Chapter 9

Nell watched with sympathy as Kyra put her head down on the dirty wooden bar. They were still at the club, even though the contest had ended a good half hour ago. The group was in high spirits at first, and played a great song, but they still lost and came on third. While normally third place was good – after all, they did win a hundred dollars – it wasn't enough to send Kyra to New York.

"You'll figure something out," Nell assured her, absentmindedly taking a sip of her water.

"I don't get it," Kyra moaned, turning to look at Nell. "We're going on tour, for crying out loud. How can we lose a stupid battle of the bands? In third?"

Looking around the bar, Nell gestured to their surroundings. "Somehow I don't think this crowd appreciates rock. The winner was picked on the amount of applause. There wasn't even a real judge."

Kyra shrugged. "I guess. But what am I going to do now? It was bad before, but if my mom finds out about tonight there's no way she'll give me the money."

"Don't worry, she won't find out," Nell sighed. All day long she'd been torn, wondering if she should tell Reba what was going on. She was friends with Kyra, but she'd had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach since she woke up that morning. However, now that the concert was over and they were obviously fine, there was no reason to get Kyra in unnecessary trouble.

Giving her a grateful smile, Kyra asked, "Really? But I thought…"

"Well, it sucks enough that you didn't win," Nell smirked. "The last thing you need is your mom giving you a hard time about it."

"Tell me about it," Kyra huffed, taking a big gulp of the soda she'd gotten.

While waiting for her friend to swallow, Nell turned around and observed the other patrons in the club. It was designed like an old fashioned bar, with wooden tables scattered around, wooden walls and wooden floors. She and Kyra were sitting on uncovered stools, drinking from glasses that certainly weren't new. The only aspect that showed that the club was even a club, or that it was even built in the last twenty years, was the stage and the dance floor in front of it. The stage was still wood, but it gleamed from laminate, and there was a high-tech stereo system that was blasting rap music.

Nell tried not to stare at the people on the dance floor, but it was hard. She'd never seen people dance like that before. Not to mention the clothes…dear Lord, the clothes. Not even the sluts in her time dressed as bad as some of the women she was trying not to look at right now. And some of the men…they were dressed sloppily, and the way they pressed up against women when they danced was enough to make her blush. What made her blush even more though, was that some of those very men were giving her the once over. It was making her blush, but it was making her nervous even more.

The bad feeling had repossessed her stomach almost as soon as the concert was over. She'd wanted to leave as soon as humanly possible. But the band, seemingly not as upset by the loss as their leader was, had wanted to stay. They'd dispersed after the winners were announced, and Nell suppose the guys were trying out their pick up lines on any girl foolhardy enough to listen to them.

"Hey, Nell?"

Turning back to Kyra, Nell asked, "What?"

"Thanks," Kyra replied, letting out a deep breath. "I mean, you didn't have to come here. I just…appreciate it, you know? And it's nice that you're trying to make me feel better. That doesn't happen a lot. The guys, they try, but they're not the sentimental types. And my family doesn't really understand this. In fact, it's ironic that the only one who does is my mother's younger self."

Touched, Nell didn't let it show too much how flattered she was by Kyra's words. "I guess it's because I've been there. You know, trying to make it in the music industry. There's only so many times you can perform in Terry's bar before you start to wonder if it's ever going to happen. Well, I suppose I don't have to wonder now. But you…you, Kyra, are going to make it big. I just know it."

"Thanks…Mom," Kyra said with a grin. "It's hard to believe that you're going to grow up to the 'you need to go to college' mom I know today. You're so…cool."

Nell chuckled, sure her face was red from the compliment. "Yeah, well…I guess everyone losses their coolness factor at one point in life."

Laughing at first, Kyra grew serious a moment later. "It's kind of sad that you don't make it big. You're a great singer."

"I have to admit, it bothered me a lot at first. But after sticking around here a while, I don't think it'll bother me that much after all," Nell confessed.

"But still…" Kyra argued, thinking for a minute. A smile then slowly appeared on her face. "Maybe it's not too late."

Nell wrinkled her brow in confusion. "What are you talking about? Of course it's too late; I'm pushing fifty in this time – "

"Hello ladies. Can I refill your drinks or get you something else? Beer, maybe?"

Startled, it took Nell a second to realize that the bartender was talking to them. "Oh, sure, I guess…"

"What she means is, she'll have another water," Kyra interrupted. When the young bartender's back was turned, she muttered, "Drinking age limit in this decade is twenty-one, Nell."

"Oh, sorry," Nell whispered back, surprised. That was disappointing; she'd been looking forward to a nice, cold beer.

