Here goes the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to Dayna.
Chapter 26
Chris refused to talk to his friends the following Monday. He couldn't stand them talking about their college applications. He was the last of the four to see Mrs Schmidt today after lunch break and he already knew that it wouldn't be go well.
He was annoyed that everybody was trying to give him great advice. But there was no way he could cancel the meeting. Mrs Schmidt would only ask him about it and then he'd have to find some excuse.
Therefore the 17 year old was now walking really slowly towards the familiar office. There was still someone in and Chris had to wait a few minutes. Then a girl excited the room. She had long dark brown hair.
"Hi, Chris," she said happily. "How are you?"
"Good. And you?"
"I'm fine. Thanks."
"And your boyfriend?"
Sonya tilted her head. "You know about him then? He is fine, too. We're taking a trip after graduation through the whole country. I can't wait to see all the places."
Chris nodded. "I have to go in."
"Do you still want to go to art school?"
"Yes."
"Well, then, I wish you all the best. I decided to not go to college at all. I'm starting a job in the bank Paul works in. I'm really excited about it."
"That's great, really," Chris replied without meaning it. He had no interest in his ex-girlfriend's future. At least, that's what he told himself.
"Thanks. I wish you all the best, Chris."
Chris watched her leave. When he was called he went into the office and took a seat in the chair he usually sat in when he had gotten himself into trouble.
"I have to admit I was really surprised when I read your name on the list," Mrs Schmidt.
"I love to talk to you, Mrs Schmidt," Chris smiled.
"Thanks. But who I want to talk to are the students who are not so sure what they want to do after high school, or need help writing a resume. I thought you already had a fixed plan in your head."
"Apparently, you don't appreciate that. The truth is one of my friends signed me up."
"I do appreciate it. I'm just worried you may have this pinned down too much. Do you still want to go to the Institute of Fine Arts?"
"Yes."
"What are the requirements?"
"An appealing portfolio, references, special work. And enough points in the SATs."
"How is that all going?"
"I have my portfolio done and showed it to Mrs Buvreaux who also wrote me a reference, because Mr McLeod wouldn't, and from one of her friends. I had some stuff exhibited in his gallery."
"And what about the academic requirements?"
"I need 1200 points."
"You think that could become a problem."
Chris would have loved to just tell her no. But he couldn't. "I'm not sure. But they have accepted people who didn't reach the needed points when they had great portfolios."
"Do you think they will do that again?"
"I don't know. The truth is, they only accept so many people and have applications from really talented people from the whole country."
"I know you don't want to hear it. But if you already know all that, then what is your alternative plan?"
"I'm going to work for JM ad."
Mrs Schmidt raised her eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
"Yes, really. He called me and offered me a job as a freelancer. I'm sure I could become part of his art department permanently if I asked."
"You are sure? Did you already ask?"
"No."
The headmistress leaned forward. "Chris, I don't want to take your optimism but your alternative plan is not absolutely safe either."
Chris shrugged.
"I see. I really hope that this will work out for you, Chris. I really do because I think you deserve it, but you have to do something for that."
"I'm studying."
"I'm sure you are. You are smart enough but you need to focus. I was told by your teachers that you sometimes seem to daydream and zone out. I don't know what's going on at home and what's on your mind these days, but you should think about your priorities."
Chris only nodded. He couldn't tell his headmistress that he had to protect innocents from demons, that he remembered another life and that he had constant fights with his father. He couldn't help it when his memories took him away from the reality into another darker reality.
"I hope you understand. Students like you are frustrating for the teachers. You are smart, but you just don't work enough."
"I'll work more."
The elderly lady checked some papers on her table. "Are you sure you don't want to go to Sacramento with your friends? I'm sure it'll do you good to get away for a few days."
"I can't," Chris simply said.
"Why not? Does your father forbid? Or is it the money?"
"No, it's nothing like that. I just can't. It's personal. I really can't tell you."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. I remember your brother had a lot of fun a few years ago when we had the trip to Washington. He was such a sad boy. The saddest kid I've ever seen, apart from you. But it did him good to get away for a while."
"With Wyatt it was different. I really can't."
"Then I recommend you spend the three days to study."
Chris nodded. He felt how much he'd love to tell her what was really wrong. He hated that they had to keep half their life a secret.
