A Different Set of Events

Chapter Twenty Three

I awoke the next morning alone. And hot. And in my own bed... what the? I shot up. Angus was gone, the instruments were gone, the seventies were gone. I was home.

Climbing out of bed while tripping on the way, I ran to the living room expecting to see police or Scotland Yard or something. Not my mom sitting on the couch drinking coffee with my pug munching on his paw. I walked inconspicuously over to him and causally inspected his ears. I glanced at my mom, wondering if I should mention my sudden disappearance but she didn't seem worried. I kept quiet for now.

My electronic calendar on my bedroom wall was marked June 21st. The day I left for the seventies. I was sixteen again? Gosh darn it. Guess that meant a second birthday. That's probably why no one was wetting themselves over my absence. I called Vee to let her know what happened. She'd be so jealous. But then I saw her napping in my closet so I put the phone down.

"Vee? What are you doing here?" I asked kicking her ribs.

"Wake me up in the spring."

"It's spring Toad, now wake up." She sat up with a frown and a rat's nest on her head.

"What do you want?" she grumbled.

"First of all, lose the 'tude. Second, tell me why you're in my closet, then I'll tell."

"Well I thought about going out for ice cream 'cause it's that time of the month, but I know you always have good stuff in your freezer so I came here and passed out." I stared at her. "Now tell me why you're so freaked."

"Uh, remember yesterday in the pool when you thought it would be cool to meet AC/DC?"

"Yes. Oh my gosh, you saw them in the store didn't you?" I shook my head.

"No."

"Oh. Get my hopes up for nothing would ya'?"

"I went back in time."

"Holy crap!" she shouted . "You did not." I shushed her and nodded as she stood up to size me. "Every. Last. Detail. Now." I sat on my bed and she stood in front of me enthralled.

"I fell asleep last night. The world was freezing. Very unlike our swimming day. When I woke up I was in a street. Snow everywhere, even though it was Australia. A lady across the street took me into her home and you'll never believe who it was."

"Vanna White."

"What? No! Margaret Young," I told her. Her eyes widened.

"Isn't she-" I nodded biting my lip.

"Yes. She told me the year was 1975, we were in that little house they stayed in. Vee... I went back in time to the seventies and met freaking AC/DC!"

"This is awesome! Something good finally happened. How long were you there?"

"Almost two months. I turned seventeen and we celebrated, sort of, but now it's June 21st again. I'm still sixteen."

"Two birthdays..."

"Twice the cake!" we shouted. She smiled clapping and strutting across the floor. I laughed at her but my smile fell.

"And, something else happened there too." She looked at me.

"What? Oh no you didn't."

"Didn't what?"

"You slept with one of them!"

"No! Good Lord no! You know about my problem with that." She sat on the bed next to me.

"Then what was it?" I closed my eyes and bounced my leg up and down.

"One of them liked me."

"You're kidding."

"He told me a several weeks after being there."

"And?"

"And- he kissed me."

"Ha! Oh man that's the best thing I've heard all day!" Vee said wiping her eyes from laughter.

"All day, you've been up five minutes!"

"Then there's more good fortune to come! Alright, which one?" she asked putting her hands on her hips.

"Which one what?"

"Which one of them liked you?" I scoffed.

"You don't need to know."

"Don't freaking do this to me Hannah."

"Do what?"

"Tell me someone liked you but not tell me who it was. Now spill it."

"If you must know-"

"I knew it!"

"I didn't even say anything!"

"Hurry up."

"It was Angus."

"Figures. You two have way too much in common," she said. "But that's awesome! So was it love at first sight, or..."

"I don't know. He didn't tell me till about a week before I went home. And we went to America for a few concerts but he brought along Lucy Parker. He claimed she was his girlfriend but he only used her to deny his feelings for me."

"Did he say that?"

"Him and Malcolm."

"Was she a jackass?"

"Pushed me in a pool and later beat me up on my birthday. Angus threw her off me though, but not before I socked her a good one."

"What'd Angus think of that?"

"He was pretty proud," I smiled.

"That's good, so am I."

"And, on my last day... Angus... he didn't know about my problem... and he tried to..."

"Stop dragging it out woman, spit it out!"

"He tried to sleep with me." Vee put a hand to her forehead and pretended to pass out. I rolled my eyes and kicked her ribs again.

"Ow! Is this how you help the handicapped?" she said standing up.

"I said tried to, I pushed him off before he got too far."

"Was he mad?"

"Probably at first, but he held me while I was freaking out and we fell asleep like that."

"That's sweet." Vee winced as she rubbed her side. "Now uh, if you don't mind my asking, how far did you get before you kicked his arse?" I whispered to her what almost happened and she gagged. "Yeah, don't tell your parents that."

"I won't."

"Good. Now tell me the rest of the story."

I never got around to telling my parents what happened. A good amount of time passed and Vee and I agreed to just keep quiet about the whole thing. It's not too likely they'd believe me anyway. Vee was mad she didn't come with me but that wasn't my fault. She should have come for ice cream sooner.

I felt awful about how I left Angus. My last day spent with him and I hurt his feelings. And his back. But maybe I'd see him again one day and get to apologize.  Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt. But it wouldn't hurt to see him again, for old time's sake. After all, anything is possible.

To be continued...