Status: Currently under edit; so if things seem off thats why.
Winter Nights
~This Adventures Not About You~
January 16th again…
So I met this guy, I know… every crazy story begins with that. But, I literally just met him and already I feel like I’ve known him forever. It’s like we share this insane connection that is indescribably recognizable but also distant. I’m not talking about the ‘love at first sight’ bulshit, it’s something better… like it has a purpose.
***
“So, I was thinking; there’s this hotel not too far off from here why don’t we check in for the night and explore more of the city afterwards?” Kaleb asked breaking me from my thoughts as I wrote in my journal rapidly.
"I like that idea, thank you for tagging along with me."
"It's not a problem; I really wouldn't mind having a sidekick to explore the world with."
I laughed when he said 'side kick' I enjoyed the sound of that.
A moment of silence followed that interaction, we were still seated in the charming little café sipping on our coffees and trying to get to know one another. At that moment, Kaleb’s phone rang; interrupting the silence that we had shared. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately jumped up from his seat and excusing himself to the restrooms to answer it.
I sat alone in that awkward silence for a matter of minutes before Kaleb returned; looking shaken up and worried about something. He just sat down in the booth across from me.
"Sorry about that." He muttered as he slid his phone into his pocket, "Old job calling me, had to tell them I quit."
"So why have you left the city?" I probed wanting to know more about him, regardless he appeared to be brimming with puzzles and tension and I needed to thoroughly understand it.
“Well, truly… I was up to some bad shit. I got into a lot of trouble, I needed to better myself. To start over, make something of myself.”
I considered that answer for a moment, but not questioning what he was up to that he needed to run away from so badly. In the event that he needed to reveal to me then he would when he is prepared to.
“Hey, I have an idea!” Kaleb jumped up and started heading outside. “How about we go skating!”
"Skating?" I questioned as I followed him outside, "I didn't bring any skates."
Kaleb let out a snicker, “I know a place that lets you rent."
“Should we check into the hotel soon? It’s starting to get late.” I informed him checking the time on my phone.
“Nah, no time like the present; we have all night!
He was so spontaneous, and I felt calm in his presence.
***
*Past flashback*
I panicked as I realized I had spilled nearly half a jug of juice on the floor, my Aunt is going to be infuriated when she finds out about this. I quickly grabbed a rag on the counter and began wiping up the sticky mess of the juice.
I heard a car door slam in the driveway, and undoubtable shouting coming from my Aunt. Great, I thought to myself. She’s already angry.
I finished cleaning the mess before she entered the house and threw the rag down the stairs to the laundry room. My aunt finally entered the house, clearly in an argument with my uncle on the phone. She hung up and eyed me down and made her way into the living room without saying a word to me.
Typical.
She was bitter and crazy before my mom died, but her passing just made her anger issues so much worse. I couldn’t have a simple conversation with her without it turning into some sort of argument. I heard her making her way into the kitchen and slamming her phone down on the counter. I needed to tell her my decision now before she blew up at me for whatever reason.
“We need to talk.” I said casually watching as she opened the cupboard and grabbing a granola bar out of the cabinet.
“Oh yea? Go on.”
“I’m leaving.”
“That’s nice, rents still due tomorrow.”
I figured she wouldn’t give a shit.
*Present*
We hailed a cab and took off to the skating rink; on the way there I took notes of my new surroundings and calmed myself down from the nervousness I had felt in the pit of my stomach. My life was becoming a whirlwind so fast.
Once we got to the skating rink we approached the booth where the skates were being rented out.
"Need some help?" Kaleb asked after he finished tying his own skates, I blushed and nodded; he moved over and helped tie them for me.
"Is this too tight?"
"Nope, perfect."
After our skates were tied I gradually advanced onto the rink, staggering marginally and clutching the railing for safety. In the wake of hitting the arena Kaleb and I began skating around the arena together, not by any means talking much; simply getting a charge out of the cool air and the silence together. He opened a pack of cigarettes and after that lit one, putting the stick up to his delicate lips and inhaling.
