The AR Story Archive
Stories of Age/Time Transformation
by: Ambrose | Complete Story | Last updated Jul 18, 2022
Chapter Description: With the financial problems being a thing of the past, Kim decides to set right a wrong and go on a special date.
The now well-known dazzlement passed, as did the darkness in front of her eyes. This time, the first thing her eyes focused on was Mr. Fluff, still sat on his shelf over her bed.
It failed, Kim thought, maybe the device ran out of power and …
No! It was her room, back in her old house, true, but it had changed. New tapestry. New furniture. A new computer with a much larger and more expensive monitor. It had worked! Kim hid the device in the drawer and dressed herself, strangely relieved to find at least her wardrobe not changed much, with only a few additions. Once dressed, she cautiously opened her door and stepped into the floor, only to stop and go back, picking up her USB-stick from her desk.
Her mother’s bedroom was empty, but freshly decorated, same with the rest of the floor, bath and guest rooms included. Kim felt a rush of relief at the sight, as it meant that her mother’s health had not deteriorated the way it had the first time, but as she went to look for her downstairs, she found a stair lift installed by the stairs. Rushing downstairs, hardly noticing the steps, she followed sounds coming from the kitchen and found her mother sitting at the table.
“Good to see you up, sleepyhead,” her mother greeted her.
“Good to see you, too, mom.” Kim replied.
She sat down, carefully studying her mother. The woman’s face looked just a bit more haggard than when she had last seen her and a world better than the last time it had been this day.
If I tell anyone I think in such terms, they will lock me into a mental asylum, Kim thought.
Then, to her chagrin, she noticed the cane resting on the kitchen plate. Her intervention had maybe slowed the disease, but not healed her mother.
“Not hungry?” Her mother asked.
Kim looked at her empty plate and at the fried eggs, salad and bread.
“Sure,” Kim replied, taking spoons of it. “I was just thinking.”
“About the speech for your project?”
Kim nodded.
“Don’t worry, you will make it easy.” Her mother propped her up. “You faced harder things.”
If you knew, Kim thought, but smiled.
After breakfast, Kim gave her mother – who insisted to clean up herself and not use the new dishwasher machine – a kiss as the latter took the detergent from the cupboard under the sink and walked to the door. She was about to grab the handle, when the door was opened from outside. For a moment, Kim froze, discovering a middle-aged woman standing outside.
“Kim,” the woman greeted her. “Still here?”
The teenager couldn’t muster a response. It wasn’t one of her neighbors, she quickly proceeded, and it certainly wasn't the first time she came here, having the keys to the house.
“Martha,” her mother’s voice came out of the kitchen. “Is that you?”
“Yes, coming right there.” the woman called back.
Kim knew she was beginning to look weird, so she gave the other woman who seemingly knew her a smile.
“Sorry, I was somewhere else with my mind.”
“Ah, the presentation.” Martha noticed, her slight tension relaxing. “Don’t worry you’ll nail it.”
“Thanks.” Kim replied and rushed out of the door.
“I’m ready for shopping,” her mother told Martha behind her. “Just the dishes and …”
Kim closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.
***
Standing in front of the class Kim put the USB flash drive in the professor’s laptop and made a silent prayer that it wasn’t the wrong one again. Relieved she noticed the screen not showing the photo of attractive men, only to freeze, as she recognized the details. It wasn’t her program! She had to have picked the wrong USB flash drive, this time of another program she had written.
Nervously she looked at her fellow students, none of which laughed yet, and then back at the screen. It was her program, she realized as she took a deep breath, not the one she remembered to have written. Rather, it was the one she had written in this reality she had created, maybe started being worked on all the way back from the moment she had jumped back, before college had even begun. How was she supposed to know its functions?
Looking back at the class, Kim realized there was no way out of it. She had to do this presentation. Hoping she had not deviated too much from her original design, she coughed and gave the class a fake smile.
“My project is a program built to enable easier communication between …”
Kim managed to improvise her presentation quite well and somehow found something to tell every time the various pictures were coming up on the wall, even when it was mostly educated guesses. The surface of the program followed her original design, but was much more polished.
“There you can see it on my iPad”, Kim explained as a photo of her presenting it on an expensive tablet she didn't even knew she owned popped on. “And there on the TV. Keeping pace with the different versions of software will of course be key to the success of the program.”
“Have you managed to create the touchscreen-surface-implementation we talked about?” Her professor asked.
“I … am still working on it,” she said, hoping it to be true, only to have the next slide showing her using the surface of the tablet with ease. Quickly she added: “Some bugs still need to be cleaned. I want it to be stable.”
