Emma's Six- The Final Year

Mock Exam Results

It is just before the Christmas holidays, and we are waiting for the teacher to give us our mock results. My teachers gave me worried looks throughout the week, all except for my history teacher. I guess history is the only exam I excelled in, but I cannot worry about that. What's done is done. I decided to only study history, and that is what I will do. I need to focus on what will happen over the hundreds of years I must live through. If I fail, I might never exist.

I glance down at my hands, hoping that I don't start fading. I still look normal; nothing's changed. Mr Cunningham places my envelope on the desk, and I open it. Just as I thought, the only exam I excelled in was history. At least I also passed English, Maths, Science, and art. That's five subjects- the minimum to get into the sixth form at Park Vale Comprehensive. But I was not expecting to pass five subjects. I thought the only one I would pass was history. At least I was wrong this time.

'How did you do?' Clyde asks when I join him, my friends, and Luke after school. We're going into town to finish our Christmas shopping, but we're going home first to wrap up warmly. The temperature dropped dramatically, and there is no way I want to brave the cold without a woolly hat and a scarf.
'I passed history, English, maths, science, and art. That was better than I thought I would do. What about the rest of you?'
'All As,' Luke smiles.
'Passed them all,' Anne says, 'that's the least I wanted this time around. Just wait, for my results, it will all be A*s.'
'We'll hold you to that,' James promises. Once again, they are walking us home. Project History finished for Christmas, so it means, at least for today, Harry and James are walking us home. We say goodbye to Clyde at the beginning of Renfrow Street before continuing down Bannerman Road.

When we get to my house, we spot my older self at the door. 'Here we go,' Mummy says, and we see K-9, my older self's K-9, come out of the house. 'Mr Smith helped us repair him, even though he despised having two K-9s in the house.'
'I can imagine,' my older self says, but she sounds flat, neutral.
'Did something happen?'
'No, nothing happened.'
'Are you sure?'
Emma looks over and spots us. 'I'll tell you later. K-9, walkies!'
'Affirmative!' K-9 follows my older self as she walks down the driveway towards Catalina's house.

'I think something happened,' Mum says, 'Emma was off today.'
'Yes, but what could've happened?'
'I don't know, but we need to find out. If Emma's like this after one voyage, what could it be like later?'

I head inside with Anne, Jane, and Luke. We grab out coats, hats, gloves, and scarves before slipping back out into the cold. 'Where are you off to?' Mummy asks.
'We're going into town to finish our Christmas shopping,' I say.
'All right, make sure you're back in good time.'
'We will.' We head out of the driveway leading to Old Forest Road to find Catalina, Anna, Kitty, Rani, and Clyde waiting for us.
'Ready?' Anne asks.
'Let's hope there are no alien invasions this time,' Catalina says. 'The first time we all went Christmas shopping here almost ended up being a disaster- a run-in with Henrat and it felt more like summer than November.'
'It won't feel like summer this time,' Luke assures us, 'it must've been a fluke- or aliens. And Mr Smith would alert us if he located any aliens nearby.'
'Would he, though? It would be more Mum and Mummy who would tell us- and they would rather us do our Christmas shopping as it keeps us out of trouble.'
'You might want to rethink your words,' James says, 'knowing us, trouble will find us.'

It seems like he was wrong this time. The trip into town is almost dull compared to when we fight aliens. But we never know when they will turn up, so while we complete our Christmas shopping, our eyes are alert, and we listen out for anything unusual. But it's the regular conversations, the typical people. No one here would be an alien, and even if they were, they wouldn't want to broadcast it to everyone. I know that from experience. The fewer people who know I'm half-alien, the better.

We get back, and I hide all the presents I got everyone. I will wrap them later. I head back to the attic and find a book on the Georgian era, but I don't open it. It will be worthwhile for me to study whatever history I can in the time I have left, but it feels like I'm just waiting for my future to happen. I have no control over what I do; I never had. That cannot be right; everyone else has control over their future. Why don't I? It's not fair.

I put my book back and sit in front of Mr Smith. That is where Mum and Mummy find me a few minutes later. 'You alright, Emma?' Mummy asks.
'I don't know,' I say, resting my head in my hands. 'My future's completely out of my hands, and there is nothing I can do about it.'
'Oh, Emma.' Mummy walks over and sits beside me, and Mum does the same. 'You do have control over your future.'
'Historians don't think so.'
'Then they're old bats,' Mum says, 'seriously, Emma, don't pay too much attention to them unless it's around specific events.'
'So, I can sort of do my own thing unless I get swept up in a historical event?'
'Yeah. You still have a say in your future.'

I smile and pull my parents into a hug. I don't think I realised how much I needed to hear that. 'Thanks.'
'You're welcome, but if you worry about it so much, don't. Your future is still yours. You still have a say in what you do.'

I like thinking that I still have a say, but how much of that is true? How much choice do I have? I guess the only option I have of finding out is to travel back in time. We hear the door open and turn to find Harry and James standing in the doorway. I wonder why they always hang around with each other...
'Is now a bad time?' James asks, 'we can come back later.'
'No, it's alright,' I assure them, and Harry and James come in. Both of them seem a little tense, on edge. Neither of them meets the other's gaze, and James is shifting from foot to foot. 'What's the matter?'
'Harry seems to think it's his fault I perished on the Titanic.'
'It is! If I didn't get on lifeboat fourteen-'
'I said I'd get on a later boat. We had no idea I wouldn't make it!'
'Actually....'
'Don't tell me I told you!' I groan.
'You told us,' James confirms, and I groan.

There goes one less option.

'Well, you can take Christmas off from studying,' Mummy says.
'I don't think I have that luxury, Mummy. What if I get something wrong? My actions will have major repercussions on all of history, and I can't afford for anything to happen.'
'Emma, look at me,' Mummy makes me face her. 'You are strong, and if need be, you can take some books with you. That way, you don't have to worry so much.'
'Can I really do that? What if someone comes across them? That could change everything! I cannot take that risk.'
'I guess that is a good point.'
'What about K-9?' Mum asks, 'if you take him with you, he can give you almost all the information you need about the past.'

I look over at K-9, who is sitting in a corner of the attic by Mummy's desk. They did pull K-9 out of the North Atlantic near the Titanic wreck. The Queens confirmed that K-9 was on the Titanic. 'All right,' I nod, 'K-9 can come.'
'Brilliant,' Mummy smiles, 'but don't think this gets you out of studying for history.'
'Oh, I wasn't thinking that!'