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The day my parents died was the same day that time-traveling aliens had taken over the world. I was now a teenager, struggling to come to grips with suddenly being thrust into a dangerous situation that I didn’t know how to handle. My only comfort was not knowing what I would do.
My best friend was my older brother, Chris. We had a special bond, led by our mutual love of music. For me, it was the ultimate escape from the reality that I was facing. Chris's taste in music seemed to be at least as eclectic as mine, and we spent most of our time hanging out with each other at his apartment.
That was where I went now. I entered the loft and Chris greeted me with a hug. “Man! It's good to see you! I've been really worried about you lately.”
“I know – I'm glad I finally managed to get out here,” I said.
Chris then responded with a hug, and then led me to an easy chair by the window. “Have a seat, bro.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Where's Bethany?”
“She's in the upstairs bathroom. She may be a while.”
Bethany, Chris' girlfriend, had gone out to buy some food. Most of the food had been poisoned, and valuable nutrients had been removed. Any purchases were now a gamble.
“Shouldn't you be with her?”
“Man, I should, but it's good to see you. You had me worried, and I didn't know how to help you.”
“Thanks,” I said.
We talked a little bit, and I told him everything that had happened. The story sounded pretty mind-blowing even to me. He seemed just as skeptical as I was.
“So then why do you trust her?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don't know. I mean, she doesn't seem like a spy. She almost seems like someone who is looking for a way back to her own time, which makes some sense. Then there's that whole story she's been feeding me about why all the food is poisoned and stuff. I know it sounds nuts, but she's helping me out, and I'm starting to believe her.”
“I trust you will get home soon, and that you can figure out how to fix everything,” he said.
“Thanks.”
My brother then left, for what could have been an hour, in search of food. I let myself get lost in thought, then sighed. I felt uneasy, like I had barely escaped death. Nothing could ever be the same again. Today marked the day that everything had changed, and I found myself with two very different lives. I didn't know how to handle what would be my new normality.
The thought made me smile at the irony in my life. From playing video games and scrabble to the outside world to our government and authority, the whole thing felt completely surreal, almost like living in one of those movies where you had five minutes to live.
I had never been happier in my entire life. I had managed to start over, to start everything over almost. I could live my life on my own terms. There were no limits to what I could do, I could be whoever I wanted. It was a wild feeling. I knew there would be a price to pay if I wanted to pursue such freedom, but it was a price I was willing to pay. I lived for the moment.
I felt a solid presence behind me. I turned around to face Bethany. She looked good, even though she seemed tired. She was the confident type, and knew how to dress to look good. Her skin was a tan shade and looked smooth with little imperfections.
“Hi,” she said. “You look like you're deep in thought.”
“Just thinking,” I said.
“Anything you'd like to share?” she asked.
“I was thinking about how much has changed in just a few weeks.”
“Yeah, I can't believe that we're that close to the end of the year,” she replied.
“Yeah,” I said. I tried to think of a good way to continue the conversation, to not come across as weird.
“How much do you really know about Bethany?”
I froze. Who was this person? I didn't know. In fact, I knew very little about her, just that she was with my brother and that she respected my brother. Things had moved fast between us.
“What do you want me to tell you?” I asked.
“Just tell me a few things, like if you have feelings for me, and a few other things like that,” she said.
Bethany didn't strike me as someone who was insecure about her position in my life. She was confident and would think I was crazy if I actually had any feelings for her.
“So, Bethany, what kind of books do you read?” I asked.
“I like interesting books,” she replied.
“What is your favorite color?” I asked.
“Blue is my favorite color,” she said.
“What do you think of these government agents?” I asked.
I felt her stiffen at my question. “I don't think much about them,” she replied.
I paused for a moment. I needed to find a way to continue the conversation. “What about a painting that you like?”
We continued to talk, and she actually told me some things about herself. I told her about my life, and we were slowly getting closer. I was starting to like this more, and almost felt happy. I wanted to stay there, but I had a mission to complete.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I looked at her. “Yes, I am. What do you mean?” I asked.
“You just seem a bit... distracted,” she said.
“So, what do you think of me?” I asked.
She seemed surprised by my question. “What do you mean?”
“I just want to know if you like me,” I said. “Tell me what you think of me.”
She looked irritated, suddenly. “I love you, Jimmy,” she said. “I mean you're my best friend. I know there are a lot of things I'm not sure about, and I know we've gotten close really fast, but that doesn't make me question your worth.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“I also mean that you're handsome and I want you to be happy,” she said. “Who wouldn't want a perfect guy like you?”
It was cheesy, but she somehow managed to be sincere while still sounding sincere, and genuine sounded better than perfect. There were just a few reasons she had chosen me, and I felt grateful to be in her eyes.
“That's awesome,” I said. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” she asked.
“When I get back from this,” I said. “I'm going to start a new life. What I'm talking about is a big change for all of us. I need to be on my own. I'll be fine, though. I'm freaking out and this is the weirdest situation I've ever been in, but I can do it. I'm just going to leave it at that.”
“So you're leaving?” she asked.
“I need to. I'm sorry, but it's necessary. This has been a fun time, Bethany, but I need to leave.”
“Do what you need to,” she said. “But when you come back, will you at least give me a chance to talk to you about what I want?”
“Of course,” I said.
“Thanks. It's something you may want to think about some time.”
I knew I was delivering an ultimatum.