Kim’s professor was satisfied with this as with the rest of the presentation. Still, she felt a bit light-headed as she walked back to her place. This hadn’t been a total disaster like her first time, but it could have been better. She swore to herself to get back at last a day from the presentation should she ever repeat her time-travel.
Her program not being the only thing which had changed became very clear when the hour ended and Stacy approached her. Kim was ready for some snide remarks about her rough presentation, but not for the other girls next words.
“That was really good,” Stacy commented. “You just were too nervous. Your program works fine.”
Kim hesitated a moment, searching for sarcasm in the other girl’s face, but finding none.
“Thanks?” She replied cautiously.
“Ready to go?”
Both looked up to Sam, who just stepped closer.
“I'm trying to convince her the presentation wasn’t bad,” Stacy noticed.
“You did fine,” Sam said. “Problem was you worked on the program too long and let it make you more nervous than you should have been.”
With this he made a step closer and before she could do anything about it, gave her a kiss on the mouth. Kim was too bewildered to resist. Part of her wanted to scream at him about what he was doing, part of her didn’t want it to end. As Sam pulled back, she managed to give him a slight smile.
“Thanks?” Kim said, feeling not stable enough for more.
“You are still nervous,” Sam noticed.
“Told you so,” Stacy noticed. “Why don’t we go sit somewhere and drink? Helps us relax.”
Kim looked at her friend … and boyfriend, trying to decide which was weirder.
“Yes,” she replied, managing a smile. “Sounds great.”
As they stepped on the floor, Kim threw a look to the stairs upstairs. Maybe the woman in the business suit waited there. Maybe whatever she would do to her was better than facing this bizzaro-world. Having an ever vivid fantasy, Kim found she could suddenly imagine a dozen things worse, and quickly followed Sam and Stacy.
***
Entering the house that had been home for so long and then a long time not felt strange. Kim walked carefully, hoping not to wake her mother, but found her sitting on the couch of the living room, watching news on the new wide-screen-tv.
“How was your day dear?” The older woman asked, muting the TV. “Did you hold your presentation?”
“Yes, it was … good. Really,” Kim said, touching her mother’s shoulder. “How was your day?”
“Shopping, driving, stroll in the park and exercises.” Her mother explained. “I was really furious when you hired Martha to torture me, but I must say it might have helped.” she added with a chuckle.
Kim’s smile froze on her lips. Martha was a hired help? No, a nurse! Another thing she hadn’t known.
“How was yours?” Her mother asked. “Spent time with your friends?”
“Yes.” Kim’s smile kept being frozen. “We had a coffee and talked.”
“This is good,” the older woman replied. “Having friends to talk to and rely on is important.”
Kim quickly squeezed her mother’s shoulder.
“I have to go up,” she explained. “Do you need anything?”
“No. I will watch this and then make us some Mac and Cheese,” she explained.
“Sounds fab,” Kim admitted and hurried upstairs.
***
In her room, Kim wasted no time and checked her contacts. Six new active ones, including Sam and Tracy. Two more she had only known briefly from her classes and two she had no clue who they could be. Also, she was in contact with two friends from High School she had lost contact with back in her original timeline.
Methodically, Kim went through old photographs. There she was with Sam, Stacy and who must have been the latter’s boyfriend at the time skiing somewhere. She had dreamed of going skiing for a long time and now she had done it … but did it count if she didn’t remember it? She had new friends now and kept old ones, but did this count or did they pretend because she had money?
Forcefully suppressing these questions and vowing to be thankful for what she had, Kim continued her research.
***
Doesn’t mean it should ruin my new one, Kim thought.
“What do you all think about another trip to the mountains?” Sam suggested. “A bit of wandering. There is a nice lake where they rent boats.”
“I’m in,” Kim replied without hesitation.
Being in a boat under the open sky would be a perfect way to get to know her boyfriend way closer.
“Boy, way up for someone who could only could afford summer camp back in High-School.”
Kim looked up, though she really didn't need to identify the owner of this voice. Next to their table stood Susan. She was the only one she knew from High-School who had landed in the same college as her and also the only one whom Kim had hoped to never see again after leaving school.
“Hi Susan,” she replied icily. “Isn't your class starting soon? Wouldn't want to make you late.”
“Sure, I'm just passing by,” the other girl replied with a smug face. “Some people have to work for their money, not just wandering here for leisure. Nor can they afford to buy friends.”
With this she turned and left, leaving Kim open mouthed, still searching for a reply.
