I woke up this morning and everything seemed normal until, my dad busted through the door and started talking in a really odd tone, he calls it “singing.” I’m not sure what this “singing” is but I do know that I don’t like it; it hurts my ears. He told me that that’s what music is like. I’m so not looking forward to this.

While I was getting ready James and Cameron arrived at my house. They knew as much about where we were going as I did, and they didn’t like my dad’s “singing” either. But we went downstairs at 7:30 to get our final briefing about what we had to do and act like in 2011. As we were walking down the hallway we heard my dad again, “Imagine all the people, living life in peace, you-who-o-o…” at least when he sang this song you could hear how it was meant to be sung, it was a nice message too, everyone working together for the greater good of humanity. We don’t have any of the problems he sang of anymore though; no hunger, no greed. We all had anything we needed and we were happy about it.


When we got downstairs my dad gave us new clothes. I was wearing a green shirt with white stripes and a collar, it was soft and smelled like flowers along with blue pants that were made from a harder material, James and Cameron had a pair on too. My dad told us that these were “jeans” and sometimes people wore them ripped like the pair that Cameron had on with his red t-shirt that said “Harvard,” or they could be tighter like James’ with his black t-shirt, the tighter ones were called “skinny jeans” and were popular in 2011.
“I can imagine why. Don’t I look good?” said James as my dad arranged his hair to go across his forehead since it was longer than Cameron’s or mine.
“I’m so glad you’ve been skipping your haircuts lately James, you look like Paul McCartney now, with that hairstyle,” said my dad while going over to Cameron and trying to adjust his hair.
“Who?” I asked. “I’ve never heard of Paul McCartney before.”
“You’ll find out later.” He said, “I’m sure Nancy’s daughter, Bethany, will be happy to tell you about the Beatles and anything else you want to know. Now you three have to get going, here are your bags,” he handed in three large duffel bags, full of more shirts and jeans I’m guessing. We got into Betsy and my dad explained all the controls. Then as we were about to leave he gave us all what looked like and Idroid706 mobile, except the logo was different. “Here,” he said, “these will allow you to communicate with me while you are in the past.”
“But wouldn’t people wonder what we’re doing with such an advanced piece of technology?” asked James.
“Yeah, didn’t people have to talk through wires back then?” Cameron followed
“It’s true that these are the most advanced pieces of technology to date, allowing inter-temporal communication, but they are disguised as iPhones, one of the most common cell phones of 2011. There are even some of the standard games on there pre-loaded for you guys. now you have to go, be careful. And have fun” he said as he shut the door.
I rolled down the window for a final few words “Dad, are you sure we should be doing this?” I asked.
“Yes, after a few days you’ll understand Son. I love you, that’s why I’m doing this,” he said as we started to move.
We saw a flash; James complained, “Hey my phone stopped working!” Then everything went black.
“We must have broken the time continuum,” Cameron said through the darkness. I couldn’t see his face, even though it was only about a foot away from my own. Then, in the distance, we saw a light, small at first but as it got closer the light grew. Then we started to hear noises. After about sixty seconds from when the light appeared it began to engulf the car, the three of us were mesmerized.
“Dude this is awesome!” James exclaimed from the backseat.
“Isn’t it?” asked Cameron from the passengers seat, “Look at this engineering! Blaine how tall do you think these buildings are? Look at that bridge! And those statues!”
“Not that, Nerdbot. I meant this game on my phone. You use some kind of projector to throw little red birds at little green pigs in tiny houses! It’s so much fun!” James said.
James wasn’t exactly top of his class; he was more likely to work in the sanitation department than in the civil engineering department where Cameron was headed next year.
“In 50 meters turn Left,” said the Betsy’s global positioning service, or GPS as my dad called it.
I turned onto the street where it told me to and stopped in front of the building that it designated, and then the Muto Temporis parked itself and unlocked its doors. We got out of the car.
“Wow.” I said, “He was right. It really does smell here. I guess this is Nancy’s house, let’s go guys.” I walked up the steps as Cameron followed towing James whose eyes were locked on his iPhone. I looked at the directions that my dad sent to my phone and it said “Nancy lives in apartment 13B take the elevator up to the 13th floor and turn right, it’s the second door.”
“What’s an elevator?” I asked.
Neither James nor Cameron knew so I asked a woman who passed by “Excuse me, but where’s the elevator?” she pointed to a silver door, “Thank you” I said as I walked toward the door.
I pressed the button with the arrow that faced upward, and the door opened up. Inside was a small room with a handle, we all walked in and I pressed the button near the 13. The door slid closed and all of a sudden, “WHAT’S HAPPENING?” yelled James.
“Calm down,” I said, sounding a lot calmer than I was. “It’s carrying us up to her floor.” within a few seconds the doors opened up and we all stumbled out as we attempted to regain our balance. When we were all restabilized we headed towards the second door on the right. “You guys ready?” I asked, really seeking reassurance.
“Yeah man let’s go!” said James enthusiastically, after finally putting the phone into his pocket.
“Yes.” said Cameron coolly; he seemed to be the least worried out of the three of us.
I inhaled deeply then knocked on the door.

She’s beautiful. Oh, I should probably say something shouldn’t I? Oh, crap what’d she say to me, I forgot the question. I was distracted by her eyes, they’re so big and green. And her hair is such a brilliant orange. Oh, man! I must look like an idiot. C’mon Blaine speak!

“Hello? Anyone in there?” she said while waving her hand in front of my eyes.

“What? Oh, yes. Are you Nancy?” I asked still somewhat bewildered.

“No, but she’s here let me get her for you,” she said. Then turned around and called into the house, “Mom, the door’s for you.”

“Oh, is it them?” a voice inquired enthusiastically from within, “Did they arrive already?” she said, the voice now closer. Then she appeared in the doorway. A woman older than the one who opened the door but the resemblance was unmistakable. “Hello, I’m Nancy. You must be Blaine, James and Cameron.” she said and held out her hand for me to shake.

“Yes Ma’am,” I said as I shook her hand, “I’m Blaine.”

“James” James said as he shook her hand.

“And I’m Cameron. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Cameron said, being polite as ever.

“I’m Nancy, and this,” she gestured to the girl who opened the door, “is my daughter, Bethany.”

“Beth,” she said as she held out her hand for us to shake, “call me Beth.”

“Please come in boys,” she paused as she looked at me, “Blaine, you look so much like your mother, especially your eyes. They’re that same dark blue.” Suddenly a flash of an emotion I can’t name flashed across her face. Sadness? Anger? I had never experienced these feelings; I only know them through the stories my dad used to tell me. “Beth, show them their room.” Nancy said snapping out of whatever emotion she had been so engulfed in.

We followed Beth down the hall and into a room with three beds, one covered in blue bedding, another in green and the last in red. “I CALL THE RED ONE!” yelled James as he lunged for the bed closest to the door. Cameron walked over to the green bed and started to unpack.

I stood in the doorway, what is it? Does it really matter what it is? It’s so Beautiful. “Do you like it?” Beth said when she noticed I was staring at the walls.

“Did you make this?” I asked as I walked over to the green bed, and sat down.

“Yeah, Colin and I painted it.” She replied as she sat next to me. My heart started to race, and I felt something I’d never felt before Anger? Fury? No, this is stronger. It reminds me of the feeling in one of Dad’s stories when he first saw my mom, with her boyfriend of the time. What was it called? Jell-O’s? Jellies? Jealousy. Who is Colin?

“Colin?” I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible, but failing as my voice cracked.

“Oh, he’s my best friend. You’ll meet him later tonight. Actually, we have to get going if we ever want to get you guys adjusted to New York.” She said, looking at her phone and standing up. “You guys ready?” she asked

“Ye-ah” said James

“Of course” Cameron replied.

“Ok then. Blaine, shall we?” Beth held out her hand to me.

I took her hand and my heart skipped a beat, “Let’s go.” I said, my voice cracking.

Beth led us, still holding my hand by the way, back down the hall and into the living room. She told her mom that she was going to take us out to do some sight seeing.

“Ok, here are your Metro cards boys,” she handed a little yellow card to James, Cameron and I. “Beth, don’t forget about the food thing.”

“Oh, Right. OK.” Beth said mysteriously.

“What food thing?” asked James, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone once again.

“My mom thinks it would be a good idea to take you guys out for pizza for lunch. We’ll meet Colin at Starbucks then go.” She told us as we were headed out the door.

“This thing is evil!” James screamed as we started to descend in the elevator.

Within a few seconds we arrived in the lobby and headed out into New York.

“So Blaine, My mom didn’t tell me a lot about your time,” Beth said curiously as she led James, Cameron and I down the street.

“Well, we come from a time of Scientific excellence,” Cameron replied proudly. “By the age of 10 we are at universities studying in whatever field we wish to pursuit,”

“Oh? And what’s your field Cameron?” She asked in a somewhat mocking tone.

“I’m currently earning my master’s degree in Civil Engineering.”

“What about you Blaine? What are you studying?” She asked me.

“Well I- I was trying to- I mean; I am- umm,” Dammit Blaine pull it together; she’s just a girl. Some random girl you met today. There’s no reason to be this nervous! But impress her. Don’t sound like an idiot! “I’m working on my Bachelor’s in Mechanical engineering,” I exhaled. There that wasn’t so hard.

“And you James?”

“What?” He said looking down in a daze.

All the bright screens and signs advertising things like Coca Cola ™ and Domino’s Pizza™ distracted him. I could see why, coming out of our colorless world this place is like a rainbow.

“What are you studying?” She asked him again.

“Oh, I still have a year before I go to college,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck, “I’m a little behind in school.”

“A little?” Cameron laughed. “Try six years behind. Maybe if you didn’t skip school every other day you would be where you’re supposed to be.”

“Hey, school’s lame, man! I’d much rather hang with Dr. H and hear his stories about the past, I mean now, whatever, his fun when he went back in time!”

“Wait,” I stopped walking, “When you skip school you go hang out with my dad?”

“Yeah, he’s been telling me stories about when he came back here since we were like seven” James said.

What? Why would he tell James? Why didn’t he tell me first? “So, you knew my dad traveled back in time for a decade, and you never told us?” I asked him.

