A Blast from the Past

A BLAST FROM THE PAST
Standalone
Interactive

I hate the summer time.

Most London buildings had no air conditioning and at times, it was boiling outside. Steam rose from the pavement. I sighed as I walked up to the cross walk. I pushed the button casually and waited for the light to change. I looked up and almost dropped my grocery bags.

I hadnтАЩt seen him since I was seventeen years old and that was a long time ago.

I had tried to block out those silly summer vacations. My summer holidays officially ruined because I was supposed to be keeping my crazy old maid of an aunt company for the two months. She had cats, they were company enough. I hadnтАЩt been happy about the whole arrangement. That is, until I realized that next door there lived a boy. A boy who quickly became my dearest friend. We spent every summer together since we were both ten.

When I was seventeen, I spent the whole summer waiting for him and he never came.

I hadnтАЩt seen him in six years.

And yet here he was, standing right across the street from me drinking a coffee like so many other normal people do. But he wasnтАЩt normal, He was , member of the band McFly. Standing so close, but a world away. The young boy I once knew was standing right before my very eyes..

IтАЩd gone from the confident 23 year I old I am today to the shy ten year old of yesteryear. My eyes darted to the cross walk. The light had turned green. The small mob of people on the other side were coming my way, among them. He stood out with his hair and sunglasses. He casually sipped his coffee as he strolled across the street.

I cursed under my breath and tightened my grip on the shopping bags in my hand. I couldnтАЩt move. How many times had I wished to see him again? IтАЩd lost count.

It was raining when I arrived at my Auntie MurielтАЩs, big surprise there. My parents stayed only long enough to deposit me at the door and kiss me goodbye. Two hundred pounds was slipped into my hand and my dad patted me on the head twice. Before Auntie even opened the door, my parents were gone. I was greeted by a hug. My noise itched, Auntie was covered in cat hair. I was allergic to cats, but my discomfort didnтАЩt stop my parents from dumping me off on anyone whoтАЩd stay still long enough.

I trudged upstairs and threw my suitcase on my bed. I flopped down on the chair by the window and gazed wearily out. Not much of a view either. The house next door was all I could see. It was similar to my AuntieтАЩs but bigger. I pressed my fingers against the window in attempts to squish the house next door.

It didnтАЩt work. But a face appeared in the upstairs window of the neighborтАЩs house. A boy stood at the window. An amused smile on his face. He pointed at me. I looked around and saw no one. I waved and he waved back.

A blaring horn brought me to my senses. I looked forward. A taxi was idling in front of me. I was standing in the middle of the street, like an idiot.

тАЬGet a move on, you!тА? The balding cab driver said honking his horn one more time.

тАЬSorry!тА? I shouted with a wave.

I double timed it to the other side. I inconspicuously looked over my shoulder. had seen me. He was standing across the street, wide eyed. His gaze darted from me to the DonтАЩt Walk sign. He tapped the button furiously and waited for traffic to die down.

I pretended not to see him wave. I quickened my pace and slipped into the nearest pub. I slid into a booth farthest from the door and put the menus up at the end of the table to block my face. It was like playing hide and seek all over again.

тАЬReady or Not!тА? yelled across the forest. тАЬHere I come !тА?

I covered my mouth with my dirt covered hands to suppress a giggle. I had the best hiding place ever. would never look for me behind the big oak tree. I was the cleverest girl in the world!

had tapped my shoulder before I could even run.

тАЬI found you!тА?

тАЬI found you.тА?

I didnтАЩt look up at the sound of his voice. If I pretended to be occupied with staring at the wall, heтАЩd lose interest and leave. I wasnтАЩt remotely interesting. I didnтАЩt have a music career or act in movies, I was a normal human being.

тАЬ?тА? sat down on the opposite booth seat without an invitation. My view of the wall was now blocked by his handsome face and soulful eyes. I looked down.

тАЬWonтАЩt you look at me?тА?

тАЬHi .тА? I said quietly.

тАЬIs that all I get?тА? scoffed. тАЬHi ?тА?

