Skipping Time

Marty

Marty--

I couldn't believe what I just heard, her brother and friends won't know who she is? What about her mom and dad?

"Wait what about her family? They just can't forget about her!" Fox gasped.

The three kids glanced at each other.

"Just her brother you mean?" Conner asked quietly. Fox shook his head.

"No her mom and dad too!" Now the kids frowned.

"Alexandra Sparrow is an orphan didn't you I know that?" Nicky said in a confused tone. Fox and I glanced at each other. No we didn't know that! Of corse we didn't, she never said anything....

"Come on! I bet someone remembers her! I just don't think that's possible. If she really time traveled into the future then everyone would remember her, I mean that's obvious!" I said thinking about every movie I've seen that involved time travel. The kids smiled at me like I was a dumb child.

"But, this is different. Way different. It's not time travel like she meant it to happen, but, more like the Time Line wrinkled around her and she got moved to a new time. The universe realized its mistake and made up for it by erasing her from this existence. But since you saw her go the universe didn't want to go into your head. Do you understand?" Nicky explained. Fox and I shook our heads.

Fox put his head in his hands. "Can we leave now? I want, no need, to go to where she lives and ask if anyone remembers her. Please!" He looked up. Some tears glinted in his eyes. Then he blinked and they were gone. The three siblings nodded and Conner pulled out the gun. Fox and I stood up and pulled in closer as if to hug. Alice looked at us then stood in front of us, looking at Conner.

"I'm coming with them. I'll be carful promise!" The other two nodded and Conner shot us with it. A gray gross light came out.

******

"Wake up you idiot!" I slapped Fox across the face. He was passed out on the carpet of the school hallway. It was dark outside, it was night time already?

"Don't worry guys before we sent you to our pocket home we erased you. No one knows who you are, I'll fix it once you get Alexandra back." Alice said. I couldn't tell if it were a threat or to comfort us. I'm pretty sure Fox took it as a threat, at least the way he was looking at her made it seem like that.

"What is so important about her exactly? Who cares? She's gone what's the big deal?" Fox harrumphed at her. I knew Fox wouldn't understand. He couldn't, he doesn't. My mind drifted back to the time we met.

It was in first grade. We both were in Mrs. Roberts class. The whole class was about 10 minutes early, all of them ready to learn. The teacher came in and took attendance, the only kid missing (after 5 minutes of class) was a kid named Andrew. Mrs.Roberts just shrugged and put us into our seats and started telling us about the classroom. Half an hour later a kid came waltzing in like he was the king of the world. It was Fox. I thought he was so cool arriving late, he blamed the bus system. I later found out he walked to school because he slept though the bus arriving. My best friend and I knew we were friends from the second we laid eyes on each other. He thought I was pretty cool too.

The whole time I've known him, which has been a while, he never really had "good grades" he's always just done what's fun. What Alice said, about his future, when he was passed out in that pocket universe..... I worried for him. That dream he's been having is quite worrisome if what the kids said is true. I don't want Fox to change, but if he doesn't his end will be horrible. Saving Alexandra is a big step in the right direction.

"Fox calm down. If you want me to tell you about her I will. But, if you ever tell her what I'm about to tell you something could go wrong. Very wrong. Do you understand?" Alice whispered in the night air outside the school. We had walked out the side door and I didn't even notice. The warning she gave Fox was exactly the one she gave me about Fox.

"Fine! Good! Tell me! What the hell is sooo great about ALEXANDRA!!!" He was really mad. I understand that his first thought against any problem is to hit it. He got into a few fights that way.

Alice sighed. We were walking down Main Street now. The chill wind blew against us as we headed to the rich part of town. It was about midnight and the stores were dark. The only light were the sparing street lamps and the half moon. Alice was talking quietly to Fox. I wasn't allowed to know. Trust me I asked about Alexandra. They wouldn't tell me why I wasn't allowed to know but, I assumed I was a part of her life somehow.

If this was yesterday, the day when I didn't have a care I the world. The day I would have asked her out after band. If it was that day then I would hope I had married that girl. Now? Now I'm not so sure. The events of Fox's future are to great a problem to worry about girls.

***

"We are here." It was an hour later. I looked up to the Bailey House for Orphaned Children. Alexandra lived here? Alice took out a small key and opened the door. Inside was a beautiful wood furnished home. The large room we were in had to flights of stares leading up. To both sides were doors, I assumed one was a tv room and the other an eating room.

"Up stairs end of the hall. Her brother is in there. Don't scare him ok? As I know he won't know you. And the second door to the right is her friend Griffin. Check both if you want."

Fox frowned, then when Alice started to walk outside, he winked. Then smiled. He took my hand and pulled me up the stairs.

"What?" I whispered. "What is it?" He opened the second door on the right and jumped onto the bed. The kid in the bed screamed, loudly. I heard lights flick on in other rooms and feet pounding in our direction. Then the door opened with a bang. A thin small mousy boy stood in the doorway, he liked exactly like Alexandra but, had sandy blond hair. Fox laughed when he saw Lloyd. Then got off the boy in the bed. He patted Lloyd on the head. They both laughed.

"You remember us?" I asked confused. He nodded.

"Sure! Alexandra talks about you ALOT in her journal. She even taped in pictures! Hey Fox, hey Marty!" He said laughing.

"What do you mean? You shouldn't know us!" I say, exuberantly.

"I know. I know I shouldn't. It's hard to explain, but all her stuff is still in my room. In memory I don't remember her. But last earlier today all her stuff was there. Which was new. I looked through it and found a diary. She talked a lot about me and you, and everyone. So I knew she was real. I just figured she was kidnapped and my memory of her was erased by the men in black." He laughed, a laugh so similar to hers.

"Well, she wasn't kidnapped! That's for sure." Fox said.

"I remember her. Naturally. I saw her go." Said the kid in the bed. We all looked at him in surprise.

"Who are you? How is that possible?" I asked grabbing the kid from the bed.

"Get off of me!" He pushed me away. Then smoothed out his shirt smugly. "Anyway, I hacked the video system today. At the time when she got out of band, and I saw her go." Fox laughed.

"You're smart kid. What's your name?"

The kid smiled. A hug goofy grin. He knew he was smart but liked to be told he was anyway. "Name's Griffin. Griffin Coheart." Coheart? Weird last name.

"Where is everyone?" Fox asked suddenly and quietly. The two boys glanced at each other.

"Gone. We don't know. There were here yesterday. But when I came home from school today, they were gone." Griffin said. Lloyd nodded.

"I even remember them. I'm not to sure where they are. I didn't go to school today. I was sick. But, now..." They shook their heads. Fox nodded, as if to understand. Well, in a way he did.

I told them we should go outside and talk to Alice. They agreed. Griffin loped into his closet and picked out an a pair of brown shorts and a collared shirt. He laughed a little while picking up a top hat. Lloyd took a while to get dressed. Obviously when he came out he had a bag packed.

"Why the bag?" Fox asked. Lloyd smiled.

"I'm coming with you."