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chapter seven
“I’m just gonna warn ya,” Zac said. “I’ve never tried this
before. Are you sure you want me to attempt it?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’m sick of having birthdays.” He chuckled.
“Okay then, close your eyes.” I did. I could sense him
sitting down in front of me. I felt him put a warm hand on my face. There was
complete silence except for the two of us breathing. Suddenly, I couldn’t feel
his hand on my face anymore. I opened my eyes and found myself in bed, an alarm
clock blaring.
I didn’t know what to do at first, but then I heard a groan
and I looked to my left. I noticed for the first time that I was on the bottom
bunk of a bunkbed and there was a trundle pulled out from under my bed and Zac
was sleeping next to me.
“Taaay….turn the alarm off…”
Before I could respond or react, the alarm was off and the
light was on.
“Wake up you guys,” Isaac said.
“Huh what?”
“Mom wants to start school early today.”
“Well what time is it?” Zac asked.
“7:30.”
“IKE!!! Why did you set the alarm for 7:30?!?!?”
“Because we have to start school at 8:00. And I know just
how long it takes you two to get ready.”
“Fine,” I said, getting annoyed. I climbed over Zac and
started fumbling around in the dresser for some not-dirty, not-wrinkled clothes
to wear. Isaac had already gone into the bathroom and Zac was still in bed,
trying to go back to sleep. I snuck a peek at the calendar. May 1999. I had
thought Zac was going to try and send us back to June or sometime in March. I
guess he screwed up.
“Yes, I did. Don’t be so insulting,” he said from his
trundle, making me jump. I still forget that he can read my mind. “But it’s not
my fault. This is the first time I’ve ever done this.”
“Sorr-ee,” I said. “But maybe you wouldn’t be insulted if
you wouldn’t barge in on other people’s thoughts all the time.”
“I don’t. Only yours.”
“That’s good to know, but most people don’t read anyone’s
minds.”
“What in the heck are you guys talking about?” Ike asked,
coming in on the tail end of our conversation.
“Nothing,” I said, dodging Zac’s swipe at me and heading for
the bathroom. “Just another one of Zac’s crazy ideas.”
“HEY!” Zac yelled from the room where he was finally rolling
out of bed, “I resent that!” I just chuckled and hurried to change my clothes.
¢ ¢ ¢
“Isn’t it weird, isn’t it strange…” I sang under my breath
as I tried to concentrate on the work Mom had given me. She had gone to help
Jessica and I spaced out and completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing.
I couldn’t even remember what subject it was. I looked down at my book. Oh
right. How could I forget? Geometry.
“What are you singing?” Isaac asked, looking up and giving
me a strange look.
“Don’t you know? We-“ I said before I could stop myself.
“Never mind,” I said, shaking my head and looking back down at the book.
“Weird,” he said, looking back over at his work.
I had to use all my willpower not to laugh at that one. I
looked back down at the geometry book and felt myself getting tired. No! I
couldn’t fall asleep, not now! I had to stay here for a little while longer! Zac,
I thought to myself, get his attention. I looked over in his direction
but he seemed really involved in whatever it was he was doing. Zac!! He
looked up abruptly and shook his head. Then he looked back down. ZAC!!!!
He looked up again, and this time he caught my eye. I’m falling asleep. He
shrugged. So what? He wrote on the margin of his paper. I don’t wanna
leave yet! I thought. Sorry, can’t do anything for ya. He wrote.
That was the last thing I remember before closing my eyes and sinking into
darkness.
¢ ¢ ¢
“Tay, man, you gotta wake up, you got a class in fifteen
minutes!”
“Huh?” I opened my eyes and rubbed them. “What? Where am-Who
are you?”
The guy standing in front of me giving me a strange look was
about 19 or 20 with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was about 5’10’’
probably about the same height as Ike.
“I’m Damien, your roommate, remember?” He said, giving me
funny looks. “Are you all right?? Did you have a weird dream or something?”
I shook my head. It all made sense now. I was at college,
Damien was my roommate, I had a class in fifteen minutes that I was going to
skip, Alexis was my girlfriend, Zac was at home…I stood up and made my way to
our small, extremely messy bathroom. I cringed at the sight of my hair. I
pulled out a brush and tugged it through my hair. I stumbled into the bedroom
and caught sight of a calendar.
Today was May 9, 2002. May 9, May 9. Why did that day sound
so familiar? So important?
“Oh well,” I said to myself. “I’m sure I’ll figure it out
sometime.”
I looked back at the calendar. Last time I had been 19, it
had been my birthday, and I had been at home. I looked at the small, white
square that was supposed to be my birthday and nodded. There was a big “P” on
it, as in: “SPRING BREAK”. I suppose I had gone home for spring break. It
occurred to me then that I didn’t even really know where I was now…I needed to
call Zac. I looked at the clock. My class was starting now. Oh well. I wouldn’t
be missing much…I guess. I picked up the phone and dialed home. I had a lot of
questions to ask Zac…