Part I (by amyraudenfell)

Karma and Amy stood in the middle of their school courtyard, minutes before the bell rang. Karma was frantically pacing back and forth, while Amy was giving her reassuring words.

"I bet you he's better than you ever imagined," Amy said. "I mean, he is your soulmate."

Karma looked nervously at her wrist. 3 minutes. "Oh God, I'm meeting the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with in three minutes."

Amy gave her friend a hug, and let it linger for a little too long. "What if he doesn't like me? What if he laughs in my face and walks away?" Tears were forming at the edge of Karma's eyes and Amy wiped them away. "He'll love you. Everyone loves you. It's impossible not to. I've known you for almost ten years and I've loved you since." Karma smiled at her best friend, and quickly went back to freaking out.

Amy glanced down and saw that the clock was now counting down from one minute. Just then, a handsome young man appeared from the art building and started making his way to Karma. "Maybe it's not him," Amy thought, "Maybe this is a mistake."

30 seconds. He was only a few feet away from them now. It was obvious that he was coming for Karma. Amy started sweating as she came to the realization. "An artist," Amy said to herself. "Karma hates art."

The clock counted down to zero just as he stepped in front of Karma. "Hi, I'm Liam Booker." Karma's eyes met his and everyone could tell they were soul mates. Karma took his hand and walked off, just after giving Amy a huge thumbs up and a smile.

Amy watched and Karma and Liam walked off together, looking like happiest couple ever. Amy rolled her jacket sleeve up to look at her clock that she kept hidden from her best friend. She was fighting back tears as she saw the number there, the number
that had been there for the past ten years. It had always been on zero. The second she met Karma the clock stop ticking.

Part II (by dangerdonut)

October 14th, 2034. Twenty years have passed since Karma met Liam in the courtyard. Seventeen years since they've been married. Karma has been content with their marriage, but she has felt like something has been missing ever since Amy moved away.

It was the day after Karma and Liam's wedding. Amy said it was too much for her to stay there, but Karma wasn't sure what she meant. Before Amy left, Karma asked her, "what if your soulmate is here? Your clock hasn't expired yet, has it?" Amy looked at her sadly before she hugged her best friend and left.

It had been thirty years since Amy's clock expired. She wondered how her soulmate could have a different soulmate. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right, but it was her reality. She didn't date when she moved out west, she couldn't even try. She had a few flings here and there, but nobody would ever compare to Karma Ashcroft.

October 14th, 2034. The day Liam Booker was arrested. He'd kept his family secret from everyone as long as he could, but eventually, he was the heir to take over the business. But the family business wasn't just Squirkel, no, it was Soulmate Watch Inc too. Ever since the invention 100 some years ago of soulmate watches that are installed into each human unit after birth, the Booker family wanted in. They weren't satisfied with the money brought in from Squirkel - they wanted power too. Especially since their son's watch seemed to be broken.

Poor little Liam had 9 different watches installed to him the first year he was born, but none of them worked. They all just seemed to die the second Liam put them on his wrist. His family was heartbroken. They couldn't believe their son was born without a soulmate. They bought the company and vowed to find a solution.

After a few months of research, they could not find a reason Liam did not have a soulmate. They gave him a fake countdown watch to suffice. A baby Karma Ashcroft was being brought into the world at the same time. They gave her a fake watch, one that matched the same countdown time as Liam's. They were in the same high school district - it was rational they would bump into each other at the same time.

Liam found out when he was 13, but he didn't oppose. He had seen Karma Ashcroft around and became infatuated. He was careful not to bump into her until his countdown watch expired. He occasionally felt guilty he was taking her away from her real soulmate, but he figured he could give her just as good of a life.

October 14th, 2034. The day Karma found out her husband of seventeen years was not her soulmate. The day she found out the last twenty years had been a sham. The day she found out her soulmate was still out there.

The first thing she did was rush to get a real watch. It wasn't very hard - sometimes watches acted up and needed to be replaced. Hers always acted suspiciously perfect. She slapped on the watch, and noticed the countdown timer was at 0. She had already met her soulmate.

She racked her brain for every man she's ever met, desperately trying to figure out who was actually the one for her, and why they hadn't told her their clock ran out when they met her. She couldn't figure it out, when suddenly it hit her. Amy. Why had she always kept her clock hidden from her? Amy insisted it was because she "wanted to find her soulmate without the help of a watch", but now she wasn't so sure.

After hours of googling, she managed to get a phone number and address of one Amy Raudenfeld living in Los Angeles, California. She called as she desperately gripped the phone harder with every ring. "Hello?" came a matured voice from the other end.

"A-Amy" Karma stuttered.

"Karma?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"I know it's been years, and I know this is crazy, but… Did you find your soulmate yet?"

"Karma.. No," Amy replied sadly.

"Please look at your watch," Karma begged.

"Why?" Amy asked

"Is it at zero? Please Amy, please."

Amy sighed before replying. "It's been at zero for years, Karms."

"How many years?" Karma asked shakily.

"It's been at zero since I met you," Amy reluctantly sighed. "I didn't want to make you feel guilty, I don't know how this happened, but all I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

Karma's end went silent as she dropped the phone. She couldn't believe it. It had been right in front of her all those years. The sleepovers, the hugs that lasted a bit too long, the butterflies she felt whenever Amy said her name, the emptiness she's felt all the years she's been gone.

"Karma? Are you still there?"

"I… I'll see you in a few hours." Karma hung up the phone before packing a bag and rushing to the airport. She booked the first one-way ticket to LA she could find. She boarded the plane and gripped the armrest tightly as it took off, ignoring her fear of heights.

"I'm coming for you Amy," she whispered under her breath. "I'm sorry that it's taken so long."