ACT ONE

The Alien on Parkway Danger Drive

Sunday September 6th, 1981

Parkway Danger Drive received new neighbors claiming to be from a foreign eastern country. Neighborly and muscular as ever, Eileen Troy helped the foreigners move in and offered to cook them a housewarming dinner.

Eagerly the family accepted and on that brisk Sunday evening, Eileen struggles to get her outfit together while Aaron Troy struggles with his archnemesis…the tie.

The destined meeting looms on the horizon and the Fate of all mankind is about to be inextricably altered forever…

<O> Troy Residence: 7:47 PM <O>

“Dean! Dean!!” Eileen called from downstairs in the living room as she struggled with her black and white striped bell bottoms. She swore they fit just a month ago…

“Dean? Are you ready? We’re about to be late.” Eileen in her struggle against her pants lost her footing and fell over the couch. Her fall shook the entire house but didn’t disturb Aaron who switched songs with a touch of the player.

“We’re already late.” He called out to her. “Besides, they're foreigners so they’re probably running late anyway.”

<!> Aaron Dean Troy; an asshole who wants nothing more than to be a true bastard. He loves music, especially the underground band Heartstopper so much that he secretly got a tattoo of the band's logo behind his right shoulder. His mother is still unaware. <!>

“Don’t say anything like that around the neighbors you hear me?” Eileen warned as she shuffled to her feet, ready to battle against her clothing. “They aren’t just new to the neighborhood, they’re new to the country so I want to make a good impression, okay?”

Aaron rolled his eyes at the sentiment. “If the first taste they get of the states is this shitty place-”

“Language!” Eileen called from downstairs. 

“This crummy place…then they’ll end up hating the country anyway,” Aaron said with a huff earning a sigh from his mother.

“Don’t you ever have anything positive to say? We’re trying to make them feel welcome, get your head in the game!” Eileen encouraged. She still slipped into that sports mindset now and again, even though it was in his genes sportsmanship was never one of Aaron’s notable traits. 

“I think I’m fine over here on the sidelines.” Happening upon one of his favorite singles, Aaron turned the song up to full volume, drowning out his mother's optimistic response to his sarcasm.

Aaron laid back on the bed and stared endlessly at the ceiling as he lost himself to his music. Aaron nearly teleported to the vinyl store as soon as he saw an ad in the newspaper for the Walkman.

Ear muffs that used music to drown out the world? It was about as close to paradise as he’d ever been. The thunderous sound of his mother's footsteps coming up the stairwell broke the illusion.

“Stellar! I finally got them on.” Eileen stepped into the doorway and her wide smile faded. “Dean! That’s not the tie I gave you. That better not be the clip-on.”

Aaron repressed the urge to sigh as he sat up. Here they go with this again. “Mom, traditional ties are so asinine. I’d have an easier time tying a noose around my neck.”

 Eileen stepped into the room and folded her arms, towering over Aaron. “We went over this already. This is a classy dinner and we want to look presentable.”

Aaron narrowed his eyes and looked up at his mother defiantly. “You want to look presentable. I couldn’t care less about these people and I’m sure they couldn’t care less if I wear a clip-on tie.”

Eileen narrowed her eyes and leaned forward to meet her son’s gaze. “You’re wearing the tie. End of discussion. Now where is it?” 

Defeated, Aaron pulled the crumpled red and blue striped tie out of his pant pocket and held it out to his mother. “Can you at least tie it? It’s beyond me.”

Eileen blushed and stepped away, waving Aaron off. “O-Of course not.” She grinned nervously. “You’re a young man now. Every man should know how to tie a tie.”

Eileen left the room and descended the carpeted stairs with haste. “Oh! And take off that hoodie! Put something respectable on!”

“What?! Come on, this is A-grade clothing!” Aaron received no response and looked down at his dark red hoodie with a white embroidered “one” in the center. It was his favorite hoodie and he couldn’t even wear it? The food had better be worth all this intrigue. 

