"Look, Jay, I can see myself in the window on the roof of the mall." Michelle pointed to the glass-pane roof.
"So you can." Jay said, barely looking up to see his reflection.
"Where did you get your clothing? I like the sleeveless look, and those army pants are pretty cool too." Christine, Michelle's friend, looked over as she asked.
"Still Line." Jay said as he shifted his position, leaning forward a bit.
"I don't know why," Lauren commented, "They aren't exactly in style."
"I don't go for style." Jay retorted, almost instantly, staring down at the floor.
"I bet you have a girlfriend don't you?" Christine looked cautiously at Jay as she asked.
"Nah." Jay lifted his head and looked closely at the reflection on the roof, careful not to make eye contact with Christine.
"Why not?" She sort of chuckled, then her features changed as she watched Jay stare at the roof, now intently. Lauren looked up at Jay to see what answer he would give Christine.
"Women don't interest me I suppose." Jay got up from where he was seated, now uncomfortable, and Lauren got up as well. Jay looked over his shoulder at her and sort of chuckled. He picked up the plastic bag with his purchase and started to walk away.
"What? Figures. You know you are everything a girl like me could want. Scruffy blonde hair, blue eyes, perfect weight, the way you dress."
"I know." Jay said, looking over at her then forward as he started walking. As he took a step he realized he didn't agree. He was as thin as a twig. His thumb and pinky finger could comfortably touch when wrapped around his wrist. He never lifted a weight in his life. That didn't make him less confident though.
A man about Jay's height and about 200 pounds came over. He had a small goatee and hair cut short, close to his head. His eyes were brown and his dress was that of army pants and a blue short sleeve shirt with a white star on it. He gave Jay a stern push and Jay, off guard, fell to the side. Jay rose up, dropping his plastic bag, and he turned to this man.
"Adam?" Jay said, his eyes displayed a sense of mystery and confusion.
"What? How do you know my name, faggot?"
"I guess we share the same fate then." Jay chuckled, looking to the ground, tensing his fists.
Behind Adam were two of his friends. One had a mohawk hair cut that was dyed pink. He wore goth clothing, you know, the black pants with chains, and he had some band printed on his shirt. The other was thin like Jay, but wore black and wore dark eye liner. He had medium length hair combed to one side, over one of his eyes.
"Why did you push me?" Jay looked up into Adam's eyes, expressionless.
"To fight." Adam said this and raised his fists by his head, into a guarded stance.
"Fine." Jay smiled halfway and put his hands up. Jay looked to his left and right for police patrolling the mall. None were in sight.
"Afraid of the consequences?"
"Just one. Getting arrested for beating the shit out of you."
"You? Ha! Just look at yourself. Let's go!" Adam's voice rose toward a yell when he finished his sentence.
The two men ran toward each other in the direct center of the mall. Their reflections blurred on the roof as they made their way toward each other. Adam opened up his fists and went to grab Jay but Jay dropped to the ground, grabbing Adam by the waist, and he lifted his right foot into Adam's stomach. Jay through Adam over his head and rolled onto his stomach, to find Adam had landed on his hands and knees. Jay and Adam rose to their feet.
"Somehow I knew you'd do that." Adam shook out his legs and tensed his body up again.
Adam charged toward Jay again, throwing a hook punch at Jay's cheek. Jay ducked the swing, and lifted himself back up with his fist aiming toward Adam's jaw. A split second before the uppercut landed, Adam tilted his head to the side. He his hook punch again and Jay blocked it with his forearm. Adam through his other hand at Jay and Jay blocked the second punch. A bead of sweat fell from Jay's forehead as he threw his hands at Adam's shoulders to push him back. At the same time, Adam pushed Jay in the stomach with both hands to push himself back. They both landed in their guard stances.
Jay glared into Adam's eyes. "How old are you? You look thirty, but I have to hand it to you. You move moderately fast for an old man."
"I'm seventeen." Adam called out, still in control of his breath.
"Maybe it's just because your hair makes up four pounds of your weight, that I misjudged your age."
"You seem pretty damn confident for a fourteen year old. Or are you seventeen as well?"
"It would seem, as I've stated, we share the same fate."
