ALEX AWOKE TO the blaring of the alarm. She groaned and rolled over, burying her head in her pillow, wishing she had the power to turn back time. She reached over, turned off the alarm, and forced herself to climb out of bed.
As she passed the full-length mirror she gasped as the memory of events came crashing through her sleep-fogged brain. She had almost convinced herself that it had all been some horrible dream. Alex hurried past the mirror, afraid to look at the reflection, certain she would see the girl from Ireland again.
Alex wondered what time her mother had come home and if she might be awake. She bit her lip and thought about what she was going to tell her mom. How am I going to explain? She’ll think I’m nuts. Or worse, just trying to get attention.
Patricia was not in her room so Alex wandered into the kitchen. Her mom had left a note, telling Alex that she was going to be late again that night and not to wait up. Great, another night alone.
Alex got ready for school, and nearly forgot her English book on her desk. She grabbed it and shoved it into her backpack, angry to be starting the day off on the wrong foot.
She about died of embarrassment when she tripped while walking down the aisle of the bus. Her ears rang with the sound of laughter and she wished she could disappear through the floor of the bus. She slid into an empty seat and rubbed the dirt from the knees of her faded jeans, trying not to cry on top of everything else. It took every ounce of willpower to ignore the snickers and open stares from the other kids.
Alex carefully exited the bus and breathed a sigh of relief when she did not trip again. She deposited all of her afternoon books in her locker, glad to be rid of the extra weight. Every muscle in her body ached. From all of the running and chores I did while in Ireland I suppose.
The casualness of that last statement brought Alex back to reality. She stood facing her locker, heart racing, cold sweat oozing out of every pore, her whole body shaking. Breathing was difficult and a little painful. Alex was afraid to turn around, certain that everyone around her was watching her losing control right there in the hallway.
She closed her eyes and focused on slowing her breathing. Alex hoped her heart rate would slow down as well. Is it possible for a kid to have a heart attack?
The panic attack subsided. Alex wiped sweat from her face and brow, hoping she didn’t smell like a boy’s locker room. There were too many students milling around to do the cursory pit sniff. Alex sighed and gingerly slipped her backpack over her left arm.
She took her seat in English class and wondered when Jennifer and Simon would arrive. Catelyn and Beau had not arrived either. Every time a student entered, Alex found herself hoping it would be Beau. She doodled on her notebook, a habit she did when nervous or agitated. She was on edge, worrying about what would happen when Catelyn walked in the room; however, she had other things to be concerned about.
Alex let her mind conjure up the images and feelings of the trip to tenth-century Ireland through the mirror. The experience had been real, she was certain. She wondered why she was seeing the strange things at this point in her life. She couldn’t recall ever experiencing anything like this in the past. Alex wondered if it had been a stroke of pure luck that she had remembered what the Book was, not to mention those little details that gave her the idea of how to hide it from the Viking invaders.
Alex wondered if something had brought her to Dublin so that she could help hide the Book. I don’t see why it had to be me. Surely there are historians that have much greater knowledge of the Book than I do. Why couldn’t they have been brought back to help?
As she thought about the situation, Alex grew angry and frustrated. All she wanted to do was fit in, and this little incident was not helping in that regard.
As she watched the other students file into the classroom, she felt so disconnected from them, as if she was an intruder in their world that consisted of boys, girls, who was popular, who wasn’t, and who was dating whom. Most were counting the days until they were sixteen so they could cruise North Avenue and have some freedom.
“Did you hear?” Jennifer slid quickly into the seat next to Alex and leaned over, a look of malicious glee on her face. “It seems as though Catelyn had a slight mishap at the hairdressers.”
A collective gasp caused Alex to turn her head.
Catelyn Montgomery entered the room. Her gorgeous blond hair was now a putrid shade of orange. There were angry spots of red in Catelyn’s cheeks, but she sauntered to her seat as though nothing were amiss.
Alex covered her mouth with her hand and quickly looked down before the other girl could see her smirk. She felt a little guilty at the rush of pure pleasure she got from seeing Catelyn looking so dreadful, but she couldn’t help it.
