The Day Trippers

Chapter 2

Later, I waited at the coffee shop at a small table. The building was swirling with the sweet aroma of coffee beans and fresh baked pastries. I sat, sipping the sweet coffee. Well, cream and sugar with a teaspoon of coffee, really.
I turned my head at the chime of the door. Weirdo walked in, letting in a cool blast of October air. She had changed into a simple red hoodie and jeans which surprised me. She actually looked, normal.
The barista came over to take her order.
"What the heck is a day tripper?" I asked bluntly. "What is going on? I swear if you are just messing with me..."
Weirdo nodded her head at the barista as she walked away with her notepad, "I am not messing with you, Olivia. You are special."
I listened closely, but the more I did the more I was confused.
"What do you mean, spe.."
"I mean you can time travel."
I couldn't hold it in any longer and I laughed in her face. But she did not show an expression. My smile faded.
"What are you talking about?" People were right, Weirdo was crazy.
"You can, Olivia, I'm not joking. I can show you." Before I could object she took out a piece of paper. "Think of a time period in your head. Think of something in the past, like Ancient Greece or something."
"What?"
"Never mind, just start with something small, like the 1980s."
"No, I don't know what you are trying to accomplish, but this is so stupid." I started to turn to grab my bag, as Weirdo grabbed my arm.
"No! Please. What does it hurt to try? If it doesn't work, then you can go and you'll never have to talk to me again. Okay?" She extended me a pen. I thought for a moment.
"And you buy me another frappuccino," I answered and took the pen in my hand.
"Deal," She replied, "So first, try to clear your mind."
    "This isn't some weird religious thing, is it?"
    "Just," she gestured to the pen, "Clear your mind, and think about a place, try Paris."
    I concentrated, closing my eyes. I pictured it in my mind. The historic cobbled streets, and the small coffee shops, the Eiffel tower lit up at night.
    "Mmhh," I mumbled.
    "Now thinking about that, and write down, Meanwhile..."
    "What is thi.."
    "Shh, just do it."
    I took the pen in my hand and imagined Paris. I watched as my hand scrawled Meanwhile...
At first, nothing happened. Then a sudden dizziness overcame me. My eyes grew heavy, and my body went numb. I opened my eyes, to see streaks of purple and blue light speeding past me. Loud buzzing sounds penetrated my head. My breathing increased rapidly, as my vision swayed. Weirdo squeezed my arm, I had forgotten she was there. A sudden burst of white light stung my eyes and made me go momentarily blind.
I stumbled as my feet hit the hard ground. Weirdo grasped my arm as I nearly fell over. She was nearly a head taller than me, but then again, so was everyone else. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night. A cool autumn breeze carried around the aroma of fresh bread and fine cheese. The streets shuffled with busy people. Angry honking echoed off the stone buildings.
    "It worked!" She exclaimed.
    "What did that coffee shop put in my drink?" I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose.   
    "You'll get used to it," Weirdo giggled as she strolled off down the street. I almost had to run to keep up with her.
    "What the heck is going on? Where are we? I need to get back! I have school and finals are coming up, and... and college scouts," I stammered.
    "You worry too much," Weirdo said lightly.
"No, I worry just enough," I shot back, crossing my arms, "I just need to meanwhile back."
I closed my eyes trying to focus again. My head pounded and I couldn't picture anything, everything was gray and fuzzy.
"It takes time. It might be a little while before you can meanwhile, the more you travel, the more it wears you out. But you practice so you're stronger. So only use the meanwhile in an emergency, you never know when you will need to use it. Okay?" I nodded.
"Where are we anyways?"
"We're in Paris like you thought about." She responded calmly, like she had done, whatever we had just done, a thousand times, "You did that."
       I needed to get back home, not that my parents would even notice that I was gone. This month they were all excited about how close they were to another "breakthrough". 
They were both astronomers and were always busy. I guess that was okay, though, I could do whatever I wanted really, not that I did much of anything, though.
I always felt like they were disappointed in me like I was never good enough. I didn't have the best grades, I wasn't a genius like them. I used to think that they loved me and wanted me, but that feeling went away over time.  
