by Holly Hook
“The Main Chamber?”
Simon shakes his head. “I know this is a lot. It's our meeting place.”
“Oh.” I imagine some dark room somewhere with a movie screen and a projector above everyone, ready to show some mission.
I can’t help but feel stronger, listening to Simon’s words. “I do recall one thing from my life. We were falling. A gold light exploded around you. Was that a rift?”
He nods. “Wow. You do remember that. I'm sorry.” He turns away and lets go of my hand. Simon looks ready to kick the tree in front of him. His mood has switched gears faster than I can keep up. “Yes, that was a rift, and one of the few very strong ones that mortals can see. That’s when Time pulled me away from you and made me its servant. It left you to die, but I wasn’t going to live with that. I couldn’t live forever with that. After I was turned, I had you pulled out of there. It took me a while to figure out how, but I did it. And then I took you to Nancy to hide you from the other Timeless. I couldn't find a way to preserve your memory. Time travel always blocks the memories of mortals. I'm sorry about that.”
"Time blocked my memories?” I catch a breath. “This isn't cool under any circumstances.” The first tears well up, wanting to spill out, and I’m not ashamed to show them in front of Simon. My memories are something that are mine and mine alone, a part of me. Time has ripped away my identity, everything that makes me, well, me.
"Julia, you're not the one I'm mad at.” The desperation creeps back into his voice.
I turn away and walk into the trees. “That's not it. I just need to think.”
Simon’s following me into the brush. Wet leaves squish behind me. "It's not impossible to get your real memories back. I'm trying to leave you clues to follow. The Time in my blood isn't making it easy for me, but I know you can piece all this together, Julia." He sighs. “I thought you’d be safe for longer. It's harder for Time to know something's wrong with it if you blend in wherever you end up. For a while you mixed in very well to this period. Time took months to figure out you weren't where you were supposed to be. But then word got around among us Timeless that Frank and Isabel had been assigned to track you and I knew I needed to come back."
“Monica.” I stop and whirl around. “She's the one who's helped me with that. If it wasn't for her I would have stood out and Time would have sent someone after me faster, wouldn't it?”
Simon links both hands with mine and we stand there in the clearing, facing each other. “You're right. That's one reason I put you with Nancy. I knew Monica would be nice and help you blend in. She's that kind of girl. I talked to her a lot at the Branch before I had you brought here. I had to make sure you would go to the right home. She always wanted a sister, you know.”
"So that's why she sounded like she knew you," I say. "Monica's been great. I don't know what I'd do without her. And I’m trying to bring my life back.” He squeezes my hands like he's prompting me to continue. “I’ve been trying. Nancy keeps taking me to therapists because she thinks I'm repressing bad memories of my mother. I think I’m why Monica’s into her whole psychology kick right now. Nothing helps.”
Except us kissing, I want to say. But even that beach memory’s vague now, like a dream that I can’t quite remember.
He licks his lips. They're smooth and perfect. "The real you is always there. There’s got to be some way to make your memories all come out again. Once you know, you’ll have a chance at surviving your real past if you do go back. You just have to find a way to remember. Look around you. There are clues."
The sun comes out and lands on us. It's warm. We're standing in a pillar of light. Simon rubs his thumb across the back of my hand.
"I'm working on it. I know we're from a deadly event." That should help me figure it out. It's not really a surprise, considering how Simon and I were falling like that.
"Yes." Simon cranes his neck to the empty park. It looks sad all of a sudden.
I think of his awful coughing fit. "Okay. Don't try. Please. But what's the whole reason for Time putting a collar on you like this?"
Simon releases my shoulder so I can turn all the way around and face him. His hands go into his pockets. "Time's very serious about protecting itself. That’s why we can’t talk about our pasts to mortals. If people realized that time travel is possible, it might not be a good thing. Even I can agree with that."
"So if someone ever invents a time machine, they're not going to be able to go back and change the past," I say. "You guys will stop them and send them back."
