Across time nodrm by Law Hiu

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

ACROSS TIME by

Jeff Fuell

ISBN: 0-7443-1639-1 Cover art by MBDesigns@aol.com

Published by SynergEbooks http://www.synergebooks.com

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

PROLOGUE

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes immediately going wide, his mouth dropping open. “Is that me?” he whispered in bewilderment at his reflection, now at least ten years older than his age of sixteen. “I’m old!” His hair was shorter and combed differently, but it was definitely him. He then stood up and noticed the fancy clothes that he was dressed in. “What is all of this? What’s going on?” he asked nobody in particular because he was the only one in the small room. He then noticed a bouquet of red roses sitting on the table and there was a small, white card attached. Thinking that they were for him, especially since he was the only one here, he picked up the card and opened it so he could read it: Chrissy, break a leg! I know that you are going to be great! I love you so much and I am so proud of you! Love, Vanessa. Vanessa? Who is Vanessa, he thought, and when has anyone ever called me Chrissy? It sounds like a girl’s name! Then, he noticed a gold band on the third finger of his left hand. “I’m married?” he exclaimed. “When did this happen? What’s going on?” There was a soft knock on the door and it was opened a moment later by a boy…man not much older than himself wearing some dark clothes and a pair of headphones on his head with a small, thin strip of wire connected to one of the ear pieces and placed in front of his mouth. “Mr. Winters? It’s almost time. Would you please come with me?” he said. Christopher stared at him unsure of what to say or do. Who was this guy? Nobody had ever addressed him as “Mr. Winters” before, and what was it almost time for? Was he in trouble? Did he miss a test? Not knowing what else to do, Christopher walked towards him. “Okay,” he said. “Um, Mr. Winters, if it’s not too much trouble, could I please get you’re autograph? I’m a big fan,” he said shyly but with obvious excitement. “Sure,” he said as the man smiled and pulled a cd from his back pocket and handed it to him, along with a pen. Christopher took it and looked at the cover. It was him! It was a picture of him and he was holding a beautiful white fender Stratocaster! The title of the album was called “Across Time.” He looked at the cd case in wonder for a moment and then, looking at the excited…fan in front of him, signed it and gave it back to him. “Thank you, Mr. Winters! I think you’re the greatest! In fact, you’re the reason I started playing guitar a few years ago. Although, I’m nowhere near as good as you.” “Oh, well, thank you,” Christopher said not knowing what else to say. “Well, we better get going. All the rest of the guys are backstage and the show is going to start in a few minutes. If you’ll follow me,” he said as he turned around and started walking down the hall, Christopher following him. They were soon in the backstage area and, as they entered, Christopher looked at all of the people in amazement! They were all here! All of the people he had admired practically his entire life and inspired him with all of their beautiful music and virtuoso talent. Sitting in a chair warming up with some scales was Yngwie Malmsteen. Over to the right, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai were talking and joking around. Standing by a table, Joe Lynn Turner

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell was talking with Roger Glover, Ian Paice and Jon Lord…and he was surprised at how short Joe Lynn Turner was. Really short! Still, he had that amazing voice that had graced three Rainbow albums, not to mention the albums he had done with Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple and his own solo material. And, on the other side of the room, Eddie Van Halen was talking with Billy Sheehan, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Coming into the area from another entrance was Neal Schon with Toni Iommi and Geezer Butler! And, over there, talking with Sharon…was Ozzy Osbourne drinking a cup of tea! Wait! Is that them? It is! Ronnie James Dio and David Coverdale engaged in what looked to be a serious conversation about something. That guy over there with the blonde hair, it was the German guitar wizard Axel Rudi Pell! Someone walked past him on his way to the refreshment table, and he instantly recognized that familiar bald head. Rob Halford! The Metal God, himself! And…no! Bruce Dickinson and Geoff Tate! Two of the greatest rock vocalists of all time! What was going on? And why was he here among all of them as though he was a part of their world? Then, appearing from behind some black curtains was a beautiful woman with long, blonde hair and Christopher instantly recognized her. Candice Night! The voice of Blackmore’s Night and wife of the incredible Ritchie Blackmore, his hero! She was even more beautiful in person…and she was walking towards him with a giant smile on her gentle face. “Christopher! It’s so wonderful to finally meet you,” she said taking his hands. “Um, you too,” Christopher said flummoxed. “I’m sorry about the hectic schedule. Ritchie was hoping to meet you before the show but, as you can imagine, he’s been really busy with the event. He’s a big fan.” Christopher stared at her not saying anything for what seemed an eternity. Did she just say what I thought she said, he thought. Ritchie Blackmore is a fan of me? “Ritchie Blackmore is a fan of me?” “Of course. He thinks you’re brilliant. He practically raves about your version of ‘Difficult to Cure.’” “Oh…wow,” he said in a monotone voice as he tried to take in what she said. He had never even attempted to play ‘Difficult to Cure.’ It was way to hard. Although, it was one of his favorite pieces by him. “I just talked with Susan and Jennifer again this afternoon. I’m glad you could fit us into your schedule. We really appreciate it.” “It’s …no problem. I’m happy to be here,” he said as he was finally getting a grip on what was going on. This was apparently going to be some kind of concert involving some of the greatest rock musicians of all time and, for some reason, he was a part of it. He was actually going to be playing with Ritchie Blackmore! And, then, his thoughts hit him suddenly like a ton of bricks. He was going to be playing with the Ritchie Blackmore! The young man whom he had been talking with earlier appeared from behind a corner at a frantic pace. “Okay, everybody! The show’s about to start! I need all of you to get ready and take you’re places on stage when the lights go out, okay? Let’s rock ‘n roll!” A collective cheer followed from all of the musicians as all of them picked up their respective instruments. Christopher looked at all of them wondering what he was going to play, and then someone tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to see who it was. “Here you go, Mr. Winters,” the young man said as he was holding a white Fender Stratocaster and, on the shoulder strap, was stitched the name Christopher Winters.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh, thank you,” Christopher said as he accepted the guitar and placed the strap around his shoulders and then followed the rest of the musicians through some curtains. As they were walking together in the dark, he could hear – practically feel – what seemed to be a huge audience outside and there was a montage of short clips of songs playing over the speakers. Christopher instantly recognized them all as songs that Ritchie Blackmore had played on, various songs from Deep Purple, Rainbow and Blackmore’s Night. They took their places on stage in the darkness and, when the lights suddenly came on, Christopher was looking into a vast auditorium of at least fifty thousand people. It was truly mind boggling! Never in his entire life had he ever seen so many people! Then, he looked into the audience…and he couldn’t believe it. Marie Osmond was sitting in the front row! Marie Osmond! His dream girl! But…who was that she was sitting with? It wasn’t Donny. Could it be…no! She didn’t get married again, did she? Nooooooo! Then, something happened that almost made him feel as though he were floating on a cloud. Marie looked directly at him, smiled, and gave him a huge thumbs up. Marie was looking at him as if she knew him! And, just a few seats down from her were his parents looking at him and beaming with pride. Feeling foolish, he waved at them and they waved back. Then, he noticed a beautiful woman with long, dark hair sitting next to them looking at him lovingly and he could not take his eyes from her. She was so beautiful! He felt like he should know her. Then, he realized who it was, he could feel it. It was his wife, Vanessa…and she looked a lot like Marie Osmond! All of it was happening so quickly, so much to take in, and he still really had no idea what was going on. Then he looked over to his side and he froze in place. Standing right next to him and holding his famous white Fender Stratocaster was the Man in Black, himself – Ritchie Blackmore! And he was smiling at him! “Hello, mate,” he said. “Uh, hello, Mr. Blackmore.” “Call me ‘Ritchie’, mate.” “Um, sure thing…Ritchie,” he said slowly still finding it hard to believe that he was actually talking to his hero, and he was actually going to be playing guitar alongside him. “Hello, everybody! Are you ready to have some fun, tonight?” Candice spoke into the microphone, her soft voice booming throughout the auditorium. The giant crowd roared an enthusiastic yes. “Alright! We want to thank all of you for coming out tonight for this tribute to Mr. Ritchie Blackmore and, as you can see, we brought along a few friends,” she said as she turned to indicate all of the other musicians, the crowd roaring again in approval and continued to do so for several moments until everyone in the auditorium was now standing. A standing ovation and they had not even played one note, yet! “Okay, here we go. I’m sure that all of you will recognize this one,” she said and all of the musicians as one started tearing into the opening of ‘Highway Star.’ Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Christopher slowly opened his eyes and realized his alarm was going off. Groaning, he reached over to switch it off and then lay back in bed as he stared at the ceiling with a smile on his face. That had been such an incredible dream! He had actually playing alongside Ritchie Blackmore at a concert! Right! As if that was actually ever going to happen! Still, it had been a wonderful dream and, as much as he was trying to remember as much of it as he could, he could tell that he was already, unfortunately, beginning to forget a lot of the details…and now it was time to get ready for school.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell He got up, quickly made his bed and then brushed his teeth and jumped in the shower. Once he was out, he toweled off, looked in the mirror to see if he finally needed to shave (no luck), got dressed, and made his way downstairs. His father was sitting at the kitchen table reading his paper. “Hey, Dad!” “Morning, son,” his father said. Christopher went up to him and hugged him. As he did so, he noticed that his father’s coffee mug was empty. He took it to the kitchen, poured some more coffee into it, and set it back on the table, his father smiling appreciatively at him. “Where’s Mom?” He walked back to into the kitchen to fix himself a bowl of Frosted Flakes. “She had to leave for work early. Trying to get a project done before a deadline and she’s having to put in some extra time.” “I wish she would take it easy. I worry about her,” he said as he sat down at the table with his breakfast. “You worry about her? Shouldn’t that be the other way around, parents worrying about kids instead of vice versa?” He grinned. “I guess so,” Christopher said as he quickly munched away. He wanted to hurry so he wasn’t late for the bus. Yesterday he had barely made it in time. “So, are you ready for the competition?” “I guess so.” “You’ll be great. You’re very gifted, Chris, I mean that. I don’t know where you get it from because it certainly isn’t me,” he laughed. “Thank, Dad. Oops! I better go,” he said as he looked at his Spider-Man watch and got up off his seat, placed his bowl in the sink and then gave his father one last hug. “I love you, Dad.” “And I love you. Have a good day at school.” “I will,” he said as he picked up his guitar case and duffel bag, walked out the front door and started walking quickly down the sidewalk. As he turned the corner, he saw the last few kids climbing into the bus. His eyes widened and he started running towards the bus as fast as he could. The doors shut and the bus started pulling away. “Noooooooooo!” he yelled frantically as he picked up his pace even more. The bus continued to move forward for a few moments and then suddenly came to a stop as the doors opened once again. Christopher proceeded to run until he was climbing the steps into the bus. “Hey, Christopher!” the driver, a portly, friendly-looking man in his fifties said. “Thanks for stopping, Mr. Jenkins!” “No problem, Chris,” he said as he closed the doors and the bus started to move forwards. Christopher walked the aisles with his heavy loads to the back where he found an empty seat and collapsed; thinking for the hundredth time that it would sure be nice to have a car.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

ONE

He sat in his chair at the front of the room with a look of intense concentration on his face, a look that made him seem older than his years. His eyebrows were narrowed and his jaw slightly locked. However, there was also an expression of confidence and lucidity, a small grin on his lips. He knew he was doing well and had everyone’s attention, completely enraptured with his beautiful playing. He had only been assigned the piece less than three weeks ago, but his playing of it was flawless, as if he had been playing it for years. His fingers moved across the fret board with a natural grace, a grace of years and years of dedication, practice and passion. The fingers of his right hand, his fingernails slightly longer than the ones on his left, gently plucked and moved swiftly over the nylon and silver plated copper strings of the instrument. He very rarely used a pick, utilizing one only sometimes on the rare occasions when playing more contemporary music. However, when playing classical pieces, using your fingers was the more preferred method, and he wanted to stay in the tradition of the masters and honor them and their legacy. As he finished the last notes of the piece, there was a momentary silence as the notes hung in the air, and then the other students started clapping in appreciation. He smiled a boyish grin and, once again, he looked all of his sixteen years. The instructor, a man in an old suit and slightly askew tie who appeared to be in his early forties, was sitting in a chair about twenty feet in front of him and had been listening to and watching his every move, looked at him with an expressionless face for a few seconds and he momentarily thought that he had hit a wrong note somewhere. His mind immediately raced through the entire piece and he did not recall one wrong note whatsoever. He was sure of it. He had practiced it for hours on end until he was happy with it…and then practiced it some more for the sheer enjoyment of playing it. The instructor continued to look at him and then smiled. “That was very good, Christopher. Very good, indeed,” he said in a calm voice as he made some notes in his notebook. “Your playing of the piece was very graceful and fluid and I see that you’ve improved your posture. Very nice. How do feel about the piece?” “I think it’s a beautiful piece, Mr. Hudson. Andres Segovia is certainly difficult to play, but I felt that I was able to bring about the passion and beauty that Mr. Segovia was expressing. While I was playing, I felt both…lost and that I had found myself at the same time. Like I was wandering around somewhere I had never been and, at the same time, I knew exactly where I was and how to get back home, if that makes sense.” Mr. Hudson smiled in approval. “Very nice assessment, Christopher. Please have a seat. Michael, are you prepared?” he said as he turned around and regarded the class. “Yes, sir.” A tall, skinny boy holding his acoustic guitar proceeded to walk to the front of the room. “You may proceed,” the instructor said as the young man sat down and placed his hands in the proper positions.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher watched him alongside the rest of the class and smiled, but was not really listening. He was too lost in the class appreciation of his assigned piece and thinking about the scholarship. The recital was practically only days away and he wanted to be ready for it. Christopher had been playing the guitar since the age of five, ever since he had seen a video of his favorite guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, on television and had become enraptured with the magic of the instrument. He had listened to other popular guitarists throughout the years and admired them, but Ritchie Blackmore was his favorite. Mainly, he preferred the acoustic instrument and the quiet grace of it, but, every now and then, he would play around on an old Fender Stratocaster that he had purchased at a pawn shop that he had once spent an entire summer mowing laws for. To be able to do something like that someday, do nothing but make music, would be a dream come true. He walked with the other students out of the classroom when the bell rang, carrying his guitar case and old duffel bag, and headed for the small relaxation area that was located on the north end of the school just outside of the library. Sitting at her favorite table under the shade of the large oak tree was Susan with her nose in a book, as usual. Susan was a pretty girl with long, wavy blonde hair that was slightly moving in the light breeze. She looked over when she heard somebody approaching her. When she saw Christopher, she smiled and put her book down. “So, how did it go today, maestro?” “Pretty good. No complaints,” he said as gently placed his case and duffel bag on the table and sat down. “Pretty good? That’s it? I was expecting you to say that there was cheering and thunderous applause.” He smiled. “Not today. Last time they did that, everyone got detention for it and blamed it on me.” “Seriously, how did it go?” “I went well. I was happy with it and so was Mr. Hudson.” “Did he mention anything about the scholarship?” “No. The recital is just a few days away and only about half a dozen students are going to be able to audition for it.” “Nervous?” “At this point, I am past nervous and have moved into strangely calm…but still nervous,” he grinned. “I would be scared to death, trying out for Juilliard.” “Honestly, Susan, I am a little scared. Not because I don’t think that I’m good enough, but because if don’t get it, I’ll feel like I’ve let everyone down, especially my parents.” “Christopher, don’t say that.” “I try not to think about it and just stay positive, but my father worked double shifts for six months so he could afford to get me this classical guitar when I was twelve years-old,” he said as he placed his hand on the case and stroked it. “I don’t want him to think that he went through all of that for nothing, that I’m just a failure.” “Christopher,” Susan placed her hand on his forearm and lightly squeezed it, “he would never think that.” “I know that,” he said, still smiling. “I guess I really am nervous. If I don’t get it…I don’t know what I’ll do. We’re both seniors and, in a few months, we’ll both be done with school. If I don’t get it…I really haven’t thought about what I’m going to do. The only thing that really interests me in life is being a musician. I don’t really care about the money and all that.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Although, it would be nice to live in a house that’s larger than the average person’s living rom. I just want to be able to make a living doing something that I love. How many people in life are really that lucky?” “Not many. My mother is a hairstylist and she hates it. Daddy is a lawyer and I guess he does okay, but all he ever does is complain about how boring and frustrating it is and he usually gets home late. Sometimes I hear them fighting about it and taking it out on each other.” “That’s what I mean. I don’t want to…” “To what?” Christopher paused before speaking, a guilty look on his face. “I don’t want to grow up and…and be my Dad. All he does is work his fingers to the bone at the warehouse and never seems to get anywhere except more and more tired. Those are his two favorite words – I’m tired. Drives my Mom crazy,” he said while rolling his eyes. Susan could sense that Christopher had a lot on his mind and it was really starting to weigh on him…again. It was too much for a Thursday afternoon, the weekend almost here, and she wanted to lighten things up a little. “Uh, I wrote another story,” she said tentatively. Christopher’s eyes widened. “Really? Do you have it with you?” “Right here,” she said as she opened a folder and pulled out a small stack of papers with a paper clip holding them together. “Awesome! Do you have a copy of it?” “This is a copy. I thought, if you have time, you mind want to read it later.” “Do I want to read it, she says. I can’t wait to read it. I’ll read it tonight after supper,” he said as he looked at the stack admiringly and then back at Susan. “You really are a good writer, Susan. I’m going to be buying your books, someday.” “Yeah, right!” “I’m serious! You’re good! You should send some of your stuff out, see what happens.” “Well…I have sent a few things out to some small magazines. Nothing yet, though.” “Keep trying, it’s just a matter of time. You’ve got a real talent.” “Thank you, Christopher. I really appreciate that. In fact…” “What?” “Well, nothing’s definite, but the school paper might publish one. They’re thinking about it.” Christopher beamed, almost leaping from his seat. “That’s great! See, good things are just around the corner for you. Just keep plugging away and before you know it, you’ll be doing appearances and signing autographs.” “Oh, stop,” she said bashfully, turning slightly red. “You’ll see. Good things always come to those who are positive.” “I suppose so. You should try listening to yourself; it would do you some good.” “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” he smiled, “If I can talk it, I should be able to do it, also.” “There you go!” They smiled at each other and suddenly Susan’s eyes widened. “What? Do I have a zit?” Christopher said while feeling his nose with his right hand. “No, silly. I just remembered, Ronald Lexington is going to be doing an appearance later on today at Borders!” “Oh, not him again!” “Christopher, he never does appearances! You have to go with me!” “Why? I’ve never read any of his stuff.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “And you should!” “I’m not into horror; I like sci-fi. Star Trek and Star Wars.” “It’s not all horror. There’s always a love story intertwined in with the main story,” she said as she opened her book. “There’s another reason not to read him.” “Oh, you would like it if you just gave it a chance. He’s written over thirty books and I’ve read all of them except this one and I’m already half way through it. His writing is so graphic and vivid, but his love stories are so romantic and passionate. Sometimes…” “What?” “Sometimes I’ve even cried while reading his books,” she said while hanging her head down for a second before looking back at Christopher. “What?” “I thought you might laugh at me.” He smiled at her. “I would never do that. I think it’s great that someone’s writing can touch you like that, just like some of the music I listen to can sometimes move me in an emotional way.” She smiled and moved the open book so that they could both see the picture of him on the inside of the back jacket. “There he is.” “Uh. He’s old.” “Christopher, don’t say that. It’s mean!” “What? He is.” She looked back at the picture of the man who looked to be at least sixty with admiration. He was a dark-haired man with a look of intelligence and sophistication about him. He was dressed in an open collar shirt and hanging around his neck was a silver necklace with a small cross hanging from it. He seemed to be a little uncomfortable in front of the camera, as if it were intruding on him. “He’s so handsome,” Susan said dreamily. “Handsome? He’s old!” Susan closed her eyes and sighed and then looked at the picture again and stared at it for a few seconds before speaking again. “I read a biography on him last year. As I recall, he wasn’t too happy about somebody writing a book about him because he values his privacy so much. He was born in England and his family moved to America right before he turned six years-old. It said he wanted to be a writer ever since he was a teen-ager and he had his first book published when he was twenty-four. His family wasn’t too happy about it, they wanted him to be a doctor or lawyer or something, but he wanted to spend his life using his imagination instead of just doing the same old thing every day. Kind of like you,” she grinned. “Sounds like a cool guy. It must have taken a lot of guts to go against his family’s wishes like that.” “Well, his parents finally came to understand how he felt, and I’m sure all of the success that he’s had hasn’t hurt either.” “I bet! He must be rolling in it.” Susan stared at the picture again with a hurt look in her eyes. “See that cross that he’s wearing? His father gave him that when he was six years-old, right before they left from home. He never takes it off. His father made it for him; it’s the only one of its kind.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “It’s nice,” Christopher said, examining it. “He’s never been married,” she said tenderly. “I can tell by his writing that he’s a very loving and passionate person, but…I guess he’s never been able to find…her.” Christopher gazed at Susan as she stared at the picture, then at the picture, then back to Susan. “Hello? Earth to Susan.” He waved his hand in her face. “Stop it,” she smiled and then became serious again. “Christopher! You have to come with me!” “Oh, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnn…” “Please?” He sighed. “What time?” “Six o’clock. He’s only going to be there for a couple of hours. He never does appearances and I want to meet him so much. Plus, I brought my camera,” she said as she pulled a small, digital camera from her pocket. “I need you to take a picture of us.” “Six o’clock it is, then.” “Thank you. He’s my favorite writer and I really want to meet him.” “Maybe he’ll even give you a kiss,” he kidded. “Stop that,” she said, embarrassed. “You know, he went to our high school.” “I heard that, but I thought it was just a rumor.” “Nope, he graduated from here back in 1963. He lived in lot of places for awhile, New York, Los Angeles, but he moved back here about fifteen years ago and has been here ever since. He never does appearances or autograph signings or anything like that. I was always hoping I might seem him sometime at the mall or the grocery store or something, but I guess he hardly ever leaves his house. Always writing.” “If I lived in that house, I would never leave it, either! The thing is huge!” “It just seems like so much for one person,” she said in a low voice as she looked off into the distance, as if she could see it from where she was sitting. Christopher smiled at her, knowing that she was thinking about her dream man. It had not been the first time that she had spoken of him in a more than just an admiring way. “Well, I’ll read the story tonight,” he said as he opened his duffel bag to put it in and a large stack of comic books fell out. Christopher quickly gathered them up before any of them could spill to the ground. Susan caught a few of them as they poured towards her. “Oh, so you make fun of me because I read horror books with love stories, but you read comic books?” “What’s wrong with that?” he said as he continued to stack them very gently into a pile. “Oh, please!” “What?” “Guys in costumes flying around and beating each other up? Please!” “They’re cool!” “You’re such a nerd.” “I know.” “What’s so cool about it?” “The characters and the stories. Don’t think that just because comic books tell stories with words and pictures instead of just words that they’re dumb. There’s a lot of drama and conflict. If comic books were just a bunch of guys in costumes fighting, nobody would care. There has to be a story.” Susan looked at the cover of one of the books and regarded it.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Spider-Man? Okay, I know him.” “Did you see the movies?” “Sure, they’re on all the time. Tobey McGuire is cute.” “Whatever. Well, then, if you like the movies, you would like the comic books.” She thumbed through the pile she had; they were all different titles. “What the difference between all of these? They all look the same. Guys flying around and fighting with monsters.” “What the difference?” he said incredulously. They’re all different characters. They’re not all the same. They all have different powers and origins. Different stories.” “I still think they all look that same.” “Well, they’re not,” he sighed. “Look, there are two major comic companies. Marvel and DC. There are a lot of other independent publishers, but Marvel and DC are the two majors.” Susan looked at him with a blank stare. “And…what’s the difference between the two of them?” she said as she gestured with her hand in a bored manner to tell her more. “Well, I think Marvel is the best. They publish Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, the X-Men, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, among others. DC is known for Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow and the JLA. I’m a Marvel Man,” he said proudly. “My faves are Spider-Man and I really like Captain America and Thor. And, of course, the Fantastic Four are the greatest super hero team of all time. I also really like a character called Adam Warlock. He had his own series in the 70’s, but it wasn’t that popular and wasn’t around for very long. In 1991, there was a limited series called the Infinity Gauntlet and he was one of the main characters in that. Shortly after that, he got his own series called Warlock & the Infinity Watch and, also, the Warlock Chronicles, but that series only lasted…” He began to drone off as he realized that Susan was looking at him with a blank face. “What are you talking about?” “Comic books.” “You are such a nerd.” “I know,” he said as he gathered up the books and placed them gently in his bag. As he did so, a folder slipped out and fell into Susan’s lap. As she picked it up, a picture fell out and she quickly grabbed it before the wind could get it and carry it away. “What’s this?” she said. “Uh, that’s nothing,” Christopher said as he tried to quickly grab the picture away from her. “Wait a minute,” she said as she moved the picture away from him so she could get a better look at it. “I recognize her. That’s Marie Osmond!” “Uh…yeah,” he said, embarrassed. “You like Marie Osmond?” her eyes widened. “Yeah, what about it?” he said defensively. Susan looked at him and started laughing. “What?” She grabbed the folder away from him before he could react and opened it. There were at least a dozen pictures of Marie Osmond. “Oh my God! Look at all these pictures!” she laughed. Susan had laughed so loudly that people were starting to stare at them. Christopher quickly took his folder from her and stuffed it into his bag. “Marie Osmond!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “What’s so bad about that?” Christopher said, his face red. “She’s old!” “No she’s not!” he said defensively. “She has to be around fifty!” “So?” “So, that’s old!” “She’s not old, she’s….” “She’s what?” “She’s…she’s beautiful,” he muttered. “Oh my God! You have a crush on Marie Osmond!” “Yeah? And?” “She’s old enough to be your mother!” “So?” “How long have you had a crush on her?” “Ever since I saw her on Dancing with the Stars. It was the first time I ever saw her.” “And all this time you’ve has a crush on her?” “Yeah. I think she’s beautiful. Plus, she’s so funny and seems so friendly.” “You have a crush on Marie Osmond,” she said playfully. “Yeah? And? You already said that! At least she’s not as old as that writer guy. That’s old!” “No, it’s not!” “Sure it is. If Marie Osmond is fifty, then sixty is even older. He’s old!” Susan stared at him with a small frown on her face, and they regarded each other, neither one of them saying a word…and then they both started laughing. “Marie Osmond,” she grinned. “Yeah.” “She really is beautiful, Christopher,” she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.” “I can’t wait to tell everyone that you have a crush on Marie Osmond.” “No!” “Oh, yes!” “Susan, please don’t,” he begged. “I have to, it’s too good!” “Don’t!” Susan was enjoying playing with him and the terror-stricken look on his face was priceless. Finally, she decided to relent so he could rest in peace. “I’m just playing, Christopher. I would never tell anybody.” “Thank you.” “I won’t tell anybody right now, but I’ll keep it in mind. You never know when such useful information might come in handy.” Christopher stared at her. “You are evil,” he finally said. “I know, and you’re a nerd.” “I know.” “Well, it looks like lunch is almost over. It’s been enjoyable, today.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell It certainly has been for you,” he said as they gathered their things and got up. “Marie Osmond,” she teased. “Alright, already!” “I think it’s cute.” “Well, I’m glad that you think it’s cute. Can we drop it now?” “Marie Osmond.” “I’m leaving now. Talk to you later.” “Okay, I’ll see you after school.” “Sure thing.” He picked up his guitar case and wrapped the strap of his bag around his shoulder and walked off. “Oh, Christopher!” “What?” he said as he turned around. “Marie Osmond!” He turned back around and kept walking.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

TWO

The bell sounded, mercifully ending the last class of the day, and Christopher gathered up all of his things and headed for the door. Susan was waiting at the front of the school with an excited look on her face. “Ready to go?” “You mean am I ready to leave school? I’m always ready for that!” “Let’s go ahead and head to Border’s. There’s probably already a line,” she said as she started hunting for her keys in her purse. Christopher looked at her with a mixture of admiration and depression as she went through her purse. He would love to have a car of his own instead of bumming rides off of friends or taking the bus all the time, but that seemed to be such an impossibility right now, he would be better off wishing for a pair of wings. “Found them!” she said as she pulled a keychain out with at least a dozen keys on it. “I’m surprised you can find anything in there,” Christopher said while looking at the large bag. “What do you mean?” “Look how big that purse is. It’s bigger than my Mom’s! What do you carry in there?” “Why?” “I’m just curious. Why do women need so much stuff? Do you keep a small house in there or what?” “No, I don’t carry everything in here. I have…let’s see,” she said as she rummaged through it. “My keys, cell phone, wallet, brush, lipstick, eyeliner, compact, tissues, a couple of cds, my iPod, I brought my digital camera with me today, pens, let’s see…” “I’m sorry I asked.” “You wanted to know.” “And you actually use all of that stuff every day.” “Usually.” “How come a guy can get by just using a wallet and nothing else?” “Because women are more sophisticated than men are.” “Oh, they are?” “Of course. We’re more mature. Besides, what do you carry in that ugly duffel bag, besides comic books and pictures of Marie Osmond?” she teased. “Let’s see,” he said rifling through his bag. “Comics, my Marie folder, some school books, music books and notepads, a Star Trek book I’m reading, more comics…and that’s it,” he said proudly. “See? Men are not as high maintenance as women are. We keep it nice and simple.” “You mean not as sophisticated. Well, shall we go?” “Lead the way. Who knows? Once we get there, you might be ending the day with a new boyfriend.” “Stop that!” They both laughed as they headed for Susan’s car, a blue Jetta that was a couple of years old, and were soon at Border’s. “Oh, look! There are so many cars here!” Susan wailed as she looked at the crowded parking lot.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Isn’t that what you expected?” “It’s only 4:30! He’s not scheduled to be here until 6:00!” “It looks like you’re going to have to compete for his attention with the other girls,” he smiled. Susan was so distraught looking at all the cars in the parking lot that she did not even bother responding to his playful taunt. “Well, I guess we can go ahead and park here and go in,” she said wearily as she pulled into a space and they both got out and walked into the store. A small line had already formed, but there were a lot of other people sitting at the coffee station and wandering around the store. In the center of the store was a table and chair set up announcing Ronald Lexington’s appearance and there were dozens of his books on displays surrounding the area. Susan stared at it longingly, already seeing herself talking to the actual Ronald Lexington and mentally preparing what she wanted to say to him when she finally saw him in the flesh. Christopher looked at her and grinned. “Earth to Susan,” he said as he waved his hand in front of her. Susan blinked and smiled. “Well, it looks like we have some time to kill. What do you want to do?” she said. Christopher looked around and saw something that caught his attention. “Ooh!” he said wide-eyed. “What?” Susan said looking in the direction of whatever it was that caught his attention. “Come with me,” Christopher said, as if he were a soldier with a mission to accomplish. They walked across the store and soon arrived at the graphic novel section. Susan sighed in boredom, Christopher smiled in delight. His eyes almost completely glossed over as he scanned the shelves of the various sized novels and he suddenly saw something that caught his eye and pulled out one of the colorful books. “Look at this!” he exclaimed happily. “The new volume of the Essential Captain America! I don’t have this one!” “Is that a good thing?” Susan yawned. “No, it’s terrible. I’m glad I came down here today so I can pick this up. Look at this.” He showed the book to Susan and started flipping through the pages. “Captain America is one of the greatest super heroes of all time. Probably the greatest! Back in the early forties, Steve Rogers was a very patriotic guy who wanted to join the Army and serve his country, but he was so small and scrawny, they wouldn’t take him. He volunteered for an experiment called Project Super Soldier and became Captain America – a living legend! He fought in dozens of wars and his greatest enemy was the Red Skull, one of Hitler’s minions, and he was responsible for killing Captain America’s partner, Bucky and, indirectly, sending Captain America into suspended animation. He stayed that way for about two decades until he was discovered by Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The Avengers eventually found him floating at sea in a block of ice and thawed him out and he joined their ranks and soon became their leader. He really is the super hero that all super heroes are measured by. What makes him so special is that he is a regular guy. He can’t fly or turn invisible or anything like that. He’s the world’s greatest fighter and his courage and bravery are unsurpassed. The only weapon he ever uses is his shield which he can throw and it can return to him like a boomerang. Unfortunately, he was killed during the Civil War storyline, but I think he is going to come back. You can’t kill Captain America!” he said excitedly. Christopher looked at Susan who was staring at him with a bored look on her face.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “You’re such a nerd.” “I know,” he said happily as he pulled out his wallet and started thumbing through it. “Oh, give me that!” she said as she pulled the book away from him. “It’s on me.” “Really?” “Really. I just want you to promise to take some good pictures.” “Consider it done. Wow! Thanks!” “No problem.” “So, what now? We still have some time to kill.” “Well, I guess we can look around some more. Let’s go to the music section and look at cds. Maybe something new came in that I don’t know about.” “Lead the way!” The spent some time rifling through various cds until they both found something that they wanted. “Look here,” Susan said waving a cd in front of her happily. “The new Mariah Carey. This is supposed to be her best album yet. I can’t wait to listen to it. I’ve already heard the new single on the radio a dozen times and I love it!” “Well…whatever. Look what I have,” he said holding up his cd. “What is it?” she said skeptically. “Is it something boring?” “Of course not. It’s an Yngwie Malmsteen cd that I don’t have.” Susan looked at the cd blankly and then back at him. “Is that a guy or a group?” “It’s a guy, but he started off in two separate groups before he went solo.” “What does he play? Guitar?” “Of course, he’s one of the best. He’s Swedish. He first started off in groups like Steeler and Alcatrazz before he released his first solo album in 1984, which was mostly instrumental. Since then, he’s released over a dozen albums, all of which are awesome! On one album, his vocalist was Joe Lynn Turner, who used to be in Rainbow, and can you guess who was the guitarist for Rainbow?” Susan looked at him, waiting for him to answer such an incredibly relevant question. “The one and only, Ritchie Blackmore, of course!” “Of course,” she repeated. “I like his style. He mainly plays a lot of hard rock, but a lot of it is based on classic themes. He even put out an album in 1998 where he is playing pieces that he arranged with an orchestra. It rocks! It’s one of my favorite cds!” “Whatever. Let’s go pay for all of this stuff and then stand in line before it gets longer.” They walked up to the counter and paid for their purchases and then took their places in the line, which by now was rather sizeable. The two of them passed the time in different ways. Christopher was reading his new Captain America book and then got into a conversation with a boy behind him about comic books and which ones they thought were better. Susan was talking with a couple of girls about Ronald Lexington’s books and debating on the ones that they liked best. Soon, it was almost 6:00 and an announcement came on over the store speakers. “Attention all Borders shoppers. Ronald Lexington is now in the store and is making his way to the middle of the area where he will be singing autographs. If you would like to meet him, please step into the line that has now formed. Thank you.” “Oh my God!” Susan said under her breath while clutching her book to her chest. “He’s in the store! He’s really here!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Now, now. Calm down. You might get yourself so worked up, you’ll faint and we’ll have to call you an ambulance to take you away,” Christopher kidded. Susan either ignored him or did not hear him as she stood on her toes, looking around the store for her man. Two men, both of them wearing nice suits appeared from the back of the store. One of them was Ronald Lexington. Unlike the other man, Ronald Lexington was not wearing a tie and his collar was open a few buttons. “There he is!” Susan squealed. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ronald Lexington,” the man standing beside him announced and the entire line cheered. “Mr. Lexington will be singing autographs for the next two hours. Please keep the line as straight as possible and approach the table one at a time. Mr. Lexington will be taking time to meet with all of you. Thank you.” “Hello, everybody,” Ronald Lexington said in a faint English accent as he waved to the people in the line before taking his seat. He was obviously a bit apprehensive and shy about the crowd, but very friendly. “Oh! Did you hear him speak?” She turned and said to Christopher. “Uh…yeah. I think everyone did,” he said. “That’s one of the first time I’ve ever heard his voice. He still has an accent. All this time here and he still has a small accent. It’s sexy! He’s even more handsome in person!” “If you say so. I’ll take your word for it.” Susan turned back towards the table and was able to catch glimpses of him in between the various people standing at the table. She was constantly looking this way and that, slightly bouncing up and down with excitement as she still clutched her book to her chest. Christopher looked at her amused. He had never seen anyone get so worked up about meeting a writer. Then again, he thought he might react the same way if he ever got the opportunity to meet Ritchie Blackmore…or Marie Osmond. He had a comical thought about meeting Marie and, looking down, saw that he was walking on air as he floated up to her and then, when she saw him, her lips parted, revealing her beautiful smile and perfect teeth. She put her arms around him and gave him a big kiss right on the lips and“Christopher!” Christopher opened his eyes, startled. “What?” “Why were your eyes closed? You had a big grin on your lips.” “Oh…uh, I was just thinking about something.” “We’re almost there. I need you to hold the camera and get ready.” “Okay,” he said as he took it and looked at it…and then decided to have some fun. “Uh, Susan?” “Yes?” she said as she turned around. “Did you put new batteries in the camera?” “Why?” “Well, the light’s not coming on and I can’t get anything to work.” “What?” she exclaimed so loudly that several people looked at her. She quickly took the camera and inspected it…and saw that was nothing was wrong with it. She looked at Christopher with a shocked look on her face. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Susan shoved the camera back into his hands and turned her attention back to the table. There were only a few people left in front of her. “Dude,” the boy behind Christopher said smiling at Christopher, “that was so funny!” “Thanks,” he grinned. “I know it was cruel but I just couldn’t resist. It was too good an opening.” The boy laughed and Christopher felt a pulling on his shirt sleeve and turned around and almost bumped heads with Susan because she was leaning towards him. “Now, remember,” she whispered, “I want you to get a few pictures when he’s singing my book and when we’re talking, and then I’m going to ask him if we can get a picture together. Okay?” “Okay,” he said as he held the camera up, giving full indication that he was ready. Even though he had been kidding around, he wanted to make sure that he could get the best pictures possible because he knew how much this moment meant to Susan. He mentally told himself that these were going to be the best pictures that she had ever seen! The girl in front of Susan approached the table and started talking to Mr. Lexington. Susan turned around and smiled. “We’re next!” Christopher stepped out line and quickly got Mr. Lexington in frame and took a few pictures and stepped back into line. Susan smiled at him appreciatively. “Thank you, Mr. Lexington,” the girl at the table said as she left and Susan now had a direct line of sight with Ronald Lexington…and he was looking right at her with a smile on his face! “Oh…my…,” she whispered. Christopher looked at her and, judging by the look on her face, was actually afraid that she really was going to faint. “Hello,” Ronald Lexington said. Susan just stared at him. “Uh, Susan? He’s talking to you.” No reaction. He gently placed his fingertips on her back and nudged her forward until she started walking on her own. “Um…hello, Mr. Lexington,” she said quietly. “Hello, how are you today?” Mr. Lexington said. “I’m nice…how are you?” she whispered looking at him dreamily. There was a momentary silence. “So, would you like me to autograph your book for you?” “Oh! Yes!” Susan exhaled as she moved the book from her chest and accidentally dropped it on the floor. She quickly bent down and picked it up and then handed it to Mr. Lexington. He took it and opened the front flap. “What’s your name?” “My name?” Susan said. “Oh! My name! Of course! It’s…” and she suddenly had a quizzical look on her face, apparently forgetting the name she had lived with for the past seventeen years. “It’s Susan, Mr. Lexington,” Christopher said and Susan looked at him with an expression of I-can’t-believe-that-just-happened. “Susan,” he repeated while he wrote in the book. While he did this, Christopher took a few more pictures.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Um, I’m a big fan, Ronal-I mean, Mr. Lexington,” she stammered. “Thank you,” he said as he finished writing and closed the book and gave it to her. What’s your favorite book?” “My favorite? It’s…wow! I don’t know. They’re all so good!” He laughed and smiled appreciatively at her. Christopher looked at Susan and could not believe it. For the first time in her life, she was actually almost speechless! He thought that such a thing would have been impossible, but here it was happening right in front of him. “You know, Mr. Lexington, Susan is a writer, too.” Susan looked at Christopher with terror-stricken eyes. “Is she now?” “Yeah, she’s really good. In fact she’s just about to have a story published in the school paper.” “That’s jolly good,” he said as he looked at Susan admiringly. “You better watch out. Someday she’s going to be selling more books than you.” “Christopher!” Susan said turning red, completely mortified. The author laughed, clearly enjoying the show that was going on in front of him. “I don’t know if she’ll ever get around to asking you, sir, because she’s in love with you. “ “Oh my God!” Susan exclaimed as she covered her face with her hands. “Would you please take a few pictures with her?” “I would be happy to!” Susan’s eyes lit up. “Um, would you mind if I came around the table so we could be in the picture together?” “Of course! Please do,” he said as he scooted his chair back a few steps. Susan walked around the table until she was standing right beside him and Christopher began to take some pictures. Even adding more to her excitement, the author stood up, towering over her, and put his arm around her so that it was resting on her shoulder. She immediately noticed that he was still not wearing a wedding ring and her imagination soared. Christopher could tell that she was on cloud nine from the look of excitement on her face. When they were done, the author shook her hand. “Susan, it was nice to meet you, and keep on writing. I was about your age when I started. Christopher,” he said as he extended his hand, “it was nice to meet you, also.” “Thank you, sir.” Susan stared at him for a few seconds more before they walked away and looked back one last time before they were out of sight. As they were walking across the parking lot, Susan was practically skipping along like a little girl playing hopscotch. When they were sitting in the car, she immediately took the camera from Christopher and went through the photos on the small screen on the back of the camera. “Oh my God! They’re all excellent! All of them!” she exclaimed. “Well, I tried to do my best. You looked like you were about to burst apart at the seams when he put his arm around you.” “Oh! He was so nice, just like I knew he would be. Did you see his eyes? They were gorgeous! And his hair! Were you able to smell his cologne? It was heavenly! Did you see how tall he was? He had to be at least 6’1”! He was so…so…English!” she swooned. “Uh…yeah, I suppose.” “Oh, thank you, Christopher! I love all the pictures. I’ll do the same thing for you someday if you ever get to meet Marie Osmond!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh, yeah! Like that will ever happen!” he laughed. “Who knows? She and the Osmonds tour every now and then. They might come here.” “Sure, then all we have to do is get past a thousand fans, get past security, and ask her to pose for a picture. No problem.” “Well, you never know. It could happen,” she said as she went through the pictures again. “I’m looking forward to it,” he grinned. “So, where to now?” “Now we go home. I have a ton of homework to do and you have to get home so you can read my story.” “That’s right,” he said happily. “Also, there’s a special on William Shatner on the Sci-Fi network tonight that I want to see. There’s also going to be a small segment on the new Star Trek movie that comes out next year.” “Oh, please!” “I can’t wait! I’m going to be the first one in line.” “You’re such a nerd.” “I know,” he said smiling. Susan put the car in gear and they headed out

