The Opposite

The Opposite

by Isaih J Richmond

I’m Kevin and I’m not sure if anyone is reading this, but I’m stuck in an opposite world right now. It was 9:26 p.m. when I was preparing food for me and my girlfriend. I prepared the drinks and the snacks, all that was left was the popcorn. I took the popcorn out of the cabinet and started to read the instructions, “Put in microwave for three minutes.” As I opened the microwave and placed the popcorn bag in the middle, I proceeded to press each number one by one: 3, 0, 0, start. I blacked out and woke up with a terrible headache and was confused. As I struggled to get on my feet, I heard three loud beeps: BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. As I made it on my feet I smelled the scent of popcorn, remembering that I had prepared it for me and my girlfriend. I took a deep breath, still confused about what had happened, and made my way to my room. I opened the door to see my girlfriend nowhere in sight. I looked everywhere and still couldn’t find her. I was gonna give up until I remembered I could call her. I started to ring her, but there was no pickup. At that point I guessed she had just gone home. I put the snacks in the fridge and looked at the time, 2 it was 6 :6. I couldn’t read the time, so I brushed it off, just thinking I hit my head too hard, and went to bed.

The next day . . .

I woke up and did my morning routine. As I headed downstairs I was greeted by my grandparents, not my parents.

“Where’s mom and dad?” I asked. “Are you feeling okay?” my grandmother replied.

“Yes, where is mom?”

“Sweetie, your parents died in a car crash two months ago, we’ve been taking care of you ever since.”

I sat down, sitting there in disbelief. Then I got up once again. “I just saw them yesterday.”

“Sweetie, did you hit your head?”

“Yes, but I know what I am talking about!” I stormed out of

my house and headed to school, overthinking everything on the way there.

“My girlfriend wasn’t at my house anymore, the time looked different, and now my parents are dead, this is crazy. I got to find Kelly,” I said to myself. As I made it in the school building I instantly saw Kelly talking to one of her friends.

“What happened last night? You just left,” I said. “Last night at my house I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“What are you talking about? Get away from me you weirdo!” As she stormed away, her friend walked up to me.

“Are you okay? She was with me all night, and I thought you guys didn’t like each other.”

“What! That’s my girlfriend, and she was with me last night.”

‘’Yeah I think you need a doctor or something because something is wrong with you.”

I stood there, confused, still with this awful headache. I went to all my classes and after school I saw Kelly again. I caught up with her.

“Kelly, I know you don’t want to hear from me right now, but can you just listen?”

She stood there with her arms crossed like she was ready to listen.

“I don’t know what’s going on today, but I know we are together. I even know every little thing about you.”

“Every little thing?”

“Yes,” I said instantly.

She looked at me as if she was ready for something. “Favorite color?”

“What?

“Favorite color!”

“Blue.”

“Favorite sport?”

“Basketball.”

“Favorite pet?”

“Dog.”

“What’s my dog’s name?”

“Bailey”

“Why?”

“Because you named it after your celebrity crush.” She looked as if she was surprised.

“You see, I am your boyfriend.”

“I don’t know why, but I believe you,” she said. Kelly began to give in and wanted to figure out what was happening

Later that day . . .

“So, you said that you were preparing food for us and you blacked out.”

“Yeah.”

There was a long pause as if she was thinking. “Okay, tell me everything you did before blacking out.”

“Okay, I was heading down stairs, then I hit my foot and when I got in the kitchen I open-”

“Not every little thing!”

“Oh sorry, I prepared the drinks and the snacks. All that was left was the popcorn. I opened the microwave and placed the popcorn bag in the middle. Then I pressed three, zero, zero, start and I blacked out.”

Another long pause.

“Wait. Do you know what the time was when you made the popcorn?”

“Yeah, 9:26”

“And you said when you looked again the time was upside down and hard to read?”

“Yes.”

“What time is it?”

I looked at the time and I saw 52:9.

“Quick, get a popcorn bag and do what you did!”

I took the popcorn out of the cabinet and opened the microwave. I placed it in the middle and proceeded to press each number one by one: 3, 0, 0, start. I blacked out and woke up with the headache no longer there. I looked at the time: 9:29. Then I heard three loud beeps: BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. I took out the popcorn bag and snacks, I opened my door . . . and smiled.