"Exactly. And if you were to go to a different time right now, you’d never even realize it.”
"That sucks." I lean against a tree. "So nobody can ever go back and say, kill that Hitler guy? I read about him and the Nazis this year."
"No. At least, no one has found a way. I don't know what would happen if one of us Timeless tried to do it."
"I don’t think I like Time too much now. Sorry."
“I understand.” He pulls me away from the tree and wraps me in a hug. I let my ear fall on his chest. His heart beats strong and unstoppable. “I hate it, too. You don't understand how much. But I'm not allowed to interfere. I’m not sure what would happen if the other Timeless found out about us."
He gazes into my eyes. I feel as if he's peering into my soul.
"That's awful. So Time wants me dead and you as a slave.”
We separate. Simon tenses. Snaps a branch off a tree and throws it on the ground. "Basically. I was supposed to die where we came from, too. That's why Time chose me as its servant. All of the Timeless come from tragedies, Julia. Horrible events filled with death. Places and times where nobody will notice our disappearance…or live to tell about it.”
Tragedies.
The word rolls around inside me.
"So even Frank and Isabel are from bad events," I say. "Shouldn't that give them, well, a bit more sympathy for what I'm going through?" Something about my words makes something stir inside of me, like there's a huge thing I need to remember about the two of them, but it's gone with a gust of wind.
"Neither of them like to talk about it." Simon goes to work on another branch, peeling it away from the tree. "None of us do. Time must have chosen Frank to track you because he never complains about following orders, no matter how terrible. He gets a lot of the bad assignments. He's so into duty and following orders that it makes me sick." He snaps the stick off and drives it into the mud.
I get an idea. "If you can time travel, can you give me just a little peek of what it's like?" An old coin with a too-worn date isn't going to tell me much. Time must not let Simon get into specifics. “Can you see a rift anywhere nearby? One we could pop through real quick?” I have to admit it to myself. The thought of going to another time—any time--is exciting, even if I won't remember it afterward.
Simon scans the whole park. He's cooling down. “There aren't any rifts in this area right now,” he says at last. “I would have seen them pretty quickly. But that does give me an idea. Why don't you meet me at the local hangout tonight? The Branch?"
I nod. My heart pounds. It's not a no. "What if Frank and Isabel see you with me?" I ask. Will the other Timeless punish Simon if they find out about this? Time's got to be a cruel master, if Simon can't even talk about what he wants without choking.
"You'll see,” he says, smiling.
Simon and I sit on the swings for a while, and I don't have to be afraid of the cops rolling by and nailing us for skipping class. In fact, a cop car does roll by and starts to slow down, but a stare from Simon makes the officers look away and keep going.
“There are no students in the park right now,” I say, watching the car turn the corner and disappear.
“Exactly,” he says, grinning at me. “I know I shouldn't use my abilities like this, but I have to admit this is fun. Maybe we should do this more often.”
“I'm not sure that's a good idea,” I say.
“Oh, come on, Julia. You're always so responsible all the time
.”
“I have to be.”
Then I realize what I've said. How do I know I have to be responsible all the time?
Maybe it's a clue. I'll cling to it.
The final bell to end the day rings, distant. “You should go back to your friend. Walk home with her,” Simon says, getting up from the swing. “I'll follow both of you from a distance to make sure nothing happens.”
“Thanks.” I'm not ashamed to take Simon's help. I don't even like to take Monica's help. We must have known each other for quite a while.
I pull Simon to me, close my eyes, and kiss him again. I take in that bright sunshine and the salty breeze. It's someplace special. Someplace without screams and cold and terror.
Someplace that Simon and I shared together.
We hurry back to the school. Monica's just coming out the main entrance when we get there. She watches us both, hands locked together as we enter the school grounds from the direction of the park.
She wags her finger at me, smiling.
I'm going to have to tell.
Simon releases my arm and nods at me. “I'll see you later, Julia.”
