Internally Bound

After the game I left the building right away. I didn’t accept the reward they tried to give me for winning. I didn’t need any money or a trophy. I played for the fun of it. The only reward I ever accepted was a kiss on the cheek from Al when I beat him for the first time.

I walked along the sidewalk a little ways and then stopped. I looked up at the shiny black Midnight Racer 300 and grinned. Well, a kiss on the cheek isn’t exactly the only reward I accepted.

I hopped onto my wicked fast motorcycle, pressed my hand to the hand analyzer and sped away. Keys were overrated. Nowadays vehicles started by only your own handprint. This way people couldn’t steal it. You wouldn’t believe how many cars have been reported stolen in the late eighties and nineties.

When I got back to my apartment I decided to make myself some popcorn and watch a movie. I moved the many books out of the way a plopped down on the couch. I sighed and laid my head back. I closed my eyes for a second only to be interrupted right away by a loud ringing from the other room.

I got up and checked the caller ID before answering my cell phone. I smiled hugely when I recognized the number.

“Al!” I rejoiced. “I was thinking about you a lot today. How are you?” It had been so long! I haven’t seen him for six years. It felt like forever. The last time I saw him was at my parents’ funeral.

Al squeezed my hand tight as more tears poured down my cheeks. With his other hand he wiped the salt water off my red face.

If only I hadn’t been so selfish. Maybe they’d still be alive. It was on the weekend. There was a book at the store I wanted quite badly. I saved up enough money I had earned to get it. I begged and begged for them to take me to get it.

The weather outside was not the best; it had been raining all day.

I was in the back seat with my seat belt on tightly. It happened all so fast. I felt the car swerve and saw the lights of the other vehicle coming towards us. In one heartbeat our car got out of control and collided with one another. As if I was turning off the lights to go to sleep, my vision went black.

When I woke up I was in a hospital all bandaged up. I was badly injured but my parents had it worse. They died.

“Syvanna Rose Joey, it’s not the end of the world,” Allen, the nineteen-year-old boy who stood by me no matter what happened, whispered in my ear. “The sun will continue to shine brightly as will the sky sparkle with rainbows on a wet day. And you will continue with your life. It might be the end for them, but not matter what, do not let this be the end for you.” I knew the words he spoke to me with such fury and intensity was to make me stronger. And they did. I would just have to suck it up.

From now on, I would be strong.

“Hey, Synn,” he greeted warmly. Hearing his voice after all this time was like finally breathing after being under water for so long. “I’m good. Very good actually, and you?”

“I’m great now that you’ve called. So what’s up?”

“Well…I have awesome news and I want you to meet me at my place. It would be more appropriate to tell you this in person. You busy?” The excitement in his voice was uncanny.

“Uh, no actually. I just got back from another game. What’s this news? Sounds big.” I started to put my jacket back on and head towards the door.

“Ahh, Synn, aren’t you a bit old to be playing Bloody Die still?” He laughed lightly. “And yes, it’s big news. When will you be here?”

“Three minutes,” I answered immediately and closed the door behind me as I left. I took the stairs two at a time and ran to my motorcycle.

“Perfect. See you then,” he said and hung up.

I was most likely going over the speed limit. But I didn’t care. I was going to see Allen for the first time in so long! What did he look like now? Different? The same? Most likely different; he was always changing.

Then again, he always surprised me.

Al guided me through the woods with his hands over my eyes.

I laughed. “Al, would you please tell me where you are taking me?”

“You’ll see,” was all he said. I stumbled a lot but each time he caught me. I had no idea where he wanted to go or what he wanted me to see in the middle of the woods when it was getting darker and darker out.

I felt him push the last of the branches out of our way and then we were walking in an empty field. But he still didn’t remove his hands. I started to get impatient.

“Alright…” he said when we came to a sudden stop. “Here we go.” He removed his hands so I could look at the beautiful sight in front of me.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered as I looked up at the Northern lights in the sky. Pink and yellow and blue and green twisted around in wavy patterns. It was like they were putting on a little show for us.

We both sat together on a huge rock that was placed there.

“Yes, you are," he whispered. My heart skipped a beat as blood went to my cheeks, though he said the words so quietly I could hardly be certain those were his exact words. "Do you mind if I paint a picture of you?” he asked suddenly.

“What?” I turned and saw him opening his backpack he brought along and pulling things out of it. Things like some paints, a brush, and a sketch book.