“Yeah, he said to keep it a secret. I can’t believe you didn’t know that I hung out with your dad though, man. I mean you never noticed how I talk and act like him?”

He does act like dad. I can’t believe I never noticed! But, why would dad tell all of this to James, it just doesn’t make any sense.

“He acts like he’s been living in this time period his whole life,” clarified Beth. “Guys, maybe you should talk about this whole, ‘time periods,’ thing later. People might catch on.”

“Of course,” said Cameron as we started walking again.

“But we’re not done talking about this James.” I told him.

“Ok dude, whatever you say.” He replied.

“I mean it.”

“Blaine, tell me more about,” Beth paused thinking over how she was going to phrase her next thought, “where you’re from.”

“Well, my dad says it’s boring. Which I guess is true compared to here. I mean everything’s painted white, and all we do is math and science. We’re always working on the next great achievement’ and, we never stop to just take a breath,” I’m finally starting to understand what dad meant in all his stories about “stopping to smell the roses.”

“Wow, so you guys only know about Math and science?” Beth asked shocked. “What about music? And cultures? And fun?”

“You sound like Dr. H” James said laughing. “He loves music and food and art and stuff, but we don’t have any of it back home. That’s why he sent us here.” He clarified for her.

“He wants you to bring all of our culture back?” She asked confused

“Precisely,” Cameron answered, “personally I think our world is better without all that crap but Dr. Harris said that ‘I would be convinced and determined even more so than James or Blaine to bring it back.’”

“Hey!” James and I yelled, offended. Why am I not determined? Does he think I’ll be distracted by something? Wow, Beth’s shirt makes her hair stand out, orange against green; it’s really pretty.

“I don’t know guys he just said that I would be a ‘fallback’ if something happened. Or, someone” Cameron laughed then pulled me back so we fell in step behind James and Beth. She’s describing something to him “80s pop” whatever that is. “Blaine, don’t let your affection for Beth distract you from our task at hand. I don’t know why you’re dad wants us to bring back distractions but until we’re back I our own time, remember what they use to tell us about emotions when we were little.”

“’Logic and numbers add up. Emotions should be ignored and disregarded for the betterment of society’” I repeated the same thought that had been drilled into our heads since we were two years old, “hey, I don’t like Beth.” I retorted “never lie, the truth is the only logical explanation’ another thought that our teachers taught us, but right now lying is necessary.

“Ok, whatever you say Blaine. But if you want anyone to believe that you should really stop staring at her.” He saw right through that lie.

Beth and James stopped in front of a door, Cameron and I followed, “ok, here we are,” Beth announced.

“Where is here?” James asked.

“Starbucks, it’s a coffee shop. We won’t be here long, we’re just going to meet-up with Colin then take a subway to Vinny’s Pizzeria.”

“Ok, then let’s go! I didn’t get my nutrition tablet this morning so I’m starving!” James proclaimed.

“Me either.” Cameron said, at the same time that I said “me too.”

Beth opened up the door, and inside the shop it smelled funny, not bad like outside, but different. I asked Beth, “What’s that smell?”

“Coffee and cinnamon.” she replied

I wasn’t going to ask for any further explanation. Then Beth started to move her hands around. What’s she doing? I looked over at James and Cameron to see if they knew what was going on. Cameron was mesmerized. James just shrugged at me. Whatever she’s doing it’s directed at a boy, about our age with dark red hair and light blue eyes. He apparently knew what she meant by these hand motions because he answered back in even more hand motions, then walked over to us.

“Colin, this is Blaine, James and Cameron.” She said while moving her hands.

Colin answered back in more hand motions and Beth spoke for him, “Nice to meet you guys,” then he held out his hand for us to shake.

“What was that?” Cameron asked Beth, completely confused a first for him.

We walked out of Starbucks and back into what Beth called “Times Square.” Cameron was talking to Beth and Colin, who were walking less than 2 feet in front of James and I. Cameron was asking Colin all about being deaf and sign language, then asking Beth about other languages too. We found out that people speak differently all over the world.

“In Spain and many countries in South America, people speak Spanish. In Italy they speak Italian, in France, French. Some Countries have more than one language, like in China where they speak Cantonese or Mandarin, depending where in the country you live. And sometimes more than one country speaks the same language like people in the U.S. and Britain who both speak English. ” She explained.

“OK,” Cameron said, still somewhat confused. “Just one thing,” Beth nodded for encouragement, “what are countries?”

Colin started to move his hands again and Beth interpreted, “That’s a good question, man. What are countries really? A piece of land divided by cultures and government, I guess would be the best way to describe it.” She paused then continued speaking for herself now, “He’s right I guess. Countries are kind of hard to explain. We never really think about having to define some of this stuff, it’s just,” She’s confused, when she gets confused her nose crinkles up. “Built into us, colors, smells, a lot of culture. I might not be able to explain it all really well.”

“That’s OK.” I interjected, not wanting her to feel bad. “I mean we don’t expect you to just explain your world for us.”

“Thanks Blaine.” She touched my hand. “ But don’t be afraid to ask guys, that’s why you’re here after all.”

“Ok, so I’ve got a question,” James said as we walked into the pizzeria.

“What’s up?” Beth interpreted for Colin.

“What. Is that? Smell?” he emphasized every word. I can understand why, it smells amazing in here.

Beth laughed, “I knew you guys would like it, “ she looked over at Colin who signed something to her, “He’s right he told me you guys would love it.”

We walked up to a counter that didn’t look clean, and the man that was behind the counter was scary. He had strange markings all the way up his arms and his hair was slicked back, shiny and black. “Hey Bethy baby, How ya doin’? How’s ya mother?” The man said to Beth who reached over the counter to give the muscular man a hug.

“I’m good, Mom’s great. How are Johnny and Vinny Jr?” She asked him.

“Oh, you know the boys always being, boys. Little Rosy though she’s an angel, already sleeping through the night. Hey Ireland how are ya?” The scary man, Vinny addressed Colin now.

“I’m good, man. Glad to hear about little Rosalie, finally giving your wife some rest.” Beth said for Colin. As he shook Vinny’s hand

“Why’d he call him-“

“Hey Bethy, who are ya friends?” Vinny cut James off.

“Oh, Vinny this is Blaine, Cameron and James. They’re staying with my mom and me for, a while.”

“Well nice to meet ya boys. Bethy, Your pizza’ll be out in about 5 minutes.”

“Thanks Vinny.” Beth said as we turned to go sit at the cleanest looking of all the tables in the dimly lit pizzeria.

“Beth, Who is that guy? And why does he talk oddly?” I asked
“Yeah, and why does he call you ‘Bethy’? And Colin ‘Ireland’?” James quickly followed.

“That’s Vinny he owns this place. I baby-sat his sons a couple of times.” Then she spoke for Colin “We’ve been coming here since we were kids.” She looked back at me now, “And the Ireland thing is because of Colin’s hair,” she reached over and tousled up Colin’s hair, he signed something that Beth didn’t interpret for us. Then she said “And because Colin moved here from Ireland when he was two.”

“Where’s Ireland?” Cameron asked

“It’s in Europe, near Britain. I’ll show you a map later Cameron.”

Just then Vinny came out with something that smelled so good, the room went silent then, my stomach made this weird sound. “Whoa, sounds like someone’s hungry.” Vinny commented as he sat this large circular disc, which was separated into eight equal triangular pieces down on the table, “Here you go Bethy, on the house, for your new friends over here.” He shoved his thumb in my direction.

“Thanks Vinny.” Beth said sweetly as Vinny was walking back behind the counter.

James, Cameron and I were leaned over the “pizza” just staring, astounded that anything could smell so good. Beth and Colin just looked at us then started to laugh, snapping us out of our daze. “Here guys,” Beth handed us each a white round paper, thing. Then she pulled off a piece of the pizza, the white stuff on top stretched out between the disc and the piece in her hand. The aroma coming form the pizza was amazing I don’t know why, but I want some, now. “Dig in,” Beth said as she put a piece of the pizza on each of the round pieces of white paper.

We all looked at her confused. “How are we supposed to dig on this?” Cameron asked picking up the pizza then dropping it back on his plate, which was now stained with orange blotches of grease.

Colin started to sign something to Beth, and she didn’t interpret it to us she just signed something else back then laughed, “No, silly. Eat, see?” then she and Colin both held up their pieces of the pizza to their mouths and bit down on the tip.

James and Cameron both looked at me as I hesitantly picked up my piece of the pizza and did exactly what Beth and Colin had just done.

Everyone just stared at me as I bit down on the tip of the slice of pizza, chewed and swallowed.

“Well?” James asked.

“What is this stuff?” I asked while taking another huge bite of the pizza, “It’s amazing.” James and Cameron each took a bite of their pizza and looked up amazed. “Oh, my gosh.” Cameron sighed.

“Beth, this- this stuff is amazing. Does food always taste like this?” I said while chewing another bite of the pizza.

“Whoa, slow down guys, you’re going to puke.” She looked at James who was already on his second slice. “So, I take it that you like pizza?”

“Yeah,” we all mumbled, our mouths full of what became our favorite food.

“Imagine all the people, living life in peace you-u-u-u, you may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…” The song was coming from inside Beth’s bag. She reached in to grab her phone, which was the same as James’, Cameron’s and my own except that it had a green case on it.

“I’ll be right back, guys.” Beth excused herself as she went outside to take the call.

“Hey, Blaine wasn’t that the song your dad was singing this morning?” Cameron asked.


“Yeah, but whoever the guy singing it on Beth’s phone was, he sings it better.” James replied.

Beth walked back in to the restaurant and sat back down, “That was my mom, and just making sure you guys we’re ok, she also said to remind you to call your dad tonight.”

“Oh, ok,” I have to know, “Hey Beth, who was that singing on your phone?”

“What?” She asked, confused. Then, “Oh, my ring tone? That was Imagine by John Lennon.”

“Who?” James asked

“John Lennon, one of the best songwriters of all time? The Beatles? No? Wow you guys really don’t know anything about music. We’ll fix that. Any way we have to go.” she said, as we were all finishing up our pizza.

