Alfred grinned through the pink red popsicle as he watched Al fall off his board trying to impress the ladies.
"Nice one Al!" He shouted laughter bursting through the sarcasam. Al walked back onto the beach grumbling and glaring at the giggling girls who were trying very hard to look sympathetic. Al sat angrily down next to Alfred throwing his black shark decaled surf board into the sand.
"Its not funny..." Al growled taking the cherry popsicle from Alfred's grasp. Alfred whined but let him take it without another word. He looked out to the beach watching as everyone left at the sunset tonight it was colored like the cherry popsicle that had been stolen from him.
"Dude, I fucking love it here. We've got everything a couple of guys could ever need, ladies, food, sand..." Al threw the popsicle stick behind, he grabbed his surf board and ran towards the ocean "and surf!" he yelled paddling out to sea.
Alfred grabbed his ocean blue stained board and ran out after him "wait up man!" he yelled catching up to Al until they were both waiting in front of the far away wave.
"Al...I need to ask you something" Alfred said quietly looking at the rough face of his grinning companion.
"Not now. Watch the wave Freddie boy" Al said as they readied for the wave, the sun set in a glimpse as the wave hit and they rode the wave Al was laughing and gliding along the medium sized wave Alfred slipped and tumbled into the wave. He was tossed around and promptly spit back onto the beach his face buried in the sand.
"Who's laughing now Freddie?" Al chuckled as he walked smoothly out of the water. Alfred coughed some of the sand out of his lungs and stood.
"Shut up...Just an off day" Alfred replied crisply shaking the sand out of his golden locks "Can I ask you now?" Alfred said quietly turning to face Al.
"Ask me?...oh! Yeah" He smiled "What's up?" Al said shoving the tip of his board into the wet sand.
Alfred sighed the smile fading fast "Why are we here?" he wiggled his toes in the tide fumbling over his words "Well...I guess I mean...Why did we just up and move to Hawaii of all places, I mean I'm not complaining but why did you drag your Californian pen pal all the way to Hawaii to attend a shitty community college and surf?" Alfred knitted his brows together in counfusin.
"You know why.., I wasn't...I wasn't living like a fucking prince in Beverly Hills Alfred!" Al seethed "l had a sucky life of course I wanted to get away!" he put his head in his hands "you fucking know that!"
"Whoa Al relax! Alfred put a hand on his shoulder "I just don't understand...You sounded so happy when we talked over the phone and emailed and shit" Alfred sighed "But then you like dissappeared, and dude I tried, I tried so hard to contact you until one day where you show up outta the blue with two tickets two Maui and your board...It was just weird man..."
Al pried his face away from his hands and glared he grabbed his board and started swimmimg out into the sea. "Al!" Alfred yelled.
"Race ya shit-head!" Al yelped back, Alfred picked his board up and begrungingly returned to the tide the unanswered and blatantly avoided question nagging at the back of his mind.
The stars grew brighter illuminating the sea foam and their forgotten conversation.
Why are we here?
Alfred blinked through the salty water dripping through his hair throwing off the light sheets and assessing the humidity. He opened the curtains bright sunlight basked the small dingy room in yellow, He walked into the kitchenette pulling out food from every nook and cranny to feed his heavily growing appetite.
Alfred grinned as he remembered that there were no classes today its not like he didn't enjoy learning about the marine wild life it was just funner when you could have time to go out and see it yourself. Preferably with a surf board. He spread out the food on rhe dilapidated plastic table selecting the pink colored guava bread to rip apart first.
The noises of metal on metal from the mechanics below muffled the aproching footsteps a light hand was placed ln his shouler. Alfred squeaked and turned arround to face a young asian girl (a seemingly recurring theme in most of Al's night time partners) she had very long chesnut hair with big doe eyes colored to match, her face was devoid of make up and she wore a one peice with a floral swim suit wrap.
"Hello" she smiled softly tenetive with her words, she sat across the table in Al's usual chair.
"Hey, I'm Alfred Al's friend" Alfred said offering a peice of the guava bread she took it delicately with her dewey hands and pastel colored nails. She had the appearence of a baby deer well until she began to eat...she ferociously tore apart all the food offered like a tiger, snarling when Alfred took anything for himself.
She slowed after she downed nearly everything set out and burped a small dainty hand lifted to her grease glossed lips. "Excuse me" She said politely trying to hide her peachy blush "I'm Mei...I'm visiting with my swim team from Taiwan" she let out another small burp "and I'm on a diet" she wispered embarrassed.
