Where My Wild Friends Are

Chapter 1

It's been ten years since I last saw my friends. My childhood buddies. I do have some new friends right now, of course. But it's not the same kind of friendship I had with these guys who had been a big part of my life. We were the most extraordinary group of friends, everyone had said. We were all of different nationalities and I was the only American. One was English, another was French, then a Chinese, and a Russian. Sadly, after middle school, they all went back to their home countries, leaving me behind in America. They had all promised that they would write and call… but no calls were made and no letters were sent in the ten years since they'd gone.

Now I have graduated from college, and I'm now a travel photographer. I had sworn that I would find them and restore the magic and wonder that was our friendship, and I'm starting it now.

I was at the bookstore, checking out this book – a children's book. I looked around me, partly afraid that someone I know would find me at the children's section of the bookstore holding a fable. Oh well, I could just say that I'm looking for a gift for a little nephew, though I have none.

I was originally just going to look for a travel map for London and Paris, but I passed by the children's section and this book caught my eye. On the cover was a picture of a bald eagle, a red fox, a Gallic rooster, a brown bear and a dragon. Other people would think it's a weird combination of animals, seeing as the fox or the bear would eat the rooster and some would argue that dragons do not exist. But here they are pictured on the cover, posing as if they are the best of friends and not caring at all that they are all different kinds of animals.

But seeing these animals together – it has stirred up a memory from long ago. About young boys who played pirates; about petty little fights that would be over in ten minutes; about faraway dreams and little stories we made up; about sweet innocence and friendship sworn forever. A sad smile curls on my lips.

Ah, yes. These were me and my childhood friends. I was the eagle. Arthur was the red fox. Francis was the rooster. Ivan was the bear and Yao was the dragon. I wonder if it was a coincidence or not? The art style on the illustrations looked familiar. Could it be…?

I read the author's name. George Wembley? I frown in disappointment. Still, I was drawn to the book like a magnet. But I have to meet up with a colleague in fifteen minutes and I was running out of time. I was defeated by my curiosity that I purchased the book along with the travel maps and headed out of the store.

Ludwig was already sitting there by the time I arrived at the café we'd agreed to meet up at. He was sipping his black coffee and nodded when I sat down opposite him.

"Hey," I greeted. "I've got my maps." I held out the travel maps I just bought earlier.

Ludwig nodded again and seeing that I have something else on my hands, he asked, "And what's that?"

Dang, I forgot to hide the book in my bag. "Oh, it's just a kid's book, for a little nephew of mine."

"That's cute," Ludwig smirked a little. Does he know that I do not actually have a nephew? But then he quickly changed into his formal self. "Right, then. Let's get to business."

Ludwig and I are new contributors for a travel magazine and this is our first project after graduation. We were asked to do a feature for Europe. Ludwig, being from Germany, just let me choose which countries to cover since he's been to most European countries. This project must be so boring for him. When I told him I wanted to do France and UK, he had just shrugged and told me he's been there before.

"So we're going to France. Ah, that's close to home." Ludwig mused, but still kept a straight face with no hint of longing etched on his face. I was sure he missed home. He just doesn't let it show.

"Yeah, isn't that awesome?" I told him cheerily.

Ludwig stared into the distance and sighed, totally ignoring my statement. "It's my third time going to Paris." He took a long sip of his coffee.

"Must be tiring for you then, eh?"

Ludwig actually smiled a little. "You know how they always say that Paris is the city of love? The first time I went there was when I was twelve; with my family and grandparents on their golden anniversary. The second time was when I was in high school and it was for an educational trip to a museum. Those trips were quite boring, even if it was in the city of love. And now I'm going back there for a travel photography project, with a goofy college classmate. How very romantic."

"You want to go to Paris to spend time there with your special someone, don't you?" I teased him. "Where is she, Ludwig? Why don't you bring her along?"

Ludwig just chuckled and looked down at his coffee, a sad chuckle. I can sense some bitterness in him just like the coffee he's drinking. "I thought I said 'let's get to business'? Come on, let's just focus on our work first."

But I can't focus on work right now. Not now when we'd just talked about 'the city of love' and special someones. I can't get it out of my head now. I listened to him talk though, and answered when he asked me questions, but I was only half-attentive.

Now that I think about it, I've never been the kind of guy who's been very keen on having a girlfriend. I did date a few girls back in high school and college but they never lasted. They were pretty and nice, but there was never this spark they always say happens when you fall in love. Of all those girls I've dated, none of them struck to me as the person I would want to spend my life forever with.