"Are you still angry with me for signing you in to see Mrs Schmidt?" Amy asked. She had found Chris sitting in the grass near the sports field. After he had avoided his three friends they decided that one had to talk to him and they had chosen Amy.
"No, it's okay."
"How did it go?"
"Unsurprising uneventful."
"I see. I just wanted to help. It won't happen again."
"Thanks. I appreciate it, though."
"No, you don't."
"No, I don't." They sat together for a while. "Is your hair wet?"
"Yes, I just took a shower after the training."
"Do you want to go in?"
"No, it's fine."
A group of students walked past them. One of the boys made some stupid comments and the others laughed.
"What was that about?" Chris asked.
"Oh, Justin is mad because I turned him down when he asked me to go to the Prom with him."
"You turned him down? I thought you liked him."
"He's a jerk. I just found out. He asked 3 other girls first."
Chris nodded. "What about you? Have you asked anyone?"
"No. I don't think I will go at all."
"That's ridiculous. You have to go to your Prom. That's how it is. It's part of growing up. You should ask Julia or Emily."
"Maybe."
Amy looked at him a moment longer but understood she wouldn't get to talk her friend anymore. The both of them sat in silence for a while. When Matt and Sue were with them, it was never quiet but Amy and Chris had no problem sitting together without talking.
"What do you want to become?" Chris asked suddenly. He couldn't remember if they had ever discussed that.
"A reverend."
Chris frowned deeply. "Really? I didn't think women could do that."
"I'm not Catholic, Chris. I can become a reverend. I'd like to have a fold in a not so well established neighbourhood. Help the poor and lonely. Get the kids off the streets. You know, help the people in the name of God." She looked at Chris to see his reaction but he didn't show anything. "Do you believe in God, Chris?"
The brunette considered it. "I'm not sure. You know with my familywe are special."
"You are special and don't have faith in God?"
"It's complicated. I've just...seen so many things. I don't know if I believe in God, really. But if you ever need help to get the kids off the streets I could give them some art lessons. Or kick boxing. I'm good in that."
"I know. The poor sandbag." Amy smiled. "But I will take you on your offer. Bet on it."
The next day during the break the four friends stood outside. Chris shook a cigarette out of the box and listened to his friends making small talk and could tell that they wanted something.
"We want to have a party," Matt finally explained. "A really big one."
"And we need a room to do it," Sue said.
"How many people?" Chris asked and wondered why he hadn't been there when his friends had decided on that.
"About 60?" Sue purposed. "We're not exactly sure. It's a pre-prom party. So, there will be all the people that are in our year. Even these who won't do their SAT's or won't be at the prom."
"Why exactly are you telling me this?" Chris asked.
"We thought maybe Wyatt could give us the restaurant?" Sue asked.
Chris shook his head. "Forget it. Sorry." He saw his friends' faces fall. "But I might have something else for you, though."
"And what's that?" Amy asked doubtfully.
"You'll see." He smirked taking another drag from his cigarette. Even though his grandfather had died of lung cancer in another time-line, Chris couldn't get himself to stop. Everyone needed some kind of security blanket.
"Chris, I recommend you put that out," Sue told her friend pointing towards the cigarette.
The young brunette rolled his eyes. "I know smoking is bad for my health. You think, it
stinks. I know all that."
"No, dude, listen to her," Matt agreed nodding towards somewhere behind Chris. "Your dad is coming."
"Just great." Chris threw the cigarette onto the ground and stepped it out right before his father reached the group.
"Hi guys," the ex-whitelighter greeted them.
"Dad, what are you doing here?"
"Interesting that you ask. I got a call from Mrs Schmidt that's why I'm here."
"And what did I do this time?"
"I don't know yet. I just got the call and came right here."
"You really took a day off just to talk to Mrs Schmidt?"
"I'm giving you a chance to tell me yourself. Maybe your punishment won't be too hard then."
Chris only shrugged. "I have no idea. You'll have to find out for yourself. Isn't that exciting?"
"Don't get cocky."
Chris rolled his eyes and shrugged once again. Leo nodded and made his way toward the entrance.
"Do you think they found out that you ruined Mr McLeod's car?" Amy asked.
"How the hell should I know?" Chris was pretty sure that he hadn't done anything wrong in the last few days. But who knew? There were lots of teachers that weren't fond of him.
Chris waited at the playground for his cousin Prue to finish her cheerleading practice. He had never seen anything more boring. The girls giggled all the time and jumped around using silly rhymes. Hopefully, Prue would be better when she had to perform spells one day.
