The Boyfriend (Experience)

“Is this the place?” I point to the white villa next to us.

“Yeah,” Everleigh says.

I park the car accordingly beside the hedge. I turn off the engine and sit.

“Aren’t you stepping outside with me?”

“Why?”

“I would like to introduce you to Jonah, my friend who owns this house. You’re my boyfriend after all.”

“Is he your father figure or something?”

She giggles. “He’s more like my uncle.” She opens the car door.

I do the same and accompany her to the house. Everleigh pushes the gate open and I’m awestruck at what I see.

The garden’s sick. The grass is so green as if somebody painted on it–it looks so artificial. A real apple tree is planted on the ground and there are actual blooming flower beds.

“Are you coming?” Everleigh calls me.

“Yep,” I step inside.

“Jonah?” She shouts. “Are you there?”

“I’m coming!” A person who might be Jonah shouts back.

Sooner enough, a brown-haired dude about my age races downstairs.

“Hey Ev,” He says fast. “Who’s this?”

“Jonah, this is my boyfriend Dillon,” she introduces me.

“Does he know?” He stares at her suspiciously.

“No,” she assures him.

“Know what?” I question her.

“…That I’ll probably not return for a long time. Now you know.”

“Anyway,” he fidgets. “Nice to meet you Dillon and would like to know more about you but I have to go.”

“What’s happening?” She worries.

“Ylang attempted suicide so Aunt Schuyler wants everyone to drop by and support her and her family, through this struggle. At least Ylang’s not dead yet.” He disappears.

Everleigh goes upstairs and I make myself comfortable on an armchair in the living room. Without hesitation, I turn on the flat screen TV when I hear some dude swearing. I go outside and I head to the garage where the swearing is coming from. I find Jonah kneeling on the cement. I recognize that his car has been stolen.

“Need a ride?” I suggest.

“It’s okay,” Jonah hushes.

“You sure?”

“I can get a taxi. I don’t want to ruin your evening. I’m fine.”

I protest but it seems like he vanished like a puff of smoke. So I leave. I return to the home to see Everleigh on top of the stairs.

“What do you think?” She demands.

“A-Amazing!” I praise her.

I’m wrong. She’s more than amazing–she’s gob smacking gorgeous. I’m surprised by how quick she fixed her hair. Usually it takes hours for others to straighten their haystack but including the make-up and dress up times, she spent only five minutes! And the shocking thing is she’s wearing a revealing dress. It’s short, showing off her hidden svelte figure and ahem, her chest. I scratch the back of my neck, awkward.

“Are you drooling?” She brings me back to reality.

I touch below my mouth and indeed I’m drooling. I speedily wipe out my saliva.

“Are you?” She doesn’t give up on her question.

“No, no. Whatever! Are you coming or not?”

She lets out a giggle and continues her way down the stairs. When standing next to me, she holds my hand. I let her while she’s locking the door and in the car too until I drive.

I drive during another ten minutes to our destination. We arrive at the beach where the festival is being held at. I observe our surroundings. The staff has hung up paper lanterns in different bright shades. In the middle, a dance floor is specially marked on the sand with tree logs. On its left, two or three tents are set up. Behind the crowded dance floor, a shelter made out of palm tree leaves is built where the DJ mixes his tunes.

“Hey guys!” Shell appears greeting us. “You look pretty Everleigh!”

“You’re in a dress.” I sarcastically remark. “What’s the occasion?”

I mean Shell never puts on a dress or a skirt whenever we go clubbing.

“Do you have a problem?” Shell raises her tone. “Come on, Sam and Aiden are already here.”

She pulls Everleigh’s arm and we enter one of the tents. Sam and Aiden sit on the giant cushions. The three of us slouch.

“What do you want to drink?” Aiden says questioningly.

“Um…Coke?” Everleigh decides.

“I thought you were a drinker?” Sam is puzzled. “You told us that ‘you got yourself horribly drunk’, the day you met Dillon.”

“Guys, it was only one time.” Miss Liar confesses. “Besides, I’m too young.”

“How old are you exactly?” Sam inquires.

“Nineteen.” We laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“We started drinking alcohol when we were seventeen!” I confide our secret to her.

“No wonder you look so old.” She grumbles, hurt.

“You don’t know how old I am.”

“You’re twenty-three. I checked your ID.”

Aiden spits out his drink.

“You did WHAT!?” I put on a rage.

“Okay guys, let’s go dancing!” Shell breaks the tension.

“Yeah, dancing sounds fun!” Sam agrees with her.

He puts his hand on her back. Those two are hiding something.

We exit the tent and find place for us. Shell casually swings her arms while we guys stand still shy. I seek for Everleigh but she vanished. I pass through dancers and my jaw drops. The over-excited girl on the center is her! I tap her shoulder.

“What are you doing!?”

“Having fun!” She squeals. “Come on, dance with me!”

I gotta say she is a pretty good dancer. Her hands turn back and forth like an Indian dancer. Her hips are swaying round and round and her hair is flipping side to side.

“Dance, Dillon!” She begs.