“Where to next, chief?” James asked, leaning back from being so full of pizza, after all he did eat 4 pieces.

“Well, I was thinking we could go to the park, then head over to the café later for karaoke night.

“What?” I asked.
“Oh, right no music thing, you’ll find out later right now let’s go to the park.”
“Beth?” Cameron was so lost, it’s a little bit amusing to see him this confused. “What’s a park?” We were headed out of the pizzeria and back out onto the streets of New York. James went back onto his phone, this time texting my dad, telling him how awesome it is here.

“You know, a park. Uh, benches, trees, flowers.”

“What?” Cameron asked.

“Beth, we didn’t have any of those things back home.” I told her.
She looked socked, “What? You guys didn’t even have trees? What did you do in your time?”
“Well like I said before we’re in college by the time we turn fourteen, by three we’re already doing the kind of math you guys don’t learn until middle school.” Cameron explained.
“Wow” Beth said for Colin. “So you guys really haven’t done anything at all except math and science?”
“Nope! According to Dr. H everyone in our time is lame. Hey, Blaine? We might have to put off the park.” James said, reading the message my dad sent him on his phone.
“Why? Is something wrong? What’d my dad say?”
“He wants us back home.”
“What?” Beth, Cameron and I say, Colin signed something that I guess would be the same thing we all just said, and then Beth looking over said, “What” for Colin.
“Yeah, he wants us to pick up,” he paused reading over the message again, “Dude, he wants us to pick up your little sister.” He looked over at Cameron.

“Why does he want us to bring Catie here? Is he crazy, she’s just a little girl, she wont be able to handle all of,” he paused and looked around, “This.”

“I don’t know man, call him.” James said. Beth, Colin and I were shocked. Why does dad want Catie to come here? We stopped walking so Cameron could call my dad.

“Blaine, who’s Cameron’s sister? And why is she coming?” Beth asked me as Cameron started talking to my dad.

“Catie, Cameron’s thirteen year old sister. She’s in James’ grade, not top of her class like her brother but still really smart, way above average. But every time she’s around us she’s always really… clingy.”

“Aw, that’s cute she loves her brother. She probably looks up to him, that’s all.”

“No, she’s never clinging to Cameron. She follows James around. It’s kind of weird.”

Beth looked over at Colin and they spoke for a minute just signing back and fourth, then Beth said, “Ok.” Colin started walking away, “He’s headed home, and he’ll meet us later at the café. Hey, can I come with you guys if you really have to go back home. I want to see what your time’s like, and I haven’t seen your dad since the last time he came to visit.”

“My dad came to visit?”

“Yeah, he comes two maybe three times a year to visit my mom and me. Last time he came, he told us you guys were coming.”

“So, you’ve met my dad? He’s had contact with the past? How long has he been coming to visit?”

“Ever since I was four, that was the first time I remember at least. He calls almost every week though.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“What’s wrong?” She put her hand on my wrist to comfort me I guess, but I just shook it off.

“I can’t believe that my dad, knowing where… when I was from has had contact with the past all these years and never told me.” My heart’s beating really fast, this feels like something else he told me about, anger. I’m mad at my dad. “All those times I asked him about my Mom, he never told me anything about her. Nothing. But he spoke to you and your mom every week.”

“Your mom?” Beth looked at me, so did Cameron and James. I was slowing us down and we had to get home.

“What about your mom, dude?”

“You’ve never even mentioned her before we had to come here, Blaine.” Cameron said as he, Beth and James all looked at me with an expression I can’t name, but it was comforting, it looked as though they really cared.

“Nothing, guys. Um, I’m fine. I’ll be fine. My mom’s dead you know that, I know that.” I’m reassuring myself, and I’m lying, I am not OK. “Anyway what’d my dad say?” I had to change the subject; my dad warned me that I would experience emotions like I never had before but I’m not ready yet. This is too hard right now.

“He said we had to go get Catie. She knows where we are and wants to be here too.” Cameron said angrily, that seems to be the only emotion he can feel so far.

“Yeah, she only heard one story about this time but it was enough to know that she wants to be here.” James said.

“How did she hear a story?” Cameron asked.

“She skipped school with me one day and came to Dr. H’s office. He told us the story of how he met your mom Blaine.” Cameron looked over at James and he looked as if he wanted to hurt him.

“You let my little sister skip school?” He said through clenched teeth.

“Great, seems like everyone knew about the past except me. Nice to know how everyone knows more about my mom than I do too.” I’m annoyed. These emotions are coming on way too easily.

“Blaine, Why don’t Cameron and James go back to get Catie and we stay here?” Beth said sweetly.

Alone? With Beth? “Ok, I guess.” I said as we walked back into the lobby of Beth’s building. “Cameron you know how to work all of Betsy’s controls right?” We were in the elevator now, and James was holding on to the railing again. I’d be shocked if he ever gets use to these things.

“Yeah, I’m good. Nancy’s going to come with us, we’ll just go get ready then head out.” He said as we were walking into the apartment.

“ Beth is that you?” Nancy called out from within the apartment.

“Yeah, mom. We’re home. Are you going back to the guys time with them?”

“Yes, I promised Sam I’d bring him his guitar.”

“Ok, um Blaine and I are going to stay here.” She told her mom as she came into the room holding a black case with little pictures on it.

Nancy put the case on the table in the kitchen, “Ok Hun”

“How long are you guys going to be?”

“Anywhere between fifteen to oh, I’d say about forty five minutes. Time travel’s never exactly precise.”

“Ok, have fun. Say hi to Dr. H for me.” Beth said as she hugged her mom.

“Tell my dad I’ll call him tonight.” I said to Cameron as they were walking out the door.

As Cameron, James and Nancy left, Beth and I went back into my bedroom. She went into the closet and pulled out a book.

“Beth?”

“Yeah?” She said as she was walking back to my bed.

“What is this?”

“What? Oh, the walls? That’s the skyline from the roof at night. I’ll show you later if you want. But right now, I think I should tell you a story,” She opened up the book, it was full of pictures and right in front was a picture of a girl who looked kind of like Beth she had the same green eyes, a boy who looked like my dad, but younger, in his mid-twenties, and another girl, around the same age as the other two. The other girl had dark hair, and dark blue eyes just like mine. Her hair was wavy and flowed down past her shoulders, her skin wasn’t as pale as the other two, and she looked like me.

“Who is that?” I pointed to the girl.

“That’s your mom, Blaine. She’s at the beach, with my mom and your dad.” She pointed as she said who the people in the picture were.

“That’s my mom?” Beth nodded. “Did you know her?”

“Yes, but she died around the time I turned four. She was sick for a long time, Blaine. She loved you so much.” Beth was holding my hand now, “She use to tell me stories, about when you were born, you were the cutest baby ever,” Beth had water coming out of her eyes.

“Beth,” I wiped off the water from her cheek. “Why didn’t she want me here?”

“She did want you here Blaine,” She squeezed my hand, “But she also wanted you safe, and the time that your dad told her about was way safer than here. She knew that,” Beth was stroking a picture of my mom, a different one now. She was in a white dress with my dad in a bright blue suit they were smiling; Nancy was next to my mom in a pink dress, holding flowers. “This was your parents’ wedding Blaine.”

“How did she die?”

“Liver Cancer, It’s when cells-“

“I know what cancer is. We just found a cure for it in 2109, that’s how Cameron’s dad died, brain cancer. James’ mom survived breast cancer, she got the cure as soon as it came out. It’s an awful disease, painful, I remember Cameron’s dad, always in pain, the treatment that we had at the time, Chemotherapy, was killing him just as much as the cancer was.” Beth still had water coming out from her eyes, I wiped her cheek again.

“Your mom, Blaine, she was a fighter, everyone thought she would be able to beat it, the cancer. It went away for a little while, but it came back, and when it did, it spread, to her colon, and eventually to her lungs. The day she died I was at school, my mom came to pick me up and she said, ‘Honey, it’s your Aunt Liz; she’s not looking too good. We’re going to go visit her. I’d drawn your mom a picture that day; it was of the skyline, just like the walls, she was the first one to show me the view from the roof. That’s why I painted this room like this when your dad said that you guys were coming.”

My eyes had water coming out of them now, one of the drops landed in my mouth it was saline, “Beth what’s happening?” I asked about the water.

She looked at my panic, “You’re crying, it happens when you’re sad.” Sadness, another emotion.

“I’ve never really been sad before, I remember my dad coming home one day though, when I was four. I asked him for help with my algebra homework and he told me, ‘Not today, son. Today is a sad day.’ I guess he hadn’t just come home from work like I’d thought, I guess he just came home from the past,” We were looking at another picture now, my mom, hooked up to tubes and monitors. There was little girl with bright red hair showing her a picture that looked vaguely like the walls, and my dad, holding my mom’s hand with tears in his eyes. “Beth, Why are you telling me all this?”

“I though since everyone else apparently knew about your mom, you should know too. She was your mom after all.”

“Blaine!” Catie ran in and hugged me. Just as Nancy called in “Beth, Blaine we’re back.”

