Ten Things - Part 07
TEN THINGS J o n a t h a n A n d r e w Y b a n e z
A U T H O R ' S B A B B L I N G
Okay, I know there are a lot of BACKSTREET BOYS story out there and most of them are centered on people having with crushes either BRIAN LITTREL, NICK CARTER or KEVIN RICHARDSON. I try to make this a little bit different from the usual with the celebrities themselves falling for the fictional character.
I admit that I am not a BACKSTREET BOYS fan although some of their songs really caught my attention. But I am, indeed, a very big fan of BRIAN LITTREL and KEVIN RICHARDSON, but since it was BRIAN LITTREL who had a heart problem, I think it was best to center this story around him. No, I don't think that he is gay, but it would certainly be interesting if he is.
D I S C L A I M E R :
I would like to remind you that this is just a part of the imagination of the author and none of these events ever happen. Any similarity between events in the story and situations in somebody else's life is purely and absolutely coincidental, accidental or, just simply, impossible. This story doesn't state anything about BRIAN LITTREL'S sexuality or choice of lifestyle, implicitly or explicitly. Remember this is just a composition based totally on the imagination of the author.
This story contains a homosexual premise and has homosexual undertones. If you are a minor, you know the rules. Please don't read this and find something more suitable for you age. But if you reach the age of majority, you can come back. If you're a bigot who just wandered here by mistake, you are allowed to stay. I would like to request you, however, to please keep an open mind.
Please enjoy!!!
----------------------------------------****TEN THINGSBy: Jonathan Andrew Ybanez
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T E N T H I N G S
X See a rainbow at dawn X Taste the first snowflake of winter X Go to Disney World Flash someone from a car X See the dawn Be a star X Touch a snake X Make someone smile Talk to God Kiss my soulmate
-------------------------C h a p t e r 7-------------------------
"41-B, there it is!" I thought excitedly as I found my seat.
I was trying to find my seat under my usual disguise; you know the "ball-cap-dark-windbreaker-fake-prescription-glasses" combo. Would you imagine that my good luck didn't end with me getting an aisle seat to Canada? Sitting exactly on 41-A, with his headphone stuck to his ears, moving his head from side to side in rhythm to the music and eyes shut tight was Tevyn.
I walked over to next to him and I gently tapped him by his shoulders. Pulling my glasses off, I asked him. "Excuse me, sir. Is this seat taken?"
He opened his eyes, full of pleasant surprise. "Hello, stranger." He greeted me as he took his earphones off. He smiled his trademark sweet grin. "Come here often?"
"No, usually I go over there." I pointed over to the direction of the first-class section of the plane.
"So do I..." He told me. "But brings you to these homely section of town?"
"I heard that there is a troubled but handsome desperado trying to escape to the north border in this parts so,…" I lowered my head and whispered to his ear. "so I decided to come search for this dashing stranger and hoped to ensnare him."
Tevyn smiled, pulled me close and whispered back to ear. "Well, if you ever have the chance to catch this handsome stranger, please give him my regards."
Since I didn't really expect his reply, my expression turned serious all the sudden. "Really, can I sit there?"
"Not really sure though...." He gave a mocked suspicious look. He started examining my face and the shirt. "As you can see, I only let cute guys sit next to me. Tell me, are you cute?"
"WELL.... not really sure about the cute part but..." I started to explain, then with a sudden inspiration, I said. "But I had received hundreds of thousands of letters from some female fans who would actually want to make me the father of their children, so I guess..."
"EWWWW! I COULD ONLY IMAGINE!!!" He made a face as he laughed out loud. "Of all the conceited..."
"Well, YOU did ask me if I am cute. Or you getting senile already." I interrupted him, grinning from ear to ear. "So does that mean I could sit here?"
"Come on over, gringo and make yourself comfortable."
"Thanks." I said with a sign of relief. "You won't believe how lucky I am to be able to get a ticket at this short notice. I mean look at the crowd here, I never expected so much passengers! It looks like a scene captured from the Los Angeles Riots in 1990."