"I saw Uncle Leo here earlier? Something wrong?" the brunette girl asked.
"I don't know. He came, he went. I'm sure he will shout it at me tonight. I was wondering if you have some time."
"For something magical?"
"Kind of. I want to visit Billie but not without you. After all it was your idea. You and your mom visit her sometimes, right? If I go alone she will know something is going on and then she will tell your mom or Aunt Paige."
Prue sighed. "Yes, we visit her sometimes. I can come with you. I just have to call my mom."
"You can't tell your mom. She will only become suspicious."
"No, she won't. I'll tell her that I'm taking Auntie Billie something for the baby."
"Yeah, okay, whatever. But hurry."
"Hold your horses. I'll have a shower first and get changed. How do we get there? Do you have a car?"
"We teleport."
"Good idea, giving an 8 months pregnant woman a heart attack," Prue muttered. She walked over the grass towards the changing rooms.
Billie Wilson former Jenkins now lived in an apartment with large windows in the second floor of a four floor building. She carried some more things into the nursery which was painted in a light yellow. Everything was ready for the arrival of the newest family member. The blonde woman was nothing like the young college girl that had appeared in the Charmed One's life the first time. She didn't go on demon hunts like she had before. But with a belly like this, she couldn't even if she wanted to. But after everything that had happened with her sister Christy and her parents, her attitude towards magic had changed a lot.
She turned around at the sound of orbs thinking it might be Paige.
"Oh, hello Halliwell kids! How are you?" she greeted them happily.
Prue approached her and hugged her. "Hi, Billie. We're good. How are you two?" She touched the large bulk under Billie's blue dress.
"We're great. Baby kicks around and I remain seated once I sit. So, the typical 8 months pregnant kind of stuff. Hi, Chris! I haven't seen you in ages."
"Yes, I know. I have a lot going on."
"I see. Come on, let's sit in the living room. Do you want a drink? There's soda in the fridge. Serve yourself."
"Thanks, I'll get us some," Prue said. She left while Chris and Billie sat down on the old grey sofa. It looked ugly but was really comfortable.
"So, what is the reason for your surprise visit?" Billie asked.
"Well, the truth is," Chris started but then changed his mind. "I wanted to draw you."
"Me? Looking like this?"
"Yes, of course. You look beautiful."
"Like a kangaroo."
"No, really. You look amazing."
Billie tilted her head. "Thanks. Okay, I suggest you get your stuff and get to the art while you tell me what's really going on."
Prue placed three beverage cans on the coffee table. She frowned when she saw that her cousin got his sketch book out of his rucksack. "What is going on?"
"Chris is going to draw me and the baby."
"Chris?" Prue raised an eyebrow. "I think we came here for something else?"
"We did," Chris replied but started on the outlines.
"Well, then what?" Billie asked getting in a comfortable position.
"It's complicated," Chris stated.
"Not really, actually," Prue disagreed. "You know, Chris remembers an alternate time-line when Wyatt was evil. But because he can't control the memories, we were thinking he might be able to project himself into this time-line with his thought projection."
Billie stared at the two of them. "What?"
"About 17 years ago a 22 year old me came to the past to save Wyatt from turning evil. I changed the alternative time-line, and now I'm starting to remember it again."
Billie nodded. "I understand. At least I think."
"Auntie Billie you look like you know something," Prue said.
"No, not really. Just when you said, Wyatt was evil. I remember one day when my sister Christy was still around, Dumain showed us something."
"Dumain?"
"A demon. He worked for the Triad. They promised him a place among them. He was the one turning me against the Charmed Ones."
"And what has that to do with Wyatt?"
"He, or rather the Triad showed us a hologram. It was Wyatt and he was evil. They wanted to make us think that it was right, what we had been doing because we should save the world from him."
"Except for Wyatt had already been stopped from turning evil," Chris said.
"I didn't know that. No one had ever told me about someone coming to the past to save Wyatt. Moreover, I already knew that what I wanted to do was wrong. I don't need to be told again."
"Sure, that's all in the past now," Prue replied. She knew everything about the big battle her mom and her aunts had to fight against Billie and Christy.
"What did you see?" Chris asked.
"I saw two men. One had long blond hair that was Wyatt. The other was dark haired. I guess that was you, then."
