The Fifth World

Bo: "Thanks for walking me home," I say to Jonathan.

He smiles at me and nods his head. He always walks me home and it is not because I would not be safe or because it is 'oh so romantic', it is simply because he wants to spend more time with me. Ever since I got back from 'Australia' all Jonathan wants to do is spend time with me and believe it or not, he is taking my mind off the world I miss.

"No problem, I'll call you tonight?" he asks me with a hopeful expression on his face.

I smile at him, I'm so glad he's in my life. He has no idea. I reach up and press my lips to his before hugging him. I feel the way he holds me and as I close my eyes and feel the warmth of his body around mine I feel the way my heart begins to pound and how the butterflies within me flutter wildly. I like this feeling.

"No, I'll call you," I say with a smile before letting him go and kissing his lips again.

When I turn away I feel the cold air bite at the bare flesh on my neck and face. I hurry inside, close the door behind me and feel relief when the warmth of the house comes over me. I begin to strip my jacket off. I hear Mum upstairs somewhere and I can also hear Adam in the lounge watching the television.

"I'm home," I call out loudly.

"Hi!" I hear Adam reply.

It doesn't surprise that he doesn't get up to greet me. When the television is on Adam is glued.

"Hi, honey!" I hear Mum call from upstairs.

I almost go to walk up the stairs myself when I hear the doorbell ring. I feel a smile come across my face as I turn back around to open the door.

"Did you forget something?" I ask before it even opens but before I can say anything else... I stop.

I feel my bottom lip fall a little, my insides twist and turn... my heart begins to pound. I stare up at the man who stands before me, his curled blonde hair looking perfectly vibrant, his velvet skin is golden and perfect, even if it is scarred in places across his body. My breath catches and I feel tears collect in my eyes.

"Cynric," I whisper.

The moment I say his name I jump into his arms. I barely even realise what he is wearing or what in the world he is doing here. He is breaking the law by coming here. If they find him he could be killed! My breathing becomes fast as I feel his arms wrap around me, my face on his shoulder, my arms around him. I hold onto him so tight because I don't know how long he'll be here, I can't let him go.

I feel his hand stroke my hair and I finally look up at him and stare at his beautiful face. It takes me a while to realise that I am crying.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss.

He smiles as he looks down at me, his eyes glowing, "it's Christmas, I have to spend it with those I love."

My arms unwind from around him but I keep my hands in his. I look at him up and down and I see the clothes he is wearing... blue denim jeans and a casual tee-shirt. If I hadn't known better, I would probably guess he'd be another young man living in England.

"Where did you get your clothes from?" I ask him.

He smiles at me, "that same mall we went down a while ago to go to the post office."

He looks different in normal clothes... all I ever see him in is white.

I laugh once and I let go of his hand before I touch his face, just to make sure he is real, "I can't believe you're here. You could get into so much trouble."

He shrugs, "it doesn't matter. Nothing else matters."

I hear footsteps coming from down the stairs and I immediately let go of him and step back a little as well. I turn around nervously and see Mum basically bouncing down the stairs. She's a lot happier these days. She looks over at Cynric and I and then she smiles. Oh no. I almost panic because she has never, never after all of these years, met Cynric. He has always been my secret.

"Bo," Mum says with a smile, she is very curious of him, I can tell, "who's this?"

"Um," I say, I don't know what the hell I am going to come up with, "this is... Cynric."

"I'm a new student at Bo's school and she has been kind enough to show me around and introduce me to some of the other students. I also had the privilege of meeting some of her closest friends... I think Jonathan was one of them, he seems like a nice kid."

I feel myself smile and without Mum or Cynric realising I roll my eyes.

"Well," Mum says and holds out her hand to him, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Cynric."

Cynric almost too eagerly takes her hand and he smiles at her when he does... but even over that perfect smile, somewhere in his deep eyes I can imagine the things he is seeing now that he has finally touched... whatever lies in her past, her feelings, her pain, every single private moment she has ever had he is now seeing. That reminds me, I just touched him, therefore every moment I have spent with Jonathan since I have been back, each time I have ever hugged him, held his hand or even kissed him... Cynric now knows about. I sigh.

"Come in," Mum says to Cynric with a smile as she backs from the front door and walks into the kitchen, "come in."

