sorry, Willie,” I said. “I never meant for this to happen.”
“What is happening? What is this?” His face was filled with horror.
“This is the future,” I said. How could I explain this without sounding completely insane? “I’m a time traveler. I don’t know why and I don’t know how. I only know that I’m on a loop between my time and yours.”
“A time traveler?” he sputtered, shaking his head.
“It’s weird, I know, but I move through time. Yours and mine.” I held my hands together, three inches apart so that they made parallel lines. I wiggled my left hand. “Your time.” Then my right hand. “My time. For some reason I jump back and forth between the two of them.”
Willie wrinkled his forehead. “That’s why you’re always disappearing?”
“Yes. And if someone is touching me, skin to skin, when it happens, they travel with me.” I paused, wishing I could unwind the last twenty minutes. “It was supposed to be Tim not you.”
“He’s from here?” He took in the crowds that surrounded us. “That explains his odd behavior.”
I nodded my head. “He’s trouble.”
“Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I’m having a fantastic lucid dream.”
I patted his shoulder. “I wish.”
Just as we arrived at the spot where Lucinda’s car sat, a group of teen guys rushed across the street. I recognized the buzz cut of the ginger-headed one.
Lucinda collapsed into a squat out of sight. “It’s Josh.”
I shrunk down beside her, not wanting to be seen dressed like a geek.
And, of course, to be a supportive friend.
Willie dropped down too, probably thinking this was normal behavior in the future. Or maybe he just felt light-headed. I wouldn’t blame him.
Only Nate remained standing, though I didn’t think he’d be too crazy about getting caught dressed the way he was either.
“Did he see us?” Lucinda squeaked.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
She peeked around the bumper of her car. Josh and a couple guys I didn’t recognize, maybe new friends who also went to UF, sauntered by, laughing and joking like they didn’t have a care in the world.
I hated them.
Lucinda dropped onto her butt, and let out a slow, soft groan. “I still can’t believe it’s over.”
“Well, maybe it’s for the best,” I said in my most comforting voice. “He wasn’t really there for you anyway.”
Lucinda sniffed into a tissue she’d plucked from a pocket in her shorts. “No, he wasn’t, was he?”
“You can do better than him.”
“Oh, it just hurts so much.” She leaned into my shoulder and cried. I patted her on the back while Nate stood with his arms folded, leaning against the car. His eyes narrowed as he shot irritated glances our way. He wasn’t hiding the fact that he’d rather be anyplace but here.
Lucinda hiccupped, and put on a brave face. “Sorry for the public breakdown.”
“No, problem. But Nate and I need our clothes now.”
Lucinda got her feet. “Yeah, sorry.” She unlocked her car so that Nate and I could get our real clothes. I hated leaving her with nothing but a wet tissue, but I really couldn’t wait to step into the public restroom and change out of this stiff dress.
She climbed into the driver’s seat and I opened the passenger door for Willie. “Hop in. Just think of it as a carriage without horses. By the way,” I waved over to Lucinda, “this is Lucinda. She knows about my ‘gift,’ if you have any questions.”
Which I was 100 percent sure he had. He cautiously scrutinized every bit of the door before getting in.
Nate was already half way to the restrooms. “Nate?” I called, my voice thin and cracking. I’m sorry .
He flicked a hand up in my direction. “Not now.”
I’d really ticked him off, and I wasn’t sure how to
“What is happening? What is this?” His face was filled with horror.
“This is the future,” I said. How could I explain this without sounding completely insane? “I’m a time traveler. I don’t know why and I don’t know how. I only know that I’m on a loop between my time and yours.”
“A time traveler?” he sputtered, shaking his head.
“It’s weird, I know, but I move through time. Yours and mine.” I held my hands together, three inches apart so that they made parallel lines. I wiggled my left hand. “Your time.” Then my right hand. “My time. For some reason I jump back and forth between the two of them.”
Willie wrinkled his forehead. “That’s why you’re always disappearing?”
“Yes. And if someone is touching me, skin to skin, when it happens, they travel with me.” I paused, wishing I could unwind the last twenty minutes. “It was supposed to be Tim not you.”
“He’s from here?” He took in the crowds that surrounded us. “That explains his odd behavior.”
I nodded my head. “He’s trouble.”
“Are you sure I’m not dreaming?” He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I’m having a fantastic lucid dream.”
I patted his shoulder. “I wish.”
Just as we arrived at the spot where Lucinda’s car sat, a group of teen guys rushed across the street. I recognized the buzz cut of the ginger-headed one.
Lucinda collapsed into a squat out of sight. “It’s Josh.”
I shrunk down beside her, not wanting to be seen dressed like a geek.
And, of course, to be a supportive friend.
Willie dropped down too, probably thinking this was normal behavior in the future. Or maybe he just felt light-headed. I wouldn’t blame him.
Only Nate remained standing, though I didn’t think he’d be too crazy about getting caught dressed the way he was either.
“Did he see us?” Lucinda squeaked.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
She peeked around the bumper of her car. Josh and a couple guys I didn’t recognize, maybe new friends who also went to UF, sauntered by, laughing and joking like they didn’t have a care in the world.
I hated them.
Lucinda dropped onto her butt, and let out a slow, soft groan. “I still can’t believe it’s over.”
“Well, maybe it’s for the best,” I said in my most comforting voice. “He wasn’t really there for you anyway.”
Lucinda sniffed into a tissue she’d plucked from a pocket in her shorts. “No, he wasn’t, was he?”
“You can do better than him.”
“Oh, it just hurts so much.” She leaned into my shoulder and cried. I patted her on the back while Nate stood with his arms folded, leaning against the car. His eyes narrowed as he shot irritated glances our way. He wasn’t hiding the fact that he’d rather be anyplace but here.
Lucinda hiccupped, and put on a brave face. “Sorry for the public breakdown.”
“No, problem. But Nate and I need our clothes now.”
Lucinda got her feet. “Yeah, sorry.” She unlocked her car so that Nate and I could get our real clothes. I hated leaving her with nothing but a wet tissue, but I really couldn’t wait to step into the public restroom and change out of this stiff dress.
She climbed into the driver’s seat and I opened the passenger door for Willie. “Hop in. Just think of it as a carriage without horses. By the way,” I waved over to Lucinda, “this is Lucinda. She knows about my ‘gift,’ if you have any questions.”
Which I was 100 percent sure he had. He cautiously scrutinized every bit of the door before getting in.
Nate was already half way to the restrooms. “Nate?” I called, my voice thin and cracking. I’m sorry .
He flicked a hand up in my direction. “Not now.”
I’d really ticked him off, and I wasn’t sure how to
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