Daydreams of Yesteryear

A Short Story by Kyle Casey

ACT I.

Davey Greene was in over his head.

And not figuratively either, he was drowning. The current was rough, and he couldn’t do
more than grasp one breath of air at a time before it pulled him under again.

Try as he might to swim against it, he just got pulled down further.

The night sky was pitch-black above him, and the ocean was rough and choppy. He
looked up, there was a dock in sight. Davey was able to make out a lone figure standing on the
dock.

A dark-haired woman, she was unmistakably beautiful Davey thought, even in this hairy
predicament. He was suddenly swept with an intense sense of déjà vu. She saw him flailing there
helplessly.

“Elle!” Davey cried out when he bobbed above the water. How did he know her name?

“Elleee!” he screamed. She didn’t move. She smiled at him momentarily; it was both
enchanting and bewitching to him at the same time.

But then she turned away, uninterested.

*****

I could make Walter Mitty look like a realist, Davey thought to himself, snapping out of
his daydream whilst walking home from school through a quiet suburban neighborhood. At age
18 there are moments in his life when those around him can’t believe how mature he is for his
age. But then there are those moments of lapsed judgment which seem to have a funny way of
plaguing him.

With piercing blue eyes and thick black hair, Davey possesses exceptional boyish good
looks; he painstakingly exerts a devil-may-care attitude outwardly to the world, which, along
with his fleeting moments of vulnerability, contribute deeply to his charm. He has a reputation
around town of being a bit of a heartless womanizer, but if you asked him, Davey would tell you
he’s just a boy looking for a little love in this lonely world.

Walking home this evening, he holds his head lower with each begrudging step. His mind
is consumed with the inevitable moment of confession, when he must once again inform his
mother of her son’s moral and personal failures.

I’m all she has in this world, Davey thought. Ever since his father died in a car crash
when he was eight years old, at least. His father worked hard his whole life, and had enjoyed
success trading stocks. Enough success for Davey and his mother to live comfortably in a well-
to-do neighborhood years after his death.

It wasn‘t any form of punishment which Davey was so dreading that evening. It was the
look of disappointment on his mother’s face. That feeling of bringing pain to your loved ones, all
the while knowing there’s nothing you can do to make it right.

Mrs. Greene can‘t help but to feel disappointed by each and every mistake her son makes;
she saw so much potential in him. The very potential which everyone around him sees save for
Davey himself. Davey knew through his mother’s constant insistence that he had the ability to do
whatever he wanted in life: he was devilishly handsome, prodigically intelligent, well-spoken,
and quite funny as well. But here he was, an underachieving slacker in desperate need of either
motivation or a sense of direction.

There were no excuses. Not now, not years ago. After all, how many times can you fuck
up and expect to get away with it? Are my problems all of my own doing? Am I somehow under-
equipped to make it in this world? Am I simply not meant to be happy?

Self-pity won‘t get me anywhere, Davey admitted painstakingly to himself. You can only
indulge in self-defeat for so long before it defeats the purpose.

A car honking its horn snaps Davey back to reality. The task at hand draws nearer.

As he walks down the same street he had so many times before, he draws a deep breath.
Aaahhh. He begins to rethink the events which transpired today. Never been one to avoid trouble,
Davey knew he should have been laying low around school. So what had possessed him at the
time to think that banging the assistant principal was a good idea? She’s well over 50 and not
even particularly attractive. I just can’t resist a woman of power Davey supposed. Shit, I cant
resister a powerless woman either.

“I’ve been a very naughty girl,” Mrs. Vail had said as she shut the door to her office and
shoved Davey onto her desk. She handed him a ruler. “Now its finally your turn to discipline
me.”

Yeah that’s probably what did it, Davey thought in retrospect, momentarily slipping his
mouth into a slight grin. I’ve never been one for self-control, and that probably has something to
do with why I’m in this position today.

He would have gotten away with it too, if Principal Lopez wasn’t giving a group of 1st
graders a tour of the high school that very day, stopping into the assistant principal’s office to
witness… well, not his proudest moment.

Was he about to be expelled from his high school for that? How many people in the
world get away with much worse… he never meant to hurt anyone. Except maybe Mrs. Vail
when he smacked her ass with the ruler, but hey, she’s always been an insensitive bitch anyway.

Oh, but I digress, Davey thought. I’m almost home.

Three doors away from his house and still stressing over the impending conversation,
Davey mumbles to himself out loud. “Man, could I go for a good old-fashioned blow job. . .”

“--Jeeze Davey, now you’re just making a girl wet.”

