Chapter 10

At the drive-in, Susan got out of her car. Nita watched her walk off, and tried to grab the almanac. Susan suddenly remembered it, and came back for it. Nita hid away just in time. Susan entered the café, and Nita followed her in. She watched Susan go through to the dance floor in front of the makeshift stage near the movie screen, but Nita stayed inside the café.

Then she noticed something. She used the binocular to check. It was her mother, Marjorie, standing by herself! Marjorie is there waiting to go and meet up with John and "Doctor Marten". Nita exited the café and travelled through the dancers. She spotted Susan and her gang drinking alcohol and reading a Cleo magazine. The Almanac is in Susan's handbag. Nita used the binoculars to see one of the gang nudging Susan. Nita saw that the gang member saw a policeman watching them. Susan and her gang walked off as the policeman walked to them. Nita put on her sunglasses and followed them. Inside the café, Nita spotted Susan and her gang. Susan was reading something. Her friend was holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Where's that cow, Doctor Marten?" asked Susan.

"I don't know, I'm not her secretary," replied her friend.

"Well, go find her. She cost me three hundred bucks damage to my car, and I owe her a blue. Get going!"

One of the gang members offered Susan the bottle. "Here you go Sue!" The gang started to walk off. "You coming?"

"I'm reading."

The gang walked past Nita but didn't see her. Nita saw a familiar car approach. It was John's Holden – with the other Nita and John inside. Nita turned to Susan. The almanac was in Susan's handbag. He snuck up behind Susan. Susan heard a sound, but thought nothing of it and went back to her book. Nita almost had the almanac when the policeman walked up.

"Well, well, well, Miss Jones. How nice to see you here."

"Why officer, it's nice to see you sir."

"Is that alcohol I smell, Jones?"

"Uh, no, because this isn't a licenced premises, so they don't sell it here."

"I see. And what have we here? Sports statistics, interesting subject. Research, Jones?"

"No, it ain't research, 'coz, uh, I don't study."

Susan chuckled. The policeman didn't find it so amusing and pushed Susan.

"You've got a real attitude problem, Jones. Get on it! Or one day, I'll have you right where I want you, in the lock-up. Bludger!"

The policeman walked off outside. Nita followed him. Susan went the other way. The policeman walked past the Holden, Nita froze beside it.

"Fair suck of the sav! You smoke too?"

"Nita, you're beginning to sound just like my father!"

Nita crept past the car unseen as she heard John and her other self speaking.

"When I have kids, I'm going to let them do anything they want. Anything at all.

"I'd like to have that in writing," said the Nita in the car.

"Yeah, me too," said the other Nita. She walked off to catch the policeman.

"Nita, why are you so nervous?"

Nita peered into the Police Beat office and saw the policeman pouring himself a coffee. He put the almanac on his desk. Nita quietly opened the door and crept inside, unheard. The door slowly closed. Nita got to the desk. She leaned forward to grab the almanac. However the door finally closed and the policeman got up. He went to the door, wondering what happened, then opened and closed it again before sitting down. As he walked past his desk, Nita sat underneath it. The policeman heard something outside and moved his chair to the window to take a closer look. Nita tried to grab the almanac, but just as she did the policeman moved back again, trapping Nita's hand between the chair and the desk. The policeman finished his drink, as Nita held her breath stop herself from making a noise and giving herself away. The policeman leaned forward and Nita rescued her hand. The policeman got up and took the almanac. He left and threw the almanac in the bin on the way out. Once she was sure the policeman was gone, Nita got it out of the bin.

"Yes!" She flicked through, but it wasn't the almanac! It was Susan's Cleo magazine. It seemed Susan had been hiding the magazine inside the almanac cover. "No! Cleo? Cleo? Cleo?" She got out her mobile phone and called the Doctor. Nita was standing by the window and she could see John's Holden. Outside, Marjorie walked up to John's car.

Marjorie wrenched John's car door open. "Hey you, get your filthy hands off…oh." Marjorie was devastated to see Susan sitting in John's lap, kissing him.

"Doctor, dammit, answer the phone."

"Nita, what's up?"

"Doctor, Doctor, I'm in trouble, I stuffed up!"

"Where's the book?"

"I dunno, Susan must still have it with her, all I have is the cover."

"But where's Susan?"

Outside, Susan has confronted Marjorie.

"Alright, Margarine, you're asking for it, and now you're gonna get it."

"I dunno!" cried Nita.

"Well, do you have any idea where she is?"

"No, she could be anywhere by now!"

"Nita, the entire future depends on you finding Susan and getting that book back!"

Outside, Susan jumped out of the car and grabbed Marjorie's arm, twisting it up behind her, while pulling her hair, causing Marjorie to let out cries of pain.

"I know!" cried Nita. "I just don't know where…"

"Susan, stop it." John got out of the car and tried unsuccessfully to pull Susan off Marjorie. Susan was strong! "Susan, you're breaking her arm. Susan, stop!"

Nita heard him this time!

"Of course! I gotta go, I got one chance, my old lady's about to deck Susan!

Marjorie struggled to her feet, and punched Susan in the face, knocking her out! A crowd of on-lookers cheered. Marjorie looked at her fist with an "I can't believe it! I did it!" expression and then turned to John.

"Yes!" cried Nita. "Talk about déjà vu."