“Catie,” I paused I didn’t know what to say.
She looked different than she usually did; she’s not dressed in her usual white clothes instead she had on the same kind of jeans as James except hers were bright blue, her shirt was purple and had a boy’s face on it, his hair looked kind of like James’ underneath his picture it said “Justin Bieber.” Who’s that? Her hair wasn’t pulled back into a tight ponytail like it always was either; it was hanging down past her shoulders in tight curls.
Catie dismissed me as I was analyzing her new appearance and continued on “Oh, hi… you must be Beth. You’re way prettier than my brother described you.”
“Catie!” Cameron yelled at his sister for telling on him. At the same time that Beth was saying, “Oh wow Cameron, Thanks, Hey why don’t you guys change into your Black shirts and white ties before we go?”
“Ok?” He said skeptically
Then she turned to Catie, “Nice to meet you too, you’re gunna be staying in my room, Come on I’ll show you your bed.”
“Why did she thank you for insulting her?” James momentarily glanced up from his phone to Cameron.
He just mumbled, “I don’t know,” on his way over to his bed, where he sat and began texting someone. It’s probably my dad, telling him they’re all safe back here. I haven’t talked to my dad yet. Eh, whatever I’ll call him tonight… or sometime soon. Then we started to dig through our bags and found exactly what Beth had described and started to change, “Weird, how’d she know what was in there?” he said as he was tying James’ tie for him.
“She helped Dr.H pack for us, how else would we have all this colorful stuff?” James said as he dropped onto his bed.
“Hey guys, you wanna get going, I’m scheduled to sing tonight,” She leaned over to my ear and a shock went through my spine, she whispered, “You’re gunna sing with me right?”
Then she looked at me with those big green eyes again I said, “OF COURSE!” What the hell did I just get myself into?
Catie ran over to James and looked up at him, “James you’re going to come too right? Cause I mean you have to go it’s gunna be so much fun and… yeah.”
“Yeah, Catie, but… you hafta help me up,” he held up his hand and she ran over and took it into her own hands and pulled with all her might until he went from lying on his bed to standing next to her, she still had his hand in hers as she lead us out of the room.
Beth called out to her mom as we were leaving, “Bye Ma, We’ll be back by 11!”
We all grouped into the elevator and Catie said, “Ow, James You’re crushing my hand.”
“Oh, sorry!” He let go.
“No, it’s ok,” She grabbed his hand back, “So what’s it like out in the rest of the city?” She asked. He started to explain all the lights and the colors as we were walking out onto the street.
Beth pulled me back and said, “I was serious about you singing with me, let’s hope you got your mom’s voice.” Then she pulled out her phone and says, “Here’s the song I wanted to do,” She showed me her phone it had a strange symbol on it, it looked like a dot with a flagpole attached to it, I pointed to it and she told me it was a music note. “Here listen,” She put a little earpiece in my ear and started playing a song, it had cool music at the beginning, and then another different kind of music chimed in. Then a man started to sing, “It’s nine O’clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in, There’s an old man sitting next to me making love to his tonic and gin...”
I looked over at Beth who was humming along and smiled, “I like this song,”
“Yay! So, you’ll sing it with me?”
“Um, let’s see if I’m any good at this whole ‘singing’ thing first.”
“Ok,” she sighed, “we’re gunna get to the café a little early, I’m sure George’ll let us run a sound check before we open.” Then she called out to James Catie and Cameron, “Guys, the Café’s right over here,” she pointed up and across the street.

We all stopped in front of a place called “Rockin’ Rolls,” Beth said, “Colin should be here in a little while along with some… other friends” She looked over at Cameron who was fixing the cuffs on his shirt. What was that all about? We walked into the café were a tall man with gray hair on his head and on his face was behind a large counter looking down at something underneath. Beth walked over to him and said, “Hey George!”

The man ‘George’ was startled but then said, “Hey Bethany, are you gunna set up the stage?”

“Yep, oh by the way these are the friends that are staying with my mom and me,” He cut her off, “’My mother and I,’ Bethany. You know that.”

“And you know that I don’t like to be called Bethany,”

“Beth!” A woman stepped out from a black curtain behind the counter, “
How are you Sweetie?”

“I’m good Debbie; your husband was correcting my grammar again,”

“Oh Georgey I thought we talked about that,” She said as she hugged the man. George just mumbled beneath his breath.

Then Beth continued, “Debbie these are the friends that are staying with my mom and I,” She looked over at George as she exaggerated the “I” and he rolled his eyes, “This is Blaine,” She put her arm around my shoulders, “Cameron, James and Catie.”

“Nice to meet you kids,” Debbie said sweetly, “Beth are you gunna run a sound check?”

“Yeah, Me and Blaine,” George glared at her and she stuck out her tongue, “Were gunna test out the speakers, what about a little Billy Joel?”

“Great, I’ll see you kids later. Oh, Hi Colin” Debbie called out as she walked back through the curtain. We all turned around to see Colin just walking into the café, Beth signed something over to him and he answered, Beth didn’t interpret so I didn’t ask when she pulled me up onto the small stage against the wall.

“Cameron, why don’t you guys go sit over there for now?” She pointed over to a booth by the windows. Colin went behind the counter and started filling some glasses with liquids, one was green, another was clear and four others were brown and they all had bubbles floating to the top. Beth was starting up some machine and some monitors that were on metal beams that connected the edge of the stage to the ceiling; she hooked up two microphones, the same type that the counsel uses at assemblies back home. Then she picked up a remote control and hit a few buttons and everything lit up, there were bright lights pointing at me in a lot of different colors as I stood behind the microphones. Beth came over and stood next to me, “Ok the words are going to show up on that screen over there, just go with the music, let go and when the word lights up sing. Got it?”

“Um…ok” I said, still mesmerized by the bright lights. Then the familiar music started to play and Beth started to sing, this sounded nothing like my dad’s singing. It was beautiful, just like her, it was amazing and wonderful, she looked over at me as she sang, “la la la, di da da La la, di di da da dum, Sing us a song, you're the piano man, Sing us a song tonight, Well, we're all in the mood for a melody, And you've got us all feelin' alright.” Then she pointed over to the screen where my words were starting to scroll up.

I took a deep breath and started to sing, “Now John at the bar is a friend of mine, He gets me my drinks for free, And he's quick with a joke and he'll light up your smoke, But there's some place that he'd rather be, He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me,” As his smile ran away from his face "Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star, If I could get out of this place” Oh, la la la, di da da, La la, di da da da dum,” Beth looked over at me with her mouth open, the same way James, Cameron and Catie were looking at me. “What? Was I that bad?”

James and Catie ran up to the stage, “Dude! Where’d you learn to sing like that?” James asked, as Catie said, “That was great Blaine!”

Debbie came out from behind the curtain saying, “Who was that? It was amazing! Was that you? You hafta come back more often. You’re singing tonight right?”

“Yep” Beth said as she came over to hug me.

“Good. Can’t wait to hear more… uh…”

“Blaine” I filled in.

“Blaine. I can’t wait to hear more Blaine.” She called back as she walked back through the curtains.

Beth and I stepped down from the stage and went over to where everyone was sitting. Colin was walking over with the liquids and some kind of food, it didn’t smell as good as the pizza but, I was hungry again. James picked up one of the… things on the plate after seeing Colin take a bite out of one. It was kind of orange but kind of red, and it had strange angles to it, there was a little container with white liquid-y stuff in it, and some green sticks next to the orange things. Beth said, “Watch out for the bones in the middle, just eat the meat around them.”

James took a bite and Colin smiled, he knew what was coming. “HOT! Hot! Oh my gosh what is that? Water!” Colin handed James one of the cups with the brown liquid in it, and James took a large sip. “Oh… that’s good. It’s all…. Bubbly and sweet. What are these things Beth?” He asked as he took another bite of the thing that just caused him panic.

“Why would you continue to eat it?” Cameron asked with his forehead in his palm.

“They’re Buffalo wings James.” Beth answered, “Go ahead guys, try some you get used to the spice. Just have you’re soda next to you.”

“Is that what this stuff is?” James asked with his second Buffalo wing in one hand and pointing his orange covered finger at the cup with the other.

“Yep.” Beth said as she signed something over to Colin, and he nodded and handed her a cup, he gave Catie the cup with clear liquid and then he handed the remaining two cups with brown liquid to Cameron and I, keeping the green one for him.

“Why is mine different?” Catie asked.

“Yours doesn’t have caffeine sweetie.” Beth said.

“Caffeine?” Cameron asked, “What’s caffeine?”

“Oh, I think we’re gunna find out in about ten minutes.” She laughed as she interpreted what Colin was signing over to us. “It’s a chemical that gives you energy; it’s not really good for kids.”

“Whoa, what makes it so sweet?” Cameron asked.

“Sugar.” Beth replied simply.

Just as she said this a girl walked into the café and waved to her, “Hey Beth, Hey Colin.” She said as he signed something over to her, “Yeah I’ll take a diet.” She said both with her voice and her hands. He got up from next to Cameron and went back behind the counter. The girl sat in his seat and stuck out her tongue as he glared back to her then they both smiled.

“Jenna, this is Cameron, Blaine, James and Catie.” Beth introduced us.

“Hi” we all said, as we took turns shaking her hand. Jenna was tall, she had dark brown hair that fell to her back in waves, she had a red dress on that went to her mid-thigh and shimmered in the light, with red shoes that had a long heel that seemed to make her even taller. Cameron was looking at her in the same way that he said I was looking at Beth.

“Beth, We open in twenty minutes are you going to change?” a man, probably George called out from behind the black curtain.

“Yeah,” she called back, “I’ll be back in a second,” she said as she walked over to the bathroom.

“So, you guys are staying with Beth and her mom?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah, Beth’s showing us New York.” James said, that was the story my dad told us to tell anyone who asked.

“So I guess we’ll be seeing quite a bit of you guys over the next couple of weeks?”

“Yep!” Catie said excitedly, as Colin sat back down in a chair next to Beth’s.

We all sat there for a few minutes until Beth came back out. She was in a sparkling gold dress that was identical to Jenna’s except for the color, she had on the same shoes in gold as well. “Blaine… You’re drooling bro” James said which made Jenna and Catie giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Beth asked as she came over to the table. “Catie, I have a dress for you too sweetie, why don’t you go change?” She handed Catie a bag out of her purse and pointed over to the bathrooms.
After a few minutes Catie came out in a dress just like Beth and Jenna’s except this one was purple and her shoes didn’t have the big heel. She came over to our table and spun around. “How do I look?” She asked all of us, but was looking straight at James.
“You look beautiful Catie.” James said while smiling. Catie just laughed in response.

