignored that last question, wanting to take it later.

Before finding the Plutonians, I had been dying my hair blonde, but after all the commotion going on at the forest, a lot of people are suggesting I’m dead. So, I decided to go natural. My hair is returning to the rich and regular blonde state it had been when I was only 13 years old. It doesn’t look ugly or anything; if anything, it’s better than before. At least now people won’t think I’ve come back from the dead…

Anyway, I went to the library to do a bit of research on Pluto. Hopefully, science has found some of his own research that I’ve barely paid attention to. I brought a piece of paper with me so that I might be able to take some notes; I’m gonna need them. I found a couple of books and newspapers and began to jot down what I had so far.
Research on Pluto
3 moons: Charon, Nix, and Hydra
Furthest Planet from the sun, by 5,193,520,000 Miles
149,600,000 Miles from Earth
Proven to be a real planet

Apparently, I was right; I hadn’t been listening. Pluto was found to be a real planet; and with that, the furthest one from the sun.

I put the books back on the shelves and exited through the library doors. I began to then process what I had witnessed earlier. “149,600,000 Miles from my world…” I said to myself, in utter amazement. “That’d be too far for me to ever expect a visit from them.”

That reminded me; how are they going to get home? Unless there’s another space ship or intergalactic communicator in a 100-mile radius, I doubt there’ll be much luck… Hmm… well, in the show, they built their own stargate, but Oglethorpe called it a “fargate”. They could teach me how to build it, and I could use my old power tools to assemble it. But, that’s when I remembered, “What’ll they say if I ask about a fargate? Do they even know they’re cartoon characters?”

I’ll think about how to fix it later. Right now, I’ve got to go to the courthouse and pick out a job application. I can only hope it has these qualities:
1.
Acceptance to Age, Gender, Impaired, or otherwise.
2.
Challenging Scenarios
3.
Somewhere close to Home
4.
Appropriate Managements
Day 20

I finally figured it out; after a few days of thorough thinking and having no idea of how it happened, I talked to Oglethorpe and Emory about their distance problem. The looks on their faces were first heartbroken, but currently enlightened!

It all started downstairs at dinner. I have grown accustomed to eating with them, and we’ve all really come to know each other. Even Oglethorpe has enjoyed my company! We were all eating a nice, microwave pizza, and after the first few laughs and conversations, I brought it up.

“So guys, sometime last week, I went to the library and did a bit of research on Pluto!”

Oglethorpe dropped his pizza crust in his wine glass. Emory just replied, “Oh really? Well, what did you find out?”

“Well, first off, Pluto’s at least 1,000,000 miles from the Earth; pretty good, right?”

Oglethorpe remarked, “We do not need someone else to do research on things we already know, with all due respect!”

I looked at him; with all due respect? That’s a first, from him, anyways!

I looked back to the guys and asked, “So, when I found that out, I thought to myself, it’d take a while to get you guys back, if it’s that far away!” Emory’s smile went away, and he looked back to his pizza. Oglethorpe was looking pretty disappointed, too. That’s when I played along with what I had intended.

“Hmm… If only we had some kind of…teleporter or something along those lines? What’s it called again, a stargate…?”

Emory and Oglethorpe flinched at what came out of my mouth. Emory stared at me with shock; Oglethorpe spat back at me, “IT IS A FARGATE! I spent years telling HIM that!” I looked back to the orange plutonian. I guess it made sense about the “years” part; the show aired, like, 20 years ago…

I played along with him, saying, “Yeah, that’s it: a fargate! Could it be possible to build it?”

Oglethorpe smiled at me, “Well, yes! We just need a few toys, a cooling agent, a way to beta-test it, and then we can go home!--” he turned to Emory “—Think about it, Emory, we can go home to Pluto, and then beyond it!” I looked back to Emory, too, and he was looking a little disappointed. Has he gotten used to Earth that quickly?

I asked him what was up and he replied with, “It’s nothing, it’s just… How are we so sure that it’ll work the first time? We should try building something else, first, just to make sure…” It made sense to me; it would be like trying to shoot the moon; it won’t work the first time. That reminded me; won’t the Mooninites get suspicious as to where Oglethorpe and Emory have been?

“Well, that is a good idea, Emory; I’m glad I brought it up,” Oglethorpe replied.

This is what I had been talking about earlier; Oglethorpe takes Em’s ideas and claim it’s his own! It made me mad and I wanted to punch him, upside his triangle-shaped head. But, I restrained myself, knowing it would ruin the moment. So, instead, I made up a reason to leave the table.

“Great, I’ll go get some paper so we can get started on the blueprints!”

I pushed myself up, taking my empty plate to the sink, and ran/walked back upstairs to obtain the graph paper from the den. While I was up there, I got distracted for a minute and found something I haven’t seen in a month. …My old camera. If we’re going to test out how to get the guys home, then I would like to take a few pictures, for all of us to take home, as a good-bye.

I brought it down with me, and saw the guys waiting for me in the living room. Emory chose not to sit, still trying to be aware of his surroundings; even though he was sitting, Oglethorpe appeared to be standing on my couch. Not wanting to offend him, I ignored it.

