KickThePj Imagines

3

Blueberries.
That’s what his name tastes like.
Wild blueberries.
"PJ! Come on, it’s time to go back to class!" his teacher calls
Blueberries again. PJ doesn’t comment on how every name tastes different to him and never does until he’s fourteen.

                                                    xx

     His nonna is ill and it’s the first time he hears someone call her by her first name. It tastes like caramel but not overbearingly so. PJ’s eyes prick and when he sees her in the hospital bed, he starts crying. He tells her softly that she’s the sweetest name he’s tasted and he’s surprised when she claps in joy. His nonna calls his mother into the room and tells PJ to repeat what he said, so he does. His mum gasps in shock and hugs him to her.

"What’s going on?" PJ asks, his eyebrows furrowed and tears still drying on his face.

"PJ, sweetie," blueberries, "what did you mean by taste?"

PJ sits down next to his grandmother’s bedside and cocks his head in thought, finding the words to explain.

"Well, it’s like- Names of people, I can taste them. Full names at least. Like Sarah Mitchell in my class, her name tastes like bubblegum. Mark Finwall’s name tastes like grass. Nonna’s name tastes like caramel and yours tastes like lavender."

His mum smiles at him and sits down across from him, taking his hands in hers.

"PJ, darling, what you’re experiencing is called synesthesia. There’s many different forms of it. You see, your nonna here can perceive music as colors. That’s why she became a musician. Your uncle Scott can see numbers as personalities. Not many people can be synesthetic but I guess it just runs in our family!"

PJ turns to his nonna and she smiles softly, nodding her head to his mother’s words.

"I just thought everyone could do it. I didn’t think I was different."
"It’s not different, Peej. It’s special. It’s a magnificent gift and I know you’ll do great things because of it," his nonna states and he smiles at her before getting up and kissing her forehead.

His nonna leaves the hospital the next week, healthy and proud of her grandson.

                                                       xx

     In year 11, PJ has his first girlfriend. Her name is Eileen Horton and her name tastes, oddly, like burnt coffee. PJ’s first kiss goes to her and he instantly regrets it. She’s needy, sucking and pulling, taking from him greedily. She’s possessive and he doesn’t like it one bit. They break up due to PJ dying a yellow streak in his hair. PJ’s grateful about this and doesn’t regret the streak (though, years later, he does think it looked a bit ridiculous).

     PJ leaves to university as soon as he’s done with secondary school. There, in class, he meets his friend, Jamie Swarbrick. His name tastes like vanilla cake and PJ thinks that blueberries and vanilla cake taste good together. That’s when he knows that they’ll be the best of friends. With Jamie comes Louis Grant (he tastes of Earl Grey), Sophie Newt (she tastes like ginger snaps), and James Allen (he tastes like warm bread). All five of them rent a house together and PJ tells them of his specialty. They gush over it and ask him about every name they can think of: their parents, their lovers, and celebrities. PJ finds it all amusing and answers their questions as best as he can.

     He runs into Chris at the shop by accident the next year. He’s looking for the new Zelda game and Chris is looking for Skyrim. They bump into each other and PJ apologizes profusely to which Chris laughs and shakes it off with a silly face and an impression of Al Pacino. PJ laughs loudly and the entire store looks at him. He stifles his laughs and when Chris sticks his hand out at states his name, PJ knows that he’s found his best friend.