***
When Kim came home, she stormed upwards, ran into her room and slammed her door behind her. As she threw her backpack on her bed, she let out a howl of frustration she had kept back since her confrontation with Susan. Of course, her friends told her to scrub it off, Sam first amongst them, but they didn’t know how very into the center of her secret doubts the words of her old enemy had hit. They always did, it was as if the girl could smell them. Worse, Kim never had the fitting answer for what came out of that smug mouth!
Falling into her chair, Kim tried to calm herself, lying her feet on her bed. Her mother was in much better health than before, she had money, no problem in college – not that she would ever need a degree or even a job, Susan was so very right in this –, new friends and even a boy-friend, who was as cute as she could have ever dreamed of. So, why wasn’t she happy? Just because she knew they hadn’t become her friends when she hadn’t won the lottery? Could she be so sure it wasn’t her attitude which had prevented her from becoming friends with all of them – except Stacy – the first time?
Some people can’t afford to buy friends, Susan said in her mind. You are playing pretend.
“Shut up!” Kim said angrily, kicking the mattress. “If I could make you shut up only once!”
The kick made her chair roll closer to her desk and her eyes wandered to its locked drawer to which only she had the key. Nearly by themselves, her thoughts wandered back to middle school, when Susan had humiliated her the first time in front of a crowd – the whole cafeteria in fact – and had seemingly gotten a taste for it, like the Crocodile had for Captain Hook after eating one of his hands. How often had she dreamed of responding the right way back then?
Why dream any longer?
Picking up her Princess Mononoke key-ring, Kim opened the drawer and took out the device, placing it on the desk. Did she really want to do this? This was much further back than before. Also, did she even knew the exact date?
10th of September, Kim remembered. I was just so enthusiastic about the new year.
That she still did remember it so clearly was more than enough to convince her that this event deserved changing. She turned the numbers on the device to the date and entered 6:00 a.m.. Early enough to prepare for school and check the schedule for the day. Preparation was key.
She pressed the red button.
***
Dizziness and darkness overwhelmed Kim again. Slowly it abated and she realized she was laying in the bed, but it was still dark enough she couldn’t see clearly. By instinct she searched for the lamp next to the bed and found a switch where it always seemed to be, no matter which lamp she owned.
The light blinding her for a moment, Kim sat up on the bed and rubbed her face. When she felt better, she looked at her hands. They were shorter than they were before, even the nails. Next, she touched her chest and was shocked by its flatness. Instantly she jumped up and switched on the room lamp. In the big mirror next to the bed, she could see a confused looking teenager in a Sailor-Moon-pajama. The heartbeat she needed to fully realize it was her, nearly send her to the ground. She had known going back to being 13 would be a change but … in her memory she had been such a grown-up back then. Starring at her from the mirror was a girl in which freckled face she could easily recognize the child in.
In a hurry, Kim removed the top of her pajama, a task harder than expected as she discovered her arms hadn’t the same length as her mind insisted they had to. Once topless, she removed her night-time bra and studied what she saw. It wasn’t impressive. She hadn’t been a late bloomer, but her pointy breasts clearly lacked the volume of later years. Not that it mattered much, but she suddenly felt less self-conscious. Removing the pants also revealed less curves and a slacker shape than that of her adult self.
I’m a kid, Kim thought, only to quickly admonish herself. No, a teenager! Don’t forget!
Suddenly she became aware of the strange feeling in her mouth. Pulling her lips back revealed braces.
Not this, too!
“Kim,” she heard her mother’s voice. “Are you up, yet?”
“Yes mom.” Kim called back, finding even her voice sounding strange, too high, as her tongue tried to work around the braces.
“I’m done in the bath.” Her mother peered through the open door. “You can go.”
“Thanks mom.”
“My are you big already.” Her mother noticed, seeing her daughter watching herself in the mirror.
Kim gave her a smile, until the grown-up left.
If she knew, she thought and hurried to dress up.
Having done so she threw a look around in her room. It was the same old room she lived in until turning twenty-one, except there were now stuffed toys like Pikachu and even one old Donald Duck besides the ever-present Mr. Fluff. On each side of them were posters of motorcycles. She had been into these for a time, until she had really realized that she would never afford owning one of those and not really thought of them since. It was pretty much the room of a stranger with a lot of childish stuff. Briefly she wondered if her future self would regard her room in the present the same way looking back.
Knowing she was wasting time she rushed for the bathroom.
***
A bit later Kim and her mother sat at the kitchen table. Kim felt thrilled to see her mother healthier than she had been for a long time, despite the rings under her eyes. It was also strange seeing her so much larger than her. Yet she tried not to let herself be distracted by this, as she went through the school-books, eager to know as much of the day as she had the first time around. Thus, she didn’t notice when she automatically went for the coffee-can and poured herself something in.
