Aventurine

  Returning to college felt strange. Sim stayed in my room for hours, asking me about my vacation, I had supposedly gone to Europe with my grandfather, and then she filled me in on everything that she had to put up with over the break. It seemed her parents were trying to get her to seriously think about her future, and they tortured her with plans they wanted to make, which included a husband. Husband hunting wasn’t on her list of things to do, as she didn’t even currently have a crush. I was sad to find that the new past we shared didn’t include Ty. Without moving into the dorms, there was no way that Ty knew who we were at orientation. He had never run into us, and I lost my best guy friend in one memory. As Sim talked on and on for hours, I couldn’t help but be sad that she didn’t know Ty, either. In my second alternative past I had set them up together. They made a really cute couple, and were a perfect fit if you asked me. I wanted to see my friends happy, and somehow I had a feeling no one was going to be happy in this new version of my life.

  School started again and I dreaded it. As I made my way across campus to my first class, I felt Seth’s presence. I tried my best to keep walking while I looked for the right room, but I couldn’t help it. I scanned the lobby of Willings Hall as I entered. Seth was seated next to the window. Melissa was next to him with her hand resting on his thigh as she talked. In less than a week, it looked like Seth had moved on. I wanted to be angry, but I was the one that broke up with him.

  “See? Seth will be fine,” Logan said into my ear. I didn’t even know he was in the building. It might have been nice to be graced with some sort of sense of Logan’s presence as I could with Seth. “I made his past the same as it would have been if you never came to college here. He would have been back with Melissa. See? No need to worry about him. He can move on. I made sure they have lots of memories of their first semester being very enjoyable.”

  “Thanks,” I said dryly, and tried to walk by.

  I didn’t need the painful details. I needed to leave the lobby quickly before I started to cry. The tears were already welling up in my eyes. I didn’t want Seth to have new memories, and I sure as heck didn’t want him to forget me. It was selfish, and I knew it. He needed to move on, but I didn’t want him to completely forget me. Maybe it would have been easier that way, but I just couldn’t stand the idea that what we had never existed, or that our relationship could only exist in my mind.

  I rushed past Logan, and then past Seth. He started to stand, but Ty grabbed his arm to stop him. I hadn’t spoken to Ty since I returned, but he understood me. I was grateful that he was still the guy that became my best friend, even if all our memories were replaced.

  I pushed into the nearest bathroom as Logan followed me close behind. At least he had enough decency to not come into the restroom with me. I made it over to the sink before the tears started. It was bad enough that Seth already had a real past with Melissa, I didn’t like knowing that he had a fake one with her now. I wanted him to move on, but I guess I was hoping it would be with someone else that I hadn’t already met. I splashed some cold water on my face. I had to stop the tears and puffiness that came with it.

  “Mari?” A female voice called from the bathroom entrance.

  I took my cold hands off my forehead and looked to see who entered. I was startled to see Melissa standing there.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, concern etched across her face. I had to think back and sort through my new memories. I remember the Melissa I met my first day moving into the dorms—my original first day, my real first day—but this Melissa was different.

  “Um, yes,” I replied. “Just not feeling well.” It was a lame response, but my memories were still a little hazy.

  “You rushed off in here and I was worried you didn’t stop to say hi.” She continued to study me. “Logan looked really concerned. I wish my boyfriend were like that.”

  I washed my hands again and took a towel to dry them. I could remember a little now of my new past, and we had two classes together. I helped her with a project, and she was so happy she invited me and Sim out with her and her friends. She considered us part of her clique now.

  “You really hit the jackpot with Logan. He’s cute, caring, and rich,” she added with a smile and a wiggle of her eyebrows.

  “I’m not with Logan,” I quickly replied. That much I knew was true, and if Logan tried to change it, I wouldn’t go along with it.

  “Maybe not yet, but I’m sure you will be. You guys are a perfect match. I bet you’d have the most beautiful children together,” she continued, gushing. I wanted to gag. Getting together with Logan wasn’t going to happen, and children were the furthest thing from my mind.