Alex looked at Jennifer, who was nearly purple with the effort of holding back her laughter. Even Simon was having a hard time hiding his laughter. Most of the other students pretended that they didn’t notice.
Catelyn sat rigid and peered straight ahead. Alex felt a grudging respect for the girl. Alex knew she could never sit in a classroom full of snickering students and be able to hold her head up with confidence.
When Beau Johnson walked in the room Alex’s heart skipped a beat. He was wearing loose-fitting jeans and a blue shirt that enhanced his eyes. Alex found herself comparing his eyes to those of Conor, the Irish lad. They were as different as night and day. Beau’s eyes were icy blue and playful, while Conor’s eyes were dark and mysterious.
Beau sat behind Catelyn, touched her gently on the shoulder, and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said made her turn and give him a grateful smile.
Alex smiled at Catelyn when she caught her eye, hoping it would help clear the air between the two of them. Instead, Catelyn rolled her eyes and flipped Alex the middle finger.
Alex glared at the back of her orange head and seethed. She vowed never to be nice to the girl as long as she lived.
The morning passed quickly. The teachers kept the students so busy that Alex hardly had time to think of what had happened the night before. At lunch, she sat with Jennifer, Amy, and Brittany. Simon and his friend, Paul, joined them.
Paul was a rather fat boy with a round face and beefy hands. He sat quietly at first, but soon had the girls rolling with laughter. Alex gripped her sides and wiped tears from her eyes.
“So who wants to go to the football game this weekend?” Paul asked. “We can eat at Pizza Hut and walk across to the stadium.”
“I’ll have to check with my mom, but I’m sure I can go. As long as she doesn’t have to work late, she should be able to take me and pick me up.” Alex said.
“Don’t worry about it, little lady. I happen to be a sophomore.” Paul winked as he did his best John Wayne impression. “Where do you live?”
“I’ll draw you a map,” Alex scribbled down the address and the basic directions. “Are you sure you can come get me? I can find a ride in to town, I’m sure.”
“I live near you actually, just further south. No worries. I’ll program you into the ol’ GPS.” Paul grinned.
Alex wondered how a boy Paul’s age could possibly afford a GPS and felt the familiar surge of jealousy.
The group chatted about the football game. Alex’s heart raced and she could barely contain her squeal of delight when she found out that Beau was on the team. I bet he looks hot in his uniform.
Alex was anxious to get home and ask her mom about going to the game. She ran to the guesthouse and was thrilled to see her mom and aunt sitting sipping iced tea in the living room.
“I thought you were going to be late again.” She gave her mom a huge hug.
“We got done early and decided to call it a day.”
“Hey, Alex.” Karen stood and wrapped her arms around Alex.
“Hey, Aunt Karen.” Alex hugged her back.
Alex fidgeted, glancing between her mom and her aunt, and blurted out her request to go to the game. “One of the boys from school is a sophomore and lives near here and can come get me.” Alex finished in a rush.
“Who is he?” Patricia asked.
“His name is Paul Dunkin.” Alex held her breath. She was well acquainted with the look on her mom’s face. It usually went with the word “no”.
“I know the Dunkins. Janice comes to the store quite often. Pete is a very successful lawyer.” Karen said.
That explains the GPS. Alex thought to herself. “Please, can I go? Everyone is going!” She held her clasped hands underneath her chin, a look of pleading plastered on her face.
“I guess it’s all right if you go.” Patricia was so happy seeing Alex excited about something that she would have been willing to say yes to just about anything she asked. “I’ll make sure you have spending money.”
“Speaking of spending money, would you like to work part-time at the store on weekends and maybe a few nights a week every now and then? It would really help me out,” Karen asked.
Alex doubted that her aunt really needed the help but was excited at the idea of having a part-time job, earning a little spending money. She would love to have a cell phone. All of her new friends had the latest touch-screen cell phones. They’d been shocked to learn that she didn’t have one.
“Seriously? I would die without my cell phone!” Jennifer clutched her phone to her chest.
