Prequel Bit #1A: Revolution and Hayley
Revolution Olivia Dwight did not care about tourists. In fact, they were the least of her worries. Usually when they came through, she’d entertain them for a while, then go back to whatever she was doing. Usually she’d just be working in the garden in the middle of town- if you could call it a town- or just sitting by the riverbank playing her flute, which was usually the case. Aside from the occasional “Oh look, sweetie!” the tourist parents would cry louder than they should as they pointed her out. You’d think that people who actually have to deal with people they don’t know would be more polite, she thought.
It was a quiet summer day. No tourists had shown up yet, and she was quite pleased with that. Tomorrow, a herd of them would be arriving for their annual tie-dye music festival, an event Revolution dreaded more than anything. Kids wanting her to play songs she’d never even heard of, (what the hell was The Wheels on the Bus?) everyone running around in the same tie-dye crap they put out every year, and more car exhaust than she’d inhaled the whole rest of the year. It was hell. She just wanted the calm before the storm today. So far, it was going well.
Her ears pricked up at the ugliest sound she could think of: a shiny new vehicle. She set her flute down in the grass and whipped her head around, spotting a bright red mini-van. Her heart sank. She couldn’t even have one day without worrying about some stupid yuppies who thought they were being more cultured or something. As she heard a door open, she flipped her head back toward the river and didn’t look back at them. That was the last thing she wanted.
About an hour passed, and Revolution had forgotten about the tourists entirely, dismissing them as lost. Suddenly, she heard crunching in the grass behind her.
“S’cuse me,” a male voice mumbled. “Um… D’you think I could join you?” Revolution looked up. The boy standing there didn’t look like a tourist at all, to her surprise. He was wearing worn-out sandals (which she prayed were not leather), dusty old blue jeans and a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt. His hair was all put up into a large knit cap, there was an acoustic bass in his hand, and to her that was as lucky as a girl stranded in a commune could get.
“Sure… Who’re you?” She patted the grass beside her, actually hoping he might stay a while.
“Hayley. I know. It’s stupid, right? It’s a girl name.” He sat down beside her.
“At least your parents didn’t name you Revolution.” She laughed. “At least they gave me a normal middle name. When I move, I’m going to be Olivia. If I move.” She shrugged.
“I wouldn’t want to stay here. Then again, I’m accustomed to more technology than this.”
“Why’d you come here, anyway?”
“Parents thought it’d be a good idea to bring all of us here for the festival thing. I’m no fashion guru, but I wouldn’t wear tie-dye if you paid me. No offence.”
“They probably wrapped me in a tie-dye blanket when I was born. I hate it just as much as you do.” She smiled.
“Awesome… I’m actually down here looking for a place to set up my tent. Parents don’t know I smoke.”
“I didn’t know it was such a big deal. I mean, I don’t smoke that much, cause it’s no fun by yourself. But my parents think its fine.”
“I think your parents are awesome. My parents would kill me if they knew. Their golden boy getting high just doesn’t appeal to them. They want me in pristine condition cause they think I’ll live their dream and become a big famous musician. I wish.” Hayley laughed.
“Well… it’s a plant. My parents are all about that.” Revolution paused. “I want to be a musician too. At least you live in the city…”
“Move, then.”
“I don’t know anyone in the city. I’d be lost.”
“People aren’t going to ignore someone named Revolution. That name gets people interested.”
“I’m not staying Revolution forever. And you can just call me Rev, okay? Thanks, though.”
“I can’t believe you don’t know anyone. Well, you know me now. Guess it doesn’t help much since I don’t really have my own place.”
“Better than nobody. So… you’re staying here for the whole thing? That’s… a week, right?” Rev smiled.
“Yep. You wanna hang out tonight?”
“You have no idea. I’ve never gotten to hang out with anyone who wasn’t twice my age.”
“Awesome. Bring some of your home-grown stuff, alright?” Hayley winked. “I think I’ll put my tent right here.”
“Okay.” Rev smiled, then jumped when she heard unfamiliar voices.
“Haaaaayleeeeey! Get back here!” called a woman with a thick accent.