Jay looked around the center of the mall and found a ring (a square really) of people were around Adam and him. Some had shopping bags and others had purses, or even their children. Some were kneeling, others were sitting, or leaning on the plant pots near the edge. Another bead of sweat fell from Jay's forehead, and he wiped his head with his forearm. His skin was slightly red from blocking the punches. After all, there was a lot of weight behind those punches.
Jay bent his knees, grabbed the plastic bag, and threw it as he lunged forward. The bag, with a box of silverware in it, flew at Adam but he ducked the projectile and dashed toward Jay. He jumped in the air with his right foot out, aimed Jay's head. Jay quickly slid under Adam's body while he was in the air, and got back up on his feet as Adam landed and turned toward him. Jay dusted off his black shirt.
"This needs to end now!" Adam yelled as a bead of sweat fell from him as he ran toward Jay. Jay stood motionless with his hands down my his side. Adam raised his fist to throw a reverse punch at Jay's face. Jay stood as the massive teen uncoiled his wound up arm. Adam's eyes widened as he watched Jay stand there as his fist engaged with Jay's nose.
After the impact, Jay spun to the side, then quickly looked up again, staring at Adam.
"You could have blocked that." Adam said.
"I needed to make sure this wasn't a dream. We need to talk."
Adam's mouth opened and he tilted his head. "What?"
"Let's go, to the bathroom or something. I cannot speak in front these guys." Jay said, quiet enough that only Adam could hear him.
Adam put his hands down by his side as Jay started walking past him. He looked over his shoulder as Jay made his way through the crowd. A police officer stopped Jay.
"What the hell was that?"
"Didn't you know? A martial arts demonstration."
"Why wasn't I informed?" The officer growled at Jay as Jay walked past him, bumping shoulders with the officer.
"I don't know. Ask your superior." He said as he walked toward the restrooms.
Adam started to run to catch up to Jay. As he walked out of the crowd they started to cheer and clap.
Lauren and her friends as well as Adam's friends ran up behind him.
"Stay here." He said to the two he came with.
Lauren, Michelle, and Christine followed Jay all the way up to the bathroom but did not enter when Jay entered. Adam pushed open the door and followed Jay in.
Jay stood by the sink looking at himself in the mirror. He discovered his nose was bleeding, and grabbed a paper towel. Adam watched with his arms folded on his chest.
"So what's going on?" Adam lifted up one hand in motion as he asked.
"I don't know. You started it." Jay put a paper towel to his nose for a minute, then pulled it away.
"You knew my name. How?"
"The same way you found out I was gay. Listening to a conversation that did not belong to you." Jay looked over at him, and Adam saw that the blood had not stopped running.
Jay continued, "But that wasn't the only time I've seen you before. I saw you in my dreams once. You were shirtless and had a tattoo of some foreign writing right above your left armpit, under your triceps. Adam pulled back his blue sleeve and stared at the permanent ink on his arm.
"You couldn't have known that--" He stated. In disbelief he looked around the bathroom. All the stalls and urinals were empty.
"Except through a dream. What does it say?"
"It says, 'I'll never stop searching.'"
"Well now you can stop searching." Jay stepped toward Adam, passing a few sinks.
Adam quickly met Jay half way and embraced him, resting his head on Jay's shoulder, and Jay rested his on Adam's neck.
"What the hell is going on?" Adam said.
"I have no frigin idea." Jay whispered.
Adam felt something drip down his neck and onto the collar of his shirt. He quickly broke the embrace and touched the liquid. It was Jay's blood.
Jay raised his hand reaching out. "I'm sorry about that, I stained a part of your shirt."
"Listen, I can't stay long." Adam turned his head away, looking down at the floor.
Jay, surprised, scratched the back of his head. "Please, let me buy you another shirt. Where is it from?"
"Still Line." Jay recognized this store. It was where he got his sleeveless shirt.
"Let's go then." Jay said as he started to walk past Adam.
"No, no I can't. I need to get going."
"Why? Don't you see?" Jay raised his hands up pointing to his surroundings, "This wasn't a mistake. It was fate. It would take a fool to think otherwise."
"Then don't be a fool." Adam said as he grabbed Jay's hands gently and pulled him closer. "If only for a second, let it last forever." Adam tilted his head and his lips touched Jays.