Startled, Davey looks over his shoulder. A tall, skinny blonde is standing behind him. Its
Mary Jo, infamous as the town slut... well, one of them at least. You know, she’s actually kind of
sexy, in that white-trash crack whore kinda way, Davey thought to himself.

“Heard you had a rough day at school,” Mary Jo said. “Figured I‘d do what I could to
cheer you up. You know, Davey Greene, you could do much better than some wrinkled up old
cooch if you just applied yourself a little bit,” she whispered provocatively. “I understand you
got cock-blocked by a bunch of first-graders? How unfortunate. Allow me to remove the blue
from those balls of yours?”

“Damn, MJ, wish I could, but now’s really not a good time for me,” Davey tried to
explain. “Can I take a rain check on that?”

“Spare me the small talk,” Mary Jo whispered as she led Davey behind a small piece of
shrubbery on a stranger’s lawn, and began to un-zip his pants.

“Ah, AHH. I really should be going,” Davey offered in one frail last ditch attempt at
escape.

Resistance, however, was futile…

“Fuck it. Mary Jo, you are good at what you do!” Davey exclaimed in defeat. “At the risk
of sounding cliché, how could something so wrong feel so right?”

Looking down at the top of Mary Jo’s head, Davey began to feel uneasy about the whole
situation. I‘ve had enough excitement for one day without getting blown in broad daylight, he
thought.

“You know, I‘d hate to ask you to dine and dash, but there’s some truly urgent business I
must attend to--”

Weeeeooohhhh. Weeeeooooohh.

Blue and red lights flash off the shingles of the house behind Davey and Mary Jo. At least
8 squadron cars pull op on the scene.
 “Put your hands where I can see them perve!” Officer Manning exclaimed through a
megaphone.

“And get off your knees, whore,” Officer McGruff added.

The police officers chuckled amongst themselves. The neighbors began to congregate in
the street to see what the commotion was about. Davey could only manage to pull his pants
halfway up by the time he was thrown against the cop car and handcuffed. Today has really not
been my day, he thought…

“Let me through! That’s my son,” Davey’s mother yelled from the street where she was
being restrained by the police officers. "Davey! DAVEY!”

There was nothing Davey could do but look to the gray sky above him.

“Fuck.”

*****

“Alright, get off your lazy ass, you good for nothin’ sonnabitch,” Officer McGruff said as
he awoke Davey from his jail cell slumber the following morning courtesy of a swift smack to
the back of the head.

“Criminal mischief, public indecency, public nudity, open lewdness, we have got you
good this time, scumbag,” he said.

"What? You can’t be serious,” Davey said indignantly. “Don’t you think that’s all a tad
excessive?”

“The motherfucking law is the motherfucking law, bitch.”

Davey couldn’t help but to smirk at this incredibly unjust new development. Tell me I’m
dreaming, he thought. This is a nightmare and I need to wake up.

“Alright, your free to go-- for now,” Officer McGruff growled. “Your mom’s waiting for
you outside.”

Davey slumped into the passenger seat of his mother‘s car. At first there was silence;
followed by more silence.

Eh, maybe this won’t be so bad after all, Davey thought.

“I’m not mad at you Davey, I’m just disappointed,” Mrs. Greene said finally, while
suppressing herself from choking up.

Words he’s heard all too often before.

“Mom, I’m sorr----”

 “There’s only so many times you can apologize Davey,” his mom says. “Eventually
there’s going to be a time when it won‘t mean anything.”

Davey stared blankly out the window at the trees passing through his vision. She’s right,
you know, he thought.

“I want to know why,” she sobs, breaking down. “Where did I go wrong? What did I do
to deserve this?”

“Look, Ma,” Davey said. “I mean, come on. Its not your fault I’m the way I am. There’s
no rhyme or reason for the things I do. I wish I were a better kid. I’m sorry I let you down…
again. It may not look like it, but I’m trying, Mom. I really am.”

“You are a good kid, Davey Boy,” she said. “You just don’t fully understand the
consequences of your actions. Your hurting the people who care about you.”

Davey sighed. I could really use a drink right about now, he thought.

*****

In the distance a radiant sun is setting below the horizon. It’s no longer light out, but the
stars are shining, and the dark blue sky almost seems to be glowing.

A dark silhouette sits alone, feet hanging from a steep rock jutting over a calm flowing
stream.

Davey sighed to himself. He tilted his head back, looking out into the vibrant night sky.
His eyes are wide, but his stare is empty as he detachedly watches the twinkling of the stars; he
takes a long swig from a bottle of vodka.

Where do I go from here?

