Earl Grey

"That is the exploration that awaits you! Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence." - Leonard Nimoy

"We're going hiking," was the first words I heard when I woke up. My eyelids fluttered open, sticky with eye gunk. I rubbed my eyes, getting rid of any trace of sleep. I looked around to re-orientate myself. We were in some shady motel, with Dylan on a lumpy couch and me on a dodgy mattress with springs poking my back. It was a rough night to say the least, but there was a roof over our heads and a place to rest our heads. It was definitely and adventure.

"Good morning sunshine," Dylan smiled at me. He looked back at me from his couch. I threw the thin cover off my body and made my way to the bathroom. I cleaned up while Dylan watched TV. I looked at myself in the mirror, as I leaned against the basin. The mirror was dirty but I was still able to see my face. My cheeks were stained pink, my skin had a slight tan and my hair was lighter. The changes were subtle but for someone who noticed everything these changes were monumental.

"You done in there chicken?" Dylan called. I answered by opening the door. "What was the hold up?" He smirked. I shrugged.

"Okay, let's go for breakfast. I found this nice diner while you were sleeping."

Wait what? You were awake? For how long?

"Oh just a few hours." He smiled.

How long is a few hours. I narrowed my eyes.

"Okay you got me, I've been up since six now can you please stop with all the questions so we can get some food. I don't know about you but I'm starving and we have a big day today. No don't ask, just go with the flow. I'm the only one with the plan, you just have to enjoy this vacation." He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes at him and elbowed his side. "Ouch you elbow like a man!"

I rolled my eyes and looked at him flatly. "Okay, okay I was kidding! Now can we please get some food?" I sighed and nodded.

"What would like dearies?" The waitress asked. I looked up from the menu. I pointed to the item on the list, "We'll have two batches of butterscotch pancakes, two plates of bacon, a pitcher of orange juice, and whatever she asked for on the menu. Thanks." Dylan smiled angelically.

"Coming right up!" The waitress trilled. I refolded the menu and placed it on the counter in front of me. Dylan turned to me but didn't say anything. He just kept staring at my face.

Do I have something on my face? I scribbled on a napkin.

"No."

Then why are you staring at me?

"Because I like to look at beautiful things." He stated. My cheeks heated up and I turned my face away.

I'm not beautiful

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." He replied.

You always have a reply for everything I say don't you?

"I guess I do."

"You guys are eating up a storm in here. Are you sure you're going to eat all of this food?" The waitress asked as she laid out the plates.

"Yeah, we will." Dylan chuckled. "Elise, tuck in." I didn't hesitate this time, piling my plate with pancakes and bacon. I've always preferred waffles to pancakes, but these were just heavenly. By the end of our meal, I was so full I wasn't sure I could have walked properly but Dylan as usual was so pushy when it came to moving on.

Are we going to have one day where we don't have to stick to a schedule?

"No."

Why not?

"I do believe I have eighteen days to teach you to smile. Too much to see, not much time to do it in." He simply smiled.

Okay.

"We don't have to travel very far from here, probably an hour or so, but we're going to have to pack something for lunch. Why don't you go sit in the car and I'll just get some sandwiches or something." I just shrugged and got up to leave. He had given me the keys to the car so I slipped inside, turning the radio on before putting my seatbelt on. I leaned my head back, closing my eyes to focus on my thoughts.

I didn't know what I was doing, where I was going and if Dylan's plan was going to work. Somewhere deep down I didn't want it to work. I felt like I deserved to be sad. I deserved everything that came to me, except Dylan. I didn't want to taint his sunny disposition with my foul moods and sour attitude. It wasn't fair to him. I have been like this for I don't know how long now and nothing anyone has said or done has been able to change me. I was unfixable. Despite that, there was a small part of me that wanted Dylan to succeed. I wanted to see how far he would go just to get my smile.

"Right I've got everything we need." He said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I handed over the car keys and we were off.

I thought we weren't going to go hiking.

"It's only a small hike. We're not going to be hiking the whole day." I just gave up asking any more questions because I knew he wasn't going to give me a direct answer. The forest was denser in this area, which also meant it was harder to navigate. A few hours later my legs were aching and my stomach was growling.