Her mother coughed, making her look up and realize a moment later what she had done.
“We spoke about you being too young for coffee,” her mother remembered her. “Too much caffeine isn’t good for a girl your age.”
“Oh,” said Kim, who could have lived without this speech. “Sorry I was just in my thoughts.”
“If you are tired, you should spend less time behind the monitor,” her mother noticed.
“Yes mom,” Kim replied, inwardly rolling her eyes, still dutifully going to the sink to pour her cup out
Making sure her mother wasn’t looking; she took a dip of the cup and nearly spit it back. It tasted so strange and much more bitter than it had any right to. Already the breakfast had tasted strange, somehow sweeter. Maybe it was because of different taste buds or the braces. No matter what, she pulled it in the sink and sat back at the table.
“If you learn this much the rest of the year you could get straight A’s,” her mother commented, looking over the books while drinking a bit of her coffee.
“Yes mom,” Kim replied again, in a perfect teenage tone.
There was only one thing she really wanted to prepare for today.
***
After her mother let her out at the entrance of the school, Kim waved her goodbye, before turning around and facing the building. Its brick-front looked impressive, more so than she remembered, though the last time she had been here she had been older of course. Thoughtfully she went up the stairs, mindful of her movements.
The way to the bathroom this morning had been an awkward travel already. Maybe it was her narrow waist and shorter limbs not moving the way she wanted it to, or the lesser weight up there on her chest throwing her off balance, but she kept hitting the angles of her furniture on her way through the house. She felt like a first-time driver trying to park a car without being accustomed to its dimensions. Whatever of her consciousness made this time-travel, it needed time to adjust to the new yet old body.
Or is being this clumsly part of being a teenager? Kim wondered. If so, how did I survive this?
She entered the building and found herself surrounded by other teenagers, some of which were way too much larger than her in an unnerving way.
“Hi,” a boy greeted her.
Kim needed a moment to recognize him as James. With his younger face and his blond hair cut into an army-fashion, she had nearly not recognized him. Lucy standing beside him in contrast looked like a perfect image of her older self, only downsized.
“Hi,” she greeted him back. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” he answered. “What is with you? You looked lost.”
“Just thinking about the new year,” Kim replied.
“I heard they're thinking about introducing school-uniforms next year,” Lucy told them. “Anna Krismer said she had heard the teachers talking about it.”
“Rumors,” Kim replied with absolute certainty, suddenly remembering what a brewery of rumors the school was.
“Let’s hope so.” James noticed. “School uniforms are sooo gayyy.”
Kim exchanged a look with Lucy and both girls started to laugh, though only she was truly in on it. The time traveler wondered how it could have taken him so long to realize hanging around with girls didn’t give him the same feelings as with boys. Before she could utter something, she felt a chill, as she noticed a blond-haired girl in the group of older teenagers standing some meters away from them. For a moment she felt fear grip her brain as she was sure it was the woman in the business suit, following her just as she had after she had won the lottery. A heartbeat later she had already realized it wasn’t her, but somehow, she really was familiar.
“Do you know who this is?” Kim asked her friends and pointed discretely in the direction of the girl.
James shook his head, but Lucy frowned.
“I think she is in the chess club. Kelly so and so …Forster!” She turned to Kim. “I believe she is first of her class. Why?”
“I just thought I recognized her from somewhere,” Kim replied.
Before one of her friends could say a word, the school bell rang and they all went to their class. Kim allowed herself one last look back. Kelly looked so very different. Bright, intelligent eyes. A wide smile with white, healthy teeth, as she laughed with her friends. This girl looked so different from the drug-addicted co-worker she would become that it was no wonder Kim had failed to recognized her.
The spirit shapes the body, Kim remembered her words. If only …
“Kim,” Lucy called her. “I see Mr. Brownoski at the stairs.”
Shaking her head, Kim followed her friends to their class.
***
Class under Mr. Bronowski was worse than Kim remembered. Much worse. He had this monotone voice in which he made his history lessons as interesting as a shopping-list.
“We go through the period of the Akkadian Empire ... Third Dynasty of Ur … Early Assyrian Kingdom, Babylonia and …” He proceeded on and on.
Kim doodled a bit on her block, exchanging looks with her fellow classmates and suddenly feeling as if she really belonged here. Here in this class along with other teenagers none of which wanted to be here.
“Minoan eruption ... Old Assyrian period ... Middle Assyrian period …”
Just for a moment Kim delved into the idea that she could go back to these times, maybe in one of her former incarnations – if people believing this were right – this would be a history lesson to be remembered.
