Time

Time Is Running Out

When the light stopped, it took a second for my vision to clear. Once the world was clear again, I smiled.

"We're home!!"

"This is the present?" Nokia asked

"Thank goodness we didn't mess anything up," my father sighed in relief.

Before I could make even one step towards my house, there was a sharp, head splitting ring in my head. I covered my ears slightly, but I still found myself on the ground.

"Hiro! Edward!" I heard Nokia scream, but it was muffled.

That's when all of it came back to me. The memories that we missed. Since we changed the past my mother lived longer. The memories of going to school for the first time, watching movies, Christmas morning, and so much more filled my mind so quickly. Then her funeral. Apparently she couldn't escape her sickness, even though she stopped smoking when I was 2. She died when I was 7.

After what seemed like forever, all of it stopped suddenly. My head still hurt badly though, but the head spilling feeling was gone. I groaned as I sat up.

"What happened?!" Nokia asked frantically.

"We... Memories filled my mind. Alyssa only lived until Hiro was 7... She held through," my father smiled slightly. "She's a trooper. Of course she always was."
Nokia and Carlos still looked worried for us.

"Are you sure your okay...?"

"Yeah Nokia. My head still hurts a little, but I'm sure we both are okay." I said.

She helped both of us up. It was still hard to stand, but after a while it became easier. We all walked inside, and I smiled. I ran to the fridge, and opened it up. Yep, the nasty jello was still there. And the rotten bananas were literally completely brown by now. I missed this place so much, with it's rotting food and all.

"How long do you think you all were gone?" Nokia asked.

"I don't know...."

Suddenly my dad picked up about 3 Sunday newspapers off of the front porch.

"Based on this, I would say about three weeks."

"Thank god it wasn't four year," I sighed in relief. "We wouldn't even have this house anymore."
Carlos flopped down on the couch, and smiled.

"This is our home?"

"Yeah Carlos... Welcome home," I smiled.

• • •

All of us went on a huge shopping spree with the money we had left from the journey. We got Carlos a bed and blankets, and new food. Nokia said she was fine with the guest room. Since we have two living rooms, we turned one into Carlos's room. Carlos and her both get a room to themselves. It worked perfectly, but if didn't run smoothly. It took us all day just to move stuff in.

We all had dinner all together for the first time. It was nice because Nokia cooked.

I ripped one of my crescent rolls that was covered in butter in half.

"Everything is so much better now," I smiled.

"And I'm turning the time machine in. We'll be rich in no time!" My father cheered.

"Wait, your turning your invention in?" Nokia asked

"I made it to help the science discovery. All our names will be remembered in history."

"But dad, you just built it. Why are we.." My voice trailed off.

My father just gave all of us a smile.

"Because without you all, I wouldn't have gone through time smoothly. You all helped me along my journey. How could I not mention you all!"

We all just laughed and talked for the rest of our dinner about new adventures to possibly come in the future.

• • •

I knocked softly on Nokia's room door.

"Come in."

I opened the door and smiled a bit.

"Hey..."

"Oh, it's you," she said sarcastically. "Get out of here."

"What? Upset to see me?"
She just rolled her eyes and finished putting some of her clothes in a drawer.

"So, why did you come to visit me?"

"I just wanted someone to talk to," I answered.

"You couldn't do that with your father? Or Carlos?" I saw that she now had a smirk on her face.

"You know them. They're different."

"Oh really? How so?" She asked, tilting her head to the side a little.
All I could do was laugh. She always won conversations, even if we weren't arguing.
"Anyways, thanks for doing all of this Hiro."

"Doing what?"

"Everything," she sighed. "I don't know. Just thank you."

"I think that's the first time you've said thanks to me. Ever."

"Well don't get used to it."
Classic Nokia for you. Never get used to her because you don't know what she will do next.
I found myself backing away out of the room awkwardly after that.

"Night..."

"Night."

I closed the door behind me and sighed, and headed to my room across the hallway.

• • •

"Hiro, I'm afraid that you need to repeat the year," my principle told me.

"What?! I only missed three weeks! I can do all of my work! I promise I can!"

"C's don't cut it Hiro. You would have passed to go 11th grade. But it's the end of the year Hiro. You ran out of time."
I slammed my hand down on her desk hard. Usually I don't get in fights with teachers, but this was getting personal.

"Listen, I'll take summer school. I'll do it if it means I get to pass!"

"Nokia is it?"

"What? My friend? Yes, that's her."

"She shows excellent talent. She can go to 11th grade. She's amazingly smart."

No... This can't be happening! She was going to the next grade and not me?!

"What?! No!!"

"And Kiro is going to 11th as well. Sorry Hiro, C's never cut it."
She then got up out of her desk chair, and walked around her desk. Suddenly all around me the walls disappeared, and we were high above the ground. I screamed and fell to the floor.

"What's happening?!"

"C'S DON'T CUT IT!!" She yelled as she pulled me off of the floor. Now she was pushing me to the edge.

"NOO!!"

All I remember is falling off and screaming. No, this isn't happening. Wake up Hiro, WAKE UP!!
Before I hit the ground, the ceiling of my room was all I could see. Was I awake now?

I sat up and looked around. Apparently I was sweating a lot while I was sleeping. Slowly I got up, and walked over to my bedroom window. I looked out and sighed. Outside was windy, and the trees swayed. Outside you could see the stars, but there was just one cloud in the sky.

That cloud seemed suspicious to me. It was just there, blocking the stars
beauty. I don't know why, but I had a weird feeling that something was going to happen. No, that was just crazy.

I can't just make assumptions.