A swamp of emotions

"Tomorrow is the day you visit our Dad right?" asked the future Roy.

"Yes," answered his younger self.

"Okay. So here's the plan: we swap, clothes and everything, and I return to Obore city with our friends."

"What about me? What should I do?"

"Umm… I don't know if you will be able to stay."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a feeling that the only thing holding you back from disappearing is my need for you. I don't think that the two of us would be able to coexist in the same timeline."

"So it is either you or me, right?"

"I am sorry to tell you this, but it is probably right. And I don't see what's wrong with that, we are the same person after all."

"Yeah, the same person," said the past Roy, a grim expression on his face.

The future Roy sighed and said, "Look, I know you are excited about knowing that you will be able to travel in time in the future, but my travel from that time is important, and I can't let it go."

"If I will be disappearing anyway, then at least tell me why are you doing this," replied the past one. The future one nodded and told him everything that happened from the beginning. It took quite a while for him to finish narrating his story.

The past Roy looked sad and said," So my parents are both going to die, and I take the blame. You… You are right to prevent this from happening. I won't stand in your way any longer. But I need to ask for a favor."

"Ask me whatever you want, if I can accomplish it of course," replied the future Roy.

"If you succeed in your mission, then I want you to break up with that woman! Although I already have thoughts of breaking up with her, I still love her. But suddenly when I am in trouble, she just leaves me to avoid further trouble!"

"I wouldn't be too harsh on her, but since it is your request, I will do it for you. Now go and give me your clothes, change to these," he handed him another set of clothes, which he took and changed into, then gave the ones he had been wearing to his future self.

The future Roy looked at him and said," Thank you for everything."

"There is no need to thank me. I hope you succeed."

Roy nodded as he watched his past self disappear, leaving him alone in the toilet. He quickly changed to the clothes left behind and returned to the table he and his friends were sitting at.

"Are you feeling okay, babe?" asked his girlfriend as he sat to the chair reserved for him, next to her.

"Yeah," he said, with a forced smile on his face, "It is just a stomachache. I will feel better."

"I am relieved," she said, holding tight on his hand.

"Yes you are," he sneered, but of course not in front of anyone, it was in his head.

After they left the restaurant, Roy slipped some money, very carefully, to Lynne as they passed by each other. She took them quietly as if nothing happened. This was something the two of them have done many times throughout their heists.

Roy and his friends spent the day in great joy, or that was Roy put on his face from the outside. However, deep in his heart, a twinkle of rage and anger started to sprout. He was enraged that the ones who are supposed to be his friends now, will turn their backs on him a day later. But he didn't let that rage appear, and tried his best to stay within the act.

At about 5 pm, Roy and his friends returned by bus to Obore city. Lynne was traveling with them too, she was sitting directly in the seat in front of Roy, facing him. He was currently trying to sleep, so was his girlfriend who did fall asleep, laying her head on his shoulder.

But sleep wouldn't come to Roy, he didn't stare at anything in particular, lost in thought. Finally, his eyes rested on his girlfriend beside him, and then he shifted his gaze to Lynne.

On his face, a look of trouble appeared. "Why am I having these feelings right now?" he thought.

"Before, I didn't have any feelings for Lynne. Although she always teased me, I don't think she takes it seriously. She does it for fun only. But two days ago, she volunteered suddenly to help me. She appeared to be wanting to help me sincerely…"

Although Roy considered her as a friend, he knew that friends couldn't be counted on. And he even experienced that himself.

"I don't know why, but I suddenly felt that I don't want to return to my girlfriend when I saw her for the first time in many years. I felt that I just wanted to be with Lynne forever and never leave her.

"Perhaps after all of this ends, and when I break up with her, I can see how things will go."

Right now, Lynne opened her eyes and caught him looking at her. She mouthed the words 'What are you looking at?'. Roy suddenly looked stupidly at her, as if his mind stopped working.

He quickly suppressed that and mouthed back, 'Nothing!'

'Okay.' And she went back to sleep. Roy gave her a last glance before sleep finally overwhelmed him and he closed his eyes, the figure of Lynne never left his mind.

After some hours passed, everyone went his own way. Roy had given Lynne all his money earlier, and although they weren't that much, she could afford booking an average room in a normal inn. They had already arranged the time they meet the next day, and the location.

When Roy returned to his home, his mother was the one to open the door. "Hello Mom," he said, and suddenly felt the urge to embrace her. But he didn't want to act rudely, so he also suppressed this feeling.

"So," she said as he entered, "How was your trip?"

"It was great."

"Are you alright?" she said, looking at him worryingly.

"Just a stomachache." She said the normal things a mother would say, words of concern. Roy could only nod and reluctantly agree to sleep immediately.

Although he was not sleepy, he put on an act and closed his eyes, muttering these five words, "Tomorrow is the big day!"