“Whatever happens,” my father said, “won’t change what we’ve decided. I want to make it clear that Billy is part of our family now. Nothing will change that. Have I made that clear?”
Everyone agreed that they understood, and my feeling of security locked down that much tighter.
“When do you think they’ll show your story on the news?” my mother asked.
“Only one way to find out,” my father said, then he turned on the TV. The local channels weren’t showing any news broadcasts, but the national channels were. We watched for a while, then finally saw what we’d been waiting for.
“There it is,” my mother said, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
“. . . a pair of teenagers who say that not only do parallel worlds exist, but the young man claims to be from one, and the young woman claims to have visited it.” The tone of the reporter’s voice showed how unbelievable he found our story. “Let’s listen to what they had to say.”
The news program played a snippet of us speaking, highlighting the parts about the F.A.T. centers. “You can view the entire news conference on our website.” Then he went on to another story.
“I wonder how many people will watch the whole thing,” Morgan said.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m more interested to know how many will believe us.”
“And how many will recognize the similarity between your world and where ours is headed,” she murmured.
“Well,” Nicole said, “I think it’s amazing.” She smiled at both Morgan and me. “The two of you have seen and experienced things that no one else has. I think you’ll find that there are many people who will want to know more.” She paused. “I wonder how I would react if I lived in your world, Billy. Would I follow the rules or would I try to change them?”
That set off a lively conversation where everyone speculated about what he or she would do if faced with the same issues. Morgan and I didn’t participate in the debate—we’d already proven where we stood. But I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a friendly group of people who had now become my family. The more I listened to them, the more I liked them, and as I watched them interact, warmth toward each and every one of them grew within me.
Eventually my parents began the barbecue, but just as we sat down to eat, the doorbell rang. The room went silent and everyone’s eyes went to me.
“Do you think it’s more reporters?” My mother asked in a near-whisper, as if the person at the door would overhear her.
“Don’t worry, Billy,” Uncle Jason said. “We won’t let them bother you.”
The rest of the group nodded, some of them saying, “That’s right.”
To have so many people close ranks around me . . . My heart seemed to grow within my chest, and a feeling of fullness I’d never experienced before nearly overwhelmed me. “Thank you,” I murmured as my father walked to the door.
All eyes were riveted to the front door as my father pulled it open. A moment later I saw Grandpa Foster standing on the porch.
“Dad,” my father said.
“May I come in?” Grandpa Foster asked.
My father pulled the door open wider and allowed Grandpa Foster to enter. “Of course.”
“Thank you.” Grandpa Foster walked into the dining room where we were all assembled and ready to eat. “I see I came just in time.” His eyes twinkled, then his gaze went to me. “I’ve had a little time to think about your story, and to tell you the crazy truth, I think I’m starting to believe your convoluted story.” A half-smile turned up one side of his mouth, and he chuckled. “It’s almost too wild to be a lie.” His gaze took in both me and Morgan. “And both of you told the same exact story as you told us before the media arrived. Not one variation. I’ve heard enough false stories in my life to know that the teller usually changes at least one little thing when they retell their lies. And with all the details you had, and with nothing changing . . .” He paused. “Well, I just might be rethinking my earlier opinion.”
Surprised but pleased, I didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sorry that I caused you so much difficulty today, young man.” Grandpa Foster pressed his lips together for a moment. “I just want what’s best for my family, and I was concerned.”
“I understand,” I said. “If I were you, I’d probably doubt me too.”
His face smoothed into a smile. “Well, I hope I’ll be able to get to know you a little better.” Then he laughed. “I have to admit, I already feel like I know you. I guess because you remind me so much of my grandson.”
I couldn’t imagine how it must be for these people—to know and love someone, and then to basically have a clone of that person show up to replace him. “Thanks.”
“Dad, please join us,” my father said as he gestured to an empty chair.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Grandpa Foster said.
During the meal everyone talked comfortably, and it almost seemed as if they’d forgotten the bizarre way I’d come into their lives, and I began to believe that this could actually work out.
When it was time for Morgan to go home, my mother offered to drive her. As we pulled up to her house, I felt sad to realize that I wouldn’t see her as often as I’d gotten used to seeing her, but my happiness at having a family of my own more than made up for that.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” I offered.
“Do you want to come in?” she asked as we climbed the stairs to her porch.
I gestured to the car idling in the driveway. “I’d better not.”
“When will I see you again?” Her face was downcast.
“Let’s plan on next Saturday. And we can talk on the phone between now and then.”
“You’ll have to let me know how it is at your new school.”
I nodded. “I will.” Pulling her into my arms, I kissed her, then after I let her go, she smiled and went into her house.
Chapter 73
Morgan
Telling Billy good-bye felt so final, but I kept reminding myself that he only lived an hour away. I hadn’t mentioned it to him, but I was worried about how the kids at his school would react to him, especially if they saw the news report with us telling our story. Would they ridicule him? Torment him? Hurt him?