Depressing shit, Davey thought. He tilted his head back and swallowed the bottle’s
remaining contents. Starting to feel sick to his stomach, he rested his head down and closed his
eyes.

*****

The head cheerleader of the Thomasville Toads’ football team, Jamee Jones, was walking
home from a party that night. Alone, she has never had any trouble finding male company
before, but she left the party in a hurry after walking in on her boyfriend going down on Mary Jo
in the bathroom.

Jamee was left feeling more insecure than either sad or angry concerning the incident.
Was her beauty fading already, she wondered? Had she driven her boyfriend to this by gaining a
few extra pounds?

She looked to the sky above her: an intense hue of dark blue seemed to be radiating
throughout the atmosphere. It was quite pretty, actually.

It was still early yet, and Jamee found the cool breeze in the air refreshing. She wasn’t in
any hurry, and decided to take the scenic route home, by the stream.

It was quiet out, and Jamee listened to the natural soundtrack provided by the birds and
crickets. Suddenly she stood still, sniffing the air around her.

“Smells like weed… good shit too.”

Jamee followed the scent to the rock where Davey had passed out. He had since
awakened and sparked up a joint, still wallowing over his own self-destructive behavior.

Jamee had always found Davey to be sexy; however she had an image to protect around
school of only banging star football players…occasionally basketball players. Tonight was
different though, she desperately needed to reaffirm her self-worth the only way she knew how.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Thomasville’s resident bad boy, Davey Greene,” Jamee whispered
in a sultry voice.

Davey turned around, peering through his blurred and drunken vision. Am I
hallucinating, or is that Jamee Jones? If I was on the football team, I would totally nail her,
Davey thought approvingly.

“I’ve been a naughty old lady, Davey Boy, I’m afraid your going to have to punish me,”
Jamee said mockingly.

“Ha. Cut a guy some slack, its been a long day,” Davey replied. “Word spreads fast in this
town though, doesn’t it?”

“It does when it involves narcissist playboys who get caught fucking vice principals by a
bunch of kindergarteners,” she said coolly.

“Were saying I‘m narcissistic now, are we?” Davey said as he flicked his roach into the
stream. “Besides they were first graders.”

She slinked over to him and slipped her hand down his pants. Caught off guard, Davey
laughed. A sudden rush of blood to the dick. Oh boy, he thought. Here we go again.

“Do you have a condom on you?” Davey asked eventually as things began to progress.
“I’m fresh out.”

“Hate them,” Jamee said. “I enjoy the feel of an untethered cock inside of me.”

Davey pondered over whether he should feel disgusted or extremely turned on by that
statement.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’m on the pill, so your not gonna be a baby daddy anytime
soon.”
 “Hm. Well, pardon my forwardness Jam, but I recall hearing a rumor around school that
you banged the entire varsity and JV football rosters?..”

“What are trying to say?” Jamee snapped back. “You really are a fucking asshole, you
know that, Davey Greene. First of all, my vagina is a hell of a lot cleaner than your dick after
you stuck it in that ancient whore, heaven knows where she's been. Second of all, Jamee Jones
does not touch Junior Varsity penis.”

Davey paused to think the situation over. Thinking proved not to be a good idea. His head
was pounding way too hard to do any of that. He looked down. Jamee Jones was blessed with
one amazing rack.

“What the fuck are you waiting for,” she said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,
dip-shit.”

Davey looked to the sky. The stars were shining brighter than ever before, he thought.

“Well what’s it gonna be,” Jamee demanded impatiently.

“Fuck it.”

Davey closed his eyes, and as he had so many times before, allowed life to happen to him
while simply hoping for the best. What he didn’t realize was that soon things would be changing;
his eyes would be opened, and he’d have a hard time closing them.

*****
ACT II.

I come from a land down under

Where beer does flow and men chunder

Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?

You better run, you better take cover

The chorus from “Land Down Under” rang throughout the dry Australian desert. The hot
sun rays beat down upon Davey‘s head. Accompanied by his two closest childhood friends --
Jack and Blaise -- two kangaroos, and a rowdy band of koala bears, the unlikely group of friends
trudged onward through the sand.

Reading the map in his hand, Jack appeared to be flabbergasted. “Uh guys, I don’t know
where the fuck we are,” he confessed.

“There’s been nothing but sand for miles,” Blaise complained. “We’re out of beer, those
‘shrooms we took are really kicking in, and that damn Men at Work song is starting to get old
fast.”

“Koala bears?” Davey asked hopefully.

“We got nothing,” the koala bears replied.

“Wait, what’s that up ahead?” Jack shouted excitedly.

