"Run Away" by Sam Proops
Author's note: I don't anything even remotely related to "Strange Days at Blake Holsey High"… so yeah. It's just fiction people… 'tis made up!
- - -
(POST-Conclusions): Chapter 1: Memories
- - -
The summer was slowly starting to fade away, and Josie was currently loading her suitcase and skateboard into her mother's SUV. Instead of spending the summer with her friends, she and her mother had spent time together at their home. After a long talk with Principal Durst, Josie was allowed to return to Blake Holsey High for one more year, to make up for the year she had lost prior to the summer.
The summer was nice, Josie reminisced, but she was ready to return to Blake Holsey - to see Professor Z again, to finish her last year of school, and end another chapter in her life.
As the pair made their ways to the private school, Josie asked her mother what was so appealing about Avenir; why she decided to make him her father. Her mother didn't want to talk about it, dismissing the topic as quickly as she used to dismiss any mentioning of her top-secret jobs.
"He's not important anymore, Josie." Her mother stated, pulling Josie's things out of the vehicle. They walked silently up to the doors of Blake Holsey.
Josie sighed, a mixture of sadness and aggravation. Her mother held her at arm's length and looked into her eyes, "Josie, whatever was appealing to Avenir at the time, is no longer appealing. This whole time-traveling business is dangerous. Look what happened with Vaughn's mother! You said he was gone, locked away in another dimension… so that's where he is, and that's where all of your memories and thoughts and questions about him should lie. Lock them away."
"But, what happened." Josie protested, shrugging off the hands. "I want to know why you married him in the first place!"
"He was very different then sweetie… then soon after your birth a failed experiment sent him into another dimension. When I learned something similar happened to Vaughn's mother, well, that's when Victor and I became colleagues. We wanted to solve this mystery. Little did we know they were both in separate times; and how could we have predicted what their personalities would have been like when they returned? Let's not end this on a bad note, okay? I'll call you soon."
Josie forced a smile, lucky that she got this little amount of information from her typically mysterious mother. "Okay mom… thanks for telling me."
"Bye Josie, love you."
"Love you too mom."
With that the pair went their separate ways.
Entering the familiar building, a rush of memories hit Josie, and she stopped walking just before the staircase. So many memories just near that staircase alone… It was so overwhelming that Josie panicked and threw open the closest door to her, throwing her things in ahead of her.
Leaning against the door with her eyes closed, she struggled to compose herself. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. How could she handle a whole year at this school without any of her friends? She didn't belong here. Wait… this smell is familiar.
Josie's eye shot open. She was in the Science room. The empty science room. She let out a breathe she didn't know she was holding. She didn't think she could handle encountering Professor Z right then. Spending the summer with her mother was fun, but they still didn't have the connection that a mother and daughter should have. Like Professor Z and I have… she added silently.
Her friends were her family; they were there for so many important events… while her mother was not.
She stood there for a few more minutes and then gathered her things. Just as she turned around the face the door, it opened, revealing none other than Professor Zachary.
When he noticed who was in the room, he placed his briefcase on the floor, and closed the door softly. Josie backed up a few steps; she really couldn't handle this.