Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion is simple.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Everything can change in a split second. Life is full of 'might have's and 'could have been's. In that moment where you could have done something, but never did, and you will never get the chance to again. You could have changed you entire life in that instant. Your destiny is never set. Everything can change in a split second.
Life is defined by choices. Some are easy, and some are difficult. Some make you want to tear you hair out and wish for the best, because you know that there's no way that either side in the particular choice you have to make will be pretty for anyone involved.
Sure, life would be simpler if all the hard choices could be made for us. But that would mean losing control. And I think that's what we like most about choice. The ability to control the consequences of the decisions we make. The knowledge of the power of free will.
But some things are out of our control, and that's what we hate. The consequences that we never foresaw. Accidents and coincidences. Things that are left to chance.
It's like flipping a coin. It could land on heads, and take you away from all the frustration and humiliation and complication. Or it could land on tails, and lead you down the path of confusion and self-destruction and wondering why the hell didn't it land on heads?
This is story about the choices I could have made, but didn't. The path I could have followed, but went in the other direction. And what would have happened if by chance, the tables turned. I had made a different choice and followed a different path.
Flip a coin. Choose a path. Because every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It's the simple physics of life.
"I'm going to Starbucks, anyone want anything?" I called out to the barely listening members of Connect 3 scattered across the tour bus.
"Darcy can just go and get some coffee if you want, Mitchie," Nate replied from his position on the couch, not looking up from his guitar.
Darcy was their frazzled personal assistant who looked like she was going to pass out every time one of us asked for a glass of water.
Action: Get the coffee myself, or let Darcy do it?
"Nah, it's okay. I need some fresh air anyway," I shrugged, gathering up my purse and taking their orders.
Reaction: A tray full of hot coffee that I was focusing all my attention on keeping steady.
Unfortunately, I'd chosen to wear flats today over my regular sturdy Converse sneakers, and I forgot how slippery the bus steps were. As soon as I stepped up to the final, slick stair, my foot slid out from underneath me. I caught myself from falling flat on my face, but all the concentration I had on the tray had evaporated, and I watched in horror as it began to topple forwards.
Action: Let the coffee fall, or instinctively try to catch it?
Without thinking, my hand shot out and grasped around the rim of a coffee cup that was already upside-down.
Reaction: Hot liquid gushing all over my hand, searing the webbing between my fingers as it streamed through them.
"Shit! Motherfuckingfucker! OW!" I screeched, dropping the nearly empty foam cup.
My outburst made Shane, Nate and Jason look up instantaneously, with equally confused expressions on their faces. Nate was the first one to piece together the spilled coffee and the pained look on my face, and sprang to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"Do I look o-fucking-kay?" I hissed, struggling to hold back my tears of agony.
Shane got up almost as quickly as Nate had and opened the refrigerator, pulling out an icepack. "Here, put this on it!"
I stumbled over to him and held out my burned fingers, but Nate grabbed it out of Shane's hand before he could touch it to my skin.
"No! You can't put ice straight on a burn! It'll tear all the skin off! What are you, an idiot?" Nate snarled, taking me lightly by the wrist and tugging it in the direction of the bathroom.
Action: Take the ice from a pitiful looking Shane, or let Nate sensibly run it under a cold tap?
Sighing, I gave Shane an apologetic look and let Nate lead me over to the basin in the bathroom of the tour bus.
"Do you want a regular plaster, or one with The Wiggles on it?" Jason called from behind me.
Despite myself, I let out a stifled laugh. "Wiggles for sure, Jase."
"This doesn't need a plaster, Jason, it needs gauze or something!" Nate scoffed as he held my hand under the faucet and turned on the cold water, while Shane and Jason hovered in the doorframe behind us in a mixture of indignation and concern.
"Guys, it's cool, I got it," I shook my head in amusement. They were treating me like I'd broken my leg or stabbed myself with a kitchen utensil.
The cool water that flowed over my hand was refreshing and the stinging between my fingers was becoming numb. I moved them about to observe the damage, and winced as pain shot through my hand once more. I reached across the basin to turn up the stream of water, but the metal knob snapped off in my uninjured hand. I had a fleeting moment of bewildered surprise before I was being knocked backwards into Nate by the fountain that erupted from the sink.
Reaction: Flooding the bathroom and half the tour bus.
It was like a domino effect. I fell on top of Nate, who fell on top of Shane, who fell on top of Jason. What had been only seconds before and group of dry, upright teenagers and turned into a soggy tangle of limbs and swear words on the floor.
"Turn it off!" shouted Shane's voice from somewhere in the vicinity of Nate's armpit.
Spluttering, I struggled to my feet and held out my arm to shield my face from the jet of water spurting at us, my sore hand momentarily forgotten. I looked desperately at the broken fixture, twisting and turning the screw that stuck out of the wall, but to no avail. Alongside me, the three boys were all trying to stop the torrent from soaking everything in its path. Eventually, Jason picked up a towel and threw it over the faucet, successfully directing most of the water spray down the drain.
I looked down at my drenched clothes in a state of delayed shock, before looking up at Nate, Jason, and Shane, where were exchanging the same disorientated glances. We remained in a stunned silence for a few more seconds, before simultaneously bursting into laughter. The ridiculousness of our situation was just too funny. What the hell kind of bus has an exploding basin?
Gathering up some dry clothes, we all piled out of the bus and into the parking lot we had stopped in to inform a horrified driver what had happened. We were instantly ushered into the nearest office building by Darcy and the rest of our management team, and the boys all went into the male toilets without any fuss. But as I stepped into the female toilets, I found all of the cubicles occupied, as well as a few flabbergasted women who were waiting, staring at me strangely. What was their problem? I was just some random girl they'd never seen before, sopping wet and waiting to use a cubicle to change in, what was the big deal?
Action: Wait here in embarrassment, or find somewhere else to get changed?
I waited uncomfortably under their intense stares for a few minutes, before deciding that I was being ridiculous. There had to be another place that was relatively secluded in this place where I could dry off.
I bustled out of the bathroom and looked down the hall. There was an inconspicuous looking broom closet just opposite where I was standing. Looking both ways to make sure no one could see me, I quietly slipped across the corridor and into the closet, dropping my clothes to the ground as I shut the door, before shimmying out of my damp jeans, crossing my arms over my stomach and pulling my wet t-shirt up and over my body, resulting in trapping my head between my shoulders and the damp fabric.
I was struggling with my shirt as I tried to wrestle it over my ears when I became distinctly aware that something was not right. It was too quiet, or not quiet enough. There was someone in there with me. Slowly lowering my t-shirt and peering over the hem, I locked eyes with a familiar boy who had a completely dumbstruck expression on his face.
Reaction: Being caught half-naked by the last person I expected to see in a broom closet, of all places.
Well, waddya know? Physics is good for something after all; A brand new multi-chap fic! Review plzthx, and we can bitch about useless science together :D
The Wiggles pwn, btw.