“Sorry. Gotta go. Meet you here ‘round ten!” Hayley took off with his bass, yelling back to the woman. Rev sighed and returned to playing her flute.
~~
“Going for a nature walk, Rev?” asked her mother, smiling as she painted a banner for the festival.
“Yup.” Rev walked slowly until she was a small distance from the house, then she took off, running with her small backpack bouncing on her narrow shoulders until she got to the riverbank.
“Hayley?” she whispered at the tent entrance.
“Yeah. Come in, Rev.” She let herself in. It was surprisingly bright- he had some sort of battery-powered lamp in the corner.
“Sorry. My parents wanted me to help them a bit with stuff for tomorrow.” Rev sighed and sat down. “I didn’t know you had purple hair.” He had taken off his hat.
“Mostly. Some’s still brown.”
“I like it… It’s so unnatural, though.”
“You’ll be happy to know… it’s vegetable dye.” Hayley smiled. “Not tested on animals.”
“What, did you ask my parents for my interests or something?” Rev giggled, opening her backpack. “Here.” She gave him a paper bag; he promptly stuck his face right up to the open side.
“Woah! Do you just roll joints for fun around here? This is fucking awesome. Thanks, Rev!”
“No problem. You’re the only decent tourist I’ve ever met.” She smiled and grabbed one for herself. “So you deserve it.”
“Woah. In your whole life, I’m the best they could do?” Hayley grinned, “That’s awesome, but sad at the same time.” He flicked his lighter over the joint in his mouth, then over Rev’s.
“So what do you do in the city?”
“I’m not the most interesting guy you could ask-oh my god Rev this shit is good-cos I’m kinda lazy. Err… I just… go to school, most of the time that is- and play my bass… and spend time with my friends.”
“I can’t do any of that here, so you have me beat. I can’t even skip school- my mom teaches me.”
“Harsh.”
“And nobody here is my age.”
“You’re…”
“Fifteen and a half.”
“Ha! I’m older than you!” Hayley beamed.
“By how much?”
“I turned sixteen in April.” Rev scoffed.
“That’s not even a year difference.” Hayley ignored her.
“So if you don’t have any friends, that means you aren’t like secretly married or anything, right?”
“We aren’t a cult!” Rev laughed and hit him lightly on the shoulder.
“Well?”
“I’m not married,” giggled Rev, lying on her back, “And I don’t plan on it anytime soon.”
“Good.”
“Why’s that good?” She sat up again and frowned. “I’m confused.”
Hayley smiled and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Then, he looked Revolution in the eyes and leaned toward her a little.
“Can I kiss you?” He asked bluntly. Rev stared at him for a while, and then burst into giggles. Hayley winced. “What?”
“I’ve never kissed anybody before,” Rev admitted, biting her lip. “Is it nice?”
“Yeah,” smiled Hayley, leaning his head on his hands. “I think it’s awesome.” He paused. “Wanna try it?”
“Kay,” Rev whispered, feeling slightly nervous. She scooted closer to him, unsure of what exactly to do. She hadn’t seen any movies or television- so she had no idea what real kisses really looked like, you know, up close.
“Here,” Hayley mumbled, moving his palm under her chin and tipping her head up a little. She continued to stare at him until he closed his eyes, and she mimicked him as their lips crashed. It felt like slow motion to Rev, foreign and amazing. She didn’t know what she was doing, only that it made her face tingle and her heart pound. When Hayley eventually pulled away, she could only laugh.
“I like that,” she giggled.
“Yeah? Awesome. I’m glad I could be your first.” Hayley smirked.
“You’re really warm and stuff,” Rev blurted. “Can I stay here?”
“Yeah, sure.” Rev smiled and stretched out on the tent’s floor. “Just hope my parents don’t come by and stuff. I mean… they’d kill me.”
“What about me?” asked Rev. Hayley lay down beside her, putting one hand behind his head.
“They try to be polite to people they don’t know… But I can’t guarantee it. They kinda jump to conclusions.”
“Mine would just worry ‘cause you’re a tourist.” Rev rested her head on Hayley’s chest.
“Are you always this affectionate toward complete strangers?” Hayley stroked her hair.
“No…” She yawned. Maybe tourists weren’t all bad.