For the rest of the night, we drew up plans on something a little simpler than the “fargate”: the Universal Remonster. Em’s drawing skills for the design on him was incredible! If anything, it far surpassed my own! Oglethorpe organized our tools and pieces. I still can’t believe I had the parts to make the Universal Remonster possible, in my own garage! I found some old, faux sewing material in my workroom, and I figured it would make him look the same.

It took us up until 1:00 in the morning to finish, so we were, indeed, tired. But, we were still pretty excited to see all the neat stuff he could do. Emory sat him up on the coffee table in the den, and took a few steps back, next to Oglethorpe. The Universal Remonster had been immobile at first, and the guys had no understanding as to why. I walked a few steps closer to the doll, and slowly, my hand picked up, and poked the little button in the middle of his chest.
…That did it; his eyes turned to look at us, and literally jumped off the table, and began to pace back and forth in the room. Oglethorpe had been a little disappointed that he looked cuter than he did, terrifying, but he was still pretty glad he worked. As soon as the little guy used his remote arm to pick up the glass, we all cheered for joy! Oglethorpe began to curl his arm-spike, in attempt to build a fist-pump. Emory, to my surprise, picked me up and spun in a circle, still excited. I cheered, too, despite the abrupt dance.
When Oglethorpe turned to us, he gasped, which caused Emory to put me back down, flustered. Instead of saying anything, he just turned to Oglethorpe while he gloats, “I knew it; I knew it was possible!”
…It was a little weird how he wasn’t at all upset with his cartoonish friend, but teasing with him. To top it off, he lightly punched Em on his shoulder, only turning him redder than before. I was feeling a little embarrassed, too. I looked back to the Universal Remonster who had still been levitating the glass cup. I figured that all we had to do was press the button to turn him on or off.
That reminded me; we should probably take a picture or two of this brilliant success! I pulled my camera out of my pocket, pointed it toward the Plutonians, and said, “Hey fellas, how’s about a picture?” They both perked up, smiling, and stood in two separate sides of the frame, while the Remonster stands in the middle. I hit the button and the picture had been shown perfectly. We all laugh, enjoying our success.

…How could’ve I been so careless? This is my entire fault…

So, after we finished the Universal Remonster, I told the guys I was going to go to sleep. Not holding back, I hugged Emory, and then Oglethorpe. Their eyes were wide open, trying to process the meaning of my sudden impulse. Even though I had been smiling, they were still a little surprised. I quickly ran back to my room before things could get awkward.

I threw my pajamas on and drew the covers overtop my body. I had been smiling, still, and went to sleep. Not everyone remembers their dreams after waking up, and neither could I, but I still felt pretty good.

I walked downstairs, expecting the guys, getting their breakfast, but instead, saw no one. I checked up on Oglethorpe in his bedroom, and he was still in his bed. Covered up and curled up as if he were cold. How could he be? It’s May; he should be warmer than colder! I went into Emory’s room and checked up on him, too. I saw the Universal Remonster sitting on his desk, turned off to save the batteries.

Anyway, unlike Oglethorpe, he heard me enter. He looked rather weak and tired. He had been the first one to say something.

“…Hey, Princess…”

Princess; where’d that come from? Whatever… Anyway, his voice sounded hoarse and nasally. He tries to get up, but moans, as if in pain. I tell him not to, if it hurts, sounding sympathetic. Much like a mother would when the child feigns the perfect stomach ache, in an attempt to skip school. …Only this time, it was real.

“…I feel horrible. Is Oglethorpe up yet?”

“No,” I replied, “he looked pretty cold, though.”

“…I feel cold, too…”

I think I understood the problem. The guys were so tired from working on the Remonster, they got sick. I walked over to Emory, and stuck my hand under his sweatband. He had a dreadful fever, and I gasped.

I told him I’d be right back, because today was my first day of work. But, if he or Oglethorpe needed anything, I’d turn on the Universal Remonster. ...I felt all the more worse. I’m using a little robot, which is as cute as a button, as a butler. …It’s better than having to call a human; they’d be too freaked out as to who they were to care for. Aside from informing the police, they’d probably run out on them, leaving them to feel worse.

Anyway, I poked the Remonster’s chest and he perked up. I said to the little teddy-bear robot hybrid, “Lil’ Remonster, I need you to take care of Oglethorpe and Emory at all costs. Do anything and everything they say, until I get back.”

The Remonster hopped right off of Emory’s desk and walked right up to Em’s bed. He smiled at the sheer cuteness and closed his eyes to continue sleeping.

I went right downstairs and began walking off to where I was to work from now on: the retro-chic Connecticut Peaches n’ Cream Diner. A bustling neighborhood restaurant, as to which people love to exit their everyday routines, and grab something to eat. I found to my surprise that there were more young people there than there were old people. Usually in these kinds of diners, you’d see the nicest geriatric people; it would be all of Florida packed into one building!

