Not Much Has Changed, But They Lived Underwater
Hope Diamond
We had been training nonstop for three weeks now. It was exhausting, the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. I felt like I was being hounded on the hardest, because I was the least experienced. Or maybe it was because Agent Rain really didn't understand what I could do, still yet.
The six of us ate dinner together every night, and sometimes lunch when Brooklyn and Ed felt like cooking for us. The eighth floor became our home away from home because we just hung out with each other so much there. I loved being in such a comfortable space where Logan could tinker with a different gadget every day, Will would play some basketball game on his PlayStation with Ed, Brooke would work on her school work, and Rose would sit and look out the window quietly, attending to her phone every time it buzzed.
I lounged on the couch, listening to some of the instruments I had put together on my phone to create a beat, imagining what words I could put to them. Truth be told, I loved singing and writing songs. It just always seemed that creating the actually beat to the song made it so much easier to put words too.
It was half past seven, and the sun had just began to set when Agent Rain walked in. "You guys have been working really hard for me this week. I'm giving you tomorrow off. Do what you will, but for the love of God, please don't draw any attention to yourselves. It's bad enough having to contain you here."
Identical smiles spread on everyone's faces, except Rose who just bolts for the door, pushing past Agent Rain to get out.
Will shuts off his PlayStation as he says, "The bar calls, and she answers."
We all laugh at this, though I think her drinking problem might actually be serious.
Brooklyn and Eddie announce that they plan on going mall to get her some painting supplies and the apothecary shop to see if there's anything valuable there.
Then it's a race for Will and Logan to see who can get to me first.
It's Will, just by a few feet. "Hey, so I was wondering if you wanted to go get dinner? Talk a little more about Jumping?"
The goofy smile on his face makes me smile as well, and I nod. "Of course. I heard one of the employees here talking about a Mexican place, and I've been dying to try some ethnic food from this realm."
When Will and I start to leave, I notice Logan has disappeared, and I wonder if we've hurt his feelings by not inviting him.
Luckily, we can see that he's joined Brooke and Ed in their car to go into town.
∴∵
"So you're trying to tell me you've actually been to the Year 3000?" Will laughs from across from me, finishing his quesadilla.
I roll my eyes and laugh with him, "Only visited. It's a little dangerous to do anything but look, ya know?"
I cock my head at him as he grins widely at me.
"I'm sure it is," he laughs again. "Marty only went back a few years and then he ended up dating his mom."
"Who did what?" I ask in shock.
"It's from Back to the Fut--nevermind, you wouldn't have seen that movie. My bad; I'm sorry," his cheeks flush in embarrassment.
He's the kind of guy who takes things very cooly. I've noticed just by the way he speaks and interacts with his friends. But he's nervous around me, something I'm used to.
"It's okay. Different worlds. It's hard to wrap your head around, let alone remember," I give him a reassuring smile, and he reciprocates it as I place my hand over his across the table.
He takes his bottom lip between his teeth as he eyes our hands, then moves his quickly to run over his hair. "So let's get down to business.
"Did they, or did they not live underwater?"
∴∵
We talk for a while after we finish our meal. Will tells me more about his father, who grew up in my realm. He also tells me about his family, especially about his sisters and brother. It's very obvious he's a family oriented man, and I can't help but find it attractive. I tell him about the home I grew up in and what's it's like to live in a land of beautiful people.
We've been sat for over an hour just talking when he asks me if I'm ready to go back to Headquarters. I agree, saying I'm pretty tired, which is an understatement. Agent Rain made me focus on switching realms today, one of the most exhausting.
On the way back, I find that we have similar taste in music: poppy beats with a bit of bass. Music from this realm and mine is not the same exactly. We have the same ways of making music, just different artists. I pick up on one song as it continues to play, harmonizing along to the chorus as I remember a few lyrics from the first time it played.
"I didn't know you could sing," he smirks at me.
I hum, "I'm much better when I'm not singing in head voice. Maybe I'll show you sometime." I give him a wink and he laughs.
"I'll hold you to it," the smile doesn't fade from his face.
That is, until we come upon the bar in the large town, directly above is a cloud, one that I would say was colored pink if I didn't know any better.
We exchange looks before he pulls into the lot, giving me a one word explanation: "Rose."
Both of us get out of the car, but he tells me to stay out here, just in case he's walking into something dangerous, especially considering her mood lately.
He disappears into the building, but the only thing I can hear is the low beat of the song from inside the bar.
Leaning against his car, I take out my phone to text Logan and see what he's doing. He'd been a really good friend to me thus far, and I really questioned if it was strictly because of how I looked. Nonetheless, I liked him.
Just as the text is sent, something floats down onto the screen of my phone. My eyes squint in confusion as I pluck it off, examining it.
A red rose petal.
I hold onto it and look up.
The pink tinged cloud we had seen upon pulling into the bar is precipitating flora petals. They come in all colors and shapes, all different kinds of flowers. I can see some are lilies, some roses, some that appear to be daisies, or daffodils. It's beautiful.
As I stare at the sky in awe, Will comes out of the bar.
"What the hell?" he says, coming to stand behind me.
"Is this one of Rose's storms? I didn't know she could do this," I can't hide the enchantment in my voice.
"That's because it's not," he says, before telling me to get back in the car. Once he starts it, he speaks again. "We've got a much worse storm coming now."