"I think the riot crowds were less raucous than this one." He chuckled. "Believe me, I have had the same experience a few days earlier when I was rescheduling my flight. I thought I could never get this trip back to Canada. I had to make the changes from the hospital. And judging form the crowd today, the chances of me getting my tickets change for another date would have been closer to nil. But thank God, I was able to secure a seat, too."
Glancing over the rest of the people still trying to get their stuff on the overhead compartment, I asked. "It's been a quite long time since I rode coach. Are the passengers always this helter-skelter around here?"
"No, not always..." He said. Then, with a very wicked gleam in his eyes, he added. "Unless, the passengers find out that a big star like you is traveling on the same plane."
"You wouldn't!" I hissed
"Maybe I would."
"You must be kidding!"
"Try me! Like to see the results?" He gave me a grin full of mischief. He then called out as he pushed a button. "Oh, flight attendant."
My eyes grew as wide as to saucers. I hissed as calmly as I could. "TEVYN! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!"
Too late,...
The flight attendant was making her way to our seat. She approached him and asked. "How can I help you, sir?"
"You see my friend here?" He said as he pointed to me.
I quickly shrunk down in my seat as I pulled the zipper of my windbreaker up and my cap down to cover my face. I was going through my options on how to torture Tevyn if the other passengers would ever freak out.
"Yes, sir." She responded, slightly alarmed. "Is he okay? Is he sick?"
"Well,..." He looked at me, winked naughtily and continued. "He is quite cold and I was wondering where I could get the blankets? There seemed to be none around here."
"I will get you two blankets in a minute, sir." The look on her face was a mixed relief and a 'don't-call-me-I'll-call-you" type of expression.
"And if you can, could you also give us some pillows." He added, now giggling.
I was able breathed a sigh of relief but I had to fight off an urge to punch Tevyn square on the shoulder. Instead, I whacked him with a rolled up airline magazine on the back of his noggin.
"Ouch..." Tevyn rubbed the back of his head as he stared at me. "Did anyone ever tell you that was irritating and, not to mention, painful?"
"YOU IDIOT!" I hissed and than gave him a barrage of magazine smacks. "Do you know what you could have done. Think of the chaos!!!"
"CHAOS???!!! CHAOS? My God, Brian, do you hear what you are saying! You are just expecting too much!!! Sorry to deflate your ego, but in case you failed to notice, most of the passengers are adults. And I think half of them don't even know who you are!!!" He pointed out as he laughed a bellyacher. "Sorry Brian, sorry to scare the shit out of you but... but you should have seen your face! Damned, I wish I had my camera!!!"
I smack him one more time and this time on his forehead.
"Do that again..." Tevyn warned me. "Do that one more time and I will make sure that you are going to regret it!"
"Oooh! I'm so scared" I said, this time it was my turn to be playful. "What are you going to do to me? Take my cap and my glasses? Shout to the top of your lungs that Brian Littrel is in the plane?"
He just sat there and gave me a cool but mysterious and controlled smile. Finally he spoke. "Don't give any ideas, Mr. Littrel."
Immediately, I hushed up.
A few minutes later, the pilot began introducing himself and the flight crew over the public announcement system. After his instruction and the demo over the screen in front of us, the flight attendants checked our seatbelts and headed to the back portion of the plane. A few more seconds after that, the plane was off the ground. Around ten minutes after take-off, the cabin crew started to distribute the menu and began asking each one of us what we would like to have for lunch. The choices were sautéed beef and broccoli with mash potatoes or shrimp cocktail with pasta in pesto.
I had the shrimp cocktail while Tevyn had beef and broccoli. Lunch was pretty good, considering it was airline food. After I finished eating my meal, I excused myself and went over to the washroom. I fixed my hair and my clothes, washed my face and brush my teeth. I stared at mirror, looking for some answers.
"What in heaven's name am I doing here?!!! Why the hell am I doing this?" I asked myself, still staring at the mirror. "I must be nuts! I must be a bit loopy on the quicksilver decision making to go to Canada! Whatever gave me the idea of traveling half away across the northern hemisphere for some guy that I barely know?"
After some heavy contemplation, I had re-washed my face with the cold water. I took a deep cleansing breath and I told or, more like, convinced myself as I stared at my reflection on the washroom mirror. "I am doing this for Tevyn Winters. I am doing this for Tevyn's well being. I am here to help Tevyn. Come hell or high water, doomsday or Hades, I am going to make him better. I WILL make him fell better!"
