Addie had been placed in charge of the mission notes and spent several days prepping the rest of the team on their responsibilities. She communicated that the trans-x charm was the primary goal of the mission, and all actions surrounding its retrieval were to take priority within the group. Each member of the team had a role to play, even Steven.
Addie explained that Liam Liot had entrusted the trans-x charm to a family he had met when he’d first landed on Earth. Walter was convinced that this family was the Landrum family. They had no idea what it was or what it could be used for, but someone in that family knew where to find it. This charm had an odd shape, like two arrows that were crossed in the middle. The charcoal color of the charm didn’t lend itself as fine jewelry, but the power it yielded was extraordinary.
The trans-x charm allowed its owner to physically transport from one location to the other by just thinking about it. The only thing it required was a carrier stone at the location to link to the charm. It was a powerful weapon and would be very useful in the fight against the Minister.
“Damn, Amanda, you really got close to that one!”
Amanda chuckled. “I had, like, a foot. Quit side-seat drivin’.” She whipped the car into a parking lot adjacent to the campus science building. “It’s amazing that my worst subject in school is the first class I have to take in college. I suck at chemistry.”
Matthew reminded her that the purpose of the chemistry class had nothing to do with her college major. He grabbed both their bags and threw them over his shoulders. They started their long walk to the building’s main entrance.
Amanda poked him in the arm and said, “I bet you couldn’t have lifted those two bags at the same time before you took your long nap.” She had grown accustomed to looking up at Matthew when she spoke to him. Before his physical changes, she had been almost eye to eye with him.
Matthew wasn’t impressed with the comment and defended himself. “Look, I wasn’t the biggest guy before the long nap, but I could lift two bags if I needed to. Remember, I carried you and your brother at the same time before any of my changes.”
Amanda smirked. “That’s because you had borrowed everyone else’s strength. That doesn’t count.” She lowered her gaze and said, “I think my parents helped you out quite a bit.”
Matthew agreed and apologized for bringing it up. “I’m sorry. I forget about that sometimes. I shouldn’t have said it.”
Amanda was fine and told Matthew not to worry about it. She liked thinking about her parents. “You don’t have to walk on eggshells around me. We’re in this together. Two friends taking on the world.”
Matthew wasn’t oblivious to the fact that Amanda solidified their status as friends on an almost daily basis. He kept his real feelings to himself, and he hoped that she was keeping her feelings hidden too.
Matthew asked, “Did you study at all for the quiz today?”
“Of course I did. I have the best study buddy on campus.”
Matthew grimaced for a moment. “Of course you do. I’m sure Mr. Wonderful doesn’t mind staying up all night helping you study.”
Amanda summoned a mocking laugh and said, “What’s wrong? Jealous?”
If Matthew were to be honest, then yes, he was jealous. He was as jealous as one person could be about another person. What made it worse was that the same guy Matthew was jealous of was also the best friend he had made since arriving in 2016.
It was all part of the plan. Walter hadn’t been kidding when he’d said Amanda could be very useful during this mission. It was both Amanda and Matthew’s responsibility to befriend and get to know Cameron Landrum. He was a sophomore and one of the most popular guys on campus.
It certainly wasn’t the same as it had been in 1984. This guy wasn’t a football hero or a fraternity god. He wasn’t the best-looking guy in the world. In fact, Amanda would never have given him a second look back home. He wasn’t a smooth talker or a great dresser. His face had its share of acne, and his feet were encased in a pair of socks and sandals on most occasions. Not much to get excited about.
He was none of the things Amanda would previously have viewed as attractive, but he was punctual, and he was waiting on Amanda and Matthew, just as he did every morning. “How’s it going guys? It’s good to see my best bud and my best girl.”
Amanda gave Cameron a kiss on the lips, and Matthew extended his hand for a fist bump. Cameron handed Amanda a set of papers and promised her that he would be around after class. “I’ve got a dynamics class in ten minutes, but I’ll be done before you’re done with my mom. She’s used these questions the last two years on her quizzes, so you should be set.”
Amanda thanked him, her seemed-to-be boyfriend, and he ran off to the adjoining building for his engineering class. As he made his way across the lot, comments came at him from other students passing by. “Hey, Cam! What’s up, buddy! We’ll see you tonight!”
Matthew still couldn’t understand it. Cameron was a great guy. You couldn’t ask for a better friend or a nicer fella to be dating your sister, or the girl you secretly loved. He was always attentive and helpful. He had great jokes. Matthew and Amanda didn’t always understand them, but they laughed anyway.
“Addie told us to get close to the most popular guy on campus, but he’s just not what I expected.”
Amanda agreed, but she had actually grown quite fond of him. “I know he’s a little weird, and he talks about things that I can’t understand, but I’m kinda getting used to him.”
Matthew opened the door to the science building for Amanda and stooped down to her ear. “You and he haven’t…you know…?”
Amanda slapped Matthew on the arm and stiffened her tone. “Number one, that is none of your business. Number two, Cameron is a really sweet guy, and if we had, I’m sure it would have been great. Number three, no, we haven’t, so shut up about it.”