"How come you smoke?" I asked him, everyone had their own reasons for smoking, some for recreation and others to quit another habit or also maybe just because they can; and I wanted to know his.
"I smoke to forget." He answered profoundly and letting out a tremendous puff of blue smoke that hovered around the night sky.
"Forget what?" I asked curiously.
"What I did." He looked away from me for a moment before throwing his smoke out into a nearby trashcan; he shook off a misery and glanced at me. "Are you enjoying yourself tonight?"
"Yeah, it's a lot of fun; I haven't gone skating since I was a kid." I replied changing the subject, and twirling around but then falling on my ass in the process.
"Are you okay?" Kaleb laughed skating over to me to lend a hand to lift me up, his hands were very cold as he wasn't wearing gloves; but my hands where warm, and everything else around me felt warm.
"Oh yeah, I'm just such a klutz."
We skated around for about another before Kaleb declared, “Why don’t we make our way to the hotel?”
“Yeah, I’m becoming rather sleepy.” I told him my eyelids becoming heavy as I said that.
We returned our skates and began the walk to the hotel that Kaleb had in mind, we started talking about ourselves more and then Kaleb asked me a curious question.
“Do you think you’d ever go back and change things?”
“Things are the way they are for a reason.” I answered. “Things may have been shitty, but everything happened for a reason.”
He considered that for a moment.
“Fair enough.” He replied as we reached the hotel.
***
January 17th
I just met this guy but this connection I feel with us is just getting stronger the more I spend with him. Again, it’s not in the romantic kind of way but something more meaningful. Like he’s in my life for a reason and it won’t be long until I figure that reason out.
Also, when I was sleeping I had a strange dream… I was walking along a beach, and there was a man watching me off into the distance and he was pointing to something. A watch. As I got closer time on the watch went backwards and I was transported to another plane of time… watching Kaleb and I sitting at a bench on the beach eating sandwiches watching the sunset off in the distance. Suddenly a number flashed into my mind ‘1972’.
And then I woke up.
So I met this guy, I know… every crazy story begins with that. But, I literally just met him and already I feel like I’ve known him forever. It’s like we share this insane connection that is indescribably recognizable but also distant. I’m not talking about the ‘love at first sight’ bulshit, it’s something better… like it has a purpose.
***
“So, I was thinking; there’s this hotel not too far off from here why don’t we check in for the night and explore more of the city afterwards?” Kaleb asked breaking me from my thoughts as I wrote in my journal rapidly.
"I like that idea, thank you for tagging along with me."
"It's not a problem; I really wouldn't mind having a sidekick to explore the world with."
I laughed when he said 'side kick' I enjoyed the sound of that.
A moment of silence followed that interaction, we were still seated in the charming little café sipping on our coffees and trying to get to know one another. At that moment, Kaleb’s phone rang; interrupting the silence that we had shared. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately jumped up from his seat and excusing himself to the restrooms to answer it.
I sat alone in that awkward silence for a matter of minutes before Kaleb returned; looking shaken up and worried about something. He just sat down in the booth across from me.
"Sorry about that." He muttered as he slid his phone into his pocket, "Old job calling me, had to tell them I quit."
"So why have you left the city?" I probed wanting to know more about him, regardless he appeared to be brimming with puzzles and tension and I needed to thoroughly understand it.
“Well, truly… I was up to some bad shit. I got into a lot of trouble, I needed to better myself. To start over, make something of myself.”
I considered that answer for a moment, but not questioning what he was up to that he needed to run away from so badly. In the event that he needed to reveal to me then he would when he is prepared to.
“Hey, I have an idea!” Kaleb jumped up and started heading outside. “How about we go skating!”
"Skating?" I questioned as I followed him outside, "I didn't bring any skates."
Kaleb let out a snicker, “I know a place that lets you rent."
“Should we check into the hotel soon? It’s starting to get late.” I informed him checking the time on my phone.
“Nah, no time like the present; we have all night!