“Late Bronze Age collapse ... Syro-Hittite states …” Mr. Bronowski continued; his face as dull as his voice.
Kim starred at the clock which progressed at snails-speed, hoping it was all worth it.
***
At the ringing of the bell, everyone in class practically jumped up to be the first to leave, eager to get out of the room and start recess, to feel alive again. Kim went with them, though she looked forward to something else, an event which would turn out differently than she remembered.
“We have another whole year of this in front of us!” James complained besides her.
“This will pass,” Kim assured him. “By the time we have prom we will laugh about this.”
“Then he will teach younger generations about us in history,” James joked.
Kim smiled.
As they entered the cafeteria Kim kept the smile, but felt tension rising at every step. They made their way to their usual place, a table near the large windows and took place.
“I hope this year will be better.” Lucy said, grabbing an apple from her bag.
Nearly, Kim thought.
“I hope this year will be shorter.” James replied. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had school behind us and could party all day?”
“Then you either work or study.” Kim replied diplomatically.
“Only as much as I need for parties,” James noticed.
Kim wanted to reply something, but decided to just shake her head smiling, knowing he would love his work later.
Any second now, she remembered herself.
“If they just gave us the stuff, we ought to know over the school year,” Lucy began. “We …”
“Hey Kim.”
Kim turned around to the voice behind her. She knew what would come, still she managed to look neutral as her eyes fell on Susan and two of her friends standing close by.
“What?” She asked in a proper wary voice.
“We just wondered if it was you who suggested having school uniforms to the board. You know, since you're already wearing the same clothes all year." The other girl said, eliciting laughs from her group. Around them, others had stopped mid meal to keep up with the fun scene. “I'm starting to believe you're being paid for wearing this sub-brand.”
To the girl's surprise, a smile played almost immediately around Kim’s lips, prompting Susan to suddenly look insecure. How long had she dreamed of this moment? Hundreds of times, not knowing the rehearsal in the showers. There were dozens of comebacks she had planned to respond to this. Kim opened her mouth, and found herself unable to utter a word. All these witty sentences. All these sick burns, big speeches even, had vanished as her mind suddenly became as blank as her stare.
“Well, look like it's not just the brands that are subpars!” Susan pointed out as she realized the other girl had no response, and walked away still laughing.
The other teenagers sitting nearby laughed too, except for Lizzy and James who hurried to comfort Kim as she looked away. There was no helping her, though. Holding her fists tight enough that she feared her palms would bleed, she felt as much an awkward, foolish teenager as she ever had.
Oh no you won’t have the last word, Susan!, Kim thought. I swear you won't!
***
Again, Kim sat at the table in the canteen. It had been 6 more hours of school after she had been able to get home and use the device to go back to this morning. Far from feeling defeated, her resolve to set things right had just gotten stronger. Even another hour of listening to Mr. Bronowski hadn’t broken her.
“I hope this year will be better.” Lucy said, grabbing an apple from her bag.
“I hope this year will be shorter.” James replied. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had school behind us and could party all day?”
“Then you either work or study.” Kim replied, repeating the line she remembered.
“Only as much as I need for parties,” James noticed.
Even at this age you can’t believe this, Kim thought.
“If they just gave us the stuff we ought to know over the school year,” Lucy began. “We …”
“Hey Kim.”
Kim turned around to Susan and her friends.
“What?” She asked, her voice being way more strained than the last time.
“We just wondered if it was you who suggested having school uniforms to the board. You know, since you're already wearing the same clothes all year." The other girl said, her words not the least cutting now that Kim heard them the third time. “I'm starting to believe you're being paid for wearing this sub-brand.”
“You speak of style?” Kim replied, loud enough for the next tables to hear. “Look who's talking! Searched for these things on Amazon? How long did it take you? Three clicks?”
For a moment, there was silence and Kim already thought she had shut her up.
“Yes, with my iPhone after I saw it on TV.” Susan said, pulling her new-model smartphone out of her pocket to show it around. “Why don’t you show us yours? I'm sure Nokia has some app for second hand-shop. Look like you got the full-time subscription.”
Kim didn’t even own a phone, as Susan had to know, leaving the furious time traveler turning back to her table as Susan and her friends laughed.
You stupid foulmouthed bitch…
***
“I hope this year will be better.” Lucy said, grabbing an apple from her bag.
I hope this time it will be better, Kim thought.
“I hope this year will be shorter.” James replied. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had school behind us and could party all day?”
I will party when this is over, Kim swore in her mind.
“Then you either work or study.” She replied.