Anyway, after I met my boss, Mr. Kil-Wan, he showed me my first job: All other employees have to start out busboy/busgirl, than the vegan chef, and then the waiter/waitress position. It felt a little beneath me, especially considering I can make the best vegan peanut-butter bars, but rules are rules… …Oh well, at least I get a chance to daydream while on my position.

Bubbles had my palms cornered…

Suds caught my fingers in hands of their own…

The Smell of the Citrus Soap kissed my overstressed nose…

The Water wrinkled my hands…

The Texture of it all felt like a Dream…

At the end of the day, I walked the next 8 miles back to my home on the cul-de-sac. My brain released dopamine as the stress of the long distance began to hurt my feet. I kept myself distracted with what I considered more important. “How are Oglethorpe and Emory doing? I can only hope the Universal Remonster was okay…”

…Things began to go horribly. I entered the door of my house and stood in utter shock as to what I saw.

The Universal Remonster lay face down on the floor and I heard vomit up in the bathroom next to Emory’s room. I ran up to check on him and saw that he threw up everything he ate that day. The expression on his face made me worry that he was to pass out. But before he could, I helped him off his spikes/knees and carried him back to his bedroom, much like how I did the night I found him. He lied on his bed and closed his eyes, while I asked, “Em, what happened?”

“…That Remonster is a psychopath,” he replied to me, sounding worse than when I left. “We forgot to Beta-Test it, and now it tried to force me into drinking Pepto-Bismol. He poured in too much, and I got sick… Oglethorpe’s still asleep, though.” His eyes remained closed as he lied on his bed, in pain. Tears began falling off my face, feeling sorrier for Em than ever. …Very sorry.

As much as I tried to think before I act, I kissed Em on his sweatband, and told him I was sorry. Sorry for not coming sooner to stop the Remonster, and for the impulsive smack. He opened his eyes once again to look at me, and had his mouth agape. He could see how horrible I felt, and a few strands of hair began standing up, pulling themselves out of my hair-tie. My face was wet and flustered, and I’m shaking with fear. I know this for a fact, even though I can’t see through his eyes, which closed again, trying to go to sleep.

I got up and walked back to my room, and half-slammed the door shut. I walked over to my bed, fell on my knees, clasped my hands together, and began to speak with my face covered in my quilt.

“Lord, please take care of Oglethorpe and Emory. I… I…” I paused a minute, trying to calm myself down. “I am not afraid to admit that I love them both. Even though it’s only been a month and I’m not very social with people, they’ve made me more social than ever. If you could just take care of them, there would be nothing I can do to repay you, Lord. I’ve been very impulsive toward Emory, too, so please don’t have him be upset with me. I feel like my behaviour’s been inappropriate, and I’m sorry, Lord. …I’m not afraid to say that I… might love Emory. Please make him feel better… Please…”

I don’t usually pray until I eat, but I do need God now more than ever. …Please get better, guys…

I have never been more grateful in all my life! I will forever remember this day, because Emory had gotten much better!

After I had prayed to the Lord, I just rested my head there for a few minutes. I eventually fell asleep, and had the worst nightmare. I got up to get the morning paper, and saw Oglethorpe standing in the middle of the street, pointing a gun at me. He was angry and teary-eyed, and said, “You are a disgusting human. You kissed Em!” He shot the gun, and I woke up. I had been sweating and crying once again, and I looked down on the quilt. Tear-marks and sweat-stains had ruined my quilt. I quickly wrapped it up in a ball, and took it downstairs. I wanted to take it into the laundry-room, in an attempt to wash and iron it. When I was finished with drying it, I pulled it out of the dryer and saw that it popped a seam and the basting was coming undone.

I set it out on the kitchen table and began doing an even overcast stitch. Sometimes, quilting calms my nerves because there’s a pattern anywhere and everywhere in the world if we look around hard enough. And Quilting’s one of those patterns!

Before I could continue, however, I heard someone behind me. It hadn’t been Emory, but Oglethorpe. He looked better, but he also looked as tired as when I saw him the day before. He walked over to the fridge, not saying anything at first, and poured himself wine into a glass. I wasn’t even sure if he was awake enough to see me, sitting there. When he put the wine bottle back, he noticed me. I looked at him, with a curious face. If he was sick, then why was he getting wine?

“Oh, Guten Labein, Fraulein,” He said, cheerily. He then turned to my quilt. “Oh, you’ve worked hard on that quilt, ja?” “Yeah,” I replied, “You feeling any better?” Oglethorpe turned back to me, curious.

“Better; better from what, I was not sick,” he told me.

“You weren’t? Then, why were you curled up in your blanket, like you were sick?”

“Beats me; why did you kiss Emory?” I had my mouth agape; he wasn’t really sick, he was eavesdropping!

“You were spying, you little creep!”

“I suppose der truth hurts, fraulein. I learned something out of it, though. ‘You can learn the most interesting secrets if you stay around long enough.’”

I wanted to punch him so hard, right there. I wanted to punch him in his stomach, and watch him throw up onto my carpet. I knew I’d have to clean it up afterwards, but at least the little jerk would pay for that. …Sadly, that wasn’t the end of it.