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

THREE

As he got off the bus, carrying his trusty duffel bag and guitar case, he saw Susan standing in front of the school talking to some friends. He immediately rummaged through his duffel bag and pulled out her story. As he walked up to her, he saw that she was now standing alone looking through a book. He set his face in a stone-like grimace and stood in front of her until she noticed him. After a few seconds, she finally raised her head from her book and saw Christopher standing in front of her. “Oh, Christopher! I didn’t see you standing there,” she said as she smiled and closed her book. He held up the story for her to see, still wearing his grimace. “My story! Did you read it?” He said nothing…just stared at her. “You…you didn’t like it?” she said with a hurt look on her face. He held the grimace for a few more seconds…and then smiled from ear to ear. “I loved it! I thought it was your best one yet!” “Really?” she said relieved. “With the way you were looking at me, I thought you hated it.” “Psych!” “Oh, you! Did you really like it?” “I really thought it was your best story yet. I really liked it. I like the way that whenever he is asleep and he dreams, he flies through his past and visits all the good people who have ever touched his life in some way. Then, he touches theirs, helping them in various ways out of whatever problems they might be having and they never know he was there. Then, at the end, you find out that he is paralyzed lying in a hospital and he can only use his gift on other people and not on himself. It was sad and uplifting at the same time. I really enjoyed it!” “Thank you!” “What gave you the idea for it?” “I don’t know. It just popped into my head. I suppose that’s the way it is with most writers.” “Speaking of which, did you dream of Ronald Lexington all last night?” “Stop that!” She blushed. “Have you decided what pictures you are going to frame yet?” “Christopher! If you don’t cut it out, the whole school is going to know that you like Marie Osmond before the day is over.” His smile immediately disappeared and was replaced with an expression of fear. “I thought that would work,” she said with satisfaction. “Well, at least you got to meet your dream man. Marie might as well be on another planet,” he smiled. “So, did you watch you TV show on Star Wars last night?” “Star Trek. Yes, it was really good. The movie won’t be out for a year, though.” “Why so long?” “Mainly for the special effects and all that. I can’t wait!” “I’m sure you can’t,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Oh, there’s the bell,” she said and, as one giant body, all the kids started slowly moving into the school and heading for their classes.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell As they walked into the building, they saw Mr. Hudson walking towards them. The music teacher was always walking briskly with his head slightly down, as if her were always on business and late for something, but he did not have a morning class until second period. Still, he seemed to be in a hurry to do…whatever. As he was rocketing through the hall, he saw Christopher and Susan approaching him. “Christopher,” he said, as if he were addressing a class instead of just one person, “I wonder if I might have a moment of your time if you don’t mind.” “Uh, I would like to Mr. Hudson, but I’m on my way to history right now.” “It will only take a moment. I’ll write you a note so as to alleviate any kind of trouble on your part.” “Uh, sure. Okay,” he said as he looked at Susan and then back at Mr. Hudson. “Excellent. It won’t take but a few moments. If you’ll escort me to my office?” “Sure,” he said as they walked off. As they did, Christopher looked back at Susan and mouthed with a questioning expression ‘what did I do?’ Susan, with an equally questioning look on her face, just stared at him until they turned the corner. As they entered Mr. Hudson’s office, a place that Christopher had rarely visited, he couldn’t help but notice that it looked the same as it always did – a mess. There were stacks and stacks of books and files everywhere and Mr. Hudson had to maneuver past a couple of piles to get to his seat behind his desk, which was amassed with more stacks of files and books. The only thing hanging on any of the walls, besides a clock that looked like it was about to fall to the floor at any moment, was an old painting of Ludwig Van Beethoven. “Well, Christopher, if you’ll please sit down,” the teacher said as he indicated the one chair in front of his desk. Christopher took the stack that was on the chair and found a spot on the floor to put it before he could take his seat. They sat looking at each other for a few moments, the only sound in the room the ticking of the old clock. Christopher adjusted himself in his uncomfortable chair and then cleared his throat, apparently deciding that it was up to him to initiate any kind of conversation. He could tell that something was on the music teacher’s mind, but he did not seem to know how to go about verbalizing it. “Uh, Mr. Hudson, am I in trouble or something?” “What? Oh, no, of course not,” he said as he laughed a forced chuckle and waved his hand as if he were trying to swat a fly away from him. More silence. “Okay, uh…why am I here?” Mr. Hudson suddenly looked troubled, a large crease appearing on his forehead. “Christopher,” he said as he leaned forward on his desk and locked his fingers. “I just wanted to tell you that, in all my years of teaching, you are without a doubt my finest student.” “Oh! Well, thank you, Mr. Hudson. I appreciate that.” He looked at Christopher admiringly for a moment and then lowered his head before speaking again. “This was something I was going to announce to all of the students in my classes when I had the chance, but…well; I just wanted to tell you this in private.” “What is it?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Son, I’m really sorry to tell you this because I know how much you were counting on it, and I really believe you would have been the one to win. Out of all the talented kids in my classes, I really believe that you would have been the one that they would have chosen.” “I’m sorry? What do you mean?” “The scholarship. It’s been cancelled. Withdrawn.” Christopher looked at Mr. Hudson blankly, the words taking a while to sink in. When they finally did, his face fell. “What? What happened?” he exclaimed in what felt like he was hearing himself talking in slow motion underwater. “The usual reason, cutbacks. I’m not sure of all the specifics right now. I just found out about this yesterday afternoon and I’ve been trying to make calls here and there, but, that’s what I’ve been told.” “But…but, Mr. Hudson, I’ve been looking forward to this for months! It…it just can’t be gone, just like that!” “Christopher, son, I really am sorry,” he said sympathetically. “You are so talented and I’m sure that there will be other opportunities open to you in the future.” Christopher, as ashamed as he was to be doing it, started to cry. “Sir, can’t something be done? Anything? That’s all I have right now! It was the only chance I have of finally leaving home and pursuing my dream! Without it…I don’t know what I’m going to do!” “Son, please believe me, things might look bleak right now, but you’re young. There will be oth—” “No, there won’t! What else is there? After high school, this was my only hope of going to college! And not just any college! Juilliard! What am I going to do now? Go to work at a warehouse like my father? Work at the grocery store? Never play music again?” “Christopher, please. I think you’re just assuming that things are just going to stay as bleak as they are right now. You are so young and so talented, so very focused and gifted. I’m sure that other doors wi—” “Will what? Just open? Just like that? Tell that to my father who’s been breaking his back for the past fifteen years and always hoping that things would finally get better. I was going to make things better for him! I was going to pay my parents back for all the hard times they’ve been through! It was all up to me!” “Son, that is such a noble thing to say and do. Most kids today are so selfish and such disappointments. You are a very special boy and a few years from now, I’m sure tha—” “Oh, save it!” he yelled as he gathered up his things and headed for the door. “Son, please!” Mr. Hudson rose up from his chair and tried to get around his desk, but Christopher was already out the door and running down the hall by the time he was out of his office. As he turned the corner, he almost ran into Susan as she was exiting the ladies room. “Oh! Christopher!” she exclaimed in surprise, and then saw the tears that were streaming down his face. “What happened?” “Nothing!” he yelled as he moved around her and continued to run down that hall, the contents in his duffel bag and his guitar case moving around and making a rather audible noise. “Christopher! Wait!” Susan yelled after him, but he continued to run away and out the front doors. He kept running in the direction of the bleachers until he was standing in front of them. Still crying, he jogged up them step by step until he was on the top, then collapsed, folding his

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell arms on his knees and lowering his head on them. He stayed like this for he did not know how long, letting his tears flow, until he heard a creaking in front of him. When he raised his head, he saw Susan standing in front of him. “Christopher, what happened?” she said concerned as she sat down beside him. “Nothing!” he said belligerently as he wiped away at his tear-soaked face and tried to hide from Susan. “Christopher, please tell me. I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on,” she said softly. He kept looking away from her for a few moments looking off in the distance, not saying anything, and then, trying to regain his composure, finally gazed back at her. “The scholarship. It’s gone,” he said in a monotone. “What? The Juilliard scholarship? Why?” “Something…something to do with cutbacks, something like that. I don’t know! It’s gone!” he said as he waved his arms in front of him and then refolded them on his knees. “Mr. Hudson didn’t say why?” “I don’t think even he knows all the reasons yet. It doesn’t matter anyway. My entire life just went down the drain,” he muttered as he lowered his head again and tried to keep from crying up another storm. “Oh, Christopher, I’m so sorry,” she said as she put her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Oh, hey! Something had to happen, right?” he said sarcastically. “Things were just going too well. Something just had to happen to ruin it all. I’m going to be stuck here for the rest of my life.” “Don’t say that,” she said. “Something else will come along.” “Oh, yeah?” he yelled as he quickly raised his head and looked at her. “What?” Susan, surprised at his sudden exclamation, just looked at him. “Well? What? I’m waiting!” “I…I…” “That’s what I thought! Everyone says that it’s all going to get better! That’s all they say! Well, how are they going to get better? I don’t see anybody telling me that!” “Christopher, I’m sorry tha—” “What are you sorry for? You’ve got your whole life ahead of you! You’re going to go to college and then become a famous writer! I’m just going to finish high school and then spend the rest of my life…I’m going to spend the rest of my life just…” He looked directly at her and, as much as he hated it, started openly crying again. Susan put her arms around him and cradled him to her so that her head was now resting on his. Even she was now starting to cry because she was feeling his pain and disappointment. They stayed that way for what seemed hours, the only sounds the wind and the occasional chirping of some birds. Thankfully, there was no physical education class this morning and they were not disturbed in any way. Sitting on the bleachers all alone together with not another soul in sight, it seemed as if they were the last two people on earth. Finally, trying to cheer Christopher up, Susan rose her head up and spoke gently to him. “Hey, how about we get out of here?” Christopher pretended not to hear her. “Hey,” she said as she gently shook him. “Let’s get out of here.” “And do what?” he said, still with his head down. “Whatever you want. It’s Friday. I think we could both use a day off, especially you.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh, sure. Let’s just add to it. It’ll be just my luck that they’ll make a call home and leave a message for my parents that I’m not here. We can overdose on all the good times.” “Christopher, nothing will happen. If they do call, you can erase the message before they get home and they’ll never know. Let’s go do something fun today.” “No!” he said in a tone of voice that, even considering the depressing circumstances, was funny because he sounded like a five year-old who was not getting his way and pouting. “Christopher…” she said thinking and then her eyes lit up. “We can go see that movie about that robot guy you like so much.” At first, there was no reaction. Then, Christopher slowly raised his head and looked at her. “Iron Man?” “Is that the robot guy?” “He’s not a robot. He’s a guy wearing a sophisticated suit of armor that he designed.” “Okay.” That was really all it took to get the ball rolling. “Did you know that Iron Man, who is really Tony Stark, was one of the founding members of the Avengers? In fact, he was one of the people responsible for finding Captain America when he was in suspended animation. He and Captain America were best friends and they were in a lot of battl—” “Okay! I get it! He’s a super hero guy!” “He’s not just a super hero; he is also a genius. Both he and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four are probably the two smartest people on the face of the earth. In fact, there was this one time whe—” “Christopher, do you want to go see the movie or not?” she said as she stood up. “The movies haven’t started yet. It’s too early.” “Then we can kill some time at the mall. We’ll do anything you want,” she said as she put her hands around his arm and started trying to pull him up. Reluctantly at first, he got up, and then quickly gathered up his belongings as he was already dreaming of seeing the movie for the third time and they both proceeded to walk down the bleachers and towards the parking lot. As they climbed into her car, Susan’s stereo came on and the familiar voice of Mariah Carey emitted from the speakers. Christopher immediately grimaced and Susan noticed. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Mariah Carey?” Christopher looked at her. “What’s wrong with Mariah Carey?” “Well…nothing, I guess. She has a good voice, but…” “But what?” “Where’s the guitar? All I hear is her wailing away and nothing else.” “Oh, so every form of music should have a guitar in it?” she said matter-of-factly. He smiled. “In a perfect world – yes.” “Well, you’re just going have to suffer through it. The whole world doesn’t revolve around Richard Backmore.” “Ritchie Blackmore.” “Whatever. Let’s go to the mall and look around,” she said as she put the car in gear and they headed out.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell They were soon at the mall and walking around. Even though it was a school day, no adults seemed to notice or care that two teen-agers were walking amongst them. They walked into a Macy’s and Susan immediately led them to the jewelry section. “What do you think of these?” she said as she showed a pair of earrings that she liked to Christopher. He looked at them with disinterest. “I guess they’re nice. Why?” “I’m going to get them. They’re cute,” she said as she started ruffling through her purse for her wallet. “Oh, hoping for a date? Is Ronald going to call you up? Did he slip you his number? Did you slip him yours?” Susan blushed and looked at him. “You know, it wouldn’t be hard for me to call up some friends on my cell and, before the day is up, everyone at school would know about you and Marie.” Christopher’s smile immediately disappeared. “I think the earrings are very nice and you should get them. They would look beautiful on you.” “That’s what I thought,” she said as she paid the woman at the counter and then they continued on their way journeying through the mall. They came across a music store and, not surprisingly, Christopher made a beeline straight for it, leaving Susan behind. As she entered the store, she saw Christopher picking up an acoustic guitar from its stand and sitting on a stool. He did a quick tuning of the instrument and, once he was satisfied, began to play a beautiful classical piece that she had heard before someplace, but had no idea what the name of it was. She watched with interest as his fingers glided over the strings and could not help admire the look of joy and contentment on Christopher’s face as he played the piece. If there were some clouds surrounding them, she could easily imagine the two of them in Heaven and Christopher as an angel playing a guitar instead of a harp. Apparently, she was not alone in her opinion because she took her eyes off of Christopher for a moment and noticed a small group of people standing around listening to and watching him. As he continued to play, the crowd began to grow larger and, in an unexpected surprise, one of the people tossed a couple of dollars into an open guitar case that was sitting next to Christopher. Several other people followed his example and then several more. Christopher looked down at the small pile of money in surprise and then at Susan. He mouthed “I don’t believe it” at her and she smiled, urging him on to keep playing. He did so for the next few minutes until the manager of the store walked up to see what the crowd gathered at the front of his shop was watching with such interest. When he saw Christopher sitting there playing, he was amazed. Here was a kid who could not be more than sixteen or seventeen playing some of the most beautiful music that he had ever heard. Usually, when some kids came in, they plugged in some electric guitars and started banging out some kind of noise using nothing but simple bar chords and trying to play as fast as possible. This was a nice surprise and he stood there with the other people, all potential customers, and listened for a few moments. As Christopher finished playing the last few notes, all the people started applauding. He stood up and, smiling, took a dramatic bow. He placed the guitar back on its stand and most of the people came up and shook his hand, showering him with compliments. When they were all gone, the manager of the store, an older man in a suit who looked more like an accountant than a music store owner, approached him.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Kid, that was on of the most amazing things I’ve ever heard!” he said in appreciation. “Thank you, sir.” “Tell you what, do you read music?” “Yes, sir.” “I had to get rid of my regular guy last week because he was starting to create problems. Couldn’t rely on him. Every Saturday, I run a workshop in the back for the kids who want to take lessons. How about you come back tomorrow and we can set something up? It would be some nice extra money for a high school kid. What do you say?” “Uh, wow!” Christopher said as he looked at Susan and then back at him. “That would be awesome!” “Great! Come back at 10:00 tomorrow morning and I’ll show you what’s what. You’ll love it! Who knows, you may even get some jobs for private lessons.” “Wow! Thanks! I’ll be here!” “Great! See you tomorrow, kid,” he said as they shook hands and then he walked back to his register where some customers were waiting. Christopher turned and looked at Susan, still beaming from what had just happened. “Did you see that?” he said open-mouthed. “Congratulations! You’re already on your way to stardom,” Susan said. Christopher kneeled down and gathered up all the loose bills and change and counted it, and then suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” Susan said. “I just realized something,” he said. “What?” “This is the first time I’ve ever been paid for playing music. Do you know what that means?” “What does it mean?” “I am now a professional musician,” he said proudly. “Oh, my God. You’re right,” she said excitedly. “Christopher, that is so awesome!” He smiled as he counted the rest of his first payment as a professional musician. “Come on! Lunch is on me!” “I hear that. I feel like Chinese.” “Your wish is my desire. Let’s head for the food court.” They made their way through the length of the mall and soon arrived at the food court. Following Susan’s lead, they purchased their meals at the Panda Express and quickly devoured everything, following up with some desserts from Mrs. Fields. Christopher particularly enjoyed his meal because it had been purchased with money earned from his playing, which made it all the tastier. As they talked for awhile about various things, Christopher giving more information about the history of the Marvel Universe, Susan noticed the time and they headed for the movie theater and were just in time for the first day’s showing of Iron Man. Even though Susan saw a poster for another movie that she would rather see, she said nothing because she wanted to keep Christopher’s mind off of the lost scholarship and on having a good time. Halfway through the feature, she had to admit that it actually was a good movie and she was enjoying it. Susan looked over at Christopher from time to time and had to grin at his wide-eyed expression of wonder as he was completely focused on what was happening on the forty foot screen. She thought it was wonderful that somebody could become so entertained and enthralled in something as simple and ridiculous as comic book characters.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell When the movie was over, they filed out of the theater with the rest of the surprisingly large afternoon crowd. “So how did you like it?” he said. “I thought it was pretty good, actually. It wasn’t as goofy as I thought it was going to be.” “Really?” he said as he stopped. “Do you want to watch it again?” “Don’t push it. Unless it stars Leonardo DiCaprio, I hardly ever see a movie twice.” “Leonardo DiCaprio?” “Sure. He’s he hottie.” “I guess so,” he said in a bored manner. “You know, he should do a super hero movie. That would be cool.” “Oh, God! He’s a serious actor. He doesn’t do super hero movies.” “No, he would be cool. He’s a good actor and intense. If he just bulked up some, he would make an awesome super hero. I could see him as…how about Iron Fist?” “You have to be kidding me!” she said as she stopped and looked at him with her eyebrows raised. “There is actually a guy running around called Iron Fist?” “Sure. He’s awesome!” “Does he actually have an iron fist? Is he another robot guy?” “No, he’s a martial artist. When he thinks about it, he can channel all of his energy into his fist and turn it unto a thing of iron. Hence, Iron Fist.” “That sounds even more ridiculous than a robot guy.” “No, he’s really cool. You know, if you teamed Leo up with Will Smith, you could have a Power Man and Iron Fist movie. That would be great!” “Whatever! Let’s get out of here. I have to get you home so you can see if the school called and left a message on your machine.” “Lead they way,” he said with a grand gesture. When they were in the lobby, he gently took Susan’s hand and stopped her. She looked at him and saw him gazing at her admiringly. What?” “I just wanted to thank you.” “For what?” “For today. For everything. Taking me out, making me feel better. You didn’t have to do that. This has been a really good day. It started off really crappy and turned into one of the best times I’ve ever had. Thank you.” “Oh!” she moaned playfully and gave him a hug. “You really are my best friend. You’re going to be a famous writer someday and I want an autographed copy of your first book.” “Only if I get a copy of your first cd and front row at your first concert.” “It’s a deal,” he said as they parted. “This has been a really good day,” he said smiling. “Nothing can happen to spoil it!” When they walked outside, it was pouring down with rain. “I stand corrected,” he said as they stood at the entrance of the mall under the metal frame. “It’s not so bad,” she said with a concerned expression on her face, looking up at the sky, not believing her own words. “I can barely see through it!” Christopher complained. “I hope you remember where you parked your car, because I sure don’t.” “It’s this way,” she said as she pointed to her right. “On the count of three, let’s run!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “One, two, three – go!” he said as they took off running through the thick shower and were quickly inside the car, both of them now soaking wet. “Well, that was fun,” he said. “It could have been worse. I could have forgotten where I parked the car.” “True. Well, let’s go. It’s probably going to take us longer than usual to get home. Wow,” he said looking out the window, “I can barely see a few feet in front of me. It’s really coming down. I can’t remember the last time it rained this hard.” “Me, neither,” Susan said as she started the car and they slowly proceeded forward. In about twice the time that it would usually take, they were stopped in front of Christopher’s house. The rain was still heavy and Christopher squinted out the window. “I don’t see either of their cars. Looks like we beat them,” he said happily. “That’s good,” she said. “Want to come in for awhile? There might be something good on TV.” “Sure. I would prefer not to drive all the way home in this rain. It’s getting close to rush hour and all the crazies will be out soon.” They exited the car, Susan carrying her purse because she wanted to download the pictures of Ronald Lexington that Christopher had taken onto his computer so he would have some copies, and ran to the front door. Christopher quickly pulled out his keys from his jeans pocket and was about to open the front door when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He looked over and, through the rain, saw what looked to be shining, dark circle hanging in the air. “What’s that?” he said with a quizzical look on his face. “What’s what?” Susan said, her arms wrapped around herself and shivering. “Over there,” he said, indicating what he was looking at. Susan looked at what he was talking about thinking that whatever it was, it could not possibly be more important than getting into the house as quickly as possible and drying off. Then, she was taken aback at dark hole that seemed to be sitting in the air. “Oh, my God! What is that?” she said. “I can’t tell,” Christopher said, wiping the hair from his eyes. “It looks like its growing.” Susan squinted at it and decided that he was right; it did appear to be growing. It may have been her imagination, but it also seemed like it was moving towards them. She suddenly felt very cold and wanted more than anything to get inside the house. “Christopher, let’s go inside!” “Wait a minute,” he said softly, “we don’t know what it is. What if it’s a…I don’t know. Let’s go check it out!” Susan looked at him as though he had just told her that he had found nude pictures of her on the internet. “Are you out of your mind? It’s pouring! We can look at it from inside the house!” “That won’t be as good,” he said smiling. “Come on, let’s go look at it,” he said as he slowly began to walk towards it, Susan slowly, reluctantly, trailing him. “Christopher, let’s go inside,” she whined. “I don’t like this!” “Look at it!” Christopher exclaimed when they were about twenty feet away from it, the rain surrounding it seemingly not as heavy. “It’s beautiful!” he said, mesmerized. The circle hanging in the air seemed to be a giant hole of some sort of about thirty feet in diameter. Although they could not see anything through it except darkness, it seemed as if there was something on the other side of it. More a sense of perceiving something than actually

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell sensing it. There also seemed to be a crackling of energy around it, as if it were surrounded by an electrical charge of some sort. “Wow! Look at that!” Christopher said smiling and wide-eyed, now completely oblivious to the rain. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s awesome!” Even Susan was now staring at it in wonder. “It is…it is beautiful,” she said. “Hey, do you smell that?” Christopher said sniffing the air around him. “It smells like…incense or something. Do you smell it?” he said as he looked at Susan. Susan sniffed the air and immediately knew what he was talking about. He was right. It was a sweet smell mixed with something…that smelled like electricity. That was the only way she could think to explain it. Then, she noticed that the giant hole in front of them seemed to be…pulsing in some way, as it were getting ready to do something. “Christopher, maybe we should go inside now,” she said slowly. He looked back at the circle, which now seemed to be looming over him and he was suddenly overcome with a sense of fear, his overwhelming need to investigate it now vanishing by the second. “Maybe you’re right,” he said backing away from it and standing in front of Susan as if to block the circle from her. Suddenly, two bolts of electricity shot from the middle of it, out to each of them and enveloping them, seeming to pull them towards it. They both realized what was happening as the two bolts seemed to reach out to them like a pair of claws, but it also happened too quickly to react in any way. They were both inside the circle now and all they saw around them was darkness.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

FOUR

“What happened?” Christopher said. Susan looked down at herself and saw that nothing had changed. The last thing that she remembered was that both she and Christopher had been struck by some kind of lighting from the circle and then there was a momentary darkness all around them, like they were suddenly inside the circle…which now appeared to be gone. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Do you feel alright? I think we were struck by some kind of lightning that shot from the circle.” “I think so, too,” he said as he looked down at himself and saw no evidence of any kind of electrical accident. He raised his head and looked around. “Hey! Where did the circle go?” he said as he looked around the area. “It looks like it disappeared. Do you have any idea what it was? Why it was here?” “Not a clue.” They looked at each other in bewilderment, each waiting for the other to give an answer as to what just happened. “Well, at any rate, let’s get inside. The rain has let up a bit, but it’s still coming down,” Christopher said and they ran up to the front door. He pulled the keys from his pocket and then placed one of them into the lock. For some reason, it did not seem to fit. Christopher rattled the key around some more and nothing happened. “What’s wrong?” Susan said with her teeth chattering. “The key won’t fit.” “Is it the right one?” “Sure. I only have a couple of keys and this is the only one to the house,” he said as he proceeded to try to jam the key in the lock and force the door open. A moment later, the door was quickly opened from the other side and an older woman that neither of them had ever seen before was standing before them. She had a scared and aggravated look on her face. “What’s going on?” the woman yelled. Christopher looked at her up and down as if she were some kind of strange animal. “Who are you?” he said. “Who are you and why are you banging on my door? What’s going on?” “What do you mean your door? I live here! What are you doing in my house?” “Your house?” she said. “I think you’ve made a mistake, young man. You must have the wrong address.” “No. This is 5198 Brooksmare Drive, isn’t it?” “Yes, it is.” “Well, I live here!” “Look, young man,” she sighed. “I really do not have time for this. You really should be ashamed of yourself trying to scare a woman like this.” “Ma’am, I’m not kidding. I live here. Look,” he said as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and showed her his driver’s permit. “See, there’s my address. The address is here!” The woman looked at it and then sighed in a bored manner.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Very funny,” she said. “If you’re going to try and use a fake I.D., you should at least try and get the dates right. Now, if the two of you do not kindly leave, I’m going to call the police. I mean it,” she said as she held her gaze on them for a few seconds and then closed the door. They could hear at least two locks being snapped into place after the door was shut. Christopher stared at the door as if he were still staring at the woman and then at Susan. “What did she mean by that?” “By what?” “The date thing,” he said as he looked as his permit and everything looked normal. Susan looked at it and saw nothing wrong with it, also. “Maybe she’s just a crazy old woman who…who…I don’t know,” she said shrugging. “Do you have any grandparents or uncles that you don’t know about?” “No, I’ve met almost everyone in my family and none of them looked that old. Besides, most of my immediate relatives are dead. My father’s mother died when I was little,” he said as he placed his wallet back in his pocket and then looked out at his front yard with a quizzical look on his face. “At least it’s stopped raining and…hey! Where’s your car?” Susan immediately circled and looked at the spot where she had parked her car. “Where’s my car?” she said quietly. “I don’t know.” “Where’s my car!” she screamed. “I don’t know!” Christopher said as he recoiled from her. “Oh, my God! Somebody’s stolen my car! My Daddy’s going to kill me!” she screamed as she ran from the porch and into the front yard so she could look down both sides of the street. Christopher followed her and looked around for the car, also. “It was just here! Nobody could have stolen it because we would have seen them.” “Then where is it?” Susan exclaimed. Christopher did not know what to say and he so much wanted to say something helpful. Susan was near hysterical and she was a girl, which meant that she could go around the bend at any moment. If that happened, he would be stuck with a hysterical, screaming, crying girl and there would be no escape. “Look,” he said, trying to think on his feet. “Why don’t we go to the police station? There’s one a few blocks away.” Susan seemed to think about it for a bit, and then sighed. “What’s wrong?” “I can’t go to the police station,” she said. “Why not?” “Because, I can’t!” “Because why?” “Because!” “Because why?” “Because! Just because!” “Just because why?” “Christopher!” “Tell me why.” Susan looked down and muttered something. “What?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I said because I got a speeding ticket last week. I haven’t told my parents about it, yet. If we go to the police station, they’re going to want to call home and then they’ll find out that not only did I get a ticket, but I also lost the car. They’ll never let me drive again!” Christopher looked at her, smiling. “What?” she almost snarled. “You got a ticket?” She didn’t say anything. “You? Little Miss Obey the Speed Limit at all Times?” Christopher looked at her, waiting for her to answer him. “Yes, I got a ticket,” she finally said. “For what?” “I was speeding.” “You? You were speeding? I don’t believe it! What were you speeding for?” “I was in a hurry to get home.” “For what? To do your homework? It’s not that important.” “No, I was…” “Was what?” “Nothing.” “Why were you speeding?” “You’ll just make fun of me.” “No I won’t.” “Yes, you will. I know you.” “I won’t.” “Promise?” “Promise. This must be really good.” Susan sighed and closed her eyes, as if bracing for some kind of impact. “I wanted get home in time for Smallville.” She didn’t hear anything for a few seconds so she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Christopher. He was looking at her with his lips tight. “You said that you weren’t going to make fun of me,” Susan warned. Christopher suddenly erupted into bodacious laughter, the sound of it carrying all the way down the street. Susan stared at him, not blinking, waiting for him to finish. After a few moments, he finally began to sputter to a halt. “Are you done?” “I might need a few more moments.” “Christopher!” “It’s funny!” “No, it’s not!” “It’s hilarious!” “No, it’s not!” “All that over a TV show?” “So? Haven’t you ever been in a hurry to get home so you wouldn’t miss something?” “I’ve never gotten a ticket for it!” “Because you don’t have a car! I bet if you did, you would be getting tickets all the time!” “Maybe, but I haven’t. You have!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “It’s not funny.” “Sure it is, and over Smallville.” “I thought you liked that show.” “Smallville? Why? “Because it’s about Superman and you’re into comics.” “No, it’s not about Superman because he hasn’t become Superman yet.” “So, you do watch the show!” “I’ve seen it a few times; I’m not really into it.” “Why?” “Superman is DC. I’m a Marvel man, remember?” “Whatever! As if there’s a difference!” “There’s a big difference! Marvel has Spider-Man and Capt—” “Please!” Susan barked and held up her palm. “Not another history on the comic people.” “Okay, so what now?” “Now we get back to finding my car. We can take care of the strange old woman in your house later.” “That’s easy for you to say. The strange old woman isn’t in your house.” “Well, you’re parents should be home soon and they’ll take care of her.” “I guess,” he said as he looked down the street, and then his eyes widened. “What about the message? The message is still there! I need to erase it!” “Oh, no!” “ ‘Oh, no’ is right! What do we do?” Susan stared off in the distance with a thoughtful look on her face for a few moments. “Well…we could try sneaking into the house and erasing it ourselves.” “How do we do that? She’s still in there.” She thought about it for a moment and then her eyes lit up. “I have an idea. You go in the back and look over the fence and check to see if the back door is open. Then come back here and tell me and I’ll knock on the front door. When she comes to answer it, you sneak in and erase the message on the machine and then run back out and meet me in front.” Christopher looked at the house and then back at her with a smile on his face. “How did you think of that?” “I saw it on tv before. I think it was on a rerun of Dawson’s Creek, or maybe it was the Gilmore Girls. Oh! I think it was on Seventh Heaven! No, wait, that’s not right. It might have even been on Small—” “Forget it! It’s not that important!” “You asked.” “And I’m sorry I did. I’m going to go look in the back and look over the fence. Be right back,” Christopher said as he walked around towards the rear of the house. He hopped on the lower ledge of the fence so he could look over it. Once he did, the backyard looked almost completely different. It seemed…cleaner, but old at the same time. He could only assume that his mother had done something with it earlier. At any rate, he was able to see that the sliding glass door was slightly open and he smiled. He hopped off the fence and ran back to the front of the house so that he could see Susan. Once he had her attention, he gave her the thumbs up sign. She gave it back to him and he watched her as she walked up to the porch and knocked on the door. Once it opened and he heard her and the woman talking, Christopher immediately ran