I look to Cynric and smile at him as I lead him through the house and into the kitchen. I hear Adam switch the television off in the lounge room and he soon appears in the kitchen as Mum prepares some tea. Adam comes to me straight away, he hugs my leg and looks up at Cynric curiously.

"Bo," he says in an innocent voice, "who is that?"

I bend down and pick Adam up, even if he is a little heavy, and I put him on my hip.

"This is Cynric, he's a friend of mine," I say to Adam.

I watch how Adam stares at him, looks at him up and down and then very innocently he smiles at Cynric. Cynric smiles back and says 'hello'. Adam is curious about Cynric, Mum is too.

"So," Mum says as she pulls out some food from the cupboard, "what school did you go to before you came to Bo's, Cynric?"

Cynric smiles at Mum, genuinely, "oh, just a boys school in London. Dad got a new job here so I had to be transferred to a new school. So far, I'm really happy with my decision. I really like it here."

Mum smiles as she hands Cynric and I a cup of tea. Adam, still being curious, returns to the lounge room but comes back just moments later with a racing car toy. He sits at the kitchen table and quietly plays with it whilst listening in on us all.

"That's great," Mum says, "I was just thinking... Cynric is a very interesting name, are your parents the type that like the old and traditional names?"

Cynric laughs once and I notice how his eyes connect with mine for just a quick moment, "oh yeah, they are like that..."

Later on Mum has to take Adam to see a doctor, he begins to complain of a cold. Much to Mum's pleasure, she leaves Cynric and I alone at home. I can tell, just by the way she is around him, that she likes him very much... probably even more than Jonathan. I think she would prefer me being with Cynric rather than Jonathan. Of course, Jonathan is the type that looks like a 'bad boy'. It doesn't surprise me that mothers wouldn't be too fond of him. He's an athlete and obviously good looking, girls would always be after him. Cynric on the other hand, is also obviously good looking but his manners are impeccable, the way he carries himself is not with a self-importance but definitely some kind of pride that is admirable and definitely not loathing.

The second Mum and Adam leave I am standing directly in front of Cynric, my arms around him, my lips just inches from his. I can feel inside, how my entire body, especially my heart, wants him so much. I also feel sadness because I know that at any moment he could leave... and I could never see him again.

"I've missed you so much," I whisper to him.

I feel his hands touch my cheek, "I know. I've missed you too."

"Please, Cynric, don't leave me, please don't," I feel like I am almost begging him.

I feel pathetic. Stupid almost. Like a child but what in the world can I do? I can't tackle him down and hold him. All I can do is ask him.

I am almost in tears. Cynric takes my arms away from around him and he leads me through the house and right outside to the back yard. Our yard is mostly made of stone but if you walk further there is a wide patch of grass with a garden bench you can sit on. It is freezing outside. Snowy white sheets cover the grass and the plants. What should I be expecting? It's Christmas Eve. It is also night time. Gosh, the hours have gone by. Cynric sits me down on the bench and he keeps an arm around me.

"Bo," he says quietly to me, "you are being ridiculous."

"No," I cry to him, "I'm not! You don't understand the pain I've been through. I haven't heard anything from you or anybody else. I just a fought a war in a different world and then I'm sent back here and told never to return again, never to hear, speak or see the people I care about. I waited days for something, anything, even a letter... and now you show up at my doorstep and you come into my home and meet my family and act like everything is okay. I have questions but right now the only question I have is if you are going to be here in the morning. I don't want to sit here and gaze up at the stars with you and then have to wake up tomorrow only to see that you're not there."

He sighs, looks away from me and finally murmurs, "I'll be here in the morning, Bo."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

My hand touches his as it sits on his lap, "say 'I promise'."

He looks back at me with eyes that seem to be strained. I know there is something he isn't telling me but right now, even as much as I really want to, I couldn't bear arguing with him. He is here. He is finally here and he is about to promise me he will be here tomorrow. At least until then I can make the most of my time with him.

"I promise I'll be here in the morning," he says to me.

I sit up on the bench and I take his face in my hands and I kiss him. I kiss him so passionately that I can feel my body temperature rising a degree as each second goes by. I can feel the tears running down my face, making my cheeks moist. All I can think about is Cynric... and every moment we will share together until he leaves... until he leaves. My fingers knot into his golden hair and I try to remember this moment and how perfect it is... because things could be different soon.