Time Changes Everything (Completed)

Chapter 01- Xander's POV

Chapter 01 

Xander

I brought the books I planned on purchasing up to the counter. It was the first time I had entered this old bookstore- it was slightly removed from the rest of the city and it wasn't very close to the main Transport path. However, the different, antique look of it had intrigued me and I couldn't help but put the time into walking to it. Plus, it was one of the only places where you could buy actual books- no one whatsoever read paper books. Old things, though, for some reason interested me, and that included books.

Surprisingly, I had found a few titles that seemed interesting to me from the early 2000's- the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, to be exact. As I walked towards the counter with those books, I noticed an old man sitting and reading at one of the tables. He looked up as I passed by and his eyes widened. So did mine. This man was startlingly familiar, and yet I didn't know where I had seen him.

The old woman at the counter smiled at me brightly, and I could see behind the layers of years and wrinkles that she must have once been a beautiful girl. I smiled back at her as she took my books and scanned them in with an old scanner. All of the things in here seemed to be old, including the pen pad she had me sign my name on after making my purchase. Most stores, in fact nearly every store I had ever seen, just had a fingerprint identification pad.

"Can I take your credit card?" She asked me. I handed her my money card, knowing that's what she meant. For some reason, all of the old folks around here called our little cards with money on them 'credit cards.' My mom says that's what they used to be called.

"Thanks," I said, nodding at the old woman and then the old man. Before I could leave, I saw him mouthing something to the woman, maybe his wife, and she called my name.

"Xander!"

I spun around. "How do you know my name?"

"You remind me of someone I..." She hesitated, "once knew. His name was Xander. But it was many, many years ago." She had a faraway look in her eyes, as of she was imagining those days fine by. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. "I just instinctively called out his, er, your name. It must be a coincidence." She told me, but just saying that usually meant it wasn't.

Before I could leave again, she began to unclasp the necklace hanging over her shirt.

"Here," she said to me, "I want to have this." I looked at her strangely. Why would I need a necklace? "Give it to that special girl sometime in your, er, future," she instructed me. Hesitantly I grabbed the chain of the necklace, which also looked old, from her hand and slipped it into my pocket.

"Bye!" I said to the woman and left as quickly as I could. I must admit I was starting to get creeped out. The distance to the nearest Transport stop went much quicker than the journey from it as I contemplated what had just happened. When I arrived at the stop, though, I soon gave up. I was the only one at this particular stop, and so, when I saw a pair of empty seats speeding through the glass tunnel I got ready to board. The door opened automatically and I sat down. I spoke my address to the TouchPad attached to my seat and it took off immediately. I pulled my own, foldable touchpad out of my other pocket and touched to button for it to stretch out to its full size.

"Keyboard," I commanded it, and instantly a thin, sleek keyboard ejected from it. The ride home took only about five minutes, but I took advantage of it and Messaged my dad. I told him I was would be home soon, incase he had beat me home and was worried. It was summer vacation, and so I no longer had school to worry about.

When I arrived home I remembered that I was in charge of dinner tonight. Dad had told Messaged me back saying was exercising at the gym and Mom was still working, so I was on my own except for my 12-year old sister.

I checked my family's meal plan on my TouchPad. The government had created a system that provided a trustworthy plan of nutritious meals customized specially for the size, activities, budget and preferences of each family. You didn't have to use this free service, but most did, my family included.

Tonight's meal was the classic spaghetti and meatball dish. I looked in the fridge, grabbed out the large container and stuck it in the oven. I set it for 30 minutes, the time on the box, and let the oven do its work. The I settled down to do homework for the rest of the afternoon.

I had almost forgotten about the necklace when it fell out if my pocket as I changed out of my perfectly fitted Day Clothes and into my more comfortable Evening Clothes. Day clothes were what you wore in public, Evening Clithes what you wore at home to relax, and Night clothes your pajamas.

As soon as I had those on I extracted the silver chain from the carpet and examined it.

As I ran my hand along the mini clock, I began to feel very strange. I started getting weak, and my vision and thoughts alike became fuzzy and unclear. Before I could comprehend what was happening, I found myself fallin through the air and then submerge into cool water.

**Hope you enjoyed this first chapter! I tried to make it nice and interesting right away... Vote, fan and comment, please! Xander's character banner is on the side. :)**