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell back to the fence and quickly hopped it. Hitting the ground hard, he tried to keep his balance so that he would not fall into any patches of water or mud. Every moment was crucial. It would take no more than a few seconds to erase the machine, but he was not sure how long Susan would be able to keep the woman’s attention. He looked inside the house and, not seeing anyone, slowly slid the door open and entered the house and was immediately taken aback. Everything looked different, so different that it was almost unrecognizable. The layout of the house seemed the same…and that was it. There were all sorts of different furniture and everything seemed so…old. Really old, like on one of those kinds of films that his parents liked to watch on Turner Classic Movies. The television was some kind of giant, wooden monstrosity that took up a lot of room and the couch was some large cushiony thing. He wondered when his parents had found time to go out and buy new furniture and why they had purchased things so hideous. He could not help to think that his home now looked like something completely out of place, like it was a set on an old sitcom or something. Even the air smelled old. Musty. For a moment, he even thought that he really was in a different house, but that would be impossible. His father had lived in this house for his entire life and he himself knew the house like the back of his hand. At any rate, it was time to stop sightseeing and get to business. If he did not get rid of the message, there would be some serious repercussions ahead. He went to the area in the living room where the telephone and answering machine were usually kept and was surprised to see that not only was there not an answering machine there, but there wasn’t even a telephone. “Aw, Mom,” he muttered, “where did you move it and why did it have to be today?” he moaned. He looked around the strange room and then tried to listen to what was happening up front. Both Susan and the woman were still talking and, knowing Susan, she would be able to keep her talking all day if she wanted to. He did a quick look around for the telephone and could not find it anywhere. He was hesitant to go to any other parts of the house except the living room and the kitchen and, finding a telephone in the kitchen but with no answering machine, which, again, looked completely different, decided he would just have to work something out later. He was about to turn around and head for the sliding glass door when he came face to face with something. There was a small boy standing in front of him and looking directly at him. It was more than a bit of an awkward moment because not only was Christopher aware that he was guilty of breaking and entering, even though he was in his own house, which felt weird to be breaking and entering into it, he was looking at a strange kid that he had never seen before. Who is this kid? he thought. Had Mom started a baby-sitting service or something and not told me? The boy was still standing there staring at him, not saying anything. He did not seem to be scared in any way, more curious than anything. “Uh…hello,” Christopher said weakly. “Who are you?” the boy said. Christopher was about to ask the same thing of the kid, but, taking in the situation, decided against it. “Uh, I’m a friend of your mom’s,” he said, assuming and hoping that the woman talking with Susan was his mother. The boy continued to look at him in a curious manner, as if thinking about what Christopher had just told him.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher was really scared. If the boy started crying and screaming, he would be in a heap of trouble. The mother would come-a-running and she would catch Christopher in the living room of her house, which was his house, which he had just broken into, which still felt weird. Trying to find something to alleviate what could become a very troublesome situation; he looked at the boy and saw that he was holding something in his right hand. “Hey, what have you got there?” he said. The boy looked down at the object in his right hand and then held it up for Christopher to see. It was a small, toy truck. “Hey, that’s a nice truck. I have one just like it at home,” he lied with a smile on his face. “Really?” the boy said smiling. “Sure, its one of my favorite toys.” “Can you fix it?” “Fix it? What’s wrong with it?” “The wheel broke off and I can’t get it back on,” he said sadly. “Oh? Let me take a look at it. Maybe I can get it back on.” The boy gave the truck to Christopher and, in his other hand; he was holding the wheel that had broken off from the truck. He gave the wheel to Christopher and looked at him expectantly. “Can you fix it?” Christopher looked at the two objects and saw that it would be an easy enough situation to repair. He placed the plastic wheel in the slot where it was supposed to go and easily snapped it back into place. He gave it a good spin to show that it was fixed. The boy immediately smiled with delight that his toy was now back to normal. “There you go. Good as new,” Christopher said as he handed the toy back to him. The boy handled his truck as though it were a brand new toy and Christopher could not help but be amused at how simple it was to make a little kid happy. People his age had so many worries. Kids? They had it easy. He gazed back up at Christopher smiling ear to ear. “Are you going to stay and play with me for awhile?” “Oh, I would like to, but I have to get going,” Christopher said while cocking his head and trying to listen to what was happening at the front door. He decided that he had done all he could right now and it would be prudent to leave as quickly as possible and try and think of something else. “Really?” the boy said disappointed. “I’m sorry, but I really have to go.” “Are you going to come back? Will I ever see you again? You’re nice.” Not wanting to disappoint the boy, he keeled down and put his hands on his knees so that he was looking directly into his happy-boyish eyes. “I think you can count on it,” he said while giving his best smile. “Okay.” Christopher turned around and headed for the door, then stopped and looked back at the boy. “Uh, tell you what,” he said, “why don’t we keep the fact that I was here a secret, okay?” “Okay. I like secrets!” he beamed. “That’s awesome! So do I. Bye,” he said as he waved playfully and then walked out the door, closed it and went back to the fence so he could hop it and meet Susan back up front. As he rounded the house, he saw Susan walking down from the porch. She immediately saw Christopher and walked over to him.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “So, how did it go?” “Terrible. I couldn’t find the machine.” “Couldn’t find it? Why? Did your mom move it?” “Well, that’s the weird thing. Everything in the house was…different. It was the same house, I’m sure of it…but, not. There was new furniture, a new television that looked horrible, everything. I don’t get it. They couldn’t have done all of that in one day.” “That does sound weird.” “I also had a run-in with a kid.” “A what?” she said surprised. “What was a kid doing in your house?” “I have no idea. I talked with him for a moment and he promised not to tell anyone I was there.” “Oh, great!” she exclaimed. “A kid promised not to blabber to anyone? The entire neighborhood will know about it within the hour and then that woman will call the police!” “No, I don’t think so,” he said grinning. “He seemed…I don’t know. He seemed to understand that it was important that nobody know I was there. I can’t explain it.” “Well, that’s nice,” she said matter-of-factly. “Now what do we do?” “I guess I’m going to have to face the music sooner or later,” he sighed. “Oh, Christopher,” she said sadly. “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.” “Don’t be,” he beamed. “Today was an awesome day! I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” “Really?” “Really. So, did you find out who that woman was?” “No. She said that she had been living there for the past twelve years and we spent the rest of the time just talking about the neighborhood. I think she was senile.” “Senile? Why?” “Well, she was wearing a necklace that I liked and I asked her if she got it at the mall.” “What’s so unusual about that?” “She had no idea what I was talking about. I told her where it was and everything and she just stared at me funny.” “That’s weird. I thought all women knew where the malls in their city were.” “I know she wasn’t ‘old’ old, but she must have been older than she looked to not know about that. I even mentioned a few movies I had seen there and she had no clue whatsoever. She’s never even heard of Leo! Can you believe that? But, she also said that she hardly ever goes out to the movies and prefers to stay home and either watch tv or read. She did mention something about a guy named Jimmy Stewart. Do you know who he is?” “Never heard of him.” “Maybe he’s some old guy our parents’ age or something.” “I suppose. Well, I guess we should do something about finding your car so you can go home.” “What do we do?” “Well,” Christopher said looking around the neighborhood, “we’re not accomplishing anything by just standing here. Why don’t we…wow! Look at that!” Susan turned around so she could see what Christopher was enraptured with. A car was driving by, which would usually be nothing spectacular. What made it odd was that it looked so old, but brand new at the same time. They had both seen full-size cars before, but this one was so large and bulky, like a giant box on wheels, it would definitely stand out anywhere.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Wow!” Christopher grinned as the car passed by. “That car looked to be a hundred years old! My dad would love it! He’s into those old, classic cars. I’ve never seen one of those, though.” “Probably someone restored it. There’s no way a car that old would look that new without some serious care. I don’t get it. I’ll take my Jetta any day of the week,” Susan scoffed. “That’s because you have no appreciation of the history of motor vehicles. If you were a guy, you would have thought it was cool.” “That thing? Cool? Whatever! If you want cool, then how about a Lexus or a Jaguar? That’s cool.” “How about a ’57 Chevy?” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Christopher looked at her as though she had just announced she was going to have a sex change. “You’ve never seen a ’57 Chevy? You, my Susan, are missing out. If you ever saw one, you would instantly fall in love.” “Whatever. Boys and toys. So, what are we going to do now?” “Well…I suppose we could take a walk around the block and kill some time. I’m feeling kind of hungry. Let’s get something to eat. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find your car parked somewhere along the way,” he joked. “I suppose it’s as good a plan as any,” she sighed and they proceeded to walk down the sidewalk. As they strolled through the neighborhood, they both noticed that all of the cars that were passing by were of roughly the same design as the one that they had seen earlier, big and bulky. After half a dozen had zoomed by, they both looked at each other. “What’s going on?” they said as the same time. “Maybe there’s some kind of classic car convention in town or something,” Christopher said. “But every car? Why would every car be old? Surely, not everyone in the city is driving those old things.” “Yeah, I suppose,” Christopher said slowly as he stared at the ground as they continued to walk, deep in thought. Taking into account everything that had happened since they had been visited by the glowing circle; a wild idea had begun to form in his mind. It was so completely outrageous that he did not want to mention it because then Susan would think he was crazy and start laughing and never stop. Then, of course, she would tell everyone at school and they would have a field day with it. And, of course, she would go off on a tangent about how comic books were corrupting his mind and how he should start reading some real books, instead. Not just Star Wars and Star Trek – real books. On the other hand, he thought, she might even use it for as a basis for a story idea and she could give him credit for it in the introduction or something. They turned the corner around some large bushes and were about to head to the mini-mall where most of the kids at their school tended to hang out, except there was a problem. It was gone. It its place was about half a dozen stores of various sizes and lots of open field. Driving back and forth on the main street and parked in front of the various stores were cars and trucks. All of them were old, not one vehicle of modern design. They both looked around, flabbergasted. “What’s going on?” Susan finally said. “I don’t know,” Christopher said slowly as he looked around the area.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “What happened? Where’s the mall? What’s going on?” Christopher continued to gaze at his surroundings, a realization coming to mind, despite how impossible it seemed. Susan noticed his expression, as if he knew something that she didn’t. “What?” she said. “I think…” “What? You think what?” “I’m not sure…but I don’t think we’re home anymore.” “What do you mean not home? We were just at your house.” He looked at her squarely in the eye. “Were we?” “Christopher, what are you talking about? Do you know something that I don’t? Please, tell me!” she said in a panicked voice. “I want to try something; do you have your cell phone with you?” “Sure.” “Pull it out and try to call someone.” “Why?” “Just do it.” “Okay,” she said as she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She clicked it open and pushed in a series of numbers and then put it against her ear. “Well?” She looked at the phone and then at him. “Nothing’s happening. I just recharged the battery. What’s wrong with it?” she said as she began to press various buttons on the keypad and play with it. As she did so, a man was walking towards them. He was dressed in a suit and wearing a hat that looked like the ones that he had seen in old detective movies. Christopher took a few steps towards him. “Excuse me, sir. This may sound like an odd question but…who is the president right now?” “I’m sorry?” the man said strangely as he regarded the boy in front of him. “The president of what?” “Of the United States.” “Young man, are you serious? You don’t know? What are they you teaching you in school these days? Or, I guess I should say, not teaching you?” “Please sir, it’s very important.” He sighed as he looked down at the boy in grave disappointment. “Well, I suppose I should tell you since its pretty obvious nobody at your school has taken the time to do it. The president is Lyndon B. Johnson. Does that ring a bell?” “Uh, yes it does, sir. Thank you.” The man sighed again and walked off while shaking his head. Susan looked at the man until he was gone and then back at Christopher. “What did he say?” she said as if the man had just spoken in Japanese. Christopher looked down at the ground for a moment and then at Susan. “He said that the president was Lyndon B. Johnson,” he said softly. “Who’s that? I thought the president was that Bush guy that everyone hates so much.” “I think…that Lyndon Johnson was a guy who used to be president a long time ago.” “Christopher…what are you talking about? What do you mean a long time ago?” Christopher looked back at the stores and saw something that got his attention.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Let’s go over there. I want to check something,” he said. They made their way across the street and were soon standing in front of a newsstand. There was a stack of newspapers sitting on a shelf and Christopher picked one of them up and gazed at the front page. “Oh, my God,” he said. “What so interesting?” Susan said as she looked at the paper and saw nothing that she would consider worth more than her momentary attention. Christopher pointed at the top right hand corner and Susan leaned in to read it. The date was May 22, 1963. Susan stared at it for a few moments without saying anything and then slowly looked back at Christopher. “Is that real?” she said slowly. “I think so,” Christopher said as he looked at the surroundings again, this time putting a definite date with them and now knowing why everything seemed so old. “It…it can’t be. It must be a misprint or something,” she said as she frantically looked through some other stacks of newspapers that were spread out on the shelf. Everything that she picked up said the same thing: May 22, 1963. She started going through even more papers, throwing some of them on the ground as she tried to find one that said something different. “Susan?” She kept going through the piles, throwing papers to the left and to the right. “Susan? Stop it,” Christopher said quietly. No response, other than even more frantic searching. “Susan, stop it!” Christopher yelled as he grabbed her upper arms so that he was looking directly as her. “No! No! It has to be a trick or something! It can’t be happening!” she screamed. “Susan! Stop it!” Christopher yelled as he looked around them. Some people had stopped what they were doing and were staring at them. “Look,” he said as he leaned in close to her and whispered, “I don’t know what’s going on, but throwing a fit and making a scene about it is not going to solve it, okay?” She just stared at him, her eyes wide with fear. “Susan? Okay?” “O-okay,” she finally said. “Good,” he said as he released her. “I can’t have you falling apart on me. I’m going to need your help to find out what’s going on and how to get back home, do you understand?” “Yes.” “Good. Now, the first thing we have to do is figure out what happened and then…maybe we can find a way to reverse it, somehow, and get back home. Our home.” Susan looked down at the ground in thought and then back up at Christopher. “The circle! That must be it!” “That’s what I was thinking; it’s the only thing that makes sense. I can only assume that it was some kind of time warp machine or a hole in reality or something. Once we got too close to it, well, we must have triggered it and here we are.” “But…why did it pick us? It was right in front of your house. Why there and not somewhere else?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I don’t know. Maybe we were just unlucky enough to be there at that time. I’m still wondering where we might be,” he said. “What do you mean? The paper said it was 1963.” “Sure, but what about on top of that?” “Huh?” “Well, we could very well be in an alternate universe or even a parallel dimension. That circle could have been a doorway to the crossroads of infinity with endless branches leading to numerous dimensions with alternate happenings depending on certain occurrences that happen within that timeframe. Any one occurrence, no matter how small, could completely separate one reality from another resulting in other different branches of happenings within that reality and result in a completely different history. This is, of course, assuming that all of those realities are happening at the same time and are not at different timeframes in their prospective universes. Also, we could possibly be in a microverse.” Susan was staring at him with a strange look on her face, her mouth open. “A microverse is the same as any universe in its own reality, but is incredibly small. Microscopic. For instance, a molecule in your fingernail could very well be a universe unto itself with people or beings of some sort populating it, just like here.” After Steven finished his speech, there were a few moments of silence as Susan continued to stare at him. Finally, she said… “What are you talking about?” “What?” “All of that microverse and alternate reality and crossroads and stuff?” “What do you mean? “Where did you learn all that stuff?” “Comic books.” “Comic books?” “Sure.” “You’re kidding me.” “No.” “Yes, you are.” “No, I’m not.” “Seriously?” “Seriously.” “You’re such a nerd.” “I know.” “Christopher, what are we going to do?” “Well, looking at our surroundings and what we’ve experienced so far, I think that we are in our own reality but in a different point in time, 1963. In fact, the circle reminds me of the Guardian of Forever in the Star Trek episode the City on the Edge of Forever. Captain Kirk and Spock had to go back in time by jumping into the Guardian so that they could find Dr. McCoy because he had somehow changed history after he jumped in. The result was that the present reality that they were living in no longer existed as they knew it. There was no more Federation and, for all they knew, they might not even have existed in that reality, maybe not even been born. If what we are experiencing is that same thing, we are going to have to be very careful to make sure that we do not do anything that might affect history and change it for the worse. We’re just going to have to keep a low profile until we can get back home.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Uh…okay,” Susan said, still trying to process everything that Christopher had just said. “So, as long as we don’t interact with anybody, there shouldn’t be a problem?” “That’s it. I guess the first thing we need to do is—” “What? What’s wrong?” Christopher slowly looked at Susan as the realization of what had happened just mere moments ago dawned on him. “I just thought of something.” “What?” “That house we were at? My house?” “What about it?” “That old woman…she was my grandmother, who I think I met one or twice when I was a kid before she died. I don’t really remember her, but that must have been her.” “Oh…wow!” Susan said as she was now thinking that same thing that he was. “Then that means…” “Then that means that the kid…that kid was my father,” he said slowly. “I just met my father! That’s mind blowing! At where we are in time right now, I just met my father and I’m older than he is!” “Oh, God, Christopher! I know that we should be careful and all, but…that’s so…so beautiful!” Christopher looked at her and grinned. “It is, isn’t it?” “It so is! Uh, do you think that you did anything to, you know, mess up the time thing?” He thought about it for a moment before answering. “I don’t think so,” he said thoughtfully. Nothing happened, that I can see, that would impair our reality from the way we know it. He’s still going to go about his own life, meet my mother. I’ll be born and so on. Say, what about your parents?” “Right now? 1963? I don’t even think that they live here, yet. I think they’re still in Los Angeles, or is it San Diego? I forget which.” “So, I guess there’s no chance that we’re going to see them.” “I guess not,” Susan said sadly. “That would have been really nice. They would be so young now,” she said thoughtfully. “That’s weird. I’ve never thought about my parents ever being young.” “Me either.” “It really is weird. What do you think our parents did for fun? Did they have tv then?” “I think so; at least there was one back at my house.” “Do you think they had cable?” “I doubt it. I don’t even have cable now.” “Wow. They really had it bad.” “Not really, you learn to deal with it.” “How? And don’t say reading comic books.” “Well, I spend most of my time reading, and not just comic books, and practicing playing my guitar. It really is nice. Television just becomes something that you just don’t care about.” “You watched it when Dancing with the Stars was on so you could ogle Marie Osmond.” “That’s different. That was important.” “I’m sure it was. Okay, what are we going to do? When is the circle going to come back so we can get home? Maybe we should go back to your house and wait for it.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I don’t know.” “Don’t know what?” “When the circle is coming back.” “What do you mean? It has to come back. Otherwise, how do we get home?” Christopher sighed as he realized what he was about to say might be too much for Susan to hear, especially since he was still dealing with it himself. “Susan…there’s a good chance that we might never get back home. We could very well be here for the rest of our lives.” “What? That’s…that’s not right,” she said in a scared tone shaking her head. “No.” “I don’t even know why we’re here in the first place,” he said while shaking his own head. “And why us, of all people? It seems like…it’s not random. Like we’re supposed to be here for a reason, but I don’t know what.” “We have to go back! What about our families? Our friends? We have to go back!” Christopher placed his hands on her shoulders so he was looking directly at her. He wanted her to stay as calm as possible. She was the only person in this world that he knew and they were going to have to depend on each other in order to survive. If she lost it, they might both be sunk. He had to be as gentle as possible because she was a girl, which meant she could go crazy at any moment, and he was not sure that he could deal with that on top of anything else. “Susan,” he said slowly, “we might be stuck here for the rest of our natural lives. I’m going to do whatever I can to get us back home, but this might be what we have to face and deal with. Are you willing to accept that?” “Christopher…I…I…” “Susan, answer me, can you accept that this might be it? Being here, at this moment, living in this time?” “I…I guess,” she said weakly. He smiled and tried to be as comforting as possible. “Good. I’m going to need you to get through this. I can’t do this without you, okay? The only people we’re going to be able to depend on are each other.” “Okay.” “Okay, then.” “Christopher, how can you can you be so calm about this?” “What do you mean?” “I mean, it’s taking everything I have just to keep it together. How can you be so calm and…mechanical?” “Is that what you think?” he grinned. “I must be a really good actor. I’m actually scared to death and if I let everything sink in and just not do anything and just dwell on it, I really think I might snap. Just like that.” “Wow. I wish I were more like you.” “Don’t be. You’re just going through the initial shock of it. Once it’s all sunk in and we’re both dealing with it together, you’ll be able to cope with it just like me. Maybe even better.” “I doubt that,” she said nervously as she looked around what could possibly be her new home for the rest of her life with fear. “You will, I’ll make sure of it,” he smiled. “Also, I think…” “What?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I can’t explain it, but I think we are here for a reason, and its going to affect both of our lives in ways that we can’t possibly imagine. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just thinking out loud. I don’t know what I’m saying,” he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe you’re right. There’s always a reason for everything. Nothing happens without some kind of point to it.” “I suppose. Well, first things first. I suppose we should do whatever we need to do to get settled in. Whether its home or here, it’s a given that the first problem will always be money. I have…” he pulled out his wallet and quickly scanned the inside of it. “I have twenty-four dollars and sixty-four cents. Not good. I’m not sure what the cost of living or the rate of inflation is here, but no matter where we are, this is next to nothing.” Susan went through her rather sizeable purse and found her wallet. She opened it and counted its paper contents. “I have two hundred and eighty four dollars,” she said. Christopher looked at her in bewilderment. “What are you doing carrying around so much money?” “My parents and I were going to go on a vacation next week and my daddy gave me some money to carry around.” “Wow, I guess we couldn’t have picked a better time to get transported to a different timeline,” he grinned. “I guess. So, what do we do now?” “Now? We eat. We might be able to think clearer on a full stomach.” “Where do we go?” “Well,” Christopher said as he looked around. “It’s not like back home where there is a Taco Bell or a Burger King on every street corner. Pickings look slim here. That diner over there seems to be the town hang-out,” he said as he pointed to a silver building that looked similar to a car that would be found on a train. “Let’s go over there.” “Okay,” Susan said as they walked towards the shiny structure. They walked inside the restaurant and, after scanning the area for a place to sit that was as out of the way as possible, they settled in a booth and waited for a waiter to arrive with some menus. A young man, dressed in a uniform that was completely white, so spotless that it was practically glowing, came up to the booth with a smile on his face. “What can I do for you kids, today?” he said as he took out a writing pad and a pencil that was placed above his ear. “Hello, uh, I’ll just have a Pepsi,” Christopher said. “I’ll have a Vanilla Diet Pepsi,” Susan said.” “Excuse me?” the waiter said. “Oh! I’m sorry. I meant a Cherry Coke.” “I’m sorry?” “She’ll have a Coke, also. She’s just kidding around,” Christopher said quickly. “Oh…sure thing. Two Cokes. Here are a couple of menus and I’ll be back in a few minutes with your drinks,” the waiter said as he walked off. “Wow,” Susan said. “They really are backwards here. I can’t remember the last time I just had a regular Coke.” “I think all the fancy sodas we have back home are a little bit before their time. I guess all they have here are the basics. It’s going to have to be something that we’re going to have to get used to.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell The waiter came back with their drinks and then left, giving them both unusual looks at the way they were dressed. Christopher looked around the restaurant and then saw something that caught his mind. There was a giant juke box sitting near the front counter. “Hey, I’m going to go see what they have here for music,” he said as he got up. “See if they have any Mariah Carey,” Susan said jokingly. “I think I can say right now that you’re going to be out of luck,” he said as he walked to the juke box and was soon scanning the names of the various musical artists. Looking down the lists, he did not see any artist that he recognized. Some of the choices were bands by the name of the Kingsmen, the Angels and the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys he had had at least heard the name of, but he doubted that he had ever heard any of their music. Taking into account the name of the band, he supposed all the music revolved around songs having to do with the beach. Other were the Crystals, Bill Haley and His Comets, the Penguins (Christopher laughed at such a weird name), Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, the Drifters, Ray Charles (he supposed this was a song from the guy Jamie Foxx played in the movie a couple of years ago), Ritchie Valens, Roy Orbison and various others that drew a blank. In the end, he decided to just walk back to his booth when he almost bumped into a man when he turned around. The man appeared to be in his early twenties and had long, blonde hair, blue eyes and a deep tan. The way he was dressed, he would look perfectly natural if he were carrying a surfboard, even though they were in a restaurant. “Hey, kid, mind if get by you and play some tunes?” he said smiling, his white teeth seeming to glow in contrast with his tanned face. “Uh, no, go ahead,” Christopher said as he got out of the man’s way. He read over the song selection while nodding his head, as he were listening to some music that only he could he could hear and enjoying every note of it. After he was satisfied, he pulled some change from the right front pocket of his shorts, inserted it into the machine, pushed a few buttons and then walked off. A moment later, a song came on and the very first lyrics were “Round, round, round, round I get around” and so forth. Christopher stood there listening to it for a moment. He was not sure what the name of the band was, but he liked it. The song had a fun, upbeat quality to it that was instantly contagious. He returned to the booth and sat down. Susan was already halfway through her Coke. “I guess no Mariah?” “No, Mariah,” Christopher said. “What’s that playing? Did you select it?” “No, that beach guy that was standing over there did.” “Who is it?” “I have no clue. Do you like it?” “It’s not bad. It sounds old, but fun.” “I like it. It’s better than Mariah.” “I don’t think I’ll go that far.” “I was looking at the menu while you were gone. Have you seen these prices? They’re incredible! Everything costs about half as much or less compared to back home!” Susan said in amazement. “Really?” Christopher said as he quickly scanned his menu and saw what she was talking about. “You’re right,” he said approvingly. “Maybe 1963 does have its good qualities after all. I bet the gas prices must be really low here right now. Everybody back home would love that.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I guess so,” Susan smiled. “Considering that we may be here for awhile, money is going to be a problem. Got any ideas?” “Well…we’re both over the age of sixteen, so we’re legal to work, but there’s a certain barrier.” “What’s that?” “We don’t exist here. How do we explain ourselves?” “What do you mean?” “All of our identification, everything that shows who we are, those are from back home. Things like our social security numbers and birth certificates, they would mean nothing here.” “Oh, that’s bad.” “Bad is not the least of it. I have a little bit in savings and you probably have more than I do, but our accounts do not even exist here. The banks themselves might not even exist yet. Once the money that we have runs out, we’re broke.” “What are we going to do?” Christopher looked at Susan and saw the uncertainty in her face. He knew that she was a strong enough of a person to be able to handle what they were going through, but he also wanted to take as much pressure off of her as he could. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out,” he said with a grin on his face. The expression on Susan’s face was filled with doubt, but she said nothing. The waiter arrived with his handy pad and pencil in preparation. “So, what can I get you kids?” “Uh, I’ll just have a cheeseburger and fries,” Susan said. “I’ll have the same” Christopher said as he gave his menu to the waiter and Susan did the same. “Sure thing,” the waiter said as he looked down and noticed Christopher’s watch. “Hey, that sure is fancy watch, there. Where did you get that?” Christopher looked down at his watch and immediately flinched. It was a plastic, digital watch with a webbing design on it, courtesy of Spider-Man. It was something that would easily stand out in this time. “Oh, this? It’s just something I found a while back.” “Really? Where? I sure would like to get one.” Christopher was about to say that he got it on eBay, and then caught himself. “Uh, I got it at some store in Los Angeles a while back when we were on vacation.” “Los Angeles, huh? They sure do have all the fancy stuff out there. We’ll, I’ll be back with your food in a few minutes,” he said as he walked away. “Thanks,” Christopher said as he looked back at Susan. “And off comes the watch,” he said as he took off the watch and put it in his pocket. “Maybe we can sell it and make some extra money. I bet that cheap thing would be worth a fortune here.” “Probably, but it hasn’t even been invented, yet. If somebody in this time got hold of it, it might mess with the continuity of the time stream and create a splinter branch that could possibly disrupt the future in a negative way.” “That little thing? “Back home, this little thing is nothing. Here, its state of the art stuff. Who knows what could happen if it got in the wrong hands.” “Wow, you sure are up on all this time stuff. And all because of comics?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Well, that and the Back to the Future movies.” “Oh, I’ve seen those! Michael J. Fox is cute.” “You think everyone is cute!” “That’s not true!” “Name one person that you think is not cute.” “Fine…who do you want me to name?” “I don’t know! I don’t go around looking at guys.” “Not unless they’re in a colorful costume and flying around.” “True, but those guys are cool, so that’s makes it okay.” “Whatever.” “Wait! I just thought of something,” he said with wide eyes. “What?” “We’re in 1963 right now.” “I think I’m caught up on that.” “Comic books that cost pennies right now could be worth a fortune in our time!” “Oh, please!” “I’m serious! Right now in this time, comic books like Superman and Batman are only a few cents right now. In our time, they could potentially be worth thousands! Plus Marvel Comics is just starting to publish titles that will be their most popular, like Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men. If they are in mint condition, those are major collector items!” “You would pay thousands of dollars for a comic book?” “Well, I wouldn’t because I don’t collect them for their monetary value; I collect for the love of the characters and the stories. But, there are people out there who would pay top dollar, depending on the title and the condition of it. We have to find a store somewhere and pick up a few dozen before we leave.” “Before we leave? You sound hopeful.” “I’m just thinking positive. I think that we are here for a reason. Once we’ve accomplished whatever it is we’re supposed to do, back home we go.” “Wouldn’t taking something from here back to the future mess with the time thing?” “Not in this instance.” “Why?” “Because we’re just taking something that already exists back to the future. As long as it’s not something major like a technical gadget, there’s no problem.” “I guess so,” Susan said. The waiter came back and set their plates in front of them and left. “Well, this looks nice,” Susan said. “The burgers here look better than those small, mashed McDonald’s things.” “I have to agree with that,” Christopher said as he picked up his burger and took a big bite. “Wow!” he said with his mouth full. “It certainly tastes better, too!” Susan nodded her head while smiling, her mouth full also. “Well, I suppose the next thing is our clothes.” “What about them?” Susan said. “I’ve noticed that what we’re wearing have been drawing quite the number of looks. Nobody has really said anything yet, but, eventually, they will. We’re going to have to do some shopping once we’re done here so we can fit in better.” “What are clothes like back in 1963?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I’m not sure, but, from what we’ve seen so far, I’m betting it’s a lot more conservative than back home. In fact,” Christopher said as he leaned back and looked under the table, “I don’t think girls were wearing pants yet. They were still wearing skirts. And by skirts, I mean the long kind that our mom’s wear, not the ones that are way above the knee and show off leg.” “I hardly ever wear skirts!” “It’s going to be something to get used to. I’m probably going to have to get a haircut, or at least grease my hair back the way the waiter has his. I think it’s called a bird tail or something like that.” Susan, obviously unhappy, took another bite from her burger and slowly munched away. Once they were finished with their meal, they paid for it and left the diner and continued to walk around the town. Every now and then, they drew looks from certain people wondering who they were and why they were dressed so oddly. Eventually, Christopher spotted a small drug store and they walked in. They made their way to a certain aisle where the magazines were kept and he immediately smiled in delight. In front of him were several rows of numerous comic books. He picked one up and began to thumb through it. “Oh, my God! Will you look at this? I’ve seen this exact book back home at the comic store I always go to. It’s in the glass counter with all of the other valuable comics. This particular one has to be worth at least three hundred dollars, if I remember correctly.” “You’re kidding! For that thing?” Susan said as she picked up another copy of the same book that Christopher was looking through and skimmed through it. “The art is not even that good. It looks like something a kid would draw.” “This was when comics were just starting out. The art is not as complex or detailed as it is now. Or, I guess I should say, will be. This is where it all started, right here!” Christopher said proudly. He quickly gathered up dozens of comics and quickly had a sizeable stack that he had to lean against his chest so that they would not fall over. “I thought you said that we were supposed to be conserving money?” Susan said skeptically. “This is a special occasion. It’s an investment. What I have right here is a better guaranteed investment than any bank could offer back home! What I’m carrying right here is a new car!” They walked to the front counter and Christopher paid the clerk for the books and then watched as he pulled a bag from behind the counter and started to place the comics in it. “Be careful!” Christopher said, a little bit louder than he had intended. The clerk looked at him strangely, at the books, and then back at him. “What’s so special about these color books? It’s not like they’re worth anything,” he said. “You have no idea,” Christopher smiled. The clerk sighed and gently placed the books in the bag and Christopher took it in his arms as though it were a newborn puppy. “Thank you, sir! You just made my day!” The clerk rolled his eyes and walked off. They exited the store and stood in the parking lot, looking around at their still new surroundings. “Well, what now?” “I suppose we should find a clothing shop and do some quick shopping for some modern day clothes. Then we can find a place to stay and decide what to do next,” Christopher said. They soon found a store that sold clothes and Susan was more than a bit dismayed as she looked through the various fashions of the time. At one point, she almost looked like she was going to cry.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Look at all of this ugly stuff! All of it is terrible! The colors are boring and drab! I don’t see anything that I like!” “I can’t see anything that really turns me on, either,” Christopher said morosely. “Still, it’s a necessary evil. If we’re going to live here, we’re going to have to do everything we can to fit in.” They both gathered up several days’ worth of clothes and then picked up some undergarments and toiletries. Once everything was paid for, they had more than several bags worth of merchandise and were, once again, standing outside in a parking lot. “Well, what now?” Susan said in a more than annoyed tone as she imagined herself in some of her new clothes. Normally, she loved to go shopping. However, this was an entirely different situation. “Well, we’ve eaten and we have some clothes. Now, we have to find someplace to stay.” “Got any ideas?” “The only place I can think of is a motel.” “Too bad we can’t just back to your house and sleep there.” “That would be a bit of a problem considering our situation. I can just see it now, I go up to the door and say to that woman, ‘Hello, you might not believe this, but I’m your grandson and you’re son is my father. Anyway, we’re from the year 2008 and we just dropped in because of a time travel accident that I really do not want to go into. Do you mind if we live here with you? We would really appreciate it.’ I don’t think that’s going to go over.” “It might be worth it just to see the expression on her face.” “It might be at that,” he grinned. “Well, it’s getting late and I’m tired. Let’s find a hotel and get a room. We can figure out what else to do tomorrow.” “It sure would be nice to have a car right now,” Susan said as she shuffled her bags. “It sure would,” Christopher said as he did the same with his. “But, I don’t think we have that option open for us here. Let’s get moving. We have to come across someplace sooner or later. I have to say, I really am surprised at how almost everything is almost completely different from back home. Places that we see all the time are not even built yet.” Luck was with them and they soon arrived at a small hotel. They walked into the small lobby and approached the front desk. Christopher rang the bell and a boy, surprisingly only a few years older than himself, appeared from a room in the back. “Can I help you?” “Uh, we would like to get a room,” Christopher said. “Sure thing. How long will you be staying?” “Well,” he said as he looked at Susan and then back at him. “We’re not sure. Can we just pay by the day?” “No problem. Just sign here,” the boy said as he picked up a pen and gave it to Christopher so he could sign the log book. Christopher was about to write his name down and, suddenly, decided that using his real name might not be the best idea. Instead, he wrote the first name that came to mind and then turned the book around so that the boy could read it. “Ritchie Blackmore. Let me get you some keys and you’ll be on your way,” he said as he reached under the desk and produced a couple of keys. Christopher noticed that they were actual keys, not the plastic cards that motels used back home. “The room is just around the corner about a dozen rooms down.” “Thanks,” Christopher said as he took the keys.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell As he did so, he noticed that the boy looked at Susan and then back at him and smiled mischievously. Christopher blushed and hoped that Susan did not notice what had just happened. He turned around and saw that she was looking at a picture that was hanging on the wall and thanked God for small favors. “Hey, we’re all set,” he said and Susan looked at him. “Finally! These bags are really getting heavy.” “The room is this way,” he said as he led the way out of the lobby and examined the numbers of the rooms that they passed until they arrived at theirs. He set his bags down, unlocked the door, and they both entered the room and quickly collapsed. “Oh, it feels so good to lie down again,” Susan moaned as she lay on the bed on her stomach and stretched out, completely exhausted. Christopher set his bags down next to hers and looked around the room. It was not as nice as the few motel rooms that he had stayed in, but it would definitely do for now. At this point, he was happy that they were anywhere that they could just relax and think about the next step that they would need to take. They had accomplished a lot today and he felt that they were both deserving of a little time off from their present dilemma. As he was taking in his surroundings, he realized that he heard a small noise. He grinned when he realized what it was – Susan was sound asleep and snoring, her head almost completely hanging over the side of the bed. He walked over to her and, as gently as possible so he would not wake her, took off her shoes and then slowly maneuvered her so that she was now sleeping in the proper position with her head on a pillow. She was so exhausted that all she did was slightly mutter as he moved her, and then she was sound asleep again. Christopher was also beyond exhausted and lay down next to her. Within minutes, he was also asleep and snoring along with her.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