"W-would you like some more?" Alfred asked as her face contorted fearing the horror that was...fat.
"No thank you" Mei said quietly as if worried her words might betray her, she stood up and tied her hair in a pony tail the wisps stuck to her face in the humidity. "I have to get back to my team...have you seen Al?" she announced timidly, she shuffled over to face Alfred.
"He's at work downstairs...but I can give you a ride if you want little dudette" Alfred smiled his Hollywood golden boy smile that shone brighter than the Hawaiian sun. It reflected back in her doe like eyes and she nodded shyly.
Alfred walked to the stairs that lead out in the back of the shop. "Okay dudette where we headed?" Alfred said climbing into the small grey car. She responded with the address to the local pool. They drove mostly in silence except for small talk here and there (mainly about the cars ant infestation that was neither deadly nor poisonous).
When they arrived a small woman who had also been one of Al's many bed partners at one point strutted angerly up to Mei and scolded her for being out past curfew and sleeping around."Oh hey it's uh...Yengchen right?" Alfred grinned as she begun to realize the hypocrisy of her scolding.
She glared at Alfred and usered Mei back to the group. Alfred hopped back into the car that was practiclly baking in the heat and drove back to the house counting the various ants on the wind shield. He parked in the shade and unbuckled the seatbelt (that burned like fire) and stepped into the mechanics shop Al pushed himself out from under the cars sweat slicked he wiped his brow black with grease.
"Hey Al" Alfred smiled "I took Mei back to her friends if you were wondering" Alfred sat himself down next to an exhausted Al who groaned.
"That chick may look cute on the outside but she is a fucking animal in bed" he closed his eyes "I need a beer".
Alfred blushed "she eats like one to" he muttered "and dude you can't drink and operate heavy machinery" Al slid back under the car.
"Then just get me a Pepsi" Al said under the sounds of the metal. Alfred made a face disgusted that anyone could ever prefer a knock off to the beauty that is Coca Cola. He stood up and walked to the mini fridge (the Pepsi and Coke were seperated lest they taint one another) and grabbed one of each, Alfred set the Pepsi down by the car.
"Thanks man"Al said coming out from under and sitting up to drink. "I dunno how you can stomach that shit" Al gestured to the Coke in Alfred's hands.
"I could say the same to you" Alfred glared "Don't you have classes today?" he asked taking a long sip of the heavily caffinated soda.
"nah, got'em all day tomorrow though and on afternoons usually" he said crawing back under the car with a screw driver in his mouth.
"y'know man ya never told me what yer takin'" Alfred said skeptically downing the last of the coke in one strong gulp and setting the can aside.
"I'm uhhh...undecided" Al grumbled half heartedly in a way that even Alfred could see was a lie but he left it at that.
"Do you wanna surf again tonight, cuz man I'm already missin' the water" Alfred chuckled as he began to poke holes into his can with a nearby tool.
"We can once I'm off work, are you making another one of those shitty can laterns?" Al questioned upon hearing the noise from under the car Alfred mumbled a quiet no. "God dammit Alfred y'know it just makes our shack look a lot uglier than it already does!"
Alfred took Al's empty Pepsi can and made a non-commital noise as he walked up the stairs to thier apartment, sorry more like shack. Alfred tied the poked through cans around the Christmas lights that apparently had come with the longer caring that it did in fact make it look loke a couple of hobos lived here.
Alfred went inside and ate what was left from breakfest and spent the afternoon polishing his child *cough*surf board*cough*. Until Al finished working, when he did finally come upstairs Alfred gave him very little time to do anything before rushing him back down and out the door to the beach.
Alfred dragged Al through winding alleyways making more than one dog and quiet house flip thier shit with the rucus they were causing.
When they finally reached the beach it was nearing sunset and Al collapsed onto the sand and watched as Alfred dove into the tide and began to paddle to the nearest wave. Al went to the popsicle vending machine and got two rainbow striped, he was nearing halfway done when Alfred crawled out of the waves and pounced taking the second popsicle for his own.
Alfred sucked on the popsicle and smiled "the sky kinda looks like some eggplants died terrible bloody deaths and all went into the light" he said the setting sun refleting in his day time eyes.
Al snickered "man do you sound high" he said his grin still looking flawless despite missing a tooth that was one of the similarities between the two...they could both smile a girl into bed if nessasary.