Amanda walked ahead of Matthew, so she didn’t catch the look of relief on his face. She stopped before they got to classroom 3B and said, “Did you and your mom even have that talk? I know you’re really fifteen, but I didn’t know when you learned about that kind of stuff in the future.”
Matthew could understand her confusion. In the short time Amanda had been in 2185, she had seen how different day-to-day life was from what she had been accustomed to. It only made sense that relations with the opposite sex would be handled in, to her, an odd way.
Matthew pulled the backpack from his shoulder. “We actually learn all the mechanics when we’re pretty young. I think Connor and I were eight when it was all explained in one of the structural society classes we had to take.”
They walked into the classroom and took their normal seats in the second row of desks closest to the front board. Other students began to fill the seats around them and pull out their laptops and phones. Amanda and Matthew had picked up the technology of the day in a short amount of time, but they just couldn’t immerse themselves into all the social media and information overload like their fellow classmates. They just weren’t built that way.
“So, you and your brother had to take a class about societal structures when you were eight years old?”
Matthew nodded. “Yeah, everyone did. The Minister felt that it was important to teach children about the structures of society. For us, that included sex and relationships. It was all very technical and sterile. For the most part, we were taught that it was something that was regulated and would only be allowed for procreation. That is, after you’ve received permission from the government.”
Amanda was horrified at the thought of asking permission for something that to her seemed so personal. Matthew added, “I will say that the laws regarding those types of things are probably broken pretty often in the future. It’s probably similar to how underage kids here drink beer when they’re not supposed to.”
Amanda laughed and said, “You have a very strange way of looking at things, but it does make sense.”
Matthew chuckled. “Based on all the movies you’
ve made me watch since we got here, it seems like the actual act can be a lot of fun. It’s just weird that five different movies about a man and woman falling in love all start and end in the exact same way. They hate each other in the beginning and already have someone else that is wrong for them, and then somehow they end up together in the end.”
Amanda blushed for just a moment and replied, “Well, maybe someday you’ll get to find out how much fun it can be.”
Matthew looked at Amanda and raised his eyebrow before she plunged her fist into his side.
“I mean you’ll find out with someone else, someday. A long time from now. Just shut up.”
Matthew rubbed his side and noticed that Shelby and Lindsey had taken a seat in front of them. Their long, dark hair fell over the backs of their chairs. Matthew loved the perfumed scent that radiated from their long locks as they came to a rest just feet in front of him. He had grown accustomed to it over the last few weeks.
Shelby and Lindsey were the smartest students in the class, and the fact that they were twins worked out well for Matthew and Amanda. Shelby loved to wear baby-blue dresses and T-shirts while her sister opted for the darker purples. Since Matthew and Amanda were pretending to be twins, they were able to form a quick friendship with these chemistry wizards from northern Ohio. It didn’t hurt that both of them had a noticeable crush on Matthew.
Matthew was clueless to the attraction, but Amanda noticed the giggles of the eighteen-year-old ladies every time Matthew spoke to them. Beyond being a good source of information about the year 2016 and the events that had occurred leading up to it, they were critical to Matthew and Amanda’s success in chemistry class.
The door to the now-full classroom closed, and in walked Professor Sandra Landrum. She expected excellence from her students, and her tests and quizzes were legendary for being the most difficult on campus. She was well respected for her knowledge of chemical combinations and had worked in the medical industry for several years before taking a teaching position at Baylee College. She was in her midforties and was an avid fitness fan. Her thick-rimmed glasses didn’t take away from her toned cheekbones and athletic frame. She was a rare mix of brains and athleticism.
It was hard to believe that Sandra Landrum was the mother of Amanda’s current boyfriend. She worked out every morning, ran marathons in the summer, and ate all the right things. Cameron’s belly hung over his belt, and he slept in as much as possible. She had passed along her intellect but not her healthy habits.
“Ok, people, settle down. We have a big day. It’s time to see if you are learning anything. It’s test day!”
The students in the room grumbled en masse, but this was no surprise. She had been preparing the class for a test of this magnitude for two weeks. It would account for half the class grade, and anyone who excelled on it would earn some major brownie points with the professor.
She passed the test papers around the room. Matthew and Amanda took the opportunity to lean forward in their chairs and wish Shelby and Lindsey good luck. In fact, Matthew put his hand on Lindsey’s shoulder and Amanda put her hand on Shelby’s shoulder. Paired with this nice gesture, they both said, “We know you two are going to do great!”
The twins smiled and said, “Thanks, we bet you two will do awesome, too.”
That was the plan. Matthew and Amanda both wanted to do awesome. The problem was that neither of them was any good at chemistry. Amanda remembered very little from her time in high school. Matthew had never taken the subject, although he had picked up a few things along the way. They did their best to blend in and act like they knew what the professor was talking about, but for the most part, it was like a foreign language to them.
Luckily for both Amanda and Matthew, they had something that no one else in the class had: a Hathmec with an attribute charm. While they were sincere in wanting the twins to do well on their tests, the real reason for placing their hands on their shoulders was to place a very small carrier stone, which they could use to pull the twins’ knowledge of chemistry.