I returned to my seat, quite thankful that the flight crew had already cleared away the food trays and everything. The area was already crowded enough and the additional stuff was just getting to be a mess. Tevyn was drinking some Orange Juice while reading the airplane magazine. I asked the flight attendant for a glass of white wine. I put the earphones on my ears and switched to the classical section. They were currently playing Vangelis 'Conquest for Paradise'.
I started to close my eyes and twist to my side, hoping to catch some shut eye before we arrive in Toronto. I didn't really have to much rest back in my confinement at the hospital so a bit of sleep will do me good. But somehow, no matter how I try, I just couldn't go to sleep. So I resorted to something else to keep me mentally active,... I stared at Tevyn.
Tevyn must have noticed me looking intensely at him because in a few minutes he started to wipe his mouth and face. Then, about a minute later, he began to shift in his seat. Finally, he must have gotten pretty bothered because at that very moment he began hissing in a low but quite audible voice, almost in exasperation. "WHAT? WHAT IN GOD'S NAME ARE YOU STARING AT ME FOR? DO I HAVE SOMETHING ON MY FACE OR SOMETHING?"
"Nothing." I said. "I just couldn't go to sleep"
"Okay..." He calmed down as he returned to his magazine. "But would you mind turning the other side or, at least, closing your eyes. It's getting on my nerves."
"Well, actually,... I had been looking at your forehead and... " I stared as I said quietly. Then, I added while pointing to my eyebrow-forehead area. "Just wondering how did you get THAT thing up there."
"The scar?"
"Yup... and the ring, too." I replied. "I was wondering how did you get them?"
"Well, the ring was easy." He said, then the emotions on his face shifted, the uncertainty was clearly evident. " But the scar is a bit stranger. This might sound a bit weird for you but..."
"Believe me, Tevyn." I interrupted him. "With the things that's happening with my life right now, I don't think anything is too strange for me to handle."
"Are you sure?" He asked, looking for the affirmation on my face.
"Hit me, with your best shot."
"Okay, if you insist... here goes everything." He declared silently as he took a deep breath. "Do you remember when your dreams started?"
"Yes, something when I was like around 11 or 12 years old." I replied. "Why?"
"Well, my dreams started when I was around 11 years old. After that I had those dreams almost every night." He narrated. He paused and then pointed to his eyebrow area. "Back then, I didn't have this scar yet. Then the first time I had those dreams, I woke screaming. My dad came rushing into my room and found my forehead bleeding."
He paused a bit and gulped down some air. Then he continued with his story. "Dad nearly had a heart attack when he saw the blood flowing down my face. He thought that I was having some sort of bizarre leukemia attacks. But it turned out that I just had a gash on my forehead."
"But, you know what's so strange?" His eye narrowed and his brows knitted as he looked at me. "The thing was there was no way I could have banged my head on my bed or the wall because my entire bed was lined with pillows and there were no stains on the wall..."
My face did a double take. He raised an eyebrow and, then, he smiled. "Don't look too shocked, I told you it's going to be weird."
"No, it's just..." I was searching for words as I tried to avoid 'weird'. "No, it just... uhm... ah..."
"Weird, just say it. It's not a difficult word to say. Weird." He smiled indifferently. "Everything in my life has been weird already. I don't think you, of all people, would be surprised either. After all, you had passed through similar things by now."
I was silent for a moment, then I finally spoke. "You know,... you never told me about dreams."
"It's because you never asked me." He cracked a smile.
"Smart-ass..." I smiled lazily. My pillow flew to his general direction
"Thank you. I will take the smart-ass comment as a sinister compliment." He replied, still smiling. He stooped down and picked up my pillow and placed it behind his back. "And I will take your pillow as a gift."
"So about your dreams..." I wanted to compare notes. "Could you tell me about it?"
"Where do you want me to start?"
"I have been told that it is best to start at the beginning." I smiled, now it was my turn to be a smart-ass.
He laughed and threw my pillow at my face. I picked up, placed it on my head and said. "Thank you for the gift. I will treasure this pillow for life."
