I had no dreams or nightmares that night and I woke up without my brain feeling fuzzy or confused. However, the memories of the past few days—with and without the time dilation-- remained. I could see their faces as they towered over me or laid on me. It would have been an honorable thing to save my friends to try and bring them back from the dark side. I admit I chose the selfish route instead and to be honest,

I felt no regrets and would have done it again.

“Taianna!” Mom shouted from the other end of the house, “We need to leave!”

“On my way, mom!” I yelled as I scooped up backpack, took a final look at my wardrobe: a green sweater with jeans; and flipped off the lights as I left the room.

Mom stood at the end of the hallway as I ran from my room to the front of the house.

“Your look happy this morning, dear.”

“It feels like a new day,” I replied as we walked out the front door.

“Do you have a ride to work after school?”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied, “and back home.”

Mom nodded as we got into the car.

She started the engine, and the radio immediately blasted out and instead of turning the volume down, Mom covered her ears.

“The case of multiple rape charges against Christopher Newsom continues to day four…”

I reached out and tuned it off.

“Thank you. How did I leave that on so loud? Well, as I was going to say, Shiela is coming home for the weekend tomorrow morning.”

“Can’t wait,” I replied as we backed out of the driveway.

“She wants to go to the game. Are you okay with that?”

“Sure, I have tomorrow night off.”

“I’ll let you take my car as long as you only go to the game.”

“What about the after the game meet-up at Taco Bueno?” I pleaded. “I made promise I’d be there.”

“As long as you bring a sopapilla home with a lot of honey.”

“I can that mom. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Tai. Oh, someone is on the side of the road. Do you know them?”

I looked to the side of the road to see Tony standing in front of a broken-down car.

“He doesn’t look familiar. It could be a trap, you know?”

Mom nodded. “I’ll call the non-emergency number and see if someone can come out to help him.”

Mom dropped me off in front of Liberty High School. The school looked the same, but there was a different vibe in the air. I walked inside and dived into the sea of students to reach my locker. Barry and Paul walked by, sans their wrestling letter jackets, with their hands and hearts entwined. I opened my locker, grabbed my books, and turned to look back at the student body. In the past, I felt small and inferior to everyone but everyone who passed me acknowledged my smile and wave with one of their own.

“Gang way!” A voice shouted and I took a side-step to allow the blur of a guy chased by seven girls wearing jackets that had what looked like the letter “O” on the back to race by. They had thrown him into every trash can in the school, but it looked like there was a new one installed in front of the library that had not yet been blessed.

“Okay class. I have an announcement before we go over the results of the pop quiz,” Mrs. Fredrickson spoke through a sip of coffee.

“Parallel lines have so much in common. Unfortunately, they will never meet.”

The class groaned and she waved off their disapproval. “I’ll be here all week, as will all of you. Okay, here are the results of yesterday’s quiz.”

I glanced out the window and saw only the fall day. No bullets, no psychic powers, and no catastrophic damage to the city.

“Miss Traynor, are you with us or admiring the day?”

“I’m here, ma’am, sorry.”

“I don’t blame you for looking out the window,” Mrs Fredrickson replied with a nod as she flung her hair behind her back, away from her face.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said as she handed over my assignment.

After first period, I stepped past the school trophy and awards case, filled to the brim with various gold statues, ribbons, pennants, and pictures. One of the pictures was of our school’s dance team during nationals. I grinned at the sight of myself in our uniforms and flags. I was not the leader, and I was not the best, but I was part of a team. The next case was devoid of flair or splendor; more of sorrow and somber.

The center of the case featured a picture with a plaque below that read “We will remember you, Matthew Paul Williamson” with newspaper clippings of a tragic accident at The Ruins where his car flipped over five times, and he was ejected.

“Hey, you, okay?” A voice asked as a hand rested on my shoulder.

“I’m fine, I just never read this all the way.”

“It was a sad day, yeah. But think about it: he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was driving around a garbage dump. Not too safe, right?”

“Yeah,” I replied with a nod.

“Come, on, where’s my happy girl?”

“I’m right here,” I sang as I turned to Shelley and kissed her on the cheek.

“Remember, happiness is contagious.”

“I may have a fever,” I replied with a swoon.

“I know a cure.”

“Will you please heal me, doctor?”

“The first thing is we get away from this darkness and continue on to second period.”

I nodded to Shelley and together we walked to second period.

“Tai, I feel so happy today,” Shelley said as she wrapped her arm around my waist.

“I do too. You’re more than anything I could ever wish for.”