Sunshine

I waited in the middle of the parking lot, out of the way as best as I could for fear of falling asleep and being hit by some newbie of a teenage driver causing me physical damage and perhaps scarring his or her psyche for life.  Fool that I am, I forgot to ask what car Solange drove.  I had no idea what to look for or where exactly to be.  Lucky enough the parking lot isn't too big and flat, so I had a pretty good view of the onslaught of high schoolers escaping another day of readin n writin n arithmatic.  I bolted early from my last class to be sure I wasn't late.  It was rather easy for me to leave classes at any time.  Being inflicted with narcolepsy, I got away with sleeping all the time, and leaving to see the 'nurse' or to' lie down' whenever the mood struck me.

It felt like hours waiting for her.  Not sure how long it was, but spent the time standing and sitting and leaning and fidgeting.  I swear I could hear my pulse and was sweating way to much for the moderate seventy or so degree weather we were blessed with that day.  My mind was racing.  I really didn't want to fall asleep and the more keyed up I felt the more I knew I'd drop into elsewhen since emotional peaks seemed to be a dependable trigger.

As luck would have it, I only slumbered off once and spent some time at the Musee D'Orsay for a couple of hours.  I like that museum and figure I transported myself there just thinking of Solie's beauty and the words she spoke earlier that day.  Museums are another place I try to constantly think about as I have found them as safe and oft times more entertaining than libraries and movie theaters.

Solange glided up to me and led me to her Camaro.  Well walked I guess, but she seemed graceful enough to be gliding.  It only took a couple of minutes to reach Sunsine Doughnuts, but it felt longer.  I felt like a dunce filled with cotton mouth, answering her pleasantries of weather observations and polite questions of how my day was with mumbled "huh"s "um"s and "fine"s.  It didn't seem to bother her though, as she kept that striking smile shining the whole way and started to just talk about her day without riddling me with more questions.  We pulled up and parked next to the coolest two wheeled vehicles I had ever layed eyes on in the present:  a tricked out Vespa that looked like it could have been ridden from the set of Quadrophenia and a vintage Indian motorcycle that looked as new as the ones I'd seen during my travels to the first half of the twentieth century.

Before we got out of the car, Solange warned me that her friends Crash and Rob were there and that we'd have to spend sometime getting through introductions and shooting the scheisse before we'd get a chance to get to know each other better.

"Hi Solange, who's the twerp with ya?" a leather clad crew cut bearing voice called out.
"Hey Rob!"  Solange hollared back, "The twerp answers to Jed and I'd appreciate you forgo any further name calling until I get to know him better."
"Fair enuf" replied a slick shark skin suit.  "Please to meet you Jed, I'm Crash.  Don't worry about Rob.  He may bark but he never bites.  Can  you get me another cup of coffee when you're in there Solange?
"Sure thing Crash, anything for you Rob?"
"I'm all set thanks" Rob replied in a jovial tone.

As we left Rob and Crash sitting outside at one of the wooden tables, Solange appeased my nervousness that must have been blatantly obvious.
"Don't worry about the two of them.  They may be old but their still fun. They're cool once you get to know them.  Rob's a wanna be beat, who's spent the last five years attending Cal Poly.  Still don't think he has a major yet.  Crash's a reformed drug dealer biding his parole washing dishes.  He considers himself a ladies man and he can be entertaining to watch whenever a new female face happens across his path.  Don't know his real name, got the nick name Crash for totalling his last three Vespas.  He's harmless, and great fun once you make it clear you're not interested him sexually.  Don't suppose you'd have that problem, being a member of the unfortunate sex after all.  Both of them bus and wash at Michael's deli where I work part time waiting tables to pay for gas and fabric.  My love for fashion isn't cheap.  Regrettably, I couldn't fall in love with a cheaper hobby like matchbook collecting or somesuch."

After purchasing three cups of coffee and a half dozen of French crullers for the bunch of us, we returned outside and joined Rob and Crash at the table.
"Where'd you meet Solange Jed?"  Crash asked as he artfully finished lighting his and Rob's Lucky Strikes flicking his Zippo closed withs a snap.
"At school."  I replied flatly before coughing at the plumes of smoke encroaching my lungs.
Solange  deftly interrupted what could only end up being a truly inane conversation.  "Sorry folks, it seems Jed is adverse to your nic habit, besides the two of us need to spend some time getting to know each other.  So if you'll excuse us, please avail yourselves to a couple of crullers and we'll beat a hasty retreat inside where we can carry on without the two of you."
"Sorry Jed."  Rob replied as he placed a couple of pastries onto a napkin resting between Crash and himself, "Hope Solange here will allow us a chance to meet you further in the future."
"Yup, think I can go smokeless long enough to get the latest scoop of the hows and wherefores of a high school youth next time you grace our presence" Crash interjected.
"Nice meeting you" I politely replied, thankful to be escaping the opportunity to spend an afternoon being riddled by questions from two men who were obviously older and much cooler than myself.

