Chapter Six
"Look, Douglas, I'm -."
Just at that moment the wormhole opened up. Douglas jumped up, moving over to the wormhole just as Finley and Jovee were doing.
"Should we go through?" Jovee called.
"Of course! How do we know the next time it will open up?" Finley countered. Before anyone could go through the wormhole, however, someone appeared, the swirling vortex closing behind them.
Douglas' eyes widened in disbelief. "Grams!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms around her.
Vaughn stared at the woman with surprise. Did Douglas just call her his grandmother?
…
"That's your Grandmother?" He asked slowly.
"Yes!" Douglas exclaimed happily.
"But that's – but she's -," Vaughn stumbled around, trying to think of a way to make a logical sentence.
"Kelly Trent?" Jovee provided; her hands on her hips.
"You're Josie's son!" Vaughn exploded, looking at the boy. It was now he could actually see the resemblance between the two. And someone else he knew.
"And Lucas'," Finley filled in the unspoken thought.
"This is … extreme," Vaughn finally said, sitting down.
"Vaughn," Kelly said, looking warily at the boy. She stopped, changing her mind about what to say, and instead took Douglas by the shoulders. "Look, I can't stay for long, but I have to get a message across to you."
"Why didn't someone else bring it? How did you even get here in the first place?" Douglas demanded.
"Pure luck. I was just in the right place at the right time," Kelly said with a quick shrug. "Look, you three aren't ready to come back with me. You still have a little more to do here, so don't jump to go home. Alright, Jovee, use your head. Analyze all situations before jumping in. Finley, get as close as you can, there's damage to repair. Douglas, Make the best out of what you know."
"Grams? Those years of 'I'm sorry, but I can't tell you exactly what it is I do' has really gotten to you," Douglas said.
"Have you been talking to that janitor, Mrs. Trent?" Jovee asked. Kelly simply laughed.
"Actually, your father," She replied.
"Well that's a stretch," Douglas said.
Kelly looked uncertainly down at her grandson, and then at Jovee. "You haven't been fighting again, have you?"
"Lucas is your Dad," Vaughn interrupted, his eyes lighting up.
"A bit slow?" Douglas asked. "He'll never change."
"Oh, shove it, Douglas."
"No, no! Lucas is your father. Lucas … vanishes?" Vaughn seemed uncertain, and to that statement Kelly looked down. Jovee bit her lip, and Douglas shot Finley an angry glare.
"Actually, he went into the wormhole," Jovee finally answered. "And nobody has heard from him since."
"Man, this is so much to take in," Vaughn said, resting his head in his hands.
"That's not even the half of it," Jovee said. "Finley is Corrine and Marshall's son."
Vaughn blinked, staring at the boy. Then he frowned. "He is?"
"Finley Grant? Uncle Grant?" Finley asked.
"We all changed our last names so it wouldn't be so obvious. Douglas Trent-Randall, Finley Wheeler, and Jovee Pearson," Jovee explained.
"Pearson?" Vaughn asked incredulously.
"Yeah. Hi Dad," She said. Vaughn stared at her for a few moments in utter surprise, and then slowly started laughing.
"I have a daughter. Sometime in the … distant future, right?"
"You've got things under control by the time we come around. Don't worry. And you don't just have a daughter, you know. I have an older brother, Vinny - and a younger sister, Daveena."
"I don't think you should be revealing so much information," Kelly warned, though she had to smile at the way Vaughn seemed so confused.
"Oh, he'll forget it all," Jovee said with a laugh.
Kelly looked at the clock uncertainly. "The wormhole's going to be opening up. Think about what I've told you, okay?" And then she was pulled through the wormhole before anyone could reply.
Jovee frowned. "Doesn't anyone say goodbye anymore?"
"To you? No," Douglas replied.
"Look, I'm sorry," Jovee said, looking at Douglas. "I was wrong to say that about your Dad. I went too far, I admit it." Douglas crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to continue. "We'll find a way to get Lucas back. Z's always been saying it. Just … try to relax."
Douglas sighed, and then nodded. "Alright," He said. "Let's just … forget the whole thing happened, okay?"
"Finally," Finley grumbled, though there was a smile on his face. "Now we just need to get everything figured out, okay?"
Douglas' eyes lit up. "Jovee, stay here, Finley, go to Marshall and Corrine. I'm going to go find myself a certain book." He started for the door, stopping and looking back at the group. Vaughn was staring with confusion, while Finley and Jovee just seemed to think he was crazy.
"Whatever," Finley said with a shrug, moving towards the door.
"Well, wait!" Vaughn exclaimed. "I missed something, didn't I?" The last thing he remembered being Jovee about to apologize to Douglas, but being cut off by … something. Finley and Douglas just snickered as they left the room.