“My favorite part,” Oglethorpe Continued, “was when you got on your knees and prayed, like you were some kind of Prinzessin.” He eavesdropped on my prayer, too! He then mocked it out, “Oh Lord, I love Emory. Please have him forgive me! Ha!”

That was the final straw; a tear ran down my cheek as he imitated my prayer. It was too much; without thinking, I stuck my fist up, and socked him into where his nose would be. On impact, he grunted and hit his back on the fridge door. He just stood there, and stared at me. He began to see how impulsive I was, and right now, I feel bad about it. I was raised better than to get physical with people like that! Instead of apologizing, I calmly folded me quilt and walked back up to my room. I lay the quilt on my bed and went back to sleep. I had fixed it up just enough to get a good night’s rest.

The next morning was a little better. I wasn’t sure what Oglethorpe did after that whole incident, but I didn’t hear anything after that. I woke up once again and looked at my clock; …9:18. Lucky for me, the diner doesn’t open until 10:30. I put my robe on, and walked downstairs, and I’m shocked at what I see…

Emory, who had been much better and much happier than before, was preparing my apron and breakfast. He didn’t hear me come downstairs, for he was a little too busy. Apparently, those fanfictions were right; he did cook all of Oglethorpe’s foods. Thinking about it, I decided that that was the time to apologize.

“…Em?” I asked him. He looked back to me, and smiled. He looked much better than he did the night before. He set a bowl of froot-loops on the kitchen table, and walked back to get my purse. He replied, “Hey Princess,--” Princess again?? “—how’d you sleep?”

I didn’t want to tell him about Oglethorpe, so I told him, “…I’ve had better nights. It’s good to see that you’re feeling better!” I walked into the kitchen and sat in front of the bowl. Emory got himself a bowl and sat down next to me. My guess from this was that he wants to get to know me better, considering how I’ve kept Oglethorpe and Emory in here for the last month.

We spoke a bit about each other; I told Emory about my new manager, Mr. Kil Wan, what it’s like to be a bus girl, and about how I sewed up my quilt. He told me a bit of his and Oglethorpe’s yesteryears; the movie was accurate that they have known each other since college. They also have had more prank wars with Ignignokt and Err than I could ever count, (and how they’ve won the majority of them) and how he had awesome hair in junior college!

Eventually Oglethorpe came down; not only did he look more tired than ever, but the center of his face had a small bruise from where I punched him. …What did I do! Emory noticed it when Oglethorpe walked over to the fridge to get another glass of wine. …Why does he drink so much wine? He didn’t say anything as he put the bottle back into his holder, because he was still pretty upset with me. He took the glass into the living room, sat on the couch, and turned on the television set, which had been set to Comedy Central’s “South Park”. From that point on, Emory and I just whispered our conversations until I had to go to work. I broke the awkward silence with, “Em, do you remember when you were still sick, and when--” Oglethorpe interrupted me. He assumed we were talking about him. “I know you two are talking about me, knock it off!” I became short with him; I sighed in the frustration of the orange pyramid. Emory continued from where I left off.

“Yeah, I remember. What about it?”

“I just want to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been acting so inappropriate toward you, and I was--” I was once again stopped by the pumpkin-themed cone, “What did I just say? I’m tired of people talking about me like that!” I sighed once more; I clenched the fist I had hit him with the first time.

Em continued a final time, “It’s cool; you weren’t really thinking before acting.” I didn’t understand what he meant by “thinking” but it was true. I acted out, pre-meditated. Somewhere I got it in my head that I should tell him about me hitting Oglethorpe, because he could probably tell for me. At this point, Oglethorpe won’t even look at me. And I thought he was getting used to me, too…

“Well, I did a bad thing and I need to talk about it.”

“What’s up?”

“Well, Oglethorpe had been--”

I heard Oglethorpe walking over to us, staring at me with an old suspicion. One that I haven’t seen since I met them… He gave me a reason to leave, “…Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work; it’s already 9:47.” I looked at the clock and saw that he wasn’t lying. I told Em I’d talk to him later, and that I had to get ready for work.

I skipped the usual conditioner, and just stuck with the shampoo and wash in the shower. I dried my hair, got on my apron, shirt, and skirt, and told the guys to stay out of trouble.

Right now, I’m walking the 5th mile to the diner, and thinking about how Oglethorpe kept interrupting our conversations. I know it sounds mentally insane, but I think he’s scared of me, or my humanity. I can’t imagine why; Except for Emory, I’m not used to hanging out with his kind. …What am I going to do with him?

I know it’s been a month since it all happened, but I can’t get the ship-crash out of my mind. The sight of all the flames, the ripped clothing, Oglethorpe and Emory lying unconscious on the Forest carpet, and then the police surrounding the area the next day were all too vivid to forget.

The police and detective’s stopped camping outside the area and went home. If people like them could forget without meeting the Plutonians, what’ll happen to me when they leave? I’m not so sure, but I believe the whole thing’s been distracting me from my work.