тАЬWhat do you want?!тА? I demanded. тАЬHello , I havenтАЩt stopped thinking about you once for the past six years?!тА?

тАЬThatтАЩs a start, yeah..тА?

тАЬYou think you can just show up with your cheeky smile and just expect me to be your best friend again?тА? I demanded.

тАЬYou were always more than just my friend, you know that.тА?

I didnтАЩt say a word to him. I just memorized his face as well as I could. A smile crept onto his lips. My face stayed set in a frown.

тАЬThen why did you never come back?тА? I asked rising. I got out of the booth and headed for the door. called my name, but I didnтАЩt stop. I walked out into the street, turned a corner and took the stairs down to an underground station. I didnтАЩt exhale until I was sitting in the tube train.

тАЬ?тА? тАЬIтАЩm in here, Auntie.тА? I said solemnly as I stared out the window.

тАЬWhatтАЩs wrong dearie?тА? My Aunt Muriel came into the room and sat down on my bed. She was followed by her favorite of the nine cats. The cat jumped on the bed and settled down beside her.

тАЬHeтАЩs not coming.тА? I said my eyes burning from unshed tears. тАЬтАЩs not coming.тА?

My aunt was suddenly beside me, her hand patting my shoulder. I was instantly comforted by the smell of her lavender soap. She smiled down at me.

тАЬHe promised me that heтАЩd see me in June.тА? I said. тАЬIn his letter, he promised me. Why didnтАЩt he come? He always visits his uncle during the summer.тА?

тАЬIтАЩm sure it was something very important.тА? Auntie cooed.

------------------------------------------------

Three weeks later, I still couldnтАЩt get my run in with out of my head. Wherever I turned, I saw him. Every time I turned on the TV, McFly would be in an interview or one of their many music videos would be playing. I couldnтАЩt turn on the radio without hearing one of their singles.

I guess thatтАЩs what made me take a train to the countryside. Go back to where it all started, get some closure. Put behind me forever and move on with my life. Put that lock on the teenager years of my life and throw away the key for good.

I stood on the stoop of my AuntieтАЩs house and l was hit with this great sense of comfort. It had been six years, but everything looked the same. Ferns were crowd by the door in whimsical pots, wildflowers grew neatly in flower beds, cats lazed about in the shade of a large oak tree in the backyard. It was like I had never left. I brought my hand up and knocked twice.

I was answered by a chorus of meows and the musical voice of my Auntie Muriel. She unlatched the lock and opened the door. Her face illuminated in surprise.

тАЬ!тА? She exclaimed. тАЬWhat a pleasant surprise!тА?

Auntie backed away and let me in. I left my overnight bag by the door and we went to he backyard. We sat at a little table in the back that overlooked the forest. She poured me a glass of lemonade and we just enjoyed each others company.

тАЬOh!тА? Auntie Muriel exclaimed. тАЬA piece of mail came for you the other day.тА?

тАЬBut IтАЩve never gotten mail here before.тА? I said.

тАЬWell, IтАЩll just have to go find it.тА?

Auntie scurried back into the house, followed by a trio of cats. The door closed behind her and I was left alone in the garden. My eyes fell on the largest tree in the yard. It extended only slightly out of the forest. I sighed.

тАЬHere it is!тА?

My aunt returned to the garden and extended a letter shaped envelope. Stamps from all over Europe decorated itтАЩs cover. Sent to wrong address was stamped across the front, along with the date. A date that happened six years ago. I looked at the zip code. The sender had forgotten a number..

I tore open the seal and pulled out the paper. Almost instantly I recognized the hand writing. The neat scrawl of , written in a pen. Music notes were doodled in the paperтАЩs margin. He always did that when he couldnтАЩt think of what to write.

тАЬDear ,

I did it!

I finally did it! I auditioned for a band. If it werenтАЩt for you I would have never done it. I didnтАЩt actually make the band I auditioned for, but the record company wants to build an act around me. тАЬFresh new talentтА? they called me. They are having me work some other auditions in search of my potential band mates. We held an open audition with another bloke and hired two more members. I think I might go with the name тАЬMcFlyтА?, what do you think?