“Girls do one more sound check before we open.” George called over from behind the curtains.
“Ok George. Blaine you want to help me with that?” Beth asked me.
Catie said “oh, yeah sing again Blaine, you were really good!” while jumping up and down.
“I want to hear.” Jenna said enviously.
“Ok, ok I’ll sing.” I agreed.
“We’re going to try a new song out Blaine ok? Just do what you did before.” Beth told me as we got up onto the stage.
“Gotcha.” I said as she came to stand at the other microphone next to me.
The music started, I recognized it, and Beth gestured over to the screen and I started to sing, the song was Imagine the same song my dad sang before we left this morning.
Jenna smiled after a few lines of my singing then she walked over to where Cameron and James were sitting after Colin left to stand behind the counter. She leaned over and said something into Cameron’s ear, he shook his head and Jenna took his hand and pulled him out of the booth and to the open part of the floor. She put his arms on her waist and put her arms around his neck and they started to sway back and forth until the song ended. Then Jenna started to clap. Cameron followed her lead and Beth pulled me up to the front of the stage and bent down, I looked at her confused but did as she did. “Good job, Blaine. You didn’t get your dad’s voice… That’s good.”
“Encore! Encore!” Jenna exclaimed from the floor as people started to file into the Café. They sat on the stools in front of the counter and Colin started filling glasses with various drinks, Jenna walked around to each of the tables with the drinks in hand. Beth put on a different song; the screen said it was by “Justin Bieber” the guy that was on Catie’s T-Shirt. “When I met you girl my heart went knock knock…”Wow who would’ve guessed a song could explain exactly how I feel? After we finished singing Beth asked who else wanted to sing and two men dressed in suits got pushed up by the rest of the guys at their table.
I stepped off the stage as Beth introduced the men and started their music, she pulled me on to the open floor and we started to sway, just like Cameron and Jenna were before. The men were singing, they’re worse than my dad. “Near, far, wherever you are, I believe the heart does go o-on, once more you opened the door and you’re here in my heart and my heart will go on and on.” I looked at her bright red hair and asked, “Beth?”
“Blaine, you’re kind of ruining the moment.”
“Sorry, it’s just… what’re we doing?”
She laughed and leaned her head onto my shoulder; I like this, I guess some emotions are fun. Jenna dragged Cameron back out to the floor again and started to sway next to us. “We’re dancing… when I was little your dad would put me on the toes of his shoes and dance me around our living room.”
I put my head on top of hers, “I’ll never get tired of dancing with you Beth, I want to be with you all the time” Yeah, right Blaine you’re never going to say that, you’re lucky to get 5 words out around this girl. She’s what my dad was talking about, in those old stories, “When you find that girl that you want to spend forever with, you’ll know. Not for any other reason except that she brings out the stupidity in you.” I laughed and she looked up at me, I pointed over to the side of the open floor where James and Catie were dancing, she could barely reach his shoulder and they were laughing, taking big steps in a circle. She giggled and put her head back on my shoulder, Jenna stepped up to announce the next singers, her and Beth took turns doing so for the rest of the night. When Jenna wasn’t up on stage or bringing food and drinks to tables she was sitting or dancing with Cameron, they were always talking. I saw Cameron smile and laugh for the first time since we got here. When Beth went to and patted his shoulder to tell him it was time to go Jenna picked up a pen and wrote numbers on his hand, “Text me?”
“Um… ok” Cameron said as she got up and kissed him on the cheek. He touched his cheek where her lips had touched it. What!? Back home we can only kiss our wives, which are chosen for us by the counsel. They tell us who our spouse is when we’re 21, that’s it… Wait this might be a good thing I looked over at Beth, This is crazy...
“Bye,” Jenna meant to say to all of us but her eyes were locked with Cameron’s. After we all said our goodbyes and helped put some chairs on top of the newly cleaned tables, we walked back to the apartment.

I texted my dad when we got back into our room, “I’m fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. - Blaine” Then I sent him another message “And dad you were right, this is awesome. I Love you. ” Then changed into the loose t-shirt and red pants with criss crossing lines all over them that Beth said were my pajamas. Just as I was lying down to go to sleep my phone started to vibrate. “I know it’s great. I miss you. Get some sleep. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you too. –Dad”
Before I put the phone back down it started to ring again, “Hey are you still up? –Beth”
“Yeah.”

“Ok, I’ll be there in a second.”
I looked around the room; Cameron was glued to his phone. James walked by and grabbed it out of his hand. “Oooh, you talkin’ to Jenna?” he mocked
“Yes, now give me my phone. James!” Cameron lunged from where he was sitting on his bed and tackled James onto the floor, reaching for the phone in his hand. James kept the phone just out of Cameron’s reach.
We heard the door open and Beth walked in, wearing a white t-shirt and black loose fitting pants, “Oh, sorry am I interrupting something?” She asked as she saw James and Cameron on the floor.
“No.” I said and glared over at them on the floor. James got up and handed Cameron his phone back. Cameron went back to his bed and continued texting Jenna.
“Blaine, Do you have a minute? I want to show you something.” She looked at me.
“Yeah,” I said as I got up from my bed and walked out the door of the bedroom with her.
“Catie fell asleep as soon as she laid down; I guess you guys still have caffeine in your system. After a day like today I can’t imagine not being tired.” Beth told me as she led me out of the apartment by my hand. “Cameron seemed to like Jenna,”
“Yeah… Hey, Beth? Where are we going?” I asked as she pressed the button in the elevator marked “^”
“You’ll see,” she said sweetly as we walked out of the elevator to the most amazing sight I’d ever seen.
“It looks… like… the walls,” I stuttered with amazement. I turned around to look at her; she took my hand and led me over to two chairs facing the view of the city.
“Pretty. Right?” she asked me as we sat down.
I was looking over at her when I said, “Yeah, pretty doesn’t even begin to describe you… I… I mean… it… um… the city.” Nice save Blaine.
She looked over into my eyes and giggled, that sound is the most, amazing intoxicating sound I’ve ever heard. “So, Blaine How was life back in your time, James and Cameron told me but I never actually heard your point of view.”
“Well, like James told you; it’s pretty boring compared to here. We would never get to sing and dance and do all that stuff we got to do today. I wouldn’t even be allowed to go out at night,”
“Wow… that’s rough.”
“Yeah and we’re always in our white clothes and inside even the outside is inside; all the buildings and roadways are under tunnels, always climate controlled. I’ve never even felt the rain fall, I’ve seen it on the outside of the clear plastic tunneling but that’s it.”
“M-hm” she murmured as she came to sit closer to me on the long extended part of the chair that I guess was where you would put your feet up. “And what do you think of it here?”
“It’s Beautiful and exciting and fun and…” She was leaning closer to me, her face only inches away from my own.
“What kind of fun are you allowed to have back home, Blaine?” She whispered in my ear what was that, that just touched my neck? Was that her lips? Wait, answer her Blaine. Don’t freak out, just be cool. DON’T let her bring out the stupidity in you… too late.
“Um, none.” I answered as she put her arms around my neck.
“None, at all? No fun?” She looked up at me, those eyes can see what I’m thinking so just don’t think, Blaine. Just... Go for it. I leaned into her and put my lips gently on hers, a shock ran through my spine
I pulled away from her and looked into her beautiful green eyes, “Beautiful,” I said as I leaned in to kiss her again…

“Goodnight,” she said as we got to her bedroom door.

“Goodnight,” I let go of her hand, and started to turn back to go back into the room where James and Cameron were probably sleeping.
She reached out and pulled me back for one final kiss, “Night,” she smiled.
“Night” I said from my door. She walked into her room and shut her door behind her. I walked in and saw James asleep, drooling on his pillow. Cameron was still awake, on his phone. “Jenna?” I asked.
“Yeah. Hey did you know, she’s an artist... well a painter and she wants to be an architect, that’s someone who designs buildings. She’s so… I don’t know. These ‘emotions’ you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I said as I laid down to go to sleep. “I can’t wait to wake up and see her again.”
“What?” Cameron asked. I turned over and looked at him confused. “See who again?” he laughed. “By the red lip marks on your face I’m guessing Beth.”
“Did I say that out loud?” I asked as I wiped off my cheeks.
“Yeah, but I think I get it.”
“You? Cameron Matthew Blakes? You don’t think things, you just know. And I thought that you didn’t want any of this ‘distraction crap’ back home?”
He laid down now, finally shutting his phone. “What distraction? It can’t be a distraction if it… she’s the only thing you can think about.”
“I guess you’re right. Goodnight Cameron.” I said yawning.

“Morning sleepy head” Beth woke me with her arms around me.