I had recently been moved up to vegan chef, and my job was to help my boss’s sister smoke the veggie burgers. She helped me learn handle the grill, the stove, and the oven. I’ve worked with them plenty of times before the Plutonians came into my life, but now, I’ve been mentally-restrained. Every time I look into the oven, I see the forest. Every time I look into the stove, I see their ship about to crash. Every time I look into the grill, I see the flames about to touch Oglethorpe and Emory’s immobilized bodies. …Its terrifying seeing two people you love get hurt so… vividly!

It’s become such an issue that even Kil Wan’s staring to notice. Every time he sees me take a few steps away from the grill, he shakes his head once, pinches his nose deck, and sighs. He actually came up to me yesterday and told me that he’s worried that there’s stuff going on at home. I was relieved, because I thought he was to say was, “I don’t think you’re as qualified for this job as you used to be; you’re fired.”

…Then, came the scary part.

Instead of saying that, he said, “In my hometown, it would be comforting to invite oneself over to their pupil’s home for dinner. I’ll be over in a week, and I hope to meet at least one family member. You have no obligation to come to work until after my visit, so just relax.”

Right now, Oglethorpe, Emory, and I are sitting in the living room, crying and hugging about how we just got out of everything that happened! I still can’t believe it…

After work, I got home, slightly-slammed the front door shut, and barricaded it with my own body. I then yelled, “Oglethorpe, Emory; come down here. We need to talk!” I didn’t mean to sound angry, but I did; I was just nervous. Emory came first, and Oglethorpe followed. They looked a little nervous, themselves, probably due to me raising my voice.

I told the two Plutonians, “Guys, I’m in the middle of a crisis at work. Kil Wan wants to come over for dinner…” They gasped; I didn’t blame them. I told them I was scared, too, and that he would be coming over on Friday, so we had to come up with a game plan, and FAST!

So, that’s what we did. We all came up with some ideas, and backup plans, in case things don’t go our way. Oglethorpe had three ideas: to call in sick, hide, or to burn the house down. Emory’s ideas were to either wear disguises of two of my family members, or to just quit my job. I wrote their ideas down on paper, much like I had while preparing their rooms.
Oglethorpe:
1.
Call in Sick (No)
2.
Hide (No)
3.
Burn down house (Back-up)
Emory:
1.
Disguises (Back-up)
2.
Quit Job (No).

The majority of them were indeed bad ideas. I can’t quit my job, especially since I now have $300.00. I can’t call in sick; I’m trying to keep a streak going, and I can’t hide. My daddy always said you should never hide or run away from your problems. Believe it or not, I’ll leave the “burn the house” option as an open window, but for now, I think we’ll have to go with Emory’s disguises plan. That’s when it happened.

“Am I a genius or am I a genius?” Oglethorpe remarked, cheekily.

“What?” I replied.

“It was my idea, was it not?”

“Oh yeah, good job thinking it up, Oglethorpe. You’re pretty smart…” Emory replied, meekly.

I looked back to him, trying to read his thoughts. Why does he do that; why does Emory let Oglethorpe take his ideas like that? It’s not fair to him… “I’ll talk to him about it later,” I thought to myself, “Right now I’ve got to plan my boss’s dinner.”

Knowing my boss grew up New Delhi and then moved to America, I decided to prepare a delicious, spicy, juicy curry-and-rice, Jell-O shots, and a Boston-crème pie. The Plutonians being here reminded me of that Boston Bomb-Affair in 2007. I thought it was a pure Aqua-Teen moment, because those light-brites were to promote the World’s Greatest Movie; not to blow up one-half of the East Coast.

The next 4 days were brought by preparing our disguises. I hadn’t used my sewing machine in a while, but I remembered how to use it, thank goodness. I was able to tailor a grey, drawstring-hoodie from Oglethorpe, knit a brown sweater and black scarf for Emory. Not even I could see their faces beneath their hoods. I could only hope Kil Wan wasn’t too observant…

The next day came by pretty quickly; about an hour before my boss came, I prepared his dinner, got in the shower, did my hair, put on something professional; I felt like I was going to prom all over again! Oglethorpe and Emory stood outside my bedroom in their outfits, already in their outfits. When I walked out their mouths were agape; I wore a blackish-brown skirt, beige-pink, hand-knitted turtleneck, and a pair of slippers, so that Kil Wan knew that I was relaxing. My hair was in a twisted bun, and I wore my mother’s crystal necklace for luck. I asked the guys what they thought, and this time, it was not only Emory’s face that turned pink; but also Oglethorpe’s. At least, that’s what it looked like, if they weren’t wearing those hoods.

I told the guys to go sit down at their places at the table, while I met my boss, at the door. Kil Wan was right on schedule and I began to get nervous, for Emory and Oglethorpe’s sakes. I opened the door and saw that he was already mentally investigating his surroundings. He peered at my living room and then to me. I said, “Mr. Kil Wan, thank goodness you were able to come! Do you want me to take your hat?” He replied, “No thank you, miss. I hope that you have family members, as asked?”

He looked behind me and noticed Emory’s green hair and sweatband. At first, he finds it peculiar to meet a man with green hair, but then I tell him it was once a prank. He nods his head in agreement and sits in between the guys. I sit across from him, trying not to look like I’m worried. I look to Emory, and I could tell he didn’t feel so good, either. Finally, Mr. Kil Wan broke the silence.