I have a problem though, I wonтАЩt be able to come to my uncleтАЩs this summer. IтАЩm having to stay in London to record our first album. I honestly did try to get them to reschedule, but you know how these kind of things work. I canтАЩt miss my chance. I have a feeling McFly are really going to make it.

I was thinking though, maybe you could stay with me this summer instead of your aunt? I would gladly buy you a plane, train, or bus ticket if it means I get to see you. IтАЩve gone completely mental not being able to see you everyday. IтАЩll be expecting your call!

I seriously canтАЩt wait to see you. IтАЩve got a new song to play for you.

Love always,

тА?

I dropped the letter on the table. That explained a lot. A hell of a lot more than I had originally thought I had knew. I thought I had been ditched for a music career, that the boy who had whispered all the promises of a future in my ear as a teenager was just a fake. Another liar.

I was wrong.

And I was starting to hate myself more than I had ever hated him. I looked up at the tree in the back of the garden. I walked to it and pressed my hand against the old bark. My fingers fell into the indentions of тАЩs initials.

тАЬIтАЩve got a surprise for you!тА? said dragging me towards the unknown. A blindfold shielded my eyes from all light.

тАЬItтАЩs your sixteenth birthday, !тА? I exclaimed. тАЬWe shouldnтАШt be sneaking away from your party!тА?

тАЬItтАЩll take two minutes, , donтАЩt worry.тА? He said coming to a stop. The blindfold came off my eyes.

тАЬItтАЩs a tree?тА? I asked.

turned on his flash light and focused it onto the bark. I gasped. A heart was carved into the wood. тАЬ + тА? was etched in the wood. beamed and took me by the hands.. The flashlight fell to the ground.

тАЬ and , together forever.тА?

тАЬYou mean it?тА? I asked softly. I had just thought I was his best friend. I had never thought he had actually shared all the feelings that I had. How many pages had I filled in diary after diary about how much I wished he cared?

тАЬIтАЩm in love with you, .тА? said his voice just above a whisper. тАЬI have been for a really long time.тА? He brought his face closer to mine and kissed my lips softly.

тАЬItтАЩs still true.тА?

I jumped at the sound of тАЩs voice. I drew my hand away from the tree quickly and put it at my side. He came out from behind the tree and stood in front of me.

тАЬHow did you know I would be here?тА? I asked, hoping my voice didnтАЩt show how excited I actually was to see him.

тАЬSomething drew me here like a magnet.тА? said.

тАЬI just wanted closure.тА?

тАЬThatтАЩs harsh.тА? replied taking his eyes away from my face. He placed his hand where mine had been moments ago. тАЬI stole my uncleтАЩs pocket knife to carve this. I broke the blade. He was furious.тА? cracked a smile. тАЬIt was worth it.тА?

тАЬA lot of things have changed since then.тА?

тАЬSo weтАЩve gotten a little older, thatтАЩs all.тА? took my hands in his own. тАЬIтАЩm still the kid who wants to be a rock star and youтАЩre still the girl I fell in love with when I was ten years old.тА?

тАЬ, I donтАЩt know what to say.тА?

тАЬJust answer me.тА? said. тАЬDo you love me?тА?

тАЬI never thought IтАЩd ever get the chance to say this.тА? I exclaimed with a smile breaking onto my face.. тАЬ , I love you. IтАЩve been in love with you for a long time and I probably will always be in love with you.тА?

didnтАШt hesitate a moment. He pulled me close and kissed me with all his might. I threw my arms around his neck and instantly six years of heartache melted away. pulled away with a smile on his face.

тАЬYou have no idea how long I have waited to do that.тА?

I didnтАЩt let go of his hand as we walked up the stone walkway to my auntieтАЩs house. We both shared secret smiles as we stood by the back doorway. My aunt looked at us knowingly as she let us inside.

I love the summertime.