Without asking, I say down tiredly on a fallen tree trunk. "Come on, its not that far now." I looked at him flatly.

You said that two hours ago. I typed out.

"I can't help it if you're slow." He smirked. I was not slow! How dare he?

I'm not slow. You obviously don't know where we're going.

"Of course I know where I'm going, you just have to relax and enjoy the journey. Keep an open mind. It's not about the destination; it's how we get there. The path is always more exciting than the end. Since you're tired, we might as well take a break and have lunch. I wanted to sit in a different place but I guess this will do." He smiled understandingly. He shrugged off the bag and sat down beside me.

"A turkey sandwich for you, and a BLT for me." He handed me a neatly wrapped sandwich with a smiley sticker sealing the packet. I looked at him. "What? I thought it was nice. Plus who doesn't like stickers?" He grinned playfully. I shook my head and carefully removed the sticker. We dug into our sandwiches in silence, with the birds chirping as our playlist.

Dylan was right, I was too focused on reaching the destination that I didn't observe WHERE I was going. It was actually very beautiful. The trees were a luscious green, the air had a damp yet fresh smell of pine and wood. My skin felt free as the breeze brushed against me, my heart felt calm and my head was clear. I closed my eyes, to allow myself to soak in the sun and take in the sounds of the forest. Dylan didn't rush me, in fact when I took a peak at him he had also closed his eyes. When the air began to cool, I nudged him to tell him to leave. Shooting me a quick smile, we packed up and headed towards our end point. As we walked, Dylan pointed out different species of birds educating me about everything ornithology.

"When I was a kid, my granddad and I used to go bird watching together. I never liked it until he passed away, and by then it was too late to tell him. The weird thing is that I remember each and every moment we spent together, looking for birds, researching them when we got home, sitting in each other's company for hours on end. And I never truly appreciated that time until it was lost and I couldn't turn back the clock." It was the first time he opened up about something from his past. I managed to get a glimpse of who Dylan was. But it was a dot on an 'i' in a sentence, not enough to know him.

We reached the highest point on the hill just as it turned dark. We missed the sunset since it was covered by the trees but Dylan assured me I would see many more in the next few days. When the stars came out, the pathway was illuminated by electric lantern leading all the way to an impressively large building.

'BELLVUE OBSERVATORY'

Built in 1845 by President Franklin T Fortay in honour of his late wife Agatha.

Are we staying here the night? I typed out. The observatory was guarded by massive wooden doors with that was were reinforced with great metal decorations.

"Yeah, I'll show you." He said as we walked through a smaller door that was part of the large doors. The reception was to the side of the entrance which opened up to a well maintained courtyard.

We walked up to the large reception desk.

"Good evening, how may I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"We'd like a room for two please." Dylan replied.

"Would you like a north facing room?"

"Sure why not." Dylan chuckled. I picked up a brochure as he paid for our room. North facing rooms were the most expensive because it had the best view, and Dylan just agreed to pay $1,000 dollars for a night just to sleep. I didn't want to question his motives because just like he had asked me, I was trying to keep an open mind.

"Let's go. I've got the keys." Dylan said, snapping me out of my thoughts. He took my hand and led me across the courtyard to the opposite side of the observatory. In the middle of the pathway was a compass fixed to the ground with the pointer pointing north. We entered another building, more extravagantly decorated. The deep red carpet was soft beneath my feet and the dark green wallpaper was lined by gold borders. On the walls hung huge paintings of famous astrologists and scientists, framed by intricately designed gold frames. From the carved ceiling hung crystal chandeliers with at least four tiers and crystals hanging from gold chains. The whole thing was already so overwhelming, I didn't know what to expect from the room.

We passed many rooms before reaching the end of the hallway. Dylan unlocked the last door, allowing me to enter first.

Now I know why this room costs $1,000 a night. I typed out.

"Yeah..." Dylan chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. The room was big, and I don't mean Presidential suite big, I mean King suite big. The entire north wall was glass allowing us to see the rolling hills and extensive forests. The night sky was littered with stars winking at me as the moon dominated space, bathing the room with a natural glow.