Alfred bit into his popsicle and swallowed the cold rainbow mush "oh yeah? Am I huffin' salt water?" he laughed.
"I dunno I wouldn't put it passed ya" Al smirked his apple red eyes glinted in the quickly dying sunlight he looked at the stick of his popsicle in red letters it said 'winner'.
"y'know theres a girl down shore...sorta like...I think she's dancing but she was really far down so I couldn't tell" Alfred said watching the sun go below the water without a last hurrah "it was just sorta weird and she was all alone and shit...in the dark"
Al looked down shore "man you actually are high...I don't see a fucking thing!" Alfred sighed and rolled his eyes throwing the popsicle stick into the nearby trash can.
"I said it's real far down you have to go out to see them...wanna catch another wave? I ain't gunna fall this time!" Alfred said happily skipping down towards the water.
Al zipped past him and plunged into the warm foam huming happily as they both paddled to catch the next wave. "See! I told you there was a dudette there!" Alfred exclaimed.
"What did I say 'bout watching the wave Freddie boy" Al grumbled taking a quick peek down shore "and that is a guy not a gal" he said crisply turning back to watch the wave his apple eyes seemily glowing in the darkness.
Alfred frowned "naw thats totally a chick!"
"Watch the wave ya lil' shit!" Al said sharply swimming towards it Alfred dopely catching on they caught it just in time Alfred cockily stood in a fast fluid motion and moved from left to right in the large wave while Al took it as a chance to just sit and be calm until he had to stand and move. They slid out of the tube and glided to shore as the wave crashed on the beach its hulking form dissapating quickly to bubles and sea floor.
"Whew! That was awesome!" Alfred whooped jumping up and down with his surf board Al grinned.
"Nothing quite like it is there? The adreniline rush and the terror of the tube" Al said nostalgically.
They countinued to surf well into the night and though Al forgot Alfred kept watching the strange man who was in fact dancing on the beach his curiousity growing stronger at every glimpse. They went home around midnight Al was to tired to call one of his lady friends and Alfred could only think about the stranger on the beach because at some point they had stopped dancing and simply stood staring at the waves but not daring to go near.
Were they afraid of the water? Why were they dancing? Were they doing a ritualistic dance and summoning...a ghost!? What if they got kidnapped? Or posessed? Or drowned?
Why did I care? Alfred thought and decided the best way to find out was to see if they were there tomorrow and watch them...not stalk...just watch.
Alfred had spent the day thinking about his spy mission on the nightly stranger (which meant he had barley focused on his morning classes...or homework) Al had not been home all day because of his own classes and gave Alfred the perfect chance to go spy on the stranger alone.
Alfred went out a little after sunset and walked far down shore the concrete side walk broke in many places where small little flowers grew, Alfred tried his best to avoid the little pockets of life and wish them on thier merry way.
He came to the place where he had seen the figure and saw thier shape glowing in the moonlight they were blonde, they wore no shoes, jean shorts (really short!), and a white dress shirt. Alfred crouched in the bushes watching them move...they appeared to be dancing like he had thought...but it was so strange and fluid...like the water.
They turned side ways displaying green eyes like sea glass and eyebrows...that were more like sea weed! Alfred gaped they moved so beautifully but there was something so hopeless about the dance that made him even more curious about the man who danced like on mermaid...he shuffled forward causing the bushes to rustle.
The man paused and turned Alfred gasped he was so pretty...and he had really nice legs...His eyebrows knitted together and he squinted looking at the bushes.
"I know you're there!" He said menacingly Alfred stood up guiltily looking down at his feet sunken in shame "do you need something?" the shorter man snarled with bite backing away from Alfred.
Alfred stumbled over his words embarrassed at being caught "I...I saw you...the other day and I...I uh...your really pretty!" he blurted out the man looked taken aback and very uncomfortable...was he scared? Way to screw up, Alfred.
But it soon boiled down to anger "don't mess with me boy! Leave me he hell alone!" he barked angrily Alfred stood there dejectedly he muttered an apology and turned to leave vowing to stay away. The man stood but as soon as Alfred had left guilt set in why would he hurt another person? Why was it always his fault?
Why did everyone leave him?
Alfred returned again the next night to make peace with the strage but beautiful maybe he had just been embarresed and would love to be Alfred's friend. He had rushed through homework and the weekly shopping trip (probably forgetting most of the important things in the process)upon arrival at home he had quickly made some hot dogs on the rusty stove and left Al to hang with his new girl (a Vietnamese chick who had hit him over the head with a paddle...He hoped they wouldn't use that tonight).