Fresh worry that bullies at his new school would beat him up raced through me. After all this time he was finally happy. I hoped and prayed that no one would ruin that for him.
“Hi, Morgan,” Amy said from her place on the couch where she was immersed in a book.
“Hey.” I glanced around. “Where’s Mom and Dad and the boys?”
“They went to some dumb movie that they’d been wanting to see.”
I sat beside her on the couch. “I have to tell you something.”
She set her book down and looked at me with curiosity. “What is it?”
“Today something happened that you’ll hear about, but I want to tell you about it myself first.”
“Okay.”
At the earnest look on her face I flashed back to my time at Camp Willowmoss when I’d been in Amy’s room and had been about to reveal that I wasn’t Hannah Jacobs, but that I was Morgan in disguise. I’d been so worried that she would hate me for being responsible for her being sent to the F.A.T. center, but she’d been thrilled that it was me, and had shown unwavering support. “I haven’t told you everything about Billy and where I met him.”
Her gaze was locked on me. “What do you mean?”
I glanced at the romance novel she’d been reading. Did she ever read science fiction? Had she even heard of parallel worlds? “Have you ever heard of alternate worlds? Or parallel worlds?”
Her nose crinkled up as she thought it over. “I guess so.”
“Do you think parallel worlds—a world just like ours, but different—do you believe they can exist?”
Uncertainty clouded her features. “I don’t know. Why? What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, you remember that
night I ran away?”
She smiled with confidence, like she was on familiar ground now. “Yeah, of course. That was the night you snuck out to meet Billy.”
“Well, the truth is, when I left I hadn’t met Billy yet.”
Fresh confusion washed over her face. “I don’t understand.”
“I wasn’t meeting Billy. I was running away. I was mad about my cell phone, which was stupid, but that’s why I ran away.”
“You told me you were meeting a boy—Billy.”
“That’s because you caught me sneaking out and I didn’t want you to tell Mom.”
“So you lied to me.” It wasn’t a question.
“I’m sorry, Amy. I didn’t know if I could trust you, but now I know I can.”
My words seemed to assuage any hurt feelings she may have had. “Where did you go?”
I told her how I’d gone into the forest, but I left the details of the hut vague. “I found a tunnel and I followed it to the end.” I paused as I drew in a breath, ready to tell her the part that would sound the most unbelievable. “When I came out of the tunnel I came straight to our house. The trouble is, you guys didn’t live here.”
She recoiled. “What? That doesn’t make sense.”
“I know, but it’s true. It took me a little while, but I finally figured out that the tunnel I went through had brought me to a parallel world.”
She stared at me, but didn’t speak for a moment, then her questions came in a torrent. “How long were you there? Was I there? What did I look like? What was it like there? How did you get home?”
I smiled. “I think the best way for you to get your questions answered is to watch something online.” I held out my hand, which she took, and I pulled her to her feet. We walked over to the computer, and as I pulled up the news website that had the entire news conference on it, I glanced over my shoulder at her.
“Today at the new place where Billy will be living,” I said, “some reporters came over.” I found the video and pressed the pause button, then I stood and faced her. “We didn’t know they’d be coming, but Billy decided it was time to tell his story—our story—so we did.” I gestured to the screen. “Sit down and watch.”
She did as I told her, then started the video. She watched it intently, occasionally looking at me over her shoulder before turning back to the news conference, and when it was over she looked at me with astonishment. “Do Mom and Dad know about this?”
I nodded. “Billy and I told them when he first got here.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, Morgan.”
“I’m sorry. We didn’t tell anyone. I mean, even Dad didn’t believe it for a long time. I’m not even sure he believes it now.”
A smile blossomed on her face. “Well, I think it’s totally cool that Billy has a family now.”
An answering smile formed on my mouth. “I know. I’m so happy for him.”
“Did you really go back to that F.A.T. center just to help me?”
I squatted next to the chair so we were eye to eye. “Yes. I love you, Amy. You’re my only sister. I couldn’t stand knowing that you might be suffering.” I laughed. “Even though it wasn’t really you.”
Tears filled her eyes and she threw her arms around me. “I love you too, Morgan. You really are the best sister.”
Now that she knew what I’d done for her other-world self, I felt closer to her, and I hugged her back.
A moment later she pulled away. “I understand now why you didn’t want to do the PSAs.”
I nodded. “Yeah, it was hard to say the things Holly wanted me to say.” I didn’t mention that Holly was the one who tortured me. That seemed like information that Amy didn’t need to know.
“Are you going to tell the boys about what happened to you?”
I shook my head. “They’re too young. It wouldn’t make sense to them.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“I haven’t told Mom and Dad about the news conference, so when they get home can you take the boys upstairs while I talk to Mom and Dad?”
Obviously pleased to be in on my secret, she smiled. “Sure.”
