15 Minutes: A YA Time Travel Thriller (Rewind Series) (5 page)

“Do
you remember our first date?” I try to play coy, playing with a ringlet of my
hair.

He
smiles. “If you can call it a date, sure. I mean we were ten, and our parents
took us to McDonalds, but we sat at our own table while they had coffee.”

I
try to hide my discomfort; that was exactly what Rick and I had done. My life
seems to have completely erased him and inserted Donovan in his place.

“We
cooled for a few years. Junior high was our awkward phase, but when I saw you
again in high school … ” He leans forward with an I-love-you sparkle in his
eyes, and I ache for what I had with Rick. “I knew I had to have you.” Donovan
closes his eyes and kisses me.

I
smile at him. “So we’ve been together three years. Time sure does go by fast.”

“It
sure does, and our best years are in front of us.” Donovan kisses my hand as if
I'm a princess. “You’ll see.”

“I
know,” I say, but the optimism doesn’t reach my voice. Part of me feels …
hopeful. We’re silent the rest of the walk to the school. Once inside, he
carries my books to my locker through the dimly lit halls.

We
are both laughing when I see Rick walk by with a group of friends. I used to be
among them, but now I’m a poseur dressed in designer clothes. I am with
Donovan, the rich snobby type Rick and I made fun of. I’m so mad at myself as
my eyes lock with Rick’s, I can barely breathe. Yesterday, I was in love with
him, and today I’m making out with Donovan. And it’s not the worst thing ever.

What’s
wrong with me?

Donovan
doesn’t see my anger as he puts my books away. “How about if I take you out for
lunch? We could—” He stops as he sees my jaw tightly pressed together. “What’s
wrong?”

“Nothing,”
I snap, yanking my books out of his hands. “ I’m going to be late for class.” I
sling my purse over my shoulder and hurry down the hall.

“Lara,
wait!” Donovan screams. When I turn back, he is pointing the opposite way.
“Class is that way.”

 
“Of course it is.” I snort and storm off.

As
I hurry down the hall, something slips out of my notebook. I stop to pick it
back up and see it’s a birthday card. I flip it open.

Happy Birthday,
Lara. I know you’re all grown up now, but to me you’ll always be my
little
girl.

I
don’t even remember where I’m standing until someone touches my shoulder. I
turn and see Kristine with her short blonde hair and trendy sunglasses tucked
on top of her head.

“We’re
late for English again. How about we go sneak and have a smoke?”

Smoking?
Is there no end to my decadence? “How about we go to English class?”

She
snorts with a roll of her eyes. “Fine.” Pouting, she trudges along beside me
with her arms hanging by her sides like rags. She clearly hates English as much
as I hate smoking.

She
goes in first and leads me to the back, where we sit together. Mr. Morgan takes
attendance while I busy myself with my papers, pretending to be interested. But
when he begins his lecture, I take the card out from my book again and inspect
every word. The paper stock looks perfect, no finger smudges or crinkles.

Does
that mean I hardly looked at it? Why keep it in my locker then? Maybe I didn’t
believe Dad is guilty, or even if I did, maybe I missed him.

Like
I miss Mom.

I
leave as soon as the bell rings and head straight for the office to request
another copy of my schedule. Once it’s printed off, I exit back into the
hallway and bump into Rick so hard I send both our books flying in all
directions.

“Sorry,”
I whisper, cringing.

We
both bend down, so we can separate our books. He quietly hands me my notebook,
barely able to look at me. My heart pounds as his brown hair falls over his eyes.
In his presence I am myself again. For a brief moment everything makes sense. I
am drawn to him and want only to kiss him. I try to forget everything I did
with Donovan this morning.

“Thanks.”
I strain to keep my voice normal despite everything being far from it.

“Sure.”
Rick touches the overturned card on the floor, but I snatch it up before he has
a chance to see who it’s from. “Boyfriend, right?”

I’m
angry that he thinks he has me pegged without ever having the chance to know
the real me. “Right, because that’s the only person I could ever care about.” I
tuck the card inside my books and stand up.

“Okay,
okay. Relax,” he says, holding his hands up in surrender. He comes over to me
and looks at the papers in my hands. “Why do you need a class schedule?
School's almost out.” His eyes darken, and before I can think of an answer, he
interrupts my thoughts. “You really don’t remember, do you?”

