Time After Time

From: Michael Jones-Andretti {michaelja681@outlook.com}
Date: Mon, 31 January 20XX 8:17 am
To: Rose Lette {letterose@gmail.com}
Subject: Proper Break

Dear Rose Julie,

How's everything with you? I hope you're doing good. You look like you work a little too hard the last time I saw you, which is why I decided to give you some kind of mini holiday. I know that by the time you read the last sentence, you'll say something like, “But we need to work so we can get money for Gustav's surgery!” Let me tell you that I'm going to take care of that.

I have met a couple of research group that might be interested but they might want to meet Gustav first. I don't think they're very promising, but in one and half months, there will be an international medical conference that will be held on Melbourne. It's going to be a really big event since we only have it every five years. I will go there and I will get that research group.

In the meantime, why don't you treat your guests with some real Aussie trip?

Two weeks ago, I successfully performed a surgeon to a patient named Lilly Flinders. Mr and Mrs Flinders were so happy that their little Lilly—she's not 'little' anymore though, she's your age—will finally able to have her own life just like any woman her age. So they leave to have six months holiday in Italy two days ago and they left me with their caravan. They say I can use it and they will even provide me with the money for the gas. But, as you know, I'm really busy. So asked them whether it's okay if I lend their caravan to a friend of mine and her friends.

They said it's perfectly fine.

What do you say?

I'll drive the caravan to your house next weekend if you want to use it and go somewhere with Young Guns. Then I can go back to Sydney by train. It's been awhile since I use the train. I would love to admire the view on Illawarra Line again.

Let me know what you think and reply my email as soon as possible.

Kind regards,
Michael

“So... what do you guys think?”

It was a cloudy Saturday morning when Rose read Michael's email for Gustav, John, Si, Ben and Fraser who were eating sandwiches for breakfast. They looked at each other, almost like communicating with only body gesture, before they looked at Rose, altogether.

“It's a bit too good to be true,” said Fraser.

Ben added, “Is he for real?”

Gustav was reading Rose's expression before he muttered, “He's always like this, isn't he?”

Rose nodded while she thought that maybe they didn't really like Michael for reasons. Maybe Michael is just too different from them and the fact that he was once her lover made everything a bit complicated, “He always overwhelmed me with things and experiences and parties and holidays—up to the point where I don't want any of them anymore. I guess I grew tired of his presence. He's still a good friend, but I just don't want to be with him all the time.”

There was a strange delight on the guys' faces when Rose said she grew bored with him and Gustav smiled widely. Again, sometimes he looked so happy that Rose couldn't acknowledge that he was still the same sad Gustav she knew a couple of months back.

“Alright, let's go!”

His voice was loud and high and Rose laughed while the rest of the guys put their hands in the air and yelled to nobody with Gustav.

“Okay. Just one more week of hard casual work and then we'll have 'real Aussie trip'!”

“Yeaaah!”

Lestat barked from under the table, next to John and Si.

“Oh yes, we're going to bring you with us, Les. Don't worry about that,” Si patted Lestat's head before the canine barked happily as he jumped and down in delight. Then he looked at Rose, “We can bring him, right?”

“Why, yes of course. He's my best friend.”

“This is going to be wicked,” Ben snickered. “It's like van tour—but with red-haired Rapunzel and powder puff dog.”

Everyone laughed.


On the next weekend, Michael Jones-Andretti did came. He was wearing white polo shirt, dark blue jeans, and black leather shoes when he arrived. He hopped down from the van and took off his sunglasses before he smiled—or smirked, it was still hard to tell—to Gustav and Rose who were sitting on the veranda while reading newspaper. Lestat walked out from open door with John and Fraser behind him and he barked like crazy as Michael moved closer to them.

“Ah. Lestat Lette. Still as fluffy as usual,” he made a polite gesture to the dog, but Lestat was barking angrily at him.

Michael raise his eyebrows.

“Lestat never liked me—and I don't think he ever will.”

“Oh, I think it's only because you smell like hospital, Michael,” said Rose, who watched Lestat ran to lick Gustav who looked, unless Rose was mistaken, pretty happy. Maybe with the fact that Lestat didn't like Michael.

“Les, he's not a bad guy,” said Rose to Lestat.

Michael laughed, “You've been saying the same sentence for about a thousand time every time Lestat barked at me like that.”

“Well, you're not, are you?” Rose shrugged.

Michael stayed for lunch. Before he left, he told Gustav that he could sing, if he wants, for about an hour or two everyday. “But stop if you feel even the slightest pain in your throat,” Michael smiled his smirk-like smile. “I'm just saying this so you know that you can still practice your singing.” Gustav nodded. He always looked stiff whenever Michael was around but Rose couldn't blame him. It was always awkward to be in the same room with people you currently love and people you had relationship with in the past.

“I'll see you again, Rose Julie,” Michael said, before he nodded to Young Guns. After he left, everyone sighed again.