  I grabbed my bag from the floor and stood back up to find her reapplying her lipstick.

  “I gotta get to class,” I told her as I made my way to the door. I wasn’t trying to be short with her, but it was still too confusing. She looked like the same Melissa, who had endlessly stared daggers at me for months, but she acted like someone else completely.

  She touched the edges of her lips to make sure the lipstick was perfect and hurried behind me.

  “Are we still on for Friday night?” she asked, before she turned to go back to where Seth was sitting. I kept my focus on her and not Seth.

  “Friday night?” I asked, not sure what she was talking about. New and old memories were all a bit mushed together in my mind at the moment. I hoped they would clear up soon.

  “Yeah, the plans we made before break,” she answered, like I was silly for forgetting.

  “I’m afraid Mari is mine every Friday for the rest of the semester,” Logan commented, coming from behind and draping his arm around my shoulder.

  Melissa smiled at him and wiggled her eyebrows at me. To the outside world I was sure Logan seemed like a good catch, and maybe he was. When he wasn’t holding me as a time traveling hostage with the stupid bracelet, that is. But he just wasn’t for me. I knew what a love of a lifetime felt like, and I didn’t get any of that from Logan. He would always be my first love, and I’d probably have some place in my heart for him forever, but it wasn’t the same. I only hoped it would be enough to convince him how to save my family and friends.

  “We really should go on a double date sometime,” Melissa told me.

  “That would be fun.” Logan grinned like the Cheshire Cat beside me.

  “Loads of it,” I replied sarcastically. Melissa didn’t even notice, but Logan did. He didn’t drop his smile though, and played right along.

  “How about Saturday, then?” she suggested. “If you get her every Friday, then you guys should be free Saturday. Seth and I haven’t made plans yet.”

  “That sounds great,” Logan replied. “Have Seth text me. Oh, wait, he doesn’t do phones. He’s so ancient.” Melissa laughed with Logan about his joke.

  “Text me, and we’ll be there,” Melissa replied before leaning forward to give me a quick hug. “I told you he’s great,” she whispered in my ear. I didn’t reply, but she didn’t seem to want one.

  “See you Saturday,” she said a little more loudly as she hurried back to Seth.

  I didn’t mean to look after her as she left, but I did. I was trying my best to avoid Seth. It was impossible. I caught his eye and saw he was pissed. Shouldn’t I be the one who was mad? He was with Melissa, and obviously made no attempt to correct that idea with anyone, including her, but at least I wasn’t with Logan. Then I realized Logan’s arm was still around me. I shrugged it off and turned to walk to class. I hoped Seth didn’t think I had planned the past we had now. I didn’t have anything to do with it.

  “I’ll see you after class,” Logan said as he stopped at the door with me.

  I shrugged my reply. I didn’t want to make him mad. I needed him to teach me how to keep everyone safe, but I wasn’t exactly happy with him and this new past he had created. It was getting hard to keep the multiple pasts clear, especially now that I had to deal with people acting completely differently. Melissa had disliked me from the m
oment she met me, and now, somehow, I was supposed to be her friend. It was a lot to ask of anyone who had a different view of the past.

  The teacher was already at the front of the room, and I slid into one of the back desks. She began talking, and my mind immediately drifted to my situation. Everything was getting more complicated by the minute. The teacher began to write on the blackboard. I didn’t remember signing up for Economics, and had no clue why I was even there. My new past wasn’t one of my making, and after my talk with Melissa it all just seemed so confusing. I guess I had to get used to it. This was my life now. Every time someone came to change the past that I remembered, I would have another version of my life in my mind.

  I kind of wished I could go back to when it was easier, but that would have meant never meeting Seth. Even though I couldn’t be with him now, I’d never change our past together. Too bad I had to deal with everything else. The teacher wrote more on the board, and I wrote it down word for word. This semester was going to be hard, if not impossible. I had no clue what I was doing in my life, let alone in school.