“So gentlemen, might I ask what members of Miss Tithes’ family are you?”

Oglethorpe replied, “Well, I am her brother, Oglethorpe. And this--” he points to Emory, “—is my friend, Emory.” Emory smiles to Kil Wan, trying to keep his face hidden beneath his rib-stitched scarf, but say at the same time, “Hey, how’s it going?”

“…Very interesting, indeed,” Kil Wan said, smiling.

For the rest of the evening, everything began to go smoothly. We laughed, we spoke freely, and Mr. Kil Wan really loved my curry-and-rice. He even got to know a thing or two about Oglethorpe and Emory. It made me happy to find a way for them to socialize with other humans without making them freak out, as expected. Though, we had to lie to him a few times, Mr. Kil Wan was interested.

At one point, while Oglethorpe and Kil Wan were talking, I felt something on top of my hand. I looked forward, and saw Em’s hand. I looked up, and he had been smiling, too. I smile back, and return my attention to Kil Wan and Oglethorpe’s half of the conversation.

Before my boss left, he wanted Emory and Oglethorpe to see them off. He bowed to them both, and… and… the worst came. Oglethorpe bowed back to Kil Wan, and his hood fell over, slightly. Kil Wan looked up, and noticed. I have my mouth and eyes agape, and I look to Emory, and he’s looking rather surprised, too.

“Excuse me, Mr. Oglethorpe,” Mr. Kil Wan started, “but, what is wrong with your neck?” Oglethorpe’s smile went away. He looked back up to make eye contact with my boss, who then turned back to me. “Do you care to explain his appearance?” …I knew we were done for. If he knew I was lying, I would risk lose my job; if I told him the truth, he’d go to the police, plus, Emory and Oglethorpe wouldn’t have the nerve to look at me ever again. I had to do both.

“My brother, his friend, and I; …We’re aliens, from beyond Pluto…”

Emory, Oglethorpe, and I closed our eyes and awaited the inevitable. I felt like crying, and was about to, when Mr. Kil Wan replied, “Aliens, from beyond Pluto; …Such an Insult!” We all opened our eyes again. It almost like Kil Wan didn’t have to get them started; Emory had tears flowing, because he knew I’d lose my job. Oglethorpe had been crying, too, but with an angry scowl across his face. Kil Wan continued, “Never, in all my years, have I met an employee who lied about something so absurd! You are to come to the diner, first thing Monday morning, and I will tell you whether or not you are fired!”

Mr. Kil Wan slammed the door on his way out. I let my tears fall to the carpet, and looked back to Oglethorpe and Emory. Without thinking, I ran back over to them, holding them in a tight hug. Oglethorpe tried to struggle his way out, as Emory just looked to me. He let his tears go, too, because I could feel it in my hair. This was a day that we all agreed to never forget…

I should be so lucky that at least one of the Plutonians had the stomach to talk to me. For the last two days, Oglethorpe’s been shunning me like a posh cat. Emory just feels bad for me that I got demoted back to the bus-girl position. I was lucky I wasn’t fired, so I don’t feel too bad, but every once in a while, I get a mere $25.00 in my paycheck. I can only hope that after a while, Mr. Kil Wan will stop giving me the grill for “lying”.

“Why did you include yourself as an alien,” you may ask? Well, being with Oglethorpe and Emory these last few weeks, I felt like a Plutonian, myself. I got to know about them and their culture, and what it’s like to live beyond our own solar-system! Besides, I wasn’t going to let them go that easily. If they’re going down, I’m going down with them. Emory finds that noble, while Oglethorpe thinks of it as sheer pity.

I do not pity the Plutonians. He’s just saying negative things that aren’t true, because he’s still upset! …I wished for many hours if there was anything I could do to make it up to him. If one thing’s for sure, it’s that he’s good at holding grudges! What’ll happen when he finds out about the show? …I think I know one thing: he’ll hold his biggest grudge, and probably run off, possibly as far as the stop sign. I’ll show them the DVDs one day; it depends…

The only upside to all this is that he’s now spending the majority of his time in his own room, trying to ignore my existence. It gives me and Emory the time to hang out and just talk! I was still waiting for him to call me “Princess” again, so that I may interrogate him about it. I know now, though.

According the deleted scenes from the 2-disc DVD collection of the movie, Emory has a younger sister. Apparently, I’m very similar to her in personality; we both love crafts, making dolls and figures; when she and Em were kids, she’d laugh every time he called her “Princess”. Now he’s calling me “Princess”, too. We were both working on a cheesecake, hoping it would make Oglethorpe feel better, and when we were looking into the oven, he said it. I accidently raised my voice to him about the “Princess” remark, and then he told me.

…What is wrong with me? Emory’s miles and miles away from his home on Pluto, and I just got angry at him, for raising my voice to him about him missing his own sister. I’ve been apologizing for a while after that, and even though he says it’s cool, I still don’t feel cool. I gave myself a headache thinking up the idea, but I eventually did.