It still amazed both of them how this worked. Less than a minute ago, neither of them could pick out elements from the periodic table, discern the number of atoms in a molecule of a gas, or balance a formula based on the elements applied. Now, the knowledge of the twins filled their minds, and it allowed both of them to breeze through the test.
At one point, Lindsey leaned back from her test and the small carrier that Matthew had placed became dislodged. Matthew immediately felt the knowledge drain from his brain, so he came up with a clever remedy. With his hand up to his mouth, he aimed a quick cough toward Lindsey and propelled a few carrier stones in her direction. They landed on her back, and he was back in business.
He finished up the last few questions and looked over at Amanda. She had finished a few moments earlier. She motioned toward the door. The test had taken them about forty-five minutes to complete, but everyone else in the room was still working. The two of them got up and walked to the front of the room, where they handed in their tests to Professor Landrum.
“My two star students are done already. I must have made the test too easy.”
Matthew replied, “No, ma’am, there were some tough ones on there. I’m sure I missed a few.”
Matthew not only thought he had missed a few; he had missed two questions on purpose. He didn’t want anyone to think he had an advantage over anyone else. Amanda had done the same thing. She didn’t want Cameron’s mother thinking he had been feeding her test questions, which of course he had.
Professor Landrum took a quick look at both of their tests and said, “Well, as usual, it looks like you both did a fine job. Between you two and the other twins over there, I have one of the best classes I’ve had in a while.”
Amanda replied, “Well, you’re a good teacher.”
The professor smirked. “Amanda, dear, you’re already dating my son. You don’t have to suck up to me here. You’re a smart young lady and work hard for your grades. You should only be sucking up to me outside of school.”
Amanda laughed, but deep down she knew Professor Landrum wasn’t kidding. She was protective of her son and only wanted the best for him. That’s why Amanda wanted to impress the professor with her intellect and her family. So far it had worked well.
“Tell your mother that I will pick Steven up this afternoon from practice. There’s no sense in her driving into town if I’m gonna be there anyway.”
Professor Landrum’s other son, Scott, played on the same basketball team as Steven. Addie had done a wonderful job getting to know Sandra Landrum through their common interests of their sons. They would sit at the games and chat about the world and their families.
It was Sandra Landrum who’d introduced Cameron to Amanda in the first place. Addison had gone on and on about how wonderful her daughter was, and Sandra had gone on and on about her son. It was genius how Addie manipulated Sandra into getting the two of them to meet.
It didn’t take long after that for Cameron to become good friends with Amanda’s twin brother. A lot of that was just Cameron trying to learn as much as he could about Amanda, but in reality, he liked being friends with Matthew too. They communicated well with each other, and Cameron had grown to trust him.
“That would be great, Ms. Landrum. I’ll let her know. You’re still coming for dinner Thursday night, right?”
“Yes, dear, we have it all planned out,” Sandra replied. “I’m bringing one of my famous casseroles and a special guest for everyone to meet. I can’t wait to try some of your mother’s cooking.”
Matthew was thinking the same thing, considering he had never seen Addie cook anything.
Some of the other students in the class were starting to complete their tests and turn them in, so Amanda motioned to Matthew and said, “We’d better head on out so she can finish up her work.”
“Don’t forget,” Professor Landrum reminded them, “we have a guest speaker for class tomorrow, so make sure you’re here.”
Both Amanda and Matthew responded, “Yes, ma’am.” They exited the room and made their way to Cameron’s dynamics class. They had finished the test faster than Cameron had expected, so they waited for him in the hall. They all wanted to go together to the campus’s quad, where Baylee had planned a big student assembly. They had only fifteen minutes to get there, and Amanda was worried they would be late.
Matthew could feel her impatience. “Would you chill out? It won’t take two minutes to walk to the quad from here. His classes always run right up to the end of the hour.”
Amanda replied, “I know. I just don’t wanna be late.”
Matthew swirled his book bag around his waist and said, “You do realize that all this stuff will be over in the near future, right? We need to figure out where the charm is, get it, and get back home.”
Amanda knew Matthew was right. The purpose of all the things they had done over the last couple of months at Baylee was nothing more than to get closer to the Landrum family. Good grades, parties, and campus assemblies were just a part of the illusion.
“Look, I get it. We’re not really here, this isn’t really our lives, but I might as well get a little fun and college experience out of this while I can. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun while we’re completing the mission.”
Matthew apologized and promised they would hurry over to the quad just as soon as Cameron was out of class. They both leaned up against an adjoining wall and waited in silence. Matthew took great pride in watching everyone pass them in the hall. Lindsey and Shelby passed by and waved. Their cute grins tried to hide their excitement at seeing Matthew again after class. Matthew waved back in the polite way anyone would, and Amanda rolled her eyes.
“They waved at me. What should I have done, ignored them? They’re just being nice because they think we’re the smartest ones in the class.”
Last Chance Volume 2 - The Legend of the Hathmec: Planting the Seed Page 15
