The next day he went to his little sister's room. The morning sun was sneaking down the cracks in the window and he kissed her forehead while sleeping. He dressed himself up on time and felt the aroma of fresh coffee mixed with the perfume of the pancakes. He took the opportunity to talk to his mother.

Lorena, with her eyes shining from an affection that only mothers know, watched her son.

"My time is getting scarcer with the university classes. I would love to talk more to you and Sophia."

"I really wanted to do this, and talk about the fact that you didn't know your father. You know he has disappeared in a mysterious way."

"Please, I don't like to talk about it." Nicholas turned his eyes to the steaming cup.

"I know. I think your father's absence made you more insecure to face life. Everything will change from now on and someday you will need to make do by yourself... You can count on me for whatever you need."

"I'll overcome that. Let's change the subject. I met a girl. Zara ... Her name is Zara, mother. I think I'm in love for the first time."

"Be careful, my son, not to get hurt. You are still very young. When will I meet the girl who stole your heart?

"I still don't know if it is real."

"She seems to be special, son. Your eyes shine when you speak of her."

"She is ... Different, mother. As if she has come from another world."

"Dedicate yourself to the course and go slow with dating. Anyway, I wish you good luck with this girl. Do I know her parents?"

"No. She's from the east coast. No one knows her and I think she's mysterious."

They smiled at each other. Then, he gave her a tight hug and left. Surprised by the change on her son's behavior, Lorena watched him and saw a pleasant smile that never left his face. She was aware of what was happening to him and smiled, remembering the pleasures of being young and the happiness brought by the first love.

As soon as he got a seat on the bus, Nick wondered what it would feel like to see his beloved in the classroom after all that had happened on the previous day.

"I wonder if she feels something for me indeed, or if everything we had was just a fling. Will Zara respond to my love for her?" He sighed, picturing the features of her face, her cleverness, her sweet voice...

He got to college before the usual time and went straight to his classroom. Sanches arrived a few minutes later and, as soon as he saw his friend, he realized he was different from usual. He started to make questions in order to find out what was going on, but Nicholas said nothing, keeping himself distant most of the time.

He would rather not tell Sanches anything until the relationship was stable. His friend would no doubt ask for details he was not willing to talk about, or maybe he wouldn't even believe him and, on top of it, he would make fun of him all day long.

"You arrived earlier today, my friend. You always wait for me in the courtyard. What happened today?"

"Huh? Nothing at all. I'm just sitting here and thinking about life."

They talked until Dr. Glein came in. He greeted all the students and started the morning class talking about the Theory of Relativity. Everyone had their attention on the teacher's explanations, except for Nicholas, who stared at the vacant seat beside him. Where was Zara? Was she avoiding him?

Much to his relief, though, the girl arrived a short while later, late and looking distracted. She smiled to him and sat down beside the young man without saying a word. Also speechless, Nick smiled back at her.

At break time, the boy crossed the courtyard looking for Zara and stopped as soon as he found her.

She was having an orange juice alone at a table, while some students at the table next to hers watched her and tried to guess where she was from. "Typical youngsters who have nothing to do," Nicholas thought, for if they wanted to get to know more about her indeed, they should just ask her some questions, as he had done. It had taken him some time, sure, but he had done it.

"Do you know where the freshman is from?" Sam asked.

"They say she's from Florida, but no one knows for sure."

"I heard she has already lived in northern Europe, in Norway I think", George said.

"I can't understand why you guys think she's so special. She's just an ordinary girl and she's not half of what you think of her at all", added Beth who believed herself as the prettiest woman at college before the redhead arrived.

"As for me, I don't care where she's from. If Zara wanted to, I would go out with her right now," Sam answered.

"Hey, look at that! Isn't it Moon Boy? I wonder what he wants to talk to her about. Come on, we just can't miss it. It's going to be hilarious to see him getting dumped", Adam spoke smiling.

At that precise moment that Nicholas took a deep breath to overcome his shyness and approached. He kissed her on the lips and caressed her face. Then, he pulled a chair and took a seat. The boys, intrigued, kept their eyes on the couple.

"Could we speak for a while?" Nicholas said.

"Sure, sweetheart."