When the cake came out of the oven, it looked rather… uncompensated. So, when Oglethorpe finally came down and I set us all plates, I explained my idea to them.

“Okay, now guys, it’s my fault the cake doesn’t look very professional, but I have an idea. I’ll take the first bite, and if I make a funny facial expression, at least it will give us something to laugh at. Okay?”

I was true to my word; I took the first bite of the cake and ended up making an awful expression. I could hear snickering from both Oglethorpe and Emory. Even though the cake tasted like pillow-stuffing and yeast, activating my gag reflex, it was still happy. Because one of them was to take the next bite!

Emory took the next bite, and his Adam’s apple made a gurgle-noise, his eyes got watery, and his mouth went crooked. I snickered under my breath, and Oglethorpe finally looked back to me, and laughed along. But, that’s when I said, “You’re next, guy!” Oglethorpe looked down at the breaded, chocolate “baked-bad”. Emory and I smiled at him, waiting. He eventually took a bite and did the most-hilarious gag-reflex expression and noise any of us had heard and saw. Emory and I laughed so hard that we nearly fell out of our own chairs.

We all continued laughing at our expressions and eventually rushed upstairs to brush our teeth. It was that bad! I didn’t care; Oglethorpe was talking to me again, and he had funny. We’re all happy…

Even though that was their highlights of the day, mine was a few minutes ago. I walked back into the hallway, wanting to wish the guys goodnight, but Oglethorpe had already left. Emory was still waiting for his chance to get in. He rushed in; I could hear all the things going on; the sink running, the bristles brushing back and forth, and the sound of Emory’s spit hitting the drain. He walked back and as I said, “Well, I’m gonna hit the sack, Em.” Before he could let me face my door, he walked over to me, and… did the same thing I had done when he was sick. He kissed me on the forehead, and told me goodnight.

I know that it’s been old having to say it; my face felt warm and flustered again. This was the first time in so long that one of the guys had actually done something that I’d expect from, well, myself. I said, out of the blue, “Thank you,” smiling, and walked back to my room. I lied down in my bed, and thought to myself as I closed my eyes.

Instead of having a rather happier dream, I had the worst nightmare, ever in my young life. I had a dream that the Plutonians were walking away from me, into the sunset. I tried to run after them, but my legs felt too heavy to make me fast enough to catch up with them.

I woke up. It was morning, and I walked into the bathroom, and splashed a bit of cold water on my face. I looked at myself in the mirror, my red face, and my wet face. I looked to my left and saw bags full of the things I bought for Oglethorpe.

It’s a good thing I always come prepared, especially in a particular situation. Right now, I’m waving up at the yellow-orange sky with tears in my eyes. That’s right: …Oglethorpe and Emory are gone, only leaving me to wait for a visit from them, every once in a while.

After I saw Oglethorpe’s bags, I walked out of the bathroom and got a closer view of Oglethorpe’s bedroom. It was being emptied out, for a reason I was about to figure out soon. I heard two new voices downstairs, speaking to Oglethorpe.

“I really appreciate this, you guys,” Oglethorpe began.

“You’re lucky we help you at all, Pluto, especially after all the prank wars,” said a deep, recognizable voice.

“Yeah, and your last one was the worst, yet,” yelled a higher, familiar sound.

I walked downstairs and saw Oglethorpe talking to two other aliens, Ignignokt and Err; the Mooninites. Oglethorpe already had three bags down, and I tried to stop him. I yelled to him, “Oglethorpe, what are you doing?”

I could barely tell whether or not the Mooninites were facing me, but they do stop their interrogation. Ignignokt smiled and Err’s scowl remains, but I think I could guess he was checking me out.

Ignignokt said, “Well now, you weren’t kidding when you said you were crashing with a cute girl, Oglethorpe.” Err continues, “Hello, Kitty!” I rolled my eyes at them, and returned my attention to the orange Plutonian. I asked him, “Oglethorpe, where’s Emory? Why are you guys packing bags?”

Oglethorpe replied, “Well, sometime last night, we received contact from Ignignokt and Err here, and they offered to give us a lift back to Pluto, so we may get a new ship! Emory’s already in the ship with all his stuff.”

My eyes opened widely. I quickly ran outside to reassure Emory; I ran up the 2-D stairs of the Mooninites’ ship, and I saw Emory looking at the photograph of them and me with the Universal Remonster. I could hear him sniffling; either he knew he could go home and see his sister once again, or he’s really come to love living with me here on Earth.

I said, trying to keep my voice low, “Em, are you okay?” He turned around to look at me, and I saw that the hairs over his sweatband were in even worse shape than normal. “El, I don’t want to leave. I… I…” I see how his voice is beginning to break once again. I draped his sweatband over his eyes to dry them; a clever trick, I must add. But, I began to choke up, myself.

That’s when I remembered; I haven’t told them about the show yet. I figured that if they were going to leave now, I want to tell them, and the Mooninites, the truth. I told Emory to go back inside with the guys until I got something for them.

