Cars, Love, And Farbanti

CHAPTER 3: DAYDREAMS

   Mike grabbed my hand, and I laughed and tried to keep up as we walked down the trail in the parklands. The white, gray, and glass towers of the downtown area loomed above us, and we ended up under a tree, pulling each other close as we leaned against its rough bark. And then a voice that only I could hear began to echo across the park. "Stan? Stan. STAN!" My head suddenly whipped up from the railing of the smelly fishing vessel. Huh? How long had I been staring into space? "Oh, sorry, Uncle Alyx." My Uncle Alyx looked a bit like my mother, but with far less green in his scales. He was far stronger than I, and taller too. His skirt and t-shirt were stained with sweat and fish blood, a knife in a sheath on his leg.

"I don't pay you to stare at the water, pal." I grabbed a net and began hauling it up the stern of the boat, fish tails flapping in the air as the wet rope dragged along the plastic deck. Alyx helped me pull it the rest of the way out of the water, and as we made our way to the next net, he casually leaned against the side of the Riverwalk's cabin. "Something on your mind, Stan?" Hal called from the flying bridge atop the boat. He and my uncle had gotten married a few years back, just after humans made first contact. "Not something," I sheepishly replied. "Someone." The forest green quadruped dragon nodded sagely, stretching his wings in the wind.

"Getting back into dating, eh?" I began to stress out a little bit. "Maybe, but ah, I'm not certain! I don't want to scare him. He only moved to this galaxy recently, and I want to give him time." Alyx nodded, sharpening a fishing blade as the waves splashed against the bow of the boat. "Humans, yes. Probably a good idea to give it time. You thought that one human was hot, Hal, ah, what was his name? Ryan..." "Ryan Gosling, aye, that was his name. Not as hot as you, love, but he came close." Alyx blushed, blue scales turning crimson. "Dammit, Hal! I don't look that good!" Hal didn't turn from the controls, but waved a paw in the air. "You keep saying stupid stuff like that, and I'll throw you off and have you swim back!"

I shook my head in disbelief. "Were you two like this during the war?" Alyx made his way to the side of the ship, looking over the gunwale. "Not this far, but getting close." He looked up, and shook a finger in the air thoughtfully. "Hmm. We should get the group together again. This time in Farbanti. What do you say, Hal?" Hal anchored the boat, and glided to the stern, grabbing a net with his teeth as I dove into the water to cut away and remove weights at the bottom of the shallow bay. I didn't catch the rest of their conversation, but I began to zone out once again anyway, so I wouldn't have heard it even if I was directly in between them.

The snapping of Jack's fingers brought me back to reality. "Dude, you've barely eaten. Are you feeling all right?" The pasta in front of me, coated in alfredo sauce, dusted my chin with steam. My fingers tapped on the table, making quiet thunk thunk thunk sounds as I tried to wrestle the feeling of Alyx's hand in mine from my daydream, but alas, it was stuck there. "How do I know when I'm ready to start dating?" Jack rested his chin on his clasped hands, looking at the center of the tabletop as he chose his words. "You have to feel like you're ready to put energy into a relationship, and commitment. But if the desire to find someone to love is getting stronger, and you have the energy, then you know it's time."

I chewed on a mouthful of penne, letting my eyes wander. "Any tips?" He scratched at his stubble. "If you think you'd be into one of your friends, start there. And if nobody in your friend group works out, try talking to people in your class. You're all there to learn industrial design, after all." He placed both of his hands on the table and stood, leaning over to deliver a final blow of wisdom. "And if you connect with someone, you treat them well. Treat them like they're the cure to cancer or something." I looked up at him with amusement. "Didn't these people, like, cure that already?" He stared at me with even more conviction. "Or something. Your special someone is special, after all." He sat back down.

"Who are you daydreaming about, anyway?" On instinct, I was defensive. "I don't want to tell you that." "All right, all right!" He leaned back, raising his hands in defense. I cringed. "Sorry." He shook his head, long hair waving as he did so. "Nah, it was too personal, wasn't it?" Sadness creased his face, but it was quickly replaced by hope as he continued talking. "I know it's been tough for you. But you're brave, and I think you'll be fine." I nodded slowly. "Thanks. Hey, do you want to catch a train downtown? Grab some dessert? I'm buying." He shrugged. "Sounds like a good way to spend an evening. I'll tag along."