FIVE

Christopher woke up gradually and saw that the sun was peeking through the curtains. Slowly getting up and stretching, he was relieved to find how rested he felt. When he pulled his watch from his pocket and looked at it, he was surprised to find that it was only almost eight o’clock. Considering how he felt when he fell asleep yesterday, he expected it to be almost noon now. He looked over and saw that Susan was still sound asleep. She must have woken up during the night because she was now nestled under the sheets. Being as quiet as he could, he went through some of his bags and pulled out some clothes and toiletries and walked to the sink counter and laid his stuff out. When that was done, he walked into the bathroom, undressed, and turned on the shower. Once the hot water hit him, he felt as though he were in ecstasy. He could not remember the last time a shower had felt so good and he did not want the sensation to end. As he looked down at the drain and saw the water running down it, he thought about everything that they had gone through in just the last few hours and the problems that they were going through and wished that they could just go down the drain with the water. Unfortunately, things were not going to be that simple. He lost track of the time as he stood in the shower with his eyes closed, so completely and totally relaxed in what felt like for the first time in ages, and then got out and dried off. With the towel wrapped around him, he opened the door and looked around the corner and saw that Susan was still asleep. He quickly dried off, got dressed in some of his new clothes and brushed his teeth. Looking in the mirror, he decided that now was as good as a time as any to change his look and combed his hair back so that it looked as close as possible to the waiter that had served them yesterday. As he stood back to look at himself objectively, taking in both his clothes and his new hairstyle, he thought he looked ridiculous. “I can’t believe that people actually leave the house looking like this on a regular basis,” he muttered. He sighed and looked back at the slumbering Susan and decided that the first order of business today was to hunt down some breakfast. Once he got back, she would hopefully be awake and they could start talking about what they were going to do next. He had an idea and he was pretty sure that she was not going to be very pleased about it because he was not very happy about it himself. As Christopher quietly opened the room door and gently closed it, he walked off and thought about what to get for their second meal in this time. He thought that some McMuffins would certainly hit the spot, but that was going to be more than a bit difficult considering that there was not a McDonald’s anywhere near and would not be for years. He quickly located a little convenience store and quickly trotted across the street to it. As he was aimlessly looking around the various shelves, he turned a corner and almost bumped into a boy that appeared to be about his age. “Oh, excuse me.” “Sorry!” Christopher blurted, barely keeping himself from colliding into the boy. “That would have been a frightful way to start the morning,” the boy said jokingly in what Christopher thought was an English accent.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Uh, it sure would have,” Christopher said. “Well, then. Carry on,” the boy said as he walked down the aisle and picked up a few items here and there. Christopher stood where he was and looked after him until he disappeared around the corner. He had been face to face with the boy and he could almost swear that he had met him somewhere before, but he couldn’t place him. Then he grinned at what a ridiculous thought that was considering that he had never met anyone in this time that he knew, unless you counted his grandmother and his father and, technically speaking, he did not know even know them. Not yet. He walked around the store for a few more minutes and selected a couple of bottles of orange juice, some muffins and a couple of candy bars. It was not exactly the breakfast of champions, but it would have to do for now. After he had paid for the items, he walked out of the store with his bag of purchases and was just in time to see the boy he had seen in the store driving off in a large, black car that he could not even begin to guess what the model of it was and he felt surge of envy that he had a car and he didn’t. It certainly was not a Mustang, but he felt envious nonetheless. He quickly walked back to the hotel and when he slowly opened the door, saw that Susan was just waking up and looked at him in surprise…and then she started laughing. “And what, pray tell, is so funny?” Christopher said as he closed the door behind him and then set the bag on the table. “Look at those clothes, and your hair! It’s hilarious!” she squealed. “I’m glad I’m here to amuse you,” he grinned as he opened the bag and started placing the contents on the table. “I can’t wait to see you in all you’re glory. Now, that should be a laugh.” Susan immediately stopped laughing as she immediately pictured herself in the new clothes that she had purchased yesterday and looked at her bags with almost complete revulsion. “Well, dig in. Breakfast is served. It’s not IHOP, but it’s something.” “The way I feel right now, anything would be delicious. I’m starving!” They each were now sitting on opposite ends of the table and except for the muted sounds of eating and drinking, there was nothing but silence, and then Christopher decided that now was as good a time as any to announce what he thought their next move should be. “Well, I’ve been thinking what we should do next,” Christopher said. “And?” “I think we should enroll in our school,” he said slowly. Susan immediately stopped eating her muffin and looked at Christopher as though he had just shouted that he was going to go running naked through the streets. “What? Why? We should be concentrating on getting back home.” “And we are, but we have no idea how long that will be. In the meantime, we need to do what kids our age would normally do so we don’t stand out in any way.” “Go to school?” “What else?” “Why don’t we not and just look for a way to get home instead?” “We are, but we have to go to school. Think about it, Susan. Sooner or later, someone is going to notice two teen-agers who are never at school and they might call the police. That would just open a can of worms that we really do not need. Kids might skip school all the time back home, but I don’t know what it’s like here. If it does happen, I would assume it’s not as rampant as it is in our time.” Susan thought about it as she slowly ate her muffin and she hated to admit that he was right.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I guess so,” she said sadly. “We couldn’t even get a decent job without a high school diploma and if we’re not in school and trying to get work, that would only draw more attention.” “There you go.” “I can’t say I like it. I would rather just concentrate on getting back home. What if the circle shows up one day and we miss it because we’re sitting in a boring math class?” “I guess it’s a chance we’re going to have to take. Besides, this is only an idea. For all we know, we might be back home tomorrow.” “I hope so. With all the other problems we’re having right now, going back to school just makes it all worse.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

SIX

It was Monday morning and Christopher and Susan were standing in front of the entrance to their school and staring up at it. “You know, it still kind of looks the same,” Susan murmured as she looked around the schoolyard. “It does. The layout is a bit different and it looks like certain parts in our time have been rebuilt or modified, but it’s basically the same place,” Christopher said. “I wonder if any of the teachers in our time are here now.” “Wow, that would be mind blowing to see that, but I think that most of them would be too young to teach right now. I would think that most of them would be college age and not teaching yet. Who knows, they might not even be in town right now.” “I guess.” “So,” Christopher said as he looked at her and smiled, “have you adjusted to your new look yet?” Susan immediately frowned and gazed down at herself and her clothes. She was wearing a simple white, button-down, short sleeve shirt and a long, gray skirt. Her hair problem was easily solved by just tying it up in a pony-tail. “I hate it. I feel like a mom.” “Ha! Well, don’t take it so hard. All the other girls seemed to be wearing things along the same line.” Susan looked around the schoolyard at all the other kids. Most of the girls did seem to be dressed like her. Although, some of them were wearing letterman jackets that were obviously too big for them, more than likely belonging to their boyfriends. “How do the girls here get boyfriends looking like this?” she complained. “I feel about as attractive as an old towel.” “Don’t let it bother you. You blow all these other girls away, easily.” “You think so?” Susan said happily. “Sure. You don’t look like an old towel, just a regular towel.” “Very funny. Do you want me to make fun of you now?” “Please spare me the unflattering comments. I almost feel like I’m going to church, not to school. I may not particularly like this, but I have to admit that the kids here certainly dress neater than the ones in our time. I don’t see any ripped-up shirts or anyone wearing their pants down to their ass crack showing their underwear and about to fall off.” “True. I don’t know why guys dress like that. It doesn’t do anything for me.” The bell rang and all the students started making their way to their classes. “Well, here we go. Let’s go begin our first day back to school.” “Oh, joy.” They walked into the front door with all the other kids and, once they were through, looked at each other with puzzled expressions on their face. “Did you notice that?” Christopher said. “Yeah, no metal detector,” Susan said in amazement. “Wow, I never thought I would see the day when that would happen. I guess the kids here are not as violent.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I bet there’s not even one knife or gun in this school,” Susan said as she looked around her, completely baffled that a situation like that could possibly exist. “I don’t even see any security guards standing around.” “Hey, that’s right,” Christopher said realizing the fact. “That is so weird.” They walked the very familiar yet different halls until they arrived at the office and went up to the front desk. An older woman wearing an unflattering dress and a large pearl necklace with her hair tied up in a bun came up to meet them. “May I help you?” “Hello. Uh, we just moved here and we need to register.” “Very well, walk down to the office on the right and talk to Mrs. Richardson,” she said as she pointed in the direction that they needed to go. “Than you, ma’am,” Christopher said and they started to walk down the hall. “Well, so far so good,” Susan said. “So far. Let’s hope that this goes just as smoothly.” The door was open and there was a conservatively dressed woman who appeared to be in her forties sitting behind a desk writing something. Christopher knocked on the door and she looked up at them. “Yes?” “Hello, ma’am. We just moved here and we need to register.” “Oh, splendid!” she said with such joy that Christopher imagined that it did not take much to make her happy. Most of the teachers back home usually wore a tired, almost walking dead expression on their face and seemed to be capable of performing their daily duties only after a massive caffeine fix supplied by a strong pot of coffee. “Please, sit down and I’ll pull out the needed forms.” “Yes, ma’am,” he said as they took their seats. “Now, I’ll just take care of some of the information on the top of the forms myself and you can fill in the rest later. May I have you’re names?” “Yes, my name is—” And he suddenly caught himself. It would probably do no harm to use his and Susan’s real names, but he was not sure. The school more than likely kept some kind of records and once they got home, hopefully got home, he wanted to leave as little evidence as possible that they were here. “My name is Christopher and my sister’s name is Susan.” “I see, and your last name?” “Blackmore.” “Blackmore,” she repeated as she wrote the name on both of the forms. As she did so, Christopher looked at Susan and she was playfully shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “Okay…and your address?” “Uh, do you mind if we get back to you on that? We just moved here and I’m actually not sure of the name of our street,” Christopher laughed. “Oh, bless your heart,” she said concerned. “We’ll just get back to that later. Do you have your previous school forms?” “Excuse me?” “Your records to show your previous school attendance?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh, I’m sorry,” Christopher said in what he hoped was a performance that looked entirely genuine, and most of it was because he had not expected the question. “We accidentally left all of that stuff back home. It’s probably still packed away in a box somewhere.” “Oh, you poor dears. You’re just lost here aren’t you?” You have no idea, Christopher thought. “I guess so,” he said helplessly. “Why don’t you two wait outside in the lobby? There are some chairs set out there for you to sit in. I’ll set up a temporary schedule for the two of you right now so you can at least get started with your classes.” “Thank you, ma’am. Oh, by the way, would it be too much trouble for my sister and me to share as many classes as possible?” “Oh, bless your heart looking after your sister like that. Such a sweet boy.” “Thank you, ma’am.” “If you’ll wait outside, this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” “Thank you,” Christopher said as both he as Susan stood up and then sat down in a couple of chairs in the lobby. “I think I’m going to barf,” Susan announced. “What? Why?” “’Oh, bless your heart,’ and all that. Do people really talk like that here? If we were back home, we would be getting nothing but attitude.” “True. I guess things are just simpler here. They certainly do not appear to have as much of a violence problem as us.” “I bet most of the kids here also actually get passing grades.” “It wouldn’t surprise me. I wonder what the drop-out ratio is here. All things considered, things are going pretty well. We have a place to stay, some clothes and here we are in school.” “I wouldn’t call being back in school pretty well, but I see your point. Hopefully this won’t last long and we can get back home.” “I’ve been thinking about something.” “What?” “I wonder what’s happening back home.” “What do you mean?” “Well, even though we are here, time is still moving forward back home. Our parents must be going crazy wondering where we are.” “Oh my God! I didn’t think of that!” “We’ve been gone all weekend, they must be worried sick.” “What are we going to do?” “We can’t do anything about it right now. I can only assume that once we’re done doing what we need to do here and if we’re transported back home—” “When we’re transported back home.” “When we’re transported back home, it will be at the exact instant that we disappeared there and arrived here. So, essentially, as far as everyone is concerned except for us, nothing will have happened.” “Are you sure?” “I think so. Also, if I’m correct, we should be retaining all memories of our trip.” How do you know?” “That’s the way time travel always works in the movies and comic books.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “You’re such a nerd.” “I know.” “You know, this might not be as bad an experience as you might think.” “Oh? How do you figure that? I can’t say I’m crazy about it so far.” “Once we get back, this would make a good book. All someone has to do is write it,” he smiled. Susan looked at him and thought about what he said and then smiled back. “It just might at that.” The woman that they were talking to earlier appeared from her office carrying two small slips of paper. “Okay. I have your temporary schedules and I managed to put the two of you in most of the same classes.” “Thank you, ma’am,” Christopher said as both he and Susan rose from their chairs and took the two slips of paper. “One of the only class I wasn’t able to get the both of you in together was physical education, for obvious reasons,” she said smiling. “Of course, ma’am. Thank you.” The woman looked at Susan and regarded her. “My, you are such a lovely girl. Has anyone ever told you that you look like Rita Hayworth?” “I do?” Susan said staring at her. “Almost exactly like her. The same color eyes and bone structure. If you had brown hair, you would look exactly like her.” “Oh, thank you,” she said gratefully. “Well, if you have any problems, please feel free to contact me. Also, I would appreciate you bringing your previous records to my office as soon as you can so we can make sure that you both get proper credit for classes already taken.” “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.” The woman smiled one last time and then went back to her office. Once she was gone, Susan looked at Christopher. “Who is Rita Hayworth?” “I have no clue. She must be a famous actress or something.” “I’m going to have to look her up online when we get home.” “Well, let’s see what our first class is,” Christopher said as he inspected his schedule. “Ah! History!” “Well, that sounds exciting,” Susan said in mock excitement as she looked at hers also. “This could turn out to be a good thing.” “Oh, how?” “They might be studying something that we already know. It’s an easy grade!” “Maybe for you, History always put me to sleep.” “Let’s see,” he said as he looked down the hall, “the class is in room 110, which, if the layout is the same as back home, is down here,” he said as they started walking. They soon came to the door and, looking in the small window, saw the instructor, who was wearing a very nice, if oldfashioned, suit, standing in front of the class addressing them. Christopher slowly opened the door, which immediately garnered the instructor’s attention. “Well, it appears that we have some latecomers,” he announced for the entire room to hear, obviously not happy about the intrusion.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher and Susan immediately felt as though they were on display because every pair of eyes in the room was now trained on them. “Uh, sorry, sir. We’re…new to the school and we just got our schedules from the front office.” “Oh, I see,” he said, his demeanor immediately changing to a more friendly tone. “May I see your schedules?” “Yes, sir,” Christopher said and both he and Susan walked up beside him and he took the slips and inspected them. Christopher looked out at the class and quickly noticed a cute girl sitting in the second row with long brown hair staring at him. It was a bit unnerving because she was not hiding in any way that she was enthralled with him and had a pleasant, dreamy smile on her face. He smiled politely at her and quickly looked away from her to Susan, who had seen also seen her staring at him and was grinning at his embarrassment. “Well, everything looks in order here. Please have a seat…” He looked down at the slips again. “Please have a seat Christopher and Susan. I believe you’ll find some empty desks at the back of the room.” “Thank you sir,” Christopher said as he took the slips from him and both he and Susan walked to the empty desks. As they did so, Christopher noticed from the corner of his eye that the girl’s eyes were following him, the same dreamy smile still on her face. It seemed in his mind that the entire class was seeing it and he did his best to try to ignore her. When they were sitting down, Susan leaned over and whispered to him. “Way to go, Romeo. Not in school an hour yet and you already have a girlfriend,” she teased. Christopher turned red again and focused his attention on the instructor for the remainder of the hour. Once the bell rang, Christopher and Susan walked out of the room and stood in front of some lockers as they regarded each other. “I honestly do not think I have been so bored in my entire life,” Susan said in mock daze. “Well, the material was interesting, but the instructor had a very boring way of talking, that was what made it boring.” “Wait a minute! I just thought of who he reminded me of!” “Who?” “Remember that old movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” “Classic.” “Remember the guy who played the teacher with the glasses and he talked in a boring monotone? Bueller…Bueller…” Christopher thought about it and recognition suddenly came to him. “Oh, my God! You’re right! He even looked a little like him!” Susan looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Don’t look now, but here comes your new girlfriend.” Christopher turned around and then looked up. Standing before him, rather shyly, was the girl who had been staring at him in the room. He was momentarily taken aback because she was towering over him. Christopher was about 5’7”, so the girl who was looming over him had to be a good 6’1”. She was also very thin, which made her seem even taller.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Uh, hello,” she said softly, her head hanging down a bit. “Hello.” Christopher looked up, still getting used to the girl’s height. “My name is Jennifer.” She offered her hand. Christopher immediately took it and noticed that her hand was about the same size as his. “My name’s Christopher. Nice to meet you. This is my sister, Susan.” “Hello,” Susan said, marveling at the girl’s height, also, especially since she was a few inches shorter than Christopher. “Hello,” she said quickly and then immediately turned her attention back to Christopher. “So, did you just move here?” “Uh, yeah, you could say that,” he said laughing. “Where are you two from?” “Uh, we just moved here from Los Angeles,” he said, saying the first city that came to mind. “California! I’ve always wanted to go there. Did you ever see any movie stars when you were out there?” “I saw Keanu Reeves once at a bookstore when he was passing through.” “Who?” “Keanu Reeves, he was in The Ma—” And then he caught himself, realizing that she would have no idea of knowing who Keanu Reeves was for about thirty of forty years, not the mention The Matrix. “Uh, I forgot what he was in. So, I guess you’ve lived here all your life?” he said, quickly changing the subject. “Ever since I was born,” she sighed and then looked at her watch. “Well, I better get to my next class,” she said in a disappointed tone, obviously wanting to talk some more. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” She had such a hopeful expression on her face that Christopher was at a loss at what to say. “Uh, sure. Tomorrow.” “Bye.” She headed down the hall. He looked after her and then at Susan. “I’ve never seen such a smooth operator in all my life,” she laughed. “I was nervous. Once I mentioned Keanu, I lost my train of thought.” “I noticed.” “Did you see how tall she was? I felt like a midget.” “How do you think I felt? You’re taller than I am. She seemed nice, though. I like her. Well, we better get to our next class,” she said as she looked at her schedule. “English. Is that what you have?” “Yeah, guess we better go before we’re late.” They arrived in the classroom right before the bell rang and sat in a pair of desks near the back. The instructor walked in a moment later carrying a stack of folders and a cup of coffee. “Morning, class. Sorry I’m late,” he said as he hurriedly placed his materials on his desk and then opened the top folder. “Now, we were cut short Friday because of the fire drill, so let’s get started, shall we? Who would like to begin today?” A student raised his hand and the instructor smiled in approval and signaled for him to come up to the front of the class where the podium was so he could give his report as he took his seat behind his desk. As the boy walked up to the head of the room, there was some snickers from some of the students, but the boy seemed to ignore them as he was concentrating on the open folder that he

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell was holding in his hand. Once he was at the podium, placing his folder to his liking and facing the class, Christopher realized that he recognized him. It was the boy that he had seen at the convenience store on Saturday morning and almost bumped into. He was dressed very neatly and was the only student that he had seen in the entire school so far who was actually wearing a tie. It seemed like such an odd sight, to actually see a boy that young dressed like a young adult, even considering this time period. “Good morning,” he said in his English accent. “I decided to do my assignment in Mythology on Hercules, one of the most famous heroic figures in literature. My assignment will be focusing on the Twelve Labors of Hercules.” Christopher smiled at the mention of the topic since Mythology was a subject that was also of interest to him. Not to mention the fact that Hercules was also a modern day hero who, at one time, had been a member of the Avengers and fought alongside other modern heroes like Captain America and Iron Man. As the student mentioned Hercules, the instructor rose from his chair and wrote the name of the hero on the blackboard for the entire class to see. As his back was to the class, Christopher saw a student a couple of rows in front of him crumple up a piece of paper and throw it up at the boy at the front of the class. It hit him on the chest and landed on the podium. The class laughed and the student calmly picked up the piece of paper and tossed it into the waste basket that was beside the instructor’s desk, as if it were just a small annoyance not worth his time, all the while, keeping a pleasant smile on his face. Christopher got the feeling that this particular student was apparently a source of ridicule for some reason. He seemed very neat and a bit bookish, which was certainly something that would stand out in his own time, and wondered if this was the reason for such blatant harsh treatment, even though it did seem to be a bit playful. He looked over at Susan and was surprised at the expression that was on her face. She was staring at the boy with a look of disbelief, as though he were performing some kind of outrageous stunt. He leaned over to her so he could get her attention. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he whispered. She just turned her head and looked at him with the same expression, not saying anything. He was about to ask her again what was wrong when the student began his report. “As most of you might already know from the previous assignments, Heracles, more commonly known as Hercules, is the immortal son of Zeus, the father of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. Zeus disguised himself as her husband Amphitryon so that he could visit her one night and make love to her, Alcmene thinking that she was making love to her husband.” “Go, Zeus!” one of the students yelled and the class erupted into laughter. The instructor, none too pleased about the outburst, stood up and regarded the class. They quickly silenced and the instructor motioned for the student to continue with his report. During the entire ordeal, the boy had simply stared down at his report and waited for the interruption to subside, still smiling pleasantly. “Hera, Zeus’ wife, was none too pleased with her husband’s numerous infidelities with mortal women, but seemed to hold more contempt for Hercules than for any other of Zeus’s children. Later in life, when Hercules was an adult, Hera was responsible for driving Hercules mad and, in a blind rage, causing him to murder his wife Megara and their children. To expiate the crime, Hercules was required to perform twelve labors for his enemy, King Eurystheus. These are now

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell more commonly known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules. The very first of his labors was the slaying of the mighty Nemean Lion and bringing back its skin. “At first, Hercules, a brilliant archer, used his arrows against the lion, but the lion was immortal so the arrows had no effect against it. Hercules solved this problem by locking the lion inside a room with him so it could not escape and strangling it with his bare hands, thus, obtaining the skin. “His second labor was to carry out the slaying of the deadly Lernaean Hydra, a creature that is said to have had half a dozen heads. Some writings going so far as to say it had a dozen heads. While fighting the Hydra, Hercules discovered that whenever he cut off one of the heads with his sword, two would instantly grow back in its place, making it seemingly impossible to defeat. Hercules solved this problem by making use of a firebrand. Whenever he cut off one of the Hydra’s heads, he would scorch the stump shut so that a head could no longer grow back. He did this with all of the heads until the Hydra was finally dead. “His third labor was to capture the Ceryneian Hind, a creature so incredibly fast that it was impossible to keep up with or capture. The most popular version of the way Hercules carried out this labor was by shooting it with an arrow and wounding it when it finally stopped to drink. Hercules also tricked Eurystheus when Eurystheus said that he wanted to add the animal to his menagerie. Hercules let the animal go before he could do so, thus angering the king to inhuman levels. His fourth labor was to capture the Erymanthian Boar. He accomplished this task by driving it into thick snow, which, apparently, the creature found an aversion to and weakened it enough for Hercules to bind it. His fifth labor was to clean the Augean Stables in a single day. This is one of his most famous labors because it gives evidence of not only Hercules’s great strength, but of his ingenuity. He accomplished this task by rerouting the rivers of Alpheus and Peneus to wash out the filth from the stables. His sixth labor assigned to him was the killing of the Stymphalian birds. The Stymphalian birds were giant man-eating birds with wings made of brass and sharp feathers made of steel that they could fire at their victims. Hercules shot them all down with his arrows. “There is also another myth that he used a catapult to get rid of the birds. The birds themselves were pets of Ares, the God of War, and this angered him to gargantuan levels when Hercules vanquished them. His seventh labor was the capture of the Cretan Bull, another of one of his most popular labors. He achieved this feat by capturing the bull and strangling it with his bare hands proving that, once again, he was the strongest man of his day. His eighth labor was the round-up of the Mares of Diomedes, which were four giant man-eating horses. The horses belonged to and were guarded over by Diomedes. Hercules killed him and fed him to the horses, thus making them calmer and Hercules easily bound their mouths shut and delivered them to King Eurysthesus. His ninth labor was to steal the girdle of Hippolyte. Hippolyte was the queen of the Amazons and the daughter of Ares. The most popular version of events is that she was so enthralled with Hercules and his muscles and great strength that she gave up the girdle without a fight.” At this point, one of the students, a rather large boy who was rather heavily muscled, rose from his chair and started posing in weightlifting stances, grunting with every change of position. The class laughed and the instructor wearily rose from his chair. “That will be all, Mr. Williamson. Please sit down,” “Yes, sir,” the boy joked as he took his seat. The boy at the podium, again, ignored the interruption and continued with his report.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “The tenth labor of Hercules was to herd the cattle of Geryon. Geryon was a giant monster described to have three heads, three bodies, six arms and six legs. Hercules shot him with an arrow that had been dipped in the Hydra’s poison blood, killing him instantly. After this was done, Hercules was easily able to deliver the cattle to an angry King Eurysthesus, who was now beside himself with grief that Hercules was able to achieve yet another labor. His next labor was to fetch the Apples of Hesperides. Hercules achieved this feat by tricking Atlas into retrieving the golden apples for him by offering to support the heavens on his back while he did so. After the task was completed, Atlas decided that he no longer wanted the burden of supporting the heavens for all eternity and offered to deliver the apples to the king himself. Hercules agreed to the arrangement but tricked Atlas into once again taking on the heavens so that he could move his cloak into a more comfortable position. Atlas agreed, but then discovered that he had been tricked when Hercules refused to take the heavens back and walked away leaving Atlas to his own eternal labor. His final labor was the capture of Cerebus, the ferocious three-headed hound who guarded the gates of Hades. Hercules appeared before the throne of Hades and Persephone and asked permission to take the hound. They gave their consent as long as Hercules agreed that no harm would befall him. He then wrestled the hound into submission and delivered it to King Eurysthesus, thus ending his twelve labors and his subservience. Later on in his life, after even more heroic and interesting adventures, Hercules was killed by being tricked into donning a tunic that was laced with the Hydra’s blood…but that is another story,” he said grinning. “Thank you. Oh, by the way, if you are interested in finding out more about the life of Hercules, the library here and the one downtown have a good amount of useful information that you might find interesting. Everything that I have just mentioned is just a very brief overview of one chapter of his extraordinary life. Thank you.” There were a few sarcastic claps from the class as the boy returned to his seat and the instructor walked up to the podium. “Thank you, that was very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. I’m sure we are all familiar with the legend of Hercules and his adventures. Does anyone have any questions? Comments?” The class just looked at him with bored expressions on their faces. Christopher had found the entire report fascinating. It was obviously well researched and thought out. He was about to raise his hand up, but then decided at the last moment to keep it down. He wanted to bring as little attention to himself as possible. “Why am I not surprised?” the instructor said, almost moaning. “All right, who’s next?” No hands were raised. “Very well, then. I’ll make the next selection myself. Mr. Roberts. I believe that it is your turn to enlighten us with your report on Athena.” A boy in the front row suddenly went wide-eyed. “Uh, sir? Do you mind if I go tomorrow? I’m still getting my materials together.” The instructor bowed his head and sighed. “Yes, Mr. Roberts, I mind very much. You’ve had two weeks plus a weekend to prepare for this assignment. If you don’t have your materials together now, you are in serious trouble anyway. Up front,” he said as he took his own seat again behind his desk. The boy slowly got up with a heap of papers in his hand that appeared to be in no discernible order and stepped behind the podium and looked nervously at the class. “Uh, my report is on the Mythology stuff and I am focusing on Athena…because she was probably a major cutie!” he said excitedly and the entire class started laughing.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell The instructor closed his eyes and sighed again and Christopher could practically feel his aggravation from the back of the room. Still, even he had to keep from laughing as he looked over at Susan. He was surprised to see that she was still wearing the same expression on her face as before and staring at the back of the head of the boy who had just given his report. “Susan? What’s the matter?” he leaned over and whispered. She looked over at him and was about to say something, but then the boy at the podium started with his very inept report about Athena, the favorite daughter of Zeus who was born fully grown and armed from his forehead, and then it proceeded to go downhill from there. After the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, the two of them got up from their desks with the rest of the class and moved to the front door, Susan still staring at the same boy and trying to get another look at his face. Once they were outside, Christopher gently touched her shoulder and she turned around. “Hey, you’ve been acting weird for the past hour. What’s up?” “That…that boy, do you know who that was?” “You mean the one who did the report on Hercules that you’ve been checking out all this time?” “Yes.” “Can’t say I do. I remember seeing him a few days ago, though.” “What?” she said in surprise, her voice raising almost an entire octave. “Where?” “Uh, I saw him at the store Saturday morning when I went to go get us breakfast. What’s the big deal?” “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Tell you what? That I saw some kid that I’ve never seen before? Why?” “Christopher,” she said patiently, “do you know who that is?” “Susan, I don’t know anyone here. Neither do you.” “You’ve never seen him before? Think hard.” “Okay…here I am thinking hard - I have no clue who that is.” “Christopher,” she said in a manner that said she was trying to keep from losing her temper because the person who was angering her was a small child, “he really does not remind you of anyone? Even from our time?” “Our time? Why would I know anyone from our time here? I didn’t even recognize my own father when he was right in front of me!” “That boy…that boy is Ronald Lexington!” Christopher looked at her for a few seconds, the words that she had just said almost flying over him. “No way!” “Yes way!” “How do you know? Just because he had an English accent you think that it’s Ronald Lexington? The instructor never even said his name.” “I recognized him. I read his biography, remember? I even have it in my purse back at the motel. There are some pictures in it of him when he was younger and I am telling you, that is Ronald Lexington in the flesh!” “Susan…are you sure? I mean really sure and not just wishful thinking?” “I am so sure that I’ll buy you lunch for a week once we get back home. He has the same accent, eyes, bone structure and he’s almost as tall as he will be when he’s fully grown. That’s