He hopped down the musty sidewalk alog the dirt and sand road curious to see this new man it was quite strange considering it was a small town with little tourism that someone was there he didn't know. In fact he hadn't even seen him around the market place, the school, the church...practiclly everyone went to church whether or not they were religious it was just a good place for people to congregate and be welcome...Alfred was lost in his thoughts he hadn't noticed the sun set the sky now faded to the color of blood tainted ink speckaled with stars.
On the beach the man stood in similar attire to yesterday "hey dude!" Alfred called jogging through the sand. The man turned to face him, his sea glass eyes swirling with emotion.
His face soon turne to rage but the way it did...looked as if it was purley there to cover somethiig else "Go away you blasted yank...there's a reason I come here at night!" The man hissed disstancing himself from Alfred, Alfred frowned sadly his face drooping.
"Come'on man...I know practiclly everyone here, I mean it isn't a big town...but I haven't seen you before, just tell me ya name?" Alfred pleaded using his signiture 100 watt smile. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his shorts and leaned back grinning, the man humphed and stuck his nose in the air completly indifferent to the Californian's charm. "aw don't be like that!" Alfred whined "fine, I'm Alfred F. Jones" He took a comical bow hoping to get the guy to crack a smile "at your service" Alfred said with false grandeur.
The man didn't even blink his brows returning to the stressful position on his forehead he looked at his feet and mumbled something. Alfred cocked his head and made a questioning sound the man's head snapped up "Arthur. My name is Arthur. Now would you leave me alone for God's sake!" He bit out with a feisty edge and a British accent it seemed.
"you're British?" Alfred asked sweetly taking a step towards the beautiful brit upon closer inspection he noticed that in even in the dark the man...Arthur looked like starlight from his skin to his hair to his sea glass eyes.
He took another step away from Alfred "English, you wanker..." he muttered "are you going to go now?" he said irritatedly playing with the sleeve cuff that had been pushed up to his arm. Arthur prayed internally that Alfred wouldn't leave each time he made a biting comment he meant it as a plea for them to stay to be his...friend...
"Don't think it's that easy to get rid of me...Arthur" Alfred sat down in the sand "tell me about yer'self" Alfred said a childish lilt tainting his voice.
Arthur looked at Alfred his mouth falling open slightly he looked down at his feet that were were wrapped in fabric? His knees were aswell... "did you really think I was pretty?" he mumbled.
Alfreds face turned bright red like a cherry popsicle "I...I uhhhh well you see...I" Alfred said flustered "yeah" he squeaked out the word popping on his lips.
Arthur's face didn't move but his eyes said everything he wished he could tell. Alfred composed himself determined not to lose his cool in front of the strange yet beautiful man called Arthur, everytime that Arthur moved it was as if his body shimmered like the water moving and flowing and glowing.
"can I see your dance?" Alfred said tenetivly with a smaller grin Arthur was comprehending the danger that might be in showing the American the dance finding very littlehe nodded stiffly.
Arthur's ever present frown grew deeper "if I show you the dance will you leave?" don't leave me Alfred chuckled "yeah sure man!"
Arthur sighed and raised a single pearlesent hand to the stars above, his arms and body curving, he closed his eyes and parted his coral colorled lips he slowly lowered his body to the ground and started with various groups of languid turns twirls and opening his arms in a way that looked like he was swimming through the air. Arthur's body moved like a slow stream shimmering under the stars but the feeling concealed withinthe dance was a stormy whirlwind, something that couldn't be trapped on this beach or this island for that matter.
Arthur was a mystery Alfred concluded that the stranger he had only seen a few days ago was a mystery and on he wanted to know more about. Arthur stopped abrubtly "thats it..." Arthur grumbled "can you leave now?" don't leave me.
Afred gaped and stood shaking the sand out of his signiture Californa blonde hair "thats it!?" he burst "c'mon there gotta be more, I mean dude that was beau-awesome!" Alfred concluded.
"Well I plan to finish it before I keel over!" Arthur snapped his eyebrow twitching like a sea cucumber Alfred took the hint and with a short goodbye left the dancing stranger...Arthur...to his business as Alfred walked in the night time humidity and the cicada's songs he smiled to himself.
Thinking about the man with the sea glass eyes and a dance to be finished.