She didn’t even listen to her own words this time, but turned around to look out for Susan. It was the third time and it would finally work. She had the perfect line, having sat for hours over it. Not even having slept since her first jump to this time, she had taken a gulp of coffee when her mother hadn’t watched. Still, it was only her desire of satisfaction which barely kept her on her feet. Back in Mr. Brownowski’s class she had nearly fallen asleep. Her body may have had a night of sleep, but her mind was on a rolling schedule.
“Only as much as I need for parties,” James noticed.
My party is just starting, Kim thought grimly, seeing Susan and her friends approaching.
“If they just gave us the stuff we ought to know over the school year,” Lucy began. “We …”
Susan turned to them, clearly looking at Kim, but surprised to find her victim facing her already. She saw something in the other girl’s face and … walked past.
Kim stared blankly ahead a moment, suppressing the urge to scream out loud.
“Kim?” Lizzy asked.
Kim turned around. She felt tired beyond words and knew she still had most of the school-day ahead of her. Again.
“Yes?”
“I asked if it wouldn’t be cool if we could prepare for each day in advance.” Her friend said.
“Still too much work.” Kim decided and let her head fall on the table.
***
“I hope this year will be better.” Lucy said, grabbing an apple from her bag.
“I hope this year will be shorter.” James replied. “Wouldn’t it be cool if we had school behind us and could party all day?”
“Then you either work or study.” Kim replied.
Her tone was friendly and more relaxed than last time. She had jumped back to her own time for a night of rest, getting some much-needed sleep. As such, she no longer had the feeling to be trapped in some drug-induced nightmare in an endless loop.
“Only as much as I need for parties,” James noticed.
“Sometimes work is more rewarding than partying,” Kim replied this time, hoping it to be true.
Look relaxed, she told herself. Look like you are an easy victim.
“If they just gave us the stuff, we ought to know over the school year,” Lucy began. “We …”
“Hey Kim.”
Kim turned around, facing Susan and her friends.
“What?” She asked in a proper wary voice.
“We just wondered if it was you who suggested having school uniforms to the board. You know, since you're already wearing the same clothes all year." The other girl said. “I'm starting to believe you're being paid for wearing this sub-brand.”
Kim looked at her a long moment.
“Insulting someone because she hasn’t as much money as you and a different style?” She asked. “Grow up, Susan.”
She starred in Susan’s baffled face a moment, then she turned around. All around her she could see approval in the other teenagers’ eyes. Kim didn’t even look around to see the other girl storm away.
The rest of the break, she found herself as well as James and Lizzy laughing more often than not and as the bell called them back to class, Kim even got some praises from other pupils she hardly knew but who had sat close by. As she thanked them, she noticed a girl – older than her – standing half the room away from her. She looked familiar. Kim needed a moment to see a certain similarity to the woman she had gotten the device from. Still, she stood far away and was showing no sign of chasing after her. Remembering herself freaking out at young Kelly for no reason in a similar way earlier on, Kim shrugged it off and went to class.
***
Three days after and back in her own time, Kim strolled over the campus of her college, until she arrived at the benches, she was supposed to meet Sam at. Still having time, she sat down and looked over the meadow where other students sat, ate or played games. She mused how much more free, open and relaxed college felt compared to middle school. Because they were adults? Because they already had had a look at the world outside and felt ready to face it? Middle school had felt like a box of energy without a ventil to release it and being 13 had felt like being in a body under construction. She was happy to never have to face it again.
As if conjured by her thoughts, Susan walked by. Both girls looked at each other a moment, but no one acknowledged the other. According to James, whom she had asked discretely during a talk via phone, they hadn’t exchanged more than two words after the episode in middle school. As Susan left, Kim decided not to change anything about this.
A bit later Sam arrived with two bags from Subways.
“Who can live off canteen-food anyway?” He asked.
Kim smiled and they searched themselves some place at the meadow to sit down and relax. As they ate their sandwiches, drank their soda and talked about everything and nothing, she again and again looked over to him. Should she make the next move? Should she let him make it?
“I need to go to lecture.” Sam said after they had eaten up. “See you tomorrow?”
“Sure!” Kim replied, smiling.
***
Arriving back home Kim was no longer smiling. Lost in thoughts she walked upstairs, finding her mother’s stair lift upstairs and herself in her hobby room. It was her older brother’s former room and she kept it unchanged for years, until deciding to put all the old stuff for charity except for an old baseball bat, ball and glove as well as a red cap, all lying on a shelf. The older woman was working on some cardboard pumpkin and looked up smiling at her daughter entering.