He gave me a very wet raspberry.
"Okay, here goes nothing..." He took a deep breath. "In my dreams, I was an 11 year old boy named Richard McLachlan. Even though I don't know what year it was, the setting was always the beach in our cabin in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island around the end of summer. I would be walking around the waterfront and I would find a boy named..."
"Jerald Mitchell?" I interrupted him.
"No..." he paused, slightly uncomfortable. "His name was Brian Littrel from Florida... he was you, Brian."
I felt goose bumps ran all over my body.
"Anyway, you,... or the boy in dream anyway, would always build a sandcastle." He continued. 'I would go near him and introduced myself to him as Richard McLachlan from Toronto. He had basically your looks, the blond hair and blue eyes combo. And he even had a heart problem, just like you..."
There was silence... I knew Tevyn was uncomfortable talking about my heart condition. I finally broke the ice by inquiring. "So, what happened?"
"Well, he wanted to race with me to a lighthouse, but I told him I can't because of my leukemia. He told me that it was okay because he has heart condition and he wasn't allowed to get too tired anyway." Tevyn smiled and shrugged. "We played along the surf and walked towards the lighthouse, like average, everyday kid's stuff."
"At the lighthouse, something really supernatural had happened." His expression changed and he became dead serious. "He grabbed my hand and I felt something like lightning passing through my entire body. There was also this bright light, not blinding, just this bright light. After which, he passed me his ring, a silver one with an eagle engraved on the front."
"Was that where you got the idea for the ring?" I asked. "Could I have a look at it?"
"Yes." He replied as he took of the ring and handed it to me. "I had a jeweler create this one for me."
I examined it carefully. It was a silver ring with somewhat grayish tone to it. On the front, there was a spread eagle carved on the metal. Inside, there was an inscription inside the ring. "Tevyn Winters..." I read.
"But before that, he started to ask me about destiny, soul mates and those other stuff." He continued narrating his dream to me. "He was saying something like 'I believe that everything has its place and time because the fates wish to keep everything in order. I believe that there are people and things in this world, which are meant to cross paths because if they don't, their existence would prove to be meaningless and futile.' He then asked me if we were soul mates."
"Wait!!!" I asked him, swallowing hard. "You were the one who told me about the fate thing. You were the one who asked me those questions. In my dreams, you asked me if I was your soul mate,... And it was also you who handed me the silver ring, instead inscription inside read 'Brian Littrel' not 'tevun Winters'. You were the one who gave me the ring and asked me the questions, not the other way around!"
"I told you it's strange." He managed to give me a crooked smile. "But do you know what's even stranger?"
"What"
"He kept on telling me that he would be waiting for me next summer!"
"Just like in my dream" I gasped in awe. "Only in my dream, you were the one telling me to meet you again next summer?"
"What do you think?" His eyes glowed in anticipation. "Do you think we were fated to meet?"
"Maybe yes... but I don't think we should have met in this lifetime."
"So what did the dream mean?"
"I have no idea..." I finally gave up. I thought for a moment and then added. "Do you think the fates send me an early message so I can help you with your,... you know,... condition?"
"No... I don't think so, Brian."
There was a think painful wall of silence between us. Tevyn's answer had somehow shocked me. I didn't think that he would give that answer. He must have sense my discomfort because he cleared his throat and said. "The fates have their reasons, Brian. It's not our place to question them."
Then there was silence between us again. I decided that neither Tevyn nor I were really prepared to get or accept the answers. I turned my back towards him and claimed the rain check on my sleep. After all when we reach Toronto, we still have to travel for about three hours to Charlottetown Airport and I am so goddamned tired!
Within a few minutes, I thankfully drifted off to my slumber.
@);-,'----- @);-,'----- @);-,'-----
I was coming out from the Winters' family beach house near the shores of Cavendish in the late afternoon. I looked around me and realized that the entire coast area was lined with Beach houses, though the Winters' property was enclosed by a concrete wall and was somewhat secluded from the other buildings.