"Well whatever I just did, I need to undo it. I need to get back. I have school and.." I stopped once I realized Weirdo kept walking quickly through the streets.
"Weirdo," I called, running up to her side, "what the heck did I just do?"
"You just time traveled to Paris, 15 minutes in the future," she glanced down at her watch, "But now it is 10:26 pm in Central European time."
"This is so weird," I rubbed the side of my head, "The homework?"
"I went back a couple of minutes to finish it for you," she responded. My head hurt the more I thought about it.
"If I can time travel, then why haven't I been able to before?" I questioned.
"Have you ever tried that before?"
"I suppose not," I replied. The light from the street lamps and cafes pounded my head like tiny needles. "If time travel is possible, then why doesn't everyone do it?"
"Like I said, you are special," she twirled her thumbs, "Not everyone can time travel you know, or be able to go through the portals,"
"What portals?"
"Not all time travelers have to be able to form a portal, but only time travelers can go through them," she explained. This must have just been a bad dream, and soon I would wake up. I closed my eyes and pinched my arm.
"What are you doing?" I opened my eyes to find Weirdo looking concernedly at me, the bright lights still hurt my head.
"This is all a dream and I will wake up soon," I pinched my arm again,  harder this time. I winced at the pinch. My eyes fluttered open, Weirdo was still there. I groaned.
"Look, Olivia, I know this is hard to take in but this is real." I rubbed my temples.
"Why doesn't the world know about this? Think about what this could do?!"
"No! Olivia you cannot tell anybody, okay?"
"Why not?"
"Because," she sighed, "the world doesn't get us. Scientists want to run tests. People think we are the offspring of demons," Weirdo closed her eyes, "Have you ever heard of the Salem witch trials?" She asked. I simply nodded, "In 1693 some people believed time travelers, day-trippers, to be witches, because of their abilities. The first was Bridget Bishop. She was one of the first organizers of the TTA. And one of the first killed,"
"Is that who you work for?" I asked.
"No," she said as she looked away.
"So how do you get the ability to day-trip?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, "You're just born with it."
"Oh," I mumbled, "Weirdo, what's your real name?"
She only slightly turned her head, "Aris Barlow."
Her tight blonde curls blew wildly in the breeze.
"Why don't you tell people, why Weirdo?" I questioned, I was growing more and more curious about Weirdo; Aris Barlow.
"I'm not from your time, Olivia." I turned my head to look at her.
"What does that mean?"
"I traveled like we have right now," she said, resting her arms on the fence overlooking the St.Martin canal. I watched as the moon danced off the water. "Where I was born was not a good time. But like you, another day tripper found me and told me about the meanwhile."
"I feel like this is all a dream," I watched, mesmerized by the water.
"I felt that way too," Aris assured.
"Where were you born?"
"Paris, France. October 2, 1932."
"World War II," She only nodded, "That's why you time traveled. The clothes. The weird personality."
"What?" She asked, turning her head. My face suddenly grew hot.
"Sorry," I added quietly.
"I tried to start a new life," she looked down. "But they found out. They found me."
"What? Who found out?"
"Look, Olivia, I am terribly sorry," she pleaded, "But you were in great danger. You couldn't stay there or they would find you. So I had to take you here."       
"Aris, what's going on?" I slowly took a step away.
"Olivia, you have to go, they probably already know you're here." Aris sounded panicky.
"What's going on? You're scaring me." My eyes grew wide in fear.
"Olivia," she paused, "I'm kidnapping you." I felt as if I had just been kicked in the gut. Her eyes glistened with a tear.
"Aris.." I clenched my hands to keep them from trembling.
"Listen to me, you can't go back," she took my hand in hers, "they will be waiting for you. No matter what you can't go back until I find you again, do you understand?" I nodded dumbly. "Good, now go to this address, ask to see Sam Evans. He can take care of you. The code is 55643, second floor, apartment 6. I'll take you to the station, and then you need to find him." Aris' eyes grew wider as she peered around my shoulder.
"What? What is it?" I stammered.
"They found us."