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“I don’t wanna go,” Lisa complained to her mother, who helped pack the eight-year old’s backpack. “can’t I go to band camp again?”
“Lisa, you know we can’t afford that this year.”
She rolled her eyes. She hated this. An entire week spent with Bart in the wilderness? Pass. Remembering her experiences at Kamp Krusty, Lisa shivered. “Can’t I just—” she started up again, but her mother cut her off.
“No, and that’s final. You’re going to this camp. It’ll be good for you.”
Lisa grumbled, and her mother tried again to cheer her up. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll make a new friend.”
As if that would happen. Didn’t Mom realize that anytime Lisa tried to make a friend it backfired? She just wasn’t meant to have friends. Sometimes that was fine, and sure, sometimes she wanted a friend, but once again, it always backfired. It wasn’t worth it.
With a comforting smile, her mother brushed a chunk of hair out of the girl’s face. “You’ll be fine, Lisa. It’s only for a week.”
Only a week. A week that could be spent sitting at home reading, or writing, or playing or saxophone, or literally anything that didn’t involve sleeping in your own sweat and smelling like mosquito repellent for weeks.
Still, Lisa followed her mother into the family’s car, keeping her complaints filed inside of her head as they arrived at the camp. Like Lisa expected, it didn’t look clean by any means, and was mainly filled up with screaming boys.
Well, at least Bart would fit right in.
She laughed to herself and trailed behind her assigned group to the designated cafeteria. She was sure Bart wouldn’t want to go home when it came time to, and she would already be halfway home.
Sitting by herself and eating the stale vegetarian sandwich they gave her, Lisa was lost deep in a daydream of sleeping in her normal bed and not the sleeping bag she would be in tonight when she felt something soft hit the back of her head.
‘It was probably Bart,’ she thought to herself, whirling around and preparing to yell at her annoying brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. A glance at the ground, and she saw a little green plush doll. Leaning over, she picked the doll up, staring at its button eyes and pink bow, looking around for its owner. It looked like something a younger girl would own, but as far as she knew, she was in a group of girls her age.
Without warning, a slightly taller orange-haired girl ripped the doll from her hands. “Here’s Weirdlo’s dolly!” She taunted, and a small swarm of girls crowded around her and the kid she called Weirdlo, who tried desperately to grab the doll from her, but the other girls tripped her and pushed her away from her goal.
Unable to hold back, Lisa pushed herself into the little crowd and tried to help the girl they were bullying. “Hey, leave her alone!”
All eyes were on her now, and Lisa wasn’t sure if she regretted it or not. On one hand, she hated seeing a kid being singled out and made a target, and on the other hand, the way they looked at her like vultures made her think she was the target now.
“Why should I? Are you gonna stop me?”
Her eyes darting around for some sort of savior to the situation, Lisa could feel the blood in her stomach running cold. Unable to think of a reply, she just froze and stared the girl down.
Before a fight could break out, Lisa could make out the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Her saving grace! She sighed inwardly as the group started to disband and only a handful of girls remained. The orange-haired girl looked down at the doll still in her hands, and with a sinister look on her face, she ripped the lumpy head of the doll off and dropped it.
“Oops.”
Right away, the girl called ‘Weirdlo’ leaped forward, trying to punch the other kid in the face. Somewhere in her chest, Lisa could feel herself cheering her on. When the counselors finally separated the two, the orange-haired girl was being pulled into the nursing station to be treated for a bloody nose, and the black-haired girl stood triumphantly before her eyes fell to her decapitated doll.
It was odd. Just a moment ago, she towered over her bully and beat her face in with her little mighty fists, and now she was… crying.
She picked up the doll to examine it, but another counselor came over and pulled her away to be scolded, leaving the dismembered doll on the ground, despite the child’s protests.
As the cafeteria quieted back down, Lisa’s eyes gravitated to the doll again and again until she couldn’t help herself. Leaning down, she picked up the two parts of the doll and stuffed it into her backpack. In no way did Lisa consider herself crafty, but she could do some basic sewing, and she set herself upon doing so when the hoard of girls were pushed into a room with little tables and boxes of crayons and paper and other things that didn’t interest her much. Soon enough, the doll’s lumpy head was sitting back on its funny little body, and Lisa could feel curious eyes burning into the back of her head.