“Yeah…the lighting is perfect. It just makes your face glow.” He smiled his earth shattering smile.

“S-Sure.” The rest of the night I watched him look at me, look back at his paper, and move his hand in light brush strokes. He was an amazing artist; a modern day Da Vinci. And this surprise was just as great.

When I got to his place I knocked on the door twice. He had made enough money over his life to buy himself a house. It wasn’t a very big one, but he was the only person living in it so it was perfect size.

“Come on in!” I heard him call from inside. My heart started to beat louder and faster when I thought of seeing him again. I heard a crash on the inside and Al's curse. I rushed in the house. The inside was a huge explosion of boxes and papers. I couldn’t even tell if he had any furniture. It made him seem like a total pack rat.

“What are you doing with all these boxes and whatnot?” I asked him when I unburied him from the stuff that toppled over. I sucked in a sharp breath when he looked up at me. He looked very different. More manly I guess you could say. His jaw looked stronger. His face had become more angular. And his auburn hair was longer than last time and shaggier; it hung in his face covering part of his blackish green eyes.

I helped him up and he smiled brightly at me.

“Thanks,” he chuckled lightly. “I’m actually packing. I needed a lot of boxes. Then everything just exploded and it got worse.” He laughed again.

“Wow,” I said looking around. I’ve only been here twice. It looked a lot different now. Paintings—mostly his—on the walls were moved around and the TV now was in a different corner of the living room. The only thing that was the same was where the piano sat. It had nothing on it. No boxes, no papers, no nothing. It was a very old piano but still in good condition surprisingly. They don’t make them like that anymore. Seriously, they don’t. I believe he got this piano from his great grandpa.

His love for music was very close to insane. I remember him getting in trouble once because of it.

I sat down on the couch and sipped on my cup of lemon tea. “So,” I started, “why aren’t you going to be at school for a couple of days?”

He sat down next to me. “I, uh, kind of got suspended for three days.”

“What?” I gasped. “What did you do now, Allen?”

“It wasn’t really my fault!” he insisted. “I just…I don’t know…” He sighed then said, “Okay, well, you know that grand piano in the drama room?”

“Yeah,” I said slowly. “What about it?”

“Well, last night I didn’t come back home after school. Instead, I went straight to the drama room. You know I don’t have a piano here and the only time I can play is during my study hall. So I was playing for I don’t know how long. But finally when I looked at the clock it was past midnight. So I just decided to play more and then I’d sleep on the stage.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal.

“Allen!” I hit him on the backside of his head. “You know better than that!”

“Jeez, listen to yourself. You sound just like my mother,” he complained while rubbing his head.

“I think in some ways I am your mother seeing how I have way more sense than you.” I scolded him. But then my face softened and I smiled a little. How could I ever be mad at him? Sure he was like a child, but his spirit was so pure with love and kindness. Plus, everything he did made me smile and laugh. He was so unique and very gifted.

“Yeah,” he agreed.

It was silent for a bit and then realization came to me. “Oh, Al!” I cried and threw myself into his arms.

“What?” he asked frantically. “What is it, Synn?”

“I haven’t seen or talked to you in so long!” I blubbered into his chest.

“Oh.” He put his arms around me and laughed softly. “I guess we haven’t. Sorry ‘bout that. I get a little caught up sometimes.”

“It’s fine. Me too.” When we pulled away from the embrace I asked, “So does packing have something to do with your ‘amazing’ news?”

“Oh, yeah! It does actually. I have been planning this for a while but it hasn’t been confirmed until today. That’s why I called you.”

“And?” I pressed.

“I’m going to Europe for three years!” he said excitedly. “You know how I have my own website and put a bunch of my music on it?” I only nodded because I was speechless. “Well, an agent approached me and said he liked what he heard. He wants me to come to his studio in Europe so he can record my stuff. Isn’t that just awesome? I’ll have my own album!” He took my hands in his. “What do you think?”

What did he mean what did I think? What did I think about not seeing him for six years and then him telling me that I won’t see him again for another three years while he’s away in Europe? I wanted to hit him and scream NO NO NO!

But then I stopped before I lost it. This is what he wanted to do in life. He couldn’t stay with me forever. I can’t hold him back like this. I looked at his face. His overly excited, happy face. Did I really want to destroy this dream of his? No. I couldn’t and I wouldn’t.

“I think it’s great and I want you to go to Europe,” I said.