flashback(pm first)

[RLA68]

Thomas walked back to his house and not a whole lot added up. He thought this was a ploy somewhat coy to start a relationship. He knew with some certainty that she was not seeing anyone. She hadn’t mentioned having an eye on anyone…then again she didn’t always necessarily talk to even her best friend about that stuff. Thomas wasn’t shy about giving her advice hoping to helpful normally.

On the other hand, she was quite convinced or acting convinced of this 24 year old Maria back to the past. The mission…to rescue their relationship. He was at a bigger loss for that. Now what? She said it and he would hope that nothing leads them apart as she claimed they would drift. Again, strange at best. Thomas didn’t think about Maria in that way very often. He also didn’t categorize her in a taboo sense like a sister. She was his best friend but also a very attractive and fun girl. Most of the time either or both of them were seeing someone.
Anyway you look at it…this was the first time in almost forever both were single to his knowledge. He hadn’t dated anyone for almost 4 months and Maria for a good month since she broke up with her last boyfriend again to his knowledge. So, does that play a role in any of her behavior either way? He just kicked up his feet in the recliner and flipped on the TV. All this was nearly giving him a headache.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

Why did he find this so hard to believe considering the fact that they were best friends, and she never had kept anything from him after all.. she took a very long deep breath and bit her lip, as she walked to the library it was not as if she did not know where everything was in town after all she might not understand why any of this was happening.

Walking to the library since this was a small town she reconized several people of her past and took a very long breath this was all way to much for her to handle, but she needed to get to the bottom of this.

She found her way to the library and went to sci fi section in hopes she could find a way for this all to make sense and if the one person she always trusted didn't believe her well screw him.

 

[RLA68]

Thomas watched some TV but couldn’t get out of his mind what was going on. She broke up a month ago from her boyfriend to his knowledge and his last relationship ended close to four months ago…over and over this kept repeating in his mind. Is this a ply of some kind for a relationship since both of them are single? They have never gone over 2 weeks both being single since they were probably 12 years old, when it was boyfriend/girlfriends and it was just going steady.

He hopped up and went back over but he was told she left for the library. He found that odd since she was studying for a school project of any kind. He hurried down to the library very curious at this point.

As he arrived he smiled at her in the sci-fi section. He walked over.
“Time travel is down here.” He whispers pointing to the bottom left row. He winks and grabs a good handful books(3) on the subject.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She could not place how she was feeling after all, taking a long deep breath as she stroked the edges of a few books, and sighed to herself what am I supposed to do she thought, he thought this was some stupid ploy but then that did not prove anything, how could he really think that about her at all.

''Okay.. here goes nothing.. time to find my way to reality.'' She spoke outloud and got hushed and rolled her eyes.

She looked up as she heard his voice.. she was still upset but she did smile at him.

"what are you doing here?'' she asked

 

[RLA68]

"what are you doing here?'' she asked

He smiled as he had the books in his hand.
“I am here to support you. You are my best friend period. I want to help you figure all of this out.” He states in a whisper and leads her to a table off away from everyone.

“Maria…I am sorry as I don’t quite understand all of this. I mean I do in terms of watching Star Trek or something but here in the real world…this is beyond me. I do love you so dearly as my friend, I want to help you. We can maybe figure this out together.” He states and smiles.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She did not want to be angry with him, if she were in his shoes she was sure she would feel the same way after all.

''Good luck with that.. I cannot even figure this out.'' She said and that same look of emptyness showed in her face in her eyes once more.

''I wish I could say I understand this but I don't and the only way I can truly get you to believe me is tell you about a movie.. that i've seen or even something happening..and suffer the consequences cause If I do it could alte the future.''

 

[RLA68]

''Good luck with that.. I cannot even figure this out.'' She said and that same look of emptyness showed in her face in her eyes once more.

He smiled.
“If nothing else…I want to support you as my dear best friend. I am not a scientist that can figure quantum physics. I barely get time continuum stuff except from being a Trekie fan.” He replies and smiles.