A few seconds later the bartender was putting a full glass of water in front of Nell, saying, "So, you two new around here? I've been working here for a while, and I pretty much know the neighborhood. We don't get too many out-of-towners."

"We were here for the battle of the bands," Kyra told him, in a better mood, but still a little upset.

He stared at her a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, you were that chick who won third place, right? I remember thinking that you were awesome. You should've gotten first. What's your band's name again?"

"The Kyra Hart Band," Kyra answered, blushing.

Holding out his hand for her to shake, he said, "Let me guess, you're Kyra Hart? I'm Jeremy, by the way."

"Yeah, that's me," Kyra replied, shaking it. "This is my friend, Nell."

Nell shook his hand, but didn't return the smile he send her. There was something about this guy she really didn't like. She wasn't sure what it was though, as he was pretty cute. Maybe it was the way his pale blue eyes gleamed with eagerness when he spoke, or how there was too much gel in his short, spiked black hair. "So, um, how long have you been here? Before the battle started?" That way she could find out how much longer he would be there; hopefully he would be going soon.

"Oh, I was here a couple hours before it started," Jeremy answered. "I should be getting off in about in hour. Hey, how about some free drinks, for a great singer and her friend?"

Nell was about to protest, but Kyra beat her to it. "Sorry, but we're not twenty-one. Some free sodas would be good though."

"You got it," Jeremy said, turning around to pour their drinks. "I can't believe you two aren't over twenty-one; you certainly look it. How old are you?"

"Eighteen. How old are you?" Nell asked, earning herself a glare from Kyra. The other teen was probably embarrassed that she had confessed to such a young age when they could've passed for a year or two older. Nell ignored that, as she was thrown off when she could've sworn she saw Jeremy's smile widen when she mentioned their age.

"Twenty-two," Jeremy answered as he placed their drinks on the bar. "I've been working here since I turned twenty-one to help pay for college bills. If everything goes according to plan I should be graduating next semester. What about you two; you going to college in the fall?"

"Funny you should mention college…" Kyra began, then proceeded to explain about her upcoming tour.

Nell let Kyra talk, scanning the club for the guys. She wasn't able to find them in the crowd. Trying not to let her anxiety show, she took a sip of the soda Jeremy had brought her.

She almost choked. It didn't taste like the soda she knew, or even the soda she'd had at Reba's house. The drink wasn't bad…just different. She would've said something, but Kyra and Jeremy were deep in conversation. Noting the way Kyra drank her soda without a problem, Nell shrugged and continued drinking.

"…I swear to you, I saw it move!" Reba exclaimed, causing Adam to burst with laughter. He'd been asking about the houses she sold so far, and jokingly questioned if any of them were haunted. She couldn't resist replying that the only haunted house she ever went into belonged to her ex and his wife, explaining about the time Barbara Jean was convinced her house was haunted and forced her to spend the night. It was an experience Reba never forgot, but didn't get to tell often.

Shaking his head, Adam laughed, "I'm sorry. I just don't believe in that stuff."

"Neither did I! But I swear I saw the pointer move by itself! I was petrified, and Barbara Jean and I made a point of staying in the same room the rest of the night," Reba finished with a chuckle. "The original plan was for her to sleep on her bed and me on the couch when we were done. I ended up sleeping on the couch, and her on the living room floor."

Adam smiled, amusement in his eyes. "And did you ever contact the ghost again?"

"That was the last time we tried," Reba confessed, not without some shame. "And I swear, I felt a chill every time I entered that house for the next month."

Taking a sip of his wine, Adam made a valiant effort to conceal his chuckle. He didn't and ended up spitting up wine back into the glass. "I'm so sorry. This just sounds a little ridiculous. You're really saying that your ex lives in a haunted house?"

"Maybe," Reba huffed, forcing herself to laugh. In reality, though, she held back a groan. Of course the one guy I date has to be narrow-minded, she thought, Terry in mind. If they ever got serious, she'd have to tell him that her guardian angel popped up once in a while to put her life through a blender. It was yet another thing she'd had to get used to because of her "big secret." With luck they would either break up or he'd become much more open to the supernatural.

Who was she kidding? When was luck ever on her side?

Thankfully he didn't notice her inner turmoil and kept on talking. "I don't know why I'm such a skeptic. Maybe it was because my parents were very rational people; who knows."

"Yeah, who knows…" Reba muttered, feeling more like crap every second that passed. Reaching for her wine glass, she just about had her fingers around the stem when it happened.

Her hand vanished. Just…disappeared into thin air. Her arm, all the way up to her elbow was totally, completely…invisible.