The living room was furnished with white sofas, gold ornaments, and glass coffee tables. If you noticed the smaller details you could see there was a theme to this grandiose suite. Doors to the right opened up to a king sized bed taking its place in the centre of the room, between ornate bedside tables. I felt like I was in some alternate universe. I blinked once, twice, three times but I was still standing in the room with Dylan grinning at me.

"Look up," He whispered in my ear. The entire ceiling of the bedroom was also made of glass so we could sleep under the stars. "Don't worry, it's a one way glass so no one else can see inside."

This... this is incredible. I don't know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything, just enjoy being here because we're only here one night. You can go for a shower, your things are in the wardrobe already."

Wait how?

"Well I might have called up before and asked them to take them from my car. Since my other granddad has been a long-term member here they're happy to do this. Plus it's part of the service they offer."

Um okay. I didn't know what else to say. Dylan was definitely not who he said he was, there was more to him than the cheery barista I met at the coffee shop. Sure enough my bag was in the wardrobe, sitting beside his. I grabbed my necessities and scurried off the bathroom. I let the bathtub fill up as I looked around. I found bubble bath soap and various other expensive lotions, perfumes and cosmetics. They really knew how to provide for their customers. This service was not for the common man, I knew I could never have stumbled across a place like this.

I dropped my clothes on the floor before sliding into the hot tub. The water relaxed my tense muscles, soothing my aching limbs. When I stepped out of the bathroom Dylan rushed past me so he could shower. I put my clothes away when I heard the doorbell. Perplexed I went to see who it could be.

"Room service!" A voice on the other side called. Hurriedly I flung the door open to invite the waiter in. He wheeled in a cart that was full with an assortment of plates, each covered by a metal bowl. "Enjoy ma'am." He smiled before scurrying off. I stood awkwardly beside the food when Dylan strode in. He wore a simple black tee that defined his lean body and muscular arms, while his black jeans hung low on his waist. His normally curly hair stuck to his scalp as water droplets fell on his shoulders, darkening his t shirt.

I couldn't deny the physical attraction I had towards him; this just confirmed what I thought. Dylan was hot. And I'm not just saying that because he was the only guy I knew, he was genuinely hot. I turned away quickly before he could catch me staring. I picked up a croissant and pointed it at him.

"I took the liberty of ordering food because I know you probably want to eat some hot food and we're going to need coffee. A lot of coffee."

That I can't disagree with. I typed out

"So what are you waiting for, let's eat." He pushed the cart into the bedroom and took his plate. I joined him on the bed as we ate our meal in silence. Despite having the lights off, the room was illuminated by the night sky. The starlight shone across Dylan's face defining his subtle features. He had a light stubble growing that aged his face by a good few years, the rich brown eyes twinkled as the stars reflected off the iris. I blushed and looked away as I realised I had been staring too long at him.

Once we gorged ourselves on the food in front of us, we lay down on our backs feeling completely satisfied. I rested my hands beside me as I sighed deeply. "What's wrong?" Dylan asked.

I winced as the harsh, bright light of my phone shocked my eyes. Nothing.

"Are you sure? Because that sigh definitely meant something."

What am I doing really doing here? I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I know I shouldn't be doing this but there's something about you that makes me want to.

"You don't have to think before you act. The best memories you remember the most are the most spontaneous ones, the most fulfilling ones. They're the ones that haven't been planned out because they were just meant to happen some way or another."

I could say the same thing about the worst memories. They're ones you never expect or maybe you did but you were in denial. They're the ones etched in your cortex, the ones that stay with you for lifetimes. They remind you of who you are and what you did. Nothing can erase those memories, not even good ones.

"Who hurt you?" He whispered as he turned his head to me.

I hurt myself because that the kind of person I am. I'm a catalyst for bad things to happen. It's just a matter of time before your perfect bubble is burst and you see the real me. It's ugly and ruined, dark and dangerous.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that? Let me see you. Let me see you with open eyes, and an open heart."

You might not like what you see.

"Make a wish," He pointed to a shooting star. I let my eyelids close over my eyes. "What did you wish for?"

I can't tell you or it won't come true. I looked pointedly at him.

"I guess you're right. Look there's Orion..." He continued pointing out constellations till the sun came up and we succumbed to our dreams.

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