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell him! I told you he went to this school when he was a kid. Have you met any other kids with an accent?” “Well, no,” he said uncertainly. “That’s him!” she said excitedly gripping his arm. The student who had given the report on Hercules walked out of the classroom towards them. Christopher raised his hand towards him in a questioning manner when he made eye contact with him. “Excuse me,” he said pleasantly. “Yes?” the student said in a friendly manner. “I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed your report on Hercules. He’s one of my heroes, also.” “Oh, thank you. That’s jolly good! I wasn’t aware that anyone in the class was awake,” he joked. “I was,” he laughed. “My name is Christopher Winters,” he said as he held out his hand. “Ronald Lexington,” he said as he took it. “Nice to meet you.” “This is my sister, Susan.” “Susan, very nice to make your acquaintance,” he said as he gently took her hand when she offered it. “Uh…it’s, uh…I mean…nice to, you know, meet you, also,” she finally managed to say. “Very good. I take it you two are new here?” “You could say that, yes,” Christopher smiled. “We just dropped in here a few days ago.” “And how do you like it?” “Well, it seems a lot like home, actually. Just a few minor differences here and there.” “Well, it was nice to meet the both of you. I’d best be off then for my next class. I’ll be seeing more of you tomorrow and we can talk some more then, shall we?” “Sounds great! See you tomorrow.” “Susan, it was lovely to meet you,” he said as he smiled at her and then walked off down the hall. Susan proceeded to stare at the boy until he was lost in the crowd and then looked at Christopher, who was regarding her with a smile on his face. “Earth to Susan. Come in Susan,” he said. “I…I don’t believe it. I was right. That was really him and I was just now talking to him,” she said slowly. “You were definitely right. It looked like you were hoping he was going to fall on one knee right there and propose.” “Stop that!” “Talk about a smooth operator. You really had him going with your use of the English language,” he laughed. Susan ignored him and looked down the hall again. “I still can’t believe that that was really him. That was Ronald Lexington and right now we are the exact same age,” she said wonderingly. “I have to say, that is mind-blowing.” “I wonder if he has a girlfriend?” she said excitedly. “Judging by his fashion sense and the way the other students were reacting to him during his report, I think the possibilities of him having a girlfriend are pretty remote.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “That’s a shame,” she said softly. “He’s so handsome and intelligent. He looked almost as refined as when he we saw him at the book signing.” “Of course he looked more refined, then. He was forty years older than he is now,” he laughed. “Well, we better get to our next class, what do you have?” Christopher looked at his schedule and scowled. “Gym. Great. I don’t have a change of clothes with me. Maybe they’ll let me skip it. How about you?” “Math,” she said sorrowfully. “Your favorite. The gym is across campus, I’ll see you later,” he said as he started to head for it. “Bye,” she called after him and then reluctantly walked to her next class. Christopher arrived in the boy’s locker room just as the bell rang. All of the other boys were busy changing and he tried to do his best to stay in the background so as to not draw any attention to himself, hoping ho could just get away with sitting on the bleachers or something to that effect. “What’s your problem, son?” He turned around and was now staring up at a large man with a severe crew cut and wearing a blue polo shirt and a pair of white shorts. Obviously the gym teacher, he was in fantastic condition, unlike his own gym teacher back home, Mr. Smithson, who was overweight, hairy and could almost pass for a homeless person. “Uh, hello, sir.” “Do I know you?” “No, sir. This is my first day here,” he said as he gave the man his schedule so he could look at it. “Okay, fine,” he said as he looked Christopher over. “Where is your change of clothes?” “Uh, I don’t have any with me today, sir. I guess I’ll just go sit on the bleachers,” he said as he began to walk away. “Hold up, son. All my kids participate in my class, no excuses. Go into my office and pick out some clothes in your size. Everything is clean so don’t worry about dirty laundry. At the end of class, dispose of your clothes in the corner hamper. Tomorrow, show up with your own change of clothes or we’re going to have a problem. Understood?” “Yes, sir,” he said reluctantly as he headed for the office and saw his clothing options. After picking out a shirt and some shorts in his size, he changed and then joined the rest of the class in the gymnasium. “Just in time,” the gym teacher announced as he arrived. What’s your name, son?” “Christopher, sir.” “Men, this is Christopher. Today is his first day here. Okay, that’s enough small talk. Let’s divide up into teams. Faber! Hurst! You two are the captains. Switch off on picking men for each team and then let’s get started. I want all of you on the court playing in less than ten minutes. One minute more and each and every one of you are going to give me twenty before you leave my gym today. Are we clear?” “Yes, sir!” they all yelled in unison. “Carry on!” he said as he walked off while he looked down at his clipboard.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher was astounded. The way this gym class was and his own back home were completely different. Not only was the coach in shape and more disciplined than his own, there was not one person in the class giving attitude or slacking off in any way. “Incredible,” he muttered as he looked around him. The two boys assigned as team captains quickly pointed out who they wanted on each of their teams and in less than ten minutes, they had a game of volleyball going. It had been awhile since he had played the game and was obviously rusty, but soon got into the swing of playing and had his share of good plays. As he was serving, he saw some girls on the other side of the gym and noticed one in particular was looking at him. It was Jennifer, the tall girl he had met earlier who had more than a casual interest in him, and she was surrounded by some of her friends. They seemed to be giggling at him and smiling playfully. He suddenly felt very insecure standing in his shorts with his pale, skinny legs evident for the entire world to see. Regardless, he swung his arm back and served. Thankfully, it was a good serve and the game went on from there. When he looked back at her, she was gone with the rest of her group to do whatever the girls’ class was doing today. Time passed quickly. Christopher was having so much fun that he couldn’t believe it when the bell rang. It had seemed like he had only been playing for a few minutes. After all the stress of what he and Susan had been going through for the last several days, it had been nice to just relax and lose himself in something as mindless and fun as a volleyball game. As he was in the locker room showering and then changing, he hoped that she was also finding something entertaining to take her mind off of their situation. However, if she was sitting in math class right now, he seriously doubted that she was finding anything pleasurable about it at all. He turned the corner to exit the gymnasium and almost ran into Jennifer. “Oh, hello,” he said startled. “Hello.” Apparently, she had been waiting there for him to appear from the boy’s locker room. “I saw you playing today, you’re pretty good.” “Oh, that? Thanks. It’s been a few awhile since I’ve played so I was kind of rusty.” There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, especially for him. “So, what class do you have next?” she said, moving a little closer to him. “Oh, let me see,” he said as he pulled his schedule from his pocket and brightened. “I have first lunch shift.” “That’s too bad, I have second. Well, maybe we’ll see each other later,” she said a tad disappointed that they would not be spending anymore time together and looked him squarely in the eye as she started to walk away. “Uh, sure,” he said smiling a bit nervously, wondering if all the girls in this time were as bold as she was. He had never encountered a girl back home who seemed to be as…forward as she was. He had assumed that this was a more conservative time, but now he was not so sure. Besides, as much as he enjoyed the attention and was flattered by it, he really wanted to try and stay away from making any kind of strong connections here. When the time came to go home, he did not want to have to dwell on anything that might require him to think about what was really important to him. She seemed really nice, and was certainly cute, but his own time was where his life was. He made his was to the cafeteria and was pleasantly surprised to see Susan making her way towards him. “You have first shift, also?” she said, smiling. “Apparently, and I’m starving! I just finished playing a game of volleyball. How was math?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “It took everything I had to stay awake. It really is the most boring subject. Anyway, come on. Lunch is on me.” “Lead the way.” They got their food, which looked to be about as appetizing as cardboard, and found a table to sit down. “I’ve been doing some thinking,” she said after a few moments. “About?” “Well, we have no idea how much longer we’re going to be here and I’ve been thinking about how much longer the money we have is going to last.” “It’s crossed my mind once or twice,” he said sorrowfully. “Any ideas?” “Not really.” “Well, I might have an idea, if you would like to hear it.” “Fire away.” “Well, Ronald was also in my math class.” “Lucky you,” he said, grinning. “I heard him talking to a friend of his and he was saying that his parents were back in England taking care of some business for a week or so, a mixture of a business trip and a holiday.” “And?” “Well, he mentioned that he has the whole house to himself and, the way he described it, he made it sound like it was kind of big.” “Okay, and?” She looked at him, not saying anything. “You have got to be kidding!” he almost shouted. “What?” “You know perfectly well what!” “It was just a suggestion!” “And a pretty bad one at that!” “What’s so bad about it? He seems like the kind of person who would be happy to help people out if they needed it.” “I’m sure he is, but we’re supposed to be maintaining a low profile, remember?” “Well, the way I see it, we have no clue whatsoever when the circle will return and I estimate that if we watch every dollar we have, we might have enough money to last about two weeks. And that’s being generous. Having a free place to stay would certainly help matters.” “I agree. But assuming he would even be up for having two strangers stay with him, what would we tell him? That we just want to bunk down with him because we think he’s cool and that he’s going to grow up to be your favorite author? Oh, and let’s just tell him that we’re from more than forty years in the future. I’m sure he’ll love that.” “Well, we don’t have to go that far. But really, if we had to, what would be the harm?” “What?” he said, almost choking on his milk? “Are you serious?” “What would be the big deal, I mean really? All we would be telling him is what is going to happen anyway.” “That will happen if we don’t mess with the time continuum. We might do something to alter the future. The fact that we even spoke to him may have altered the future in some way.” “I doubt it, we didn’t really do anything other than just say hello and talk for a few moments. What harm is there in that?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Probably nothing and we should do our best to keep it that way.” “Christopher, we were sent here for a reason, you said so yourself. What if the reason we were sent back has something to do with Ronald Lexington?” “Like what? He seemed to be doing alright last time we saw him. Successful career, millions of fans, no problems whatsoever. I think we should make sure that it stays that way. What if we inadvertently do something to…I don’t know; keep him from becoming a writer?” “Like what, for instance?” “I have no idea, and the less ideas we have, the better.” They ate the rest of their lunch in silence, but now the thought of money was really weighing on his mind. Not to mention the fact that he was worried about Susan. If he didn’t watch over her, she might do something to alter the future by coming into contact with Ronald and doing something drastic. He seriously thought that the experience of her coming into proximity with him when they are now the same age might do something to drive her to do something foolish. She had already been completely enthralled with him back in their own time. Now, meeting him before he eventually becomes the man she adores, she could very well possibly do something that might jeopardize all of them. He would have to keep a watchful eye on her until it was time to go home.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

SEVEN

It was the second day of school for them in their new time and, once again, they were doing their best to bring as little attention to themselves as possible. Susan had barely said a word all morning and it was starting to make Christopher really nervous, like she was up to something. When the bell signaling the end of the History class rang, Susan turned to Christopher. “I’ll see you in English,” she said quickly and then darted out of her chair and out of the room before he could react. When she was out the door, he got up and wondered why she was in such a hurry to get to the next class…and then he remembered. “Oh, God,” he muttered as he picked up his pace so that he could catch up to her before she could do…whatever it was that was going through her mind. She had been unusually quiet when they were in the room last night trying to cope with early-day television and Susan not talking was truly an event to behold because it rarely happened. The way she had been talking at lunch yesterday, who knows what she might do if he wasn’t around? More than a bit out of breath, he entered the room and quickly found Susan, sitting at the desk next to Ronald Lexington. They were talking and a chill ran up Christopher’s spine. Luckily, the seat next to her was open and he quickly occupied it before another student could. “Hey, Christopher. You know Ronald from yesterday, right?” “Uh, I sure do. How are you?” “Jolly good, how are you this morning?” Christopher looked at Susan as he answered him. “Oh, you know. Trying to keep everything from falling apart.” “Ha! Ha! Don’t worry,” he said smiling. “You’ll get used to the routine. It’s all about the same, you know?” “I suppose. There are just a few differences here and there as far as some people go,” he said grinning and looking at Susan again. “Um, excuse me, Ronald,” she said trying to change the subject, “I couldn’t help but notice that folder you had opened there,” she said as she indicated the folder that was on the other side of his desk. He had been reading over it when she rushed into the classroom and had quickly closed it when she sat down, as though he was a spy and he was in possession of some kind of top secret document. “It had your name on it. Is it another report?” “Oh, this?” he said in a throwaway tone. “It’s just something that I was working on whenever I had some spare time.” “Really? Were you writing something?” “Well,” he said a bit reluctantly, obviously embarrassed about talking about something that he had hoped to keep a secret, “I’ve been dabbling in some writing, lately. Fiction. I’ve been working on this particular story for a week or so and I just finished it up last night.” “Really?” Susan said interested. “What do you like to write?” “Well, frankly, I’m a bit of a Poe fan. I think he’s a literary genius. The Telltale Heart, the Raven. All excellent. Are you familiar with his work?” “I’ve read some it, yes,” she said and Christopher had to smile because he knew full well that when she found out that Ronald Lexington had been strongly influenced by the works of Edgar Allen Poe, she immediately went out and bought a giant volume that included all of his works and read through all of them in record time.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Really? I’ve never met a girl who has read Poe before.” “I love to read. I always have a book handy.” “Do you? What are you involved in right now?” “I just picked up your ne—”and then she caught herself. She was about to say that she had just started reading his new book and that she loved it, but that would sound more than a bit odd. Sitting there watching her, Christopher was actually happy to see her do that because it showed that her adoration of Ronald had not completely clouded her thinking. “Uh, what I mean is that I just picked up a new book a few days ago and it’s really good, I just can’t remember the title of it. Isn’t that funny?” Ronald was just looking at her as if he could not believe that a person was reading a book that they did not even know the title of. Apparently, he did not think it was funny at all. Odd would be a better word for it. Sensing that the object of her affection was starting to think that she was some kind of weirdo, she tried to change the subject. “So, do you mind if I take a look at your story?” “Oh, well, I’ve never actually shown anyone any of my work. I don’t think its good enough to show people yet.” The expression on Susan face was truly a sight to see and Christopher had to keep from laughing. Here was Ronald Lexington, her favorite writer, sitting right next to her and he was telling her that he didn’t think his work was any good. “Oh, I’m sure it’s wonderful. You sound like you’re just being hard on yourself. Most writers are perfectionists.” “Well,” he said sheepishly as slid the folder over to her and opened it, “why don’t you take a quick look at it while I step out for a minute? We still have a few moments before class begins and I have to visit the men’s room. If you’ll excuse me,” he said politely as he got up and then quickly left. Christopher got the sense that he did not really have to go to the bathroom at all, he was just very nervous about someone reading his work. It really was quite odd. Here is a person who, in his own time, is one of the most respected writers in the world. Here, he was just a boy who was unsure of himself and apparently terrified of telling anyone that he wanted to be a writer. His eyes followed Ronald, the most well-dressed boy in the school, out of the room and then he looked back at Susan. He was taken aback at the expression on her face. He had expected to see a giant smile on her face, the first person ever to see an original Ronald Lexington story right in front of her. Instead, she was still looking at the title page with incredulity. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he said. “I thought you would be on cloud nine right now. Not only are you sitting and talking with you’re idol, you just found out that you are also his first ever fan.” Susan slowly looked over at him. “Christopher, I recognize this story,” she said apprehensively. “Really? So you’ve read it?” “Christopher…this story…this story is what started his career. There was a statement from him in his biography, its here in my purse, that writing this story was one of the turning points in his life. The first story that he ever had published. When that happened, he decided right then and there that he was going to be a writer and nothing else. It’s a classic! It was republished in his first collection of short stories. All of his fans know it!” “Wow, and here he is thinking that it’s not even any good. Weird.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Christopher!” she said as he grabbed his arm excitedly. “This is it! This is why we’re here!” “What? To read a story?” “No, it’s more than that! We’re here to make sure that he becomes who he’s supposed to be! Ronald Lexington the writer!” The words sat there for a few moments and then Christopher spoke. “Uh, Susan, I don’t mean to rain on your parade or anything. I know that he’s your favorite writer and all, but don’t you think that going through all of this stuff with the circle and being here in this time just to make sure that a certain person becomes a writer is a bit too…I don’t know…much?” “What else could it be?” “I don’t know, but travelling all this way to make sure that the world has another writer in it seems a bit small.” “Well, I think it’s the reason. He has millions of fans all over the world. If we don’t do our part, none of them will ever be able to read his work. All we have to is give him some confidence, make sure he submits the story, set the wheels in motion and then – viola! We’re home!” He thought about it for a moment and could not come up with one other reason that made sense. It still seemed like a lot of trouble for, really, nothing, but there seemed to be no other answer. And, if she was right, then they were already working on their way home. Ronald walked in right before the bell rang and took his seat. Susan gave the folder back to him and smiled. “Did you like it?” he said. “I only got to read a few pages. I think it’s wonderful! You should really look into getting it published.” “You think so?” he said surprised. “Well…thank you,” he said gratefully. “Sure,” she said and then looked at Christopher and smiled. The smile said it all – we were on our way home. “Okay, class, sorry I’m late,” the instructor announced as he entered the room while carrying an assortment of folders and a cup of coffee, exactly like he did the day before. Christopher got the distinct impression that this was something that happened every day. Susan looked at him and it was pretty evident that she was thinking the same thing. “Well, let’s jump right in, shall we?” he said as he opened his top folder and looked at it for a moment. “I believe that we are scheduled to hear from Mr. Williamson today. Mr. Williamson, are you prepared?” “Yes, sir,” the large boy who had been doing the posing yesterday during Ronald’s report said. “Very well, the floor is yours,” the instructor said as he took his seat and the boy, who could have almost passed for a professional football player, walked up front. With a cocky smile, he opened his folder and began speaking in a deep voice. “I decided to do my report on Thor, the God of Thunder. Thor is the son of Odin and is an Asgardian warrior. He lives with his people in the land of Asgard…” As he was speaking, Christopher looked at him as though he were speaking in a foreign tongue. He looked over at the instructor and saw that he, too, was wearing the same expression. “Thor also has a half-brother, Loki, who is the God of Mischief and—” “Mr. Williamson?” the instructor said. “Yes, sir?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “What exactly are you reading?” “Uh, my report on Thor?” “And can you tell me why you are doing that?” “Why am I doing it?” “Yes, why are you doing it?” “Because…it’s my assignment?” he said with a bewildered look on his face, obviously not understanding the question. “No, Mr. Williamson, I mean why are you doing a report on Thor?” “Uh, because he’s the guy I picked to do my report on.” His words hung in the air and Christopher could already hear what the instructor was about to say. “Mr. Williamson, the class was assigned to do reports on various characters in Greek Mythology, correct?” “Yes, sir.” “I see. Then you are aware that Thor is a figure from Norse Mythology, yes?” “He is?” “Yes, Mr. Williamson. He is.” “Oh…what’s the difference?” At this, half the class laughed and the other remained silent, the quiet half not getting the reference. “Well, I would say that the difference would be rather dramatic, Mr. Williams, considering that they are two entirely different mythologies with different characters.” “Oh.” “Tell me, Mr. Williams, in the four weeks that we have been studying Greek Mythology, have you once heard me mention the character of Thor?” “Uh, well, last week...no…I remember the time…no, that was Ares. Wait! There was last Wednesday when, no, wait! That was Pluto. I think there was…uh…I guess not…sir.” There was a silence in the room as the largest boy in the room suddenly became the smallest, seemingly to shrink inch by inch with every word that he had said. The instructor looked down at his desk and sighed and then back up at the student. “Very well, Mr. Williams, please continue. But, know right now that I will be deducting ten points from your grade for not only picking a character that has nothing whatsoever to do with Greek Mythology, but is not even Greek! Please,” he said while gesturing at him in frustration to read his report. “Oh, okay. Uh…where was I?” he said as he scanned his paper and seemed unable to find his place, so he started at the only place he knew. “I decided to do my report on Thor, the God of Thunder. Thor is the son of Odin and is an Asgardian warrior. He lives with his people in the land of Asgard…” The teacher closed his eyes and sighed in what seemed like pain and Christopher decided then and there that even though he was in a different time, some things always remained the same. Christopher was hurrying out of the shower and drying off. The bell was going to ring any second and he was one of the only boys left in the locker room. After the volleyball game, he had volunteered to take down the net and put in storage, without having any idea of how to do so, and now he was running late and he was so hungry that anyone around him would easily be

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell able to hear his stomach rumbling. As he was placing the new gym clothes that he had purchased yesterday afternoon into his locker, the bell rang. He hurriedly dressed and rushed out of the gym. Hunger was really only half the reason that he wanted to hurry to the lunch room. He also wanted to meet with Susan and see what she had been up to for the past hour. All sorts of ideas went through his head and none of them were pleasant. He realized that her intentions were all good and could more than likely only be beneficial, but their situation was very tricky and they had to be careful that they left things to follow their proper course until it was time to go home. Right now, they had done nothing to alter the future, and that was the way it should stay. As he was running through the hall, something caught his ear. He stopped to find out where it was coming from. The sound was some beautiful music that sounded as if it were coming from a flute. He followed the sound of it and looked into the window that was on the door from the room that it seemed to be originating from. As he looked in, he saw Jennifer sitting up straight and she was staring down at a music stand with some sheet music on it. In her hands, she was delicately holding the flute that she was playing. Christopher could not help but stare at her. Her playing was beautiful and the look of contentment and relaxation on her face…it made the entire picture hypnotic to watch. Being as careful as he could, he carefully opened the door, closed it, entered the room and sat down quietly so he could watch her play the piece. She did not notice him until she was done and he startled her. “Oh! I didn’t see you sitting there!” she quietly exclaimed as she placed her hand on her chest. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t want to disturb you while you were playing. That was really beautiful.” “You think so?” she said, embarrassed. I’ve been playing since I was eight, but you would never know it.” “No, that was really nice. I really liked it.” “Thank you. Do you play anything?” “Me? I fiddle around a bit with the guitar.” “Really? Can you play something?” “Play something?” It was then that he noticed they must be in the music room. There were assorted seats and music stands scattered about, an old piano that had seen its better days, a rudimentary drum kit, and in the back were black cases that held various instruments. He recognized one as a guitar case and walked over to it. “Let’s see what we have here,” he said as he opened it and inside was a beautiful acoustic guitar. “Wow. Very nice. I hope the student who owns this won’t mind if I borrow it for a moment.” “That belongs to Barry. He’s horrible,” she giggled and then suddenly stopped. “Don’t tell him I said that!” “I think we can keep it between us,” he smiled as he sat down and did some fine tuning of the strings. It had felt like a lifetime since he held a guitar, even though it had only been several days. It suddenly dawned on him that the last time he held a guitar was the same day that he realized that his scholarship and all the dreams that went with it were gone. He sat there in silence for a few moments staring down at his hands lost in thought. So much had happened since then: losing his dream, going to the mall and Susan doing her best to cheer him up, the circle transporting them to this time, meeting his grandmother and his father as a child, going

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell back to school, meeting Ronald Lexington. It was enough to keep a person busy for a lifetime, and he had done it all in a handful of days. It all seemed like a giant blur. “Is something wrong?” Jennifer finally said. Christopher blinked his eyes a few times and grinned. “No, I was just thinking about something. Let’s see, how about a little of this?” he said as he started playing the Andres Segovia piece that he had spent weeks perfecting before he performed it for Mr. Hudson and the class. Any apprehension that he might have felt about not playing for awhile suddenly vanished s his fingers began to dance on the strings in a fluid grace and the notes of the piece filled the room. After the stress of the past several days, it was really nice to just sit down and lose himself in the thing that he loved most in the world. Jennifer was staring at him in amazement. She had not known what to expect, but something like this? It was obvious that he was incredibly talented and been playing for most of his young life. And the way he was playing, as though he were feeling and experiencing every note as if they were flowing through him. It was as if the music wanted to escape its own universe to the listeners of this world and was using Christopher as its vessel to do so. Once he was done with the piece, he looked up and saw that she was staring at him open mouthed. “Uh…wow! That was really good,” she said wide-eyed. “The only time I’ve ever heard classical music is when my parents put on a record.” “Thank you,” Christopher said a little bit bashfully. “I just learned that a while ago. Took me some time to get it right.” “It sounded alright to me,” she laughed. That was really nice. Do you know anything else?” “What would you like to hear?” “I don’t know…do you know anything...more modern?” “Classical too square for you?” he grinned. “Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “I just thought you might know something more…recent.” “Well, let’s see…how about this?” he said as he played a couple of chords and then suddenly stopped. “What’s wrong?” “Uh, nothing,” he said nervously. “I just…blanked out. I must be tired or something,” he laughed. “Oh, well it sounded nice, what I heard of it,” she smiled. “Thanks. I’ll try to remember the rest of it later,” he said trying to cover his mistake. The reason he had stopped was because he had just played the opening chords to Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple, a song written by Ritchie Blackmore that would not even be recorded for a number of years. It might have only been a small slip in the grand scale of things, but he still wanted to be very careful. “Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” he said as he was got up. “It’s alright. I was just practicing a little bit. My grandparents are coming into town next week and, as always, my mother wants to show me off and put on a little concert for them.” “Sounded nice to me,” he said as he proceeded to gently place the guitar back in its case and then walked back up to her. “I’ve got to go meet my sister for lunch. Who knows that mischief she might be up to without me to keep my eye on her?” She laughed at the joke, not really understanding it, but feeling she should laugh anyway. “Okay, maybe we’ll see each other some other time then?” “Sure thing. Well, I’ll see you later,” he said, suddenly nervous and feeling the need to leave.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Bye,” she said softly as he opened the door and walked out. He started walking down the hall with his head down thinking about what had just happened when he heard something that caught his attention. “Big improvement, Romeo!” He turned around and saw Susan grinning at him. “Uh, what do you mean?” “You know what I mean. Did you enjoy serenading Wonder Woman?” “What?” “Wonder Woman? The girl who towers over us normal people?” “Oh, uh, I guess.” “You guess? Looks to me like you were having a pretty good time.” “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the cafeteria?” he said irritably. “I was walking down the hall and heard some familiar playing. Imagine my surprise when I saw you serenading your new sweetheart,” she said with her hands over her chest and a mocking gesture of fainting. “Okay, so I saw her playing her flute and it interested me. Happy?” “And, yet…you criticize me for talking with Ronald,” she said skeptically. “That is an entirely different matter altogether!” “Oh? And is why is that?” she said playfully, doing her best to annoy him. “Because Ronald Lexington is a world famous person and anything that we do here might do something to offset that. Jennifer is just a regular person like you and I. Talking with her is no big deal.” “It seemed like a big deal to you.” “Can we drop it? I’m hungry.” “I’m sure you are. I could see it in your eyes as you were looking at her.” “Ha! Ha! You are so funny. Anyway, what have you been up to since English?” “Not much. I managed to stay awake during Math, but just barely. Let’s head to the cafeteria and get something to eat while we still have some time. That is, unless, you would like to go back inside and play an encore.” “You are so hilarious. Did I ever tell you how hilarious you are?” “Think of it as payback for embarrassing me.” “What do you mean ‘embarrassing me’?” “You know what I mean.” “No I don’t.” “The book signing? You telling Ronald Lexington I was in love with him? That I was going to be a writer and sell more books than him? Ring a bell?” “Oh. Okay, I guess I deserve that.” “You certainly do,” she said as they started walking to the cafeteria. “Still, it was fun.” “For you, maybe.” “It was. The look on your face made it all worth it.” “Careful, I can still turn around and go tell your girlfriend how beautiful you think she is and how you can’t stop talking about her and how you would like to tak—” “Okay! Enough! Let’s go eat something so you can do something with your mouth other than talk for hours at a time.” “Lead the way,” she said playfully.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell As they were walking down the hall, Susan saw something on the wall that caught her attention. “Hey, look at this,” she said as she indicated what she was looking at. “What is it?” Christopher said as he looked at what had caught her attention. “It’s a poster for a dance!” she said excitedly. “It going to be this Friday night! No wonder your girlfriend had been so forward. You are the new boy in school and she wants you to ask her to the dance!” “Oh, please! I’ve never been to a dance in my entire life.” “Now’s a good a time as any to start!” “I don’t know how to dance, anyway.” “Yes, you do.” “No, I don’t.” “Yes, you do. I’ve seen you, remember?” “What are you talking about?” She folded her arms and regarded him matter-of-factly. “I seem to remember a time a few months ago when I stopped off over at your house and your mother showed me to your room. When she opened the door, there you were dancing in front of a mirror to a Michael Jackson song.” Christopher thought about what she was talking about and then suddenly remembered, his face turning red as he closed his eyes. “I forgot about that,” he moaned. “You were pretty good. You even had that moon walk thing down pretty nice.” “I was just fooling around, not really dancing. Besides, dances are formal. That’s an entirely different style.” “You mean slow dancing?” “Yes, the slow dancing stuff. I’ve never done it.” “I can teach you.” “What?” “I can teach you to slow dance. It’s easy.” “Why?” “So we can go to the dance.” “Why would we want to go to the dance? We need to concentrate on getting home. As long as you make sure that Ronald mails the story, there should be no problem.” “Well, just because we’re here taking care of that, there’s no reason that we can’t have some fun.” “I don’t know,” he said skeptically. “Oh, don’t be such a baby! Loosen up! You can ask your girlfriend if she wants to go. She’ll probably attack you on the spot, and I can go with Ronald.” “What?” he almost yelled. “I can go with Ronald.” “That’s what I thought you said. Susan, are you out of your mind? We should be trying to avoid him as much as we can and here you are trying to get a date with him!” “So? It could be fun. As long as he doesn’t know where we’re from, what’s the harm?” “The harm is that everything could come crashing down at any moment.” “How?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I don’t know how! But, anything that he does that might appear out of the ordinary might mean some kind of harm, and he doesn’t strike me as the kind of kid who goes to dances. He probably stays home and watches old episodes of the Twilight Zone or something. More than likely he spends most of his spare time writing when he’s not doing homework.” “He’s not a nerd!” “Susan, you’ve seen what he’s like and that’s just here. He wouldn’t survive a day back home. I bet any girl in our school could beat him up and take his lunch money, and those are the nice girls.” She grinned. “I still think it would be a good idea and I’m going to ask him about it. I think he likes me/” “Oh, really? I haven’t seen any evidence to that fact.” “That’s because you don’t know what to look for. A woman knows when a guy is into her.” “Oh, and how do you know this?” “Because I just know. Also, from watching Sex and the City.” Disgusted, he said, “You watch that show?” “It’s my favorite. I want to get back home soon so I don’t miss the movie.” “I think I’ll pass on that.” “Anyway, tomorrow, I’m going to get him to ask me to the dance.” “Susan.” “And you are going to ask your girlfriend to go.” “No, I’m no—” “Yes, you are. And that’s final,” she said as she walked off. Christopher looked after her, sighed in defeat, and then ran after her.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell EIGHT

“Look! There he is!” Christopher looked over and saw Ronald Lexington standing by himself reading a book. He was surrounded by other kids, but he was so lost in whatever it was that he was reading, it seemed as though he had an entire planet to himself. There was only about ten minutes until the first class of the day started and he wished that he could suddenly speed time up so that Susan could not go through with her outrageous plan. “Okay, here I go,” Susan said as she started to walk towards him. “Wait!” Christopher said as he touched Susan’s shoulder. “Look, why don’t we just forget about it? It’s a fun idea, but absolutely no good can come of it.” “Wrong! Lot’s of good can come of it,” she smiled as she continued to walk towards Ronald. Christopher groaned as she followed her and then, once she was close to him, walked around some kids so that he was standing behind Ronald. He might not be able to stop her, but he could at least listen and jump in if she started saying something detrimental. “Hello, Ronald,” she said in a friendly tone. “Oh!” he said surprisingly as he looked up at her. “Hello there. How are you this fine morning?” “Good. What are you reading?” “This?” he said as he held up his small, battered book. “It’s the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I usually read it once a year, that and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I’ve done so since I was eleven. Have you read them?” “Uh, not yet, but I keep meaning to. “Well, then, you’re in for a treat when you do so.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” “So who do you read, then?” “Well, actually, you are my favorite author,” she teased. Christopher groaned, almost getting into position so that he would be ready to jump in if he had to. “Go on, then!” he laughed. She laughed with him. “Anyway,” she said in a playful way that Christopher recognized as Susan wanting to get to the point, “do you have any plans for the dance on Friday?” “The dance? You mean the school dance, then?” “That’s the one,” she said, smiling. “I was wondering if you had picked out a date yet.” “I’m afraid I’m not much of a dancer, really.” “Oh, I bet you’re a fabulous dancer. You’re tall and thin, I bet you’re light on you’re feet and would be great.” “You think so, then?” “Sure, if you’re interested, I could even show you a few steps. It’s easy.” “Oh well then,” he said as he looked a bit embarrassed, obviously not used to the notion of a girl asking a boy out on a date. Christopher observed him and he looked like he was about to make up some kind of excuse, but then a small smile appeared on his face and he looked at Susan, who was obviously was not going to take no for an answer no matter what. “You know, it would be nice to try and experience something new. I’ll do it, then.” “Great! So, it’s a date!”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “It most assuredly is,” he smiled, obviously pleased that he was going to be trying out a new experience. Christopher suspected that, more than anything, he was doing it because he was a writer and, from what he understood about them, writers wanted to experience as many things as they possibly could because it might lead to an idea of some sort. Still, he was a guy, and being a guy himself, he knew that he would not have accepted the invitation unless he was at least somewhat attracted to Susan. For some reason, this worried him. Susan flirting with her lifelong crush in her own time was one thing, this was an entirely different situation altogether and any number of things could come of it, none of them good. “You’re turn,” she said. “What?” Christopher said startled. Susan was now standing beside him with a smile of victory on her face. “It’s your turn. Time for you to ask your girlfriend to the dance.” “I’m fine. You two have fun,” he said about to walk off. “Hold it,” she said, grabbing his shirt sleeve. “You’re not getting out of it that easy. I already have a plan.” “A plan?” He thought of Susan and a plan not translating to a good thing. “A plan. You are going to ask your girlfriend out and we are going to double date.” “No, I’m not. I’m going to stay at home in the room, watch bad television, and hope and pray that you do not do something to completely wreck our lives.” “No, you are going to ask your girlfriend to the dance and, as fate may have it, there she is right over there with talking with some friends,” she said as she looked over in her direction. Christopher followed her gaze and saw Jennifer and had to admit that she did look very cute today. She was wearing a nice dress and her long hair was spilling down about her shoulders. Also, he could not help but be a little turned on about her height. For some reason, looking up at a woman instead of just being eye-level or having to look down at her was…interesting. It may have just been a novelty because it was something that had never happened, but, it was still interesting. Plus, like him, she also played an instrument and played beautifully! “Okay, Romeo. You’re on,” she said as she half dragged him towards Jennifer. Once they were near her, Susan wasted no time in getting to the point. “Hello, Jennifer,” she said. She turned to face her and immediately saw Christopher standing beside her. Her entire demeanor changed as she saw Christopher and smiled. “Oh, hello,” she said. “My brother would like to ask you something,” she said as she looked at Christopher, smiled and left. Jennifer followed her with a perplexed look on her face and then back at Christopher, who was standing there looking very unsure of himself. Christopher was standing there feeling very unsure of himself. Back in his own time, he did not really date that much. Not because he was not a confident person, but he usually spent most of his time practicing his guitar and reading his books and comic books. He would have liked to date more, but not having a car like most of the other boys was equivalent to having the plague. Whenever he felt like asking a girl out, he would immediately think about what would come next – the problem of transportation – and just forget about the whole thing. He could just imagine it, he would show up at a girl’s house on his bike and she would take one look at it and start laughing until the sun came up. That little visual had kept him from taking advantage of numerous opportunities. In fact, Susan had never told him, but a lot of her friends had expressed interest in her friend, most of them fascinated about his wonderful talent on the guitar. Although