They looked up. There appeared to be some palm trees in the distance. The group rushed
onward. Beneath the palm trees lie a group of bikini-clad women surrounding a pond.

“Titties!” exclaimed the koala bears as they high-fived the kangaroos.

A black-haired girl approached Davey and handed him an ice cold beer. “Hi handsome,
she said. “I’ve missed you.” Davey had sand in his eyes and couldn’t see very well, but her voice
sounded hauntingly familiar.

Just then, the whole oasis started to shimmer and fade away. It was all one great big
mirage…

*****

“Davey? Snap out of it bro,” Blaise said, shaking Davey back into consciousness.

Davey was lying in a hospital bed; Blaise and Jack were at his side. Two days had gone
by since that fateful night he shared with Jamee beneath the bright night sky.
 “That hot nurse said the doctor would be here soon,” Jack told him.

Davey took a deep breath, and recalled what had happened shortly after he slept with
Jamee. It was all hazy, but he remembered walking down the middle of the street, still feeling
exhilarated from that steamy sex session on the rock. The last thing he could remember was
seeing two headlights swerve out of nowhere, and then quickly bear down upon him.

He would later find out that the driver of the car, in a truly ironic turn of events, was none
other than Jamee Jones’ boyfriend, Brad Worthington. Driving home drunk from the party, Brad
was getting road head from Mary Jo and lost control of the car just as he was going through his
vinegar strokes, hitting Davey.

“Bro, your mom’s lawyer says your gonna make a killing in this law suit,” Blaise said.
“Worthington was drinking and getting dome? Turns out that’s like double the liability or
something.”

“Getting hit by that car was pretty much the best thing you ever did,” added Jake.

“Good afternoon gentleman,” a solemn-toned doctor said as he entered the room. “Mr.
Greene, I have received the results from your tests. Remarkably, there were no major injuries. In
time, we’re expecting you to make a full recovery.”

“Sweet!” Blaise exclaimed. “Dude, you had me worried for a minute. You’ve been
unconscious for like two days.”

Davey couldn’t remember much of what happened next. He was still feeling hazy from
the antisthetics. But he could remember the way he felt when he closed his eyes in bed that night.
He wasn’t scared, he wasn’t worried, but instead he felt an interesting sensation of complacency
which he hadn’t experienced in quite some time.

*****

When Davey was well enough to leave the hospital, he left with a whole new outlook on
life. All of his problems, all the petty bullshit that had gotten him down in the past, were put into
perspective. After the near-death experience, and receiving an extremely large settlement check
from Brad Worthington’s father, who was a senator, Davey was going to live it up.

Davey had a vision. He was going to Australia. All his life he had grandeur dreams for
himself, he just never took any steps to reach them. He had always wanted to travel to Australia,
something about the mystique and laid-back attitude of the land down under was particularly
appealing to him. It just seemed like the type of far off place where dreams went to come true.

Mrs. Greene had begrudgingly agreed to allow Davey to use his new funds for the trip.
He told her going to Australia was his dream, and she didn't have the heart to deprive him of
such things. He had, afterall, been through a lot lately. Jack and Blaise cleared their schedules;
they would be there by his side.

Before long his bags were packed and he was ready to go. Mrs. Greene drove the trio to
the airport; Davey gave her a long hug, brushed away some unsuspected tears, and bid her ado.
The plane took off, and after snorting some Valium in the bathroom, the sixteen hour flight went
by fairly quickly for Davey. The sun was going down in Australia.

*****

"Yeah buddy!" Jack said, stepping off the plane and surveying his surroundings. "This is
gonna be the shit."

"Hell yeah motha fuckaa," Davey responded before letting out a deep sigh. "Nothing left
for me to do in life now besides sit on the beach and get piss drunk with my two best friends in
the whole wide world."

"And fuck bitches," Blaise added with a fist pound. They laughed it up and started
walking down the street.

After arriving at the hotel they were set to stay at, the three friends decided to hit the
beachside bar, Hotel La Ronda, for some quality bro time.

After walking into the establishment, it became immediately clear there was no shortage
of beautiful women in Sydney, Australia. Sitting at a table over glasses of whiskey, Blaise raised
a cheer to Davey.

“Wouldn’t be here without you man,” Blaise said.

“I’m just glad you two could be here with me,” Davey replied. “True, I almost got killed,
but that accident opened up a lot of doors for me. No worries, no responsibilities, I can literally
do whatever I want now.”

The trio raised their glasses to the air as Jack made a toast referencing how bad life would
have been had Davey been killed in the accident. However, before things could get too
sentimental, a waitress approached the table.

“Gentleman, three shots of Patron, courtesy of your lovely new friends at the table to
your left,” the waitress said, placing three shot glasses on the table.

