5. DREAMS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Dreams

 

      WE REACHED OUR HOUSE AT SEVEN. WE DIDN’T HAVE TIME to go shopping because they insisted to stay all day. Though they let us go anywhere we want, so we just went back to the farthest park and as usual I fell asleep again.

     But my dream was quite different. I dreamed about going there, watching the sunset, my head on Adam’s chest. When the sunset was over he looked at me then disappeared again. But this time I look around back and forth but he was nowhere. I was alone. Crying. After that Edward woke me up again.

     I went to my room very full from the dinner. I took an evening bath then brushed my teeth. After that, I looked at my cell phone and I got four messages and two missed calls from Adam.

     Then he called m again, this time I answered.

     “Hello?” I said.

     “Hey Alyson… where have you been all day? I’ve been cal—”

     “Sorry about that… we went to a friend’s house and I forgot my cell phone…”

     “Oh… well that’s okay…”

     “So how’s New York?”

     “Great… and I already got your present…”

   

 

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     “Of course you have… you’re my present right?”

     “The other one…”

     “Darn… I don’t have any for you…”

     “That’s okay… oh yah, we’ll be back after three weeks from now… not from a month anymore… so I’m expecting your answer when I come back…”

     “Um… I think we should get to know each other more for a little while… you know we just met like just a week ago…”

     “Okay, okay… don’t worry… I’ll wait until you say yes…”

     “Thanks… may be I’ll say yes on your birthday as well…”

     “Sure, sure… you don’t have to be my girlfriend too fast you know… I can wait…”

     “Okay… hey what date’s today?”

     “July eighteen…”

     “Good… then when will you be back…”

     “Um… first week of August… I’ll just text you…”

     “Great… and I’ll show you this great place… though I usually fall asleep and have some bad dreams…”

     “What kind of bad dreams?”

     “Like watching the sunset with you and —”

     “Hey, how’s that became a bad dream?”

     “Let me finish first…”

     “Okay…”

     “Then after the sunset, you left me…”

     “That would never happen…”

     “I hope so…”

     “Trust me… besides… dreams are the opposite of realities…”

     “Not really… one time I dreamed about you and me… but not in that place… just here in my room…”

     “Of course, there are some exceptions…”

     “Yah…”

     “Hey when will I meet your parents?”

     “You’re not yet my boyfriend!”

     “Just kidding… besides, you already met mine…”

 

 

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     “Okay… I’ll think about it…”

     “Okay… well, bye now… sweet dreams…”

     “Bye…” I shut my phone.    

 

     In the morning I woke up with tears in my eyes, probably because of my dream that I can’t barely remember. The only thing left in my memory is walking at the beach holding hands with Adam. Then I saw Shane and Nate smiling from the other side and we were walking toward them. But that’s all. I can’t remember any part of it as bad.

 

     I had the same dream over and over again for the rest of the week though I’m not crying when I woke up any more.

     I got out of my bed and look at my cell phone. It’s been three weeks now and today will be the arrival of “the unknown”. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth and took a bath. I think I want to be a little casual today. So I picked my gray cotton cardigan and green striped tank underneath, and black cotton miniskirt then I took my tan and silver woven bag—a bag from Miley on my last birthday—which I haven’t use since I got here. I went downstairs to eat breakfast, today we’re having omelet. It’s already nine o’clock and Adam’s arrival is on ten.

     After I ate breakfast I went outside and took the bus. I’m so excited seeing them again that I’m almost jumping on the way. I only had contact with Adam; I never had a chance to talk to Shane or Nate.

     I arrived at the airport at exactly ten. I sat down impatiently, tapping my left hand on the vacant seat beside me. I look at my cell phone to see if I got another message from Adam.

     “Hey Alyson!” I heard Shane shouted hugging me.

     “Oh hey! Where are the others?” I said after I hugged him.

     “They’re just picking something up… and believe me, it’s huge…”

 

 

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     “Really? What is it?”