“She’s only saying that because my clothes fit me.” Aaron knelt and yanked out one of the wooden drawers he pulled out of his dresser and stuffed under the bed. He rummaged through his clothing and looked for the most boring shirt he could find, something a narc would wear. 

Finally, he discovered a white collared sweater he’d buried deep under his bed and forced his way into it. He’d be damned if he tucked it in though. Assuming his mother would be satisfied, Aaron put on his Walkman and went back to paradise for the last few minutes of peace he’d get on that Sunday evening. 

The least his mother could’ve done was let him be sequestered before Monday arrived and he traveled back to the bowels of hell…but nope. Dinner. With people he didn’t know. And if his mother's recent grocery trip was anything to go off of his lack of a tie isn’t going to be the thing that ruins their first impression.

Finished in the kitchen, Eileen hustled back upstairs to check in on Aaron, peeking her head in the room and gently knocking on the doorframe.

“Dinner is done. Help me carry it to the car will you-” Eileen’s sentence trailed off.

Aaron noticed this and sat up on the bed, furrowing his brow at his mom's quizzical expression. Her mouth was slightly open and there was a nostalgia about her gaze.

“What? Do I need to change shirts again…?” He asked sarcastically, Aaron was more intrigued than annoyed though. Eileen stared silently for a few more seconds before pulling herself back to reality with a light slap to the face.

“Sorry…” She chuckled. “It's just…that shirt…where did you get it?”

Aaron shrugged at the question. “I dunno. It was just under my bed.” Eileen walked further into the room and pinched the collar between her fingers, feeling the fabric. “This shirt used to belong to Dan. He wore it whenever he’d go down into the basement and do…whatever he was doing down there.”

Aaron remembered all the time his father used to spend in the basement. All those family dinners, sports matches, and even a Thanksgiving…all spent in the basement working on his project that the family still didn’t know about.

It was dim and dingy down there and yet you could somehow still see the dust in the air. The light switch didn’t work and everyone in the house just took to stuffing all their junk down there that they couldn’t throw away but had to get rid of somehow. Aaron himself probably had a few dozen scattered birthday presents from his aunt inside. The basement is where things were sent to be forgotten, maybe that’s what his father wanted. To be forgotten.

He’d oblige him.

“You look just like him.” Eileen smiled with a twinge of sadness. 

“Thank you for telling me. I’m going to burn it now.”

“Stop!” Eileen put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and pulled the shirt back onto him. She then gently moved Aaron onto the bed and sat down with him. “Dean…I know how you feel about your dad.” 

Eileen scowled as she looked off to the side, whatever she was thinking of still got her riled up. “Trust me. I know. The unfortunate thing is…you can’t just forget about him. Even if you destroyed every piece of him that exists in this world there would still be a fragment of him inside your mind and body.”

 Aaron huffed and looked around his room.

“That being said...” Eileen put a hand on Aaron’s head and turned it around so he was forced to look her in the eye.

“It doesn’t end there. Memories can be overwritten. The past can be healed in the future. If you have a bad experience at an amusement park, go there with a friend and make new memories to look back on.” Eileen let go of Aaron’s head and the boy remained focused. 

“I can’t stop you from wanting to reject your dad…I don’t blame you either. But he’s still your dad and you can’t just…get rid of him. You have to surpass him and be someone better.” Eileen smiled warmly at Aaron and gently rubbed him on the shoulder. “That’s how you’re going to reject him. So wear that shirt and change its legacy.” 

Eileen let her hand slip from Aaron’s shoulder as she stood up and walked out of the room. He didn’t want to admit it but what his mother said resonated with Aaron, if he wanted to overcome the issues with his dad he’d have to live a life better than his.

Even still…I can’t accept someone who even after death keeps hurting my mom.

“Dean! Help me with this casserole will you?” Guess he didn’t have time to ponder his decision, it was time to leave. Aaron walked over to his bedroom window and pushed it closed before grabbing his jacket and leaving the room.