“It's like 'scary' is his default,” Si said out loud.

Rose laughed, “I feel really weird now for not thinking that Michael is scary. I mean Lestat apparently thinks he's scary—and now you guys too.”


The night after that day, they went to buy travelling items and pack their clothes. Young Guns knew much about travelling with car—about travelling at all, but Rose knew better about how to buy best thing in Australia. After that, they went home.

“So, guys, we're leaving tomorrow afternoon. So tonight, you can do whatever you want. You guys can have guys night out or something. I'll just stay at home and watch movie,” Rose said while she made herself comfortable on the sofa.

Gustav shrugged, “I'll just stay with you.”

“Yeah, I'll just stay with you too,” Fraser followed.

In the end, by eight, everyone was lying in front of TV, discussing what was the best movie to watch. It was expected that Rose knew almost nothing about movie and the guys were discussing while digging through the pile of DVD and Blue Ray owned by Gilbert. Rose watched the guy discuss with Lestat lying next to her. She loved to see Gustav among his best friends. She loved to see him yelling or being ridiculous with anything within his grasp and sometimes, when everyone was laughing at him, Rose stood there, happy but confused. She didn't now whether Gustav Wood was always this happy. Or was he pretending to be happy in front of his friends? Or was this the real him that Rose just never get to see before?

“Rose? Rose! You're spacing out now,” Ben moved his hand in front of Rose's face.

“Oh! Sorry,” Rose grinned. “I'm just thinking—have you guys decided what movie...?”

Si nodded, “'The Woman in Black'.”

Rose looked at the movie cover.

“A horror movie?”

“Yeah. Are you okay with that?”

“I guess. I've never really watched any horror movie, so...”

It only took less than fifteen minutes until Rose Lette was shaking in fear. When the movie was halfway through, she literally cried. Everyone kept telling her that it's completely fine if she wants to watch something that doesn't scare her up to the point where she cries, but Rose kept responding, “Nooo—no, that's okay. I can... AAAH!” she squealed again when another scary surprising scene came on the screen.

For the rest of the movie, it appeared that watching Rose's reaction was much more interesting than watching the movie itself. Every two minutes, she would jump from the place she sat, stuttered, or cried as yelled, “For the love of all that sparkle! Stop it! It's creepy! I can't!” And the guys would laugh.

At the end of movie, Rose lied down with tears on her cheeks. But she laughed, “It was like riding a super creepy roller coaster for an hour or so. Thank you for... for being around me as I scream and annoy everyone, guys.”

“You're a bit masochist, aren't you?” Ben chuckled. “You're scared but you keep on watching.”

“Well... well I want to know... what happen... to Harry—I mean, Daniel...”

Everyone laughed again.

“He should totally curse the woman in black with jinx or something,” Fraser shook his head in disbelief.

Si laughed, “Yeah. Expecto patronum that shit, Harry.”

Gustav was patting Rose's hair for no apparent reason before he stared at the clock on the wall. “Shit, Guys, it's almost eleven now. Let's hit the bed for tomorrow.”

Rose stood up and walked with Lestat to the door after saying goodbye to the guys before she stopped on behind the door.

“Can I... can I just stay here tonight?”

Everyone said, “Awww,” upon realisation that Rose was still scared by the horror movie. They took sofa pillows and blankets on Gilbert's biggest bedroom where they sleep around the bed where Rose and Lestat were going to sleep. Rose went on for a while about how the guys couldn't sleep on the floor while Lestat, who was a dog, was going to sleep on bed, but everyone just laughed and ignore her afterwards.

In less than five minutes, everyone was sleeping and Lestat was snoring weird snore. Rose yawned but she couldn't sleep. She rolled to the other side of the bed just to find that Gustav, who lied upon a pile of white blankets next to the bed, was still awake. He looked tired, but his eyes were open.

“Can't sleep, Rose?” he mumbled. “Don't worry, if the woman in black come to get you, she needs to walk over my—our dead bodies first.”

Rose smiled as she whispered, “Thank you, Gustav.”

Gustav yawned and he looked like he was half asleep when he mumbled, “Give me your hand.”

“Yeah?” Rose gave her hand.

Gustav hold it and closed his eyes, “Now I will know if you're leaving and you will know if I leave. Sleep, Rose. You need your rest.”

Rose watched their tangled hands and she was overwhelmed with happiness, again. There was a burning sensation on where their skins met but she was so happy she didn't mind at all.

“Alright, Gustav.”

“Good gorilla,” mumbled Gustav. His eyes were closed.

“Um, excuse me?” Rose chuckled.

Gustav moved his head. His eyes were still close, “I mean, good girl.”

Rose was trying so hard to not laugh out loud.

“Gustav, you have big hand.”

“Well, I used to play gorilla—I mean, guitar—you know. Jesus Christ, what's with me and gorilla, seriously...”

Rose wanted to ask more question but then she heard Gustav breathed slower in his sleep, so she closed her eyes and tried to sleep too.