     “Um… I can’t tell you yet…”

     “Oh okay… so how’s New York?”

     “Fine… same as ever…”

     “So how’s the tour?”

     “Same as always… we performed… and one time it rained unexpectedly… on the morning it was very sunny then when we performed it started raining… the fans still wants us to play… they were playing on the rain… so we need some assistants to hold umbrellas for us… of course we can’t play our guitar and drums… well Adam didn’t needed an assistant… he just sung… he postponed his playing of his tambourine…

     “Then after the concert tour, we decided to play in the rain… and I admit that we’re a mess! When we went in the bus, our mom almost kicked us out the bus! It’s because of the mud and dirt on our shoes… we needed to clean the whole bus for our punishment… and we can’t practice until we’re done…”

     “Wow… I guess you were pretty tired after that!”

     “Absolutely! We completely forgot that our mom was there so we jump to the sofa to relax… well we dried ourselves first… but we forgot about our shoes… especially Nate… he kinda step on the carpet… and only then we realized that our mom is going to kill us…”

     “Really…”

     “Yah… we needed some energizers after that…”

     “What kind of energizers?”

     “Bob, our bodyguard, coffee, electric guitar that is attached to a large stereo… actually not energizers… just to keep as awake… though we had droopy eyes…”

     “Ah… but did you enjoy?”

     “Yah… especially on the shopping… you should’ve saw Adam on our first day of shopping! He keeps asking us… US! What he should give you… then he remembered Uncle Roger…”

 

 

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     “Who’s Uncle Roger?”

     “Later you’ll know…”

     “Well he didn’t have to give me anything… I just want to see you guys again…”

     “Well, we kinda said that a lot… I think a zillion times? Maybe?”

     “Oh…” I said noticing that we were the only people waiting.

     “Hey guys…” Nate said pushing a stroller with a huge box. Just like what Shane said.

     “Where’s Adam?” I asked trying to ignore the huge box in front of me.

     “Alyson, could you please open this box?” Nate said ignoring my question.

     “Sure…” I said I took the ribbon and Adam pop out.

     “Surprise!” Adam said.

     “Well we’ll leave you two for a moment… we’ll just get the other baggage…” Nate said dragging Shane.

     “Hey, um, what are you doing in a box?” I asked.

     “You said I need to wrap my gift to you…”

     “And you really took that literally…”

     “Not exactly… I’m not wrapped… just in a box…”

     “Okay, um, could you get out of the box first?” I said biting my lip trying not to laugh. But I can’t help it.

    “Sure… whatever you say…” and he handed me a long rectangular box.

     “What’s this?”

     “Open it…”

     “Sure…” I carefully took the wrapper, which was cute, and saw that it was a doll, that looks like him.

     “I told you it would remind you of me…”

     “It’s… cute…” I said biting my lip again.

     “You don’t like it? I’ll give you my first choice if you want…”

     “I like it… wait no… I love it…” I said and hugged him. “Thank you…” I whispered.

 

 

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     “And look… I’ll keep this one…” he said showing me a doll that looks like me. “Though, I’m sure many would think I’m gay…”

     “Don’t worry… I won’t…” I said locking my arms around his neck.

     “I can wait for my gift you know…” he said taking my lock hands and held it down tightly.

     “I know you’re a good boy…”

     “Boy?”

     “Yah… well, who gives his girlfriend, or soon to be, a doll?” I asked smiling crookedly.

     “Okay… maybe I’m childish…”

     “I like childish…”

     “I know… ‘cause you’re one…”

     “I won’t deny that… that’s the reason why I like simple gifts like this than huge diamond rings…”

     “You don’t like accessories?”

     “Well, I like bracelets, specifically bangles, necklace…”

     “Now I have an idea what I’ll give you on your birthday…”

     “No… you give me enough… I don’t want anything… I already have you…”

     “Hey, that’s enough… c’mon, we’re the only people left here…” Shane said coming back again, now holding two bags.