''I wish I could say I understand this but I don't and the only way I can truly get you to believe me is tell you about a movie.. that i've seen or even something happening..and suffer the consequences cause If I do it could alter the future.''

He takes her hands.
“Alter this reality. That is the time continuum thing. There are several possible realities. You are here to do something about the future of the one you are from. I say…you tell me about the movie and whatever you feel comfortable telling me otherwise….your mission is to alter the future. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here Maria.” He states strongly looking into her eyes.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

''Thank-you for coming back.'' She said softly and sat beside him at a long table and looked over at him as he spoke softly to her.

She grinned gently at him as he mentioned being a trekkie fan... he always was a fan a nerd to most and even when she was popular, he felt at times she probably made fun of him yet she never did her freinds did but she always defended him and as crazy as this all was he was here defending her and believing in what she was telling him.

She could not deny the sparks she felt as he took her hands into his own and she looked over at him.

''You are right indeed.. lets go do something.. see a movie or something we would normally do and I can tell you what happens... or give me a date and I will let you know what happens.'' She said softly.

 

[RLA68]

“No need to thank me for coming back. I care very deeply about you Maria. It is like a dagger through my chest to think we could ever drift apart. Anyways..my place is with you as we figure all of this out together.” He states and smiles.

“I like going to a movie. BUT….Maria…we are past you need to PROVE to me. We aren’t going to play this date in history much less you don’t need to tell me anything about a movie. Lets just go out and enjoy our time together. After we can get a bite of late lunch or early dinner. Mission: Impossible III ,The Good Shepherd, The Illusionist ,or Casino Royale? Those are the choices.” He says and smiles.

He takes the time travel books to the front and checks them out before walking with Maria to his car to go out.
“We can look these over maybe later tonight.” He adds and smiles.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She looked at him carefully and smiled her same sweet smile, if only she could make some sense out of all of this maybe she would understand... she knew why she made the wish.. they were still friends in the future.. but over the years they had drifted apart maybe her coming back was to ensure that would never happen. ''Thank-you.'' She said and smiled gently at him.

She looked at him kindly and smiled.. ''Are you asking me out Thomas?'' She said kind of shocked now she did feel like she was younger once more as she looked at him. ''The illusonist.'' She said changing the subject of him asking her out on a real date, that cannot be the reason why she was brought back not at all.

She follows him as they check all of the books out, and he carries them to his car for her, and then she gets in. ''Sounds good.'' She said gently and looked at him.

''Most people would have just walked away.'' She said kindly.

 

[RLA68]

“Most people don’t love you Maria…although they should but they don’t know as I do. Walking away is not an option.” He said and drove them to the theatre.

Much like a date he did pay for the tickets and popcorn plus drinks. He did pay attention if she would mention parts of the movie or her reaction to the movie. He smiled and re-emphasized she didn’t need to convince him. He put his arm around her midway through the movie. He took her hand walking out of the movie theatre.

Once back in his car.
“Okay…I will listen as I know you have something to say. After I have a movie to mention that both of us have seen…I think it was on HBO years ago.” He states and smiles looking into her eyes.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She wondered if he could see how red her face had turned and how even though he had told her many of times he loved her, there was something eerily odd about how he said it now... if only he knew.

She was not sure if this was a real date, or if he was only being nice cause he perhaps truly believed she lost her mind, but then would he still be taking up for her, or would he truly even hold her hand, pay for her things, be interested in what she had to say, but then again thats who Thomas really was after all.

She shook her head taking a long deep breath.. ''No nothing to say.'' She said with a smile.

