Chapter One
Charlotte walked around the orphanage looking for someone in particular. She knew where they would probably be but wanted to cover everywhere to be sure. She has been at the orphanage since she was one, and her thirteenth birthday was fast approaching.
She was also the richest orphan. Her parents died in a fire, she was at home with a babysitter. She had no other family so she was left with her parents fortune and no where to go. The babysitter dropped her off at the orphanage and she has lived there ever since. Her parents loved her, when she was born they set aside money for school and college and Charlotte knew about it so she used all of her other money on the orphans. She bought Goob's Little League uniform and she pays for all the clothes and she pays for all the parts to Lewis' inventions.
If you looked at her she didn't appear to be rich. She had wavy dark brown hair that she kept tied in loose pigtails and had long bangs that always covered her green eyes. She didn't have many articles of clothing and all were black, green, or grey.
Currently she was looking for Lewis because he had another interview. She had reached just outside his bedroom door when she heard a fog horn. She opened the door and saw Goob on the ground holding his ears and Lewis looking down at him.
"Lewis, they're here," she said walking in and helping Goob up. She caught sight of what was on the table. "Please tell me you don't plan on taking that down there to the interview."
"Of course I do. I know this will work," he said.
"Nothing says 'adopt me' like a weird invention," said Goob rubbing his ear.
Mildred then ran into the room.
"Lewis! Lewis, the Harringtons are here," she said in a rush. Lewis picked up his invention and left with Mildred. Charlotte looked down at Goob who looked up at her.
"Come on, let's go play catch," she said. She grabbed his mitt and they walked out to the front yard and started throwing the ball.
"Can you throw it higher? I want to practice," he said tossing the ball back to Charlotte. She did as he asked but the ball was too high for his jump and it landed under the nearby tree. Goob went to go retrieve it when the Harringtons came through the front door; both covered in peanut butter and grape jelly.
"Oh no," said Charlotte as they watched them rush into their car and drive away. "I'm going to go check on Lewis, I'll be right back. How about you practice pitching with the side wall?" He nodded and Charlotte rushed into the house and up to the roof. She found Mildred there talking with Lewis.
"One hundred, twenty-four," said Lewis, sitting on the ground behind a wooden crate.
"What?" asked Mildred confused looking at Charlotte to see if she knew.
"That's how many adoption interviews I've had," he said turning to face them, "one hundred, twenty-four."
"Oh Lewis, come on now, you're exaggerating," said Mildred waving it off. She kept talking as Lewis stood up and turned his crate around showing tally marks and the numbers '50' and '100' crossed off.
"Plus I'm going to be thirteen next year and you both know how hard it is for a teenager to get adopted. Sorry Charlotte, but we have no future," he said now sitting on top of the crate. Charlotte moved and went to sit next to him understanding completely.
"We can be bums together," she said trying to give some hope, "since no one wants us."
"I know, my own mother didn't want me," he said.
"That's not true!" interjected Mildred, "you do not know that!"
"Then why did she give me up?" he asked.
"She may not have been able to take care of you, did you ever think of that? I am sure that she was only thinking about what was best for you," said Mildred softly. Lewis went into thinking.
"I never thought of it that way," he said.
"Maybe she wanted to keep you but she had no choice," she said reassuringly. Lewis thought a little bit more; it's what he's good at.
"You're right. My real mum is the only person who's ever wanted me," he said as if he just had an epiphany.
"Wait I said maybe," said Mildred but Lewis was gone.
"If she wanted me then, she'll want me now." Lewis now got off the crate and started walking.
"What are you talking about?" Mildred asked following him.
"I have to find her, Mildred, and when I do, she'll take me back and we'll be a family again," said Lewis getting his hopes way too far up.
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa," said Mildred stopping him in his path, "Lewis, you can't do that. No one knows anything about her, no one even saw her." He was now staring up at the nearby billboard. 'Remember your Ginkgo Biloba'.
"Wrong," he said off in his own world, "I saw her. Once. She's in here, I just have to remember." His attention turned to another billboard: 'Brain Scanners from Mars. In dazzling colour. Now playing.' "That's it!" he rushed through the door and Mildred turned to look at Charlotte.
"What?" asked Charlotte.
"You're friends with him, what is he going to do?" she asked slightly scared.
"I don't know but he must be making a brain scanner so he can remember, or Ginkgo Biloba from Mars," said Charlotte shrugging her shoulders after she glanced at the billboards Lewis was just staring at. Mildred shook her head and went back inside. Charlotte laughed then went down to the front yard to play more ball with Goob.
Over the next week Lewis was working hard on his new invention, whatever it was. He shared the plans with Charlotte so she could help pay for the parts and had Goob help him build it.
One day Lewis came home with a flyer for a science fair that his teacher gave him. He was so excited he picked up his work ten fold. Whenever he was deep in his work Goob would go out and Charlotte would help him with his game.