     “Whatever…” Adam said punching him lightly on the kidney.

     “Hey Alyson, nice to see you again…” Ashley said.

     “Nice to see you too…”

     “Well c’mon… I can hear the growl of Shane’s stomach…” Adam said putting one arm around my shoulders.

     We rode their parent’s Volvo and I guess we’re heading to their “relaxing house” again.

     “What do you want for lunch?” Ashley asked.

     “Grilled chicken…” Nate said looking at Shane and Adam then to me. I just nodded.

     “With salad…” Shane added.

 

 

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     “Don’t forget iced tea…” Adam said.

     “Okay then…”

     “Why don’t you call Leslie now?” Ryan asked.

     “Sure…” she said then took her cell phone. “Hello? Leslie? Could you grill the chicken there? Then make a salad as well… Beef… then red iced tea… Grilled sandwiches… we’re six… I expect the smell flowing outside, okay? Great… bye…”

     “Who’s Leslie?” I asked.

     “Our personal chef…” Adam said.

     “How come I didn’t meet her the last time I visit your house?”

     “That’s because we only call her when we just came from a tour or something… that we would be too lazy to cook… Besides, you should try her dishes… it’s amazing… you’ll forget your name… She won a lot of times on some international cooking contest…”

     I looked at the doll again and borrowed his doll.

     “You know they look great together…” I said.

     “Oh yah, I forgot to tell you… press the hand of your doll then mine…”

     “You mean the miniature Adam or Alyson?”

     “Adam…”

     “Okay…” so I followed him and press their hands. The Adam doll said “I love you Alyson…” with the real tone. The surprising one is the Alyson doll said “I love you too…” with my real tone.

     “How did you get my voice?” I asked.

     “Well you see… remember once when we were taking pictures and I accidentally press the video mode… well I kinda save that and they have this machine where you can change your voice to another… so I just said the phrase ‘I love you too’ then they copied the tone in the video…”

     “Wow… this must have cost you a lot…”

     “Nope… you see… first, Uncle Roger doesn’t want to do this, but fortunately, he has a daughter, who’s really a big fan of ours… she’s like seven or eight… all I need to do was give her

 

 

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another autograph and took a picture of the two of us… actually now, I just signed her t-shirt, mug, iPod, collection of us, posters, and so many more… but it was worth it… she made him make me two dolls even though he doesn’t want to… well he doesn’t have a choice, really… when he won’t do it, she will fake a cry then her mother will come and take her side…”

     “Well, he did a very good job…”

     “Yes… well I made sure he would… or Monique made sure he would…”

     “I’d like to meet her someday… well thank her actually…”

     “Then you should go with us the next time we went to New York… though I still don’t know when…”

     “Oh okay…”

 

     After a few minutes, we reach their house. It’s a lot faster to use their Volvo than their tour bus. And as Ashley said she would be expecting, the smell of the grilled chicken was flowing around the yard. Adam led me to the back part of their house. There was a large oak table on the center of the garden that was surrounded by eight chairs. In the corner there was a large fountain with three angels on top. The garden was surrounded by flower beds, shrubs and huge square plants and the grass are well trimmed.

     “Do you have your personal gardener?”

     “Yes… but like Leslie, Mike works here rarely… but mostly when we’re gone… ‘cause you see, gardening, cooking and cleaning are my mom’s hobbies… well except for playing golf, bowling and reading books…”

     “Ah…”

     “Well c’mon, let’s eat… I’m already starving…” he said pulling the chair for me then sit next to me.

     “So Alyson, how many do you want?” Ashley asked.

     “Only one, please…” I said politely.

     “I’ll reserve you another one… you’ll regret having only

 

 

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one…”

     “Okay… thanks…”

     She gave me a grilled chicken sandwich —which was huge — I took a bite the same time they did, and Adam was right, it was amazingly delicious. After I finish the first, Ryan offered me another, well it’s my reserve. And I can’t say no, first of all, I’m craving for more, and second, I’m too shy to argue.

