You've Found Oliver (You've Reached Sam, #2)(64)

Ben’s the greatest thing to happen to me in a long time, but I would never want to hold him back from anything. Especially when I don’t have my own life figured out. I care about him way too much. I’ve never felt this stuck before. I think again about the other versions of me. If there really are an infinite number of possibilities out there, maybe there’s one where I find my way back.





Chapter

Twenty-four



“Only when we stop trying to pin it down does time begin to move in another direction.”

Professor Clarke’s words keep turning in my head. I’m still not sure how this idea is supposed to help me right now. Especially when I don’t really understand it. What does it even mean for “time to move in another direction”? All I want is for things to go back to the way they were. To wake up in my dorm room again. To still be able to visit Ben whenever I wanted. I wish he was here with me now.

I wonder what Julie would think about everything. It’s annoying that I can’t talk with her about this. I don’t know why I’ve kept it a secret for so long. Probably because I wouldn’t believe it myself if someone else told me this story.

I stare at the phone for a moment. Maybe it’s time to finally tell her.

Julie



Where are you



It takes a minute for her to respond.

Home why?



Ok don’t go anywhere! I’m coming over



I turn around and make my way to Julie’s house. She lives about twenty-five minutes from campus. I take my usual shortcut through the neighborhood. I remember the first time I visited her. It was a few weeks after Sam died. We weren’t even friends at the time, but I really needed someone to talk to. So I threw rocks at her window until she came outside. I feel those nerves returning while I wait for her to open the front door.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hi. Can we chat?”

“Oh…sure.”

I go inside, and she closes the door behind me. It’s been a minute since I’ve been here. I used to pop in all the time, before she went abroad. Her hallway is filled with pictures of her growing up in Seattle. I take off my shoes and follow her into the living room.

“Don’t you have class today?” she asks.

“I’m not really thinking about school right now.”

“Oh. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, sort of. Well, not exactly. It’s hard to explain—”

“Oliver, just spit it out.”

I realize I’m pacing around a little. So I collect myself and say, “You might want to sit down for this, okay?”

“Alright. But you’re scaring me a little.”

Julie takes a seat on the sofa and waits for me to continue. I’m not really sure where to start. Maybe this isn’t even a good idea. Then I remember one of our last phone calls. When I asked her, “If I told you something crazy, would you believe me?” And her answer was, “You can tell me anything. No matter what it is.”

I hold on to that promise as I look at her and say, “Do you know how I’ve been acting a little ‘off’ lately?”

“That’s putting it mildly, but yes.”

“There’s a good reason for that, but you might not believe me when I tell you.” The next words come out slowly. “I don’t really know how to say this…but something strange happened to me recently…and now I’m living in the past.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know this sounds ridiculous, okay? But I really need you to believe me. Somehow I’ve entered a different timeline. It’s supposed to be six months from now for me. I have no idea how this happened.”

“I’m assuming this is some kind of prank,” she says.

“This isn’t a prank,” I tell her. “Listen to me, okay? I’m supposed to be living in the spring. I’ve experienced all of this already.”

She gives me a look. “Oliver…that’s crazy.”

“I know it sounds crazy, alright? But I’m being completely serious.” I take a breath and try not to sound exasperated. “I’m telling you, it’s supposed to be spring. I’ve already taken these classes. You already left to study abroad. I helped you pack your things! I’m taking your mom’s class right now. We’re reading this book called The Poetics of Space.”

“Are you sure this wasn’t a dream—”

“It wasn’t a dream. Ben believes me! He’s the only person I’ve told. We’ve known for weeks. I don’t know how else to convince you.”

“You’re sure this isn’t some prank?” she asks again.

I grasp her shoulders. “I swear on my life, my mom’s life, everything.”

Julie takes this in for a moment. “So what you’re saying is you’re actually from six months in the future?”

“Yes.”

A long silence passes between us. I’m not sure what else I can do to prove this. I hold my breath, waiting for her to throw a dozen questions at me, but Julie remains calm when she finally says, “Alright. So, what now?”

I blink at her. “So you actually believe me?”