Percy

2010

Graduation was tomorrow, and I'd finally be able to say goodbye to this shitty town and school. I never thought I'd make it out of that school alive. August couldn't come fast enough. When we were little kids, my sisters and I assumed we'd go to the same college, but as we got older, those plans fizzled. While they chose to stay in Massachusetts. I was the lucky one—the only one—who got into an Ivy League School. Harvard and Princeton rejected me, but Columbia, University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and Dartmouth all accepted me. To piss my parents off, I considered going to UMass Amherst, but I decided to go to the school farthest from home: University of Pennsylvania. My dad was a Yale graduate and disappointed I chose Pennsylvania.

Carrying my cap and gown, I headed up the walkway towards the front door, hoping to get inside before the sprinkling rain turned into a downpour. But the rustling in the bushes got my attention. I stopped, wondering if I was hearing things. After all, I had a history of seeing things that weren't always there. Last year, the neighbor's out-of-control kid, nine-year-old George, jumped out of the bushes and scared the crap out of me. The little shit laughed, flinging eggs at me. My dad gave me no sympathy, saying, "It could have been worse. It could have been dog shit."

"If that's you, Georgie, I'm gonna call the police!" I said. "I mean it this time. I won't put up with your shit anymore!"

There was no mistaking it—a person was hiding in the bushes, waiting for something or someone. "Psst... hey, Percy..." the bushes whispered. "It's not Georgie."

The sound led me directly to the bush, the exact spot where George had sprung out, startling me. A familiar man crouched in the bush, his dark head of hair poking out. "Hey... I need some help."

This guy needed help before. "Kevin?"

"Yeah. Hey, I'm in a bit of a jam again."

"You can't be here. Get outta here. What do you want from me? I'm gonna call the police."

Scared and confused, I stormed off. Kevin vanished from my life after that fateful day in May, and I never saw him again. It felt like a dream; I thought I had made up the whole thing in my head. Why did he show up in my life again? I wanted nothing to do with that freak.

Or did I?

"Wait!" Kevin shouted, jumping out of the bushes. As I ran up the stairs, Kevin trailed closely behind me, stark naked in the rain in this quiet, well-to-do suburban neighborhood where people loved to gossip.

I forcefully grabbed his arm, yanking him towards me and positioning him in front of me. With a sense of urgency, my trembling hand struggled to find the keyhole, scared to death that someone would see me with this naked man.

"I don't know why I'm here with you," he said, folding his arms across his bare chest, his body wet and shivering. Although it was early June, the weather was raw and damp. "I literally woke up in the bushes right when you pulled into the driveway." I was so close to him, our bodies almost touched. Now wasn't the time to admire his body.

"Oh, fuck, I can't unlock the fucking door," I said.

He took the key from me and unlocked the door himself. I shoved him into the house, the door slamming shut behind us. I didn't know what to say or do. As I took a step toward him, he instinctively backed away, perhaps afraid I'd hit him or push him. "I'm not gonna hurt you," I said, dropping my cap and gown on the floor. He chewed on his bottom lip as tears welled in his eyes. My parents weren't the hugging type, but I felt the urge to hug Kevin. "I won't hurt you," I said, opening my arms. He fell into them, hugging me tightly as if we were long lost best friends. I'd never hugged a boy before. It was better than I ever imagined. "You can't stay out here. My sisters and mother will be home soon. Come on. Let's go."

With his arms folded across his chest, he trailed behind me as we made our way through the kitchen. As we walked up the stairs, he unfolded his arms and held my waist. He had an air of desperation, as if he craved human contact. In my room, he stood behind me, holding him to me with his hands on my stomach, pressing his lips on my neck. "You've gotten so tall," he whispered in my ear. In the summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school, I shot up to almost six feet tall. "Please don't call the police. Just let me stay here and rest. I won't do anything. I promise."

I'd been lonely for a long time, so I was glad Kevin was there, even though the whole thing was creepy and he was crazy as fuck. I had a hard time making friends and hadn't had a best friend since the sixth grade. I hoped to make friends in college, but I wasn't too confident.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I said, placing my hands on top of his.

"This is the third time we've run into each other. How old are you now?"

"Eighteen." My heart beat faster than it ever beat. I thought it'd beat out of my chest. My jeans grew uncomfortably tight. "I'm too old to have an imaginary friend, so I must be crazy."

"Do I feel imaginary? You're not crazy. You're so warm." He slipped his hands under my shirt. Overwhelmed with these emotions, I gasped, pulling away from him. Spinning around, I tossed a blanket at him. "I wouldn't mind if you used me for sexual exploration." Without permission, he plopped on my bed. "Your secret's safe with me."

No one knew the real me, and I wanted it to stay that way.