I gulp. I can’t dance. The only “move” I can do is resting my hands on a girl’s waist. That move won’t work with the energetic, bouncing girl beside me!

“I can’t dance.” I mumble dumbly.

“Is it true!? I mean you can drink like a pro whereas when it comes to strutting your stuff, you’re hopeless!”

I zip my mouth shut. Jeez, a gal has never labeled me as a wallflower before! It increases my anger level.

“If you’re a professional, then teach me freaking how!!!” I yell.

“Since you’re a novice, I’ll teach you something easier.” She promises me. “Okay, firstly don’t care about other people’s attention. Close your eyes and immerse yourself to the music. Then you’ll determine the movements."

I close my eyes and concentrate on the corny boy band song. I can’t let the tune flow inside me. It’s not my taste! I prefer heavy metal. I feel like my ears are bleeding.

“I can’t do that!” I complain.

“Well, do you have a favorite genre?” She interrogates me.

“Yeah but it won’t suit the other-“

“It doesn’t matter. Say it.”

“Heavy metal or rock.”

“Okay. Wait here.” She skips to the DJ.

She whispers to him. He nods and she thanks him. Then she walks back to me.

“What were you guys talking about?”

“It’s a surprise. Wait until the song ends.”

So I stay calm and bored. Everleigh clicks her fingers to the beat. I give up and decide to talk to my friends and suddenly the annoying comes to a stop.

“This is it!” Everleigh announces.

Although, I’m confused at her sentence, I understand later. She requested the DJ to put on a heavy metal song!

“Remember,” she advises. “Be careless –act like you’re in your favorite band’s concert.”

I nod furiously. My adrenaline levels are increasing. A sudden high energy is forming in my body. I feel aggressive and hypo. My arms are shaking. The next thing I’m aware of is that I’m screaming my head off. I’m jumping no actually thumping, spraying sand all over strangers. I’m so enjoying this freaking instant until the outcome takes place.

I trip on a piece of coral sticking out of the ground. Why did the hell I close my eyes!? I’m falling nevertheless my dance teacher seizes my elbow. Though she prevents me from landing on the ground, her action doesn’t do much favor to me when it comes to crashing against a complete stranger.

“Are you blind!?” The victim screeches. Hang on, I recognize her rudeness. Ugh, Monique.

“I think it’s you who have two left feet.” Everleigh mocks her, taking my side.

“Oh really, I’m so-“ The Drama Queen pretends to feel sorry for me.

“You don’t have to apologize. You have to do it to yourself. Truthfully, you deserve dancing lessons.”

My ex’s face is blank, shocked at the response and we employ this distraction to flee.

During the way, we both can’t stop smirking at Monique. Her expression was so priceless. She never accepts a “no” as an answer that’s why she proceeds on blabbering. But this was the first time, she was left speechless.

Arriving at a table, we sunk into seats.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe I said that!” My lifesaver cups up her face.

“She deserved it!” I ensure her. “Don’t have hard feelings.”

“You’re right,” she consents, tummy rumbling.

“Hungry?” I ask. “I’ll order some tapas and… a coke.” I add joking.

She shoos me away with her napkin and I go to the counter. I order a beer and a cheese platter maybe, when I catch Everleigh chirping happily to a guy.

The guy’s a teenager surely because his features are girl-like, resembling an androgynous fashion model. They hug each other and are so friendly that her actions towards make me feel jealous. Even though there are clues that he may be gay. His hair is styled like the ridiculous actor Robert Pattinson and he wears thick black glasses even it seems like he doesn’t need them particularly.

My suspicions disappear when a girl, Florence who’s in Dallas’s class, comes holding a pizza and soda bottles. After she has laid them on the table, the guy caresses her arm as a partner not as a friend. I try to get Everleigh’s attention by waving my hand and she notices my signal. She mouths me, ‘I’m going to be with them, don’t wait for me.’ And I slouch on a stool at the bar. I wait while Everleigh chat to her “friends”. Seriously, how many people does she know here? She’s a social butterfly. No wonder she travels non-stop.

I order a beer. I scratch on the wooden surface and eat some peanuts. I turn to my left and right and I find someone similar to my sister Dallas.

I squint to get a precise look at the female and I’m right. Dallas, my blond-haired and green-eyed sibling is cozying up with a fella other than her stuck-up boyfriend Chace. Probably she broke up with him? Hope she’s the one who dumped him. ‘Cause she’s no soft match to the Ken Doll guy.

I take a closer look on the newbie. He turned his back on me so I can’t spot his face. The only things I see are he’s a brunette, hair’s totally messed up and he’s wearing a grey t-shirt and white knee-length torn jeans.

Please turn your face around! I plead in my head. Come on, come on!

He eventually shifts his gaze towards me and I freeze. What the hell is he doing here alongside my sis!? I thought he was at the hospital supporting his aunt or something? Guess it was all a lie! I decide to approach them.

“Weren’t you supposed to be at the hospital?” I ask tapping on Jonah’s shoulder.

“I was but-“He says not understanding me.

“You’re pathetic to use that excuse to hang out with my sis secretly!” I shout cutting his sentence.