Davey looked over to the table in question. Lovely was an understatement, he thought.
These girls are hot as shit.

“These Australian lassies sure are friendly,” Jake said.

“Here we go,” Blaise said as they lined the rims of their glasses with salt, downed the
patron, bit on some limes, and made their way over to the table of girls.

“Good evening ladies,” Davey said. “My name’s Davey, these here are my two associates
Jack and Blaise. May I ask to whom do we owe this pleasure?”

“I told you they were American boys,” a tan girl who appeared to have some Middle
Eastern background in her giggled. “I’m Anessa, and these are my two mates Sheila and Barbie.
What brings you Yanks down under, are you here for business or pleasure?”

“Pleasure,” the three boys said in unison.

The girls laughed. “Well in that case allow us to welcome you to Australia,” Anessa said,
beckoning Davey to have a seat next to her.

“I like it here already,” Davey told her with a wink at his buddies and another shot of
Patron down the hatch.

*****

Daylight glaring through the curtains caused Davey to wake. It felt like he was coming
back from the dead; his head was pounding, his back was aching… what the fuck happened last
night?

He surveyed the room. Clothing and empty beer bottles were scattered everywhere like
debris from a ship wreck. He looked down; he was wearing a pair of boxers he had never seen
before.

Rubbing his eyes, he rose to his feet and polished off a half-empty bottle of Corona
resting on a table. He reached down into these strange briefs and felt something. A half-eaten
cheese curl. Shrugging, Davey tossed the cheese curl into his mouth and walked down the
hallway.

Peering into the next room, Jack and Blaise were passed out on a king-sized mattress
surrounded by four naked girls. Classic.

Where’s the bathroom in this place, he thought. I got to piss like a race horse.

He stumbled down the hallway until he found it. My neck’s sore, he thought. Looking
into the mirror, he realized why; it was covered with hickies. “Ouch.”

As Davey relieved himself he let out a soothing sigh.

“Morning, glory,” Anessa said, approaching the bathroom.

“Holy shit!” Davey said, veering his stream onto a rack of magazines next to the toilet.
“You just scared the hell out of me, woman.”

“Didn’t mean to startle you, I just wanted to catch a better glimpse at the gorgeous piece
of equipment you got there,” Anessa said.

“Stop it, your making me blush” Davey said in a jokingly pretentious tone. He flushed
the toilet and pulled his boxers back up.

“Lets see what it can do up close and personal,” Anessa said, walking up to Davey and
grabbing his crotch.
 “Um, not sure he’s up to it,” Davey said. He spotted a fat J on the table and lit it up,
taking a seat on the couch. “Just a tad too sore from last night I think.”

“Aw that’s no fun,” Anessa said. “What’s a horny girl to do?”

Davey inhaled a deep hit and passed the joint to her. “Why don’t you just sit back and let
me take care of this,” he said crawling up towards Anessa on the couch. “You know, I am quite
the cunning-linguist.”

Anessa laughed and titled her head back. “Clever.”

They were soon interrupted by the sound of girls shrieking in the other room.

“Ew, fucking gross!” one of the girls said, scrambling into the living room.

“I cant believe you fucking pissed all over me!” another one yelled. “You three need to
get the fuck out now.”

Jack and Blaise shuffled out of the room. Blaise wore a sheepish grin on his face.

“Your fucking sick bro, you got problems.” Jack said angrily.

“What, like you never pissed the bed before?” Blaise retorted. “Happens to the best of us
every now and then.”

“Davey lets go I’m dripping wet,” Jack said.

“That’s what she said,” Davey said, nodding towards Anessa.

“No fair!” Anessa exclaimed in defeat. “Just when things were getting good.”

“Sorry babe, maybe next time,” Davey told her with a kiss on the cheek. They were
ushered out the door by the four pissed-off/on girls. He just managed to pick a t-shirt up off the
floor on the way out.

“Haha, what a fucking night,” Davey said as the trio laughed and stumbled triumphantly
out the door onto the street. “Australia does not know what its in for.“ He looked sympathetically
at his two friends and motioned down the road. “Come on, I know what you guys need.”

They made their way over to the beach. “I am never getting into a bed with you again,”
Jack said towards Blaise. “Ever.”

“Funny,” Blaise replied. “Your sister once told me the exact same thing, but it didn’t quite
work out so well for her,” he quipped before getting a running start into the ocean.

“You dick, I told you to never speak of that again. Your fucking dead,” Jack said chasing
after him.

