Across Oceans of Time and Space

Chapter One

Storm

Jackie's P.O.V.

I'm going to state right here, right now, that is sooo wasn't my fault.

I mean, I didn't plan for the storm to happen.

If anyone's, it should be Mikey's. He's the one who wanted to go to the beach.

OK, this is what happened.

I swung again at my punchbag. "Forty-four, forty-five…"

I glanced around my room. The punchbag I was energetically swinging at stood swinging wildly next to the foot of my bed, an exercise mat in front of it. On the wall behind it was my pirate's poster, with Johnny Depp looking particularly gorgeous.

Bastard.

What he do?

He turned forty, that's what.

"Forty-six, forty-seven…"

On my bedside table sat my weights, each with ten kilo weights securely fastened to them. Next to them sat the script to Pirate's of the Caribbean, my all time favourite movie. I mean, who couldn't love it! It had all five factors of a good movie; betrayal, Johnny Depp, hilarity, Johnny Depp and hot eye-candy!

"Forty-eight, forty-nine…"

I had broken a light sweat by now. I had almost finished my exercise session. A lock of blond hair fell into my eyes and I blew at it angrily. I really should get around to dyeing it…

"Fifty!"

I raised my hands in triumph, giggling and announcing, "And the winner is… Jackie Hart!"

"Hey, Jackie, wanna go to the beach later?" That was my brother, Michael, but I call him Mikey. He's a good sort, if somewhat over-protective and madly in love with my bestie, Holly. He always stopped that obsessive dude Max from stalking me.

Did you know that in China, every blond has 8.3 stalkers?

"Yeah sure," I said, "Give me two minutes."

"JACQUELIIIINE! Breakfast's ready darling!"

And that would be my step mother.

Don't call me darling.

"I'M GOING TO THE BEACH!" I hollered down the stairs and, having been blessed with the ability to tan without getting sunburnt, quickly changed into my black bikini, threw on pulled on a pair of jeans, shoved my feet into my converses and pulled a Pisces 'Love's to Have a Fling or Two or Three… Watch out for this Little Heartbreaker!' t-shirt over my head. Checking my beach bag for the essensials (deodorant, after-sun spray, a light black jacket, board shorts, thongs, socks, towel, spare shirt, a block of chocolate and a can of diet coke) I swung it over my shoulder, ran my fingers through my hair and tore out of my room.

"Took you long enough."

That was Holly. Holly was a way spunky honey-streaked brunette with honey skin and light brown eyes. 'Honey' is her favourite brand, which I think is way fitting. Today, however, she had gone boho, with a brown bikini with wooden beads, a long, full, swishy dark red skirt, a v-neck long sleeve brown top, coupled with a couple of necklaces, and wood flip-flops.

But her attitude was anything but boho.

"Hu-lloh-oh! Snap out off it Hart!" She snapped her fingers viciously in front of my face. I rolled my eyes. Holly could be a little upfront and mean, but she didn't mean it. I knew that much. She did it to scare off the guys.

And it worked. Except on my brother, 'haps. He was totally in love with her since the first time they met, which was when I was in grade three, him in five. At nineteen, he was a tall, dark guy, who looked nothing like me except the eyes. We both had the same unnerving green eyes.

And Holly has a thing for green eyes.

And it seriously sucks.

Seriously. My best friend is in love with my older brother, and visa versa. Why I don't get them together?

Cause, um, that would just be weird.

For once, I agree.

That's cuz I'm right!

Nuh uh!

Uh huh!

Nuh uh!

Uh huh!

Uh huh!

Nuh uh!

Ha! You said it! I win.

Nuh- hey!

Ignore the man behind the green curtain.

Michael's P.O.V.

"C'mon Mikey, let's get a move on!

I rolled my eyes (I seem to do this a lot when it comes to my sister) and followed her and Holly out the door. Passed a mirror in the hallway, and saw my dark brown hair messily sticking up in every direction.

Geez, way to get a girl. Look like you just got off a roller-coaster.

I lifted a hand and tried to flatten it, but it just sprang back into place.

Damn it!

"Mike!"

Holly turned to say something. Being her best friend's older brother, I know I shouldn't say so, but she really was a beautiful girl. With long chestnut hair with natural honey highlights, deep golden tanned skin and light brown eyes, with a gorgeous figure she was probably the dream date for many boys.

Yourself included.

"Michael? Are you even listening?"

I snapped my attention back to Holly's voice-

-rather than her boob size-

-and automatically answered, "'Course. Let's get a move on."

We started off towards the beach. You know, my sister is really scary. She exercises a lot, is seriously strong, as in athlete strong, and can sail in some of the harshest conditions.

In a tiny sailing boat. Alone.

Some random guy that looked vaguely familiar, but had slipped my mind, sauntered up to Jackie, put an arm around her shoulders and went, "Hey babe."

Any part of my mind that hadn't been focused on him then, was at his words. I couldn't help thinking, Does Jackie have a boyfriend. But no. Jackie had had boyfriends in the past and she always told me. She could have told me.

Wouldn't she?

Holly's P.O.V.

OK, before I get into it, I'd just like to state that Michael was looking really hot today. Think thick brown-black hair that curls and looks kinda crisp, gorgeously tanned skin and bright green eyes, plus he's taller than my and is pretty built. I don't know why Jackie can't see it.