"I'm sorry to keep doing this to you. I can't help it. It's not fair to either of us. It sucks." He wrapped himself in the blanket like a cocoon. He was sad and desperate and the only thing I could do to help him was give him shelter and a blanket.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"Lowell."

"That's not far. I can give you a ride home. I'll let you borrow some clothes."

"I don't have a home here. In a few hours, I'll fall asleep, and you won't see me again or maybe you will. I don't know. I'm just gonna rest, okay? You can rest here with me." He unwrapped the blanket and got under the covers. I lay beside him on top of the covers, propped on my elbow. "I haven't been this close to a guy in a long time. It feels really good."

My finger shook as I traced his jaw. "I've never had a girlfriend," I said. "I've never had a boyfriend, either."

"I've been with lots of guys, but I've never really had a boyfriend, either. I was never into girls."

I brought my hand to his chest, placing it over his heart. "It's beating fast," I said. "How'd you get here, anyway?"

"I swear I told you already. I go to sleep, and I wake up in weird places in different times. For some reason, I run into you a lot."

"Are you saying you time travel in your sleep?"

"I fall asleep and then I disappear and end up somewhere else. I don't expect you to understand. I don't understand it. I promise I won't be here in the morning."

My hand made its way farther down his body and over his stomach. "I wouldn't mind if you're still here. We could get breakfast."

"I'd love to get breakfast with you. What year is it?"

"2010."

"2010 is so much better than 1910. You know, you don't have to stay here with me. It looks like you have a graduation to get ready for. Don't let me stop you."

"It's not until tomorrow," I said, stroking his stomach. He swallowed hard as I circled his belly button. He held the side of my face, gazing into my eyes. "I want to kiss you."

He nodded, allowing my hand to go lower. I was so nervous, I kissed his cheek instead.

"Sorry."

Cupping my chin in his palms, he brought his lips to mine. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. His kisses reverberated through me.

As a car door opened and closed, Kevin pushed my hand away and dashed to the window, grabbing the blanket first. I didn't want to stop. My mother and sisters just got home after spending the afternoon shopping. I could hear their laughter and chatter from below. Luckily, the blinds were closed, otherwise they would have seen Kevin in the window. "You have two sisters?" he asked, peeking through the blinds.

"Yes. We're triplets."

"No shit? What are their names?"

"Sophia and Ella. I'm the oldest."

"I've never met a triplet before," he said. Growing up, my sisters and I were one of three sets of triplets in elementary school, so it wasn't a big deal to me. My sisters graduated from their school last weekend. "Do you guys fight a lot or do you get along?"

"We get along, I guess. They're annoying sometimes."

"I'm an only child. My dad has a million kids, but I've never met them. He likes to make babies, but he doesn't like to take care of them. I like your house. I like this room."

My feelings toward this man confused me. I felt like I knew him well, which was impossible. I usually wasn't comfortable around people, so I was back to thinking Kevin was an imaginary friend. At least my imaginary friend was beautiful. As he stood facing the window, I got off the bed and approached him. He flinched as I placed a hand on his shoulder. I ran my hand down the center of his back. He turned around and leaned against the windowsill, tears in his eyes.

"You don't have to be so sad," I said, wiping his tears with my hand. "What year do you say you're from?"

"2024."

"Do we meet in 2024?"

"I don't know."

"What year did you say you were born?"

"1999. So you'll be twenty-five in 2024 and I'll be thirty-two?"

"I'm actually twenty-four right now, but I don't expect you—"

"Yeah, yeah. You don't expect me to understand." I reached inside the blanket and held his waist, pulling him to me.

"I don't want you to go," I said.

"I'd rather stay here with you, too, but I can only stay here for as long as I'm awake. No one will ever understand except for the assholes who did this to me. I don't belong in 2010. It's easier if you just believe I'm crazy."

"I don't know what else to believe."

We resumed kissing. Kevin backed me onto the bed and collapsed on top of me. My jeans were so uncomfortable, I had to undo them. My body shuddered underneath Kevin's as he ground against me. "Hey, Percy!" Ella pounded on my door. Before she opened the door, I pushed Kevin off me, so hard he landed on the floor. I fixed my jeans, running to the door. I opened and closed the door quickly so Ella wouldn't see Kevin.

"What?" I said to her.

"What's going on in there?"

"Nothing. What do you want?"

"Why is your face all red?"

"I was hot. What do you want, Ella?"

"Grammy and Grampy are here. They want to see you."

My grandparents lived all the way up in Maine and came down just for my graduation tomorrow. They did the same for my sisters last weekend, so I had to go and see them. "Okay. I'll be right down."

I returned to my room to find Kevin sitting up and watching TV, flipping through the channels. "I gotta see my grandparents."

"Yeah, I heard. I understand."

