During my first week in Neverland, I was already close with everyone. There weren't much people around, in fact, there were only less than twenty of us here. Seventeen, to be exact, and that was counting me and the seven boys. There were only nine others.
I was sitting with the Thai boy in the house, watching as he made beats with his fingers and started rapping again in his mother tongue. A rap that I have heard for so many times already but never got bored of.
"I hope you're not getting bored of me and my rapping," he apologized. "I just really do love rapping,"
"I don't mind," I told him, smiling. "I like hearing you rap. It sounds nice, to be honest,"
He flashed me a sweet smile and got up, brushing off his black pants and held out a hand for me to take. I took it and he pulled me up, leading me out of the house and to the beach, where we spent most of our time together if we weren't in the house.
"It hasn't been long since you arrived, Jiyeon," he started softly. "But why does it seem like you've been here for years?"
"I don't know with you," I shrugged. His hand covered my own, his fingers lacing through mine, holding it and squeezing it gently.
"But I'm glad you came. I haven't felt this comfortable around a girl in years," he admitted.
Remember. This was only the first week. Time quickly passed.
We became friends fast, faster than anyone could have imagined. At the end of my first day, we were already friends. At the end of the month, we were best friends. At the end of three months, we were practically inseparable. Right until the moment we parted.
He had been my first friend here. That was one thing, and it was another to say I had completely fallen for him already. At the end of the day we met, I knew I felt something for him already. I never told anyone about it. I just kept it to myself, not wanting others to know.
Love at first sight, as they say...
Not falling in love in Neverland wasn't a rule. It was allowed, but it said that if we did fall in love, we'd have to face the consequences of our decision making.
That damned decision making that I had already grown to hate by my second week. I fell in love with him, and eventually, I'd have to choose. My family, or him. My friends, or the seven boys I'd become so fond of. My life on earth, or my true love in Neverland.
"Hey, Jackson," I sat down next to him at the table, where he was writing down something on a piece of stationary.
"Yes?" he looked at me, pausing.
"How long have you been here?"
"Me? Uh... A year and a half. Why?"
I didn't answer him and just thanked him, getting up and leaving him there. I asked around. Mark Tuan, the Taiwanese boy from Los Angeles, said he'd been there for two years. Choi Youngjae had been there for a mere seven months. Kim Yugyeom had been there for almost two years, but was still under eighteen so he couldn't leave yet. Im Jaebum and Park Jinyoung both had been there for three years.
And BamBam, my prince, had been there for almost four years already, the longest out of anyone. Out of everyone here, he was the one who knew Neverland the best, the one who knew every secret, every possible hiding place, every wonder. Most were known but there were a mere few that they didn't. But of course, his six friends also know. They told each other everything.
He made me swear not to tell anyone who still didn't know. It was their and our secret place. The place where we always went whenever we wanted some time to ourselves.
It was a beautiful place, a small hidden piece of land where tons of pretty flowers grew. Almost any flower you could imagine, and it was there. Roses, sunflowers, lilacs, lilies, daisies, chrysanthemums, hibiscuses, just about anything.
We were there again one night. He knelt down and picked up my favorite flower, which was baby's breath. He got up and pushed my hair back, handing me the flower with a smile on his face like usual.
"This is your favorite, isn't it?" he asked softly. "I saw you staring at them before. It's a beautiful flower, just like you,"
And that was the moment, I was sure I fell for him. With my red cheeks, I took it from him, mumbling a word of thanks. We sat down on a big rock, just keeping silent and watching the stars twinkle in the night sky.
I stole few glances at him. Seeing his deep brown eyes, his pink, pouty lips and the other features of his beautiful face, I thought of how he ended up here, in Neverland. Was it like me? I got in an accident and went here, but what about him? I wanted to know his story?
"How did you get here? How did you arrive in Neverland?"
I asked him, my curiosity getting the best of me. To my surprise, he let out a laugh before speaking.
"Just the normal way. Got in an accident, and here I am,"
"Is it the same with Mark? With Jackson? Youngjae?"
"Pretty much." he nodded. "It's always like that. And I'm extremely grateful for Neverland. Who knows what would have happened to us? We would have died already if not for this place. And if I never ended up here, I wouldn't have met you guys,"
He said that while looking straight in my eyes, his brown pair piercing through mine.
"If you were dying and you ended up here, would you want a second life?" I asked after a while of silence.
"On Neverland, or on earth?"
"Both."
"Hmm..."
He thought about it, thinking hard. It took him a long time to answer but he did.
"If I did, I'd not want go back to earth. I'd just stayed in Neverland forever,"
"What about your loved ones?"
"We'll eventually meet here, right? In Neverland or in heaven. Possibly both,"
Point.
"What will you do, then? When you have to choose?"