Course, the whole blood-relationship thing might have had something to do with it.

The dude who had just put his arm around my best friend was kinda cute too, in that whole surfer way. Thick shaggy blond hair, blue-blue eyes, tan skin and toned body, he sure was a hottie. But Jackie had this thing about her own personal space; she hates it when someone she doesn't know or like invades it.

"Do I know you?" Her shoulders stiffened and I saw that her hands clenched. I know Jackie practices fighting everyday, both because I'm her best friend and she always drags me to her kickboxing classes. I mean, who wants to know how to smash someones face in?

Though I admit, it was kinda cool when surfer dude goes, "Don't you want to," and Jackie lifts her fist and plunges it into blondie's face.

"Holy fudge!" Only he didn't say fudge. Let me give you a clue; it begins with f, finishes with k, and Jackie says it when she remembers that she forgot to do a six week assignment and it was due the next day.

Surfer dude let go of Jackie as though she was on fire, his nose bloodied, but not broken. I could almost hear Jackie thinking 'Damn it. His nose didn't break.'

"You bitch!"

OK, surfer dude, big mistake. Jackie swung her fist back again, but this time there was a nasty sounding crunch.

"Ouch," I commented, "Remind me not to piss you off. It sounds painful."

Jackie grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

It wasn't uncommon for Jackie to be asked out by random people- often though, they were more subtle. Jackie thought it was because she was blonde. It might have played a role in that, but both me and her brother knew it wasn't true. Jackie was one of the people that when you see, you have to go, 'Holy crap, she's gorgeous.' Her blonde hair fell smoothly to her shoulder blades, curling slightly, her skin was fairly tanned, she was somewhat petite, and her eyes were a sparkling emerald green, but she had a few signature expressions that couldn't be dismissed.

Take, for example, the smug one she was wearing now. It wasn't a conceited one, just a proud, self-content one. It was one she often wore when thinking 'I know something you don't know.'

Doo dah, doo dah.

I hate Fridays.

Aaaannddd, back to Jackie's P.O.V.

After a couple of minutes, the incident was forgotten and we arrived at our destination. Oddly enough, the beach was cleared except for us three. Holly raised her face to the sun and exclaimed, "Isn't this nice! Nice surf and gorgeous weather! I'll be able to touch up my tan!"

She must have jinxed it, because, suddenly, out of nowhere, dark stormy clouds blew over. And although there was nothing that started the thought, I became suddenly aware that the date was Friday the thirteenth.

A thunderclap sounded, and suddenly, rain was sleeting down. Holly let out a whimper. She's really terrified of storms, almost as much as I am of enclosed spaces.

Especially since-

No! Bad thoughts! Don't think about that!

"I can't believe this!" I shouted over the crashing waves, the wind making my hair fly all over the place, and I pulled out my black beanie with the skull and crossbones over it and tugged it on, the put on my jacket and zipped it up. Holly, who had been overdressed herself before, was now shivering slightly, glossed lips slightly open and mascara-coated eyes wide and glowing amber, her skirt whipping around her. She looked like a goddess from a movie.

My brother took control, as usual. "We have to find shelter!" he yelled, ignoring my earlier statement.

"Where?" I shouted back.

"I'm cold," Holly said, shivering violently and biting her lip. I rolled my eyes. If being within fifteen metres proximity of my brother didn't destroy any sanity that she had ever had, I would have been seriously annoyed with her for being such a try-hard.

As it was I just about to speak, another blast of thunder met our ears, and Holly let out another shriek. I looked up and saw that the sky was not grey as I had originally thought but black, with a red lining.

Not normal, I thought, and, although I'd never admit it to anyone, I felt a tinge of fear. Was there a cyclone coming? I'd never experienced a cyclone before, them not being exactly common in Sydney, Australia.

Mikey was saying something, but the noise around us drowned out his voice, and rather than bothering to listen, I scanned the beach for shelter from any cyclones and/or tornadoes coming our way.

Holly screamed, very loudly, and very close to my ear. I turned to tell her to get a grip, but, abruptly, there was a blinding flash of light, and an unexpected cracking sound.

And that was the last thing I knew.

Holly's P.O.V.

Ok, perhaps I went all wimpy during the storm. I hate storms. It's not my fault.

But if I still hold any respect from any of you, I'd like to state here that I was perfectly entitled to be scared. No one said I was invincible.

I woke up on a grassy patch, with a tree casting a shadow over me. OK, I thought with mockingly, where the hell am I?

I pushed myself hastily to my feet, the memories of the storm suddenly fresh in my mind. I looked around, panicking, searching for a sign of Jackie or Michael. They weren't there, I was all alone.

Suddenly, I lifted my hand and slapped myself. This might have seemed an act of stupidity by some but to me, it brought me back down to earth and stopped my faze of un-bridled terror. Restraining the urge to scream my head off and run around in circles like a headless chicken, I closed my eyes, breathed in deeply, and counted to ten.

One, two, three…

But a voice interrupted my thoughts, saying a line that I had heard so many times, due to Jackie's and my obsession, the thing that kept us such good friends. The line that from watching a movie so many times, I knew off by heart.

"Good day… Elizabeth."

I passed out.

A/N So, how was it? Review please, and a vote for who you want to see most of

Jackie

Holly

Michael