Another kind of Christmas

“I am going to die,” Jackson says hitting his head on a table. “My parents want me to bring my boyfriend this Christmas.”

“I told you not to lie to them.” Jackson’s best fined, Jinyoung, replies.

“You told me, you did.” Jackson raises his head from the table and glares inside the little café he is working at. “Where do I find a rich, handsome and young boyfriend at this hour?”

“You should tell them the truth,” Jinyoung shouts leaving to serve a customer.

Jackson sighs and places his head on the table again.

His life wasn’t like he wanted to be. He left home at a young age to do what he likes but apparently he couldn’t get as far as he wanted. His siblings are still hunting his life.

This is the first little white lie he told his parents about, that he has a boyfriend. His sister is getting married next spring to a lower, his brother got in at a medical school. He is that someone who his parents are ashamed with. He is gay and going to an art school. He lied a bit about the rich boyfriend of his, he couldn’t just sit down and listen how great his family is. He wanted to be loved and if this means to lie a bit about a rich boyfriend, he did that.

“Dear Santa Clause, please bring me a handsome and rich boyfriend this year.” Jackson murmurs under his breath as the café bell rings announcing that a new customer arrived.

He takes his notebook and leaves to take the order. “Just a little bit more, Jackson, and your shift is finally over.”

He put a warm smile on his face and approaches the table. “Welcome to Joe’s. What can I get you?”

The customer is so good looking and the smile that he is giving Jackson right now could melt every heart, too bad that Jackson doesn’t know him. He could do a great boyfriend for Christmas.

“I’ll take a black coffee without sugar.” And that deep voice leaves Jackson staring at him. His blonde bags are falling into his doll eyes and his lips look like are waiting to be kissed.

“Jackson?” Jinyoung’s voice wakes him up from his daydream.

“A black coffee without sugar is coming right now.” Jackson smiles politely at the customer. He made a fool of himself. That’s great, Jackson. This is so pitiful.

Once he arrives in the back, he hits his head on the door once again. “I think I am going crazy.”

“Who is that guy?” Jinyoung asks, pushing some buttons to make the coffee.

“I don’t know.” He gets to his task of doing the coffee leaving Jinyoung smile in acknowledgment. “Jinyoung, why don’t you come with me this Christmas and act like my boyfriend.”

“I have a date with Jaebum, but nice try.”

“I am so pitiful; I am so anti-social that I don’t anyone beside you two.” Jackson wants to scream and his life. Why did he lie, why did his life turned like this? “Now I am left with telling the truth and kicked out of the house.”

“Stop being so dramatic and get a hold of yourself because you have to leave in five hours,” Jinyoung says leaving behind a very, very sad Jackson.

After serving the black coffee, Jackson starts to make an escaping plan but nothing is coming to him right now. It’s like his kind is black and everything that was there disappeared.

He can imagine how the dinner will go: telling his parents that are single and there is no rich boyfriend. He guesses that they will be more disappointed about the rich boyfriend and not the fact that their son didn’t find the love of his life.

“I can feel your brain burning up right now,” Jinyoung says amused, petting Jackson’s back into a friendly way. “Stop worrying about that thing; I know that everything will turn out well.”

Then suddenly a great idea came to Jackson. Why didn’t he think of this earlier?

“Jinyoung, you need to help me with something.” Jackson jumps from his seat. “I have the best idea ever.”

“I don’t have time for your nonsense.” Jinyoung dismisses the idea easily. He knows very well Jackson’s plans aren’t great at all. “Go and give the note to your customer.”

“Jinyoung, would you help your friend once?” Jackson tries to be cute but fails miserably. All he wins is a shake of disappointment from his friend. “I won’t ask anything else all my life.”

“I don’t care. I prefer to ask everything else than this.”

“I’ll do this myself then,” Jackson says snapping the note from Jinyoung. “I don’t need your help at all.”

After doing his part A of the plan, which didn’t take more than five minutes, he leaves winking at Jinyoung.

With confidence in himself, Jackson walks out of the room and right into the tiger cage. Right, right, he is too dramatic but he can’t help it at all.

“This is your note and this coffee is from the case because you are our ten costumers for today.” Jackson lies putting the note down on the table along with the coffee. “Congratulation…”

“My name is Mark and thank you.” The blonde replies letting a small smile take form on his face.

Jackson watches how Mark takes the coffee and takes a sip of it. “You are welcome.”

He lets the table with a pleasant smile on his face. He would do a great actor if he wants to. “I am leaving early, anyway, there aren’t any customers.” Jackson says taking off his apron.

“What?”

“Come on, Jinyoung, at least, do this for me.”

“Fine, don’t say that I am a bad friend,” Jinyoung says picking an eye in the cafe shop from the back door. “Your customer doesn’t feel that well, you should help him with a glass of water.”

“What?” Jackson asks taking his jacket in a hurry. “I am going to help him.”

***

Mark’s head feels heavy like he slept more than usually. Something must be wrong because the first thing sees is black and something moving like he is in a car. He closes his eyes again and opens it taking in the surrenders. Indeed, he is in a car and outside it’s just white and trees. What the?

He turns his head to see who is driving and to be surprised it’s hard to say, he is terrified. The cute guy and warm smile at the café are driving. What is he doing inside this car? Why is the guy, who he catch his name being Jackson, doing here? Where are they going?

He tries to move but something doesn’t allow him to do so, great, his hands are tied up together. “What the hell is going on?” He asks a bit irritated by this whole situation. “What the hell are you doing and by all means, what am I doing here?”