''I think I know why I am here I mean with you... I know in a week there will be a torensial rain storm that will alter lives.. I can tell you in a month you will date the head cheerleader... I can tell you all of that.. but theres one thing I should have told you long ago... in highschool maybe even before that... how much you have always meant to me, mean to me now I mean well in my life.. I hate that we grow apart were still friends.. nothing like this, and I'd love to say work, relationships and other things get in the way but honestly for you I cannot say what gets in the way... I can only say my own blindness gets in mine feelings got in my way.'' She says softly taking a long deep breath.

 

[RLA68]

He parks the car in front of one of their favorite pizza places and smiles.
“Let me say a thing or two. Maria…we have been friends for nearly our entire lives. I have 19 years of experience. I thought about a thing or two even before today.” He states he takes her hands.

He looks her directly in the eyes.
“I have no idea how you felt about me at 19. I have no idea at 24 other than you are sad to lose our friendship. I can possibly conclude something was missing from life at 24 to not be married and give up painting….Much less let our friendship go away.” he continues.

“I have never been jealous of your boyfriends but I have been envious. Yes…I find you attractive beyond being best friends. You have looks of course, I love being around you, love your humor, and not much I don’t like. But…it hit me, neither of us were single per say until now since were like 12 or something. Secondly, it is probably I never revealed my feelings toward you as you just did. You likely never did so leading us to grow apart at 24.” He adds and moves slightly in his seat taking a deep breath.

“Ria…The only thing I can figure out about this is that destiny may have wanted us to share how we really feel about each other. I don’t care if that affects some time continuum because I don’t want to be in a reality that you are not in my life. I have no clue if we are compatible for girlfriend/boyfriend but you have to know how important you are to me. If there is something more for us…maybe destiny is nudging us to go in that direction. The 80’s and 90’s produced a lot of movies about best friends that at the end some how some way it turned into more.” He adds and brings her hands up to his face and kisses them.

“The cheerleader can wait. Maybe it is better for her if I don’t meet her in a month. For now…I want to take you out on real dates. If we don’t work out then…we are good enough friends to work it out. For now…we will go to a movie like a date and then wherever like a pizza parlor and then I will take you home…all date style. The next day if you want to put on the best friend is fine but in the evening or like right now…I am serious to see if this is part of why you are here.” He says somberly.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She looked at him as he parked the car, god she hadn't been here in years, this was still surreal to her.. all of this, she sighed to herself confused but when he spoke it calmed her but then again he was always able to do that for her after all.

When he took her hands into his own she felt that same electric feeling she always had.. perhaps this was some plan, why else would she be here, why else would he have been the first person she had seen.. why had she never told him in high school how she felt, she felt it at the prom... oh the prom she thought to herself she knew that night she loved him... was in love with him.. she was afraid of losing him, more so she was afraid she was not good enough for him, sure she was popular, but most people didn't know how low she thought of herself, not even Thomas knew that, someday she would admit to him that she had been in love with him for a very long time.

She looked at him right then and there she wanted to tell him how she felt at 19, how she felt at 17 hell how she felt now at 24 and yet something held her back, froze her in time, a alternate universe something in the past or now or whatever world she was in she would have never believed and yet here she was living it.

She hung on to his every word and knew he was right, whenever he was single she wasn't and whenever she was single Thomas wasn't... it had to mean something now she was sent back to make this right, but what if she did, would she want to go back...she had seen movies she would have to.. eventually what would happen.. if she gave him her heart would she get his in return she knew his reputation after all, and yet here he was telling her he liked her beyond her looks something that at even 24 she was not sure any guy really felt that way.

She nearly felt as if she could cry, sure Thomas was always sweet with her and sure they argued but he had never once gotten this in depth with her, she looked at him and knew his eyes told no lies every word he spoke to her was the truth.. her heart was racing, and when he told her he did not care about time or the future that he did not want a life without her in it... it was the most touching moment she ever felt she had been in.

Once he kissed her hands she felt her heart racing and she almost thought he would hear it in the silence of his own car.

''I don't know what to say. '' Which was funny cause Maria always knew what to say.. Tell him you love him.. no she just was not ready for that.