“It is a bit early,” Mrs. Parris admitted, “but Martha insists that I do some work to keep being active, as she says.”
“Looks nice,” Kim noticed.
“Liar!” Her mother replied, though still smiling and pointed to a picture to the right. “Your father was the handymen, I’m the cook. Speaking of: There is something in the oven for you.”
“Thank you.” Kim hesitated. “Would you mind if I invite someone over to dinner?”
“You can always bring friends here,” her mother noticed. “Though this would be a special friend, wouldn’t he?”
“Maybe,” Kim replied. “Mom, how did you and Dad find each other?”
Kim’s mother thought a moment.
“It just happened,” she finally said. “We both had … our experiences, so we knew what to expect when starting a relationship. We were honest enough with ourselves and each other and so we made it work. This wasn’t the foundation of it – this was that we loved in each other – but it helped a lot.”
“Thanks mom.” Kim said.
A bit later, Kim sat in her room and thought about her relationship with Sam. There was mutual attraction between them, but what was about the rest? The experiences they could build upon? She didn’t doubt he had his share, but she? She never had a relationship. What could she bring in? She was a virgin for god’s sake!
No way to change it, she thought bitterly.
Her eyes wandered to the locked drawer of her desk. An event came to her mind. One possibility where she could have started a relationship. Maybe … Had she been brave.
This time she would.
***
“I just wish we had more time to party,” James noticed. “I mean getting out of here is great, but when will we ever have as much time?”
Kim closed her locker and starred at her friend. Briefly she wished she had recorded the words of his younger self one of the many times she had heard them, just to rub it under his nose. She got over it though and relaxed. This was five years later. They were both 18, not 13 and in the last weeks of high-school. No reason to warm up old stuff.
“Just enjoy the present,” he was answered, oblivious of the irony. “You have a date, so all is fine.”
“Yeah, Barry.” James said half-heartedly. “What about you?”
Kim looked at a group of boys walking by, leaving one of them behind to stay at his locker.
“Working on it.” She spoke.
With this she approached the boy.
“Hey,” she told him.
He turned around, smiling at her.
“Oh, hello Kim,” he greeted her.
“Hi Andrew,” she greeted him back, mustering all her bravery for the following words. “Listen, I wanted to ask you if you would go to the prom with me. I know you and Judy broke just a year back, but we are both still dateless and I thought we could have some fun.”
He starred at her a moment, seemingly surprised by her words. Kim did her best to hide her nervousness. Andrew like her had gone to the prom without a date and for a long time she had wondered if he would have accepted her invitation. It wasn’t too uncommon that a girl asked a boy, but if he …
“Yes,” he answered, smiling with something like relief in his face. “I would totally like it!”
Kim smiled at him.
***
The night of high school’s last prom was finally there. Kim had stayed in the timeline to make everything perfect. Compared to her return to her 13 years old body, going back to 18 again barely felt like a change at all. Maybe she was a tad more excited, but hadn’t she a right to?
Kim chose a long blue dress for the prom. It wasn’t expensive, but it wasn’t the simpler pink one she had worn the first time. When the night came, her mother helped her dress and watched her enter Andrew’s car with a big and maybe melancholic smile.
“You look beautiful,” Andrew told her.
“You too,” Kim said and meant it. The black suit really fitted him.
“Ready for some fun?” Her date asked.
“As always!” Kim replied.
The start of the prom was dreamlike. The food and drinks tasted so much better than she remembered and every single song seemed just perfect for dancing. Andrew was the perfect dance-partner, too, leading, but kindly enough for them to harmonize. Later that evening they were sitting on a table with James and Barry.
“Remember the time Chuck overcooked the chemical experiment in Mrs. Fornwood’s class?” Andrew asked.
“Yeah,” James replied. “The look on her face was priceless. Pity no one took a photo.”
I could, Kim thought, adding loudly: “Didn’t he had to scrub it off after school?”
“Yes, he was still cursing at it days after finishing!” James said.
They all shared a laugh.
Later, when the first couples had already left, Kim and Andrew were on the dance floor again. Wild rhythm followed slower one and Kim found herself again embracing him. Feeling his arms around herself and smelling the strangely infatuating aftershave. In this moment she wanted this evening to last forever. And why not? Just start it again and again. She had the possibility.
Pondering this, Kim looked around in the ball room. James and Barry shared a laugh at their table. Other friends and those she had just shared some words over the years, had their fun, too. Many stood near the walls with drinks in the hands and … Kim stiffened.
There she was. A figure in the half shadows, only illuminated when the light of the disco-ball passed over her. Kim could still identify her at once. The woman in the business suit. She looked straight at her. And she looked pissed.
