Oh my God… Oh my GOD.

Juniper wasn’t quite sure whether she wanted to cry, or scream, or throw up… Maybe all three.

Her throat was dry. Her heart was racing. Her stomach was in knots. The corners of her eyes were wet and burning. But when she opened her mouth, it seemed no sound would come out.

Jane had been the one who’d come to see her that night. She’d been the one to confess her love. She’d been the one Juniper had brought into her bedroom… Yet somehow, it was John who now stood in her place. But that was impossible, wasn’t it? How?!

But deep down inside, Juniper knew the answer. Maybe she always had. Maybe she’d simply been too stubborn to let herself see the truth. But it had been right in front of her all along, hadn’t it?

A thousand memories seemed to swirl around in Juniper’s mind. Fragmented. Disjointed. Some more faded than others. Yet now they all fit together so perfectly.

“Let me spell this out for you, Juniper… John is an alien.”

“You will have a great romance that one may call… out of this world.”

“I’m telling you, they’re so much alike that it’s really freaky… They’re practically the same person or something!”

“Oh! Jane, I think someone’s calling you! I can’t believe you and John have the same ringtone… That’s so funny!”

“Those things are shapeshifters, far as I can tell.”

“John?! How the heck did you get here so fast? And what were you doing in the ladies room?!”

“My species does not possess true gender… I am neither male nor female.”

“John? Jane? Everything okay in here…?”

Still trapped in something of a daze, Juniper swung her legs over the side of the bed and shakily rose to her feet. The room was spinning. She had to get away. She needed to clear her head.

It can’t be real. Juniper told herself. I’m dreaming. I’m hallucinating. This can’t be happening!

“Juniper.” John’s voice called from behind her. “Please. I can explain.” She felt one of his large, warm hands on her bare arm as he spoke.

Juniper recoiled immediately at his touch, and seemed to find her voice at last. “Don’t touch me!” She shrieked. Never in her life had she felt so hurt or angry.”Get away from me!” She practically ran from the room.

But to her dismay, he followed.

“Is this better?” It was a different voice this time… Jane’s. “Juniper, I beg you. Listen to me.”

“STOP IT!” In an instant, Juniper rounded on her. Him. It. Whatever that thing was.

The creature had somehow managed to clothe itself once more. The sight did nothing but make Juniper keenly aware of how exposed she still was. It was a thought that only made her feel more ill. More violated. More betrayed.

“I’m sorry.” A few tears had begun trickling down Jane’s cheeks. “I never meant for you to learn the truth in this way…”

“I still don’t know the truth!” Juniper cried. “Who are you?! What are you?!” She demanded.

Jane did not immediately reply. “I fear the answer to your first question is quite complicated.” Her voice shook slightly as she spoke. “I am Jane. I promise you, I am. But…” She paused. “I am John too.”

“Show me.” Juniper crossed her arms across her chest. “Do it. Change. Right now.”

“Juniper…”

“Do it.”

It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. For the briefest moment, Jane’s entire form flickered — almost like television static — and then, just like that, John was standing in her place.

Though she had been expecting it, Juniper could not help her cry of alarm at the sight. “How?! How is that possible?”

John sighed softly. “Every member of my species is born with the ability to alter our physical forms… It is how we are able to explore other worlds undetected.”

“Your species…” Juniper repeated. “So it’s true. You’re…”

“I believe ‘alien’ is the proper term in your language.” John’s voice was very small.

Holy shit. “I want to see.” Juniper demanded. “I want to see the real you. Not John. Not Jane. You.”

“If… If you insist…”

His form flickered once more, and this time, she found herself staring into the frightening black eyes of the creature she’d seen at the karaoke bar.

Juniper wanted to scream, but once again, it seemed impossible to find her voice. It’s true. It’s all true… Oh my God.

“Why?” She asked at last, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you hide this from me?”

“I never meant to!” John cried almost desperately. His true voice sounded so strange. Mechanical, almost. And though she had no trouble understanding him, every word seemed to buzz. Like listening to a radio show on a bad connection. “When we first met, I mistakenly believed that you knew the truth. I often made references to the fact that I am not from this world.”

Juniper could barely stand to look at him. “But how the hell was I supposed to know what you were talking about?! I thought it was just weird science talk or something!”

He nodded. “Yes. I realized several months ago that you were unaware of the truth. And I found myself in a very difficult situation. I feared revealing my true identity to you after all this time. Especially after you met Jane…” John paused. “This is a disaster. This is exactly what I feared!” His voice broke suddenly, and he was silent for a few moments before continuing.

“I love you, Juniper. I have never, in my entire existence, known what it means to love another being. You have changed me. When I am with you, I no longer feel like an outsider in this world. I feel whole. I feel human.” He reached out, taking both of her hands in his. “I swear to you, I will no longer conceal the truth from you. And I will never again assume a male form, if that is what you wish.”

Juniper’s eyes widened. How could he be serious?! She practically slapped his hands away.

“You think that’ll fix this? You think you can go back to being Jane, and everything will just magically be okay?! You lied to me! For months! You made a total fool out of me. You betrayed me! And now you think an apology is gonna make this okay?!” She felt a sudden warmth on her cheeks, and realized that her own tears had finally begun to fall.

“I… I do not know what to say. Except that I am sorry. And I love you!”

“No, you don’t!” She snapped at him. “When you love someone, you don’t lie to them! You don’t treat them like this! I thought John was my best friend. I thought Jane was my soulmate…” Her eyes narrowed. “But it was all just some game to you!”

“It was never a game.” The alien insisted. “Never.”

Juniper turned away from him, filled with a feeling of disgust that had nothing to do with his strange, alien form. “Get out of here.” She spat. “I never want to see you ever again.”

“You… You don’t mean that.” John’s strange voice shook slightly.

“Yes, I do!” Juniper whipped around to face him. “Go back to Texas or whatever your stupid planet is called, for all I care! Just get away from me!”

“But I –”

“GET OUT!”

Before John even made it to the door, the sounds of soft, shaking sobs filled the air.

And Juniper couldn’t even be sure who they belonged to.