“Dillon!?” Dallas exclaims. “Why are you here?”

“Wait,” Jonah pauses. “You guys are siblings?”

“Yes!” I glare at him. “And I’m going to kick your ass for having attempted to fool me!”

“Hey, I think you’re-“ Jonah starts to explain but I don’t listen anymore.

I throw a punch at his jaw yet he moves away swiftly. I grasp both of his shoulders and try to push him to the ground still he’s balanced and kicks my knee. I’m the one lying on my ass. He pins me locking my arms to my torso. I feel freaking embarrassed since everyone is gluing their eyes on me. I lie in this position during what seems like forever until I catch sight of Everleigh passing through party-goers.

“Hi,” I squeak nervously.

“What happened?” Everleigh searches for explications. Why are you on the ground with Jonah on top of you?”

“He suddenly launched on me!” Jonah complains. ”So I stopped him before he could do anything reckless without a cause!”

“Jonah,” she demands. “Please, can you stand up straight and you, you follow me!” She points to my direction.

Automatically, my victim-turned-attacker frees me and Dallas gives me an incomprehensible look. I walk behind Everleigh to a vacant spot next to the palm trees. She crosses her arms.

“Why did you want to hurt Jonah?” She interrogates me.

“He was with my sister and as a protective older brother, I desired to know about their chemistry. And I suspect Jonah created that stupid excuse to meet unnoticed.”

“Firstly,” she begins. “Ylang was actually in the hospital for a suicide attempt. Jonah had to go but he was later informed that he has no longer purposes to visit. Ylang woke up, genius.”

I soften my expression. “And for Dallas?”

“Well, I heard from my friends that Jonah simply invited her like a gent because she was lonely.” Her lips perk up.

“Seriously, what’s up with you and your friends!? It feels like you guys are hiding something!”

“By the way, I wanted to tell you about that.”

“What… what is it?”

“Dillon, I’m leaving tomorrow because I don’t belong to your world.”

“You’re kidding me? You’re some kind of alien obsessed geek.”

“No, I am from the future.”

“You need medication.”

I look at her non-serious as if in a minute or so, she’s going to scream that I’ve been punked! However, she stares at me, eyes red. What’s with her? She asked me to be her boyfriend for today, she’s so nice to me even though I’m the opposite of her and she has friends who don’t seem normal. Now she’s confessing she lives in another time!

She holds my face. Tears are springing from her eyes.

“Dillon,” she chokes. “I’m a time-traveler. You were already dead with descendants when I was born.”

I’m starting to believe her words but everything’s mixing in my head. I want to crack it open.

“Prove it.”

She hugs me and in a moment later, our bodies are separated to little particles and I lose sight of my vision.

Soon as I gain conscience, we are taken to town. But it’s day and sunny. I’m sitting under a parasol at Sandra’s café and I hear arguments. I turn around and I’m facing towards myself fighting with Everleigh over her destroyed cake on the street. It’s Friday afternoon!

“Jonah,” Everleigh begins to explain. “Is in reality my uncle. The couple I talked to are my parents. My father and my uncle are time-travelers.”

“Then why are they so young!?”

“Time-travelers become immortal because they never stay in one place over a year. Still my father’s in fact older. The man you saw is his past form. It was when he met my mother whereas Uncle Jonah traveled back.”

“Why? Why are you here???”

“My present is dangerous to live in. So my parents requested that I accompany Uncle Jonah to the 21st century. It’s the only time spot I’m used to the most. I created a fake profile and secured a job. I’ve been here for three weeks and it’s tomorrow I have to leave.”

“If you knew that you’ll leave then why did you meet me?”

“I’ve never fallen in love. I knew that one day or another, I’d have to tell the truth. And it’s never a good thing to do for example, when you’re during the Middle Age! Even if I did, what would happen next? Do I have to stay? Or is it him who’ll abandon his life in order to follow me for eternity? But when I saw you Dillon, it felt like it simply didn’t matter to you whether I go without a reason.”

“But you are wrong. I hate to admit this still I have to. Just in a day, you impressed me. A lot. You have your own problems, worries but you never let them change you. You remain yourself optimistic that I couldn’t do when I was a teenager. I’m the coward sticking to the past whereas you are the fighter marching towards the future. I need you, I want to know more about you, want to form memories and wake up in the morning and smile because you’re there next to me. God, am I actually saying these stuff!...”

Everleigh’s smile is so radiating. By watching her, my lips form one too automatically.

“I would stay,” she declares. “But I can’t Dillon. The futuristic world has gone stable and I would kill myself if I don’t experience the moment! It’s also to reunite with my parents for some time. We haven’t been together since I was sixteen.”

“Alright.” I let her.

“Yet there’s something else too.” She holds my hand. “I would come back eventually.”

“I’ll be here waiting for you. Visit me as soon as possible!”

“I’ll see…” her voice trails off, ”…if there will be no one over there stopping me.”

“Sure, I’ll get a wife instead.” I pout.

“Dillon…” she stands up and sits on my laps. “I’m only joking!”

We fix our gaze to one another and we are transported to our actual present. We precipitate to the others like nothing happened.