“Well, I think I’m proof you wouldn’t actually die if you didn’t have a cell phone.” Alex tried to make light of the situation but she felt ashamed that she didn’t have any of the latest gadgets or clothes. The only reason she had the iPod was because her grandparents had gotten it for her for Christmas. A rush of hatred for her father rushed over her. She blamed him for leaving, for spending all of their money on booze and cigarettes and crap for his stupid motorcycle.
She also felt anger and resentment toward her mother. Maybe if she had worked instead of staying home they would have had enough money to buy Alex things that all the other kids had. Alex tried to quiet the little voice inside her head but it was relentless in its blaming of her parents for her not having all of the things the cool kids had.
Maybe I can earn enough money working for Aunt Karen to buy a cheap phone. And maybe some new clothes.
The rest of the week passed quickly. Alex was pleased that she managed to keep her mind off of her strange trip back to medieval Ireland and that she hadn’t seen any more strange girls appear in any mirrors.
She was even more pleased that she managed to impress Beau in Biology class. They were supposed to identify the parts of a flowering plant. He had had no clue and had sat scratching his head. She, of course, had read the assigned chapters and finished labeling the picture before anyone else did.
“How do you know all of this?” Beau asked after she handed in her paper.
“I read the book.” Alex said, trying not to stammer and make an idiot of herself.
“I’m glad I have a smart Biology partner.” Beau said, flashing his best smile.
He is the hottest guy on the planet! “If you think this is impressive, you should see me with history.”
Beau wrinkled his face. “I’ve never been able to get into history. So boring.”
Alex found herself becoming defensive. “It’s not boring. There are lots of really cool things that happened, not just here but all over the world. Reading history is like reading a good book, only instead of being made up, the stories are true.”
Beau waved her off. “If you say so. So are you going to help me with this or what?”
Alex was torn. She was angry at his dismissal and yet she was glad that he asked for her help. She leaned in close, touching his arm with hers and her heart fluttered in her chest. He smelled so good it made her giddy. Oh God, I hope my voice doesn’t shake.
Alex felt Catelyn’s eyes boring a hole in her back. With uncharacteristic rebellion, she leaned in closer, reaching to point something out. Alex swore she could hear Catelyn’s teeth grinding from the back of the room. What has gotten into me?
The bell rang and Alex dutifully wrote down the chapters to read for the weekend. She looked over and noticed that Beau wasn’t writing anything down.
“Don’t you think you should write this down? Then maybe you can do your own assignment next week.”
Beau slung his backpack over his shoulder and winked at her. “But I have my brilliant lab partner to help me out.” He walked out of the room with Catelyn snuggled under his arm.
Alex let out an exasperated growl. She didn’t want to do his assignments. He does play football though. Maybe he’s busy with practice and games and needs some help.
Alex and Patricia were alone again for dinner and ordered pizza. Alex opened up to her mom and told her about Beau. Patricia seemed eager to hear everything about him, so Alex obliged, telling her mom everything she could remember about him, which was every excruciating detail.
“Your aunt wants you to come to the store with us Saturday morning. She has a new shipment coming in and needs help with inventory. We’ll be home in time for your friend to pick you up for the game”
“Sure. Sounds great.”
The next morning Alex and her mother rode with Karen to the store, called Uptown Girl, located in a quaint building on Main Street. As they drove past the beautiful scenery in her aunt’s neighborhood, Alex decided she loved where her aunt lived. The red sandstone formations of the Colorado National Monument were fantastic. She made a mental note to do some research on the geology of the Grand Valley.
“There are a lot of really great trails up there, Alex. You should go exploring sometime.” Karen suggested when she saw the way Alex stared at the rocks.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” Patricia asked.
“As long as she sticks to the trails and watches for snakes, she’ll be fine. There are always lots of people on the trails, hiking and climbing and biking.”
It sounded great to Alex. She decided to begin exploring on Sunday.
The delivery truck was waiting so the girls got to work. Patricia and Alex helped to unload the truck while Karen opened the store and waited on customers.
Alex couldn’t believe how amazing the clothing was. The pieces were rich and luxurious, unlike anything she had ever seen. She gasped aloud when she turned over the price tag. No wonder she lives in that giant house.