"I wished to tell you I can't stop thinking about what has happened with us, and I need to talk to you about it. I have something very important to say."

"Nick, I also loved everything that happened between us. How about we meet after class today, at the same place? Is it ok for you?"

"Sure... I'll be there at the shack."

Zara put her hand on the back of his head and kissed him in a soft way.

He blushed and stood up, smiling.

"It can't be true. That's not true. Nicholas was kissed by the most beautiful girl on campus!" Adam commented.

"Maybe he's not as foolish as you guys think. Maybe you are the morons," said Crystal, a classmate who was at the table with them.

"I think there's something weird happening. The moron had never kissed anyone other than his mom and grandma for all his life, and in a sudden, the most beautiful girl ever, who leaves all boys gasping at her, comes up and Nicholas himself hooks up with her! Come on!" Adam spoke, annoyed.

Sanches got into the cafeteria and watched Nicholas and Zara kissing. Nick, who was just leaving, bumped into him.

"Hombre! You are going out with Zara, the hottest woman in college and didn't tell me about it? What kind of friend are you, hiding your secrets from me? A real hermano wouldn't do that. Don't you trust me?"

Sanches was very annoyed when he realized he had been the last one to know about the two of them, and Nicholas tried to apologize.

"I swear I was going to tell you, but everything happened so fast... I didn't think I'd hook up with her."

Sanches turned his back to Nick, who put a hand on his shoulder to talk, but the former got rid of his hand in a sign of his indignation.

"I'll try to talk to him later after he's cooled down," Nicholas thought.

Later, the boy rode his bike to the shack, and planned something to say while he waited for his love. On the porch, he felt like he was being watched, but he looked around and saw no one.

"I need to have the guts to tell her everything I feel. This time I won't lose my dream girl."

After a while, the woman arrived, went inside the shack and they kissed in a delicate way. He breathed and said:

"I love you, Zara. And I don't want to hide my feelings. It was great to show affection to you at college today, and I want to do it everywhere, every day, no matter who is watching or not, do you get it?"

She knew Nicholas loved her and, somehow, she was getting involved with him too, but to her it was as if they had met long before.

Then, she realized that now was the perfect moment to tell him her secret, the real purpose that had brought her here, something that would change his way of seeing the world. Just as the young man, Zara should have the guts to say the truth. And so, she did.

"Nicholas, I must tell you something. I'm not from here... I come from a place you've never heard of before."

"I was very curious to know where in the East Coast you're from. But it won't be easy to find a place I haven't heard about. I know USA's entire map by heart!"

Zara turned her back at Nick and gazed into a corner in the shack. For an instant, he wondered if he had said something that had hurt her. The girl went to the front door and the young man waited in fear that she was leaving. After a while, she turned back.

"In fact, I come from a place much further than a mere distant city away. I come from a planet called Life, in Andromeda Galaxy, thousands of light-years from here. As you may say: I'm an astronaut! And I'd like you to meet the crew I travel with. We are all scientists and we do research throughout the Universe. We decided to come to Earth because we need your help. Would you join us?" She asked, bluntly.

At first, Nicholas was shocked. Then he thought she was playing a cruel and foolish joke, telling him she wasn't from his planet. Since she remained speechless, he could barely believe it was true.

"What nonsense! She must be nuts. On the other hand, that would be the answer for everything. All that love couldn't be real anyway", Nicholas thought, devastated, unable to believe in what he had been told.

Confused, he could not understand why Zara was doing such a thing. Obviously, that wasn't true, but she seemed too smart and too self-assured to be insane. Deep inside, he didn't believe she was crazy. He wondered if all of what was going on was a game. Maybe all she wanted was to joke with him. And Nicholas thought he was playing the fool.

"You mean we're not alone? You mean your ship could be here now, just above us?" The boy laughed and left the shack toward the road. The redhead followed him.

"Nick, wait!"

"Are they here?!" He started searching the sky for the ship. "Where is it? Is the truth out there for real? I just can't see anyone here!"

Zara screamed to make him stop pacing around.

"Close your eyes and give me your hand, Nick!"

The boy closed his eyes and smiled. She grabbed his hands and then his world collapsed...

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Read #TheDeathMoon by #chaienesantoswriter