Unlike those times with my best buds in middle school. I always believed that we would be friends forever. I imagined that we would all be the best men for each others' weddings and be the godfathers of each others' children. We were supposed to be still hanging out right now, if they hadn't all left me behind.

I missed them. I missed each and every one of them. Francis, Ivan, Yao, and Arthur. Especially Arthur.

Arthur.

The mere thought of his name made my heart race in my chest and ache with such painful longing.

Arthur. Artie. Arthur the red fox. King Arthur.

He was my best friend. Among the four, he had been the closest to me. He was the one I could trust most in everything. Sometimes I would tell an embarrassing secret only to him because I feared the others would laugh at me. He wouldn't. He would just pat my shoulder and tell me that it's alright, that everyone has embarrassing secrets, and that it's part of being human. He would tell me that we all have flaws because no one is ever perfect.

I admired Arthur. I always thought he was clever and bright. He always knew what to say and do in situations when I usually don't. He always helped me with my homework, never gets tired of proofreading my essays that were fifty percent grammatically wrong. He liked to write poems and stories and he is good at drawing. To me he was perfect.

We were best friends. Sometimes we would meet up without the others and sleep over at his house. He told me stories he made up about us. My favourite was the one where we each ruled a kingdom of our own, and all the five kings were friends.

I remember joking to him once, "What if there was only to be one kingdom left? And that we all have to live together in that same kingdom? Who would be the king?"

He answered after a moment's thought, "You would."

"Me?" I laughed. "Why me? Why not you? You're the cleverest king!"

Arthur smiled at me earnestly. "I may be clever, but a great king must be a great leader. You are a great leader, Alfred. I can see that. You lead our group well."

"Th-then, you should be my queen! If the king is a great leader, the queen is clever! It would be a perfect kingdom with you and me ruling it!" I declared proudly.

"What? No, Alfred! A queen is a woman, the wife of the king. I can't be a queen! I can't be your queen. That's impossible!" Arthur stammered. He was blushing furiously that the colour was reaching up to his ears.

When I realized what we both just said I also blushed, and we were unable to look each other in the eye for five, long, awkward minutes. We were never awkward with each other before.

Ever since that conversation, things started to change between the two of us. We became more aware of each other. It was our puberty stage, the worst stage in a person's life in my belief. We were starting to grow out of our innocent young selves and slowly make our way towards becoming men. It was the time when girls and boys start checking out people from the opposite sex and in some cases, the same sex.

As puberty went by I was getting more and more confused with my feelings for Arthur. I would sneak a glance at him when he's not looking and sometimes I would catch myself staring and then he would notice. I would get jealous when Francis would flirt with Arthur, playing with his hair and holding his hand.

There were girls who liked me. I would always find love letters inside my locker asking me to date them. Whenever I passed by the hallways I would hear squeals and giggles. I never entertained a love confession in middle school. Francis told me that I was being crazy, and said that if it were him, he would have kissed all those girls.

I couldn't explain to myself why I was being like this. I looked at the other boys at school and see that they're checking out the girls. Why wasn't I joining them? My parents would sometimes tease me if there's a girl I like and I would always lie that there's someone I find cute.

In the end, I denied it, pushed it away and stored it in a chest and threw away the key. I kept telling myself that it was just a phase, that it would pass, and I would find a girl that I'd like. I never told Arthur what I felt for him even when he went back to England and never kept in touch again. I wonder what would have happened if I told him. Would he say that he felt the same for me? But I had been too afraid. I was afraid what other people would think of it. Society judges harshly and brings you down. I don't want that to happen to both Arthur and me. I just kept telling myself that it's for the good of us both, that I am preventing cruel glares and words to be thrown at us.

After ten years of hiding away that feeling, it now demands to be set free and to be felt as it deserves to be.

"Alfred, hey." Ludwig shook my shoulder and brought me out of my reverie.

"Huh? Oh, gosh, I'm sorry dude!" I sat up immediately after realizing I had just slept on our supposed 'planning' meeting. How great, Alfred. How incredibly rude.

"Ah, don't fuss anymore. Let's just continue this on our next meeting. You seem to be tired." Ludwig looked at me with a mix of concern and suspicion.

"Alright, thanks Ludwig. I'm really sorry." I started to stand up but my head feels woozy. I didn't want to bother Ludwig anymore so I didn't let it show. I hurriedly put the fable book I bought earlier into my backpack, said goodbye, and dashed home.

I have to find out who George Wembley is.