Chapter 17: Of the...

Twenty Stan

"I'll call you when I'm about to leave work. So just have fun outside and don't... I repeat, don't get yourself in trouble,"

Those were the last few words I heard from Kai when I send him off to his work. There wasn't any 'I love you' or 'stay safe' or even a kiss on the cheek for me when he left, and I haven't got the kiss that I wanted yet from him.

Yeah... I know that he said I should focus on apologizing towards my Kai back at home first, and it would be not fair for me to even kiss him right now.

I had a lot of fun and just much pure release from the things I have been dealt in my own time frame. Before I even came here, I remembered working out just because earlier that same day, I sold my all of my guitars to support a business that I wanted to start... all in while studying in college. I knew well enough that I had made the wrong choice to study music because it felt like I was pushing too much of my passion and likings that it turns into work and need.

So... in the end, I only study just because I love studying it. Not for something that would make me pursue a career in that lane. Yeah... it is very much wasteful.

When I met the future Kai, all of my worries about us not being together just seemed to go away. I was grateful enough to know that I was living together with him even when I don't see much of my stuff, but oh well... I guess if my future self went back in time... then it must be that all of his stuff went too? Is that how it works?

He can be very strict sometimes which I don't mind but when it comes being his playful side... I have only seen it once... full... which was yesterday when we had that flour fight. Not to mention that it had me booming with love when I see him like that.

Now back to where I am, I was just strolling around the town after sending Kai and seating alone at home for the majority of the day. It was one hour before I would go and pick him up from work. I insisted that if he goes to work, I would be the one being his driver instead of him driving the car back and forth. It can be seen from my young eyes that he was tired and really just bored with work even with him being that age.

I never really thought that he wanted to be an engineer. Truthfully, I think he needs to pursue another career. A career that would help him sleep better at night and make him feel more energetic when going to work. Maybe something like teaching? Or... maybe he could work with me instead. But... then again, I don't we would even do our work if we were close. Just thinking about it makes me flustered.

After a few minutes walking around the town, I finally found a place where I could have a quick drink for a while before I would even go back to take Kai home.

It was a chocolate café.... called Maverest. That kind of rings something in my head, but I don't remember...

Therefore, as soon as I entered the store... I went straight towards the counter to order my drinks and all. Everyone around me was staring at me like I had grown a second head or something, and they were murmuring something under their breaths like...

'He's back' or

'Where did he go?'

The mutterings had made me wrinkle my forehead just figuring about it. I absolutely had no idea what they were whispering but a part in me wanted to just say to them all: 'guys... I can hear you...'.

Until where the person behind the counter came in front of me, I was truly understanding why all of the whispers are there. Because in front of me was my best friend, future Felix who had his apron crooked to the side - hie forehead pooling with sweats and his eyes are tired as ever.

Um... why was he working here in the future? I thought he worked for his uncle?

"Stan...?" He let out, his hand putting down the small towel he's holding onto the counter.

"Yeah?" I asked, confused. My eyes darting behind me to see the other people still looking at me. Then, I look back towards Felix and flinched backwards when his loud voice erupted from his mouth. "Stan?!! Oh my god! You're back!! Why did you run away last time?"

I began to get very bedazzled by this situation, and so I had to ask. "Ran?... um... have Kai not told you about me?" When I said that, he just looks at me. "What do you mean Kai hasn't told me anything about you?" He asked back, letting me to the conclusion that Felix doesn't even know about this complicated drama.

"Aaa... well you see... there is very much going on... so I think we better need a seat for ourselves," I spoke, scratching my neck - thinking about how I would even explain to him as what Kai had done. I'm terrible at story-telling.

"A seat... for ourselves? Why?"

I bit my lip. "That's the thing... because I'm not who you think is who you think is," He stares at me longingly after I told him that. His mouth would gape slightly, and he would go closer to see him in detail. That was when I showed him the ring that he would know so much when he was twenty.

To which he leans back with a gasp. "You're kidding me, right? That's the ring you wore in college. Why are you wearing it now? Are really engaged this time? And you didn't tell me about it?!" I sighed, running my hand down my face when he didn't get what I was trying to say.

"As much as I want to? No... I'm not. I'm... far from engaged," I replied, making the man frown again. "So... do you want to hear the whole story?" I continued. He could only nod at me - his face just showed nothing but curiosity.

-

"So the Stan that I met the other was your seventeen self...," He muttered to himself... his hand over his mouth - his mind was full into thoughts on what he had just heard that doesn't make any sense, but it was logical if he had seen me like this.

I drank the coffee that he made for me and was fully surprised to know that the café was mine. How exciting was that! And I have my best friend working for me in the café.

Felix then looks up at me, his eyebrows pushed together. "So that explains why... so you're staying with Kai?"

"Yeah! It's so much comfortable to be living with him. I always dreamt about moving together with him but then... my parents back in my timeline wouldn't even agree to what I want anyway... well, not to whom I had feelings for actually,"

"But if you're here... then what about the future Stan... I mean, the present Stan?" He asked, leaning in with his arms on top of the table.

I just know that maybe the future me was back to the past like what Kai and I assumed. "I don't know... but we think that the future 'me' would be in my time frame," Felix nodded at me - his eyes just can't seem to sit properly as he looks side to side just by thinking about it.

I wanted to tell him to not worry so much about the future 'me'. If I was safe here and nothing happens... then maybe my future self was safe as well. The only thing that I think was difficult now was how to get back.

Suddenly, my phone which Kai had given to me, rang very obnoxiously inside the café and I had to immediately fish it out of my pocket to get the call. With every struggle to grab the phone, I muttered a number of curses from my lips - embarrassed by the loud sound of the ringtone: a sound of yelling otters that pierce everyone's ears. Curse Kai for doing this to me.

As I look onto who was calling me, it was actually him. My lover himself. That was when I remembered that I needed to fetch him.

"Are you even here yet? I'm finishing in about two minutes" He spoke, a tone of distressed covered his words. My hands went to grab the car keys and I gave a wave towards Felix to say that I needed to go. Felix just nodded at me, understanding that I needed to go.

"I'm o-on my way. Just got caught up with coffee- I mean with uh, a show," I stuttered. My legs sprinted out of the café and got inside the car immediately.

He chuckled through the phone, his laughter making me beat a thousand time. "Just admit it that you went to get a coffee and got lost in time," I smiled knowing that he wasn't mad at me.

"Yeah... I did. I'm sorry... but I'm gonna go get you now. Wait where you are,"

He snickered. "I'll wait right where you left me this morning,"

Without wasting more time, I ended the call and drove fast to his workplace. I hope nothing was bothering him at work to make him sound distraught. I hope that guy we met at the bowling alley didn't try to make a scene with him. If I know he did, I'll find him right away.

I drove faster as I watch the clock thinking faster and faster. With every tick of the clock comes a triggering memory that I had gone through with Kai. Like being in hypnosis, I felt like hearing that ticking sound makes me relive those awful last memories again.

I wanted to best for him... I wanted to be there for him in every way possible. But as I wanted to do that, it doesn't make sense to be doing it now... when Kai doesn't even feel like he wants to be near me all the time. I'm not sure if I or my future self had done something to make him feel uneasy or grounded around me but whatever it is... I hope it's not something that was so bad that bad things started to happen.

And I honestly and really don't want to make him go through that pain of me leaving him again.

I love h-

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There's 11 more chapters to go! AND PLEASE BE READY WITH YOUR TISSUES FOR THE NEXT CHAPTERS!