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell she had been tempted more than a few times to let him know that he was a minor rock star among the girls at school, she had always held back because, as much as she loved her friends, she wanted to someday set Christopher up with what she thought was his perfect match. He was like a brother to her and, like all siblings, wanted only the best for him. Now, here was a girl who was pretty, friendly and also played a musical instrument. She was perfect! All the rest of it was just minor details that could be looked over for now as far as she was concerned. “Uh, hello,” Christopher finally managed to say. “Hello, what’s wrong with your sister?” “Oh, Susan?” he said as he looked after her, knowing full well that she was going to find a place to hide so she could watch the both of them, “she’s like that. She sees something that she wants and she just goes after it, usually without thinking,” he grinned. “Really? Does she want something from me?” “Well,” he said as he gazed around her and saw her girlfriends looking at them, most of them suspecting what was about to happen and smiling girlishly, “do you mind if we step over here for a moment?” he said while indicating a more unpopulated area a few steps away. “Sure,” she said and they were soon standing alone. “Well, I was wondering, if you haven’t been asked already, if you would like to go to the dance with me on Friday.” Her eyes immediately lit up. She smiled so widely that Christopher could practically see all of the perfect white teeth in her mouth. “I would love to,” she said. “Really? Great! I’m sorry it’s such short notice, but I just found out about it yesterday afternoon. Is that okay?” “That’s fine,” she said almost too quickly. “Thank you for asking me.” “No, thank you for going with me,” he laughed. “I…I really appreciate you asking me. Boys hardly ever ask me out,” she said softly as she looked down at the ground with a hurt look on her face. “Really? I’m surprised. I would think guys would be asking you out left and right,” he grinned and she smiled again. “Not really. I think most of the boys have a problem with me being so tall. They don’t like it.” “Well, I think they’re idiots. You’re beautiful and your height only adds to it.” She immediately smiled gratefully and they stood there staring at each other for a few moments. “Well, listen, the bell’s about to ring. I’ll let you get back to your friends and talk to you later. Okay?” “Okay,” she said still smiling and then turned around and walked away. Her friends immediately gathered around her and started talking all at once. Christopher smiled and turned around, almost bumping into Susan, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. “Way to go, Romeo!” “You heard that?” “Every word.” “Where were you?” he exclaimed. “Nearby.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Incredible how you manage to do that. At any rate, you have your wish - we both have dates to the dance.” “As if there were ever any doubt. Well, are you going to admit it?” “Admit what?” “That she’s your perfect woman?” “What do you mean?” “Oh, you know what I mean. Tall, beautiful, loves music and she’s obviously interested in you. She’s perfect!” she said with satisfaction. “Well…I guess so,” he said slowly, “except for one thing.” “Oh? What’s that? Afraid you’re going to get a crick in your neck?” “Us. We don’t belong here. In our time, they would both be older than our parents. Doesn’t that strike you as weird?” “Sure, but so what?” “So what? How can you be so flippant about it?” “Because love is weird. Don’t you know that?” she said in a carefree way. “Love?” he said looking at her worriedly. “Look, Susan, seriously, we don’t belong here. When the time comes when we have to go, I don’t want you to be second guessing yourself.” “What do you mean?” “I mean when the time comes to go, I want you to be able to make a decision in an instant with a clear head. We may have only once chance to get out of here and when the time comes, we’re going to have to grab it.” “I know that.” “Do you? I’m not sure,” he said skeptically. “You’re starting to worry me.” “What do you mean?” “Well, lately, you just seem so…lighthearted about it.” “Oh, I’m just dealing with it,” she said nonchalantly. “You’re the one that said that we could be stuck here for the rest of our lives. If that happens, why not be with someone that you love?” Christopher looked at her and sighed. “Look, I know how infatuated you are with Ronald and, I have to admit, I really like Jennifer, but when the time comes, we are going home. Agreed?” “Agreed. Honestly, Christopher, you’re reading too much into this. I want to go home as much as you do, maybe even moreso. When the circle comes, I’ll be ready.” “Promise?” “Promise.” The bell went off, signaling that the conversation was now over. They proceeded to walk into the school, Christopher with a worried look on his face that would stay there for most of the day. “So, how was your day?” she said as she walked up to him. “I guess it was okay. How was yours?” “The usual,” Susan said and then she had a quizzical look on her face. “Isn’t that weird?” “What?” Christopher said. “Here we are in 1963, back in our school with nobody that we know, and we can’t tell anyone that we’re from 2008. All that and it’s just another usual day.” “I guess,” he grinned. “So, what now?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Well, I guess we head back to the room. I’ve got some homework to take care of and we both need to get around to doing our laundry.” “That sounds exciting. Had any ideas about ways to earn some extra money?” “None, so far. I thought about trying to find a local music store and see if I can get some type of job teaching music on the weekends or something.” “That sounds like a good idea, got anything that I might be good for?” “Well,” he said while examining her playfully, “can you think of any type of job that requires talking all the time, non-stop, and loves to live dangerously?” “Very funny. If we were back home, I would say a talk show host.” “I can see that,” he said while looking at her appreciatively. “You definitely belong in a profession where you are the boss.” “You think so?” she smiled. “Of course.” “Maybe I’ll be your manager someday.” “Maybe,” he grinned. “Well, I guess we should head home so we can…hey!” “What?” Susan said while looking for what had caught his attention. “That car. I’ve seen it before, outside that store a few days ago. I think it belongs to Ronald.” “Really?” she said excitedly. “He has his own car?” “Sure, rub it in.” “Sorry,” she said absently as she looked at the car that was coming near them and trying to get a look at the driver. She recognized Ronald and waved. He smiled in surprise. Looking behind him to make sure that he was safe, pulled to the curb and rolled down the window. “Hey, there! Where are you two headed?” “We were just on our way home,” Susan said while looking at the large black car, amazed that something like this was actually considered stylish and suddenly thought of her beloved, lost Jetta. “Well, why don’t the two of you hop in, then?” he said as he opened the door. Christopher and Susan smiled at each other and climbed into the large car, Susan in front and placing her giant purse on the floor by her feet. Christopher looked at it and thought that the fact that nobody had asked about such a monstrosity so far was nothing short of amazing. “Hey, thanks for the ride, Ronald. We really appreciate it,” Christopher said. “No problem, mate,” Ronald said as he looked into his mirrors and then pulled back into traffic. Susan immediately noticed the music that Ronald had on his radio and looked at him and then Christopher with her nose wrinkled. “Uh, what is this that’s playing?” Susan asked. “Glenn Miller. Do you like it?” “I guess its okay,” she said slowly and Ronald smiled. “I take it you would like to listen to something else?” he grinned. “Well, if you don’t mind,” she said. “Go ahead, then.” Susan started playing with the knob on the radio and soon came across another station that was playing a more upbeat song. “I’ve heard this song before! Just a few days ago! What’s it called?” “Mmm…I think they’re called the Beach Boys. They seem to be rather popular.” “Do you mind if we listen to them?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Not at all, I rather like it,” he said grinning at her. “So, where do the two of you live?” Christopher immediately stiffened. He couldn’t tell him that they were currently living in a hotel. That would look more than very strange and raise all sorts of questions; questions that he would prefer to try not to answer. Due to Susan’s attempts at trying to become more sociable, he felt that they were already dangerously close to people finding out who they were. Susan apparently felt the same way because she looked worriedly back at him, unsure of what to say. “Say, tell you what, why don’t we hang out for awhile? There’s no hurry to get home,” Christopher said. “Sounds good,” Ronald smiled. Christopher got the feeling that he was sincerely glad that he had suggested that. He got the impression that Ronald was the kind of boy who spent most of his time alone and having any kind of company was a welcome change. After knowing him for just such a short period of time, he really did seem like a nice guy, if a bit on the conservative side, and he could see why Susan liked him. Not to mention the fact that he would be growing up to be one of the most popular authors of all time. “Hey, what’s this?” Susan said as she picked up a large brown envelope that was sitting on the seat between them and inspected it. “Oh, that?” Ronald said a bit tensely. “That’s something I’ve been meaning to mail out but haven’t got around to it.” Susan looked at the address and then at Ronald, immediately knowing what it was. “Is this your story?” “Uh, yes it is,” he said silently, clearly embarrassed about someone finding out that he was trying to get his work published. Even though he had already told her earlier, it was still hard to talk about with people. Susan looked back at Christopher and a silent message passed between them – this was it! It was the reason that they were sent here, to make sure that Ronald Lexington mailed out his story and started his career. Once that was done, it would be time to go back home. Still, Christopher had to grin. He would never have imagined the man he had met at the store a few days ago was such an insecure boy, especially about his writing. According to the way Susan talked about him, he would have imagined him to be the most confident person in the world. “Why have you been putting it off?” she said looking back at Ronald. “Putting it off? What makes you think I’ve been putting it off? I just haven’t gotten around to mailing it yet.” “Well, all it takes is one moment to mail a letter. Is there any other reason?” Except for the music, the car was silent for a few moments. “Well,” Ronald said a bit sheepishly, “I’ve always wondered what would happen if they didn’t like it. If they sent one of those rejection letters saying that I’m not any good. I don’t know if I could take it,” he said quietly. Susan looked down at the envelope and Christopher could tell that she knew exactly what he was talking about, her being a writer herself. Having a total stranger seemingly judging you and your work, it would be difficult not to take it personal, at least for someone just starting out in their career. “Ronald, I’ve read this story – I mean, what I did read of it, I thought it was wonderful. In fact, I’m sure that if you mailed it off, it could be the start of a new career for you. It’s that good.” He looked over and saw the sincerity in her eyes and Christopher could practically see the overwhelming appreciation that he was feeling.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “You really think so? You really think that it’s that good?” “I know it’s that good. In fact,” she said while looking out the window, “pull over here real fast.” Ronald immediately checked his mirrors and pulled over to the curb where a blue mailbox was sitting. “Let’s do it right now,” she said while getting out of the car holding the envelope. Ronald’s eyes immediately widened and he practically jumped out of the car after her. “Uh, listen, I still need to make some changes on it. It still needs some wo—” “Ronald, it’s perfect,” she said while looking into his eyes. They were standing in front of the mailbox and she slowly placed the envelope on the rim of the slot and then let it drop in. Ronald looked at it helplessly and then back at Susan. She had a giant smile on her face and, looking at the excitement in her eyes, couldn’t help but smile also. Still sitting in the car, Christopher could not help but feel Susan’s exhilaration and joy. Who would have ever thought that not only was she responsible for mailing off what would become Ronald Lexington’s first ever published work, but he would be standing right beside her when she did it? It truly was a bewildering moment. Then, Christopher’s smile faltered a bit when he noticed that Ronald and Susan were standing there not saying anything and staring into each other’s eyes and one thought went through his mind. Trouble. He really was torn. He wanted to allow them their time together but, at the same time, he wanted to tear them apart before whatever apparent feelings that they had for each other became more serious. The letter had been mailed, which meant that the circle could appear at any moment. He did not want anything holding Susan back from doing the right thing when the time came. “Say, guys?” Christopher leaned his head from the window. “I hate to interrupt this magic moment, but can we get out here? Either that or you can start selling tickets to the show.” Ronald blushed and Susan was now glaring at him with her fists on her hips. Christopher pulled his head back inside the car, the heat from Susan’s stare boring through him. They got back in the car and Ronald, checking the mirrors, slowly pulled back into traffic. “So, what would the two of you like to do now?” Ronald said, apparently wanting the party to continue. It appeared that the thought of finally mailing off his story had filled him with a rush of excitement. Susan offered, “Well, we could go grab something to eat at the diner.” Ronald smiled and looked back at Christopher. “Sounds good to me,” he said. “Excellent! Then, we’re off!” Ronald said happily. After they had driven into the diner’s lot and parked, they were soon sitting in a booth with some sodas, talking and joking around. With their knowledge of each other’s lives and their silent understanding of what and what not to say, Christopher and Susan were able to hold an enjoyable conversation with Ronald without arousing any kind of suspicion of where they were from. Anything that they were not able to answer truthfully, they were able to improvise. To anyone watching, they could easily be taken for a brother and sister out with a friend. Suddenly, Susan looked at Ronald and grinned. “Time for a dance lesson.” “Excuse me?” Ronald and Christopher looked at Susan warily.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Time for a dance lesson,” she said, standing up. “Let’s go to the jukebox and select a slow song and I’ll teach you how to dance. “Oh, well, then,” Ronald said slowly getting up from his seat, obviously a bit uneasy about the prospect of dancing. “I guess it shouldn’t hurt too badly, then,” he grinned as he took Susan’s hand and they walked towards the jukebox and then stood there side by side looking at the song selections. Christopher sat there watching them apprehensively when he was suddenly addressed. “Hey, there!” He looked over and saw Jennifer standing in front of him, a smile on her face. “Oh, hey! I didn’t see you here.” “We’ve only been here for a few minutes,” she said as she looked back at a booth and there were a trio of girls sitting there looking at them. Christopher waved and then directed his attention back to Jennifer. “I’m sorry…would you like to sit down?” “Sure,” she said as she did so and then looked at what had Christopher’s attention. “Wow. I never thought I would ever see the day when Ronald Lexington was dancing.” “You know Ronald?” “He’s in my science class. He’s really smart.” “Yes, he is,” Christopher smiled. “He certainly is.” They both watched Susan and Ronald dancing for a few moments, Susan apparently enjoying herself trying to teach, in her opinion, the world’s greatest author, how to dance. His steps were awkward and he spent most of his time staring at his own feet, but was soon coming into his own. Christopher suddenly felt awkward. Here he was watching his “sister” dance with a boy she was crazy about and a girl who crazy about him was sitting there probably wishing that they were dancing. “Uh, would you like to dance?” “I’d love to,” she said as they got up and moved to the open area where Susan and Ronald were. Christopher took Jennifer’s left hand and put her other one on his hip. Looking at the twosome beside them, he tried to remember various moves that he had seen in movies and television shows. They were soon dancing rather gracefully and Jennifer was seemingly having a wonderful time, Christopher remembering that she had said that boys hardly ever asked her out, which he was still amazed at. Not only was she incredibly attractive, she was such a beautiful person. He had a passing thought that he wished he could take her with him when they left and then quickly dismissed it. As if such a thing could possibly happen. But, the thought did strike him, when the time came for them to leave, what was he going to tell her? Was he just going to leave, just like that? No explanations or anything? It seemed like such a coldhearted thing to do, but what other option did he really have? He had to get back home where his family and friends were. Where his life was. He had no clue what he was going to do once he was back there since the scholarship was gone, but it was home, nonetheless. As they were dancing, Susan and Christopher traded a look, both of them expressing the same thing – this was the best time that either one of them had been having since they arrived here and they didn’t want it to end. The problems were still there, but they could wait until tomorrow. While they were dancing, Jennifer’s friends walked by and waved to her, signaling that they were leaving. She waved at them and then turned her attention back to Christopher, who was glad that she was staying and they would have some more time together.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell The last song eventually ended and they all sat down back at their booth and resumed talking for the next hour. At one point, Ronald mentioned that they should probably leave and head back to his house. His parents were in England and would be calling soon to check on him. If he was not there to answer the telephone, his parents would do nothing but worry. Susan was about to offer to lend him her cell phone, but caught herself before she did so. They all agreed and filed out to the car and, after a short trip, were soon walking up to his house, which was fairly sizeable. “Say, Ronald, what do your parents do?” “Father is a doctor and Mother is a professor in Archeology,” he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and placed the proper one in the front door’s lock. “Wow, pretty awesome.” “Awesome?” Ronald said as he turned around with a grin. “Yes, I suppose it is. Though, I’ve never heard it put like that.” “Oh, well I meant that it was cool.” “Cool it is. Well, here we are,” he said as he opened the door and the three of them walked into a beautiful house that was impeccably decorated. Christopher looked around the house with admiration thinking that Ronald’s parents were obviously doing well for themselves. “This is really nice,” Susan said as she set her purse on the nearest table by the couch. “Thank you. Most of this stuff is from England, my parents wanting to bring as much from home as possible with us when we moved here.” “Very nice,” Jennifer said under her breath. Apparently, even though she had known Ronald even longer than Christopher or Susan, she had no idea that he lived so well. “Well, it the three of you would like to sit down, I’ll head to the back and get us some drinks,” Ronald said as he disappeared into what appeared to be the kitchen. “So, how do the two of you like your new school?” Jennifer said as she took a seat. “Oh, I guess its pretty much all the same,” Susan said. “Where did you say the two of you were from?” “Los Angeles!” both Susan and Christopher said at the same time, a little too quickly to anyone who was really paying attention. “I’ve always wanted to see Los Angeles. It’s where all the movie stars are from. Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell…I bet they look even more beautiful in person. Did you ever get to see any of them?” she said excitedly. “Uh, no, never saw them,” Christopher said having no idea whatsoever who she was talking about, but they were obviously movie stars of some sort. Marilyn Monroe sounded familiar for some reason, but he had no idea who she was. Like Susan had suggested when the lady at the school had mentioned that she looked like Rita Hayworth, he would have to look them up online when they got home. He wondered if any of them looked anything like Pamela Anderson or Jessica Alba since they were two of the popular girls back home. “So, Jennifer, how long have you been playing the flute?” “Oh,” she said startled, apparently not aware that she knew that she played. “I’ve been playing since I was eight. My mother plays piano and my father plays the trumpet a little.” “It must be nice to come from a musical family. I guess you’ve heard Eddie Van Halen here play,” she grinned as she pointed at Christopher. “Who?” Jennifer said as she looked at Susan quizzically and she immediately caught herself when Christopher glared at her.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Uh, he’s a guy we used to listen back home who was pretty good. You’ll probably hear from him sometime in the future.” “Oh, okay,” she said smiling uncertainly as Ronald, much to Christopher’s appreciation, appeared at just the right time carrying a tray of drinks. “Refreshments are served,” he said as he set the tray down on the table and gave each of them a glass of lemonade. “Tastes good,” Christopher said as he finished taking a sip. It had been a long time since he tasted lemonade, usually preferring a steady supply of sodas. He had to admit, it was a welcome change. He would have to remember to try some more of it when he was back home. “Oh, I just noticed that you have a piano,” Jennifer said as she gazed into another room. “Mother plays from time to time,” Ronald said smiling. “She tried to teach me to play when I was younger, but the best I could manage was to get a few scales down,” he grinned. “Do you play?” “A little. I’ve been taking lessons for about six months.” “Really? I would love to hear you play.” “Oh, no,” she said very embarrassed. “I’ve only been practicing every now and then. I’m really not that good.” “Go on, then!” he grinned. “I bet you’re being modest. Besides, you might even be able to teach me a thing or two. It would be a nice surprise for Mother,” he said getting up. “Well, I guess I could play a little,” she said a little sheepishly. She really was a bit anxious to play because the piano was a mini-grand and the one at her house was a smaller one that was almost as old as the one at school and usually fell out of tune fairly easily. Playing on this one would definitely be a thrill. The two of them walked to the room where the piano was and Christopher was about to get up and follow them when he felt Susan grab his shoulder. “What’s up?” “I need to talk to you,” she said. “Okay, shoot.” “Not here. Let’s go into the other room so we can be sure that they won’t hear us.” She grabbed his hand and started dragging him from the couch. “Uh, okay.” Christopher was careful not to spill his drink as he was pulled along. When they were in another room, Susan gazed out the window and then looked at Christopher. “Well?” “Well, what?” he said “We’ve taken care of the story. Where’s the circle?” “You’re asking me? I have no idea.” “You have no idea?” She was obviously expecting another answer. “What do you want me to say? I’m not Merlin or Gandalf. I can’t just make it appear out of thin air.” He waved his fingers in front of her. “Okay, I know who Merlin is. Who’s Gandalf?” “Who’s Gandalf? Are serious?” Christopher said while actually taking a few steps back from her. “You don’t know who Gandalf is?” “Enlighten me,” she said in a bored manner while folding her arms. “Gandalf the Grey is the wizard in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He helped Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring on their quest to rid themselves of the One Ring before Sauron, the Dark

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Lord of Mordor, could obtain it. Gollum eventually grabbed the ring by biting off Frodo’s finger, but fell into the fire of the Cracks of Doom. He was killed and the ring was destroyed, thus, eliminating Sauron’s armies and he was banished. Aragon was crowned king of Gondor and married Arwen. It’s an epic story that originally started with Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit. You’ve never heard of Gandalf? Seriously?” “No. I can’t say I have,” she sighed. “You never even saw the movies? There were three of them, not counting the Hobbit which they are about to remake.” “No.” “Wow,” Christopher whispered in awe. “You’re such a nerd.” “I know.” “Well,” Susan said while looking out the window again, “I guess we should get back into the living room. I don’t hear your girlfriend playing anymore and they’re probably wondering where we are.” “Okay,” Christopher said as he followed her and they both stopped abruptly when they saw Ronald and Jennifer stooped over her bag, which appeared to have fallen to the floor. Jennifer was holding her camera with a wondering look on her face and Ronald was looking through a book. The book was the biography of Ronald Lexington. “Oh, shit,” Christopher whispered and he looked at Susan. She was looking at him with the exact same emotion that they were both feeling – absolute fear. He was afraid that a moment like this might happen and had tried to think of some way to handle it if it did. At this moment, his mind was racing about what to do with the situation and nothing was coming to mind. If he or Jennifer had just said something out of the ordinary, they might have been able to cover it in some way with a joke or something, but this was different. Two people from this time were actually looking at some items from the future, one of them a camera which was multi levels above any kind of technology here and now, and the other a book about a person’s life that had, in this reality, barely even started. Christopher and Susan regarded each other hopelessly and then slowly walked into the living room where Jennifer and Ronald were. “Uh, hello,” Susan said. “Oh, hello,” Jennifer looked guiltily up at them. “Um, your bag fell to the floor and we were picking the things up that spilled out. What is this? Is it a camera?” she said holding it up. “Uh…well, yes,” Christopher said. “What does it do? It looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Also, what is this small thing here? It looks like a radio or something,” she said as she held up the cell phone. Christopher was at a loss for words and looked at Ronald flipping through the book that told the story of his life, a life that had he had not even lived yet. “What is this?” he said in a polite but inquiring way. “It has my name on it.” Susan looked at him and then slowly walked up to him and took the book and then stared at him. “It’s you. It’s a book about you,” she said quietly and Christopher sighed and closed his eyes. There it was. It was finally out and they were now going to have to deal with it. “I’m sorry?” Ronald said. “Did you say a book about me?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Uh, I think the two of you better sit down,” Christopher said as he slowly let himself fall onto the couch. “This…this is going to take some explaining and it might be better for you to be sitting down when you hear it.” Ronald and Jennifer looked at each other and then, without saying anything, got up off the floor, sat down and looked at Christopher and Susan. “Jennifer, Ronald, this might come as a shock but…well, here it goes. First of all, Susan and I are not brother and sister, we’re just friends.” “Oh, I see.” Ronald absently looked at the two of them. “Well, what does that have to do with the camera and that book?” “Well, that’s the second surprise,” Christopher grinned nervously said as he looked over at Susan, who almost appeared to be trembling, and then back at Ronald. “We’re…not from here. We are from the year 2008, more than forty years in the future.” Ronald stared at them and then laughed uneasily. “I’m sorry. Would you repeat that? Did you say that you’re from the future?” “Yes I did and, believe me, I feel just as weird saying that as it must be for you to hear it.” “I’m sorry, I’m trying to be polite, but I really do feel like you are going out of your way to insult me if you expect me to believe that,” he said in a tone that he was trying to keep civil. “It’s the truth,” Susan said and held up the book. “This book is about you. It’s a biography that a fan of yours wrote about you. It just came out pretty recently and, actually, you were not too crazy about it being released.” “And Jennifer, what you’re holding is a camera,” Christopher explained. “It might look pretty high-tech to you but, in our time you can buy one in practically any department store.” “Oh,” she said looking at the camera, not even knowing how to turn it on. “It’s so small, and it looks like there’s a little tv on the back of it.” “Uh, yeah. Things are a lot more advanced than the cameras you are probably used to. And that small item that you thought was a radio? Well, it’s really a telephone.” Jennifer looked at the cell phone in amazement thinking that something so small could not possibly be a telephone; there was not even a cord or anything to plug into the wall. “I’m sorry, can we get back to the book? Did you say that a fan wrote it about me? What would I have a fan for? Fan of what?” He sighed. “Well, Ronald, that’s a bit of a tricky situation.” “In what sense?” “Because…well, anything that I might say and you might find out about might, in some way, change the future, possibly for the worst.” “I’m not following you, are you saying it would not be beneficial to know what I will be doing in life?” “That’s correct, yes.” “Why? I would think that information could only be beneficial to a person.” “I can see your point, but any knowledge you have of the future might in some way change it and keep the natural order of things from happening. Think of it like this – in this reality in the current timeline that you know and exist in, you are living your life with no prior knowledge of what is going to happen in the future. If you were to come into information about the future, you could possibly change that future and disrupt it, altering the course of history. Or, possibly, you could create another branch in time that was not supposed to happen that could bring serious repercussions that were not meant to occur. Anything you do in life, there are consequences based on that decision, like a tree with various branches. That’s the same example here but on a

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell much larger scale. Any decisions that you might make using knowledge that you have of what is going to happen could possibly affect not only yourself, but hundreds, if not thousands, of other people who would have remained unaffected. Does that make sense?” Ronald and Jennifer were just staring at him. Even Jennifer, who had heard it all before, was looking at him as if he were talking in a foreign language. Christopher looked down at the table and thought for a moment and then started to speak again. “Let me put it like this, since it’s a pretty popular theory that historians and science fiction writers have speculated and argued about for decades: What if Hitler had never existed?” Both Ronald and Jennifer gasped and Jennifer looked at him silently mouthing “what?” “Imagine it,” Christopher continued, not exactly comfortable with the topic, but he wanted Ronald and Jennifer to try to understand what he was talking about. “What do you think would have happened if Hitler had never existed? Or, if had somehow been killed before he rose to power with the Nazi party and started World War II?” “Uh, well,” Ronald said, “I suppose that there would never have been a war.” “Do you know that for sure? That’s would be the most popular theory, but how do you know that somebody else might not have risen to power in his place and, through another chain of events, won the war and conquered the world? How do you think the future would be affected by that? Would there still have been a Holocaust? Maybe even something even worse where even millions more died? Would the world back home even remotely resemble what it is today in our time? Would any of us have even been born? Would World War III have happened? It hasn’t, by the way, but what if it did because there was never any such person as Adolf Hitler? Do you see what I mean? Just because you have knowledge of something terrible that is going to happen and, through good intentions try to change it in some way, it doesn’t necessarily make it a good thing. Something that you do that you might be doing for purely good reasons and you think could bring nothing but positive results could backfire in a big way and make things even worse than they were already supposed to be. Now do you understand why I don’t want to tell you about the future?” Ronald looked across the room for a few moments deep in thought and then back at Christopher. “Christopher, you are without a doubt the most intelligent person that I have ever had the honor of meeting. Is everybody from your time as smart as you?” Christopher blushed and Susan, smiling, answered his question. “No, he’s one of a kind,” she said as she squeezed his hand, “even though he is a nerd,” and they both laughed, Ronald and Jennifer not understanding why they were laughing at what was apparently an insult. “Well, Christopher, I can understand what you are saying and I respect your opinions, but I believe that a man shapes his own destiny and that fate is not something that is meant to happen a certain way. I believe that a person’s life is their own and if a person can obtain a certain kind of knowledge about their life, it can only be beneficial if that knowledge is used in an orderly and respectful way. So, if you don’t mind, I would like to know more about the future. My future, in particular.” Christopher and Susan looked at each other and then he regarded Ronald. “Well, Ronald, that is you’re right,” he said as he looked at Susan. Ronald followed his gaze. “Ronald,” Susan said, “you will in time become one of the most popular and respected fiction writers of your generation with a worldwide following,” she said as she got up from her seat and

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell then sat beside him, opening the book and flipping through the pages. Ronald immediately peered over it and Jennifer leaned over his shoulder so that she could also see the book. On the various pages were pictures that he had seen before and others that would be taken through the course of his life at various ages as he grew older throughout the years. He took the book from her and slowly flipped through the pages until he came across the back where there was a current photograph of him. He could not help but be moved as he saw himself more than four decades in the future, an older version of himself looking back at him. He abruptly moved the book into Susan’s lap and turned away. “I don’t need to see anymore,” he said sharply. “I understand,” Susan said as he placed the book to her side. “I only have one question and I would very much like for you to answer it.” “Okay.” “Are…are my parents still alive?” He tried to keep from crying, fearing the answer that might come. Susan looked at Christopher and he nodded and then back at Ronald. “Yes, they are both alive and in perfect health. They were not happy at first with your decision to become a writer and you and your father were at odds for a time, but once you achieved your success, the two of you came to an understanding and became closer than you ever have before.” Ronald suddenly started crying and placed his hands over his face. Susan immediately leaned over to hold him and he responded by letting her. Jennifer started crying also and Christopher sat there looking at him, wiping the tears from his own eyes as he watched the scene before him. After a few moments, Christopher tried to lighten the mood by getting up and taking the camera from Jennifer. “I have something that might cheer you up a bit,” he said as he turned on the camera so that he could look at the pictures on the screen. “These pictures were taken just a few days ago,” he said as he sat down between Ronald and Jennifer. Ronald looked at the camera, amazed by the technology in front of him, and gazed at the images on the tiny screen. They were pictures of him at the autograph signing, both by himself and with Susan. Both of them were smiling into the camera, especially Susan who appeared to be having the best time of her life. “I…I meet you in the future?” Ronald said as he looked at the pictures in amazement and then at Susan. “You actually meet both of us. That’s me taking the pictures. In fact, Susan is you’re number one fan. She’s read all of your books.” “You are?” he said as he looked at Susan, amazed. “You know it. In fact, she’s practically in lo—” Susan glared at him and Christopher stopped mid-sentence. “Uh, what I mean to say is that, she thinks you’re the greatest.” “Well, I suppose that’s rather nice to hear,” he said as he looked back at the pictures and saw something that caught his attention. “My word,” he said as he pointed to the cross that he was wearing around his neck and then placed it on his chest where, apparently, the cross was hanging under his shirt. “That’s the cross that Father made for me years ago. I still have it?” “You never take it off,” Susan said smiling. Ronald stared at the photo with a grin on his face, realizing that a memento from his childhood that meant a lot to him would always be with him for the rest of his life.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Do you want me to show you how the camera works?” Susan said. “Sure,” Jennifer said, fascinated. “Okay,” Susan said as she looked around and saw and a tall table that was on the opposite side of the couch that caught her attention. “Let me set the timer here and then we can all be in the picture,” she said as she fiddled with the camera, set it down, and then quickly ran to the couch and sat beside Ronald. “Everybody say ‘cheese,’” she said and they all did so, Ronald and Jennifer not really knowing what to expect. A moment later, the flash went off and then Susan got back up to retrieve the camera and brought it back so all of them could see the picture that had just been taken. “Okay, here it is,” she said happily as they all looked at it with interest. It was quite a good picture of the four of them looking into the camera with smiles on their faces. “My word, that really is astonishing,” Ronald said in amazement. “Back home, practically everyone has one,” Christopher said. “What a remarkable device,” Ronald said in wonder. “Excuse me,” Jennifer said as she held up the cell phone, “you did say that this tiny thing was a telephone?” “Believe it or not, it is,” Christopher said. “Does it work? Could I call home on it?” “Unfortunately, it doesn’t work here,” her said. “There’s no service provider here so there’s no way to get a signal.” “Oh,” she said not really understanding the answer to the question other than the fact that it did not work. Ronald took the phone from her, opening it and inspecting it. “This device has a tiny screen on it like the camera. Does it show images, also?” “Well,” Christopher grinned as he looked at it, “it actually does a lot more than that. Besides being a phone, it also has internet access, a camera and can be used for texting, among other things.” “I’m sorry?” Ronald said looking at him “Internet access?” Christopher was about to explain it to him and then stopped. He was about to disclose information about the future and was hesitant to do so, but then thought there would be no harm considering that it was nothing that could really be changed or altered in any way. “The internet is really a term for ‘world wide web.’ In our time, computers are an essential part of our way of life. Our society as we know it would basically come to a halt if not for computers. With the internet, news and other information can be shared around the world in literally moments after they happen. You can find out the latest happenings anywhere in America, or, even the rest of the world with just a few strokes of the keyboard. In fact, with email, you can send letters to friends without having to write a letter and mail it and they can receive it instantly instead of several days later.” Ronald looked back at the phone astounded. “Fascinating,” he said in a way that reminded Christopher of Mr. Spock on Star Trek. “Such an incredible device. However,” he said thoughtfully, “it all seems like a logical progression in technology in an advancing society. A newer and faster way to obtain and share information worldwide would, of course, result in a society that is much more sophisticated than our own. The future must truly be a marvelous place,” he said with a sense of wonder on his face and Christopher and Susan looked at each other with melancholy smiles. “Well, I suppose that overall it is nice, but there are certainly some drawbacks,” Susan said.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh? Like what?” “Uh, Ronald?” Christopher said as he looked at Susan and then at him. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I really do not think that we should be talking about anymore than we already have.” “I understand,” he said. “It would all seem very interesting to learn about, but I can see now that there would be things to be concerned with. I can only assume that with advancements in technology and improvements in way of life, there would also be a negative side to that penny, also.” Christopher and Susan regarded each other silently, not saying anything. “So, am I to assume that the two of you are from here, or from another part of the country?” “We’re both from here,” Susan said. “What a miraculous thing it must be to see your home the way it was before you were even born,” he said in amazement. “It’s been an experience,” Christopher said. “I’m curious…I realize that it is a rather long span of time from ours to yours, but have you come into contact with anyone that you might know about? I mean, besides myself?” “Actually,” Christopher laughed, “a few days ago, I met my grandmother and my father by accident.” “Oh, my. What was that experience like? Please, tell me.” Christopher smiled as he looked at Ronald, the young man who would soon become the man Ronald Lexington, world famous writer, his writer’s instincts already making themselves known by wanting to know about the feelings of personal experiences of individuals and the sensations that a character was experiencing at any given moment. “Well, after I realized who they were, not to mention where we were…I have to say, it was a very surreal feeling, meeting my father before I was even born. As much as I’ve wanted to go back and see him again, I’ve held back from it. I was lucky that I didn’t do anything at the time to do something that might cause his life to change into another direction, I want to make sure that it stays that way.” “Judging from what you’ve explained to me about the way you speculate that time works, that seems like a wise decision. Still, to be involved in a situation like that, to see your father like that, it must have been a truly wonderful moment.” “I guess it was,” Christopher said quietly with a small grin on his face. “I guess it was.” “Well, all of this is very interesting, but I’m curious – how did you get here? Do you have a time machine, as in the H.G. Wells novel?” “Not exactly,” Christopher said. “I’ve read the book and Susan and I are certainly not scientists or anything like that. Also, unlike the character in the book, we didn’t mean to come here. It was…an accident.” “An accident? Is that why you haven’t gone back to your own time? How did you get here, then?” “The best way I can describe it is that one day it was raining and Susan and I were about to go into my house and a large circle that appeared to be surrounded with electricity of some sort appeared out of thin air in my front yard. We approached it to get a better look at it and, the next thing we knew, we were here and the circle had disappeared.” “I see,” Ronald said thoughtfully, Christopher very curious about what was going through his mind, what he was imagining. “So, if it was an accident, how do you get back home?” Jennifer said. Christopher looked at her for a moment before speaking.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “We don’t know. We don’t even know if we’re ever going to get back home. If the circle never appears again, we’re stuck here.” “My, goodness,” Ronald said. “Then that’s why you enrolled in your school and started doing the normal things that kids our age would be expected to do. Anything else would bring unwanted attention to your situation and make life difficult for the two of you. More difficult than it already is.” Christopher smiled at him in appreciation. More and more, he was finding that he was enamored with Ronald’s personality and the way his mind worked. Without the benefit of comic books or science fiction movies and television show like Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica to draw upon, his mind was piecing together things that anyone else in this time might never figure out unless they were directly involved in the situation. Given his manner and his intellect, he could see why Susan was attracted to him. He truly was a man ahead of his time with an imagination that was limitless. “I don’t mean for this to sound rude because I’ve enjoyed meeting both of you but…why are you here?” Jennifer said. All three of them looked at her. “I mean, there has to be a reason. Nothing happens without some kind of reason for it to happen.” Susan smiled at her, her words coming out of another person’s mouth. “Well,” Christopher said, “I agree with you on that point, and I honestly do not know. Susan and I both thought it was so Ronald here could mail his story and make sure that he’s on his way to becoming the writer that he’s destined to be, but nothing’s happened yet.” Ronald looked at Susan in surprise. “So, you came here to…mail my story for me? That seems, well, rather small,” he said. “I agree. No offense, Ronald.” “None taken.” “It would seem that there would be more but, who knows? Maybe we were both just in the wrong place at the wrong time and this is what we’re left with. Maybe there isn’t a point to anything. Maybe some things just happen.” “I’m curious, since neither of you have a home here, where have you been staying?” “Uh, we’ve been staying at a hotel a few blocks away.” “A hotel? How long have you been here?” “I guess about a week,” Susan said. “What are you doing for money? Surely, whatever you have will eventually run out.” “That is a problem,” Christopher said, “but we really don’t have any other option.” “Nonsense. The both of you can stay here with me.” Christopher and Susan looked at each other. “Well, thank you, Ronald, but we don’t want to be any trouble.” “Nonsense, I won’t hear of it. Father and Mother are on holiday and won’t be back for quite a bit and you can stay here. I know it’s only temporary, but it’s better than the option of staying at a hotel and unnecessarily throwing away your money. Maybe we can figure out something else during the time that you’re here.” “Well, if you don’t mind…” “Of course, it would be splendid. Plus, I would have some company for a bit. The house has been very lonely as of late. I am usually appreciative of solitude so I can work, but I would very much enjoy your company.”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Well…that sounds great. Thanks! Do you mind if we hop in your car and go to the hotel right now? We can pack up all of our stuff and be back here in an hour or so,” Christopher said. “Let’s be off, then,” he said getting up and at that moment the phone rang. “Oh, that’s probably Father. Excuse me for a moment while I take this,” he said as he picked up the phone and started talking. Jennifer, seeing that they would not be immediately leaving, sat down with the camera and the cell phone and inspected them some more. Christopher looked at Susan and waved for her to follow him. When they were in the other room, he started talking to her. “Well, it looks like we’ve finally had a little bit of luck,” he said. “Looks like it,” she said and Christopher regarded her for a moment. “What?” “You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” “What?” “You’re purse. There was no reason whatsoever to be carrying that stuff around knowing that we could only get in some kind of trouble over it. You wanted them to find it, didn’t you? Especially him.” Her eyes widened and she turned away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Really? Do tell.” There was a silence for a few moments, the only sound Ronald in the other room talking into the phone. “Alright, so I did. So what? We needed some kind of help if we’re going to survive in this time, Christopher, and Ronald is the only person here that we at least vaguely know. Sure we know your grandmother, but look how freaked out she was over us, and that was without us telling her we were from the future. She wouldn’t be able to handle us telling her the truth. Ronald is the only person here who would be able to understand. I knew it and I was right.” “And I believe you. Still, you should have told me what you were up to. We have to depend on each other here more than ever.” “If I had told you, would you have gone for it?” she said skeptically. “Probably not,” he said after a few moments. “Well, then, there it is.” “All in all, I agree with what you did. I think you made the right decision. There is no way that we are going to be able to live here without attempting to reach out for help. This time may be simpler, but there also seem to be a vibe of…paranoia for lack of better word. Do you get that?” “I think so. It’s subtle, but it is there. Back home, things just seem angry all the time, but here, I think that’s the best word for it – paranoia. I wonder why that is.” “I’m not sure. I would have to read up more on the history here. Maybe because, here, it’s really not been that long since the Depression or the Second World War. And, if I remember the dates correctly, the Vietnam War started just a few years ago. We have our own war going on in our time, but back home, it just seems to be about anger and overall disgust. Here, it seems more about fear than anything.” “I tell you, I really don’t know which time is better. The time and the people here seem to be more…good. This seems like a safer place, overall, but home is where we belong, I guess,” Susan said as she looked out the window. They heard Ronald finishing his call and walked back into the living room. “Oh, there you are,” he said. “Ready to go?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Sure,” Christopher and Susan said at the same time and the four of them walked out of the house and jumped into the car, Ronald driving with Susan sitting shotgun and Christopher and Jennifer in the back. As they were driving along, Christopher was staring out the window and felt something touching his left hand. When he looked down, he was surprised to see that it was Jennifer’s hand, who was now sitting very close to him. “Uh, hey,” Christopher said a bit nervously. “Hey,” she said looking into his eyes. “So…I guess it’s been a pretty eventful day,” he laughed a bit forcibly. “It looks like it. I still can’t believe I’m sitting next to someone from the future,” she said wonderingly. “What are the kids from your time like?” “The kids in my time? Well, honestly…” he thought for a moment, “there are a lot differences. Back home, all most kids seem to care about is playing video games and, frankly, not really taking anything seriously…just bumming around and expecting to be taken care of. Things are a lot different than they are here, but in a way, kind of the same. Let me put it like this – if there were some kind of cosmic accident and our times were switched, I think the kids here would more easily be able to adapt in our time than the kids in our time would be able to adapt here. That may sound weird because our time is more advanced in a lot of ways, but I think the main result of it is that people are essentially capable of less, if that makes sense.” “You make the people of your time sound dumb.” “Do I? I didn’t mean too. But, honestly, taking into account a lot of what goes on in my time, that may not be too far from the truth.” Jennifer thought about what he said for a moment with a sad look on her face and then back at him. “So, do you have a girlfriend back home?” she said as she lightly squeezed his hand. Oh, Lord, Christopher thought, uncomfortable with the situation and afraid that this was going to happen sooner or later. He had to admit that he was attracted to Jennifer and she was an awesome person, the kind of girl that any guy would love to have as a girlfriend, but he didn’t want to risk letting himself get too attached to her. When the time came to go home, if it ever did, he wanted to be able to walk into the circle and go back home without so much as giving it a second thought. If he started developing feelings for somebody, and he easily could with Jennifer, he might hesitate at a crucial moment and his one chance to go back where his life was would be gone. “Uh, not really. Um, kind of…well, no,” he stammered. “Oh. I thought you and Susan might be…you know…” “Susan and I?” he said looking at her surprised and had to keep from laughing. “What’s so funny?” she frowned slightly at him. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s just that you thought that Susan and I were going together. We’ve known each other since we were eight. She’s like my sister. In fact, she’s my best friend. We’ve been through a lot together since we’ve known each other, even before all this, and…she really is my best friend. She’s the best and I love her,” he said trying to keep his words between them because he would be embarrassed if Susan heard him talking like this and would probably make fun of him to no end. “I understand,” she said. “It must be nice to have someone like that in your life.” “It is,” he said with a content look on his face.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “I have to make a quick stop for gas. Hope you don’t mind,” Ronald announced as he drove into the parking lot of a gas station, pulled up next to a dispenser and got out of the car. “I think I’ll go inside and get a drink, would you like anything?” Jennifer said. “I’m fine, thanks,” Christopher said. “Susan? Can I get you anything?” She muttered something that the two of them could not really make out and they shrugged at each other and then Jennifer got out of the car and walked up to the entrance of the station. When she was gone, Susan got out of the car and stood in one place with her back to it and her arms folded. Christopher looked at her through the window and got out of the car. “Hey, what’s up? No reaction. “Hey, Suse? Is something wrong?” She immediately turned around and Christopher saw that she was crying. “Hey, hey! What’s wrong?” She threw herself at Christopher and hugged him tightly. “Whoa! What’s this all about? Did I do something?” “I heard what you said,” she said quietly. “Heard what?” “What you said to Jennifer…about me.” “What?” “I know you were trying to be quiet, but I still heard you.” “Oh, great,” he moaned as he realized what she was talking about. “You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?” She laughed and looked up at him. “I love you, too. My big brother.” “Well, if we’re brother and sister, shouldn’t we be fighting right now?” “Not right now,” she grinned as she wiped the tears from her face, “maybe later.” “I think we can count on it.” He laughed. “So, it sounds like your girlfriend wants to get a little serious.” “You heard that, also?” “I heard it all. Even when you try to keep your voice down, it still carries. Plus, a woman can hear anything.” “Sounds like that old saying – men don’t remember anything, women remember everything.” “That’s pretty much it.” “What are you going to do?” “I can’t really do anything. I really like her, but we’re not going to be here forever.” “That you know of.” “That I know of.” “Christopher,” she said changing her tone, “if it really came down to it, would spending the rest of our lives here really be so bad? I know that there might be some problems with finding an identity here, but with people as smart as you and Ronald, we could figure something out.” He sighed as he looked off into the distance for a bit before answering. “You know, it wouldn’t really be so bad. There are a lot of things about this time that I like, the simplicity, the knowledge of what is going to happen would certainly be beneficial to us…but I miss home too much to ever give up on trying to get back there.” “I suppose,” she said as she looked back at Ronald, who was still pumping gas into the car. He followed her gaze. “You’ve thought about it, haven’t you?”