 

[RLA68]

“All I am saying Ria…is ground rules here. We separate our dating from our best friendship to an extent. I want to really date you and see if we are missing something.” He says still holding her hands.

“ I will bet both of us would rather get hit by a train than lose our friendship…unfortunately that seems to happen, maybe because we grow apart or maybe because we never explored if more was there for us. I don’t care to be scared to say something anymore. I love you Maria and you are my best friend. What I don’t know is if I can be in love with you like as in romantic…but I want to try…I want to find out if you will allow me.” He says in the most somber voice of his life.

“This is not an invitation that we all of sudden go to bed like in the movies or start kissing passionately…this is reality Ria. I court you and we see. If it doesn’t work then no broken bones. We move on as best friends and at least know we love each other but it wasn’t meant to be in love. Hopefully that is enough to change the future for us to stay best friends if not more.” He adds and lets go of her hands and gets out comes around opens her door and takes her hand and walks inside.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She listened to him carefully she couldn't believe she of all people was at a loss for words... she loved him, she could honestly say she was in love with him... she wanted to tell him the night of prom but something happened.. something that hurt her, was it his ex.. that he left with.. cause I mean it was not as if he had abandoned her, he just left with her.. but it hurt.. she wanted to be his the entire night.. she loved him that night fell in love with him... that night... yet she never told him.. she had to keep this to herself.

The feel of him holding her hands was like nothing she ever felt with another man, maybe cause she always seemed to hold herself at arms length.

When he said he was not sure if he could love her in a romantic way her heart broke a little, cause he already had her whole heart always had always would she was sure, she never really believed in fate, but this meant something her being here now meant something. She knew he was her soul mate nothing would ever really change that she belonged to him, in that sense and even if it did not work out that fact would always remain true.

She almost laughed at when he said it was not an invitation to make out or make passionant love, but she often wondered what kissing him would feel like, then realization hit her in that life she was a virgin, yet in this life she was very experienced not as if she was a slut considering she was 24 and only been with three men.

She looked up at him as he opened her door and took her hand as she climbed out.

''I want this.'' She whispered as they were at the door of the parlor.

 

[RLA68]

He opened the parlor door and his arm went around her waist after he got inside. He walked with her to a table where he pulled out a chair for her before sitting himself.
“I just can’t help but think…why wouldn’t we end together at 24? My only answer is that I never took my shot. I never told you how I felt.” He states confidently.

“You always make me feel so good when we are together…it is stupid not to try this.” He adds then orders drinks and a pizza. He winks at her.

“I am guessing you still like the same pizza and drink as you did at 19.” He says and smiles.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

maria

As he opened the door she smiled at him and then he placed his arm around her waist and she looked at him gently.

She blushed as he pulled a chair out for her as took her seat.

She thought about his comment... if only it were that simple did he really not think about prom at all, or how he went back to his ex... leaving her there alone... she was not sure if he thought about it but she knew that was why she always held back her feelings and still was holding out her feelings.

''It would be stupid.'' She said and looked over at him.

''Just the only thing is I drink more water or diet soda now, pizza still the same.'' She whispered.

 

[RLA68]

He ordered a tall glass of ice water additionally for her.

“I feel a sense of being free somehow. Being totally honest with you and doing this. I hate sounding like nerd but maybe keeping these feelings bottled up made me miserable at 24.” He states and smiles.

They talk and eat pizza and drink as if they were on a date. Even with the revelations Thomas is a bit nervous and shows it every so often. He has it in his mind he wants to go through with this but is unsure of how Maria will react as time goes by. His fear is losing her friendship completely. He has already entered the arena and has no choice but to stand and fight at this point.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She smiled as she ordered for him it wasn't as if they hadn't hung out at 24 they had he would not remember however considering he was 19 in his mind... she wanted so much to tell him she loved him... she was in love with him... but she just couldn't... perhaps she was still hurt.

