Back In Time

Chapter 15

"The Kleinman Project." Evan lifted up a pamphlet, showing it to Connor and Jared. "That's what's next, right? We have to follow the storyline."

Jared nodded. "The timeline can't be too different, but it can't be too similar at the same time."

"How does that work?" Connor asked, glancing over at him. "How do we know if we're going too far or too alike?"

"Look, I don't know shit, I just came with a few observations and ideas, and most of them were originally Alana's," Jared replied, shrugging a little. "I don't have all of the answers, but I know that in order for this to work, we need to make up something that's so absurd not even an infinite amount of timelines could make it up, or we have to be close to the original plot of this dimension."

"You sure you can't think of something absurd? I mean, that is your specialty," Connor said, getting a sigh from Jared.

"Connor, there's infinity worlds out there. That means every timeline already exists! It's not like we can make up a new one." Jared frowned a bit. "I know I have absurd ideas, but there's a timeline out there where I come up with that idea, and everything goes to shit."

"But Jared, there's no timeline that's the exact same as this one," Evan replied, looking over at him. "Because we're here. We're the only dimension that's self-aware."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Jared asked. "Could we have left this entire time?"

"You don't understand, the timelines are still colliding." Connor sighed a little. "We need to separate the timelines by doing something. Something that'll stop them from merging, but what? What could we do?"

"I don't know," Evan glanced down at the pamphlet. "If I don't make this, it'll be exactly like another timeline and start merging with that one, right?"

"Exactly," Connor replied.

"So what ending was this timeline supposed to have? It needs to equal up to that." Jared glared at Connor. "You should know, right?"

"I can only look at the future of the original-universe timeline," Connor shrugged.

Jared rolled his eyes. "You're so helpful."

"I know I am." Connor smirked a little, mostly for a sarcastic effect.

"Okay, let's try to think of a solution, then," Evan replied. "And not fight over something stupid."

"We aren't fighting," Jared said, causing Evan to scoff.

"Sure."

Evan started thinking, staring down at the bed sheets. He could admit one thing: now that Jared was here, it was a bit more normal and a lot more manageable, so thank god for him.

The fact that he didn't need to get with Alana? That helped calm his nerves, too. He wouldn't be able to do that all over again. Evan refused to.

"So, any ideas, o'wise ones?" Jared asked, scoffing.

Connor was about to reply, but when they all heard footsteps coming from downstairs, they were quick to shut up. The fact that the steps were only getting closer to Evan's room, he was quick to speak up. "Jared, go into your spiritual form or hide or something- you can't let him see you."

Evan assumed it was Larry, as it would make the most sense. When Jared heard how anxious Evan seemed about this, he nodded, changing into his spiritual form without a second thought. However, it only lasted a certain amount of time, so he drifted off to the closet just in case it withered out. It's not like Jared has had much time to play around with this new ability yet.