I returned to my bed and leaned over to kiss him. "I won't be down long," I said, but I wasn't too sure. My grandfather liked to talk.

An hour later, I re-entered my room to find him gone. He left nothing behind, not even a note. He left me... again.

And I was heart broken more than ever.

***

2024

In the middle of the night, I bolted upright, drenched in sweat, visions of Jude flooding my brain. I'd barely slept over the past few days. Jude occupied all my thoughts. I understood why he told me his name was Kevin. If he told me his real name, I would have searched for him. I wondered what would have happened if I ran into an eleven-year-old Jude. He would have thought I was crazy.

1999, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018.

Those were all the years I met Jude in his travels. It didn't matter where I was: outside my house, the high school, in my college dorm, at my parents' home before I moved in with Lyndsey. All the traveling must have done a number on his memory because we had more than a connection those other times. It wasn't just in 2018. I blocked the memories out to hide the hurt and confusion. My fucked up adult life interfered with my memories. I tried to forget him. Every time he left, a piece of me left with him. If I could help him now, then he'd never disappear on me ever again.

I'd never been in a queer relationship, and maybe I was stupid and naive to think Jude and I were in a relationship, but some outside force brought us together.

I wanted to help him. I was the only one who'd seen it happen. No one would ever believe such a story, and, if, someone did believe me, Jude and I worried they'd throw him in some lab and treat him like a human guinea pig.

And the question remained: Where were the people who did this to him? Why wouldn't they be monitoring him? Studying him?

I examined the police report over and over. It said a lot of nothing. Yeah, his mother was driving. Yeah, the car flipped, and Jude was taken to the hospital. It did state that his mother was unharmed and declined medical treatment.

'Mr. Judah Prak, age 23, was found unresponsive at the scene. He appears to have had major blood loss from his injuries with possible internal damage. EMTs revived him and transported him to the nearest hospital.'

Mrs. Melissa Hills, age 42, present with no injury, requests her son, Jude, be taken to _________________Hospital.

The name of the hospital was blacked out. I bet his mother could provide that information. At five in the morning, I sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, my laptop open, having goggled Melissa Hills. The surname Hills was a popular surname. It's not like I'd easily find Jude's mother. Besides, based on his notes, he'd already done a search.

And then I had a brilliant idea! I decided to search the court records' database since it was available to the public. Not everyone knew that. The law firm also had access to investigative databases, which came in handy from time to time. It would come in handy today. I hoped to discover new information.

My mother entered the kitchen in her bathrobe, yawning, not expecting me to be up. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked.

"I can't sleep," I said, exploring the court records. They revealed a lot of information. There were several court cases involving Jude and the Department of Children and Families. It seemed like she lost custody of Jude on and off since 2006. Besides charges of drug possession, she had also served time in prison for armed robbery, all in pursuit of drugs. She also declared bankruptcy twice. By the time Jude turned sixteen in 2016, she must have got her act together because that's when the court cases ended.

"That's been happening a lot lately. Everything okay?" My mother was an early riser and a digger for private information. My mind was on other things.

"Yep," I said when everything wasn't okay. I opened Tracer, the primary investigative software the firm used.

"I thought maybe you were dating someone," she said, her way of digging for information.

"Nope. Mom, I like men," I said, annoyed with her passive aggressive behavior. My lack of sleep had left me drained with a strange desire to irritate her like she irritated me. Saying something shocking and controversial was one way to get to her.

"What are you talking about?" she laughed.

"I'm attracted to men."

My mother thought I was joking, but I was dead serious.

"I'd rather be with a man than a woman. I've wasted five years of my life with Lyndsey. She wasn't even a nice person."

"Stop being so bitter. It's time to move on, Percy. Turning to men isn't the answer. You need to go to the doctor and get some sleeping pills or something."

"Yeah, whatever. Sleeping pills won't help me."

"Your father's not going to be too happy, you know. First, you decided to stop practicing law to become a social worker and now you're a homosexual? You need help, Alonzo."

"Don't call me that. I'm not the one who needs help. Leave me alone. I'm trying to concentrate."

Tracer disclosed more information as I'd hoped. She left Massachusetts and was living in Malibu. I even had access to the registry of motor vehicles. I found out she owned several cars, including a Tesla and a Porsche. I assumed she found a rich husband, but how could she leave her dying son at the scene of the accident? It totally baffled me.

But I now had her contact information, and I was sure she could provide the information we needed. At six in the morning, with a notebook full of notes, I called Jude, hoping he was awake. I first sent a text and waited five minutes before sending another one and then another one. Nothing.

Thirty minutes later, he finally called me. "I know where your mother is," I said.

A/N

I don't know if I'll be able to keep this story under 40,000 words. In my mind, there are so many layers and I'm trying to organize it all, which is difficult.

Words: 2999

Total words: 12,583