  I tried to concentrate on what she was writing. I needed to pass to stay in school. I reread what she wrote on the board for a second time before giving up and just copying it down. I would have to figure it out later because it was too hard to focus right now. Welcome back to college, and good luck getting your life together were my only thoughts as I mindlessly filled in my notebook.

  Chapter 7

  Second First Date

  By the end of the week I couldn’t tell you which memories were what. I had too many memories traveling around in my brain, and many new ones that were more surreal than anything. When I bumped into people I’d met my first semester, more than half of them didn’t know me now. It was hard to pretend like I didn’t know who they were. Then there were the new ones that seemed to be my best friends, and it wasn’t just Melissa. All her other friends would greet me when we passed between classes. The same girls that tried to trip me up when I had lunch with Seth just months ago were all caring and happy to see me. It was a little bizarre.

  After our initial encounter at school, Seth, Ty, and Dee all seemed to avoid me. I missed Seth greatly, but at least he was still around. In fact I could feel him everywhere I went. He was doing a good job at purposely avoiding anything that would make us see each other as well. I missed Ty and Dee, too. I wasn’t too fond of Dee to begin with, but he turned out to be a pretty good guy. I didn’t even have the chance to thank him for playing the role of dutiful servant that Seth had lent to protect my mother. I really missed Ty, though. He was a big reason I was going through with my deal with Logan, and yet it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with me now. Did he think I betrayed Seth? That had to be it. Ty and Dee were both loyal to Seth. I had to cut Seth out of my life, but I guess I didn’t see how that would also force me to cut out Ty and Dee.

  I was happy when Friday came around until I realized that I had promised Logan to give him a chance, and had agreed to a date. I really wasn’t in the mood to go on a date, but I didn’t have a choice. That was what my life was coming down to. I didn’t have much of a choice about anything.

  “What time are you heading out?” Kye asked, sticking his head in my doorway.

  I shrugged. It really didn’t matter. I was dressed as Logan asked, wearing an outfit that Logan had actually picked out. The dress had been waiting for me when I entered my room after my class. From the style of it, we were going to someplace expensive and completely unnecessary. That was Logan’s courting technique, and it hadn’t changed. The fitted dark green, almost black dress actually looked good with my bright-red hair, and the sparkles made me twinkle like the goddess when I spun, but I wasn’t about to admit to Logan that he had good taste. His ego was already too inflated.

  “I know you’re new to all of this, but do you miss it?” Kye asked, sitting down on my bed and picking up my line-laced arm.

  “Time traveling?” I asked.

  “Yes.” Kye turned my arm over to see the lines better.

  “I don’t know,” I honestly replied. “So far I’ve only time traveled to do something that I had to accomplish. It wasn’t like I was going on joy rides through history to see the most important moments as they happened.”

  Kye set my arm down and nodded. “Now that would be fun.”

  I smiled at him. I really thought that would be fun, but I was trapped. Logan was still not going to take the bracelet off, so I couldn’t travel even if I wanted to. I stood up and grabbed the necklace Logan left for me to wear.

  “Now this isn’t just something else to keep me from time traveling?” I asked Kye.

  Kye shook his head. “If you’d like, I can put it on first and show you it comes off again.”

  I laughed as he moved to do so. The large, bright turquoise-like blue stone and dainty chain just didn’t seem like his type of jewelry.

  “No, this isn’t something to stop you. I think it’s just a lavish gift for Logan to shower you with. It’s kind of his hallmark in wooing a lady, you know.” Kye stood and took the chain from me as I fumbled to get it on right.

  I turned around and held up my hair. Kye weaved his arms underneath mine and draped the stone on my neck. I felt the stone as it touched my bare chest. It was warm, but then again, so were Kye’s hands that were securing the stone. Kye stepped back, and I dropped my hair. I turned for him and curtsied.