Mark watches as the guy turns his head to look at him, but quickly he turns to look at the road. “Sorry, but I had to do this, ok?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He tries to move his hands but it doesn't budge not even a bit. “Why did you tie me up like a dog?”

“Look, I need you to help me out with something, and then I’ll let you go.” The coffee guy says slowing down the speed a bit.

“Look, after this, all thing is over you’ll see the prison, my dear,” Mark says, praying in his head that this guy won’t kill him and dump his body somewhere where no one can find him.

“All you have to do is pretend that you are my boyfriend, just for three days.”

“What is this nonsense? I am not even gay. What’s wrong with you? Do I look like a gay to you or what?” Mark shouts, maybe, just maybe someone will hear him but there is no chance for something like this.

“You are cute, that is all I need, Mark.”

“How do you know my name? Are you a stalker or something?”

“Calm down, dude-“

“Calm down, aren’t you the one tied up in a stranger car going nowhere.” Mark yells. What did he so wrong to deserve it? This must be a joke or a dream, it sure is. It can’t be true.

“Look, if you don’t play along, you are going to die.” Jackson guy says.

Mark can see how his hands thighs around the wheel, giving him a sickening feeling. He doesn’t want to die at such a young age.

“If you think this plan will go as you want you must be wrong. I have friends who are looking for me.” Mark lies. He doesn’t really have any true friends, all the ones who are proclaimed as his friends are fake. He can see that in their eyes.

“I don’t think they will find you before I am done with you.”

“You want money? I can give you money. What do you want and I’ll give it to you, but for God’s sake leave me alone.” Mark doesn’t even know what to say anymore. A little bit longer and he’ll go crazy.

“All I want is you to pretend to be my boyfriend for three days and I’ll leave you alone.” The one who is driving yells back.

“You told me that already, but I don’t want to pretend to be no one’s boyfriend, so if you’ll excuse me I want to go home.” Mark tries to be polite, even if he knows that this won’t work at all.

“You are not going home. Well, we are going home but at my family. Every year we have this little vacation for three days away from city lights and noises. We like to spend Christmas in a forest where bears are living, so you better behave if you don’t want to end as the meal for one of them.”

“What?” This must be nonsense. It can’t be real. Mark feels like he can throw up any second from now on. This must be a bad dream; he will wake up in his warm bed.

“So you better stay quiet and play along, we are almost there.”

***

Mark is beyond terrified. That guy was right; they are in the middle of the forest. Yes, there is a house, a very scary house: with lights and Christmas trees, just like his house should be but he didn’t have the time to decorate it. He will go nuts every second from now on.

“This is Mark, my boyfriend,” Jackson says, pushing Mark a bit forward.

Mark smiles politely at the old lady and bows. “Hello.” This is he says. He really wants to scream that he is kidnaped, that he is no one boyfriend, but instead he just takes a deep breath and pretends that everything is fine, hat this is just a normal family.  “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, mom and dad really thought you are lying about your boyfriend.” A boy almost their age comes into the view.

“This is Jordan, he is a year younger than me, but I think I already told you that,” Jackson informs him.

Of course, he didn’t tell him about it, when should he have done that, on the way here? This family is crap in Mark’s opinion. He can see in the brothers’ eyes that they don’t get along and that they are just playing the happy family. Something faker than this he didn’t see in all his life.

“Hello there, Mark,” Jordan says, offering his hand. “Jackson told us a lot about you, except your name, but I am glad to see that you aren’t just my brother imagination.”

Mark can see in Jackson’s eyes hurt, he had a lot of time to read people expression. Jackson really tries hard not to let his feelings show and that lets Mark wonder what’s with this family.

“It’s not time Jordan for your idiotic things, we have to unpack our things,” Jackson says taking Mark’s hand in his. “Good night, see you tomorrow.”

Mark really wants to withdraw his hand from Jackson’s, but seeing the other one expression he stays put. He is so pitiful growing up in this family.

Once they are in a room, Jackson let’s go of his hand and throws himself on the bed. Mark, on the other hand, doesn’t know what to do. It’s like he had been thrown in this multi-dysfunctional family with no book instruction.

“Now, please give me back my phone.” He eventually says, seeing that Jackson doesn’t intend to do anything.

“I may be looking stupid in your eyes, but I am not that stupid to give your phone back.”

“Look, I won’t tell the police about this if you let me go now.” Mark tries to make a deal. “So, it’s better to let me go.”

“You are my boyfriend for three days, so you better play along if you don’t want to become food for the bears.” Jackson stands up from the bed and takes some clothes from the bag. “I am going to take a shower, if you want clothes, you can take from my bag.”

Mark watches in silent as Jackson disappears from the room and on the second he is alone he goes to search Jackson’s bag.

Clothes.

Presents.

A teddy bear, really?

“ my life, there is nothing usefully,” Mark whispers running nervously his hand through his hair.

Deciding that is better ask someone for their phone. He can call Youngjae, even if he lives in America and tell him what happened.

On the living room is Jordan, apparently is doing yoga or whatever because he is standing cross-legged and his arms in the air. Weird family.

“Hey, Jordan,” Mark greets a bit awkward. He has to do something now and if feeling awkward it’s on the plan, so be it. “Can I borrow your phone for a bit?”

Jordan opens his eyes, a full smile appearing on his face.  “Didn’t Jackson tell you, we aren’t allowed with phones in here? This is about being spiritual without any distur