“Hey” I said rubbing my eyes. None of that happened yesterday, that HAD to be a dream, it was too good to be real.
She leaned over and laid her lips gently on mine, like she knew what I was thinking. As she pulled away I smiled, maybe I should ‘just go with it’ more often, this is awesome.
I leaned over and kissed her again, “Well that was fast.” Cameron laughed as he sat up and grabbed his phone.
“Shut up,” Beth giggled as she leaned in for another kiss until, “Good morning to you guys too,” James awoke.
“Beth, Jenna wants me to go with her to… ‘Wicked’? Can I go?” Cameron said looking up from his phone.
“Yeah, we’ll drop you off at the theatre when we pass by. Get dressed guys, we have a lot to see today,” She got up and bet down to kiss the top of my head before she walked out of the room.
“So… Beth?” James looked over at me while Cameron jumped up and started to dig through his bag.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Yeah.”
“Blaine, I’m happy for you man, but… we don’t know how to get dressed. There are too many colors!” He said with his face in his hands, falling back onto his bed.
“Someone’s nervous.” James laughed. Cameron’s never this stressed out.
“Relax, Cameron. We can do this.” I encouraged, as James and I stood up and walked over to his bag. “What about this?” I pulled out a Purple shirt and dark blue pants.
“No, no that’s not right. She HAS to like me Blaine. It has to be perfect.” He begged.
“Hold on. I know who can help,” James called as he ran out of the room.
“Ok… Ok…” Cameron shook his head, “so, Anyway Blaine, what happened last night?”
“What do you mean?”
“Beth’s in here, kissing you as soon as you wake up. Something had to happen.”
“I… I just went for it.”
James walked back in towing Catie by her hand. “Catie?” Cameron asked.
“Catie.” James said, “She can help, she helped Dr. H re-model his office, I’m sure she can help us pick out an outfit for your date.”
“Ooh, a date Cammy?” Catie mocked
“Catie can you help or not?” Cameron demanded, he didn’t like the fact that he needed help from his little sister, but he was desperate.
Catie rolled her eyes and walked over to Cameron’s bag; she looked through then pulled out a white t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a black suit jacket. “Here. Wear it with the black cloth sneakers.”
“What?” Cameron asked. How does she know all this?
“Here, these. Now can I go get ready?” She handed him the shoes.
“Yeah thanks Catie.” James said as Catie walked back down the hallway. “Wait! Catie!”
“James?” Catie turned around.
“What about me and Blaine?”
“You two don’t have to look nice, just put on some clothes.
“Ok thanks Catie,” James said with his head out the door. After he came in the room and went through his bag to find something to wear he turned to me and said, “so, Beth?”
“What about her?” I said smiling, my head down looking through my bag.
“What about her?” James said as he jumped over my bed, “Dude, what happened?”
“Does it really matter? It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal? Do you relies that if we were home you,” he pointed at Cameron, “Would’ve been going to the library to study, instead of going on a freaking date? And You!” He grabbed the blue shirt I just put on, “You would have never even met Beth?”
“James we know. Now can you please let go of my shirt,” he let go as Cameron was saying, “James can you just get ready, we have to go.”
“Ok, Ok I’m going. Hey Blaine did Beth tell you where we’re going today?”
“Nope, but she did say that we had a lot to see, so hurry up!” I threw a pillow at his head.
“I’m trying, jeez. You guys are pushy.”
As soon as James finished getting dressed; which took forever. We went out into the apartment, and said hello to Nancy, who was sitting in the kitchen drinking something dark and steamy. “Good morning boys. Did you have fun last night?”
“Yes ma’am” Cameron said politely.
“Well according to Beth you guys are going to have a montage of culture today.” She smiled.
“I’m sorry a…. montage?” Cameron asked.
“Never mind, Have fun.” Nancy said as she walked back into her room.
“Thanks” James said as Catie and Beth came out into the kitchen.
“You guys ready to go?” Beth asked taking hold of my hand.
“Yes,” Cameron said with Catie’s hand in one hand and his phone in the other.
Catie grabbed James’ hand with her free hand before asking Beth, “So where are we going?”
After the elevator doors shut Beth said, “After we drop off your brother, we’re heading up to a big toy store, I think you and James would like it there.”
“Um… ok, I guess” Catie said as she, her brother and James followed Beth and I down the street. I turned around and mouthed out “I don’t know what that means” and shrugged which made Catie laugh.
We walked for a while then we stopped in front of the building where Jenna was waiting for Cameron. “You guys have fun.” Beth said.
“James, watch Catie.” Cameron instructed.
“Got it.” James replied Catie just rolled her eyes.
“Blaine, watch James.” He told me with a smile. We laughed as Beth was leading James, Catie and I away from the building that Cameron and Jenna had entered.

After walking for a while, we approached a building with a man in a red jacket and a tall black hat at the door, above the door there was a sign that said F.A.O. Schwartz. Inside the loud building, there were a thousand little kids all looking at the stuffed… things, and toy… stuff. “Beth?” James was holding a large; brown; alien? It looked… cute… and fuzzy. Beth turned her head to see James’, Catie’s, and my confused faces looking at the toy.

“Let me guess, you guys have no idea what that is right?” We all nodded which made Beth laugh. “It’s a teddy bear, very popular amongst three year olds. And new boyfriends looking to be romantic.” She looked straight at me. Boyfriend? Am I her Boyfriend? Wait… what’s Romantic? I shot her another confused look and she just laughed. I hope that got me off the hook. “Come on I want you,” she pointed over at Catie and James who were currently giving various sized teddy bears their own voices and holding a teddy tea party, “To see something.”

As Beth was leading us up the stairs I pulled James aside and asked him, “Dude do you know what romantic means?”

“Yeah bro, it means being nice and sweet and giving her flowers and stuff. It’s in all the movies your dad showed me.”

“Movies? What movies?”

“I’ll show you later, right now I think you need to learn about this,” He pulled out his wallet and took out a gold plastic card, “This is our credit card, your dad gave it to me before we left,”

“What? Why’d he give it to you?”

“I know, I would’ve given it to Cameron, he’s the responsible one. But anyway he said we’d need it to buy stuff, I’m gunna get Catie a toy.”

“Ok, Wait! Why are you getting Catie a toy? You don’t like her do you?”

“Dude, she’s thirteen, and one of my best friend’s little sister… that’s messed up.”

“You’re right. But you do know she likes you; right?”

“What?!” He was shocked, surprisingly; that girl does not know the word subtle. “How do you know that? Why would she…?”

“Man, how didn’t you know? She follows you around, always holds your hand… sound familiar?”
“Oh…” He thought this over before shaking his head as if trying to get the thought out and he held out the card for me to take.
“James, I have no idea how to use this thing.” I said as I took the card.
“Blaine, James c’mon. I want you guys to see something.” Beth called out from a pink corner with the word, “Barbie,” written on the wall. She was surrounded by small models of a girl with light hair, and each one was dressed differently. We walked over to the pink corner, I stood next to Beth and James had waited a few steps behind, watching as Catie as she picked up one of the small girls and stroked her hair. He just watched as a smile broke across Catie’s face.
“You want it?” he said unsteadily from behind her. She turned around quickly, and looked up, just as he went down onto one knee so he was just a few inches taller than her., “Pick one. Every little girl deserves a doll.” He said.
“How do you…” How do you know what a doll is? I’m sure that’s what Catie was going to ask, but James had stopped her.
“My mom had one, from when she was really little, my grandma gave it to her. It looked just like this, a little bruised up maybe, but that didn’t matter. My grandma,” he sighed, “My grandma used to tell me the story about how the world changed, right before her eyes, she was young and powerless but no matter what she always said that she never lost who she was,” James started to cry, I’ve never heard him talk about his grandma before. I’ve never seen him cry before. James was never serious, he always had a smile on his face, but now tears rolled down his cheeks, “She said that she was independent, and so was I, and no matter how many laws there were preventing me from expressing my independence, my individuality.” James had taken hold of both of Catie’s hands and the doll she was holding into one of his own, with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture, “This…” He stifled more tears, “This is what she left me with.” The picture was old, a little bit torn, but you could still clearly see what it was, it was the skyline, the same one that Beth had shown me the night before. “She told me, that if I ever got the chance, I had to save this, and in doing so I would save myself.” He looked up at Catie, who hadn’t taken her eyes off him since he had asked her if she wanted the doll. “Catie? Do you know the only time I ever, ever saw my mom’s doll? It was when the doctors told her she had cancer, she thought that she was going to die, that she wouldn’t get to be herself, ever. So she took out that doll and just held it, held that doll like it was the only hope she had left. After a few months of sitting at home, with her doll in hand, my mom got a call… She went over to the phone, not expecting good news, she had gotten the cure a week before, but at that point it wasn’t guaranteed, there was a good chance it wouldn’t work,” James smiled through his tears, remembering the call, “but on the phone was her doctor… and he said ‘Mrs. Smith? This is Dr. Flannigan, um… I have some good news, we just got your latest MRI in, and we cannot find your tumors. Mrs. Smith? You’re Cancer free, congratulations.’” James’ voice cracked as he said, “My mom dropped the phone and ran over to me, I was only about your age Catie, a little older maybe, she hugged me and handed me that doll. She told me, ‘James never give up hope.’ Do you want to know where that doll is right now?” Catie nodded, she was tearing up now too, “I kept that doll in my top drawer in my room for 3 years, and when Dr. H told me that I had the chance to come back here, if I wanted to, I looked at the picture my grandmother had given me, and took out that doll. The morning we were preparing to leave, I took a piece of paper and wrote, ‘Mom, I got my chance, I’m never going to give up hope. Love, James’ I tied that piece of paper to the doll, and left it on my mom’s dresser. Pick a doll Catie, because if worse comes to worst, I want you to have that doll and remember me, and to remember to never, ever give up hope. Ok?” Catie nodded as she took a doll off the shelf, and showed it to James, who just looked at her and smiled.
“James?” Catie said as we were walking down the stairs. He stopped and turned around to face her, “Thanks.” James took Catie’s hand as he went and bought her the doll and we walked out into the streets of New York.

When we arrived back at the apartment, Catie took out her doll and James and she had a Party with the Barbie and one of Beth’s old stuffed animals; a zebra I think she called it. While they were playing on the floor of the living room, Beth and I sat in the kitchen, she was asking me more about the future I don’t know why she’s so curious it’s really not as special as here. About a half an hour after we got back, Cameron and Jenna walked in. They were laughing at an inside joke and holding hands, “Hey guys how was the show?” Beth asked.

“It was amazing, all the different colors and lights!” Cameron said excitedly.
“I think he paid more attention to the lights than to the actual show.” Jenna laughed.
“Blaine, Your dad wants to talk to us.” James called over from the living room.
“Ok, um… let’s go outside,” I said remembering the picture James had shown us in the store. We went up to the roof and as soon as James caught glimpse of the skyline, he reached into his pocket and took out the picture. He looked down at the photo, up at the city then over to me. “I know.” I whispered as we walked closer to the chairs.
“Do you know what happened?” James asked, looking at Cameron.
“How would I know? You’re the only one who even knew about this place before two days ago!”
“Cameron,” I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder, “Take it easy. James I know one person who knows what happened.” I said as I dialed My dad’s number.
“Hello, Dr. Samuel Harris’ Office, Sandra speaking.” My dad’s receptionist said through speakerphone.
“Hey Sandra, it’s Blaine. Is dad in?”
“Oh, hello Blaine, I think he’s in, let me get him for you…”
“Hello? Blaine? How are you? How is everything?” My dad asked.
“Dad… dad were fine. We have a question for you… Do you know what happened, I mean how did this world turn into ours? What made the shift?”
“Blaine, It’s a long story.”
“We want to hear,” James said from next to me.
“Well, it was September eleventh 2021. Terrorists had mounted an anniversary attack on Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston and Austin, New York was heavily guarded that day, so an attack there would be futile. At 8:45 all five cities were destroyed simultaneously. Right after the attack, the United States sent out military all over the world, it was the third world war, this time though the war spread. The whole world was completely burnt to the ground by 2030.” Cameron looked up from his phone, James swallowed, and I just looked out at the city. “After the U.N. decided there was no possible way to salvage anything, they had to find a way to rebuild the world, for the survivors. They figured it was safer not to have any separation. By doing this they extinguished nationalism, everyone was equal now. And when you didn’t have separate peoples you didn’t need the separate cultures. So we just got rid of all culture, we studied hard, focused on Sciences. That’s how we got here. What those people didn’t relies was that Culture didn’t belong to separate people, It was a part of humanity as a whole.”
“How do we stop it?” James stood up from next to me and walked over the railing, with his grandmother’s picture in hand.
“James, I don’t know if you can. I know you made that promise, but the world is too far gone. If you’re going to try, it’s going to be difficult. There’s no way you can stop the war; that’s an inevitable part of history, when someone attacks America they will fight back. But if, by some miracle you can get to the U.N. after the war and before they completely wipe out what’s left in the world. Then, maybe… maybe you have a shot.”
“Let’s go.” James said taking one final look at the picture.
“James, wait.” Cameron said, finally snapping back into his responsible, level headed self. “How are we going to do this, just show up, like ‘Hey we’re from the future, don’t destroy everything and make the world super boring.’ They’ll think we’re crazy.”
“Then what should we do?” James demanded. “I… we have to fix this.”
“Why?” Cameron asked, “Why can’t we just stay here? Live out our lives as if the future never happened and just be happy.”
“What about your mom?” I finally stood up to join them, “If we change everything back then the cure might never have been found.”
“Then it’s settled, we’ll go back home, get the cure, then go save the world.” James said looking out at the sun setting over the skyline.