"Oh, it's nothing important," Jovee said, grinning. "Oh, hey, if you were to say to someone, 'use your head. Analyze all situations before jumping in,' what do you think you would mean?"
"I dunno. I think I would mean just that."
"R-ight," Jovee said slowly, looking considerate. Then her eyes lit up. "I've got it!" She grinned at her future Father happily.
"Why do I get a bad feeling about this?" Vaughn asked himself.
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Finley found Corrine in her room, reading through some notes. "Eh, knock-knock?" He asked. She looked up, startled by the intrusion. Then smiled uncertainly.
"Hey," She said slowly, putting the book down. "Look, I'm sorry about flipping out on you guys earlier."
"Don't be, its entirely understandable. Where's Marshall?" He asked, looking around.
Corrine let out a sigh. "I don't know, and honestly, I don't care," She said.
Finley winced. "Ouch. Okay, what happened?" He sat on Josie's bed, waiting for a reply.
Corrine shifted uncomfortably. "Finley, you're from the future, right?"
"Last time I checked."
"Are Marshall and I … we're still friends, right?"
"Sure. The best." Not exactly a lie. The husband and wife acted like best friends sometimes.
"That's just it. I feel like that's all we are," Corrine said.
"And you want more," Finley said, nodding with understanding.
"I'm not sure what I want. I like Marshall, more than a friend. But sometimes he's just so frustrating. He acts like I'm annoying to him."
"Just tell him how you feel," Finley suggested.
"I can't. Right now he's mad at me. Besides, I don't exactly think he feels the same for me," She said, shaking her head.
"Didn't you get anything from the mind reading? Someone once told me things happen for a reason. Maybe all … this happened for a reason. Are you taking advantage of it?"
"I don't know how," Corrine said.
"You are so confidant where I come from. You've always been confidant. Why don't you feel it now?"
"I've seen Marshall's thoughts. He doesn't see me as more than a friend."
"You don't know that. Maybe you're looking at this all the wrong way."
"He thinks of me as a know-it-all," Corrine replied.
"But that's what you are. I don't mean it in a bad way, and I don't think Marshall does, either. I think he admires you for it. Both of you tend to be well … endowed in the brains department. But you really need to start thinking with your heart instead of your mind. Don't think logically, feel logically. It could all turn out to be a crush that will end in a few weeks, or it could be something more. You need to take that chance."
The question was burning in Corrine's throat, but she knew she couldn't possibly ask it. Still, Finley read her face easily.
"I know a lot about you. And I know about your past. You don't want to change your future. Live for the present, take chances," Finley advised.
"You're right," Corrine said.
"Of course I am. Wow, did that sound cocky. Alright, why don't you go and … get dressed up or something, while I talk to Marshall," Finley suggested.
"Thanks," Corrine said, flashing a grin, before shooing Finley out of the room. The boy smirked, before fixing his shirt.
"Alright, on to Dad. This should be easy." He started to move quickly down the hall.
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"The overload of energy surfacing around this school needs to be drawing on something. Now the Penn Theory states that -."
"The Penn Theory?" Vaughn asked, staring at Jovee.
"Nathaniel Penn. It's … hard to explain. He's a friend of mine – in the science club. Just listen. With you being a Pearson, you have some connections to the school. Therefore the Penn Theory states that this connection created … an energy shield, of sorts, around the school. You are being pulled into this energy just as its drawing from you. Now when the energy is out of control, it needs a power source to … plug into. You. Am I making sense?"
"Sort of," Vaughn replied.
"However the energy backfired and created a … Swiss cheese memory, if you will." Jovee stopped, took in a breath, and looked down at the page Douglas had opened up on energies. "The energy drew on the first thing in your mind at the time – your science paper, which coincidentally was on memory loss and head trauma. That's why you keep forgetting. A repercussion of this whole thing is the continuous loss of memory … growing greater and greater each time."
"So how do I stop the blackouts from happening?" Vaughn asked.
"Simple, we let this all sit out," Jovee explained.
"Are you serious?" Vaughn asked.
"All the blackouts should end as soon as the connection between Corrine and Marshall is cut – which Finley's working on. Then once Josie and Lucas have returned your brain will reboot. You'll awaken refreshed and with a full memory. No one will have to know about this little problem," Jovee told him.
"So what do we do until then?" Vaughn asked.
"Wait it out?" Jovee suggested. Use your head. Analyze all situations before jumping in. She shifted thoughtfully. She'd done that already, so why did she feel like there was still a little more to the message than she knew? She looked back at Vaughn. Not yet, she told herself. Not yet.