When the rest of the family got home Amy asked the boys about the movie. When they started telling her about it, she suggested they tell her about it upstairs.
“What was that all about?” Mom asked as the three of them headed up the stairs.
“I have to talk to you,” I told them, then we sat in the living room. I told them how the day at Billy’s parents’ had gone and then I told them about the news conference.
“You didn’t,” Dad said, less enthusiastic than I’d thought he’d be.
“We didn’t exactly have a choice. Billy’s grandfather arranged for the news people to be there without anyone knowing. We were outside when they came. What were we supposed to do?” I paused. “Besides, it was Billy’s decision. He’s the one who looks just like a dead kid.”
Dad sighed, obviously displeased.
“Well,” Mom said, “I think it’s good to finally have the truth out there. People will have to make up their own minds, of course, but at least Billy won’t have to pretend anymore.”
“That’s well and good for Billy,” Dad said, “but what about Morgan and our family? Now everyone we know—and everyone we don’t—will think we have a lunatic for a daughter.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said with a frown.
He sighed again, louder this time. “You keep bringing these things onto yourself, and I’m getting kind of tired of it.”
“I’m sorry that I went to a parallel world and almost got stuck there,” I said. “But I didn’t mean for that to happen, okay? But it did. Whether or not you believe it, it happened.”
Another sigh flew from his mouth. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Then he stood.
“At least Billy’s parents believe him,” I muttered.
Dad spun in my direction. “I love you, Morgan. But that doesn’t mean I have to believe every word you utter.” Then he turned and strode out of the room and up the stairs.
I turned to Mom with a feeling of sadness. “You still believe me, don’t you?”
She motioned for me to sit beside her on the couch, which I did, then she put her arms around me. “Yes. I do. I’m sorry your father doesn’t, but there’s not much you can do about it. You just need to focus on the truth and standing by what you believe in.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
That night Rochelle called me.
“I saw you on TV.”
“You mean the news conference?”
“Yeah.” Then she was silent, like she was waiting for me to explain. “So, what’s the deal? Why did you say all of that stuff?”
“Because it’s true.”
Silence. “Why didn’t you and Billy tell me?”
“Would you have believed us?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know.”
I frowned. “That’s why, Rochelle.” I sighed. “Look, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, but there really was no reason to.”
“And now both you and Billy are gone.”
“Billy moved a little further away, but I’m still here, okay? I just go to a different school.” I laughed. “I’m going to try to come back to Fox Run for our Junior year.”
“You’d better,” she said, and I knew everything was okay.
Chapter 74
Morgan
I’d been so focused on my family and what they thought, and how Billy was doing, that I’d failed to consider what would happen to me when I got to school on Monday.
“Whoa,” a girl said loudly to another girl when I walked into the building. “There she is.” She snickered. “Or is that really her? Maybe it’s a copy of her. You know, from another world.”
Her friend laughed, and I felt my face heat with embarrassment. I hurried to my locker, not meeting the staring looks of the other students, got my books, then went to class.
I managed to make it through first period without a
nyone else making snide comments, but as I left the classroom and walked down the crowded hallway to my second period class, I expected someone to shove me or yell at me, or something, but I made it to second period in peace.
“Hey, Morgan,” Hannah called to me when I entered the room.
I looked at her, expecting her to point at me and laugh, but instead she motioned for me to come sit in the desk next to hers. Torn between not wanting to be associated with her group, and wanting to have at least one person at this school who didn’t think I was crazy, I hesitated a moment before walking over to her and sitting beside her.
“How’s it going?” she asked with a frown, and I wondered if she’d seen the news conference from Saturday.
“Great. How about you?”
“Are you sure about that?”
Not wanting to lay out all of my problems, I decided to pretend like I didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. “Of course. Why?”
“I heard that some . . . people . . . talked to you on Friday.”
On Friday? Then I remembered the FBI agents. How I could have forgotten about them was beyond me, until I considered all that had happened since then. “Uh, yeah.”
She leaned toward me. “What did you tell them?”
“Nothing.”
Her brow furrowed, like she wasn’t sure if she could take me at my word. “Nothing? Like, you didn’t talk at all?”
“Practically.”
“Practically? So you actually did talk.” The worry lines on her forehead deepened.
“I thought you weren’t worried about your . . .” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Friend.”
“I’m not worried about him,” she said with intensity. “I’m worried about me.”
Yeah. Welcome to my life. “Well, don’t worry. I didn’t say anything about you.”
She breathed out a sigh. “Thank you.” After a pause, she said, “Are you going to talk to them again?”
“Not if I don’t have to.” And I really, really hoped I wouldn’t have to. After a moment I realized that she hadn’t said anything about the news conference and I wondered if she’d somehow missed the gossip that seemed to be circulating about me. “So, Hannah . . .”
After (Parallel Series, Book 4) Page 31
