The Future No One Expected
"I wonder where we'll be in the future?"
"Will we still be together as best friends?"
"Sure we will right?"
"Well... there is no way to say for sure... I mean many things could..."
Odd, Ulrich and Yumi stared at Jeremie. He gulped and blushed as he looked down and adjusted his glasses. Once that was done, he turned back to his computer where the image of a young girl with pink hair smiled back at him.
"I'm sure we'll always be friends."
The girl smiled and closed her eyes. The others smiled back. Jeremie smiled, but it wasn't a real smile. He knew something they didn't. He looked into his computer but his eyes didn't focus on the girl of his dreams, Aelita. They were looking in the reflection of his friends. They were smiling and laughing, having a good time. There was Odd, playing with his dog happily. Ulrich leaning against the wall sitting on the bed smiling and talking to Yumi, who was dressed in her graduation gown. Only a hour away from graduation. And since she was a year above them, today was her bog day, the others had at least a year left.
Jeremie's smile faded and Aelita noticed this. She looked at him concerned. She knew the reason he wasn't smiling. She shared the same secret as he did. A secret neither wanted to tell the others. As he watched the others laugh, Jeremie drifted off into a memory; a memory that doesn't exist yet...
-- RETURN TO THE FUTURE --
An older Jeremie sat at his computer in a large business office typing away at his computer. Since high school, Jeremie's computer skills have been put to good use in his home run business. He makes and repairs computer software and some hardware.
He adjusted his glasses and stared deeply into the compute screen at all the letters and digits that flashed onto the black screen. A few more clicks of the key board and he sighed, leaning back in the soft leather chair and placing his hands behind his head.
"There... all fixed."
Jeremie smiled and spun his chair around. Standing behind him were about five business executives all looking worried. When they heard the good news, they all sighed a sigh of relief and cheered. Jeremie just saved their database.
"Thank you Mr. Belpois. Don't know what we would of done with out you."
Jeremie smiled and stood up, shaking the hand of the boss.
"No problem, just call me whenever you need me. The virus is eliminated and I uploaded a new virus protection software that should prevent this from happening again. I also updated your firewall. So, just be careful."
The boss typed up a check on the computer and printed out for Jeremie. Soon, Jeremie was leaving the office, carrying his messenger bag over his shoulder. He looked at the check and smiled. He enjoyed working with computers as a living; and the money helped too. He folded the check and tucked it into the inside pocket of his jacket and continued to walk down the sidewalk to the bus stop. At the bus stop, he sat down on the bench and pulled out his laptop from his bag. He logged on and began typing away. His screen flashed bright colors until it finally stopped on a page colored a light blue. He pulled out his headset and placed it on his head.
"Aelita, are you there?"
The screen flashed once more until an image of a girl with pink hair smiled on the screen, a backdrop of a digital forest behind her.
"Hello Jeremie. How are you today?"
"I'm doing just great. I just finished another job. How are you?"
"I'm fine. Have you heard from the others lately?"
"No, not since last year. They must all be busy. Last I heard Yumi was in the states and Odd was back in China. And Ulrich was somewhere in Paris."
Jeremie sighed as the large white bus pulled up. A large dent on the side reminded him of an attack they dealt with in high school where Xana controlled a bus with Ulrich on it. This was a different bus, but the memories of the past were still with him.
"I need to shut down now Aelita, I'll try to log back on at home. Bye."
"Bye now."
The laptop was shut down and put back in the bag with the head set. He boarded the bus and took the seat in the back, where he leaned against the wall and stared out the window. As the streets of Lyons flashed before his eyes, the bus slowed down at another stop. Jeremie paid no attention, until he saw a bright blue colored poster hanging in a store window. He adjusted his glasses once more and stared at the image in the window.
His eyes widened as he recognized the girl posing on the poster. Quickly he jumped from his seat and bolted to the front of the bus, jumping off just in time. He ran through the small crowd and pushed his way to the window. He was bumped into, causing him to crash into the window. After straightening himself up, he looked into the window at the poster once more.
