I couldn't help but let out a huge laugh, it was one of those times with him that I got to see the real Jasper, without all the thought that seemingly it took for him to express himself in any way. And I smiled afterwards, little by little it was like he started feeling comfortable around me. I loved that. To be perfectly honest, I felt the same.

He rolled his eyes and showed the finger to the sad bus stop sign, then started walking behind me.

Our breath created fog in the chilly night air. The silence between us was heavy, but not uncomfortable. We both knew already that there was something strange going on, and that talking about it would only make it more real.

I glanced over at him, and he returned my gaze with a small smile. His eyes were bright and clear, and for a moment, I forgot about everything else.

"Are you okay?" he asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak just yet. My mind was still reeling from the strange experience we had just had.

"I'm just... I don't know. This whole thing is just so weird," I finally managed to say. His answer was putting his hand on my shoulder and squishing it slightly, and it was all I needed.

We continued walking in silence, but I could feel his eyes on me. It was a strange feeling, but not entirely unwelcome. For some reason, being with Jasper made me feel safe.

As we approached the gas station, I could see the lights inside, and I felt a surge of relief. Finally, something that was familiar. But as we got closer, I could also hear music coming from inside. It was a strange mix of oldies and modern pop, and it only added to the surreal feeling of the night.

Jasper pushed open the door, and the music grew louder. I felt a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth as I stepped inside. It was warm and cozy, and it felt like a small refuge from the fear I had lived through.

But as we looked around, we realized that there was no one there. The store was completely empty, and the music seemed to be coming from nowhere. It brought back again the feeling of unease that had been building inside me since we had left the bus.

He immediately smiled as soon as we opened the door. “Good evening?" Jasper called out, his voice echoing through the empty store.

That split second switch between this tired confused boy and perfectly calm and collected man was shocking to me. And it would take me a little while to get used to it. As soon as we made sure no one was around, he came back to himself.

We stood there, trying to wait for someone, hoping it was just a misunderstanding. A part of me was still refusing to believe it was all a dream, seeing someone else would help ground me at least. Or maybe we could find another victim of these bizarre dream, we would know we weren't so alone after all.

“Hey! Remember this?” Jasper said with excitement, jogging to one of the shelves. I wasn't sure if he had really let go of his unease or if he was just trying to make me feel better, but it worked anyways. He grabbed a light blue bottle of something and showed it to me like a trophy. His happiness was contagious.

“What is it?” I asked, approaching him. “Oh my god!”

There I was, staring at this super rare bottle of my all-time favorite soda from when I was a kid. I remembered all those sweltering days, chilling with my minty, fresh drink. Every time I popped the lid, I felt this rush of excitement, knowing I was about to taste heaven.

But then, out of nowhere, they had discontinued it. Just like that. I can still feel my heart sinking when I realized my favorite drink was gone for good. It was like the end of an era.

“X-treeeeeem!” He mocked the commercials while pretending to ride on a snowboard.

“I used to love these so much! Do you think they taste the same?” I grabbed another bottle and opened it, the perfect pssst of the gas being released making my mouth water.

“Hey, are you sure this is a good idea?” He said, looking in all directions.

His mood constantly fluctuated, like he didn't really know how to let go. This time I tried to help him, give him a little push. After all, we were already there and everything had been so traumatizing, we deserved a little break.

“There’s no one here, relax.” I said with the brightest smile I could make, even though I only partially believed it.

“But what if it’s like, I don’t know, the fae realm?” I raised my eyebrow and he rolled his eyes again. “Everyone knows that when you go to the fae realm, you can’t eat or drink anything from there. Or else you won’t be able to come back.”

I knew about the fae realm way too well, as any other girl obsessed with fantasy books that she used with the sole purpose of escaping reality. I knew how it was home to magical creatures that were beautiful and enchanting but also dangerous. They were known to be mischievous and tricky. He was right, if a person were to eat or drink anything from the fae realm, they would be trapped there forever and could never return to the human world.

Somehow I loved that he knew that fact, it was so weird hearing it come from his mouth. This boy dressed all in black, adorned with chains and spikes, talking about the mythical creatures that obsessed me since I was five.

And he talked with such conviction I would have assumed he knew that out of first hand experience!

“Listen, if that’s the case, I don’t want to go back to a world where I can’t taste this and the stars don’t shine like those outside.” I shrugged and, even without being so sure it was a good idea, I chugged half of the bottle.

So, I took a sip and BOOM! It was like a time machine that took me back to the first time I tried it. The flavor was just like I remembered, and I savored every second of it. As the liquid went down my throat, I felt the chill spreading throughout my body, but surprisingly, no brain freeze.

I waited a few seconds, half-expecting to feel poisoned or something, but nothing happened.

We enjoyed the excitement for a while. The amusement of discovering unexpected treasures in an unlikely place. Checking what other marvelous things we thought never existed anymore we could find there. We tried some tasty treats, like spicy fire candy, caramelized apples with tangy tamarindo flavor, and cheesecake ice cream. But I could see from the corned of my eye that he got nervous at times, looking around as if afraid of being caught.

As I spent more time with him, I began to notice the little things he did when he was nervous. It was intriguing to see the subtle differences in his behavior when he was completely at ease versus when he was trying to hold back his emotions.

I couldn't help but notice how often he pressed his lips together and how he would clench his teeth when trying to force a smile. His nails were painted black, and I couldn't help but notice the chipped edges and bits of skin peeling off around the base of them.

It was fascinating to see how these small details painted a picture of his personality and demeanor, and I found myself becoming more and more curious about him as time went on.

Jasper looked perfectly put together, but those little things made me thing he was a nervous wreck. And I, with my fidget toys constantly in my purse and the little sensory strip stuck to half of my stuff, felt right at home with him.

It felt like it was meant to be. We acted like we had known each other for days, weeks, months even. He showed me his favorite brand of frozen pizza and I confessed I like to bite on limes when I’m nervous.

We walked around the whole shop until we got to the last freezer.

“You drink?” He asked, grinning.

“You’re taking me out for drinks now?” I responded, looking straight into his eyes. He opened the door without looking away. Like a staring contest that I wished lasted a whole lifetime.

I don't think I was really flirting back then, at least not consciously. I just felt good, happy, calm.

“Let’s see how well you can hold yourself.” We were playing around now, and I wasn’t sure if it was sugar high or something more, everything just felt easier when you knew deep down nothing was happening in real life. “What’s your poison?”

I reached for a drink. It was a deep purple color with blueberries drawn on the front of it. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but it looked pretty and caught my eye. As I popped the top of the can, I noticed him looking intently at the drinks. He seemed to be inspecting each one with a focused expression, as if trying to determine which one he wanted to try. I took a sip of mine and continue watching like it was the most interesting thing I had seen in my life.

The blueberries added a nice touch.

“You know, the best ones are always in the back.” Jasper whispered and winked at me as he leaned against one of the racks, his arm stretching out to reach the items at the very back of the shelf.

As he rummaged through the products, his eyes lit up with excitement at the idea of finding something truly special.

Then, it gave in.

The whole shelf slid to the back like a secret door in a spy movie. Suddenly, he lost his balance and began to fall to the front. I grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, stopping him from hitting the ground. After a moment, we looked at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking.

“Too late to go back,” he said, offering his hand.

I held it tight and smiled, something felt off but I didn’t care, nothing was real, nothing else mattered.