"And a woman?"
"No, just the two of you. He said something about you betraying him and then he threw you into a wall. That was all. Dumain was saying that we had to go and stop the future from becoming that."
"I have seen that too," Chris said. "It was the first thing I remembered. How did he do that?"
"Dumain? I have no idea. I'm sure it was the Triad."
"This hologram, where did he conjure it?" Prue asked.
"It was somewhere in magic school. A black room. It was creepy." Billie shuddered at the memory. "He said everything was possible."
"Maybe you don't need to project yourself anywhere. All we have to do is find this creepy black room and you will see what you want to," Prue told her cousin, excited.
"I don't know. First we don't know where this room is. Everything in damn magic school looks alike. And even if we did, how do you know that we will get this thing to work."
"How do you know the projection will work? I mean do you even think that is it possible to project yourself into a time that didn't exist apart from in your head," the young girl said.
"I don't know if you can do that," Billie replied. "But you can project here whatever you see."
"Right. Like how you projected it on my mom. You could project it anywhere."
Chris shook his head. "I don't know."
"I don't get it. Just a week ago you wanted nothing more but to have the full view on everything that had happened and now you're not sure."
"I am sure." Chris protested. He concentrated on the drawing. "I'm just wondering why I remember the way I do. Why didn't all the memories hit me when I turn 23 because that's the moment I died? Or why couldn't I remember since I was born? Why is it just me?"
"You will never find out if you don't do something."
"Actually, I think, Chris is right," Billie said. "Nothing happens without a reason. That's what I learned. You probably won't find the hologram room unless you ask your dad. Of which I'm sure you don't want to do or you wouldn't have come to me first. The projection is too dangerous. Who knows where you land and no one can get you back then."
Chris turned the sketch book around and let Billie have a look. "What do you think?"
"I'm really beautiful," the blonde said. "Maybe you can do a picture of the baby."
Chris nodded. "I'd love to."
Prue tapped the table top anxious. "So, that's it. You won't do anything?"
"Prue, I have important tests coming. I've already spent too much time on something that hasn't even happened. I'll wait for the memories to come to me. I guess that's safer than forcing them. I clearly remember when your mom once forced a premonition it ended with her losing her powers."
Prue frowned. "When did mom ever lose her powers?"
"Does anybody know why we're here?" Sue asked when she, Amy and Matt in front of P3. "I have so much stuff to do for Sacramento. If it hadn't been for my curiosity, I'd have stayed home."
"What the hell do you have to do for a 3 day trip to a city that is just an hour drive away," Matt asked.
"You don't understand that."
"Are we going inside or what?" Amy asked and she approached the main entrance and opened the door. Her friends right on her tail. They stayed at the top of the stairs and looked down into the dimly lit club.
"Chris? Are you here?"
Suddenly, music started and colourful lights were switched on. Chris appeared from under the bar. "Is this big enough for your party?"
"Are you kidding? This is so cool," Sue exclaimed.
The three teenagers hurried down the stairs.
"But is it legal? I mean we are all minors."
"That's exactly why it is legal. I'll have security here to check that only people our age have access. No alcohol and my Uncle Henry, the parole officer, will also be here to keep an eye on us. It's only a rented room then. So, do you like it?"
"Of course. But what about the owner?"
"I am the owner. Well, I have someone who manages it. But I inherited it from my mom. It's mine. My grandfather even said it would do me good to organize something like this if I ever should take over the club."
"I thought you didn't want to run the club."
The brunette shrugged. "Maybe I changed my mind. Anyway, you'll bring the guests. I'll take care of the drinks and the music."
The four smiled at one another.
"This is going to be so cool. But I have to go now," Sue said. "Amy, do you want to go to the mall with me?"
The two girls left together.
"I should go too," Matt said. "My mom is all worked up because of our trip. Well, it's the first time I'll be away from home. I mean, me and my sister have spent lots of holidays with my grandparents in Georgia but that's not the same. Pathetic, huh?"
Chris shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I haven't been away alone either."
"Okay. Do you want a ride?"
"No, I'll stay a bit. Check some stuff."
When Matt was gone, Chris locked the door behind his friend and went back down the stairs. He shut off the light and music. He went into the back room. The room that had been his home for a year when he had lived to the past.
I just noticed that there was no Wyatt in this chapter at all. Sorry for that ;-)
Please leave me a review.