After many tests and explosions and the buying of more parts and missing interviews Lewis finally had a finished product just in time for the science fair.
The day of the fair had arrived and Charlotte was up and ready to help Lewis. It also happened to be the day of Goob's big game, but he didn't want Charlotte there because she would throw off his concentration.
As she walked towards Lewis and Goob's room she saw Goob walking down the hallway with a mug of coffee.
"Goob, you're a bit young for coffee, don't you think? It also stunts your growth," she said. He shrugged and kept walking. Charlotte continued on to Lewis' room.
"Oh no I'm late!" shouted Lewis. Charlotte took a look at the time and realized they were running late. She had lost track of time making breakfast. She immediately helps Lewis move the invention to his wagon and they moved it to the hallway. Mildred was talking to Lewis about interviews as they tried to get a move on but Lewis had to stop for a moment to put and end to it once and for all.
"I'm done with interviews, Mildred. I don't want to be rejected anymore," he said turning to face Mildred.
"And we don't want to be late!" added Charlotte turning to look at Mildred.
"I know where your head is, but I'm telling you, you have got to get out of the past and look to the future," she said.
"You sound like a fortune cookie," said Charlotte crossing her arms.
"I am looking to the future, this is it," said Lewis pointing to his invention, "this is my future. I'm sorry." Lewis turned and they got the invention out of the house and down the street. They finally arrived at the Joyce Williams Elementary School and ran straight to the gym to set up the invention. As they entered they went to a slow walk and made their way through the displays to the back of the gym to their table.
As they walked Charlotte couldn't help but feel like they were being followed, but every time she turned around no one was there.
"Hey Lewis, do you feel like we're being followed?" she asked as they reached the final row of tables.
"No," he said stopping at their table.
"Okay," she said shrugging it off. They lifted the invention on the table and he took of his backpack. "Does this feel heavier then usual?" she asked as she clapped her hands.
"Yea," said Lewis. He lifted up the blanket covering to see why and out popped a boy.
"That would be why," said Charlotte staring at the strange boy. He had black hair that had an interesting style to it and looked to be around her own age.
"This area is not secure. Get in!" he said. The boy grabbed Lewis and pulled him under the blanket with him. Charlotte looked around and smiled at some of the children that were passing by before ducking under the blanket as well to see what was going on.
"Tall man, bowler hat, approached you?" the boy asked Lewis who clearly thought he was crazy.
"No why?" asked Lewis. The boy deflated then looked back up at Lewis.
"I could lose my badge for this. He's a suspect in a robbery," said the boy.
"What'd he steal?" asked Lewis buying the story more and more.
"A time machine," said the boy dead serious.
"A what?" asked Lewis and Charlotte at the same time. The boy glanced at Charlotte then faced Lewis again.
"I tracked him to this time and my informants say he's after you," said the boy pointing to Lewis.
"Me? Why me? Why not her?" asked Lewis pointing at Charlotte.
"Lewis you can't buy this," said Charlotte trying to be a voice of reason. She knew Lewis had a large imagination and would believe almost anything.
"The boys back at HQ haven't figured out a motive yet. And by 'HQ' I mean head quarters," said the boy trying to appear important.
"I know what HQ means," said Lewis.
"What else would it stand for?" asked Charlotte rolling her eyes. The boy glared at her then turned back to Lewis.
"Good, you're a smart kid, that might keep you aliveā¦for now. Just worry about your little science gizmo and leave the 'perp' to me," he said, "and by 'perp' I mean-"
"We know what it means!" said Lewis and Charlotte at the same time.
"Okay Smarty-pants," he said and he left the area.
"Lewis, I'm going to take on the role of a mother now. Never, ever again, get under a blanket with a strange boy claiming he is from the future every again. He is a disturbed young man and should see a professional," said Charlotte wagging her finger at him.
"I don't think this will ever happen again," he said trying to figure out what just happened. They both got out from under the blanket and started testing the invention to make sure it worked.
"Ooo, next up is Lewis," said Doctor Krunklehorn as the judges walked up to the invention.
"Lewis! Okay stand back everybody," said his teacher. Charlotte recognized him; she had him as a teacher back when she attended the school. "This next project will knock your socks off. Seriously you might want to stand back a little." Lewis went on with his presentation while Charlotte stood back trying to find that strange boy 'from the future'. She didn't want him getting into any trouble or disturb Lewis during his presentation. She spotted him watching the presentation and she kept an eye on him when all of a sudden the invention started acting strange.
"Lewis!" shouted Charlotte when the propeller flew off. Then all hell broke loose. The propeller made a nearby volcano project go off which knocked the fire ants onto the gym teacher and the fire sprinklers went off soaking everyone and everything in the gym. Charlotte stood there looking down at Lewis as he tried to apologize but Mr. Willerstein wouldn't listen. The sprinklers turned off and Lewis ran from the gym.
"Wait Lewis!" yelled 'future' boy and he chased after him. Charlotte didn't trust the boy so she went after both of them.