After snagging a table in the corner inside the relatively empty and dingy but sweet smelling Sunshine Doughnuts, Solange took a bite of her cruller, sipped her coffee.  Staring over the brim of the paper cup, Solange smiled and said "So tell me more about your time travelling."
"Not sure what to tell."  I warily replied.
"Well for starters. . . Where and when do you go?  Do you have a favorite place or time? "

I'll spare you the details of my response.  It's not like I can remember exactly what I replied or exactly what she asked, it has been over a year anyway.  Besides, I think I was too distracted by being with her to remember much of anything other than how cool her hand looked as she held the cup of coffee, fingernails short with an odd beauty mark next to the cuticle of her ring finger.  Suffice it to say, I told her what I mentioned earlier.  At first, I was rather short with my answers but as her interest became more apparent and as I began to relax with the fact that I could actually hold a conversation with a beautiful girl, I became more expressive and open with my answers.

She wondered if I travelled when sleeping at night and I replied that I didn't think so and that I don't really have any conscious memory of anything occuring while I'm asleep at night dreams or travels what have you.

When she asked if I had ever tried to change significant events in the past, I explained that I hadn't really mastered being all there physically when travelling and that the one time I did try didn't work to well.  I had tried to stop the assassination of Lincoln.  I know, talk about lofty ambitions. Unfortunately, the only thing that happened is that I slightly startled Boothe causing his fall from the box to be a clumsy one, that and to scare Mrs Lincoln into screaming.  Contrary to reports, when I was there anyway the scream occured before the gunshot not afterwards.  Solange asked if I had tried again and I informed her as far as I could tell I wasn't able to travel to the same time and place more than once.

The conversation went on and as I described some of my clumsy appearances at various famous events, I was able to make her laugh a number of times.  I love Solie's laughter, it's full bodied and strong and yet feminine as warm as her hands when the caress your arm or clutch your neck.  It really felt good to talk about my affliction, cathartic even and think I could have talked all night if it weren't for niggling aspects of reality like curfews set by worrisome parents.

Before offering me a ride home, Solange did manage to ask two last questions which explained her initial interest and ultimately has led to my current predicament.
Off handedly Solange asked "Have you ran into any other time travellers?'
Taken a bit off guard, I took a moment to think about it for I had never really kept an eye out for others in my predicament, too distracted by the places people and times i ended up experiencing. 
"I'm not sure if I could tell if someone were a time traveller if he or she were there completely physically.  I hadn't really thought about it, but thinking back to the major events I've gone out of my way to witness like Kennedy's assassination and Coltrane's live performance of 'Love Supreme',"  I just had to throw in Coltrane still wanting to sound cooler and suaver than I could possibly be "I think I did see some other ghost like characters gawking as well.  So, yeah, I guess I have witnessed other time travelling folks."

Solange smiled at that grabbed her coat and rose to leave.  "Wulp let's get you home.  It's never a good idea to aggravate the elderly responsible for your room and board.  I just have one last question.  Don't answer now.  Just think about it and we can talk more tomorrow.  Assuming of course you'd like to see me again."
I blushed at the thought of spending more time with Solange and replied perhaps faster and louder than I would prefer "OF COURSE, I'd LOVE to see you again"

Solange chuckled "Super bonne!  What I want to know tomorrow is, can you teach me?  Do you think you could take me with you when you travel, teach me to do what you do?"
I started to deny the very possibility but Solange quickly put her finger to my lips and shushed me in the ear as she gave me a quick peck on my lucky lobe.
"Shhh, don't reply now, just think about it."

After she dropped me off with another round of cheek kisses I entered the humble apartment I called home briefly said hello to my folk, and feeling sated by the doughnuts quickly made my escape to my room where I blissfully laid down thought about the afternoon and looking forward to tomorrow, a feeling I hadn't had before, started ruminating about Solange questions.  My mind distracted by her query and my body still tingly from her presence I easily drifted off into sleep.

[Jed actually wrote a bit more than what I transcribed, but it's pure drivel about how cool my sister is, how magical it was to see her lift a doughnut to her mouth, what a wonderful eyebrow she has, gag gag gag.  Yes my sister is cool but no one needs to be subjected to the syrupy words of nerdy teenage boy, that's what journals are for you moron.
Anyway, I should be getting more of this drivel over the weekend, I'm not seeing him but his aunt said she'd pick up whatever he has to give me.  Already wondering if this is all pointless, but when it's your one and only favorite sibling you're talking about I guess I will see this through.  Have a great week everyone, and wish me luck, have a meet at aTRASHcadero this weekend, don't think they stand a chance against us kick ass Seahawks though!  Toodle's  S'Sis ]