Stifling a gasp, she stared in horror.

This can not be good.

"Are you okay, Reba?" Adam asked, noting the panicked expression on her face.

Reba sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he was looking at her face and didn't notice her missing appendage. Putting it in her lap and picking up her wine glass with her other hand, she gave him a weak smile. "I'm great…just great."

"That's good, I guess?" Adam replied, still confused by her behavior.

Looking down at her lap, Reba breathed a sigh of relief. She could see her hand again. Maybe she could get through this meal and call Terry later. "Yeah, it is. So, ah, you mentioned your parents…why don't you tell me about them?"

They chatted for the next few minutes without incident. Then Adam dropped his fork. "Oh, sorry, let me just get that…"

"No!" Reba shouted. When he stared at her, she cleared her throat. "I mean, uh, no, please, allow me!"

She bent under the table, spotted the fork and picked it up. While she didn't know if her legs had disappeared or not, she wasn't about to take the chance. He probably already thought she was being a little weird. The last thing she needed was to see her newfound disappearing act.

About to sit back up, she froze. Her left leg vanished.

I just had to wear a knee-length skirt tonight. Damn sex appeal. Damn it to hell!

She stayed like that for a few moments, begging it to reappear. Then, to her terror, she heard him ask, "You okay down there? Is my fork really that hard to find…"

Her breath came out in jagged gasps when she saw him grasp the bottom of the table cloth. This was ridiculous. She had to get out of there. Grabbing the fork, she bolted upright. "Here it is! Will you excuse me…"

"Ouch!"

Reba would've chuckled if she wasn't so terrified – he'd bumped his head on the way back up. Counting her blessings, she excused herself and ran to the ladies room while he was still holding his head.

Praying that no one had noticed that she was still missing a leg, she opened the ladies room door. No one was in there, but she checked under the bathroom stalls anyway just to be sure.

"What the heck is happening to me?" Reba said aloud, looking down at her missing leg She felt a little better when it reappeared, but that didn't solve the problem that body parts kept turning invisible.

Looking at herself in one of the mirrors, she let out of a deep, calming breath. Then proceeded to have a panic attack when her whole body vanished, leaving only the neckline of her top showing in the mirror.

She reappeared seconds later, but it was still enough to rattle her nerves. This has Terry written all over it, she thought. She lowered her voice to a whisper should anyone happen to be coming in. "Terry! Terry! Get down here now!"

"Why are you whispering?"

Whirling around at the whisper, Reba saw Terry appear next to her. "Because," she replied through gritted teeth, the phenomenon no longer phasing her. "We're in the bathroom of a very public restaurant."

"So we are," Terry observed, looking around. "Dang it, Reba, why'd you call me to come to a girls' bathroom?"

Reba sent him an aggravated glare. "Because if I called my guardian angel in a boys' room, people would look at me funny! Now what the hell is this?"

"What is what?" Terry asked, giving her a confused look.

Rolling her eyes, Reba waited. Sure enough, the area around her waist disappeared, then reappeared. "That!"

"That's…that's a little weird…" Terry remarked. "How much has that been happening?"

"What do you mean, that's a little weird?" Reba exclaimed. She'd hoped at least he would know what was going on. "First it was my arm, then my leg, then my whole body, then this! Frankly, Terry, I've taken a lot of crap from you but if you're doing this just to make me crazy…"

Taking a nervous step back from her, Terry explained, "N-no, I had nothing to do with this, I promise. The only reason I can think of is…oh Lord, I really hope this isn't it…" He trailed off, letting out a deep breath.

"Is if…what?" Reba asked, anxiety replacing anger and panic in a heartbeat.

"Is if…" Terry answered, concern and worry in his tone. "Something happens to Nell. Which means you never exist."

Reba's eyes widened. "What do you mean, if something happens?"

Breaking eye contact with Reba, Terry muttered, "If…if her life is in danger. The only way I can think of that would cause this would be if Nell dies in this timeline."

"What?" Reba gasped, her heart pounding. Her mind immediately went back to her talk with Nell and Kyra before she left. She thought something wasn't right; Nell wouldn't look her in the eye, and even Kyra was a little off. I knew they've been up to something. "Oh my God, Terry…if Nell's in danger, there's a good chance Kyra is too. You have to take me to them!"

Terry shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't. Who knows what situation I could be transporting you into? And what good can you do if you try to help them and body parts keep disappearing?"

"Then what do you expect me to do, just go back to my date?" Reba exclaimed, disbelief in her tone. Her daughter was in danger. She couldn't just do nothing.