* * * * *
“Julia, you just met that guy! And you kissed him? You didn't even get that far with Frank.”
I sigh and walk faster down the sidewalk, struggling to think of what to say to Monica about that. “Well, I actually met him yesterday. He says he's talked to you before."
“He has. We were chatting at The Branch a few times when I was there with Shauna. It was over a year ago and I forgot his name until now. He said he was from Vermont and he was here visiting his grandparents. I never thought I'd see him around here again."
“He says he's moving in with them now," I lie. There's no way Simon could have told Monica the real story. I feel awful about lying to her but I have no choice. "His family wants him to go to our school since everyone says it's so good."
“I don't think he's another Frank,” Monica says. "He seemed pretty cool when I talked to him. But how are you going to explain your memory thing to him?"
I hold back a laugh. He knows way more than Monica ever can. “I'll just tell him the truth. He's easy to talk to.” But angry sometimes, I think. Oh, if only Monica knew it all. But I'm glad to see her smiling at me instead of trying to analyze me. She's happy for me. How much has Monica been obsessing over me getting my memory back?
A lot, I decide.
We're busy with homework the rest of the afternoon, and the light outside dims and goes black. The yellow streetlight comes on, and Monica and I eat dinner with Nancy and wait at the dining room table until Trey pulls in to pick us up. His car is no limo, for which I'm also thankful. Trey's ancient Park Avenue takes me closer to Simon and farther from that awful night at the dance. Every thump and weird noise it makes help to calm down my nerves. By time we pull into the parking lot, I'm calm.
The Branch itself is the best place in town that'll let in anyone under eighteen. That's mainly because it has a skating floor, sells pizza, and employs a DJ every day of the week except for Wednesdays. There's a lounge where us sixteen and seventeen year olds hang out when we're not making fools of ourselves falling on our butts. I wonder how Simon got here and if he popped out of some rift nearby.
It's not very busy tonight since it's only a Tuesday. There's a couple of families out roller skating and a group of tweens hanging out and talking over a pizza. The DJ plays some oldies tune, a song about beaches and two girls to every boy. He must not have expected many people from the high school to be here in the middle of the week, and it looks like he was right.
Sixties music is much better than old waltzes. Anything is better than that at this point.
"Good time to show up here," Trey says. He pays his admission behind me. "The East Side must be having a huge party at Wendy's house tonight."
“Good." I hope Frank and Isabel are there, taking a break from stalking me.
He's right. The place is sleepy compared to the pandemonium that's usually here on the weekends.
I scan the area for any sign of Simon. I don’t see him at first, which relieves me and scares me at the same time. Then I spot the figure in a hoodie, skating towards a little girl hugging the wall. The guy takes the girl's hand and helps her across the floor and to the carpet. Then he looks up.
The little girl sits and starts yanking her skates off. A couple of guys fly around the floor, going in huge circles. Simon waves me over to the skate rental booth.
"That can't be Simon," Monica says, squinting in his direction. "What's he doing in that? It's like he's going undercover."
I know the reason for the monk look. He's not sure the other Timeless aren't following me tonight. I check the door to the parking lot. All clear. "Oh, it's him," I say. "I think he's trying to stay under Wendy's radar. I can't blame him for that."
"Smart guy," Trey says. "We should induct him into our club."
“See you in a bit,” I say. I don't know what Simon has planned for tonight.
Monica stands against the dance game and watches after me as I leave them. Simon adjusts his hood as I reach him, so that it hangs lower over his eyes. Yes, he's definitely hiding. I feel almost stupid walking up to him like that. Worse, I feel exposed.
But at least now I can talk.
"I'm glad that you're confident we're safe tonight," I tell him as I lean against the barrier that separates the skate floor from the carpeted area. "It's just oozing off you, you know."
“I have to stay hidden. If the other Timeless see me with you, I might get locked in my quarters until after they take care of you."
“Quarters?"