Due to events I waited for, I filled two boxes of both new and old things and pictures that I’d like for them to keep; as well as my email address. Even though I might not be able to make out the system completely without having to download anything, I want to keep in as much contact as possible!

I brought the boxes back downstairs, and I saw that Emory had listened to me; Oglethorpe, Ignignokt, and Err had been waiting for me, too. I walked down, set the boxes down next to Err, walked over to the couch the guys were sitting on, and sat down. I looked at them both, beginning to cry once again. They could tell I was hurting, as well as Ignignokt and Err.

“Oglethorpe… Emory… You guys are my best friends. I know I’ve been rather short with you guys, on numerous occasions, but if you can find it in your hearts to--” I cleared my throat, trying to calm down “—to forgive me… A while back, I knew that we would find some way to get you guys back home, and so… I packed you two boxes of our favorite photographs and otherwise. …I know this sounds a little clichéd, but I can make so many things. But, those things, I can make anytime I want. I can make myself a new ensemble or another quilt, but I’ve only got two Plutonians in my life. No craft or drawing I create, even with my imagination, will ever surpass our fun times. You understand, right?”

Oglethorpe’s face began to wrinkle and Emory’s Adam’s apple started to make another gurgling sound. I could barely see their pupils over their tears. I heard Ignignokt and Err sniffling behind me, and as Err cries, it reminds me of his final appearance before the Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 reboot.

“Ellie,” Oglethorpe began, “I’m… I’m sorry, for being so stubborn with you. So, if anything, I need to know… whether or not you will forgive me…”

That began it; I clutched onto my orange companion, as my tears tickle his back.

“Oglethorpe, those insults are nothing more than slapstick.”

His eyes opened and looked back to me with a confused expression. “Slapstick,” he repeated. I handed him to Season 1 DVD case and said, “Yes; Slapstick. You guys are from a television series called the Aqua Teen Hunger Force and are the antagonists. But, if anything, you guys are my protagonists. I love you both.” Emory pulled me toward him, and began to let his tears drop onto my head. Emory replied, “I’m glad you don’t think of us as evil, Ellie. We never were the most pleasant of secondary characters!”

Apparently, they did know that they were part of the show; Oglethorpe was just confused by the slapstick remark because he was more focused on me. Finally, Emory said, “We love you, Ellie. I love you.” I replied the same thing, and looked to the Mooninites finally. I saw little, blue, pixilated tears running down their faces. They don’t care for the Plutonians, but I could only guess that they cared for me and my well-being for them.

I handed Oglethorpe and Emory their boxes, and told them not to look inside until they left. The last thing I heard Oglethorpe say before he could barely speak anymore was, “…I love you, too, Ellie.” I told him I loved him, too, and that’s when Err suggested, hysterically and in a cracking voice, “Look, can we just leave already! All this is so terrible that I just want it over with; I can’t take it anymore…!”

Err was right. Before I could say goodbye to them, I walked over to Ignignokt and Err, knelt down, and said, “I want to thank you guys, too. Even though you and the Plutonians have had numerous fights handed to you, you’re doing a generous thing by taking them home. I want you guys to visit me with them, anytime you like.”

“Thank you, Miss,” Ignignokt began, “I’m still not sure who you are yet, but I can tell that for the last month, you and the ‘animals’ have grown a bond. Though not long enough to count as family, you still took the time to get to know them. Please don’t hold us accountable for this… hurtful moment…”

“I could never do that. If anything, I want to thank you… for taking them to a better environment, than here. By the way, tell the Aqua Teens I said hey, and that I’m a big fan of all of you.”

“Will do, kitten,” Err replied, still interested, beside the crying voice. I smiled at him, stood up, faced the Plutonians, and said, “Are you ready, guys?” Emory and Oglethorpe nodded and got up, walked toward the door, and opened it. The Mooninites began to follow; I snickered as I heard the beeping of their feet with every step. I saw the Plutonians enter the ship and they faced the window to wave goodbye. That’s when I saw the ship rise slightly, because they probably didn’t want to wake any neighbors. …I don’t have any; that only makes it worse for me.

That brought us to the present. I’m waving goodbye, beginning to cry once again, and yelling to them, “Goodbye, Oglethorpe! Goodbye, Emory! Be sure to stay in contact; come back and visit! I love you, guys! And thank you!”

I see that the ship disappears beyond the clouds in the sunset’s sky. They’re gone, back in space again. It’s for the best that they’re in a better environment than on Earth, where they could get sick again. Besides, in Pluto, they’ve probably many more friends than they could’ve made here on Earth.

Emory, Oglethorpe, and I have had many great moments. I’ve taken pictures with them, so that I may not forget later. I can still taste the flavor of the cake the night before. Even though it’s the most disgusting thing I’ve tasted in my young life, I don’t ever want to lose this taste.

…I think sometime later, I’ll replace that picture in the rainbow frame with the day we made the Universal Remonster. I’ve learned something today; if I try to make good times surpass the bad, than I won’t be anti-social anymore. I’ll have friends; friends that were just like Emory and Oglethorpe; friends that I’ll cherish in my heart forever.