Chapter One: The Crystal

~Rose~

"Hey, I just met you…and this is crazy…so here's my number….so call me, maybe…" Carly Rae Jepsen's infamous song 'Call Me, Maybe' blasted through my ears as I lay back in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I had just returned home from school and was listening to some music before I started my homework. Okay, so I know some people think Carly Rae Jepsen's music is sort of girly and annoying, but who cares? It's a free country, so I can listen to whoever I want, whenever I want, right?

"ROSE! SHUT OFF THAT STUPID MUSIC RIGHT NOW! YOU'RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!" yelled my sister Jem. She poked her head into my room and scowled angrily at me. I sighed and rolled my eyes in annoyance before reluctantly turning off my pink speakers. "Sorry, Jem. I promise not to turn it up so loud next time," I apologized. I hoped that she'd let this one slide for once and not tell Mom-AGAIN-that I was 'disturbing her peace'.

Unfortunately, my future punishment looked like it was coming relatively soon. Jem gave me a filthy glare and stomped out of the room, which pretty much meant that I was going to be washing the dishes for the rest of the week. "Oh well….it could be worse. At least I probably won't have to shovel dog poop," I groaned. I flopped back onto my bed and took my homework out of my binder. "Math, science, study for the literature test, social studies, music, and….history," I read as I got out my math worksheet and started on a long division problem. I'm not exactly a study freak, but I do have my favorite subjects. History happens to be a very special subject for me because I'm a time traveler.

Yes, you read that right: I'm a time traveler. Don't ask me how I got the gift. I've had it ever since I can remember and have no idea how I even got it in the first place. Well, if you want to know the truth, it probably happened when I was about five and on a trip to Europe with my family. We were walking down the street when I saw a big beautiful lavender crystal in a gift shop. It had a star-shaped scratch in the center and shimmered in the sunlight like a parakeet's feathers. I was a huge fan of shiny things at the time-okay, I still am-and wanted that crystal more than anything.

Of course, I asked my parents if I could have it, so we went into the shop to buy the crystal. I stared at the crystal while my parents talked to the shopkeeper about the price. I wasn't really listening, but I was sure that I'd get the crystal no matter what. I'd been relatively good the whole trip and hadn't asked for anything else like this. Plus, my parents had wanted to buy me a keepsake anyway. How could they possibly say no?

My parents looked at one another before they came back to me to tell me the news: The crystal was $1,500-way too much money to spend on a mere trinket. They said they'd buy me another one, but I couldn't see how any other crystal would be better. Even though my sister Morgan told me she'd find another one just like this one, I'd begged for the crystal and had even asked the shopkeeper if he could give it to us for free. But no matter how much I pleaded, the shopkeeper wouldn't adjust the price. So I'd left the shop with tears in my eyes and my siblings snickering at me.

That crystal would probably still be in that shop window today if it wasn't for the accident. I had decided to at least say goodbye to the crystal before we looked for another. I went into the shop and touched the star-shaped scrape. A strange greenish flash had emitted from the tip, and the shopkeeper had been knocked to the ground; out cold on the floor. I had run over to him, wondering why he was suddenly sleeping on the floor, when a silver cloud enveloped me. After blinking away the dust, I'd found myself in Europe-but in the Renaissance era!

I felt scared by the people in the funny clothes, so I touched the crystal again, wishing that I was with my family. A tan cloud had appeared, and I suddenly found myself next to the shop with my stunned family. They were watching as the KO'd shopkeeper was being taken away on a stretcher. They had rushed over to me, saying how glad they were to see me and asking me if I was okay. I hugged them and tried to tell them about what had happened to me, but they thought I was imagining things and thought I should probably rest in the hotel.

After we had returned from the trip, I had been slightly scared of the crystal. I had tucked it into a corner by my window where I could just barely see the tip of it. I didn't have another time-travel incident until I was about twelve years old, when I had had to write a history report on ancient Egypt.

I was wishing that I just go back in time instead of doing research on the Internet. The same thing happened with the clouds, and I'd actually found myself in King Tut's court! Of course, I had a very accurate history report that made my teacher very suspicious, but I had also finally realized the extent of the crystal's powers. Since then, I had used the crystal to help me with schoolwork and to escape from my family. Nobody really knew my secret and I didn't intend for anyone to discover it.

I snapped out of my reverie as I finished the last math problem on my worksheet. I was ready to travel back in time once again, and this time I was going to go someplace I'd wanted to visit for ages: The Middle Ages. I'd read lots of fantasy novels in Middle Age-esque settings and learned about it in history, and I had become fascinated with it. Right now, I had to write a research report on it, so I was in luck.

I got out of bed and picked up a pen and notepad. I definitely wasn't going to leave the Middle Ages without taking a few notes. After I'd picked up my writing supplies, I inched over to the crystal and gently touched the star scar. "I want to go to the Middle Ages," I said in a firm voice. Before long, a silver spinning cloud enveloped me and I was off on my journey.