Putting a placating hand on her shoulder, Terry replied, "Just calm down. Panicking won't do any good. I'll go check on Nell and Kyra, then get back to you. For now you can go back in there and get out of this date."

"But can't you just…" When Terry narrowed his eyes at her, Reba sighed. "Fine. But get back to me soon, got it?"

"Got it," Terry said as he disappeared.

Sending up a quick prayer for the safety of her daughter and younger self, Reba began to think of an excuse for Adam as she left the bathroom.

Taking a sip of her third soda, Kyra let out a loud giggle. She was still at the club with Nell. It was getting late, but the club was busy as it had been earlier. She couldn't spot her other band members anywhere, but she didn't care. She was having too much fun. "It's so cool that you've been to college Jeremy!" she blurted. Chuckling again as if it was the funniest joke she'd ever heard.

Nell nodded in agreement. She was working on her second soda, but she was talking funny and her eyes were red. "Yeah, and all those college parties!"

"Yeah…" Kyra agreed. Then she almost fell off her chair. She managed to hold onto the bar and Jeremy helped her back up. "Thanks," she said, blushing with embarrassment.

It registered somewhere in the back of her mind that she was drunk. And not just drunk; plastered drunk. She'd gotten drunk before, but never like this. This confused her, though, as she'd been drinking nothing but soda all night.

But she was too far gone to be stopped by a little bit of confusion. This was giving her such a buzz that she wouldn't mind if she stayed like this forever.

"You know," Jeremy began with a smile. "Speaking of parties, how would a couple of hot chicks like yourselves like to come to one I'm throwing at my apartment. I'm getting off of work now and…I'd hate for this night to end so soon."

Nell traded a brief look with Kyra, then replied, "I don't know. The guys are our ride home…"

"What guys?" Jeremy asked.

Turning around to look for them again, Kyra answered, "The rest of my band…I don't know where they went though…"

"Hey, no problem, babe," Jeremy insisted. "You wanna go home, just say the word and I'll have my friend drive you when he gets to the party. He won't mind. I would, but it'll be my party and I don't want it to get out of control if I'm not there."

Kyra shrugged. It made sense, and they would have a ride home. And she agreed with Jeremy – she didn't want this night to end. "Sure. Sounds great." Again, that nagging feeling that something wasn't right, that she should call someone or do something…but she pushed it away. If she couldn't remember it must not be that important.

When Nell gave her consent, Jeremy's smile widened. "Great! I'll go get my friend, Nicholas, and tell him I'm leaving. He's…helping me set up for the party."

"Okay, we'll be here," Nell said. Once he was gone, she leaned in close to Kyra, who grimaced at the smell of her nasty breath. "I don't know about this"

Sighing, Kyra assured her, "Don't worry. You gotta live a little! It's just a party, and we can go home any time we want. I know how to get home from around here by bus…I think. Anyway, Jeremy said his friend can drive us home too."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Nell replied, some reluctance in her voice.

Minutes later they were leaving the club. Climbing into the car, it dawned on Kyra that she'd arrived with a purse, but didn't have one now. "Hey, wait, I left my purse…" But Nicholas was already closing the door on them while Jeremy started the engine.

The apartment building they arrived at moments afterwards did nothing to put her at ease. The paint on the outside was peeling, and she was sure those were drug dealers on the front stoop. Jeremy and Nicholas rushed them into the building and up several flights of stairs, Nell shrieking at a dead rat on the way.

Kyra couldn't help but notice the change in the guys' demeanor as soon as they'd left the club. Nicholas, who was muscular like his friend with short brown hair and hazel eyes, didn't say much, just pushed them along. Although Jeremy shot her a reassuring grin every once in a while, Kyra didn't feel very reassured. Something about him changed. The eagerness she'd seen in his eyes earlier was back with newfound passion.

She was just about to think that Nell was right about this being a bad idea when they stopped in front of a door. Nicholas shoved it open and ushered them into a small living room area, occupied only by a shabby couch and a television that still had antennae.

Jeremy gestured to the couch. "You two ladies have a seat. Nicholas and I are going to get some stuff ready for the…party."

There was a click, and Kyra whirled around. She gasped when she saw that Nicholas had put a padlock on the front door, slipping the key into his pocket. "We have to get out of here," she realized, fear overpowering any alcohol high she may have been feeling.

"I knew it," Nell whispered, tears in her eyes. "I knew this was a bad idea. They're going to hurt us. Bad."

Kyra put her head in her hands, guilt mixing with the fear. This was all her fault. She just had to go to the stupid concert and drag Nell with her. Trying to get her brain to focus, she replied with determination, "We have to get out of here."