Drifting Apart- A Lander Fanfiction

Stuck in Time

Zander's POV

I wake up and look around my room in confusion. I'm not used to the unfamiliar lavender walls and the tidy wooden desk in the corner. Then I remember yesterday's events and my mood darkens. There's no way I'm ready to face another day in this miserable future. 

I drag myself through my morning routine. Usually I love the comfy feel of our house, but today it just seems daunting. 

"C'mon, Zander! Let's go!" Hailey calls from the front door. 

"I'm coming!" I call back as I gather my stuff for the day. 

As we get on the bus, my heart drops. Where should I sit? I usually sit with Luke, but considering how our interaction the previous day went, I don't think that's a good idea. So I sit with Hailey instead and we talk for the remainder of the ride. 

"So..." I'm afraid to ask, but I'm really curious to know what happened. "Why did the music club split up? Did Jake skip the competition?" He better not have. 

Hailey hesitates, looking half worried, half sad. "Of course he showed up. Don't you remember? We almost won, but Jade Academy beat us."

"So why did we split up?"

"Well...we were really close for a while. But last year..." she hesitates again. "We all started hanging out with other people. And after Sean left, it didn't feel the same. We kinda just drifted apart."

My head is spinning, trying to process this new information. "You mean, none of us are friends anymore?"

She gives me an odd, searching look. "Are you sure you're okay, Zander? One moment you're being yourself as usual. And then I find you sleeping in the music room and suddenly you're asking all these questions about the past?"

But it's not the past for me, I think to myself. For me, it's the future. 

She sighs. "To answer your question, no, we're not close friends anymore. We sometimes say hi to each other in the halls, but that's about the extent of it. For most of us, I mean. You and Luke and me and Jake...well, we don't talk to each other at all unless we need to." She looks really sad. 

Why? Why us? Why did he suddenly start hanging out with Stacy and forget about me? I thought we were best friends. I thought it was always going to stay that way. Obviously I was wrong if he was willing to ditch me for her. 

"Why us?" I ask, echoing my thoughts. "Why don't we get along?" I hate seeing her this sad, but I have to ask. 

"It's...complicated," she says. "Why are you asking?"

I open and shut my mouth, trying to find words to explain what's happening in a way that doesn't sound completely crazy—even though it is. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I say instead. 

She crosses her arms. "Try me." 

I consider for a moment. Who else could I possibly tell? I would tell Luke, but apparently we aren't friends anymore. I feel a pang of sorrow, but I push it away. Should I tell her? She might be able to help me. Or she might think I'm crazy. It could go either way. 

"Alright," I say cautiously. "But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay," she agrees.

I take a deep breath. "When you found me sleeping in the music room, I...I had fallen asleep there in the past, my present, and I woke up here, in the future."

She cocks her head in confusion. "What?"

So I tell her everything: her singing the song, math class, falling asleep in the music room and ending up in the future. "So you see," I finish, "the reason I'm acting weird and asking a lot of questions is because I'm not from here. I belong in the past. I know it's crazy, and I know it doesn't make sense. But it's what happened, so please believe me." I search her face for any signs that she might burst out laughing or walk away, thinking I've gone insane. Considering how much has changed, I don't know her very well, I think to myself. She could be totally different. It doesn't seem like she's changed that much, but I could be wrong. 

Hailey slowly exhales. "Wow," she says. "That is...a lot to process." 

My hopes rise. "So you believe me?"

"I agree that it's crazy and doesn't make any sense, but it explains why you look younger and are asking all these questions, so...yes, I believe you." She looks at me with a faint smile. "There's a lot for you to catch up on, huh?"

I nod. She believes me, I think in relief. I feel better after talking to her about it. She can tell me what happened and maybe we can figure out how to get me back to the past, er, present. 

The bus pulls up towards our school as Hailey says, "I'll tell you everything at lunch."

I nod, looking forward to it and dreading it at the same time. 

•    •    •

At lunch I plop down with my tray next to Hailey. My brain feels exhausted. Those classes were way too advanced for me. 

Hailey reads my exasperated look and grins. "Class was tiring, huh? This must be really hard for you."

I give a sheepish nod, then lean forward. "So you mentioned why the club split up, but...what happened between me and Luke?"

Her grin fades. "Well," she says slowly, "he started hanging out with Stacy, as you could probably tell. And then you guys stopped hanging out as much, although I could tell neither of you were happy. You kinda went your separate ways after that." 

"Oh," I say, feeling hollow. "And are they...I mean, are they..."

"Dating?" She finishes for me gently. "No. They're just friends."

I sigh with relief. Thank goodness. I wouldn't be able to bear it if they were together. 

"What about you and Jake?" I ask. "What happened between you two?" 

"Oh...around the end of last year, him and Daisy started getting closer." she says. "They're really good friends. No big deal." She shrugs, but I can see the hurt in her eyes. 

"And what about the rest of the club?" I ask, hoping to steer the conversation away from Jake. 

"Well, like I said, Sean left for college," Hailey says. "And Milly and Elliot started dating. They hang out together, too."

I think. "What happened with Drew, Liam and Henry?" I ask. 

"They stopped talking down on us after we split up," she explains. "I guess since Jake hung out more with them than us and we weren't a club anymore, we were no longer considered 'freaks'. They still taunt me in the halls sometimes when I'm alone, though." 

"Wow," I say faintly. Maybe there is a silver lining to this future after all. It's still horrible, though, I remind myself. No music club, Jake rejoined Drew's group, and Luke is hanging out with another girl.

My fists clench. I will not let that happen. I will do everything in my power to make sure this future doesn't come true. 

I'm coming, Luke. I'll be there as soon as I can figure out how.