Suddenly,
the idea of him believing me, telling him everything, terrifies me. Someone
else will know how epically I have screwed up the universe. I’ll be held
accountable. I’ll be forced to fix it, or I’ll get into the type of trouble you
can’t talk yourself out of.

Rick’s
eyes grow cool. “Last night you wanted to tell me some big secret, and now you
want to blow me off?” He snorts. “Whatever, Lara. Not sure why I ever bothered
with you.” He slings his backpack over his arm and continues past me. He allows
his shoulder to hit me like I’m nothing but an obstacle in his way.

His
words cut me. “Wait!” I chase after him. A few students are here and there, but
they are easy to duck, and I catch up to him around the vending machines.

He
stops, eyebrows arched in wide-eyed amazement. “I never took you for a
sprinter.”

I
cross my arms and wear my best defiant expression. “There’s a lot about me you
don’t know.”

He
nods. “Listen, if you’re going to be drama all the time—”

“I’m
not drama,” I say with a smile. I can’t keep the laughter out of my voice.

His
eyes sparkle with amusement, acceptance. “You said if I gave you five minutes
you could explain all of it to me.”

I
nod, lick my lips, and dig for the courage to tell him, the sort of courage I
only get from peering into his eyes. “You can’t tell anyone. It has to be a
secret.”

“I’m
good at keeping secrets, as long as no one offers me a hot dog.”

I’m
reminded of a memory of his older brother bribing us. We won two hot dogs out
of the deal, good ones with mustard and ketchup. It didn’t get much better than
that. We had to keep quiet, and we did, but we had no idea the secrets were
serious. They were about drugs.

“If
we go somewhere we can—”

“Not
so fast,” says Principal Newman, coming from his office around the corner.
“Don’t you children have class?” He has raised, overgrown eyebrows and black
tip glasses that slide down his nose so his wide brown eyes drill through me.

I
stutter, searching for an excuse, but Rick holds up his hands in defeat.
“Sorry, Mr. Newman. I’ll head to class.”

He
stares us down with his hands clasped behind his back, lips perched together in
victory. I glance over my shoulder at him as we walk away and realize Rick is
touching my shoulder. I stare up at his face, lips parted, thinking he’s going
to kiss me.

“Sorry,
I can’t get another detention or my mom is going to start storing me in the
meat locker at the butcher shop she works in. After school, the old footbridge
by the Charles River. Maybe we can meet there?”

“Sure,
see you there.”

Rick
gives a sly grin. “Good. And then I’ll decide if you’re crazy or not.”

He
starts off down the hall, and I watch after him, wondering if I’m ready,
wondering if I can really trust him.

***

Thankfully,
I’m able to spend study hall in the library and sign up for some computer time.
Once online, I use news media sites to research articles on Dad. I skim old articles
about his trial and sentencing, looking for information on where his sentence
is being carried out.

My
eyes skim over the words as I steel my heart the best I can, but phrases about
his love for his daughter grip me. He protested his guilt, begged the courts to
realize he was framed. Even to me his words sound like the insane ramblings of
a desperate man. I can only conclude that someone did frame him. It’s the only
notion that makes any sense. But who it was, I don't have a clue. I come to
another article.

John Crane
Injured in Jailhouse
Fight
.

It's
dated less than three days ago. My mind is frantic as I wait for the page to
load. I lick my lips and take a sip of my bottled soda, but it's flat and
barely sweet.

John Crane,
serving twenty-five to life for the attempted murder of his wife, Miranda Crane
Montgomery, was shanked during a cafeteria prison riot.

Seated by
himself, security officials state that when the fighting started, he tried to
break up the commotion. His defense attorney requested that the courts move him
to a more secure facility. Court papers are sealed, but insiders report that
Mr. Crane suspects someone is trying to kill him to keep the cover on the
attempted murder of his wife over ten years ago.

Pending a
hearing, John Crane is being held in protective custody at the maximum security
prison
Cedar Junction
.