"I'll ask for another year. I'll do that again and again until they take me in heaven."
"You don't want to live your life on earth?"
"Life is just like a maze full of challenges, like the Labyrinth in Greek mythology. Would you want to go back inside a maze full of hardships and traps?"
He had a bit of a strange outlook on things, but he was positive most of the time. He thought of life as a maze, death as the end of it, and love as the worst challenge inside.
I admit, love was difficult. It hurt a lot and it broke you inside, but it's not the worst challenge in life. Life is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to hurt you, wound you and make you cry, but no. I don't think it's worst part of living.
I reached over, touching his cheek with my fingertips. The slight touch made him look over at me.
"Yes, Jiyeon? Do you need something?"
I shook my head. He laughed softly and put his hand over mine, taking it off his face.
"Should we go now? It's dark. I'm guessing it's midnight already."
We had no watches on us, nothing to tell time with, but he was correct. It was already midnight when we got back to the house. Bidding each other good night, we went inside our separate rooms, crawling into our beds and falling asleep.
The next morning, we greeted each other again, meeting in the corridor. He wasn't properly dressed yet, unlike me, and was just wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, but it looked good on him. Well... Everything pretty much looked good on him.
"Good morning,"
"Morning,"
His smile was as dazzling as always. I gave him a little bow before heading down the stairs, where the rest were already eating. I took a seat beside Min, who greeted me and gave me a plate of food. Soon after, BamBam joined us at the table, wearing a black and white striped sweatshirt and blue jeans.
"Morning, guys," he smiled brightly.
"Morning, Bam," Yugyeom smiled at his best friend before focusing on his food again.
Breakfast was always a silent affair. Even if there were ten of us, it was always quiet at the table. When I finished, the plates disappeared and I got up. So did BamBam.
This was an everyday routine, going to a place after breakfast.
"What place is there for you to show me today?" I asked.
"You haven't seen the clearing yet," he told me, walking by my side.
There were so many things I could do with him. We arrived at the clearing, which was a meadow. The space was surprising. It was huge, and it was like a garden, too, with plants everywhere.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
I nodded. He smiled and knelt down, picking up a lilac this time. He straightened and looked at me, turning the flower carefully in his hands. He stepped closer to me, reached over, and tucked it over my ear, making sure it wouldn't fall.
"And also, you," he smiled softly, stepping back. "You're so much more beautiful than any flower could ever be,"
He was always a flirt. Making me blush with his sweet words. He always told me I was beautiful and he never seemed to get tired of repeating those words over and over again.
Even though he was quite clueless at times, I never really minded. He was sometimes forgetful about the major things but he always remembered little details. Like my favorite flower and my favorite drink, and other things. The things you wouldn't expect him to remember, but does.
He was always smiling, he was a bright person. He was extremely cheerful and polite to everyone, even though being the one who stayed the longest. He had his own plans, his own dreams, his own loved ones to live for, but he gave all those up just because of the challenges that life would give him.
I spent my seven months with him, the best seven months I'd ever had in my life, but it all came to an end once we both made our decisions.
So let's check back into reality now, shall we?
"Hello," the boy smiled, bowing. "I'm Kunpimook Bhuwakul. I hope you treat me well."
I stared at him, watching him closely as the teacher sent him to sit at the back, which was the only empty seat in the classroom and which was right beside me.
Same looks, same name, though this guy was wearing glasses. But it wasn't possible that this was really him. For all I know, he's gone, and he himself wouldn't have bothered to go back to earth.
"Na Jiyeon!" the teacher called my name, snapping me back to the present time. "Would you please give us the answer to this question?"
I got up and looked at the whiteboard, taking one look as mental calculations flashed through my brain.
"The answer is three, teacher," I sat back down, to see the boy staring at me intently through his rimmed glasses. "Is... Is there something wrong, Kunpimook?" My voice was slightly cracking when I spoke.
"Nothing," he shook his head, "But call me BamBam instead. It might be a bit hard for you to pronounce my real name,"
"Umm... Okay..." I said slowly.
After the class ended, I stayed in the classroom during break but I could hear tons of whispers out in the hallway. He walked back inside the classroom and went back to his seat, beside me.
"You okay?" he asked. I nodded.
"I'm fine." I told him. "But.... BamBam..."
"Yes?" he looked at me, smiling.
"Have we... Have we met before?"
His eyes looked straight into mine, studying them. I almost looked back down, thinking it was all a mistake, that he was different, when he spoke.
"It depends on where we met, and how,"
A vague answer. I didn't answer it, but I just took a chance to ask him that. I'll take it for now.
____________________________________________________________________
Hi ~ This is my first real BamBam story. How is this?? Any comments? Feedback? ^_^ If you're confused about this, just ask me about it and I'll do my best to explain to you :)