"It's where we Timeless have to stay between assignments. I try not to be there too much because, well, it's a lifeless place. And worse, it's not even reachable unless you go through a rift." Simon lifts his hand and raises his hood. The shadow draws back, revealing the cream of his skin and his freckle. His eyes shine in the light. He's grinning again. "Blue fabric makes for a boring view. I'd rather look at something other than the inside of this thing."
I blush again and make no effort to hide it. “You make me feel like I'm not plain and boring,” I blurt out of nowhere.
“So you're remembering more about our past,” he says. “Keep it coming.”
“Keep helping me with it.” I'm giddy. Maybe I'm getting somewhere. I need to be with Simon a lot more. It can only help.
“Don't worry about us being together tonight,” he says, checking out the inside of the Branch. “There's no events here strong enough to open a rift around you. Those will only form around you if you experience something that's like a strong event in your old life. Or it can happen if a few Timeless get together and open one for you, like Frank and Isabel tried to do.” He licks his lips and looks at the far side of the skate floor, to where lights dance. “We have to be careful, though. There is a rift on that wall over there. It just popped up this afternoon. It's one of those random weak ones so I know it doesn't have anything to do with you, but I've been keeping little kids away from it all night. Anybody can slip through it by mistake. I hope it dissipates before the night is over.”
“A rift?” I follow his gaze. The wall looks solid to me except for the lights dancing on it. Another guy skates past it. “Are rifts really this common?"
“There's always one or two every ten miles or so. They come and go. Move. Most of the time they form in places where people never go, but sometimes they end up in places like this. Those are the ones people go through by mistake."
“But aren't you something that can remind me of my past? I do remember us falling together. If Eric being in danger opened a rift around me, why not you?”
Simon walks up to the rental booth and locks his hand in mine. “Because I'm not in danger of dying like I was before. So therefore, no charged event, and no rift.” He lowers his voice. “You might be in trouble if I was still mortal.”
“Makes sense.” My head's spinning as Simon hands me some skates. Simon's
immortal now. I'm not. Even if I survive whatever Frank and Isabel are going to throw at me, one day I'm still going to die and leave him here. "Th…thanks," I stammer.
Six and a half. They're the right size. Simon knows that fact without asking or looking at my feet.
I tie the skates. "I have to warn you, though. I'm not very good at this."
"Don't worry. I never used to be, either. I've had a lot of practice." Simon takes my hand and we head out onto the skate floor. “Just don't crash into that wall.”
“Got it.” Simon's going to have to be here until closing to make sure no one time travels by mistake. So will I.
I realize just how much I like that idea.
I check to make sure Monica and Trey aren't far off. They're sticking near the dance game and Trey's actually having a go at it. I would have laughed under most other circumstances. He's tripping on his own feet all the time.
Another Oldies tune comes on--something about cruising around in a car all day--and Simon takes my arm again. "Come on, Julia. You can't get better at skating if you don't practice."
"But--" I stagger as the wheels of my skates meet the polished floor. I'm going to look like an idiot in front of Simon, but I'm going to laugh because with Simon, nothing I do is stupid.
Simon links his elbow around mine. "You'll be okay."
And I am.
I can't possibly fall with him holding me up. He's that strong. I move the skates effortlessly along the floor and turn the corners with ease. The music speeds up, dancing right along with us. It's alive and warm, nothing like that night at the Spring Formal.
I suck in a breath.
I have never had this much fun skating.
"Are all of the Timeless great at everything they try?" I breathe as we round another corner at top speed.
"Not really. We just have more time to practice. I know, that's not a very good joke.”
I laugh at it anyway. He's had a century if he's right. We zip through a turn and I wave to Monica, who's come up to the sidelines to watch. She waves back. Trey's still stuck on the dancing game. I think I catch a glimpse of Wendy and Heather near the front door but they're alone. Big deal. Neither one of them ever sets foot on the skate floor. All they ever come here to do is flirt with the guys.
