Just Don't Die

Now What?

"Well, that makes the most sense," she said after nearly 10 minutes of absolute silence. "So you are stuck here, in this time, right? You aren't going to be going back? And the whole inheritance thing was a lie?"

"As far as I understand it, the reality I came from no longer exists because I came back, which changed everything. Even if I could act the same as I did when I was this age, I still wouldn't be able to make every single decision the same at the right times. So, while I am technically from the future, I'm not from this future. As far as I know, there is only one way to travel into the future, and that's to live it. As for the money, yes, the inheritance part is a lie, but I did have someone give me some money."

"Hope you don't mind, I'm going to have another smoke," she said, reaching into her purse for another cigarette and then pausing before lighting it. "Wait, do I get cancer or a hole in my throat?"

"I think you'd be better off not smoking, but no, you hadn't got cancer by the time I came back. You honestly only ever smoked when you were really stressed, and it never became a habit with you." Blaine said, laughing.

"Oh, thank goodness. So, your dad was supposed to die the day before yesterday, but you changed that?" She said, taking a drag and blowing the smoke away from Blaine.

"Saturday, but yes. That's why I've been in such a good mood. This reality is already infinitely better than the last one."

"So there is no real worry about changing things? Well, obviously not, since you told me. I would have figured it out eventually," she said, finally allowing a small smile to appear. She shook her head, "Just kidding, there's not a chance in hell I would have guessed something this crazy. What can you tell me about me," she paused before finishing, "or is it something I shouldn't know? Oh, this is so hard, I want to know, but then I don't think I should. OK, tell me one thing you wished I didn't do. No, wait, what is my job? Am I married? Oh my gosh, we didn't get married, did we?!" Lex stood up now, pacing as she rambled her questions and concerns.

"Slow down. We have plenty of time to critique a life you will never experience. I will tell you this much, though: we are not married."

"Oh good, I mean... I don't even know what to do with that information. Sorry, I didn't mean to say 'good' that we never got married. Maybe it would have worked out. Wait, are we even friends?" She was talking so fast that she nearly forgot her lit cigarette and almost burned her hair when she nervously pushed it out of her face.

"Take a drag and calm down. Like I said, we will have plenty of time to answer whatever you want. Right now, I need your advice on what to do. Do I really need high school? I mean, I already technically graduated, and it's not like I will need a job."

Lex looked over at him. "Why not? Do you know the lottery numbers? Even if you did, you need a continuous income, or you'll be bankrupt eventually."

"Very true. I do not have any winning lottery numbers, but I know what will be worth investing," Blaine said, "and I have a friend that already gave me a little starting capital to get me going."

Without naming Kalvin, Blaine explained to Lex that through creative use of a lost wallet Kalvin had found while working at the mall, Blaine was able to purchase some of the properties near his parent's house that would soon be needed for the new hospital. He even found one property that would become part of the city's new reservoir in a few years. They used the identity of the guy who had lost the wallet to hold Kalvin's money, invest it in the properties, and then deed it to Blaine on his 18th birthday. All the taxes were paid upfront, and the random guy who lost his wallet would never even know he had over 800,000 dollars come and go through his name if the guy even did his taxes.