A beautiful girl with short black hair posed with one hand on her hip and the other pointing to the sky, palm opened. She wore a red and gold sleeveless kimono and a microphone was in the hand on her hip. Large bold black words at the top read YUMI LIVE IN CONCERT. At the bottom were dates, times and locations. Jeremie smiled. He pulled out a small pad of paper and wrote down the web site that was listed in the corner of the poster. One that was done, he happily marched off down the street towards his next job which was about five miles away.
He approached the address of his job and looked through a large iron gate.
"Ahhh, the memories this place brings me."
Jeremie smiled as he walked through the gate and up the long sidewalk towards the high school. He watched as children ran back and forth chasing soccer balls and flying kites. A few girls chatted on a bench about boys and fashion while a few boys watched them from behind a tree. Jeremie stopped walking when he spotted a small group of four friends talking under a tree on a bench. Three boys and a girl. He smiled at the sight.
"Just like the old days."
He watched for a moment more before he heard his name get called out.
"Oh good. Jeremie is here."
He turned around and was standing face to face with the same old principal he had. He smiled and was lead off to the computer room where the trouble was. By the end of the day, Jeremie managed to clear all computers school wide of a strange virus that included a strange little dancing and singing egg. After receiving payment, he headed home for the day.
He walked through the darkening streets until he came apon a small little one floored house. He unlocked the doors and turned on the lights. After getting comfortable and some food, he settled into a large chair in his home office and placed his laptop on the desk. he plugged it in to the wall to charge as he logged back on. He pulled out the paper with the web address and began to type it to the search bar. The screen flashed a bright blue as the image of Yumi slowly focused in. Some music began playing as the image of the singe changed to different poses.
Once the introduction was complete, the music and the girl disappeared and a web page appeared. Links to all things such a pictures, tours, products and biography appeared while updated news centered itself. He clicked on the tours and was bombard by all sorts of dates, times and locations. He searched for the nearest and closet location and date.
"This sounds good, tomorrow night at the Eiffel Tower Center Arena. It starts at... 9 o'clock p.m.. I can do that."
Jeremie clicked more buttons and soon ordered his tickets to the show. He wasn't one for music, but if it meant seeing his old friends again, he would do it. He spun around in his chair and looked up at a picture hanging on the wall. Four high school kids smiling back at him; three boys and one girl. The blonde/purple haired boy, named Odd, held a white dog while the other boy, Ulrich, stood with his arm around the girl's, Yumi, shoulder. Jeremie stood on the other side of the girl smiling with his arms over his chest.
"Those were the good days."
He smiled back at the picture.
"Back before things changed and plans got in the way."
Jeremie's smiled faded as he turned away from the computer. Next to the screen sat another frame. Inside this one was another group picture of the same kids. Only this one was different. The kids were older and their personalities changed. Ulrich stood in a business suit while Yumi stood wearing a black glittery sweater tank top and jeans that showed off her mid section. Jeremie stood next to the girl, the only one really having any fun. The purple haired boy was missing. He never did show up at the friend's reunion tat year. He had appointments to attend to and never made it.
Jeremie sighed and leaned on his elbow. Times had changed and they all grew up. They swore to be friends forever, but forever came and went. Depressed, he logged into his e-mail.
"Spam, spam, spam, junk, spam, spam..."
That seamed to be all that he received. It had been a year since his last e-mail from a friend. And that e-mail was from Odd saying he couldn't come to the reunion. Jeremie logged off his computer and headed off to bed. As he left the room and closed the door, his computer screen lit up a bright red and an eye like icon glowed and even brighter and darker red.
A/N - Oh no. Poor Jeremie. Sure friends don't last forever, but what is gonna happen now that X.A.N.A. is back? Have to stay tuned to find out.
Please review. No FLAMES (Thats X.A.N.A.'s job only). Please look in my profile ooOAnimeChildOoo for all my other stories. And again, thanks for reading.
"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever"
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