''It wasn't really you... all of it.. we still talked and hung out just not often and when we did there was always some tension.. something perhaps you or I were keeping from one another.'' She admitted grateful when the drinks came and she took a long drink of her water.

''You do know even in the future somehow something or someone would have pulled us together it isn't as if we never drifted apart.. just somehow now.. well my now anyway its different.. I can't really say how, though.'' She said and looked at her hands.

 

[RLA68]

“Tension? That sounds very uncharacteristic of how we should end up.” He states to her after she tells about them hanging out but…

“No destiny I think can be very evil. I think if a move wasn’t made it could explain how we somehow drifted apart. I think there is a window of opportunity for many things and even if somehow in the future we would have been pulled together…our feelings may have been bottled up so hard that it wouldn’t matter.” He adds and he pays as they finish up and he takes her hand and walks with her to the car.

“The here and now….you know I have thought of you for a while more than just a friend. You have been everything to me and that is what scared me about acting on my feelings of being attracted to you. I never felt I was good enough. Hell…not sure I feel I am now except since this morning….I am not sure I care if my future turns out like you say. I lose you as a friend and hate my life.” He says after opening and shutting her door and coming around to the other side to drive.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She could not explain why she felt tension... it was hard to be around someone you were in love with hell at any age.. and not be able to tell them cause the past had you holding back.. the past and the hurt.

''I am here now I guess that's really all that matters, but somehow some way we have to figure out what we were keeping from one another...'' Then again she knew but she wasn't ready to admit that to him just yet. ''You really think in any reality we would be able to ever really stay away from one another, we have been through everything together...'' She said softly as he took her hand and led her back out to his car.

She wondered then why he never said anything more so the same reason she herself never said anything just as well.

She blushed when he told her she meant everything to him... if only he knew how much he truly meant to her... she wanted to cry but couldn't he would clearly know then.

''You not good enough?'' She asked shocked.

''You don't hate your life Tommy... but your wrong you were always good enough always.'' She said softly.

She took a deep breath before he got into the car.

She looked over at him and it started to rain...

''Damn rain... it doesn't stop for almost 2 weeks.''

 

[RLA68]

“If I am not painting and we are not close friends…I hate my life. I think you mention I am single…yea I will put twenty bucks on the mood of that guy. I might be able to guess 5 years or 15 years what his attitude might be.” He replied and smiled.

He drove and smirked as she said it would rain for 2 weeks.
“Careful of the time continuum girl.” He said smiling. “Unless you have the lottery numbers that is.”

He drove to his parent’s house as they were out for the evening. He grabbed the books they checked out and an umbrella in the back seat. He came around and made sure Maria was under his umbrella into the house.
“We are technically on the date still but if you want to look at any of the time travel books…I can change to best friend hat.” He states and smiles.

 

[AngelofyourNighmares]

Maria

She laughed slightly at his comment.. ''I never said we weren't friends just not close friends... and you may be single but you get plenty of action.'' She cringed at the thought of that but he did not seem to notice.

She looked over at him... ''Just saying... you might want to get a moat.'' She giggles as he mentioned lotto numbers.. ''Nope wish I would have thought of that though.'' She said with a grin.

She got out of the car as he held the umbrella over her head realizing how close they were to one another, her heart was pounding she realized as they walked up to the door of his parents house. ''Just so you know in the future you and your parents are still really close...'' She said with a smile as he fumbled with the lock.. ''Hand me something.'' She said laughing at him.

 

[RLA68]

He smiled handing her the books and unlocked the doors. He opened the door for her and went in after.
“Anything to drink?” He asked.

“I don’t have much downstairs in my frig. I figured I wasn’t going to have much company and going back to school soon.” He added as he headed down to his basement with a couch, recliner, TV and refrigerator. His father’s future mancave. His bedroom off to the side with a bathroom and laundry room.

“So tell me how happy my dad becomes with all of this becoming his mancave.” He says sarcastically and laughs.