  “Do I look good enough to go out with Prince Logan?” I asked, more teasing than serious, until I saw Kye’s face. His mouth was hanging open. I quickly wiped my face and checked my skirt. Was something out of place?

  “I never pictured you like this,” Kye replied, covering up his awe.

  “What are you doing, picturing the person your brother likes?” I teased, trying to break Kye’s serious mood. Kye was always too serious. I couldn’t imagine what his life had been like to do that to him.

  Kye backed up instantly and looked toward the doorway. Someone must have been coming down the hall. I turned to see who was there.

  “Mari, are you…?” Logan began from the hallway, but stopped when he saw me standing there. “You look stunning.” Logan continued to stand and stare. Cool, collected Logan was nowhere to be found. Instead, I had a new Logan to look at. He seemed awed, and even a bit shy compared to the normal Logan I knew. Yes, there was a lot I didn’t know about him.

  “Umm, thanks,” I replied. He had picked out the whole outfit, after all. I sure hoped that meant he would like it. “Ready to go?” I asked.

  Logan stayed in the doorway, just staring.

  “Do I have something on my face?” I asked, feeling for a second time already that there was something I didn’t understand.

  Logan shook his head. “No. It’s just been a long time since I’ve seen you dressed up. It’s nice.”

  “I sure hope you think so,” I replied. “I don’t appreciate heels; enjoy them while you still can.” I tried to joke. Logan was almost as serious as Kye now. At least Logan smiled at my attempt to lighten the mood in the room.

  “Are you ready for our date?” Logan asked, his tone returning to its normal, confident self.

  “I suppose. Not going to give me any details?” I asked in return.

  “Nope,” Logan replied.

  Logan stepped into my room and stopped to look at me again. His smile and flirting posture were gone. He truly was looking at me with open, hopeful eyes. He saw this as a chance to start over, and I had to do my best to try. I couldn’t let thoughts of Seth drift into my mind. Things were over with him. I had to let him go and move on with my life for his sake, as well as for Ty and my mother. Logan truly smiled at me, and it threw me off guard. Normally, he was serious. His smile was identical to Kye’s. Logan offered me his arm.

  “You and Kye really are alike,” I commented, taking his arm and wrapping my hand around his bicep. “I don’t know how genes work, but boy do you two seem to have a lot in common.”

  “I’d sure hope so,” Logan
answered, leading me downstairs. Logan helped me into a new winter coat that seemed to go with the dress.

  “You know I already have a coat,” I answered.

  “You mean your Minnesota, keep-you-from-freezing coat?” he asked.

  I nodded. My bright purple, puffy coat that went all the way down past my knees was hanging by the back door. It would look a bit out of place over the nice dress and all, but it worked. Once we got wherever we were going, I’d take it off anyway.

  “This looks better,” Logan replied wrapping the black, wool, knee-length coat around me.

  “And will allow me to freeze before we get to the car,” I replied. It was a nice coat, but it wasn’t made for a Minnesota winter.

  Logan slipped his own coat on and took my hand in his. Instantly we were no longer in our living room, but in the lobby of a building. It took me a minute to orient myself. Logan had traveled without warning me, and I was a little dizzy.

  “Where are we?” I asked, walking to the nearest window once I stopped feeling like I was on a ship. It was floor-length, I could see the cars zooming by outside, and the building across the street was taller than I could see the top of. Logan didn’t answer as I looked further down the street and nodded, understanding where we were. It was way too familiar to not know. We were back in Chicago.

  “I wanted our first official date to be one that we couldn’t be interrupted from. I figure nine hours away would keep anyone from finding us if they came looking,” Logan explained. So he was worried that Seth wasn’t accepting the new future Logan planned. That was interesting. Why would he worry? Did he know something that I didn’t?

  “And why the coats then if we’re not going outside?” I asked. He must have spent quite a lot of money on the dress alone, but the coat had to be double that of the dress. It was typical for Logan to throw money around, but I still needed to ask.