Davey laughed as he tore his shirt off and followed them into the water, diving into a
crashing wave. I could go on like this forever, he thought. But alas, that wasn’t to be the case.

*****

And so things went for a week or so. The three friends lived the good life in paradise.
They went fishing and drank beer during the day, at night they hit the town. They lounged on the
beach, went jet skiing and sailing. Drinking, smoking, surfing, snorting, just generally floating
their way through life. They enjoyed themselves that week.

Davey thought he was satisfied; he was living the dream after all. But of course that was
all about to change.

The girl responsible was named Elle Buchanon.

Davey was at a bonfire on the beach getting blacked out with Jack and Blaise one night,
running game on the usual girls who hung around the group.

Drinking bourbon on the rocks, he was mid-argument with his friends over the logistics
of how to best pick up strippers when he first saw her, sitting across the flames. Later, looking
back at this moment, he would try and regret what happened; only he would find himself unable
to do so. She was sitting with a group of friends who were attractive enough, but in Davey’s
mind she out-shone them all.

Wearing a loose-fitting yellow sundress, Davey couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had tan
skin, which contrasted beautifully with her thick, long black hair, flowing effortlessly from her
head. Her dark blue eyes sat behind a pair of long thin lashes, and she wore dark red lipstick on
her mouth, curving upwards ever so adorably whenever she laughed- which appeared to be often.

Despite these qualities, she wasn’t traditionally attractive in the model/actress sense of
the word. But whatever flaws she may have had only magnified her perfection to Davey; he liked
to imagine that no one else in the world noticed her, at least not in the profound way which he
had.

He could have sworn that he caught her glancing in his direction on more than one
occasion, but it was probably just the flames playing tricks on his eyes…

“….When a hot stripper approaches you it’s a bittersweet moment- like when a girl asks
you to put on a condom: on one hand you know your getting’ some, but on the other you know
you’ll be wearing a condom. Well, the trick with strippers is you don’t want to give her too much
money or attention, because then she starts to see you as more of a business customer and less of
a one-way ticket to pound town. Know what I’m saying bro? Bro, bro. Earth to Davey,” Jack
said, snapping Davey back to reality.

“Oh. Yes, yes of course,” Davey said detachedly.

He finished his drink, and laid back in the sand. He was genuinely afraid that he might
not see this girl ever again- the thought was jarring, but he hadn’t yet mustered the liquid courage
necessary to approach her.
 It was that eloquent time when day has not yet given way to night. The ocean waves were
calm and the sun was setting across the horizon, illuminating the night with golden and orange
rays. A crisp breeze was present in the evening air.

“I’ll be back,” Davey said. He needed to clear his mind. Grabbing a fresh beer from the
ice bucket in the middle of the group, he walked a little ways down the beach along where the
water meets the sand.

Out in the ocean a pack of dolphins were jumping in and out of the water. In the
background of the party behind him, the year’s summer anthems were blaring from somebody’s
speakers. Davey sat down, content watching the dolphins and listening to the music playing in
the background.

“Its quite pretty isn’t it?”

She had come over from the fire and sat down in the sand. Davey wasn’t sure whether or
not he should believe his eyes, but she was right there, next to him.

Ignoring his dumb-foundedness: “I see someone’s feeling a little anti-social tonight,” she
said teasingly.

Davey smiled at her. Good heavens, she was lovely.

“Hey, I enjoy bonfires and parties on the beach as much as the next guy,” he said. “But
sometimes I just feel like letting it all sink in a bit.”

“Well life’s certainly too beautiful not to,” she told him. “I’m Elle by the way, Elle
Buchannon.”

“Davey Greene,” he said, extending for a handshake. He forced himself to stop smiling
like an idiot, but it still showed in his eyes. “The pleasure’s all yours, I’m sure.”

Elle laughed, and Davey’s life as he knew it ceased to exist. They sat there in the sand
beneath the sinking orange sun, still glowing. They watched the dolphins swimming and they
talked about life. Davey told her about the car accident, the school fiasco, and the time Blaise
had wet the bed a week prior, which already was beginning to feel like an eternity ago. Elle
recalled embarrassing herself a few days earlier for getting blackout drunk and putting on a strip
show for everyone at an office party. She didn’t care about that job though, what she really
wanted to do was write screenplays. She promised Davey she’d write him into her next one.

They discovered that they both loved Titanic- and Elle was sincerely touched upon
learning that the last scene (when Rose walks down the stairs to find Jack and everyone else
there) still makes Davey’s eyes a little watery- and that they both hated Will Ferrell movies more
than the devil himself. They gazed into each others’ eyes, laughed and sang along when “Mr.
Jones” played on the speakers.