“What is it?” Andrew asked, having noticed his date’s stiffness and following her look. “Do you know this woman?”
“Yes,” Kim said. “She is … someone I know from work. She is obnoxious. A bit mad …”
“Let me handle this,” Andrew told her, beginning to go in the direction of the woman.
She held his arm. “No, let us just leave. Let’s get away from her.”
Her date exchanged a look with her, then he nodded.
They headed toward the other exit, saying goodbye to the ones they passed by, and rushed to Andrew’s car. As they drove off, Kim could see the woman coming out. For a moment she herself felt pissed at the woman for ruining the prom, but as they drove, she let go of her frustration and tried to find a way to save the evening.
“Shall I drive you home?” Andrew asked.
Kim thought about it.
“No,” she said with a smile. “Let’s visit the lake.”
The lake was the classic location for young couple to spend the evening at, or so she had heard of second hand. Now, with the car being parked near its shore, Kim understood why. The moon mirrored perfectly on its calm surface as the water seemed to capture the endlessness of the sky above.
“Beautiful!” Kim noticed.
“As you are,” Andrew replied.
Kim smiled on this, trying to mask her insecurity. What next? God, what if she pandered the next step? Just as the silence became too long to be comfortable, she remembered that she could do it again and again, so why not be straight?
“I took the pill.” Kim revealed, looking him straight in the eyes. “I hope you have the condom.”
He did.
***
Much later Andrew stopped in front of Kim’s home.
“It was a great night,” Kim told him.
“For me, too.” Andrew answered. “After Judy I didn’t know if I could try it with someone else, but maybe … this lasts?”
Kim gave him one last kiss.
“We will see,” she promised and hurried out.
Back in her room she felt like a liar. She looked out of the window next to her desk, but the car was gone already. Still in her dress, she grabbed Mr. Fluff and threw herself on the bed. It had been so good. Andrew had been kind but strong and the moment they came together … She hugged her old teddy bear tightly.
She couldn’t stay.
If the strange woman caught her, all the good she had done for her mother could be undone. Could never have happened in the first place. Staying would be selfish, still the relationship with Andrew was something she so very much wanted to pursue. Her last words to him now nearly sounded like a lie. Still, she had to make the adult decision.
Setting Mr. Fluff on the bed, Kim rose up and retrieved the device from her desk-drawer. She entered the date of present in these old-style looking wheels and looked at herself in her prom-dress one last time before pressing the red button.
If only, she thought before the world became black.
***
When Kim awoke to her alarm this morning she was confused. How old was she? Was it middle school, high school or college? Ending the alarm on her smart phone she checked the date and learned it was college. She had no recollection of arriving back and finding the device besides her, Kim guessed she must have either fallen straight asleep out of exhaustion or jumped straight into sleep.
Either way she felt at once full of energy and began checking her Facebook page. Were she and Andrew still together? Were they …
Relationship-Status: Single
Feeling dumb and not caring for any class she might miss, Kim searched through her Facebook-history, chats and more. She and Andrew had separated 8 months after high school. And he was now in a relationship with Judy again. The break-up had happened shortly after her winning the lottery which had happened regardless. Was this the cause? Kim didn’t find anything on this, only a friendly break-up. Briefly she even considered phoning him to ask him about it, but managed to control herself.
What was done was done. She had gone back only to get experiences, hadn’t she?
Not knowing the answer, she grabbed Mr. Fluff and hugged him tight.
***
Despite not feeling so stable on the emotional level, Kim pulled herself together and went to college. No reason to give anyone – like Susan – a reason to say she was spoiled and didn’t take it seriously, she thought before remembering on the way in that she had shut off the girl for good. On the campus, she passed Sam in front of the main building.
“Hi,” she greeted him with a smile. “How was your morning?”
He returned the smile, a bit awkwardly though.
“Great,” he said. “Uhm Kim.”
“Yes,” she replied, feeling a cold knot grow in her stomach. The room seemed to spin as she realized why he looked so surprised by her casual greeting despite their relationship. It was gone! She had erased it with the last jump as effectively as a cloth swept across a darkboard.
“Really cool program you showed us,” he noticed. “Mind if we, ah, talk about it during a drink somewhen?”
“Sounds great,” Kim said, in the weakest imitation of a smile she had ever made. “I have to hurry.”
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left, nearly fled until she had reached a calm way, where she leaned against a wall.
“No,” she said. “No, no, no …”
To be continued …
Wild Travel
by: Ambrose | Complete Story | Last updated Jul 18, 2022
Stories of Age/Time Transformation