"How about a little fun?" Jovee suggested.
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"Marshall?" Finley called. "I'm coming in!"
The door was pulled open to reveal a drowsy-looking Marshall.
"What time is it?" He grumbled.
"You're a mess," Finley stated. Marshall just raised his eyebrows.
"I was asleep," He replied.
"Right. Look, we need to talk, and I'm going to be direct with you."
"Shoot."
"In the bedroom … now," Finley commanded.
"Aren't I older than you?" Marshall joked, moving aside to let Finley in.
"Not yet you aren't. Therefore, I can boss you around all I want. Which is sort of fun." Marshall gave him a dark look as he closed the door behind him, which wiped the smile off of Finley's face.
"I come in peace … sort of. So I heard you and Corrine had a little … falling out? Want me to help?"
"I don't see how you could help," Marshall replied. "Any news on Josie and Lucas?"
"It's winding down. I say give it … twenty minutes. Right now I'm more worried about you two. Why aren't you talking to Corrine?"
"I never said I wasn't," Marshall replied. "I'm just a little irritated with her. Sometimes she wants things to be perfect so much that she pushes everyone around her."
"I know," Finley said, sitting on Lucas' bed. "She'll tone the perfection down eventually. But answer me, if she's so frustrating, why do you like her?"
"Is it that obvious?" Marshall asked.
Finley wanted to point out he was from the future, but then thought better of it. "I'm just intuitive," He replied.
"I don't know why I like her. I just do," Marshall said. "I messed up earlier, though. Corrine probably hates me."
"You know, you people have no confidence in yourselves. Where are the people I know? You two are perfect for each other! You both have different interests, but those interests are also similarly linked that you have respect and understanding for each one. Are you going to let a petty misunderstanding keep you from the girl you like?" Finley asked.
"Why does that sound like some cheesy line from a movie?" Marshall asked.
"Focus here! I'm being serious, Marshall, and you need to be serious too. Do you, or do you not like Corrine?"
"I do!" Marshall exclaimed. "I like her, I like her voice, I like talking to her, I like just being around her, I like -."
"And I get the picture … and am a little grossed out. But I'll save that for another conversation. If you like Corrine so much, tell her," Finley said.
"And what if she doesn't feel the same way?"
"Oh, for crying out loud. You're going to let that stop you?"
"No."
"Good. Now I want you to go to Corrine's room and ask her out. And bring flowers."
"Where am I going to get flowers?" Marshall demanded.
"Pick a couple from outside. No one will notice. Besides, is Corrine, or is she not, worth it?" Finley asked.
Marshall raised his eyebrows. "Why are you being so pushy on this?"
"Just trying to help out," Finley replied.
Marshall gave him a soft smile. "Thanks. Wish me luck."
"You don't need it … you'll do fine," Finley told him.
"Right," Marshall said. He thanked Finley again before walking quickly out of the door. Finley stood and glanced out the window.
"Now just stick to the original story line and no more interruptions - everything will be just perfect. Well, now that I've begun a long road of happiness for Mom and Dad, I think I deserve a soda."
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"Book, book, where's the book?" Douglas asked himself, searching through the shelves of the Blake Holsey library. He stood on his toes, searching through all the titles featured before him, none the one he was looking for. His Grandmother had told him to make the best out of what he knew. Well he knew his parents had been in the shadow plane for exactly four hours and twenty minutes, and that time was drawing to an end. He also knew that in the original timeline Professor Z had gone into the book and pulled the two out. That obviously wasn't going to happen now, which left Douglas to the job. If only he could find a copy of that dang book. He fell back to his feet, and then quickly moved out of the library, turning down to the basement. Hey, if the original copies had been down there, what's to say there wasn't another copy?
A year of experience had taught Douglas not to intrude in the janitor's office, but desperate times called for desperate measures. It was without a doubt that there would be a copy of the book down there. The janitor had everything. Not too surprisingly, there it was, lying open on the janitor's bed.
"He'll understand," Douglas muttered out loud. He slowly brought the book up to his face, closed his eyes thoughtfully, and then pulled it open, towards the last chapter. "Here goes nothing." With this he began to read.
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Corrine paced around her bedroom uncertainly. She was beginning to regret allowing Finley to talk to Marshall. What if he didn't come? She'd done as he'd suggested, switching into a light blue dress that she had in the very back of her closet from an old dance. She felt flustered, her fingers kept moving. She was a little surprised at how nervous she was. It was pointless to lie to herself anymore. She liked Marshall, and she was hoping that he would show up, hoping that he liked her as well.
She almost jumped when she heard the knock at the door, but she managed to keep her nerves calm. She took in two deep breaths, and then moved towards the door, pulling it open to reveal Marshall, his hands nervously behind his back. He gave her a quick smile before clearing his throat.