“So let’s go over this again,” James said angrily from his bed. “I have to wait back here While you guys go back home, get the cure, and then go back to 2030, where you’ll find me as an adult, and then well use grown up me to help save the world.”

“Basically.” I said as I put my backpack over my shoulders.

“James, watch Catie. I’m leaving her here with you, I don’t want anything to happen to her. I’m trusting you.” Cameron said, putting his hand on James’ shoulder.

“This is a lot of pressure for the dumb one of the group.”

“Your not dumb James.” Cameron said sitting next to him, “You’re just… special.”

“Special” James sighed. “What if we can’t do it?”

“We can.” I said walking out of the room and into the kitchen where Beth and Jenna were standing with their arms crossed over their chest. Catie was standing next to her holding her doll close to her.

“I hope you know I don’t approve of this plan.” Beth said looking me straight in the eyes. “But good luck, I’ll see you when you get back.” She kissed my cheek.

“Cammy, why do I have to stay here? Why can’t I go help you?”

Cameron knelt down one knee so that he was his sister’s height, “Catie you are helping. You have to stay here with James and Beth and Jenna. When the time comes, you’re going to be the one who helps most.” He stood up and gave Catie a hug, and then he turned to Jenna. “I don’t know what to say,” Cameron said as Beth beckoned James, Catie and me to the living room. “I guess, I’ll see you later?” He said confused.

“See you later,” Jenna repeated as she leaned in and kissed him. “I think you have to go,” She said with her arms around his neck. “Good luck.”

Beth walked Cameron and me out to Betsy, while Catie, James and Jenna waved from the window. “I’ll see you later, ok?” She said as I was loading our backpacks into the trunk.

“Ok,” I said as she started to turn around to go back into the building, “Wait Beth,” I took hold of her hand, “Just in case I don’t see you again.” I leaned in and kissed her, knowing very well that this kiss might be our last.

“Dad!” I screamed as we ran into my house. “We need your help.”

“Blaine? Cameron? What are you guys doing here? What’s going on? Is everyone OK? Why are you back?”

“Dr. Harris, we’re going to stop it, but we need your help. Blaine came up with the plan; James had to stay back in 2011 so that by 2030, he would be old enough to help persuade the UN. We need the cure.” Cameron said calmly as he walked up to my dad from the door.

“The cure? Why? Who’s sick? I thought you guys weren’t going to interfere with the war, it’s too dangerous.”

“Dad, we don’t care. We have to do this. You’re the one who sent us back there. That… that world, that amazing, imperfect world has to be saved.” I was looking him dead in the eye, “While we were back there Beth had me listen to a song, I forgot most of the words but I remember this, ‘I seen the lights go out on Broadway, I saw the empire state laid low, they turned our power down, and drove us underground, But we went right on with the show.’ When she played the song, I knew that, it was really going to come true, and no one had any idea. We have to prevent that.”

“Miami 2017, that was your mother’s favorite song…”He paused and I saw a tear roll down his cheek, “You have her voice… Um… Ok, I guess I’ll help.”
...
“Now, get back to Nancy’s. I’ll stay here; security’ll be after us in a few minutes, they won’t let you leave, they’ll take Betsy and you’ll never be able to get back. Now go!” He pushed us into the car with the cure in Cameron’s bag. “And good luck.” He said through the open passenger’s side window.

“Thanks dad, Love you.” I called back as Cameron started to drive back to 2030.

Cameron and I were headed back to stop a reformation that would have created the world that we were raised in until, “Cameron, why is the time set for 2011. That’s too far back, we’ll be going straight back to Beth’s house.”

“That’s the plan.” He kept looking ahead.

“No, it’s not! We have to go stop the change. That is the plan.”

“Blaine, it’s too dangerous.”

“Cameron I’m willing to take the risk, remember?”

“I’m not letting you take this risk.”

“Cameron, would you at least look at me when you’re trying to ruin my plan for saving the world?” he turned his head and made eye contact for the briefest of seconds before turning back. He’s sad; you could see it in his dark brown eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Blaine, you don’t get it. This cure has to make it through this war; you have to be the one to deliver it. I’m dropping you off back in 2011 and I’ll go into the war. I’ll meet you and James by the UN building in New York on July 4th 2030.”

“No, Cameron. I won’t let you go in alone, I’m coming with you.”

“No. I have to do this!” he threw his fists down onto the steering wheel. He put his head down and whispered, “I promised.”

“What? Cameron what’s going on?”

He inhaled deeply, “You and James have your amazing stories, something that fuels you to do what we’re doing right now. I don’t. I’m just the smart one, the one who came back with you just to keep you both in check. I don’t have a reason for going back, for saving that world that isn’t even mine to save!” His head was in his hands.
I put my hand on his shoulder, “Cameron, you have to know no one sees it that way-”
“I see it that way! I have to be the one to save it, so that I’ll have a story, so that I’ll get my own individuality, so I’ll be different.” He looked up at me, “You don’t get it, you’re already different. The guy who was born a hundred years ago, the singer, the leader. James is the passionate one, he was always different, even back home he was different he stood out; I was just another face in the crowd. I can’t just be that face anymore.”

“You’re not, Cameron. You traveled back in time; you stood by your friends even with this insane plan, now you’re trying to take it all into your own hands. You are not just some guy; you’re the most loyal, noble, strong guy I’ve ever known. And if you think that you have to do this alone, than you’re officially not the smart one anymore,” I laughed as he looked up at me and smiled, “You can’t do this by yourself, we’re sticking together. But you’re right we can’t risk this,” I held up the black box that the cure was packed in. “So, we’ll go back, give this to Catie, she’ll be the one who will bring it to the world. Ok?”
“Ok. Just one thing, what about Beth? If we leave now, when you see her again she’ll be 45, not seventeen anymore.”
“The way I see it is that if we go, stop the reformation and then go back to 2011, I can stay with her and fix the future. I might run into myself a couple of times as we go through time, but… it is what it is.”
“You’re the boss Blaine. Remember,” he pointed at his chest, “not the smart one anymore.” We both laughed.

“Beth!” I knocked at the door of apartment 13b, Cameron standing behind me with the cure in hand, “Beth, it’s us!”

“You’re back!” she threw her arms around me, “How’d it go?”

“We didn’t go yet, we just came to give this to Catie.” He held up the black box.

“What is it?” Catie said, standing up from in front of the television where she was sitting with James.

“It’s the cure,” Cameron said as Beth shut the door and we walked into the kitchen, “We’re leaving it with you, so that you can deliver it to the world if something happens to us while we-”
He was cut off by a knocking at the door, and then a voice came through the door, “Beth! It’s us! It’s done… it worked.” ‘That sounds like me.’ Beth walked over and as soon as the door opened a boy was kissing her, ‘…’ he lifted his head as I stood up angrily… until his deep blue eyes met my own. His face was bruised, his sleeve charred, he was wearing the same blue shirt that I was, his dark hair was messy and his jeans torn. “Oh, s*** Cameron you were right. I put in the wrong day; we were supposed to show up tomorrow, so this wouldn’t happen.”
“Wait… you’re him?” Beth looked at him then me. Another guy who looked a lot like Cameron; same clothes except his were a little torn up, he was bruised as well and he had a cut on his arm that looked like it had just begun to heal; walked in. “And you!” She pointed at the other Cameron, “Are him!” She turned to the Cameron who was standing next to me.
“What happened to you guys?” James said from behind Catie.
“That war you guys are heading out to happened. It’s brutal, so much fire.” The other me held his arm which looking closer was burnt.
“It’s not easy but trust us you guys are gunna handle it. Just remember,” The other Cameron put his hand on my shoulder, “to go for it.” He smiled.
“Go for it?” I looked at him and he shot a glance in Beth’s direction; she was putting ice on other me’s arm; and smiled.
“Blaine,” other me said from the kitchen table, “You guys should go, it takes a while to infiltrate the UN even while the city’s on fire. We’ll meet up with you guys in front of Vinny’s Pizzeria, or where it used to be, on July 4th 2030, 8am. We should be able to help you guys out, at least that’s what happened for us.”
“Ok, hey Blaine, take care of her. Don’t let her get hurt.” I looked at Beth.
“Oh, trust me, that girl’s tough. She doesn’t need looking after,” Other Cameron said knowingly. I didn’t bother asking, I knew that they knew more than I did. Cameron and I left for 2030, we would see them soon, I knew that.

“You ready?” I asked Cameron as we rode into the light that was New York, but this time the light was just the city, it was fire.

“As ready as I’m ever going to be.” He said as we opened the doors into the heat. “What’s today?” He asked.

