The Eyes of the Few

Future Love

This is a story about Joey Vines. It’s a story about how our relationship developed and changed over the years in which I knew him. We were strangers whose destinies were entwined; just not in the way I expected them to be.

~*~

I was either in my junior or senior year of high school; I don’t recall which, but I do know that it was a rainy and icy, just overall miserable, Saturday. I was working a late shift in a small local diner in my town when a young man walked in. He was tall, with shaggy brown hair and mud coated boots. He moved slowly, but managed to sit down in a booth, leaning his elbows on the red table, seemingly calm.  

I probably wouldn’t have even noticed him if it weren’t for his obnoxious and loud entrance. The only other person in the diner was an older woman sitting at the counter with a coffee, and we were near the normal closing time. I looked up at him to see him still in the same position, but his eyes had turned up; and they had land on me. I thought about shrinking away to the back, but realizing how pathetic that would seem, I walked up to him.

“Would you like to order anything?” I asked him, trying to be as polite as I could.

He shook his head, water dripping from his hair to the table, but said nothing. I silently returned to my place behind the counter. Even after the woman left a good hour or so later, the man sat, staring at me; he sat there all the way until closing, at which time he silently stood and left, walking off into the distance.

~*~

Our next encounter was on my twentieth birthday.

My friends had sent me out of my dorm, telling me to go buy myself some nice new clothes; I had asked what they were implying, but it didn’t matter considering it wound up being a plan to get me out of the dorm so they could plan my party that would be held later in the day… at least they told me that was the only reason…

Anyway, I had every intention of heading out to the mall and buying myself something ‘new and nice’ as they so delicately put it, but I got into a pretty nasty car crash.

I still don’t know who the driver of the other car was, and I have no idea how no one saw his license plate; but I do know my car was pushed off of a small bridge. I was brought to the hospital with a concussion, a broken leg, and two broken ribs, while my car passed away peacefully in a repair shop.

When I first woke up in the hospital, they said I had a guest, and assuming it was one of my roommates, I told the nurse to let them in.

In came the man. He still had muddy boots and shaggy brown hair, and I swear he was even wearing the same clothes. His hair was wet yet again, even though today was the sunniest day we’ve seen all year.

To say I was creeped out was an understatement. Was he stalking me? How did he know I was here?

A few moments of silence passed when suddenly he pulled a bouquet of flowers from inside his coat, and placed them on the table beside me. He smiled a small, seemingly genuine smile and placed a soft kiss on my forehead, his hair dripping water onto my nose. Then, as if he were never there, he was gone.

~*~

Our third encounter was typical of a romance novel; there was a masquerade ball, he was there, we danced, blah blah blah, then as if he were the Cinderella of the story, he was gone.

Again.

~*~

Now by the fourth time I saw him, I was worried for his sanity as well as my safety. So when I was jogging around a park and I saw his casually sitting on a bench, I snapped. I jogged straight up to him, ignoring his surprise, and punched him as hard as could, square in the nose.

He yelped as his head snapped back, his hand flying up to cradle his assumedly broken nose, and blood pouring from between his fingers.

“Who the-” I began to yell at him, before noticing the dozens of staring onlookers. “Who the heck are you?!” I whisper-shouted at him, “and why are you always around?”

He looked up at me, the anger that had filled his eyes when I first threw the punch draining, and his expression softening as he looked into my eyes. I averted my gaze, still not sure what it was exactly he wanted with me. “Well?!” I asked him angrily.

“I can’t tell you,” he said with a sigh, his voice cracking.

“What? Why not?” I asked him, confusion coating my words.

“It’s complicated,” he told me, rubbing his temple with his free hand.

“I swear,” I said, my voice trembling, “I swear, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to file a restraining order against you. What do you want from me?”

He looked at me carefully, as if trying to choose his words. “I’m in love with you.”

My mouth dropped to the floor. I raised my arms in desperation and tugged on the ends of my hair. “Ok, so you are a stalker. I’m just going to…” I started, pulling my phone out and beginning to dial the number nine one one.

“No! No, I’m not- Ah, put that away!” He snapped at me, swatting my phone from my hand. I gasped, picking up the now smashed iPhone.

“Listen to me, I’m from another dimension. I work with, live with, and love you in this alternate reality, but as punishment from the Elders I was sent here to live alone. I figured I may as well try to connect with this you considering I lost the other,” he said in a rush, “By the way, my name is Joey Vines.”

I sucked a breath between my teeth, before collapsing to the ground in fits of laughter. I watched as his shoulders slumped down, a defeated and crushed look taking place on his face. I stood up slowly, wiping tears from my eyes.

“You really aren’t helping your case very much, buddy, I now see you as even more of a mental patient. Oh by the way, I’m Lauren, and I’m from Mars,” I said, chuckling to myself.

Joey looked at me, a scowl now forming. “I just want to find happiness again,” He told me, breaking down.

“Well, I’m perfectly happy on my own, thanks. Stop following me, and bye forever,” I told him, adding a small wave at the end. His jaw tightened, but he sulked off all the same.

~*~

Our final meeting was actually my fault, so I take the blame; I was being interviewed for a job. Turns out he already worked there. I decided to give him a chance, as long as he promised not to follow me places; he agreed to my terms, and I’m happy to say that now we’re close friends.

But I’ll always remember that he would be the happiest man alive if I said I loved him back; and I think I’m starting to.