"Eh, hi," he said.
She smiled back at him. "Hi."
"I'm, uh …" He pulled a small bouquet of flowers out from behind his back and handed them to Corrine, who took them carefully into her hands. "I'm sorry – about earlier."
"So am I," Corrine said quickly, looking at the flowers and then Marshall. "I guess I was just under some stress. I didn't mean to snap at you like that."
"And I'm sorry I said I never wanted to see you again. I really do – want to see you again."
Corrine laughed. "I want to see you, too," She said.
"So … do you want to see a movie or something this weekend?" Marshall asked.
"Sounds great," Corrine said. She quickly bent over and gave Marshall a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the flowers."
Marshall blushed lightly. "No problem," He replied. "Want o go and get some dinner?"
"Sure!" Corrine exclaimed. Marshall gave her his hand, and she took it. Then the two walked down the hall together.
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Josie leaned into Lucas' kiss, surprised at how warm his lips were. She couldn't help but feel like she could stay there forever; and Lucas himself was in heaven. The only thing that tore the couple apart was the soft cough from two feet away.
Douglas' nose was wrinkled up when Josie and Lucas looked at him. Josie raised her eyebrows, while Lucas had the mind to turn pink.
"Okay," Douglas said slowly, leaning against the doorway. "Now that I'm officially scarred for life … not that I haven't seem people do it before, but that's just gross. Could you save the big kiss scene for when I'm gone?"
Josie crossed her arms over her chest. "No one said you had to show up at that exact time," She told him.
"Uhh, yeah, they did. You two are ready to come back home."
"You can get us out of here?" Lucas asked, surprised.
"Sure, just open the door," Douglas replied. He glanced at the "EXIT" door, shook his head, and then moved back out into the hallway. Josie and Lucas exchanged a glance, and then followed quickly behind him.
"Wait a minute," Josie said, grabbing onto Douglas' shoulder as he walked passed her. "You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?"
"Cliff notes?" Douglas suggested. "My friends and I are from a few years in the future, we're the new generation of science club. We know everything about you because Professor Z told us. More importantly, we can't go back until you guys are back." Hey, a lot of that was true. It was just an edited version of what was really going on.
"I knew you came from the wormhole!" Lucas exclaimed.
Douglas grinned at him. "Let me say now, it's been great getting to re-know you." He licked his lips, toying with the idea of warning Lucas now not to go through the wormhole in twenty four years. In fact, he wanted to say something so badly, he would probably burst. This was his one chance to say something without the others knowing. But then he thought about what his father going through had meant to everyone else, and he turned away, biting back to comment. He swallowed hard, and then moved down the hallways.
"Ahem. The key to the Shadow Plane is all in the mind. All the crazy things you saw here were oddities that in ways represented the inner workings of your mind. It's all some pretty deep stuff that I wouldn't dwell too much on. Your desire to go home had been here all along … you just needed to know where to find it." He stopped in front of a door, Lucas and Josie behind him - holding hands. "You ready?"
"I just want to go back to civilization," Josie said.
"Alright then, here goes." Douglas took hold of the brass doorknob, and slowly turned it, wanting to keep suspense high. Then, he gave the door a soft push, and stepped inside, disappearing into the blinding white light. Josie and Lucas quickly followed behind him …
The three reappeared in a mess on the floor. "You're crushing my liver," Douglas grunted to Josie.
"Oops, sorry."
"My arm," Lucas muttered with pain, holding his injured arm which had unfortunately collided with the floor upon their return. Douglas and Josie stood up, Josie proceeding to help Lucas up. The three looked around for a few moments. Slowly, Josie took the book into her hand and looked it over.
"Is it safe to finish reading?" She asked Douglas.
"Yeah, you guys don't need to be locked away in there again," Douglas told her.
"Good. That place was beginning to creep me out," Lucas said.
Douglas chuckled. "You haven't seen anything yet. Come on, we need to see if everything's been fixed for the others."
"What do you mean?" Josie asked, sounding surprised.
Douglas stared ahead of him, before tilting his head to the side with an amused expression. "Well…"
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Back in Professor Z's office Vaughn slipped into unconsciousness for a few moments, and then sat up, feeling better than he had in days.
AN: KK, just the epilogue left, guys! Hey, I'm planning a sequel, if anyone wants it. Here's the summary: Not too long ago three strangers visited Blake Holsey High. Now, back in their proper time, they are in need of help. Everyone is surprised, however, when that help comes from a red head from 2004. Will Josie help the new Science Club, or will she only get herself stuck in the future?
Let me know what you think! Epilogue will be up tomorrow