Elle procured a bottle of wine and some weed from her purse, and they quickly lost all
sense of everything happening in what had now become the outside world.
 “I have never seen a girl as beautiful as you, in my whole life,” he told her. They both
knew it sounded cliché, but he meant it, and she believed him.

She leaned in and kissed him, and all his wildest dreams came true. He swore he saw
mermaids in the water and fireworks exploding in the sky. The sun had long-since finished going
down by then, and Davey was convinced the stars in the night sky were shining even brighter
than ever before.

*****

Davey woke the next morning in Elle’s bed. He reflected upon the perfection of last
night. The sun seemed brighter- the air, cleaner.

Elle was rushing to get dressed, she was late to work. She noticed Davey was stirring.

“Darling, I’m running late for a presentation,” she said to him. “My apologies, but I
really must go…I‘ll call you later”

“Sounds lovely,” Davey said, still wiping the sleep from his eyes.

Elle hesitated for a second, but then she kissed him on the lips before hurrying out the
door. “Feel free to let yourself out.”

Davey lie in bed a moment, soaking it all in. He was convinced that he loved her; he had
never been so sure of anything his whole life.

He got dressed, walked out, and skipped down the street. He laughed with strangers and
couldn’t stop smiling. It was a sunny day, with a cool breeze in the air. He picked up a coffee and
a pack of cigarettes at a corner store and waltzed by himself in the middle of the plaza.

He walked out to the beach and sat down facing the ocean, drinking his coffee and
smoking a cigarette. He lost track of time, and before too long, him and Elle were racing through
his imagination atop of a roaring rollercoaster.

They screamed and laughed and held on for dear life. Exhilarated, Davey looked over at
Elle as the ride slowed to a finish. Elle leaned over, and gave him a kiss on the cheek before
running down the stairs. He chased after her then caught her in his arms. They laughed and
shared funnel cake and held hands. They sat on the Ferris Wheel as it ascended higher and
higher. Just when it reached its peak, their seat broke off from the ride and it slowly climbed into
the night sky. Floating through the air, they had a bird’s eye view of the mountain-scape below…

“There you are bro,” Jack said having a seat next to Davey, who in physical form was
still sitting on the beach.

“We were wondering where the fuck you’ve been,” Blaise said with a grin whilst handing
Davey a cold beer. “I was beginning to think you were kidnapped and sold as a sex slave.”

“That does sound kind of exciting,” Davey said laughing. “But unfortunately, nothing
that cool ever happens to me.”

“Seriously though, you cheeky bastard,” Jack said. “Please tell me you sealed the deal
with that cute little Aussie you spent the whole night chatting up.”

Davey took a long sip from his beer and laid back in the sand. “You guys are gonna give
me hell for this, but I think I’m in love.”

Jack and Blaise both laughed out loud. “As if that means jack shit coming from you,”
Blaise said. “Your in love with every half-decent girl walking down the street.”

“True. I have been, at times, enamored with the entire female population,” Davey said.
“But this is different, its fate. Me and her, same time, same place. Its meant to be. Nothing you
two simpletons would be able to comprehend of course.”

“I think he’s still drunk,” Jack said.

“Off of love,” Davey said. “Can we please get some breakfast now? I’m absolutely
famished.”

*****

That day passed. Then the next. The third night, and Elle had still never called as she
promised. Undeterred, Davey rationalized that she must have lost his number, and decided to
stop by her house.

When Elle answered the door, it was not the welcoming Davey had expected. Her
expression was concerned, and her voice hushed.

“Davey,” she said. “You can’t be here.”

Davey really did not know what to make of this. “Why not?”

“Listen,” Elle said. “There’s something I never told you. I’m getting married next week.”

Davey could barely muster a sentence. “You.. you’re.. engaged..?”

“What we had was special Davey, and nothing will ever change that. I was nervous about
being married… like my life was somehow going to be over. I needed to do something new and
exciting one last time. For what its worth, I’m glad that was you.”

Whatever she said after that, Davey didn’t hear her. Shocked, he stumbled away from
Elle’s doorstep.

*****

Some hours later, Davey was sitting at the bar, drowning his misery with alcohol. His
pitiful state caught the attention of an attractive older woman who sat next to him, trying to
console him. He spun his tale of sadness, and she ate it up. Within minutes they were making out.

Someone grabbed Davey’s shoulder, he shrugged the hand off. The person grabbed
harder and whisked Davey around.

“What the fuck do you think yer doin?!” the man bellowed. “That’s my wife!”

“Sounds like a personal problem,” Davey replied, and picked up where he left off.