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Thought about what?” “You know what I mean.” There was a silence that hung in the air for a few long moments as Christopher waited for an answer. “Yes, I have,” she finally said. “Susan! We belo—” “I know, I know! Just because I’ve thought about it doesn’t mean I’m going to do it,” she complained. “It was just a thought.” “And as long as it remains just a thought, then there’s no problem.” “I know. I was just…daydreaming. That’s all. Once the circle appears, off we go.” “Good. Well, I guess that’s it, then.” “That’s it,” she said softly, still looking at Ronald who was placing the dispenser back into its resting place and then turned around and smiled at them. “You two ready to go?” he said. “Sure,” Susan said happily as she got back into the car, Christopher following. Jennifer appeared from the store carrying a drink and climbed into the backseat next to Christopher. They pulled out of the parking lot and, as they did so, Christopher noticed Susan’s expression in the side mirror, an expression of deep thought. It was an expression that he did not like one bit because he knew what was going through her mind.

ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

NINE

Christopher was standing in front of the mirror examining himself in his tuxedo. If one looked closely, it was a little big for him, but not by much. It was the first time that he had ever worn something so upscale and he honestly hoped that he would never have to do so ever again. He kept pulling at his collar, hoping that he could find a position with it that did not make him feel as though he were being strangled. “How can a person go through life wearing something like this every day?” he muttered still looking at his reflection. “You get used to it,” Ronald said jokingly as Christopher turned around and saw him standing there in his own tuxedo grinning. “I don’t see how. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned t-shirt and a pair of jeans.” “Really now? Is that how the kids in your time dress? How do they look?” Christopher thought about it for a moment, comparing them to the kids here he had seen for the last couple of days. A sea of dirty shirts, baseball caps that were worn in either reverse or to the side, and old, ripped jeans that were barely hanging from people’s hips crossed his mind. “Honestly? They look like well-dressed homeless people.” “And that’s appealing, then?” “I see your point. Anyway, thank for the tux. It looks nice.” “It’s my cousin’s. He left it here the last time he visited so he would always have something to wear in case the family decided to go somewhere nice.” “He always wears a tuxedo?” “He’s the kind of chap who would put on a suit just to go for a visit to the local convenience store,” he laughed. “Sounds like a guy who’s a lot of laughs. Have you seen Susan, yet?” “No, not yet.” He looked at his watch. “We had better hurry. We have to go pick up Jennifer soon. I’ll go check on her.” He went upstairs and knocked on a closed door. “Hello?” “Hey, are you decent? We’ve only been waiting for five years.” “Very funny, come on in,” she said and Christopher slowly opened the door. When he saw Susan standing in front of the mirror wearing the pink dress that Ronald had purchased for her yesterday evening, his eyes widened. “What?” Susan said looking at him through the mirror and expecting a playful jab of some sort. “Nothing…you look…beautiful.” “You think so? Really?” She turned around so Christopher could see her from the front. “Yes, I do. I didn’t know you had it in you.” “You couldn’t resist, could you?” “Of course not, that’s what brothers are for, to torment their sisters.” “Well, you do a very good job.” “Thank you. I always try my best. Seriously, though, you really do look beautiful.” “Thanks. You don’t look too shabby, yourself. Like a young Jim Bond.” “James Bond. Thanks. I hope this doesn’t become a habit. I don’t look forward to wearing something like this in the near future,” he moaned.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “You never know. What the name of the group that sings that old song? Every girl likes a sharp dressed man? “ZZ Top.” “What a weird name. Anyway, it’s true. When Jennifer sees you, she’ll probably hang on to you for dear life and never let you go.” Christopher smiled at the thought of it. “I wonder what she’s going to be wearing…” “Clothes.” “Funny. I meant what her dress will look like.” “Only one way to find out,” he said as she turned back to the mirror and did some last minute playing with her hair and then checked herself. “Let’s go.” The walked out of the room and down the stairs where Ronald was waiting. When he heard the footsteps on the stairs, he turned around and immediately had a stunned expression on his face when he saw Susan. “My word,” he whispered. Susan, who had been holding her breath, let out a sigh of relief at Ronald’s obvious delight. “Do you like it?” “Like it?” he said, smiling. “The word ‘ravishing’ comes to mind. You are truly the most beautiful sight that I have ever beheld.” “Oh, Ronald, that’s lovely. Thank you.” “I thought she looked alright.” Susan hit him on the shoulder. “Hey, I have an idea. I should get a picture of you two.” Christopher went to the table and got Susan’s camera. “Okay, you two, get ready.” Ronald put his arm around Susan and they both smiled. “You guys look great,” he said as he took the picture. Then he showed it to them so they could see it. Both of them smiled in appreciation. “Amazing little device. An instant picture, just like that,” Ronald marveled. “You two get together so I can take your picture,” Susan said and they stood side by side as she took it and then showed it to them. “Nice. Okay, I guess we should go.” “Wait a moment. I should get a picture of you two,” Ronald said. Christopher and Susan looked at each other and then back at Ronald. “Good idea, let me show you how to work the camera” Christopher said as he showed him what to do and which button to push and then stood beside Susan. Ronald held the camera up and, after a few seconds of fumbling, took the picture. “I think I got it right,” he said as he lowered and examined it. “Let’s take a look,” Christopher said as he and Susan regarded the picture on the back screen. “Hey that does look nice, especially me,” Christopher said and Susan hit him on the shoulder again. “Oh, one last thing,” Ronald said as he turned around and grabbed something from the chair behind him. He opened the little carton and Susan gasped. “Oh, Ronald! It’s beautiful!” “You like it? Here, let me pin it on you.” He did so with a little bit of difficulty until it was finally on. “There. Now you look even more beautiful.” “Thank you,” she said as she played with it a bit and made sure it was on straight.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Oh, man,” Christopher moaned as he looked at it, “I didn’t get Jennifer one. What am I going to d—” Ronald turned around again and appeared with another corsage. “Dude! You’re a lifesaver!” “Well, everything appears to be in order. Let’s be off,” Ronald said and they were soon in the car and heading down the street. The car was noticeably silent for a few moments and Susan looked around the seat so she could look at Christopher. “You must be nervous,” she grinned. “Why do you say that?” “You haven’t said anything for five minutes. That must be a world record for you.” “I would be more amazed if it were you, you’re the one who might actually explode if you’re not talking at all times.” “Do you two always spar like this?” Ronald said incredulously. “Usually. She thrives on it.” “If you hadn’t told me otherwise, I would still be thinking that you two were brother and sister.” “If she were my sister and was getting on my nerves, I would just lock her in the closet and leave her there.” “You and what army?” Susan laughed. Christopher smiled. “Just me, myself and I. That’s all I need.” “Well, fortunately, we’re at our destination before any more sparring can continue,” Ronald said as he pulled in front of a house and stopped. “Okay, Romeo. You’re up,” Susan said. He sighed and was about to get out of the car. “Don’t forget this, mate,” Ronald said as he held out the corsage and Christopher took it. He slowly marched up the sidewalk and rang the doorbell. A moment later, he saw a small face looking up at him from the window beside the door. Christopher smiled at the young boy and the face quickly disappeared. A moment later he heard a voice yell: “Mom! There’s some weird guy dressed like a penguin at the door!” Christopher closed his eyes and hoped that the boy was not loud enough for Susan to hear or he would be relentlessly ribbed about it for the rest of the night. The door was opened few seconds later and he was now looking at an older woman who must have been Jennifer’s mother because he could see an instant resemblance. Also, not only was Jennifer taller than him, her mother was, also. “Uh, hello. I’m here to pick up Jennifer.” “You must be Christopher! You look so nice. Please, come in,” she said as she opened the door further so he could enter. “Jennifer will be out in a few moments. Would you like anything to drink?” “No, ma’am. Thank you.” “Please, take a seat in the living room and I’ll go check on Jennifer.” “Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” he said as he walked into the living room, which was very nice, and sat down. The boy he had seen at the window appeared from around the corner and stood in one place staring at Christopher, not saying anything. “Uh, hello,” Christopher said weakly. “Do you always dress like that? It’s weird,” the boy said.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell He smiled. “Uh, no. Just on special occasions.” “What’s so special about my sister? I see her all the time; she’s annoying.” Christopher grinned as he regarded the boy and determined what he was – the stereotype annoying little brother. “Oh? That’s not a nice thing to say. Why is she annoying?” “Because she’s always bothering me. Making sure I clean up my room and do my chores.” “Wow. That does sound annoying.” “It is. It always interferes with my busy schedule.” “Really? What busy schedule is that? What are you busy with?” “I’m always busy…with…stuff.” “What stuff is that?” “Stuff!” “What kind of stuff?” The boy stared at him for a moment not saying anything for a few seconds. “Did you know that all the kids at school used to call my sister ‘Stork’?” “’Stork’? Why ‘Stork’?” “Because she’s so tall. It’s weird. Girls aren’t supposed to be that tall.” “Says who?” “Says everybody!” “I see. Well, I noticed that your mother is tall, also. Is she weird?” “She’s not a girl, she’s a mom.” “Good point. Although, did you know that before you’re mom became a mom, she was a girl?” The boy stared at the ground for a few moments in thought and then back at Christopher. “Why are you going out with my sister? Don’t you like normal girls?” “You’re sister is normal; she just happens to be very tall.” “You’re the first boy that’s been around here in awhile. Jennifer hardly ever has boyfriends because she’s so tall. That’s weird. If you are a boy and like tall girls, then you’re also weird.” “Well, then, call me weird. I think you’re sister is beautiful.” “She’s hideous!” “That’s not a very nice thing to say about your sister.” “It’s the truth. Everybody thinks so.” “Everybody who?” “Everybody!” “What is all of this yelling going in here?” Jennifer’s mother said as she walked swiftly into the living room. “He wants to take Jennifer out. He things she’s beautiful,” he said in a mocking tone. “Billy, you’re sister is a beautiful young woman.” “She’s hideous! She reminds me of Godzilla!” “Go to you’re room!” “No!” he wailed. “How about I sit here and be quiet?” He sat down on a chair. Jennifer’s mother glared him with a mother’s stare for a moment and then turned her attention to Christopher. “So, Jennifer tells me that you just moved to town from Los Angeles?” “Yes, ma’am.” “That must have been exiting. How do you like the school here?”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “It’s nice. It seems a lot like our old one. They’re pretty much all the same.” “I hear that you’re quite the talented guitarist. Jennifer plays the flute.” “Yes, ma’am. I’ve heard her play. She’s wonderful.” “She’s terrible! She never plays anything good!” “Billy!” “She’s probably going to wind up having buck teeth from playing that thing all the time and then she’ll never get married.” “Billy, go to your room! Now!” his mother said as she got up to grab him and he immediately jumped away and scampered across the room. Jennifer turned the corner and he almost ran into her. He turned around towards Christopher and looked at him. “Godzillaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” His mother’s face turned into red while she immediately chased her son to his room, leaving the two of them alone. “Well, I see you’ve met my adorable little brother,” she said, sighing heavily. “I have, yes. He’s a fine, upstanding young man.” She laughed. “You know, you look really beautiful!” “No, I don’t,” she said lowering her head and blushing. “Yes, you do. You really do,” he said and meant it. He could not believe that she had a hard time getting a boyfriend just because she was so tall when there were a lot of girls in his own time who were taller than he was and they were always being pursued by boys. How something so trivial could make such a difference truly was amazing. “Uh, I brought you this,” he said as he picked up the corsage and gave it to her. “It’s beautiful,” she said looking at it. “Do you want to pin it on me?” “Sure.” He examined it and then rather awkwardly attempted to pin it on her dress, but dropped it instead. Immediately, he picked it up and tried again to pin it on, this time succeeding. “There, now you look even more beautiful,” he said and she was glowing so much from the attention that she looked absolutely radiant. “Oh, sweetheart, you look absolutely beautiful,” her mother said as she walked into the room and fawned over her. “I wish you’re father was here to see you.” “Is he out of town?” Christopher said. “No, I’m afraid that he’s no longer with us,” she said sadly. “He died of stomach cancer five years ago.” “Oh, I’m sorry,” Christopher immediately said and feeling like a heel for asking. He had wanted to keep the evening as upbeat as possible and now he felt like crawling under a rock. “It’s alright. We’ve managed to get along,” she said as she held Jennifer’s arm. “Jennifer and he were very close.” “I’m curious,” he said as he looked at the two of them, “how tall was he? He must have been a giant.” “Not really,” she laughed. “In fact, he was just a little taller than you.” “Wow, so I guess we know where you got you’re height,” he said to Jennifer grinning. “Oh! I need to get a picture of the two of you!” she said happily as she disappeared into what looked to be the kitchen and appeared a moment later fumbling with a camera. “Okay, smile for the birdie,” she said as she held up the camera. Christopher got beside Jennifer and put his arm around her as her mother took a couple of pictures. “These should come out nice,” she said

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell lowering the camera and looking at them. “You two make such a nice couple,” she said lovingly. “Mother,” Jennifer said blushing and Christopher grinning thinking that he couldn’t agree more. “Well, the two of you should get going,” she said as she led them to the door. When they were standing in the entranceway, the little boy appeared again and looked at them. “Look at you! You look like you’re standing next to a walking skyscraper!” “Billy! Go back to your room this instant!” “If you get lost, you can just climb to the top of her to see where you are!” “Billy, so help me!” his mother said as she approached him with her hand out and he immediately ran off again. “I’m sorry; he really is a sweet boy when his mouth isn’t open. You two have fun. Jennifer, I want you home before midnight.” “Yes, ma’am.” “Well, let’s head off,” Christopher said as they exited the house and headed for the car. As they were walking down the lane, Christopher noticed that it was kind of chilly and looked up at the sky. It was already dark out, but he could see a mass of clouds and it appeared as if it were going to rain soon. Ronald and Susan were standing outside the car talking and they both noticed Jennifer at the same time. “Well, Jennifer, I must say that you look spectacular,” Ronald said. “You certainly do,” Susan said. “Thank you.” She blushed, obviously not used to getting so much attention. “I think we should be off,” Ronald said as he opened the door for Susan and then headed to the driver’s side of the car. “It looks like it might rain soon and I think we would like to get to the dance before it does.” Chris opened the door for Jennifer and they were on their way. “So, has anything more happened since we talked at school today?” Jennifer said. “What do you mean?” Susan said. “I thought you mentioned something about the circle possibly appearing when you though it might be time for you to go back home.” “Nothing yet,” Christopher said. “We’ve really just been concentrating on school and getting ready for the dance. That’s all we can do right now.” “Are you scared that you might never get home? Never see you’re family and friends again?” “I think about it all the time. I was telling Susan my theory that, no matter what time period a person is in, time still moves on in all branches of time. In our time, our parents must be really worried since we’ve been gone for about a week now. When we eventually get back – hopefully, get back – I am curious as to what point in time we are going to return. I am assuming it is going to be at the same time that we left, but it could just as easily be at the rate of time that progressed there. That means that there is going to have to be some thought put into some kind of explanation because nobody would ever believe this.” “How do you know so much about time travel?” she said with wonder. “Did you study science or something in school?” “Comic books,” Susan sighed in a bored manner and Jennifer looked at her for a moment and then at Christopher. “Did she say ‘comic books’?” “Uh, yeah. I collect a lot of comic books and a lot of the stories have to do with time travel and alternate universes. Things like that. I also watch a lot of Star Trek.”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Star Trek?” Ronald said. “Yeah, I used to watch it all the ti—” “What’s wrong?” Jennifer said. “I just remembered, it will not be on television for about five years. It didn’t do that well when it was on, it only lasted for three seasons, but it developed a strong fan base during the 70’s from the reruns and then it became a successful movie franchise. It also spawned a few other shows like the New Generation and Voyager. I was never that crazy about Deep Space Nine or Enterprise. Also, there is going to be another movie in about a year or so with a young cast playing all the original characters and all the fanboys on the net are speculating about the storyline of it. Jennifer was staring at him with a confused look on her face and he could sense Susan was rolling her eyes. “Uh, I’m sorry. Telling you all about that show and the movies was probably a little bit much.” “No, it sounds interesting,” Ronald said. “I’ll have to keep an eye out for them.” “You will not be disappointed.” “Well, here we are,” Ronald said as he pulled into the school parking lot and was fortunate to find a spot that only seemed about a ten minute walk away. “Looks like we beat the rain,” Susan said. Jennifer said, “Let’s hope it stays that way. My mother spent an hour playing with my hair.” “And she did an excellent job,” Christopher said looking at her in admiration and she smiled at him. “I predict that this is going to be an excellent night,” Ronald said grinning as he turned around and looked at Christopher. “Our dates are the two most beautiful girls in the school.” “You smooth talker, you,” Susan said. They all laughed then exited the car and started walking up to the school. Ronald pulled out their tickets for the person sitting at the table by the door and then they entered the auditorium, which was decorated in a lavish way and already filled to capacity. There was loud music being played by the band and all the kids, who were dressed in their best, were either dancing or talking in groups and having a wonderful time. “Well, luck must be with us. I see an empty table right over there,” Ronald said as they headed for it and claimed it for their own. “I think I’ll go get some punch, would you like any?” he asked all of them. They all nodded and he was off to the punch table. Jennifer was looking around and saw some friends of hers and waved. “Do you two mind if I go say hello to my friends?” “Go ahead,” Christopher smiled, “but hurry back. I want get you on the dance floor, soon.” She grinned and walked through the crowd toward a group of girls. Susan and Christopher sat down and as she was looking around, he lightly touched her arm to get her attention. “What’s up?” “I suppose that I don’t have to tell you,” he said and she just looked at him. “The rain.” “I know,” she said. “You know what this might mean.” “Yes, tonight could be the night.” “In case it happens, are you ready?” “I know what we have to do.” “That’s not the answer I was looking for. Are you ready?” “Yes, okay? I’m ready! Are you happy now?”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Why are you so upset?” “I’m not upset.” “Yes, you are.” “No, I’m not.” “Yes, you are.” “Christopher.” “I’m just saying that you’re upset.” “I am now.” “Why? You knew that this might happen any day.” “I know,” she sighed and Christopher sighed after her. “I was afraid this was going to happen.” “What?” “Getting close to someone here. It’s making it hard for you to think straight.” “Excuse me?” he raised his eyebrows. “Oh, don’t get hoity-toity. You know what I mean; you’re letting your feelings get in the way of your thinking.” “I don’t think so!” she said as she turned away from him. “Really? Then tell me that I’m wrong.” There was a silence between them for a few moments. “I’m waiting.” “Okay, so I’ve…grown attached to him.” “Susan,” he moaned. “And you don’t feel the same way about Jennifer? I’ve seen the way you look at her. I’ve never seen you so dumbstruck around a girl before. And she’s obviously crazy about you. You’re probably the closest thing she’s had to a real boyfriend in her entire life.” “Look, yes, I really do like Jennifer, more than any girl I’ve ever known except for you. And, who knows? If we stayed here, it could probably get really serious and who knows where that could lead? But, I’m still thinking clearly enough to realize that I don’t belong here. Neither of us do.” Susan stared off into the crowd for a moment with a distant look in her eyes and then back at Christopher. “Christopher?” “Yes?” “I think I love him.” “Susan…” “I can’t help it. I do. I love who he is now and I love the man that he’s going to become,” she said while looking at him standing in line at the table. “You know, in our time, he never got married or has had any kind of really serious relationship. He was always too busy with his work to spend any time pursuing a real social life. And look at the difference in him since we arrived. He’s more sociable and not as awkward around other people. He seems more confident. I’ve seen the difference in the way he carries himself.” “Great, we’ve helped him out, now he can go on with his life and we can go on with ours. Who knows? With the little knowledge that he has of the future, it may even turn him into a better writer than he already is. Mission accomplished. Susan, I know how you feel and I can understand it. Ronald is a great guy and we would probably become great friends if we had the time, but I know what I have to do. Do you?”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell There was silence between the two of them. “Yes,” she finally said. “But that’s later, this is now. Let’s enjoy the dance. If it’s getting near time to leave, I want to spend as much time with him as I can,” she said as she indicated that the conversation was at an end and Ronald soon appeared with four cups of punch. Ronald approached them and sat down. “Hey, you two. Everything alright?” “Everything’s great,” Christopher replied. “We were just talking about some stuff back home.” Jennifer arrived back at the table and sat down. “Isn’t this fun?” she beamed. “This is the first time that I’ve ever been to a dance. I’m having so much fun!” “Well, then,” Christopher picked up his cue, “I think it high time for our first dance of the evening,” he said as he stood up and held out his hand. Jennifer took it, stood up, and the two of them made their way to the dance floor where, as if on cue, a slow song started up and he gently held her close to him as they slowly began to rock back and forth. It made for somewhat of an amusing picture because Jennifer, now in heels, was even taller than usual and was almost a full head above Christopher. So she would feel even more comfortable, she rested both of her arms on Christopher’s shoulders and she stroked the back of his head with her fingers. Christopher felt as if he were in Heaven. Here he was dancing with an incredibly beautiful girl and the sensation of her fingers going through the hair made the feeling even more intoxicating. He looked up at her and she had such an innocent smile on her face, it was obvious she had no clue whatsoever how she was making him feel. Even though it was going against everything that he had been trying to keep inside and had been attempting to explain to Susan why it could only bring heartbreak to her, he suddenly felt the incredible need to kiss Jennifer. He stopped their rocking along to the music and with a mild stretch upward indicating what he wanted to do, she slowly leaned forward until her lips met his and they were locked in an embrace as he wrapped his arms around her and he felt her hug him. Her lips were so soft that he could stay attached to them forever and never let her go. At that moment, all the problems that he and Susan had faced for the past week ceased to matter: his lost scholarship, the accident with the circle that led them here, their money problems, what they were going to do if they were trapped here forever, coping with life in a new school, keeping their identities a secret – none of it mattered one bit. Only being locked in a welcome, lost embrace with Jennifer was important. When they eventually parted, he noticed that Ronald and Jennifer were dancing right beside them. Susan was giving a playful grin at him and he immediately felt guilty and looked away, as if he were a kid who had been caught watching an adult movie after his parents had gone to bed and he had sneaked downstairs to indulge his fantasies. After all of his holier-than-thou talk, here he was doing what he had been complaining and warning her about. Apparently, not wanting to be outdone, when Christopher looked back at her, she and Ronald were locked in their own embrace and a deep kiss. He could not help but stop and stare at them. Even from where he was standing, he could practically feel the intense love that Susan had for Ronald and that he had for her. What he had thought of as just a severe crush when they had met Ronald Lexington at the autograph signing last week, it was obvious that it ran much deeper than that. Because of this incredible experience, Susan had gotten the opportunity to do the one thing that is denied to most people for their entire lives– to actually meet their true love. What he was witnessing in front of him scared him. He knew how much of a romantic Susan was and how much passion she had in her and he wondered now more than ever, if she had to make her decision right now, would she choose to

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell go back home to her life there, or would she stay here with Ronald and live out the rest of her life with him? The very thought of going back home without her and never seeing her again almost made him cry right there. The song eventually ended and they took their seats back at the table. “Well, the evening is still young,” Jennifer said eagerly. “That it is.” Ronald gripped his cup of punch and held it up so all of them could lightly tap them together. “To the best of times.” “The best of times,” they all repeated. For the rest of the night, as the hours went by, the four of them took turns dancing with their dates and each other. Talking and laughing, sharing with each other what their dreams were and what they wanted to do with their lives. Only Ronald knew what his destiny was and because they wanted to keep most of it a surprise and not risk impairing it, Christopher and Susan spoke very little of it. It was surprising to hear Ronald speak of projects and ideas that he already had planned that he wanted to write about and Christopher could tell from Susan’s reactions that she already knew about them and had read them. Sitting there at the table with three of his closest friends, Christopher felt a quiet serenity about him. He was excited but lucid at the same time and he wanted this special moment to last for as long as possible. Jennifer noticed that he was not talking very much and had a small grin on his face. “Hey,” she said as she leaned towards him, “is everything okay?” He turned towards her and showed her the full lazy grin he was wearing. “Everything’s great. Everything is so great,” he said as he placed his hand on hers and lightly squeezed it. Before long, most of the kids had cleared out and the band was winding down with a slow song. “One more before we hit the road?” Ronald asked. They nodded. As they were dancing, Christopher looked over at Ronald and Susan and Susan was leaning her head on Ronald’s shoulder. Her eyes were closed and he could not stop staring at her because he could not remember the last time that he had seen her so happy and content. She was always an upbeat person, but this was different. She was…fulfilled, Christopher decided. That was the best word to describe it and he wanted her to enjoy it for as long as possible. For the rest of her life. He looked back up at Jennifer. She seemed to have the same look on her face and it suddenly occurred to him what it would be like to spend the rest of his life with her. Dancing with her and holding her, he could easily visualize being with her for years to come if that was his destiny. “Okay, guys. We’re going to call it a night. Hope you had a good time. Good night,” the vocalist of the band said as they ended the last song of the evening, which was a song called ‘Earth Angel’ and Christopher, as he gazed into Jennifer’s eyes, could not think of a more perfect or fitting song. The four of them parted and clapped along with the rest of the small amount of students still assembled. “Well, I must say, this has been the most enjoyable evening that I have ever had,” Ronald said. “Same here,” Christopher said as they hugged each other and then hugged each other’s dates. “I guess we should be heading out before they kick us out,” he grinned. “Off we go then,” Ronald said as they exited the auditorium. When they came to the main entrance of the school, they could see that it was raining and they all moaned at the same time.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Tell you what, all of you stay here and I’ll get the car so I can pick you up. That way, not all of us have to get soaked.” “I don’t think you’re going to hear an argument from any of us,” Christopher said. “Right, then,” Ronald smiled. He opened the door and made a dash across the parking lot. “I’ll be back in a minute, I’m going to get a drink from the fountain,” Jennifer said as she walked down the hall. Christopher looked at Susan and put his arms around her as she put hers around him. “Did you have a good time?” “Oh, Christopher, this has been the greatest night of my life! I can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun.” “You mean that you thought that this was more fun than seeing Iron Man?” “I think Iron Man is going to come in a way distant second,” she joked. “Maybe you’ll think differently when you see Sex and the City.” “Maybe,” she said playfully, “but I doubt it. I’m just sorry that this night has to end. I wish it could go on forever.” Jennifer appeared at the same time that Ronald pulled up. Christopher opened the door for them and they ran for the car and were quickly inside. “So, what now?” Ronald asked. “We’ve still got some time before we have to get Jennifer home.” “How about we head back home and just talk for a bit,” Susan suggested. “Maybe put on some of your records? Keep the night going?” “Sounds good to me,” Ronald agreed as he put the car into gear. They were soon at his house. Ronald parked as close to the curb as he could. “Here we are; everyone set?” “All set,” they replied in unison. They all opened their doors at the same time, got out, closed them and dashed under the front porch. “Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Ronald said, smiling. “We only got a tad drenched. I have some towels inside.” He pulled out his keys. Christopher was watching Ronald fiddle with his keys when he sensed something. His smile disappeared, replaced with a look of mild distress. Susan noticed it. “What’s wrong? Did you forget something?” “No, I…do you smell something?” “I don’t think so…wait…I do. It smells like…” “Incense,” he said as he recognized it and slowly turned around. “Oh, my God,” he whispered. Sitting in the air about thirty feet away from them in Ronald’s front yard was the circle, crackling with energy. Christopher immediately turned to Susan and she was looking at him with fear. No, fear was not the right word. Hurt. The look of hurt in her eyes almost made him feel the same way. He didn’t want to leave either But he had to. THEY had to. This might be their only chance to get back home and it might never come again. The decision had to be made now, this instant. “Susan…?” “I know,” she said as she slowly turned to Ronald. “I have to go,” she said beginning to cry. “I wish you could stay.” He couldn’t hold back the tears either. “I want to. I love you.” “I love you, too,” he said as he embraced her and held her tightly.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher turned his attention to Jennifer, who was already crying because she knew that they were going to leave. “I wish you could come with us,” he said. “I wish I could go with you. So, so, much. But, my mother, my brother…” “I know,” he said as he hugged her. “Thank you for being so kind to me. I’ll never forget you.” “I’ll never forget you,” he said choked with emotion as he gave her one last, long kiss and then slowly pulled away from her. “Susan?” “I’m ready,” she said as she parted from Ronald and started wiping her eyes. “Ronald,” it’s been an honor,” Christopher said as he held out his hand. “Honor’s been all mine, mate,” he said as he took his hand and then they hugged. “Maybe we’ll see each other again sometime?” “You can bet on it, mate.” They finally parted and Christopher looked at Susan who was standing there watching them. “Are you ready?” “Yes.” “Let’s go, then,” he said as he took her hand and then turned his attention to Jennifer one last time. He raised his other hand and placed it gently on her cheek and let if stay there for a second as they stared into each other’s eyes. He then quickly turned away. “Let’s go,” he said through his tears. They both ran for the circle and jumped in. They turned back and saw Ronald and Jennifer staring at them and waving, tears flowing down Jennifer’s cheeks. They both waved back and waited for whatever was going to happen to happen. Suddenly, Susan jumped from the inside of the circle and ran towards Ronald. “Susan!” Christopher yelled. She embraced him and they held each other tightly. “Susan!” he yelled loudly. He tried to exit the circle but something invisible was blocking him. His hands seemed to be pressing against some kind of transparent barrier that he couldn’t see and he wasn’t able to run after her. “Susan! Come back!” he screamed. She looked back at him with a loving smile on her face and Christopher knew right then and there that she had made her decision. The only decision that she was ever going to make. “Susan! No!” he pleaded. “Come back!” The last thing he saw was her waving at him with a smile of love and contentment on her face. And then she was gone.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell

