I met him here. A quarter till three, at the edge of the fountain in the square. He looked ready to jump. I stared at him, waiting for him to make his move, to just fall face first into the fountain.
He turned around, with the unwillingness to do so, and saw me standing right behind. I had moved from my spot on the bench nearby so I could be there to pick him up from the water if he so chose to fall. He stared at me and I at him. He fell back seemingly satisfied with whatever had happened.
I quickly picked him up from the fountain water, tears clouding my eyes for no reason at all. He simply stared at me and smiled, no harm was done to him. He wiped the newly formed tears from my eyes and asked me my name. I replied to him, "Jase." in a relieved tone. He laughed, "I am J." He stood up and gave me a hand with getting to my feet.
He had a contagious smile, with brown strands of hair occasionally gracing it. His hair was long and straight, going in his face from time to time and covering his eyes the times that his hair hid his face. For that moment despite the wetness of his appearance, J was handsome. Not a flaw on his face.
He was at least a foot taller than me, making it easier for him to pick me up and place me on the other side of the fountain. He stepped over after assuring my place on the ground. He pat me on the head and smiled again. He saw that I was worried for him, it was nearing the end of fall and was partly cold sending tiny shivers up my spine. I was soaked from my pelvis down. I had quickly knelt when trying to pick J up from the water, causing it to swirl and splash around. He was more freezing than me, soaked from head to toe.
He wrapped a soaked arm around my shoulder and we walked to the bench I was sitting at before the event that lead to soaked clothes. I reached to my bag, which I had forgotten on my back, for a jacket or something to maybe get him dry, only finding the hood to my cloth vest. I placed it on his head and started trying to 'towel' dry his hair. He laughed at my attempt and placed a cold hand on mine, "I can do it. Don't worry." I removed my hands and he took off the hood. He rang his hair out as I just sat next to him and stared. I watched this person who I had just met yet acted as if he were familiar with me, in all he gave off that air of familiarity. I felt more attached to this person than any other I had known. He was like a magnet, pulling me closer with just his aura.
He stood up from his seat and pulled off his jacket. He wasn't a muscular being, he was average. His shirt stuck to him and revealed that he wasn't at all packed as one might assume, again more average. He wasn't movie star material like you would see on T.V. he was your typical male, but he had a handsome face.
He rang out his jacket and put it back on, again reaching a hand out to me to help me up but I declined helping myself up from the bench. "Since I've gotten you in the predicament, I think I should walk you home. Maybe?" His eyes glistened, it seemed as if the whole universe were there in his eyes. For the whole time I have noticed this person standing in front of me, I forgot myself and those around me. It was as if he and I were the only humans in existence.
I nodded my head and we walked on. Occasionally a few words were spoken. He was only a few years older than me, making him a junior in high school while me a freshman. We talked on and off of the unfairness of the world and how cruel it can be for people who never conform to social norms. All the way to my home we talked, just about life. When the time came to say our goodbyes he asked if we could meet at the same time and place again tomorrow just so he could walk me home, I agreed and then offered for him to come in to get warm. He declined and smiled, then went on his way to wherever he was to be next.
We met like that for a few months. Come Christmas time I secretly planned a gift for him. The day of Christmas I walked to the square. I was always on holiday, I was homeschooled since the second month after summer had ended. So, I was always available to get to the square early just to wait for him. Always being eager to see him. For Christmas I was even more eager. Over the time of knowing him and continually noticing his appearance, I saw many holes in his jacket and even discolored spots. I wanted him to see the gift I brought for him and to like it. But as I approached I saw no sign of J. I sat at the bench we sat at some months ago, holding the wrapped gift I had for him. It was at least half past nine when I finally decided to go home. He had always been there rain or shine and anything else, perhaps he was at a Christmas dinner with his family. Then again I wouldn't know if he had any, we never talked about it.
I came back day after day, with no sign of him. I eventually gave up. There was no trace of J and perhaps he had only been something of imagination. Even now as I pass by the square and see he isn't there, a growing pain lingers.
For the moment he reminded me of myself. I always went to the fountain and stared into it wondering what would happen if I just fell in. I wondered if people would actually care, would they act the same way as I did with J. Perhaps he was indeed my imagination of what I wanted in life how I wanted a change in people and how I wanted someone to talk with. He was my imaginary friend who I would never see again