She figured most of the money her aunt and uncle made was from his military career. Alex knew that her uncle Mark was some sort of high-ranking official in the Marines. He was rarely around and Alex wondered how her aunt could stand being in that huge house all alone most of the time. Alex thought it was cool having an uncle doing top secret stuff. She often pictured it being like the movies, all excitement and danger and intrigue.
Now she wondered if the money came from the store. The price of the clothing was outrageous. The most she had ever spent on an article of clothing was about thirty dollars and that was for a thrift store winter coat.
I can’t believe someone would spend $150 for a shirt! Alex tried unsuccessfully to squash the jealousy. She wished she could afford to buy things like this, to have so much money that it was no big deal to spend a hundred dollars on a shirt. I could buy several outfits with $150.
Her aunt ordered lunch from an Italian restaurant just down the street from the store. The owner brought over their order, and chatted with Karen about their businesses, and how things had slowed down since the economy had gone bad.
“It is very nice to meet you both. If you ever want to order from my store, tell them Karen’s name and I’ll give you a good discount.” The rotund man winked at Patricia and Alex as he left.
The afternoon flew by. At four, her aunt popped her head into the back storeroom and told them to finish up. Alex’s stomach did flip-flops. She was excited and nervous about the football game. I wonder what I should wear? She went into the rest room to wash the dust off her hands.
Alex whimpered when she saw her reflection in the mirror shift. Please, not again!
Alex was stunned to find that instead of a dirty face surrounded by dark hair, the girl had strawberry blonde hair piled high on her head with elaborate curls dangling over one shoulder. She had big brown eyes rimmed by dark lashes. Her hands covered her mouth and she had tears falling down her milky white cheeks. A string of pearls encircled her slender throat.
A knock on the door caused Alex to spin in fright.
“Let’s go Alex. You need time to shower and get ready for tonight.” Her mother’s muffled voice sounded like it was coming from a mile away.
“Coming!” She was surprised to hear how calm her voice sounded. Is this what it’s like to be in shock? Alex left the restroom and followed her mother and aunt to the car. She felt as though she were moving in slow motion. Sounds were too faint, the light too dim. She wanted to scream but her throat was locked tight. She was surprised she could even breathe.
Her mother and aunt chatted in the front seat and didn’t notice Alex’s demeanor. She sat in the back seat, her body thrumming with the fear pulsing through her veins. It took every ounce of will power to keep from crying.
What am I going to do? She wanted desperately to tell someone of her odd adventures, but just couldn’t bring herself to say the words. She couldn’t add to her mother’s stress and worry and she wasn’t about to tell her new-found friends she was seeing strange girls in the mirror. I wouldn’t even tell my old friends about this.
After she showered, she was afraid to wipe the condensation from the mirror. She brushed her hair quickly in the steamy bathroom. She bit her lip and considered going to the game without make-up. However, her anxiety at the possibility of Beau seeing her without make-up was greater than her fear of looking in the mirror.
She used the mirror in her room and the only face she saw was her own. The excitement of the coming evening began to overshadow her fear of seeing the beautiful strawberry-blond girl. Alex even found herself wondering who she was and what time period she lived in. She is probably some rich princess from England or France.
Paul arrived at 5:30 and came inside to meet her aunt and mother. He had all three laughing in no time with his wit and charm. Her mother slipped her some cash while the pair were on the way out the door. Alex smiled gratefully at her mom.
Alex and Paul chatted about the game. The GJHS Tigers were playing their rivals, the Central Warriors. Paul complimented Alex on her choice of orange cammi and black shirt.
“Gotta support my new team, don’t I?” Alex said.
They met the others at Pizza Hut and sat at a corner booth. There were other students in the restaurant as well, all wearing orange and black in support of the Tigers. Jennifer sported two pigtails, one tied with a black ribbon and the other with an orange one. She had even drawn orange and black paw prints from chin to forehead. It looked as though a strange little tiger had walked across her face. She noticed Alex looking and took out orange and black make-up pencils from her purse. Alex laughed as she drew little paw prints on her cheeks.
As they ate their pizza, Alex had an idea about how to ask about her strange experience in such a way that her friends wouldn’t be suspicious.