I
sit back and take a steadying breath, close the article, and look up the phone
number for Dad’s defense attorney, Mr. Grayson. As I type it into my phone, my
hands are shaking so badly I’m afraid I’ll drop the phone as I put it to my
ear.

“I
need to talk to Mr. Grayson.”

“I’m
sorry. He’s in a meeting.”

The
librarian is glowering at me and points to the
No Phones
sign hanging above her desk. I ignore her. “Tell him it’s
Lara Crane. I want to see my father.”

“One
moment please.”

The
bland hold music plays for an eternity while I wait for him to come on the
line. “Ms. Montgomery? What can I do for you this time?”

This
time? “I want to see my father.”

“Well,
this is a first.” His tone suggests that I am an annoyance, someone he’s forced
to put up with. “What’s with the change of heart?”

“Can
I come see him or not?”

“Are
your parents aware you’re making this call?”

“Nope,”
I say with as much angst as I can muster. “Is that going to be a problem?”

He
sighs and I hear a tapping noise on the other end.

“I
know he wants to see me, and he was hurt, so let’s get this done and worry
about everything else later.”

“Is
tomorrow morning too soon for you, Ms. Montgomery?”

“Perfect.
I’ll come to your office.” I snap my phone shut, and the librarian slides a
detention slip onto my desk.

Principal
Newman isn’t happy with me, but I promise not to use my phone in the library again,
to appease him. He mentions my recent troubles, which makes me wonder what I
was doing before I jumped timelines.

School
is almost out for the day, so I go back to my locker to switch out my textbooks
for my notebooks. I’m about to leave when I see Donovan walking toward me. My
heart leaps, and my hands are instantly clammy at the sight of him … but part
of me tenses. I smile and wave. I feel bad that I’m planning to meet with Rick,
as if I’m somehow cheating on Donovan.

God,
what is wrong with me? I’m going mental.

He
moves in to kiss me, and I tilt my head back, almost welcoming it. His arm is
around my shoulders, pulling me close. I open my eyes and catch our reflection
in the window from across the hall. There I am in expensive clothes that aren’t
mine, kissing a boyfriend I have no right to, and the expression on my face
makes me gag.

Bliss.
Love.

“Whoa,
what’s the matter?” Donovan asks.

I
push myself away, my hands running my hair back. “I can’t do this.”

“This?
This what, Lara?”

I
point between us. “This. Us.”

His
features widen. “Don’t make jokes.”

“It’s
not a joke. I can’t … look at us,” I hiss. “Just look!”

He
steps forward. “You are not making any sense. What I see are two people in
love, having a good time—”

“Two
rich, good-looking people, right? You have the fancy car. I have the designer
bag, the Gucci bag.” I throw it down on the floor in a fit. “None of this is
me. None of this is supposed to be mine. Don’t you get it?”

Donovan
lets out a long breath. “I get it, okay? I do.”

“How?”
I ask the impossible.

“It’s
about your dad, right? The life you would’ve had if things hadn’t gotten so out
of control.”

“Yes.”
I can’t believe how well he knows me. “I’m not supposed to be in these rich
clothes. I’m supposed to be struggling to survive. Meanwhile, all my old
friends …” I bite my lip. “I left them. I betrayed myself.”

Donovan
shrugs. “Like if they were the ones that traded up, they wouldn’t have done the
same thing.”

My
eyes widen, my heart burns with anger, and my lip snarls. “Traded up? That’s no
way to talk about someone’s father.”

“Look,”
he says, anger creeping into his voice, “You were a kid. What were you supposed
to do? Say no to the toys and clothes
Jax
wanted to
buy you? Were you supposed to sit in the corner by yourself and not make friends?
Stop being so hard on yourself, Lara.”

I
squeeze my eyes shut and swallow hard. It can’t be that easy. Maybe once, but
knowing how much love I had with Rick once, I couldn’t turn my back on it.

“If
I wasn’t a Montgomery, if I didn’t have the fancy clothes, would you still want
me?” My voice strains.

But
Donovan never breaks eye contact. “Of course I would.”

He
says it with such confidence I have no room for doubt, but it’s not true.
Before I changed the past, he never even looked at me, but he believes it and
that’s saying something.

Donovan
takes me by the arm. “A bunch of us are going out for burgers and fries. You
should come with us. Relax. Calm down.”