     “Hey Alyson, do you know how to ride a canoe?” Adam asked taking a bite on his salad.

     “Nope… you…”

     “Yah… want to learn how to paddle?”

     “Sure… but where?”

     “There’s a river nearby… and don’t worry, it’s safe… we do it all the time…”

     “Finish your salad first…” Ashley interrupted him.

     “Okay mom…”

     I took a bite to my salad—which was very delicious as well — and took a sip on my iced tea.

     “Where’s Leslie?” I asked.

     “She went home…” Ryan answered.

     “She doesn’t stay here for lunch?”

     “Well, she already had lunch…”

     “Oh… okay…”

 

     After we finished the lunch, Adam led me to the river. The river was crystal clear and on the side there was a canoe that looks like a miniature version of the gondolas in Italy.

     “Do you know the one they use in Venice?” I asked.

     “Yah… that’s the reason why we made this…” he said pushing the canoe to the river and helping me out.

     “Wait… you made this?”

     “Yah… with my dad and brothers, of course… we have some blueprints…”

     “Wow… have you try the ones in Venice?”

 

 

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     “Not yet… I don’t have anyone to bring there…” he said paddling.

     “Really? What happened to the past ten girlfriends you had?”

     “Well… this second to the last one, I’m really planning to bring her there… but her parents don’t approve me for her… it’s been two years, actually… it’s been a year before I started dating again…”

     “Really? Is she the one who you said you took very seriously?”

     “Yes… she’s the first one I brought here and to meet my parents as well… no offense…”

     “That’s okay… so why didn’t her parents approve on you and what’s her name?”

     “She’s Stephanie Lively… actually she’s my best friend… my childhood friend… she’s the one who gives advice to me on girls… well until I court her… it took almost a year before she said yes… she said even though we know each other very well, she said she needed to think first… well the six months, we just hang out like normal friends… then on the next few months, we were already exclusively dating… she answered me on her birthday… on December thirteen… like yours… many people thought she’s my sister, because we’re look-a-like in some features…

“I gave her everything she wanted… actually we already planned to get married at age of twenty-six… though she’s older than me by two years… but one day her parents met this rich Chinese businessman… with a good-looking son… though Stephanie didn’t like the guy, she had no choice… her parents set them up on a fixed marriage… it really hurts when she told me about it... in this very boat… flood in her eyes… I tried to be strong for her, she even asked me if I could get her out of the continent… but unfortunately, the Chinese businessman gave the airport a warning to never let us past… but we still tried to

 

 

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cheat… but they caught us and forbid her to see me again… now they are married for two years and living in China…” his voice broke on the last word.

     “Are you okay now?”

     “Yes… of course… I got you, right?”

     “What if… she comes back?”

     “I’ll still choose you…”

     “Really? Even though you know to yourself that you know and loved her since your childhood years… while you just know me just a month…”

     It took him a minute before he answered. “Yes…” even though he doesn’t show his pain, I can feel it.                            

     “Okay… enough sadness! This is how you paddle…”

     I tried to follow him but I think I’m wrong. “Okay… I’m a hundred percent sure I’m doing it all wrong…”

     “You’ll learn it later… but now stop … I’ll do it…” he smiled crookedly.

     “Okay… I give up…”

     “So lets talk about you… how come you never had a boyfriend?”

     “I told you already, it’s not yet my thing before…”

     “Really…”

     “But I just don’t want or even try to search for that guy… you know what they say, the perfect or right person for you will come and you don’t really need to find him or her… that’s why I said that I’d rather wait for the perfect guy than settle for any other man…”

     “So did you found that guy already?”

     “Not yet…” I chuckled.

     “Really? Well this part looks deep enough… since I’m not the one you’re really looking for… I’ll jump… did you know that I can’t swim?”

     “You’re obviously lying…”

     “How can you be sure?”