“You fixed her…?”
Spinning around, Lisa came face to face with the girl nicknamed Weirdlo. Slowly, she held the toy out to her, and the other girl’s face broke out into a smile.
Grabbing the green plush with one hand, she offered her other up to shake. “My name’s Lilo. What’s yours?”
Returning the gesture and the expression, Lisa could feel the stress of the forthcoming week melt off her shoulders. “I’m Lisa.” She sat back down in her seat, watching Lilo join her side. “So, do you like this camp?”
Laughing, Lilo shook her head fiercely. “No way. My sister wanted to go on a vacation with her boyfriend though, and she said I couldn’t come with them this time.” She pulled some paper and crayons towards her and started doodling an odd blue creature. “They didn’t like when I made them breakfast in our hotel room last time. It’s not my fault that you can’t microwave Nutella. I just wanted to make them toast.”
Lisa couldn’t help but smile at the mental image.
“Do you have any pets, Lisa?”
A bit taken aback, the Simpson child nodded as she started to casually doodle a pony. “I have a dog and a cat… why?”
“Can your dog talk?”
Blinking in surprise, Lisa turned towards the other. “No, why?”
A wide grin spread onto Lilo’s face. “Mine can. It’s really cool. I wish he was here so I could show you.”
Lisa remembered seeing those videos of huskies mimicking speech. Surely, that’s what she meant. Or maybe her imagination was just bigger than Lisa’s.
“I’m bored of drawing.” Lilo said plainly, pushing her drawing away with a pout that swiftly transformed into a grin. “Hey, Lisa, do you wanna go swimming?”
Unable to turn the proposal down, Lisa hopped to her feet as the two raced to the tents and changed into their suits and then raced again to the docks, where they both jumped into the water and laughed as they came up for air.
Another splash sent them turning, only to see Bart floating up to them, holding something in his hands.
“Bart, what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be on the boys’ side of the camp.” Lisa grumbled.
“Thought you would need cheered up by now, since you hate camp so much.”
“Awh, Bart, you didn’t have to—” Before Lisa could finish what she was saying, she registered what he was holding, and what it was doing; he was holding a large toad, and it was hopping onto her face.
“I’m going to kill you!” Lisa started to chase her brother through the water, her friend forgotten for the time being. Just as she was about to push Bart into the water, she saw Lilo coming up behind him, holding the little toad, her hand formed in a shushing motion in front of her face. In an instant, Lilo threw the frog at the back of the boy, and it slid right into the back of his swim shorts, sending him running and yelling.
Once her brother disappeared over the horizon line, Lisa burst into hysterical laughter, and Lilo laughed along. As soon as she could breath, Lisa looked over at the other girl and put her hands on her shoulders. “Lilo, you’re a genius.”
Bashfully, Lilo giggled and looked around frantically, her cheeks flushing at the contact. “I’m thirsty. I’ll beat you to the cafeteria!”
And with that, she slipped right out of the water and hurried to the dining hall, Lisa following close behind.
After dinner, the head counselor over the girls’ camp started to pair everyone up into their tents, and when Lisa noticed that Lilo was paired with her bully, she felt her heart sink.
Her tent was only one over, and she didn’t pay attention to the snobby little girl she was sharing with, tiptoeing over to where she could eavesdrop on Lilo and her bully instead.
“I don’t want any of your stuff touching mine, got it? I don’t want to get your Weirdlo germs.”
“…I don’t have germs.” She could tell Lilo was biting her tongue.
“You are a germ. You’re gross. You shoved a toad down that boy’s pants earlier. That makes you a pervert.”
Peeking into the tent, Lisa watched as Lilo pushed past her bully and out of the tent, her chocolate eyes filled up with tears. When she bumped into Lisa, she studied her for a moment before stomping off.
Staring after her, Lisa felt like crying herself. When the bully came up and stood beside her, she felt her chest heave. “What a crybaby. I hope she gets in trouble again for running off.”
Before she could consider options, Lisa turned to face the orange-haired girl and punched her square in the nose, causing her to fall back. Clenching at her aching fist, she ran after Lilo, abandoning the bloody-nosed girl.