TEN

He was thrown from the circle and landed in the mud. He immediately looked back at it, got up and ran for it. “No! We have to go back!” he screamed as tried to run back into the circle but it had turned solid again and he started pounding on it with his fists. “Stop! Let me back in! We have to go back!” The circle started to disappear before his eyes and become less and less visible. “No! Don’t go! We have to go back! Please!” he cried. A second later, it was completely gone. Christopher was left standing alone in a yard with tears and rain running down his face. He looked around and recognized where he was – his own front yard. He suddenly ran up to his house, threw open his door and ran to his room. Frantically, he picked up the telephone and dialed Susan’s number and waited. An eternity later, an automated voice of an operator announced that this was not a working number and to please try again. He immediately hung up and dialed again with the same result and did it again three more times before he had to accept the fact that it was not a working number. He suddenly remembered her cell phone and dialed that. It was picked up a moment later and he almost choked himself with relief and smiled. “Hello?” a young girl’s voice said. “Susan? Is that you?” he yelled. “I’m sorry? Who is this?” “Susan?” he repeated, his face falling. “Uh, there’s no Susan here. I think you have the wrong number,” the girl said and hung up. Christopher stared at the phone in his hand listening to the dial tone. He suddenly slammed the phone down and was about to run for his bicycle when he heard some voices coming from the living room. He ran inside and saw his parents sitting on the couch watching television. His mother saw his reflection in the mirror and turned around. “Honey? What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?” “Mom? Dad?” he said in an incredulous voice. It had seemed like ages since he had seen them. He ran up to them and hugged them both crying at the joy of finally seeing them again. “Honey, what’s wrong? My goodness, you’re soaking wet! And why are you wearing a tuxedo? What have you been doing?” “I’m sorry, Mom! I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long! I was so worried about you!” he cried. “Well, that’s nice to know,” she said as she laughed nervously, “but it’s only been since this morning.” Christopher stopped hugging her and looked at her. “What?” “Since this morning. You make it sound like we’ve been out of town or something.” “You mean…the last time that you saw me…was this morning?” “Right before I left for work. Honey, is something wrong? You’re scaring me.” “Son, are you okay? Are you in trouble at school?” his father said. “No. No, everything’s fine,” he said as he quickly reasoned out what had happened. He had been in 1963 for a week but, apparently, he had been returned at around the same time that they had left here.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell They. Susan! “Dad, I need to borrow the car. I’m sorry, I don’t have time to explain,” he said as he grabbed the keys off of the counter and ran for the car. “What? Christopher, you come back here!” He was already out of the house running towards the car before his father was off of the couch. By the time he was pulling away, he saw his father in the rear view mirror standing in the rain, which was starting to stop, yelling at him. “Christopher! You come back here right now or you’re going to be in big trouble young man!” he bellowed. Christopher ignored him and turned the corner with his mind on only one thing – Susan. He raced across town and soon screeched to a halt in front of her house. He ran up to the front door and started to ring the doorbell and pound on the door. “Susan! Susan! It’s me! Christopher! Open up! Susan!” The door was opened a few moments later by an older man dressed in a robe whom he had never seen before. “What is this?” he yelled. “Who are you? What’s with all of this racket?” Christopher looked at him, unsure of what to say. “Well?” “Uh, hello, sir. Is Susan here?” “Who?” “Susan.” “Young man, there is no one by the name of Susan here. I think you have the wrong address.” “No, sir. I have the right address,” he said slowly as he started crying. “Oh, hey,” the man said as he suddenly changed his demeanor, unsure of what to do. “I…I didn’t mean to yell at you, son. You just startled my wife and I.” Christopher sank to his knees and placed his hands over his face as he finally realized that his best friend was now lost to him forever. “Uh…honey?” the man yelled into the house. “Can you come help me out here?” A woman appeared beside him a moment later and looked down at the boy. “Oh, my! What happened?” she said in bewilderment. “I don’t know. He was trying to find somebody and when I told him that she wasn’t here, he started crying.” “The poor boy. He’s probably trying to find his girlfriend and forgot her address. Look how upset he is, the poor dear. Let’s get him inside and call his parents.” They gently picked him up and brought him into the house.

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ELEVEN

“Christopher?” He heard someone saying his name, and the voice sounded familiar. “Susan?” he murmured. “Son? I need you to wake up.” He opened his eyes and saw his father looking down at him. A quick look around showed that he was in his room and he was lying down on his bed with his father kneeling beside him and his mother was standing on the other side of the bed with a look of concern on her face. “Dad?” “Christopher? Are you okay, darling?” his mother said. “Mom? How did I get back home?” “That house you visited, the couple there looked at your identification and called us. Who is Susan? Why did you run out of here so quickly?” “Mom….I…don’t know what to say. Susan is…you don’t know her? You don’t remember her?” “Remember who?” his father said. “The gentleman who called us said you kept murmuring in your sleep ‘she’s gone, she’s gone.’ Who’s gone? Susan? Who is Susan?” Christopher looked up at the ceiling for a moment unsure of what to say. His parents were already worried about him and he realized that if he started in about time travelling to 1963 and being gone for a week and everything that he had gone through when it was obvious to them that nothing like that could have possibly happened, they might really think that something was really wrong with him. “Dad, I’m sorry I took the car. I’m really sorry.” “That’s okay, son. We can talk about that later. Right now I’m worried about you.” “Do you mind if just go to sleep? I’m so tired. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever been so tired,” he said as he began to drift off to sleep. His father looked up at his mother with concern and she looked at him with the same expression. “What do you think?” he said. “I think we should let him sleep and we can talk about it tomorrow,” his mother looked back down at her son. “The poor dear. Susan must be a girl at school that he has a crush on,” she said as he lightly brushed his brow. He slowly opened his blurry eyes and stared at the ceiling as it slowly came into view. His eyes suddenly widened and he leaped up and started yelling. “Susan? Jennifer?” After a moment, he became fully awake and realized where he was and everything that had happened since yesterday - saying goodbye to Jennifer and Ronald, arriving back home without Susan, racing across town in the car to her house and finding out that it wasn’t and realizing that she was lost, and, finally, his parents looking down at him asking him what was going on and wondering if their son had gone around the bend. What a day. Without much enthusiasm, he took off the pajamas that his parents had apparently changed him into, walked to the bathroom, and took a shower. Even though the hot water that rained on him felt incredibly soothing to his tired and worn body, he simply stood there in place for an

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell endless amount of time until he finally decided to get out, get dressed and walked into the kitchen. His father was sitting at the table with his hands crossed in front of him. Apparently, he had been waiting for Christopher to arrive. He sat down and regarded his father. “Hey, Dad.” “Hey,” he said trying to smile, but it looked completely fake and plastered on as he looked at his son with worry. “Feel better?” “Yeah, thanks. Where’s Mom?” “She went up to the store to get a few things.” “Oh.” There was a momentary silence between the two of them. “So, are we going to talk about what happened last night?” his father finally said. “Dad, I’m sorry I took the car. I’ll never do it again.” “I don’t mean that. Although, I never want to see that happen again. Understand?” “Yes, sir.” “I meant the whole thing with you acting like a crazy man and racing out of here to that man’s house looking for someone named Susan. Who is Susan?” Christopher looked down at the table, not saying anything. “Is she a friend of yours from school? Is she a new girlfriend? You’re mother would love that,” he joked trying to lighten the mood. “Susan is…she’s…” he said and his eyes started to water and he began to wipe them. “I’m sorry, Dad. Susan was a friend of mine, my best friend, and…and now she’s gone. I can’t talk about it. I’m sorry. Maybe someday, but I can’t talk about it now, okay?” His father just looked at him for a few moments and then lightly gripped his shoulder and smiled. “Okay. Whatever makes you happy. But, if you ever need to talk about it, I want you to come to me, okay?” “Okay. Thank you.” “Well,” he said attempting to change the subject to a happier topic, “I hope this doesn’t mean that you’re not going to be ready for tonight.” “What’s tonight?” he said His father looked at him in genuine shock. “What’s tonight? Tonight is the event that you’ve been talking about nonstop for the past three weeks and you’re mother and I can’t wait to see you.” Christopher just looked at him with a questioning on his face. “Wow, you must be more tired than I thought, kiddo. Tonight’s the big night,” he said as he walked to the counter and picked up a piece of paper and gave it to him. “I’m going to make us some breakfast. Pancakes sound good?” “Sounds great,” he said absently as he regarded the piece of paper. The paper was dated three weeks and was a personal invitation to perform at the competition at his school for a scholarship to attend Juilliard. Christopher’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. He was one of six students from his school to be allowed to compete for the scholarship and the grant was being graciously sponsored by the Lexington Foundation for the Arts. “Oh, my God,” he whispered. “The Lexington Foundation.”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell He read the piece of paper even further and almost dropped the paper from shock. It stated at the bottom that the event was being hosted by Marie Osmond. “Marie,” he said aloud. “I bet you can’t wait to see you’re girl,” his father said as he placed a glass of orange juice on the table. “Uh…yeah,” Christopher managed to say. “I can’t wait.” His father placed his hand on his shoulder and leaned down next to him. “Son, I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you’re mother and I are proud of you and we know that you’re going to do your best. You are an incredibly talented boy and I am so proud of you,” he said as he hugged him. “Thanks, Dad.” Still in mild shock from reading the letter, his mind was in a whirl as to how this had happened. He could only assume that Ronald had something to do with this, but why would such a private person suddenly start participating in town functions? He had never ever even heard of the Lexington Foundation for the Arts. He had never even met Ronald Lexington except for the autograph signing last week…and then it all became clear – he had met Ronald Lexington, over forty years ago…across time. And Marie Osmond was hosting the event. He had never told Ronald that he had a crush on Marie Osmond. Not that he would know who she was, anyway. Then, it came to him. There was really one answer for all of it. Susan. A simile crept across his face as realized that she had done all of it, all for him. “Well, well, it’s nice to finally see a smile on your face again. I thought that might perk you up,” his father said and Christopher looked up at him. “You have no idea,” he said. “What time is it?” he suddenly said looking for a clock. “Almost noon,” his father said. “You slept the entire morning away.” “And now I’m going to spend the rest of the day getting ready for tonight,” he said getting up, “and maybe see an old friend.”

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TWELVE

They arrived at the school and found a space in the crowded parking lot close to the auditorium. Christopher was dressed in a dark suit that, apparently, had been purchased specifically for this event two weeks ago. He and his parents walked across the lot to the auditorium, he carrying his guitar case, his father dressed in the one suit that he owned and his mother wearing her favorite dress. As they stepped into the backstage area to check in for the event with the representative from Juilliard, Christopher could not help but to look around to see if he could find anyone special that he knew. “Christopher Winters,” the man said as his father told the man who his son was, “I’ve heard you’re quite the talented boy.” Christopher beamed. “Thank you, sir.” “Good luck, son. You can wait over there with the other contestants.” He indicated an area that was set up as the waiting room for the six contestants and their families. “Thank you.” Christopher proceeded to the waiting area. His father tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up. “I think I see something that might interest you,” his father said as he pointed down the hall. Christopher looked at what he was indicating and his eyes immediately widened. Standing there talking to some fans and wearing a beautiful dress was Marie Osmond, in the flesh. Even from where he was standing, he could hear her girlish, youthful laugh. “You want to go meet her?” his mother said. “Uh…” “Oh, come on. You’ve been talking about her all the time since she was on that dancing show and now here she is just a few feet away,” his father said. “Um…okay,” he said star struck as they walked towards her and waited their turn to talk to her while she happily signed autographs and posed for photos. “Oh, man! I should have remembered to bring a camera!” Christopher complained. “I can’t believe I was so stu—” And he saw his mother with a grin on her face pull a camera from her purse. Christopher hugged his mother. “You’re the greatest!” “You’re next,” his father said and he turned around and saw Marie Osmond standing right in front of her. Christopher’s heart almost stopped. She was even more beautiful in person than she was on Dancing with the Stars. Her long, brown hair, brown eyes and her beautiful, glowing smile were all too much to take in at once. It was like looking at an angel. “Well, hello,” she said smiling and glancing at Christopher’s guitar case, “you must be one of the contestants. What’s you’re name?” “Uh…I love you,” he said. Her eyes immediately widened and she laughed. “Well, thank you,” she said bewildered as she looked at his parents and then back at him. “Aren’t you a handsome young man.” His father grinned at his son’s silence. “His name is Christopher.”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Well, hello Christopher,” Marie said as she held out her hand. Immediately, Christopher took it, still looking into her eyes. Her hand was so soft, the softest hand that he had ever felt and he never wanted to let it go. “Hello, Miss Osmond. I’m a big fan.” “Well, thank you. I can’t wait to hear you play. I’m sure that you are very talented if you are being considered for Juilliard.” “You are so beautiful,” he said in a lost voice and she laughed again. “I really like him,” she announced. “I may have a new man in my life.” Christopher blushed. “Miss Osmond? Would you mind if I took your picture with Christopher?” His mother asked. “Sure,” she said as he moved next to Christopher. “Uh, do you mind if I put my arm around you?” Christopher said. “No, I don’t mind. He’s such a little gentleman,” she marveled to his mother. They smiled as the picture was taken and then Marie looked back at Christopher. “Good luck tonight, Christopher. I know you’re going to be great.” Then Marie kissed him on the cheek, much to Christopher’s delight. “I’ll see you out there,” she gave him one last smile then turned her attention to some more fans that were waiting to meet her. Christopher turned to his parents, one hand on his cheek. “I’m not going to wash this cheek for a week,” he declared. His parents laughed and the three of them walked to the waiting area and sat down with the other students and parents. Mr. Hudson was also in attendance and making sure that with all of his students were prepared and doing his best to calm them down so they wouldn’t be nervous. Christopher started talking and joking with the other kids and the man who had checked them in earlier stepped into the room a few moments later. “Hello, everybody. My name is Sean Walsh. I’ve already met most of you at the check-in. First of all, let me congratulate all of you on your accomplishment. All of you are the best of the best and are all winners,” he said as he started clapping and everyone else in the room followed suit. “As most of you know, this grant was made possible by the Lexington Foundation for the Arts and, if you like, you can meet a representative from the Foundation after the show.” At this, Christopher could not help but smile as he was looking forward to the meeting. A meeting that could not come too soon. “Okay, we’ll be starting in a few moments and you’re going to be performing in alphabetical order. First up will be Tommy Barslow. Tommy, you ready?” A boy wearing a white suit smiled and stood up with his guitar. “Tommy, if you’ll please come with me,” he said and the boy followed. The man poked his head back in the room a moment later. “Sorry, folks. I forgot to mention that you can watch the show from back here on that monitor. Just turn the monitor on and the channel is already set. Good luck, everybody,” he said and then he was gone. One of the fathers turned on the monitor, which was a perfect view of the now empty stage. A few moments later, Marie Osmond stepped onto the stage and a huge applause followed. “Hello, everybody! How are all of you doing tonight?” Huge applause. “Are all of you ready for some good music tonight?” More applause. “Before we begin, let’s hear a huge round of applause for the Lexington Foundation for the Arts for being so generous as to sponsor this event!” More applause and some whistles from the audience.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “Okay. Our first contestant tonight is Mr. Tommy Barslow. Tommy, get on out here,” she exclaimed into the microphone happily and then left the stage as the little boy who that had just been in the waiting area walked from the other side of the stage, sat down on a stool that was strategically placed, and began his song. The entire auditorium was silent as the boy’s beautiful playing filled the air, everybody, especially the boy’s parents, listening on. When he was done, the entire auditorium burst into loud applause as the boy got up from his stool, bowed, and left. Marie Osmond came back onto the stage clapping and smiling. “So, how did all of you like Tommy?” Thunderous applause. “Okay, let’s move onto our next contestant,” she announced. The evening went on: two pianists, a violinist and another guitarist took the stage one after another, all of them playing beautifully and truly talented. As they were watching on the monitor in the waiting room, Christopher’s father leaned close to him. “Are you nervous?” he asked. “A little,” Christopher whispered. “They’re all good.” “Not as good as you,” the proud father beamed and hugged him. “You’re going to do great.” Mr. Walsh poked his head into the room. “Christopher? You’re up, son.” Christopher got up and hugged each of his parents, picked up his guitar, and followed Mr. Walsh down the corridor. As they were getting near the stage, he could hear Marie announcing him. “Good luck son,” his father said. Christopher grinned nervously and waited for his entrance cue. “And our last contestant of the evening is Mr. Christopher Winters. Get on out here, Christopher,” Marie said and he stepped forward onto the stage amongst applause and sat down as Marie exited to the other side. After he sat down, he gazed out into the audience and saw the three judges sitting at a table in front of the stage smiling at him. He looked over to the other side of the stage and saw Marie smiling and waving at him and then gave him a thumbs up. He grinned at her and then turned his attention to his instrument and ordered himself to relax. He began to play and as the fingers on his left hand graced the fret board and the fingers on the right glided over the strings, he thought about everything that had happened to him in the past week. All the joy and love and happiness being among his best friends. All the good times and the bad. He and Susan leaning on each other for support, always being there for each other. His first magical kiss with Jennifer and looking into her beautiful eyes. His talks and intimate moments with Susan. His friendship with Ronald…and the hope and anticipation that he would someday see them all again and they would share many more of those times for years to come. At this time, more than any other time in his life, he was at one with his instrument, and felt every note he played as never before. When he was done and the last note had faded, he looked up and the entire auditorium was staring at him, not doing anything. A thought went through his head that maybe he was so lost in his memories and the way that they had made him feel, he had made a mistake of some sort and had not heard or recognized it.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Then, all at once, the entire auditorium erupted into furious applause. A few people started standing and, before he knew it, the entire auditorium was giving him a standing ovation, the applause not dying down for almost a full minute. Christopher sat there bewildered, not knowing what to do. He quickly got up, bowed a few times, each time a inducing a new throng of applause, and turned and left the stage. As he did so, he glanced at the judges and saw that they were all clapping, smiling and whispering to each other…and he knew. He knew right there in his heart that he had won the scholarship. It was such a confident feeling that he knew it could only be true…and he had his best friend to thank for all of it. He entered the waiting room and his parents immediately rushed to hug him, practically lifting him off the ground. “Chris, that was so beautiful! You were fantastic!” his mother exclaimed. “That was the most beautiful that you’ve ever played, son. I knew you were good, but wow!” he father said as he hugged him again. “Thanks, guys! I couldn’t have done it without you. I love you both so much,” he said as he squeezed them to him. After they broke apart, Christopher talked with and congratulated the other contestants and their parents, Mr. Hudson beaming that all of his students had been spectacular and talking with each of them. There was talk of all of them all going out for pizza together when Mr. Walsh approached Christopher. “Excuse me, son?” “Yes?” “Somebody outside would like to talk to you.” A flash of heat instantly went through Christopher’s body in anticipation of this moment. “Okay.” “If you’ll come with me,” he said as he indicated for him to follow. “I’ll be right back,” he said to his parents. His father smiled. “Take you’re time, son.” Christopher followed the man until they were in a private part of the backstage area that was a bit cut off from everyone else. “She’ll be with you in just a moment, son. Congratulations. You were really great out there.” “Thank you, sir.” The man left. Christopher was beaming. He had said that “she” would be with him in a moment. He looked down at himself to make sure that he looked alright. He realized that it was only Susan, a person he had know practically his entire life, but, now, more than ever, he wanted to look his best. There was so much he wanted to say to her and talk with her about. What had happened after the circle disappeared? What happened between her and Ronald? What happened to Jennifer? And how did she arrange for Marie Osmond to host the competition? “Hello, Christopher,” a woman’s voice said and Christopher looked up and his mouth fell open as he looked at the woman who was standing before him. “Jennifer?” he said wide-eyed. “How are you?” she said sweetly. “Oh, my God!” he exclaimed as he immediately hugged her and held her for more moments than he could count before he pulled away and looked at her again. Her hair was shorter and she was older, but it was definitely her. “I…I was hoping so much to see you again.” “I hope you’re not disappointed,” she said, aware of their massive age difference.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “No. Not in a million years. You’re just as beautiful as ever. I’ve been thinking about that night non-stop since I got back. I’m so sorry for not staying with you.” “You have nothing to be sorry about. It was your choice.” “It feels weird to be saying this right now, but I think that you’re the first girl that I’ve ever loved. I’m thinking back to that night right now at the dance and I remember how incredibly beautiful you were…and how much you are now.” “Oh, Christopher,” she said lovingly as she placed her hand on his cheek and left it there for a second, just as he had done so over forty years ago. “What are you doing here? Not that I mind, considering that I really had no idea how I was ever going to find you again.” “I work for the Lexington Foundation.” “Susan?” She smiled. He looked down at her hand and saw a ring. “You got married! I always knew that if I went back, you would be able to find another man who thinks you’re just as special as I do. Who is he?” “He’s right over there,” she said as she pointed to a tall man with blonde/whitish hair talking with a boy by a table with some refreshments on them. Christopher could not help but notice that, except for his obvious six foot height, he looked a lot like him. “Is it my imagination, or is there a resemblance?” he grinned and she smiled. Who’s the boy with him? Is that you’re son?” “That’s my grandson. He goes to this school.” “He does?” Christopher said as he looked at him again. “Wait a minute, that’s David! He’s in my history class! I’ve known him for the last two years,” he said as he looked back at Jennifer. “And all this time…” he said in wonder. “You know, I saw you for the first time about a year and a half ago,” she said. “You did? Where?” “Here at school. I was picking up David because his parents were out of town and he was staying with us. I saw you walking across the courtyard to catch the bus.” “Why didn’t you say anything?” “What would I have said? You would have thought that I was just some crazy old woman who said that she knew you a long time ago.” Christopher looked at the boy again in thought and then back at her. “I’m really glad that things worked out for you, Jennifer. You deserve it. You’re such a good person and, even now, I can look at you and see just how you were yesterday.” “Thank you, Christopher,” she said as she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “So, what happened with Susan and Ronald? Are they here?” He started to look around. “No, not right now. I asked her if I could see you alone tonight before you meet them again.” He looked at her and smiled. And then, as if on cue, a slow song began to play on the speakers backstage. Not surprisingly, it was the last song that she and he had danced to so long ago, Earth Angel. “May I have this dance?” he said as he embraced her and she rested her arms on his shoulders and it was just exactly like it was back then. The span of time that had passed did not make any difference at all as they looked into each other’s eyes and thought about the life that could have been.

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Christopher! The car is outside!” his father yelled as he looked out the window. “It’s a limo!” “I’m coming!” he yelled back as he adjusted his pants and walked into the living room where he saw his father by the window and went to stand beside him. “Wow, it is a limo. Look at that!” “Mr. Lexington must think that you’re really special,” he grinned. Him and someone else, Christopher thought. When Jennifer and he had finished talking yesterday evening, she had said that she was going to make arrangements for a car to pick him up and take him up to Ronald’s estate tomorrow morning. However, she had failed to mention that it was going to be a limo! “Let me take a look at you,” his mother said as he pulled him in front of her so she could look at him. “Oh, Christopher, I really wish you would wear your suit. You look so nice in it.” “Mommmmmm,” he complained. “Alright, alright! I just want you to make a good impression on Mr. Lexington. He’s done so much for the town but hardly anyone has ever had the opportunity to meet him. He looks so handsome on his book jackets.” “I heard that,” Christopher’s father said. “Now, darling, you know that you’re my man,” she said as she kissed him on the cheek and then turned her attention back to her son. “So, are you ready?” She fiddled with his hair. “I think so,” he said as he brushed her away. He was so high with anticipation that he hardly got any sleep at all last night. The joy of seeing Jennifer again and dancing and talking with her and now the thought of seeing Susan and Ronald and knowing that they would soon all be together again…how could he possibly be expected to sleep? “Well, off I go,” he said as he headed for the front door and walked towards the black limousine where the chauffeur was waiting by the door. “Good morning, Mr. Winters,” the chauffeur said. Of course he had an English accent. “I’ve been told to take excellent care of you.” He opened the door for him. “Uh, thank you, sir,” he said to the large, friendly-looking man as he climbed into the car. The chauffeur lightly closed the door and then walked around to the driver’s seat and they were soon off. Christopher was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement as he began to play with the contents of the limousine. He turned on the television and found that Star Trek IV was on and smiled. He then opened the refrigerator and found that it was filled with cherry punch. He opened one of the bottles and - it could have been his imagination but he doubted it - it tasted like the punch that they had been drinking at the dance. He took a swallow of it and was immediately transported back to that wonderful night as he sat back in his seat and looked out the window at the passing scenery. They soon entered the gates of the Lexington Estate and drove up to the front of the mansion and stopped. The chauffeur exited his station and walked around the car to open the door for Christopher and he practically sprung out. “Have a good day, Mr. Winters,” he said as he touched the bill of his hat. “Thank you, sir.”

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell Christopher said and then walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A moment later, an older gentleman in a butler’s uniform opened the door and regarded the young boy standing before him. “You must be Mr. Winters,” he said, grinning. Another one with an English accent. “Yes, sir.” “Please come in and follow me.” He entered the house and was immediately bewildered by his surroundings. The house was so huge and beautifully decorated…it almost felt as though he were in a castle. Not that he had ever been in a castle, but he decided that this must be what it would feel like if he were ever in one. “This way, sir,” the butler said. “You’ll be waiting in the library.” “Yes, sir. Thank you.” They entered the library and the first thing that Christopher thought was that he had never seen so many books in his entire life, not even in the city library! It may have been his imagination, but it seemed larger than the city library. It was certainly a lot fancier. “Will you be needing a refreshment or anything while you wait, sir?” “No, thank you.” Christopher was still looking around the room with his mouth open. The butler grinned and left. As he continued to take in his surroundings, he saw a table across the room with two boxes on it. One of them was a white, long, thin box and the other one was a little bit larger than a shoe box. He approached the table and saw that the white box had his name on it. Baffled as to what it could be, he took the lid off of it and looked inside. It was filled with comic books. Every comic book was standing on end, each in its own plastic bag with cardboard backing. And then he recognized what they were – they were the comics that he had picked up at the convenience store all those years ago. A smile of thoughtful appreciation covered his face. She had kept them for him. All of this time, through all of these years, she had kept them for him, waiting for him to come and take them home. All of them were in perfect condition and, as he flipped through them, he realized that the added value of all of them must be at least three hundred thousand dollars. That would be enough to buy his parents a new house and, of course, a car for him! Still smiling with delight, he turned his attention to the other box and removed the lid from it. There was some tissue paper on top of something and when he removed it, he let loose with a slight moan of incredulity. They were pictures, all of them framed. The one on top was of the four of them sitting together on the couch at Ronald’s house, the one that Susan had set the timer for and taken on the night that they had told Ronald and Jennifer who they were and where they were from. The second was of him and Ronald, standing beside each other and smiling while she had taken the picture. The third one was of her and Ronald standing beside each other while Christopher was behind the camera, her smile so wide and filled with love and excitement. The fourth one was of her and Christopher, Ronald behind the camera. He remembered that Ronald had been worried that he might not be able to operate such a fancy camera and he had

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell taken a beautiful picture anyway. Standing there at that moment, they had no idea that that would turn out to be the best night of their lives. Truly the best of times, as Ronald had said. The fifth picture was of he and Jennifer and Christopher stared at the picture with love in his eyes for almost five minutes, not taking his eyes from it. With his finger, he affectionally traced it around Jennifer’s beautiful face. She had looked so lovely and happy that evening and he remembered her remark about that being her first time at a dance and how much fun she was having. He was glad that she had found someone else to dance with for all of those years and would dance some more for the remainder of her life, but was also sad that it was not going to be with him. In another time, in another life, things might have been different and half of him wanted to go back to that life and live out the rest of it with her, to grow old with her and share all of those joyous times that couples in love experience. At least he had found her again and they would be able to spend more time together and he was so happy about that fact. He placed the pictures back in the box and walked over to an assortment of hardback books on a shelf that grabbed his attention. There were fourteen of them with her name on them and the first one was called “Across Time.” He picked it up and slowly flipped through the pages. He skimmed over all the things that they had gone through in 1963 together and she had written some things that, incredibly, he had forgotten about. He turned to the front pages of the book and read the dedication. This book is lovingly dedicated to my best friend and big brother – Christopher Blackmore. He was always there when I needed him, even when he was far away. He began to cry as he understood the meaning of the private joke and stood there with the book in his hand, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. He was not aware how long he stood there like that, but he suddenly sensed someone behind him and he turned around. And there she was. “Hello, Christopher,” she said lovingly. “Susan,” he said, suddenly weak in the knees. He placed the book down and walked up to her, hugging her tightly. He never wanted to let her go again. The memory of seeing her run from the circle, back to Ronald, knowing that she would be gone forever was too painful to bear. Quickly, he forced it from his mind. He finally pulled away from her and looked affectionally at her. She was older and wearing a different hairstyle, but she still had the same youthful strong way about her. “I missed you. I missed you so, so much.” “I missed you. It’s been more than forty years for me,” she said, smiling gently. “And it’s been yesterday for me,” he said. “But that doesn’t matter; I feel all of those years weighing on me right now.” He hugged her again. “I really wish I could have been there with the three of you, spending my life with you, being a part of your lives.” “You were a part of our lives. You were always there.” “I guess it kind of feels like it in a way, but it’s not the same.” “Did you see Jennifer last night?” He smiled fondly. “Yes, we talked for awhile and spent some time together. We even danced. She really hasn’t changed at all.” “She was shattered when you left. It took her awhile to get over it.” “But I guess she did,” he said a bit sadly as he looked off and he could practically picture her in the dress she had been wearing that evening standing just a few feet away from him with the glow of excitement that she had had about her. He could even hear the music in the background. “You sound disappointed,” she said.

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell “No.” I’m glad that she found someone that cares about her as much as I do.” There was a silence as they looked at each other. “You were never going to go back, were you?” he said. “No. I don’t think so,” she said thoughtfully as she turned away. “When did you make up your mind? At the dance?” “Honestly? I think it was the first time that I ever saw him, when he was giving his report. It’s why we were sent back, Christopher. Not just to mail his story, but for me to stay with him. You were right. Going back in time and going through all of that, no matter how magical it was, was too small a reason for it. We went back so I could share my life with him and be with him to this day.” “And for you to build the Lexington Foundation.” She smiled at him. “My gift to you, my big brother.” “And for you to arrange for the grant to Juilliard.” “And for you to win it.” He looked at her wide-eyed. “They’ve already decided?” “No, it won’t be announced for a few days…but I know,” she grinned. “I didn’t see you play, but I know that you are going to win it. It’s…destiny.” “Destiny,” he repeated thoughtfully. “Well, where’s Ronald? I can’t wait to see him.” “Right here, mate,” a voice said from behind him. Christopher turned and saw Ronald standing by the door, and Jennifer was with him. “We wanted to give you some time alone.” Christopher walked up to Ronald and hugged him tightly. “Easy, mate! I’m not as young as I used to be!” They both laughed as they parted. He hugged Jennifer again and then he regarded all of them. “Here we all are, together again,” Christopher said happily. “And I have just the thing to top it off with,” Ronald said as the butler entered the room carrying a tray. On the tray were four paper cups and Christopher recognized them as the same design as the ones at the dance, he also knew what was in them. They each took one and waited for the butler to leave the room and then Ronald raised his cup. “To the best of times,” he said. “The best of times,” they all repeated. “And many more to come,” Christopher said.

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EPILOGUE

He slowly woke up and blinked his eyes as he wondered what had caused him to wake. He looked at the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was almost two thirty. He moaned in tired frustration as he wondered what had made him wake up at such an ungodly hour and that’s when he heard the rain coming down on the roof. It sounded very pleasant and he lie there for a few moments staring at the ceiling as he listened to it come down. And then he heard something calling to him. It was not really a voice but…more like some kind of silent beacon. It was not particularly loud and he got the feeling that, even though he had no proof of it, he was the only person who could hear it. Then, he smelled something. Christopher’s first thought was that the house was on fire and he was going to go run and wake up his parents and tell them to run out of the house with him….and then he recognized the scent. Incense. He got up and felt the need to walk across the room so he could look out the window…and there it was. The circle, crackling with energy, waiting. It was in his front yard sitting there beckoning to him, calling to him. Christopher immediately sucked in his breath as he knew what this meant, what it could mean. He now had the opportunity to go back to that night of the dance, at that exact moment when the circle had reappeared in Ronald’s front yard and he and Susan and run to it so they could return home. Only, at the last moment, she had darted away from him and ran back to Ronald, leaving him to return home alone. This was an opportunity to go back and change things, a second chance. He could go back to that night and, instead of just Susan staying with Ronald and Jennifer, he would be able to as well. He would be able to grow old in the company of his best friends and share their lives with them, experience all the things that they had gone through without him. He could now be a part of that. And Jennifer. He would be be able to spend the rest of his life with her, marry her, and share their lives together. It was so tempting. It was so tempting that it hurt inside. He was about to run for the front door…and then stopped himself. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t explain it, but something was holding him back. Everything happens for a reason, Susan had once said, and she had been right. Susan and Ronald and Jennifer had gone on with their lives, just as he should do now. Would it be fair to any of them to go back and just assume that everything would be even better if he were a part of their lives? Wasn’t that being selfish? Even though he wanted it so badly that the longing to run as fast as he could to the circle and jump inside it before it

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ACROSS TIME/Jeff Fuell disappeared, wasn’t that being selfish when he already had so much? He had them back in his life again and he was also on his way to pursuing his dream. A dream that they could be a part of. A life that they could be a part of. And that was enough. And he could live with that. They all could. He smiled at the circle for a few moments with a grateful smile in his face. “Thank you,” he whispered and the circle seemed to slightly pulsate in response. He then closed his curtains so he could go back to sleep and dream. Life was good. It was the best of times with more to certainly come.

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