Tevyn is right about coming back to Prince Edward Island. The island would have been a very pleasant summer place indeed, if it were the right season. It was still spring after all. Considering the season, the location of the island and frigid sea current from the Arctic Circle, the weather was still mildly cool. The climate was not entirely as cold as I initially thought, although this could have been one of those strange weather days. Of course, I wouldn't suggest anyone to wear his or her beach attire at the moment unless they are considering hypothermia an advantage.
The red rusty sandy beach line is a truly unique sight and the pinkish-peachy sunset was none less glorious. Perhaps the nicest thing about the beaches in Cavendish, there was minimal development and the area is still quite pristine. Hence, the setting laid natural and untouched and there was far less pollution in the air and water
I looked at my watch and decided that it wasn't too late for a stroll along the waterfront. I wandered away from the cabin and just enjoyed my quick walk. I was taking my time on my leisurely walk when I saw something ahead of me. In a relatively close distant, I saw a young boy building something.
"Weird. Why do I feel like I have been here before?" I thought. "Dejá vu. I wonder..."
Curious on what he was building, I walked over to him to have a closer look. As I came closer to him, he looked up to me. I gave him a quick wave but he didn't respond. He just went back to his work. I continued going towards his direction. This proved to be quite difficult since the sandy dunes didn't really help me walk at a faster pace.
I was finally able to reach the boy. I was a little out of breath but I managed to get there in piece. "Hi there!" I called out to him.
"Hello." He replied without looking up. He was really concentrating on the construction site.
I knelt down on the sandy shore and asked him. "What are you doing?"
"Building a really big castle..." He responded, still without looking at me. "One with tall towers, great big walls and a huge drawbridge. You know, the kinds you see in those 'dungeons and dragon' type of movies." He stared at me, gave me an indifferent look and just went back to his work. "I want it to stretch through out the entire coast line."
He paused a bit from his work and lifted his eyes to me. He stared at me with his deep blue eyes and said. "Tevyn is a really nice guy, isn't he."
I was taken aback by the boy's statement. I examined the kid carefully. He had wavy blond hair and a set of deep blue eyes. He wasn't exactly frail but he didn't have a heavy set, either. My overall evaluation, the boy doesn't look a day older 13 years old. He kind of reminded of someone. Intrigued by what I saw, I asked him. "By any chance, is your name Jerald Mitchell?"
He stopped working on the castle and stood up. He looked at me squarely in the eyes and said "Brian, there are some things which you should never ask..."
"It's you!" I looked at the little kid in awe.
"Yes, it's me, Brian."
"Who are you really? Why did you make Tevyn and my path cross?"
"Remember what I said, Brian. There are some questions in this world which are never meant to be asked or answered. Time will come when all doors will be opened for you but for now..." He told me. "Go back Brian... go back... One day, you will know everything, but now isn't the right time for the answers."
The boy turned his back towards me and started to walk away. I wanted to chase him but the sun suddenly got so bright and I couldn't see a single thing on my path. I called out to him "Wait! Jerald,... Jerry... or who ever you are! " I begged the boy. "Please answer my question. I have to know."
"Go back Brian... Go back and wake up."
I felt the ground underneath me shake violently. It felt like there was an earthquake. "Strange." I thought. "There are no fault lines running along this side of the Atlantic!"
"Wake up, Brian..." I heard the voice ordering me to get up.
"Wake up, Brian!!!" It was Tevyn shaking my seat. "Brian, you have to wake up. We will be arriving Toronto soon. You better get your seat into an upright position."
"Tevyn..." I said groggily. "What happened?'
"You were sleeping but I had to wake you up because Toronto is just ten minutes away."
"Really? What time is it?" I asked scratching my head and yawning like there was no tomorrow. "How long was I out?"
"Well, you had slept immediately after our conversation." Tevyn replied. "That means you were asleep for most of the flight."
"Oh?" I answered.
The dream was still fresh in my mind. I thought deeply and wondered what the kid meant one day I would have the answers. Tevyn started to get quite concerned and asked me. "Are you okay? You seemed to have a troubled expression on your face.
"No, not troubled." I lied. "I'm just a bit sleepy"
Deep inside, I was boiling over with my questions. Why won't that kid answer my questions? Why is it so important Tevyn and I meet? What does all this mean?
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