Pushing past the shrubbery on the path of the woods, she finally spotted Lilo hiding behind a large tree, her knees curled up to her face. Stepping on a branch as she approached, Lisa watched Lilo spin her head around and yell at an accusatory, “who’s there” before her snotty, puffy face settled on Lisa’s.
Sitting beside the other, Lisa leaned her back against the tree and looked down at her fist, which had some of the bully’s nose blood on it. Upon seeing it, Lilo’s mouth fell open.
“What happened?”
“I punched her.”
Lilo wiped at one of her tears and gave a half-smile. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
“It was amazing… but why is she so mean to you? I don’t get it.”
Shrugging, Lilo stared down at her own hands. “My sister said before that it’s because of my parents being dead… she says some kids just don’t understand and so they act mean. I think some people are just terrible on the inside.”
“I think you’re right.” Lisa sighed and stared down at where Lilo’s hand sat. Creeping her hand over, she grabbed Lilo’s. “But you know not all people are terrible… don’t you have any friends…?”
Deflating like a balloon, Lilo glanced up once and then cast her eyes downwards again. “I have my dog.”
“Any human friends?” When Lilo didn’t reply, Lisa sighed. “Well, if it means anything, I think my cat is my friend, but no other than her, I don’t really have any, either.” Lilo’s eyes darted over to the other girl curiously.
“Really?”
“Mhm. Maybe we could be friends, Lilo.”
Staring directly at the other now, the black-haired girl’s mouth fell open. “You really want me for a friend? But… I’m weird, and gross… you heard what Myrtle said.”
Shrugging, Lisa scooted towards Lilo. “I don’t think you’re any of those things. I think you’re sweet, and you have a really big imagination.”
Before anything else could be said, a counselor’s head popped out and spotted them. “There you two are! It’s getting dark, get back to the tents now!”
Lisa stood up and held her hand out as an offer, and Lilo gladly took it and the two declared each other friends as they walked back to the camp, their hands staying together without a second thought.
As they returned, they found out quickly that Lisa’s tent buddy joined Myrtle’s tent, so now Lisa and Lilo were tent buddies. Right away, the two clambered into their little tent and whispered secrets and stories to each other until sunrise.
The week flew by, and already, it was time for the dance party that celebrated making it through the week. All the children were rounded into the little cafeteria, and all the tables were pushed to the side of the room, with the floor cleared off for dancing. Some cheesy pop song played on the speakers, but Lisa couldn’t focus on them. All she could focus on was the fact that almost everyone had a dance partner. She watched as the bully girl danced around with a tall boy, and her brother had been dancing around with some girl he didn’t know until he spotted Lisa moping in the corner. He broke away from his dance partner and sat beside his sister.
“What’s with the long face, Lis?”
“No one has asked me to dance.”
“Why is that a big deal now? You never seemed to care about that stuff before.”
She shrugged. “I dunno. I just…”
“There’s someone you want to ask, isn’t there?”
Furrowing her eyebrows, she smacked her brother’s arm. “What do you mean? There’s not really anyone I like…”
“Well, maybe someone wants to ask you, then.”
Rolling her eyes, Lisa leaned back, looking down at her fancy bronze-colored dress. What a waste. “I’m not dancing with Milhouse.”
He elbowed her hard in the side. “I’m not talking about Milhouse. I think your little friend wants to ask you to dance.” He motioned his head in Lilo’s direction, where she sat, staring into a cup of soda.
“See if she’ll dance with you.”
Lisa shyly slinked over to her friend and sat beside her. She was about to lean on her when Lilo perked up suddenly, setting her drink to the side. “Hey, Lisa? Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Do you wanna…” She trailed off, wringing her hands together. “Do you wanna maybe dance with me?”
Lisa blinked in surprise. Was her brother really right about this…? Still, Lisa smiled at her friend and grabbed her hand. “I’d be happy to.”
Of course, the moment they hit the dance floor, the fast-paced song turned into a slow, sweet one, and the couples in the room started to slow dance.
The night seemed perfect, up until the point when Lilo vomited on Lisa’s shoes, and was so embarrassed she refused to look at her for a while when they lay down in the tent that night.
When she did look at her, it was sudden, and her eyes were focused on the other girl’s eyes.
“Hey, Lisa? Do you believe in aliens?”
