The date is Monday, September 26th, 2022.
Just like she had been doing 20 years ago, Joan of Arc began walking to school.
At first glance, things seemed not all that different. The sun is still shining, the wind is still blowint, and everything looks normal enough.
The moment she laid eyes on the new clones, however, is when the similarities between past and present ended.
For every student walking upright, there were about three or four others looking down at what she would later find out are their phones. She had never seen a phone without a keypad before.
If there's anything that separates them from students like her, it's technology. They all look invested in anything that's being shown to them. Almost distracted.
She certainly wasn't in 2003 anymore. She remembers watching the Back To The Future trilogy with Abe and Gandhi back in their freshman year; there may be no flying cars and hoverboards, but this is weirdly futuristic enough.
As she continued walking the halls in Clone High. she couldn't help but notice the staring. Students, especially the male ones, were staring at her specifically. Not just as a fellow clone student, but as a girl. She knows because it was not unlike the stares she's gotten after receiving Cleo's 'makeover.'
Only difference is she is dressed the way she's normally dressed and people are still finding her attractive.
She didn't care, to be honest. None of these students looking at her the way they do are Abe Lincoln. They don't know anything about her and she doesn't know them and she would prefer to keep it that way.
The problem right now is that these people probably WANT to know her. They WANT to know her story and what she's going through and what she's done.
If there ever comes a time in the future where she's comfortable with sharing her story with everyone, she'll share it. But right now, these people need to look away and leave her alone. They're not doing her any favors otherwise.
Her time in class wasn't much better either. Mr. Sheepman was still still homeroom teacher, yet he's learning along with everybody else on current events.
She always hated those words. 'Current events.' A simple way to say: Hey, history is still in the making! Look around! Look around! There are problems that need to be solved and SOMEBODY needs to solve them! Otherwise there won't be much new history to teach in the future!
Hearing everything the world is going through right now, she just wants nothing more than to go back to bed and cry.
It seemed just like yesterday that the biggest problem she had was how to take Abe away from Cleo.
In a way, nothing's changed. Things were shit back then and they're still shit now. Only there's much more of it.
The only way to ease her mind was to think about Abe Lincoln. But everytime she looks at him, he's invested in the present. Eager to learn everything that he can.
He's becoming more and more like them by the minute.
"Why, oh why can't I see things in the way that you do, Abe?" She thinks to herself as she buried her head in her arms.
He was so focused on love and getting into a relationship back then. But now that they're in the future, he's not so interested anymore. He doesn't feel as lonely.
It's like the world is playing some sick joke on her. He was about to tell her that he loves her only to not be interested anymore when things aren't the same anymore.
In time, he will become interested in her again. She will make sure of it. She doesn't know if she could face the world as it is now without being by his side.
Abe is having the time of his life.
2022, alongside with all its faults, still has so much to offer.
The new students he walks past in the hallways are either preoccupied with their 'smartphones' or glancing at him.
He smiles at them and they smile back at him. They got to be nice people. They wouldn't be smiling back at him if they weren't nice. It didn't matter who he is or who he has been cloned from, they understand what he's been through and are more than willing to accept him as one of their own.
Before long, he's going to have to look into getting a smartphone of his own so he could blend in with everyone else. Apple sounds pretty cute.
Back in 2002, he often felt like he was cast off from everybody else. Just him, Gandhi, and Joan hanging out together. In school and out of it.
That isn't the case today. It's almost as if these new students saw what the previous generation was doing and swore to themselves to not make the mistakes they did. Welcome everybody and shun nobody out.
There was another word for it, but it just couldn't come to him at the moment.
Before he knew it, it was lunchtime. The moment he entered the lunchroom, he was happy to see that the new students were sitting down with the old ones. Genghis Khan, Vincent Van Gogh, and Martin Luther King were already happily engaged in conversation with the new, welcoming faces.
Happy faces all around. This may be one of the greatest days of his life.
Right now, he's sitting across from Joan, who's looking like she's trying to stay out of sight. For what reason, he can't even begin to imagine.
"Man, I can't believe how much things got better over the last twenty years!" Said Abe. "I just feel so welcomed! Like I'm home away from home!"