“It’s July 4th…” I pulled out my phone, “7:30. We have to get to Vinny’s.” I screamed over a loud boom.

“Let’s go.” He said and we started to jog, we saw people as we ran through the streets, their clothes singed, covered in dust. Anyone we passed didn’t seem to have life to them, they were just dead walking. I saw a woman, carrying a small child, just looking ahead, with no destination in mind she just knew that she had to go, get out, find somewhere that wasn’t destroyed. As my head was turned, a flaming beam fell, Cameron pulled me away in time but my sleeve caught fire, and my arm got burnt. “Blaine! You have to watch out.” He shouted.

As he was saying this rubble was falling, and we started to jog again attempting to avoid the falling rocks, we turned onto the street where Vinny’s was. And as we ran a piece of sharp metal fell and sliced Cameron’s arm, “Well at least now we know how they got those scars!” I shouted. He laughed nervously as we approached Vinny’s. We stopped in front of where the door used to be on the mostly burnt building, I looked out to see that almost the whole city was burnt to the ground, parts of buildings and some framework still stood.

“There they are!” we heard from across the street.
It was other me, older now, he had stubble on his cheeks, and a scar on his forehead. He was holding Beth’s hand, which on the fourth finger there was a silver ring with a blue stone in the middle. There was a little boy, with dark hair and green eyes, about nine or ten years old holding Beth’s other hand. In other me’s arm there was a toddler no more than three years old with bright orange hair pulled into a ponytail on top of her little head, she was looking at me with dark blue eyes. James had hair around his chin, and the hair on his head was beginning to gray. Catie’s hair was darker and shorter than it was the last time we’d seen her, she also had a ring on the hand that James was holding, she had a bump on her stomach that was unmistakable, she was pregnant, just as I made the connection between the bump and the ring I heard an impact; it was Cameron’s fist to James’ face. “What the hell man! What was that for?” Older James exclaimed.
“Really, James? My little sister?” Cameron screamed as he looked from his sister’s stomach to James wide-eyed.
“Cammy, calm down. We have something more important to do, other Cameron is at work, and he’s going to let us in to the UN building in 45 minutes.” Catie said with her thirty year old hand on her seventeen year old older brother’s shoulder.
“Ok. Let’s go.” He said with his head down. James had his hand over the eye that Cameron had just punched. We started to run down the street to a door, that lead to a stair way that took us underground. Under the city there was a network of tunnels, “These were the subways,” Beth sighed, “We’ve been using them as passages, ever since the power got shut down. Most of the city got evacuated and sent out to a remote shelter in Montana. The people who opted to stay were forced underground for protection. Cameron got us a place to stay at the UN central office, where he works.”
“Wait, so if we… I mean… other us are here why do we have to be here too?” I asked as James led us down a tunnel with a flash light in hand.
The little boy that was holding Beth’s hand came over to me and took hold of my own. “You have to be here because old daddy and old Uncle Cameron can’t persuade the UN, they need the help of two young people who aren’t afraid to go for what they believe in. They need you daddy.” I looked down at him, my own son.
“He’s right Blaine,” Older me said from in front of us, “You and Cameron are the ones who will have to initiate the restoration plan. Our Cameron will take over after you guys start, with James’ help of course. Catie and I already made our contribution to helping the world; we modified the cure to be 100% effective. It’s currently in the hands of some good friends over in Montana who promised to keep it safe until they got back. Colin and Jenna have already started to distribute and manufacture more of the cure in Montana, The counsel of world leaders have officially kept the manufacturing plant safe and protected as a matter of human success, the same movement that turned the world into what we knew.”
“So how do we stop it?” Cameron asked older me.
“You guys will know how to stop it when you need to know.” He laughed, “Déjà vu.”
“So who is this?” I asked gesturing to the boy holding my hand, “I mean, what’s your name.” I looked down at him.
“Tyler. Nice to meet you daddy.” He giggled. “And that’s Cammy,” he pointed to the little girl older me was holding, who was reaching out to me and opening and closing her fists. I walked up to her and older me handed her to me to carry.
“Not Cammy as in Cameron,” Catie said from in front of us where she was walking alongside James, “Cammy as in Camilla.”
I was holding Cammy in one hand, with Tyler’s hand in the other when we approached a large golden door, “Well this is our stop,” James said before he kissed Catie’s cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

Older me motioned for Tyler to go over to his mother, but before he went he hugged me and said, “Bye daddy, see you later.”
I handed Cammy to older me as he was saying, “Cameron should be here any minute, we’re going to go back to the shelter for a while, Good luck.” Beth, Older me, Catie, and Tyler all turned and walked back the way we had come.
As soon as they were out of ear shot James said, “So, how are you guys?” Cameron just turned to him and gave him a death glare, “Woah, Cameron why’re you so mad?”
“You had to pick Catie?” Cameron shouted.
“I forgot how high strung I was back then,” a man appeared at the door. He looked somewhat like Cameron, but his hair was gray and he had lines at the corners of his eyes. “Calm down Cameron, everything’s fine. You did trust James to look after Catie didn’t you?” Older Cameron asked, and young Cameron nodded his head confused. “Exactly, now you just have to trust that he loves her.”
“I do love her,” James looked at young Cameron. The eye that he had punched was bruising.
“Ok… I guess…? Sorry about the black eye.” He laughed.
James laughed too, “It’s cool.”
“Guy’s this is all really sweet and all, but don’t we have to do something?” I asked.
“Oh, right Come on the council is waiting for your proposition.” Older Cameron said.
“So what are we supposed to do? How do we explain why they can’t change the world without telling them where we’re from?” Young Cameron asked his older self.
“They already know where we’re from, plus seeing me at seventeen right next to my 45 year old self would give it away anyway.” He laughed.
“I guess you’re right. But I still don’t understand how we’re going to keep them from changing everything.”
“Just tell them your stories, we already brought back the cure for cancer and time travel, these guys kind of owe us.” James said as we walked into the conference room.

Older Cameron stood in the middle of the conference room, surrounded by leaders from all over the world, “Ladies and Gentleman, you have heard my story of how I came back to your time to try and save the world I’m from. I’ve told you what I can about my time, but I haven’t been home in close to twenty years. These young men, Blaine Harris and my own younger self are here to tell you their stories.”

Cameron stood up first and told the council about his life back home. He told them about his studies and how his life was completely normal until he came on this trip to their time. “I was the example of my society, and I came here and everything changed, your world… The world that was just destroyed out of hate, and ignorance… that world is the most amazing beautiful experience I have ever . Blaine’s dad only ever told me one story about your time and it was the story of this war. How ignorance for others and their cultures destroyed the world. And the bill you are about to pass, was meant to stop another war like this from happening. But in reality we can’t stop what is going to happen, but we can be happy. We can be happy in a world that means something different to every person living in it. If we work together; learning from the past, living in the present and making the future a better place; together not only as a single council passing laws but together as one people we can make the world a beautiful place once again. After all, no matter where… or when… you’re from, you are still a human being. We can rebuild the world, and rebuild it in the name of conservation of the old and the creation of the new, one world where everyone can live free to do whatever makes them truly happy. Thank you.” He walked back over to the side of the room.
I stood up and walked to the middle of the conference room. I looked around at the people that would decide whether the world would remain as it is or join into what I knew as home. I started to speak, “Ladies and Gentlemen my name is Blaine Harris. I was born in the year 1995, but when my mother was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1999 my father took me back to his time, 2099. I was raised in a world that meant nothing, we had plenty of advancements but, we didn’t have a history. The advancements we had made were meaningless because we didn’t advance from something else. My father used to tell me stories of your time; he spoke of a colorful world, full of beauty and magic, he told me how he met the girl beyond his dreams, and just stood-by helpless as she slipped away.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I stood there and told them of the life I lived back home, all the white clothes, protein tablets and watching the rain fall from inside our protected world. “The kind of world that would result from the passing of the reformation is one in which humanity does not exist. Everything that people have held dear for thousands of years will be destroyed. Before I step down I want to tell you of a story my father had told me when I was six years old, and while I tell you this story I want you to think of your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, parents, grandparents, everyone that you have ever loved, I want you to think of them and think of what you would be destroying by passing this bill.” I stood up there, in the middle of a crowded room, all of these people were dignified leaders and politicians they were also all strangers, people who I had never met before who are hearing my life and my stories and trying to decide the fate of the world on what I’m saying. But no matter what I call all of these people who are surrounding me, I know one thing about each and every one of them. I know that they are all human. As I focused on that fact I started to speak again, I told them the story of my mom and dad’s first date, how they went to central park, ate hot dogs on the street, how my mother showed my dad her favorite exhibits in the museum of Natural History. I told these complete strangers the story of how a man who had never known anything except science and math, a man who had never experienced culture in his life, a man who had never had a need for emotions, fell in love. “Cameron was right, we can rebuild the world but we have to remember that life is a gift and it is not any one person’s right to decide how everyone should live their life. Thank you.” I walked back over next to Cameron and older Cameron and James went to the center of the conference room.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the final vote on the bill of reformation to change the world into a place for scientific success.” James said calmly. “Those who are against the bill, please say ‘Ay.’” And just as he finished the sentence the whole conference room echoed with the sound of all 195 representatives’ voices vetoing down the bill. Cameron and I jumped into the air and hugged; we ran over to James and older Cameron and hugged them as well. As the representatives filed out of the room we were flooded with handshakes and thank yous. As soon as the room was empty James and Older Cameron escorted us to Betsy. “Good job guys. You did it. I’ll see you soon.” James said as we started to drive away.
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Just as we knew would happen Beth and I got married and on June 15th 2021 we had our first son, Tyler, and on September 12th 2027 we had Camilla, my baby girl. James and Catie got married in 2025, and on February 12th 2031 they had their first son Shawn. Jenna and Cameron dated for a while but it didn’t last, she eventually married Colin and they had two sons, Michael and Thomas. He eventually married a wonderful girl named Marissa and they had three little girls, Allison, Angelica and Vikki. When July 4th 2030 rolled around again we helped our younger selves save the world.

Cameron, James and I became the heads of the world restoration project for the betterment of humanity and together with help from all over the globe we rebuilt the world, as one united people.