“I
made plans to meet someone I knew a long time ago. Catch up. Tomorrow, I’m all
yours.”

Donovan
twitches beside me. “So that’s what this is about? Reconnecting with an old
friend?”

I
shrug. “Maybe.”

He
takes both of my hands in his and kisses them. “If that’s all it is, go and
have fun, but don’t tell me you’re giving up on us. I couldn’t stand it.”

Glancing
away, I sigh. “Don …” Before now I have never called him that. Parts of me all
over are softening to him. Boy, are they ever.

He
brushes a strand of hair from my face. His hand is soft as it strokes my cheek.
My eyes close briefly. “Tell me you’re still my girl, Lara.”

I
take only a moment to answer, and my heart stills in the moment. “I’m still
your girl.”

Do
I mean the words? I can’t be sure.

Donovan
kisses me, his arms tightening across my frame. I can barely catch my breath
against the whirlwind passion that engulfs us. This time he is the one to pull
away, and I tighten my arms around his waist, refusing to let him go.

“I’m
sorry,” I finally whisper against his cheek. “I was afraid, and I’m sorry.”

He
smiles. “We’re all allowed to get scared some times. Even you, Montgomery.”
Donovan winks at me.

I
start toward the front of the school, ready to meet Rick.

I
have no idea what I’m doing.

My
heart feels torn in two.

****

I
walk to the Charles River and find my way to the footbridge. The river is
swarming with sailboats, but the bridge is quiet for a Tuesday afternoon, with
only a few joggers using it to cross the busy street. Below it I find Rick
leaning against the tan support structure. His head is tilted as he plays with
a device in his hand. He seems a million miles away.

His
head snaps up when my shoes crunch on some fallen leaves.

“Hey.”

He
gives me a timid smile and stuffs his hands in his pockets. I haven’t seen him
act this shy in years. “Was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”

“I
was held up, sorry.”

He
nods. I can see nerves bubbling out of him. Added to my own, this is going to
be one game-changer of a conversation. “Sorry about yesterday. It just freaked
me out.” His hands fan out in a display of surrender.

“It’s
all right.” I smile. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have even
come to your house.”

He
shrugs. “Today I was thinking, somehow you knew about the ring even though
there was no way you should. And if my mom didn’t tell you … how’d you know? So
I guess I’m here out of curiosity. I need to know if you’re for real.” His eyes
narrow, glinting at me.

I
want to be an open book. We feel like strangers, and I hate it. He’s standing
so far away, and his posture says all the wrong things. All I want is for him
to hold me, kiss me. But then I think of Donovan. Maybe we have a good thing.
Maybe I should give it a chance.

Maybe
…

“All
right,” I say, trying not to sound as if we’re playing truth or dare, but
there’s an edge to my voice. “I’m from a different past, and this future is all
messed up.” I laugh. “Royally messed up.”

“How?”

He
hasn't told me I’m insane yet, so that’s a good start. “Well for one, in this
one we’re not a couple.”

His
eyes twinkle with mischief. “Us? A couple?” He thinks I’m joking, but I could
never be that cruel.

“I
never moved away. We grew up together in the same apartment building. I live
with my dad and our dog.” I take a deep breath, pain rippling through me. “My
mom was killed in that alley all those years ago.”

Shock
ripples through his face, and his mouth falls open. Even his hands fall from
his pockets. “Your dad got away with it?”

My
lips twitch to the side, and anger grips my chest. “He’s being set up. He’s
been in prison all this time here, and it’s my fault.”

“How
is it your fault?”

He's
trying to read my expression. In my timeline he would know exactly what I’m
feeling, but I’m not sure if it works the same here.

“Time
travel? You went to the agency?” His voice is tight with disbelief.

“Yes,
and you can stop looking at me like that now.” I lick my lips. “I know it was
dangerous. I know it was—”

“Stupid,”
Rick finishes for me.

“I
wanted my mother.” My lips pucker. “But I didn’t think I’d lose you, my dad,
gain a sister or a brother.” I wipe my hair from my eyes.

Rick’s
eyes narrow. “It’s impossible to change time.”