The husband did not take this well, and punched Davey in the back of the head. Heavily
intoxicated and wanting to take his frustrations out on someone, Davey grabbed a beer bottle and
smashed it over the man’s head. Before he could do anything else, one of the man’s friends
dropped Davey with a left hook. Another one began kicking him while he was on the ground.
The bartender managed to peel everyone off Davey before throwing him out onto the street and
telling him never to return.

Bruised, bloodied, and disillusioned, Davey stumbled down the street. It began raining
heavily. Davey wondered into a liquor store and emerged with a bottle of Jack Daniels, which he
drank from liberally.

His memory began getting hazy at this point, and he soon found himself sitting at the
edge of a dock jutting into the choppy ocean.

The rain was coming down even harder than before, and it loosened Davey’s grip on the
Jack. The bottle slipped through his fingers, and as he leaned down to catch it, he tumbled off the
pier and into the ocean.

The water was rough that night, and it continued to pull Davey’s head under every time
he got to the surface. Looking up at the edge of the pier, he thought he saw someone he
recognized.

“Elle!” he called. “ELLE!” But the person on the dock just smiled coyly, until darkness
slowly engulfed her. Try as he might to hold onto the image, her smile was gone and Davey
could never get it back.

Nobody heard his screaming, and the current pulled Davey deeper underwater... Only a
hollow bottle of Jack Daniels rose to the surface.

Guess the stars weren’t shining that night.

*****

ACT III.

The sun beating down upon his uncovered face and the sound of birds chirping awakened
Davey the next morning. Where the hell am I, he thought. He felt something wet all over him. It
was his own throw up. Surveying his surroundings, and noticing the empty bottle of Jack Daniels
at his side, Davey realized he had passed out in an alley way less than a block away from the
liquor store.

He thought of the dream he had the night before, recalled getting the shit beat out of him
in the bar, and lastly remembered what had happened with Elle.

Davey rose to his feet, wiped the blood from below his nose, and started walking home.
He crawled into his bed, pulled the covers up tight, and tried to make some sense of the events
which had transpired over the past few weeks…

He had been played for the consummate fool. Blinded by the daydreams of yesteryear, he
had wasted precious time chasing the biggest illusion of them all. Oh well, he thought
dismissively. Can’t really blame a guy for wanting more than he could ever have.

POST-SCRIPT.

Today was the day Elle Buchannon had been dreaming of since she was a little girl. And
it had panned out marvelously. She nervously paced up and down in a room with her
bridesmaids, sneaking peaks out the window at the packed crowd sitting outside on this gorgeous
day in this beautiful setting cast at the edge of the water, all waiting for her to make her way
down the aisle.

Still, she couldn’t help but think of that night she shared with that American boy Davey a
week prior. Strangely enough, she felt no guilt or remorse for her infidelity, but wondered what
had become of him, he seemed pretty broken up that day on her doorstep…

“Elle, its time to go,” one of her bridesmaids said excitedly.

With her father at her side, Elle marched down the aisle, beaming. All eyes on her, this is
the way things aught to be all the time. Her fiancé was waiting for her and she smiled when their
eyes met.

… “Speak now, or forever hold your peace,” the priest uttered.

Time seemed to stand still for a second, Elle looked to the crowd nervously. There’s no
way… she thought.

And, she was right. No sign of the American boy, and the crowd remained quiet. Puzzled,
Elle wasn’t sure if she should feel relieved or disappointed.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest continued, as is routine. “You may
now kiss the bride.

Elle’s fiancé leaned in for the kiss, but was met with thin air. Elle’s attention was
elsewhere, as was everyone else’s in attendance. For, a giant sail boat had just pulled up to the
coast.

Manned by Davey, Jack, Blaise, two kangaroos, and a band of unruly koala bears, the
boat sailed up towards land.

Elle’s fiancé looked on it disbelief. “What the bloody hell is all this shenanigans about?!”
he inquired.

“Elle!” Davey called out. “Come with us.”

“But….” Elle said, words escaping her. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know!” Davey exclaimed. “Somewhere exotic. Fiji? I hear the scuba diving there
is phenomenal.”

Elle did not know what to make of this all. Was this really happening? The stars weren’t
merely crossed; they were tied up in knots. Surely this was a mistake. She looked over at her
hapless fiancé, then at the apprehensive crowd in attendance, then at her father, who nodded
knowingly.

She rushed out towards the boat. There was no turning back now. The koala bears swung
a rope through the air and she leaped up and caught on to it. The crowd went wild as she swung
safely back on to the boat.

Davey met Elle in an embrace, and they sailed out into the sunset.

THE END