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Chapter One

At least a cloudy day is better than a rainy one, Tom thought as he looked out the window on the bus. A few seconds later, the first water droplet hit the window. Then the next, and the next. Tom sighed and grabbed his black backpack off the floor. His stop was next. It was too bad though that he still had to walk for about 10 minutes before getting to school.

Tom pulled the yellow wire strung across the bus on his right to signify he needed to get off at the next stop. There was no one else he knew who took this bus to school. Most people didn't have to take the bus at all. It wasn't Tom's fault that he lived a little farther away than most students. It's just that living on the outskirts of a small town with only one high school still somehow offered lots of time taken walking. So, he took the bus.

The bus came to a halt. Tom slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped off the bus. As he walked, he looked down at the ground hoping to find any spare rocks to kick. Sadly, there were none in sight.

Rain drops gently fell on him and his bag. Tom had forgotten to bring an umbrella. He hoped it wouldn't start pouring, if his backpack got soaked through, everything in his bag would be wet the entire day. The entire long, boring, school day.

Although it was only October, Tom was getting bored with school. Yes, he had work do to now and then, and yes, he had friends to hang out with. But nothing new happened. He thought grade 10 would be better, but like every school year he can remember its just been a routine; Pay attention in class (most of the time), get some work done, and hang out with the guys after school. Nothing extremely new happened, and Tom was beginning to accept it. Nothing exceptionally good was going to happen to him, and why would it.

Nothing, absolutely nothing. He thought.

Tom turned right on the street corner and continued to follow the sidewalk. He was about halfway to school now. There were a few kids up near the end of the street. The likes of which he figured he knew but didn't bother to catch up to. Today there were less people than Tom normally saw as he walked, even with this being a residential area.

Up ahead though, he saw a girl in a brown leather jacket leaning against a tree on the side of someone's property. Her Auburn hair seemed to gently sway in the breeze. Although she was too lacking an umbrella, it didn't look like she cared it was raining.

She was tall, probably a little taller than Tom himself, and generally slim. As Tom got closer, he noticed there was something beside her. Something quite long, and about 4 or 5 feet tall covered in a burlap tarp. It could have been some kind of small boat, probably owned by whoever lived in the house. But if not, Tom was sure they wouldn't be happy about it sitting there. As Tom's mother would say, it was an eyesore.

" 'You waiting for someone?" He asked, as she made eye contact with him.

"Yes, actually," She smiled. Tom figured she must have been British or something. The way she pronounced her A's we're softer and more... round?

"I'm waiting for a Thomas Kenwell, I believe that's you." She remarked. No, she couldn't have been British. Everything else she said sounded like she was from North America.

"Thomas?" She asked again.

"Huh, sorry. That's me." Tom startled. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I know you or why you'd be looking for me."

"Thomas, how often do you get strange news?"

Tom nearly snorted.

"Not very often, although I'd be willing to take what I can get."

"Alright," The girl said. She took in a breath as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"My name's Adelei, I'm from Seventy-one years in the future, and I'm here to take you back in time so we can jumpstart the invention of time travel."

Tom stared at her, expecting her to be joking. Her eyes were as blue as the sky itself, (if it wasn't raining, of course). She didn't seem crazy, but she didn't look like she was from the future either. She was just... chill. If that was even the right word.

"Maybe I should revoke what I just said." Tom replied.

"I'm serious," She smirked, but it soon faded away. "Let me show you."

Adelei stepped out from under the tree and approached the lump under the tarp.

"Are you coming over here or what?" She asked.

Tom walked closer to her and peered at the lump. The rain was starting to get a little heavier now and his T-shirt was already beginning to cling to him. Tom took off his backpack and set it on the ground in front of him just as Adelei bent over and peeled back the corner of the tarp.

Underneath was some kind of white peapod shaped contraption. It had blue striped accents around the doors and overall looked out of place in the little suburban area.

"This," Adelei began. "Is what in the future we call a Gyrobooster. They're like low-flying ships for rich people to joyride in. This one's modified, of course. Modified for time travel." She looked almost smug about it.

"Uh-huh." Tom replied. A moment of silence followed between them as Tom quietly marvelled at the machine, or whatever it was. Adelei broke the pause first.

"Well, are you going to get in?"

"In-into that?" Tom questioned. "It is impressive, but you see, I am a sane person, and I need to get to school now." Not that Tom really cared about school at the moment. He was interested if Adelei was telling the truth, but the option was unlikely.

I'm also no hero, He thought to himself. The words echoed around his brain.

"Can't you just believe me for once in your life?" Adelei exasperated, cutting his thoughts short.

"Sorry, I don't think I can. I hardly even know you!"

Adelei pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something incoherent. Strands of her damp hair were already beginning to cling to the sides of her face. Tom figured he'd be drenched from the rain by the time he got to school.

"Don't you want to do something good? Or-or... at least something different from your everyday life? Not everyone gets a chance like this Thomas. Even I ha- "

"Tom. You can just call me Tom."

"Fine then. Tom, even I have doubts about this. But I have to do this. I will do this. And you will too."

"Really?" Tom gibed. "Honestly, I thought you would be a pro at time travel or something."

Adelei deflated.

"No, no I'm not," She glanced at the ground and kicked at the wet grass.

"This is my first time using one of the few time machines we have. I'm illegally using it to come and collect you so that we can go back in time and deliver this-"

Adelei stuffed her hand in her jacket pocket and pulled out a folded slip of parchment, stamped with a small seal. It was a letter. She held it out to him like it was the chance of a lifetime.

He didn't take it.

"Why me?" Tom questioned.

Adelei carefully placed the letter back in her pocket.

"Because you end up helping with the invention of time travel." The words rolled off her tongue as though the two of them were having a normal conversation.

"As if," Tom scoffed.

"It's true." She countered. "Whatever happens, happens, and has already happened. It's fate. Your going to end up doing it anyways."

Whatever her accent was, Tom was starting to like it. But he held his ground. Maybe if he'd annoy her enough, she'd give up.

"Well if you're saying I can't change the future, then I guess we can't change the past and deliver that letter."

Adelei sighed again. Tom assumed his plan was working.

"That's correct. But we're not changing the past. We're making it, dumbass."