“So what do you guys know about time travel?” Alex asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Time travel? What in the world are you talking about?” Brittany asked, giving Alex a weird look.
“This is kind of out there, even for you, Alex.” Amy teased.
“I was watching this show on the History Channel about physics and they mentioned time travel, but it was over my head.” Alex regretted even saying anything at all. The last thing she needed was to give her new friends any reason to think she was a freak.
Simon spoke up. “Well, the theories of going backward or forward are very different. It may be possible to go forward in time just by being in a fast-moving object. The person in the object would experience slower time than objects around it. There are also the theories of time-like curves and wormholes...”
“Are you even speaking English, Simon?” Amy asked, her face a mask of confusion. She had sprayed small tendrils of her blond hair with orange and black spray.
Simon rolled his eyes. “I have a thing for space.” He shrugged and looked embarrassed. “The theories of time travel are complex and confusing, and most experts believe it may be possible to travel to the past, but that it isn’t possible to travel to the future. But why think of all of this complicated stuff now?” He jumped up, his face alight with excitement. “Let’s go cheer our freshman team to victory!”
The group paid their bill and walked across the street to the stadium. Alex had never been to a game before and she could hardly contain her excitement. The other girls were just as excited and walked arm-in-arm to the bleachers. Brittany left the girls while they were under the bleachers, telling them to go without her. She walked over to a group of students who were all dressed in black clothing.
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She looked to Alex. “Seems like she is too good for us these days. I mean, I just don’t get the appeal of dressing in black and acting all glum and depressed all the time.”
Alex did not hear anything Jennifer said about Brittany. She had spotted Beau on the sidelines. She thought he looked so buff in his uniform. Alex hoped he would look her way as they walked past but he was intent on listening to one of the coaches.
The group found seats right in the middle of the bleachers with a great view of the players. Alex found herself shouting and cheering along with the cheerleaders. She wasn’t surprised to see Catelyn front and center, full of school spirit, leading the other girls in the well-known chants, and urging the fans to show their support for the team.
Alex couldn’t take her eyes off Beau. She found out by asking Simon that he played receiver. She jumped up and down when he would take off down the field, turning to watch for the ball, jumping with poise to catch the ball in mid-air, landing with feline grace to run for the end zone. Alex had never known anyone so amazing and perfect.
She watched him on the sidelines when it was the other team’s ball. His blonde hair stuck out everywhere and he was covered in sweat, but he had never looked better to her. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him.
After the resounding win, Alex cheered until she thought her throat would burst. She willed Beau to look to the stands and realize she was cheering just for him. Instead, he smiled at Catelyn who had come running to throw herself at him, wrapping her long legs around his waist. He held her effortlessly.
Alex turned away, hating to see them together. She did not say much as the group made their way back to the Pizza Hut. Paul drove her home, pointing out his neighborhood on the way.
“Where do the others live?” Alex asked.
“Jenn and Simon are out in Orchard Mesa. We hang out there near the river. There are some really cool places to explore. Amy lives up north off Orchard Ave and Brittany lives in Riverside.” He laughed when he saw her blank look. “I keep forgetting that you haven’t been here long. Okay, so Orchard Mesa is to the south of town and you have to cross the river to get there. Riverside is, well, right near the river and Orchard Ave is the next main drag north of North Avenue. Have you explored near your aunt’s place yet? There are some neat trails and rock formations.”
“I was planning on that tomorrow actually. My aunt doesn’t need me at the store,” Alex hesitated for a moment. “Want to join me?” She hoped he would not take her invitation the wrong way. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. Paul was nice and all, but he was no Beau Johnson.
“I gotta go to my Grandma’s house tomorrow. She needs some help with the yard and such. Thanks, though.” Paul dropped her off at the front gate to her aunt’s house, shouting that he would see her at lunch on Monday.
She walked to the back of the house, cringing as the motion-sensor lights came on, nearly blinding her. She hoped the light did not wake anyone. Her mother had left the door to the guesthouse unlocked. She padded softly though the house, which was still dimly lit from the lights outside.
She lay in bed, and fell asleep wondering how to make Beau notice she was even alive.