Furrowing her eyebrows, Lisa shrugged. “I’d have to think about it… why?”
Lilo stared for another few seconds before shaking her head. “No reason. I’m still feeling a little sick, so I’m gonna go and get some fresh air.”
Lisa sat up in her sleeping bag and watched as her friend left the tent in silence. When 10 minutes passed, Lisa crawled out of the tent and peeked outside, only to have her eyes focusing on the strange white light emerging from a strange, small red spaceship, and right in the middle of the light was her own friend Lilo, being lifted into the air. Pinching her arm still hurt, so Lisa felt like she was the one who was going to puke instead. Instead, she passed out.
The next morning, Lilo was nowhere to be seen, but all the counselors said that she was signed out late last night and had to go home early. Lisa told what she saw to Bart, but he laughed in his sister’s face. He claimed that Lilo puking on her shoes must have made her sick, or that she was just having an oddly specific nightmare.
As the Simpson family arrived home for the night, Lisa slid onto the back deck, staring up at the moon. She closed her eyes and crossed her fingers and begged to see her friend again, to the point tears sprung into her eyes, and soon she was crying into her arms. Her one friend in the world, taken by aliens. And no one even believed her!
Her sobbing exhausted her energy quickly, and within an hour, Lisa fell fast asleep. When she awoke again, the silhouette of a little girl lingered above her, and she looked up to see her friend’s chocolate eyes shining down at her. “You’re alive!” Lisa yelled out, leaping forward and hugging her friend tightly to make sure she was real.
Lilo laughed aloud at that, rubbing little circles into her friend’s back. “Of course, I’m alive! Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I saw you being beamed up by aliens… everyone thought I was going crazy!”
Her smile fading, Lilo nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was just so scared to… You’re my first friend my age, and I didn’t want you to think I’m just some weirdo who hangs out with aliens, and that I’m not good enough to be your friend, or something…”
Shaking her head, Lisa looked around the backyard. “What do you mean?”
Sighing, Lilo looked up, and once again that bright light shined down upon her, but this time, a little blue ball of fluff lowered itself in between them. “Remember that dog I said I had? The one that could talk? Well, he’s not a dog.”
As if to prove himself, Stitch stood up on his two legs and extended his two extra arms out of his body. “Aloha!” He cheered, and Lisa backed away and gasped hard, nearly fainting.
Lilo leaned forward and held her hand until she calmed down. “I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me for lying.”
Once she could breathe properly again, Lisa shook her head. “I don’t hate you. You’re still my only friend.” Lilo smiled at that. “But… I am really confused. How is this all possible?”
Thinking for a moment, Lilo picked up her alien-dog creature and stood in the white light again. This time, she pulled Lisa into the light with her. As the three were beamed up, Lilo smiled over at her. “Have you ever been to outer space?”
Shaking her head, Lisa gripped at the arm rests as the spaceship blasted off into the sky, and soon enough, they were among the stars.
“Lilo, this is amazing! Why didn’t you show me before?”
Sheepishly, Lilo stared down at her hands that clutched at the controls of the ship. “I was scared to.”
Lisa nodded and swallowed hard. “So… what now? Since you have this, you can come and visit me all the time, right?”
Frowning, Lilo shook her head. “I wish I could, but I have to stay with my family… I’ll still come and visit, but I can’t do it all the time.”
She directed the ship and brought it back to the little backyard of the Simpsons household, standing outside of the ship and holding Lisa’s hands in hers.
“So…this is goodbye for a while, then?” Lisa bit her lip and when Lilo nodded, she stared at the ground.
Stitch approached the girl and offered her a piece of paper. Lifting it up, Lisa studied it before slowly smiling. Is this a phone number and an address?”
“Mhm. The phone number is my sister’s, but she won’t mind. Just ask for me. We can talk all the time then!”
Lisa smiled widely. “Thanks, Lilo. I’m sure we will.” Glancing between Stitch and her friend nervously, Lilo leaned forward and kissed Lisa’s cheeks softly before hopping into her spaceship.
After waving goodbye and watching her fly off, Lisa sat back under the stars and stared up at them. Before, they didn’t seem all that bright in the city. And yet now, they were brighter to her. They held a promise.
She wasn’t alone.