He was so spontaneous, and I felt calm in his presence.
***
*Past flashback*
I panicked as I realized I had spilled nearly half a jug of juice on the floor, my Aunt is going to be infuriated when she finds out about this. I quickly grabbed a rag on the counter and began wiping up the sticky mess of the juice.
I heard a car door slam in the driveway, and undoubtable shouting coming from my Aunt. Great, I thought to myself. She’s already angry.
I finished cleaning the mess before she entered the house and threw the rag down the stairs to the laundry room. My aunt finally entered the house, clearly in an argument with my uncle on the phone. She hung up and eyed me down and made her way into the living room without saying a word to me.
Typical.
She was bitter and crazy before my mom died, but her passing just made her anger issues so much worse. I couldn’t have a simple conversation with her without it turning into some sort of argument. I heard her making her way into the kitchen and slamming her phone down on the counter. I needed to tell her my decision now before she blew up at me for whatever reason.
“We need to talk.” I said casually watching as she opened the cupboard and grabbing a granola bar out of the cabinet.
“Oh yea? Go on.”
“I’m leaving.”
“That’s nice, rents still due tomorrow.”
I figured she wouldn’t give a shit.
*Present*
We hailed a cab and took off to the skating rink; on the way there I took notes of my new surroundings and calmed myself down from the nervousness I had felt in the pit of my stomach. My life was becoming a whirlwind so fast.
Once we got to the skating rink we approached the booth where the skates were being rented out.
"Need some help?" Kaleb asked after he finished tying his own skates, I blushed and nodded; he moved over and helped tie them for me.
"Is this too tight?"
"Nope, perfect."
After our skates were tied I gradually advanced onto the rink, staggering marginally and clutching the railing for safety. In the wake of hitting the arena Kaleb and I began skating around the arena together, not by any means talking much; simply getting a charge out of the cool air and the silence together. He opened a pack of cigarettes and after that lit one, putting the stick up to his delicate lips and inhaling.
"How come you smoke?" I asked him, everyone had their own reasons for smoking, some for recreation and others to quit another habit or also maybe just because they can; and I wanted to know his.
"I smoke to forget." He answered profoundly and letting out a tremendous puff of blue smoke that hovered around the night sky.
"Forget what?" I asked curiously.
"What I did." He looked away from me for a moment before throwing his smoke out into a nearby trashcan; he shook off a misery and glanced at me. "Are you enjoying yourself tonight?"
"Yeah, it's a lot of fun; I haven't gone skating since I was a kid." I replied changing the subject, and twirling around but then falling on my ass in the process.
"Are you okay?" Kaleb laughed skating over to me to lend a hand to lift me up, his hands were very cold as he wasn't wearing gloves; but my hands where warm, and everything else around me felt warm.
"Oh yeah, I'm just such a klutz."
We skated around for about another before Kaleb declared, “Why don’t we make our way to the hotel?”
“Yeah, I’m becoming rather sleepy.” I told him my eyelids becoming heavy as I said that.
We returned our skates and began the walk to the hotel that Kaleb had in mind, we started talking about ourselves more and then Kaleb asked me a curious question.
“Do you think you’d ever go back and change things?”
“Things are the way they are for a reason.” I answered. “Things may have been shitty, but everything happened for a reason.”
He considered that for a moment.
“Fair enough.” He replied as we reached the hotel.
***
January 17th
I just met this guy but this connection I feel with us is just getting stronger the more I spend with him. Again, it’s not in the romantic kind of way but something more meaningful. Like he’s in my life for a reason and it won’t be long until I figure that reason out.
Also, when I was sleeping I had a strange dream… I was walking along a beach, and there was a man watching me off into the distance and he was pointing to something. A watch. As I got closer time on the watch went backwards and I was transported to another plane of time… watching Kaleb and I sitting at a bench on the beach eating sandwiches watching the sunset off in the distance. Suddenly a number flashed into my mind ‘1972’.
And then I woke up.
♠ ♠ ♠
Edited 02-08-2017