“Not
for me, it’s not,” I snap back. “We’ve already had this conversation. You just
don’t remember it.”

He
rubs his lips. “You can’t expect me to believe—”

“You,
no, but the other Rick …” My voice drops to a whisper. “… would never doubt
me.”

“This
is messed up.” Rick huffs, and I see him the way he is with others who don’t
know him. Tough. Distant. It hurts me to have him act that way with me. “You
know this secret side to me that you shouldn’t, but I can see it in your eyes.”

“See
what?”

“Familiarity.”
Rick spits out the words. “You know me in impossible ways. No one gets close to
me. No one. And you’re looking at me like I’m some sort of puppy dog.”

I
laugh and glance away. “Well, you think you’re pretty tough, but once someone
gets to know you …”

He
steps closer. “No one gets to know me. That’s the point. That’s how I like it.”

His
face is close to mine, and his stern expression is beginning to crumble in front
of me. “Liar. You say that, but you don’t mean it. Like when your brother went
to jail. You said you didn’t care, but people don’t cry over stuff they don’t
care about, Rick.”

His
lips pinch together. “Never happened.”

“Right,”
I say dryly.

His
eyes aren’t merely studying me anymore. They are boring holes, as if he’s
searching for my soul. “Your face, your hair, everything about you is the
same,” Rick whispered. “But your eyes … something about them isn’t right.
They’re not the Lara who has been avoiding me for years.”

My
heart pounds, anticipating his touch. If he does touch me, I’m not sure how I
will stand it. My eyes close as he brushes my jeans and runs his hand up to my
shirt.

“These
clothes, they aren’t you.” Rick shakes his head. “It’s like they don’t even fit
you. They look…”

“Fake?”
I whisper. “Everything about me feels fake.”

Rick’s
glares until I can barely see the white of his eyes. “You really did it. I wish
I could remember.”

“Me
too.” The words nearly crush me.

We
both stare down at my hand resting on his chest.

“If
you expect me to start kissing you…” Rick says. “But part of me wants to, to
see.”

“See?”

“How
it will feel. If we were together before, maybe …”

“Rick?”
I whisper.

“You
were the only friend I had. When you left, things were hard. I missed you. Then
my brother went to jail, and I was more than alone. I was … abandoned. I
thought when we met up again in junior high you’d say something. You’d be there
for me. But instead, you walked right by me, like we didn’t mean anything to
each other at all.”

 
Rick shakes his head and turns away, staring
at the river. I hear the squeal of children running through the grass, and the
wafting aroma of hot dogs cooking makes my stomach rumble with hunger. I can't
even remember if I ate lunch.

I
blink back tears. “I’m sorry I was so cruel.”

“I
know you’re the same person, but you’re really not. I was never attracted to
her but to you.” Rick’s hand lifts to stroke my cheek but stops short. “Maybe
if you weren’t with the prick.”

Donovan.
I forgot about him. “He’s not a …” I shake my head. “He’s not so bad once you
get to know him.”

“Now
what?” Rick asks after an eternity of silence.

“I
don’t know. Other than find out who is framing my dad and get him out? I don’t
know. It won’t change the time we’ve lost, but I can’t let him stay in there.”

“And
you’re going to do that how?”

I
shrug. “Going to go see him. I have to start somewhere. Even though nothing
will ever be right here, I have to help him before…” I hadn’t meant to tell him
quite this much.

“Before
what?”

“My
mind melds completely with this timeline.” I take a deep breath. “I’m
remembering things I shouldn’t. Headaches come, like the one you saw me have
yesterday. I knew…it was a danger. I didn’t think—”

“But
you did it anyway?” His eyes narrow. “Do you ever think about consequences?”

“Sometimes,”
I offer with a shrug.

He
jerks away when I try to touch his arm. “It makes me uncomfortable. You know
all these things some other version of me told you, and you’re looking at me
like you expect something of me. Like what? Should I fall back in love with
you? Because you told me that’s how things are supposed to be?”

“No.”
For such a small word, I choke on it big time. “It wouldn’t matter. You
wouldn’t have any of my memories—sitting at the beach, that time you cheered me
up by taking me to the zoo and roaring with the lions. It’d be … meaningless.
Without those memories …” I shrug.