"Don't you miss 2003 even a little?" Joan refuses to look at Abe. "It seems so close yet so far away. What would it be like if we were never frozen?"
"Hey, don't trouble yourself with the 'what ifs, Joan." Abe takes a sip from his milk. It tasted delicious. "I'm happy we're here! The students here are happy to have us here, too! I feel like if we work together hand in hand, we could be able to achieve something great! Yeah, I have no idea what it is, but I have no doubt it'll be something worth working on!"
Joan sighs. There's just no getting through to Abe. He's devoted to appeasing these total strangers. Sure, they may seem welcoming, but she trusts them as far as she can throw them. Talk is cheap. Smiles are cheaper.
"I can't begin to imagine."
It was then that a group of three guys approached their table. Trays of food in each of their hands. One of the guys, a student with Chinese descent, spoke up.
"Hey guys! Uh, mind if we sit with you?"
Joan was about to tell them to fuck off, but Abe spoke first.
"We'll be more than happy to have you with us!" Abe exclaims as he scoots over to the right.
The clone students smile at them before sitting down. Joan made sure to leave as much space between her and them as possible.
"I should introduce myself." Said the Chinese student. "I am Confucius Foster. Clone of the Chinese philosopher. President of the Student Body… Not necessarily in that order."
He points to the guy on his left.
"This guy likes to call himself Double W the Veep. But we all call him by his real name, William Wilberforce."
Abe's eyes lit up. "A clone of THE William Wilberforce!? He was the guy who advocated to abolish slavery in the U.K!"
William, a teenage clone with long, dark hair, chuckles. "Yeah, that's me. I could count on one hand how many people know who the original William Wilberforce was without looking it up. You just made my day."
He then points to the clone that's sitting right next to Joan.
"Although, you may know the name of this guy all too well. This is Nikola Tesla. Student Council Treasurer."
A teenager with short, dark hair and a mustache nods at Abe. "Um… H-hi… Please… Just… Just call me Nick… Please."
Confucius chuckles. "Heh heh. As you can see, he's quite shy. But he's a really passionate guy once you get to know him. He dreams of one day getting a job at Silicon Valley."
"Don't tell them THAT!" Nick raises his voice through gritted teeth.
It was then that another clone student walks up to the table and started to get in between Nick and Joan.
"Hey guys. Is this where we're sitting today?"
This clone in particular has short, brown hair, a black shirt with matching jeans, and a light red jacket.
Confucius points at him. "Finally, we have our secretary… Dante Alighieri. Best storyteller in all of Clone High."
Dante gives Abe a smile. "Hello Abe."
Abe smiles back. "A poet from Italy who wrote that story about Hell. Man, it really is great to get to meet with all of you."
"Likewise." Said Confucius. "As students of Clone High, the responsibility falls on us to lead generation z by example. Our future… is THE future. We follow one simple guide… progress. Make society better for the generations that'll come after us.
This is true for students of all high schools, not just Clone High. I can only hope you can accept us as your own."
"OF COURSE!" Abe yelled out, causing Confucius to take a step back. "I absolutely will become friends with anybody and everybody in Clone High! No question about it! You have my word that I will work hard and do anything you ask of me, Mr. President!"
Confucius nods at Abe. A satisfied smile is on his face. "Awesome. I look forward to working with you."
It was then that the announcement speakers overhead started to go off.
"Attention students!" It took less than a second for Abe to deduce that JFK was speaking on the other end. "In order to make up for a winter prom cut short, JFK will be holding a huge kegger tonight! I'll see these Gen Z students there!
And by will… I mean won't! Because they're not invited! Er uh, yeah! You heard what I said! Millennial students ONLY!
That is all."
Abe sighs as he looks up at the ceiling. "I guess some people just never change." He looks at Confucius. "Hey, I'm really sorry you had to hear all that. JFK… is not exactly who I would call open to change."
Dante then spoke up. "Hey, don't worry about it, man. He'll come around eventually. He just has to."
Joan crosses her arms. "Don't get your hopes up. He's not somebody you'd want to be acquainted with."
Now it's Confucius's turn to speak. "Oh, I won't go so far to say that. After all, who was it that said, 'He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own?"