 

 

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     “You have a pool that has a ten ft. deep… and a nearby river… who are you kidding?”

     “Well then… I’ll jump now…” and he was serious. He did jump.

     “Ha, ha… very funny… c’mon up now… I don’t know how to paddle, remember?” I said though I’m ninety-nine percent sure that he can swim. “Adam… this isn’t funny… c’mon…” I look back and forth but I can’t see him. I put my hand in the river then he suddenly pulled me.

     “Hey!” I said landing on him. The river was not very deep, its seven to eight feet.

     “It’s about time! I’m getting bored down here…”

     “I don’t have any extra clothes!” I said splashing water on him.

     “Don’t worry… you’re about mom’s size…” I could feel that he was holding me on the waist.

     “I’m not a very good swimmer you know…” I said lying.

     “Your height is 5’11… and you’re telling me that this is too deep for you? And besides, how come you’re floating?”

     “Because you’re holding me and I’m holding you…” I said locking my arms around him.

     “Really? What if I let you go?”

     “I’ll drown…” I said sarcastically.

     “What would you do for me not to let you go?”

     “What do you want?” I said biting my lip.

     “You’re tempting me…”

     “That’s not my fault…”

     “Yes it is… you know it’s easier to swim in a pool…” he said letting me go, I did the same.

     “Okay…”

     We went up to the canoe again and paddled back to their house.

     “Hey mom, do you have some extra clothes that can fit to Alyson?”

 

 

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     “Sure… you need it now?” she looked at me then to Adam again.

     “Not yet… we’ll just swim, okay?” then he led me to their pool.

     “Okay… um, don’t you want to wear a swimsuit or something?” she looked at me.

     “Um, no need…”

     “Okay…” she went to their house.

     “C’mon, lets jump now…” he took off his shirt and carried me and dived.

     “That was fun!” I said.

     “Yah… but no offense, you need to work out! You’re heavy!”

     “No I’m not! I’m just a hundred and thirteen pounds!”

     “Just kidding…”

     “Whatever…”

     “And don’t worry… even if you’re three hundred pounds I’ll still carry you… well we can’t dived any more in that case, though… and maybe I can’t carry you as well… but I’ll still love you…”

      “Stop that! I don’t want to be like that…”

     “Just kidding…”

    “Hey Alyson, come here first… you need to change…” Ashley said holding a black and fuchsia interlocking bandeau. Didn’t I just say that I don’t want to swim in a swimsuit?

     “Um… no thanks… I just want to swim in this suit…”

     “Oh okay… but when we go to the beach, okay?”

     “Sure… promise…”

     “Okay… have fun!” She winked at me the flickered to Adam.

     “What?” I look at Adam who was staring at me, smiling crookedly.

     “Nothing…”

     “What kind of party are you having on your birthday?”

     “Any party you want… well except for slumber party… and

 

 

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exclusive to family and you…”

     “Pool party?”

     “Sure… do you want it?”

     “I’m just asking…”

     “If we’re having a pool party, are you going to wear a swimsuit?”

     “That depends…” I said floating.

     “Then it’s settled…”

     “Hey… tomorrow it’s my turn…”

     “For what?”

     “I’ll bring you to my favorite place…”

     “Sure…”

     “But can we use your car?”

     “Yes ma’am!” he said giving a salute.

     “Are you a swimmer?”

     “Yes… but I don’t join the Olympics…”

     “So if I drown you can save me?”

     “Sure…”

     “Okay then…” I went to the deepest part of the pool. I was right, it was ten feet. “Help! I can’t swim!” I shouted faking my drown.

     “Here’s superman to the rescue!” he shouted swimming toward me and he’s fast.

    “Thank you…” I tried to smile weakly as possible.

     “Do you need a mouth to mouth?”

     “Sure…”

     “Never mind…”

     “Okay… forgot you’re a good boy…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reviews

[blackrose24]

i like the flow of the story.. :)