Note: Big thank you to Hahukum Konn for being my beta for this chapter. Any errors you find are my own after editing :P
Disclaimer: As always, the Outsiders belong to Susie Hinton and the quote at the beginning is 'borrowed' from the opening narration of the Twilight Zone, so I don't own that either.
~That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone~
December 5th, 1965
I've never fainted before. You see people do it all the time in movies but in real life it doesn't come so easy. I felt like I was going to pass out right then. Part of me wanted to because I thought it might help somehow, but I knew the truth. No form of dramatics was going to change things. My problems would still be there, waiting for me when I woke up.
A blue Mustang was parked in our driveway, with the engine running; I could see a boy no more than seventeen sitting behind the wheel. The rest of him I couldn't make out, nor did I care to. I watched from the foyer window, fisting my hand in the teal curtains, praying he'd drive off.
All morning I'd fooled myself into thinking this was just some sort of dream. Eventually I'd have to wake up but until then I'd just wait it out. There was little else I could do. I'd spent the better part of the morning in denial. Getting dressed in outdated clothes and sitting down to a hefty breakfast, thinking that any moment it would be gone and I'd be back in the real world. Normally dreams only last so long and the one I was in was way past its expiration date. By the time seven o'clock rolled around, I knew things weren't as straightforward as I'd have liked.
If this wasn't a dream, then how had this happened? What had become of my old life? Was I nonexistent there? What about my parents? Were these really them? Was I still me, or was I someone else?
I had dozens of questions and no answers. What I did know was this. I was in Tulsa, Oklahoma and it was 1965. In addition to that, I was still only eighteen years old. I still went to high school and that boy in the Mustang was there to pick me up.
This wasn't a dream at all, it was a nightmare.
"Lauren, dear, are you finished yet? That Adderson boy has been waiting on you for five minutes now."
Mom was busying herself in the kitchen. She'd been in there since the break of dawn and had yet to leave.
I let the curtains fall back into place, obscuring my view of the muscle car. That boy could stay in his Mustang all day long, I wasn't going anywhere with him.
"Mom, you have to listen to me."
She sat at the kitchen table, scraps of paper spread across its surface. They were clippings from some old catalogue that she couldn't help but cut up with her scissors. She said she wanted to give me an idea of what sort of dress I could wear for the winter formal at the local high school.
Yeah, like that was really going to be the highlight of my life.
"Lauren, your father wouldn't be having any of this."
That was true. What I'd learned of my father was that he was a man to be reckoned with. He was a serious, no excuses type of fellow. I barely recognized the dad I knew and loved. This man intimidated me. I doubt I'd still have pled my case if he hadn't already left for work.
"You don't understand," I kept persisting. "I'm not eighteen, I'm an adult. I've already passed high school. This is some kind of mistake. I'm not the Lauren you think I am."
Mom looked up, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. "You stop these antics right now, young lady. You are going to school and that is the end of it."
"But you don't understand. I'm not from here, I'm from the future!"
I sounded like a nut.
Mom threw the papers she was holding back into the pile. Her hands were shaking. It was as though a switch had been flipped. She pushed out of her chair and moved across the kitchen to a decorative jar sitting on the counter. She removed the top and pulled out a cigarette and lighter.
"You see what this does to me?" she was fumbling with her cigarette and lighter. "You see what this behavior does to me? I'm your mother; you are to treat me with respect."
She finally got it lit. Eyes closed, she took a long drag, savoring the feeling. When she opened her eyes again, they leveled on me with a glare.
"Go get your books together, Lauren."
This is ridiculous!
"I'm telling you the truth. I'll prove it," I said.
Great, how are you going to do that? All that you know of the sixties you learnt from watching "Grease".
Think Lauren.
"Kennedy!" I shouted, a triumphant smile tearing across my face. "He's going to be assassinated."
Mom took another drag. She looked upset. Had I just ruined the future by telling her this?
"Lauren, what has gotten into you?" she sounded disappointed and at the same time, concerned.
"It's the truth."
She sighed. "I know it is, dear."
Wait, what? How did she...
"It happened nearly two years ago," she continued. "Everyone knows that."
Everyone but me.
What was I supposed to do now? How was I supposed to make her understand what was going on?
The shrill sound of the doorbell chiming shattered my thoughts. I jumped, startled by the noise. Mom grabbed hold of it as if it were a life preserver. She hurried to the sink, butting out the remainder of her cigarette.
"Lauren, your books," she gestured to the foyer, nicotine-stained fingers primping her hair as she left the room.
My heart threaded with panic. I felt trapped, caged in like a wild animal. My eyes darted about the kitchen, seeking an escape. There was none to be found. The kitchen window was too small; the only way I'd be going out it would be in pieces.
"Oh, she'll be out in just a minute, Randy. We've had quite the morning, what with the accident and all."
"I don't mind waiting, Mrs. Mathers," replied the Adderson boy.
I'm not going to school.
I'm not going to school.
I'm not going…
"Lauren?"
Something in the pit of my stomach moved, churning my undigested breakfast into a queasy lump. I wanted to vomit all over the finely polished floors. Mess with the perfection of this awful world I was in.
I took a deep breath and stepped across the threshold back into the foyer. Mom was standing next to a tall, dark haired boy. He had his hair cut like one of the Beatles, except it had too much of a curl to make it look proper. He was smiling like an idiot. His teeth were so white and straight I was convinced they were porcelain veneers.
Randy turned, flashing his perfect teeth at me. "Good morning, Lauren. Are we all ready?"
"Umm…"
Tell him no, you idiot! You're not eighteen, you're twenty-one! You're not putting up with this shit.
"Lauren, dear, you don't want to make Randy late for school."
Mom held out a stack of thick textbooks.
"Yeah, I just need my books."
Mom transferred the pile of books into my arms. Half a second passed before Randy stepped in, charming my mother with his all American grin. He reminded me of those boys from the GAP commercials. It was all too Norman Rockwell for my taste.
"Let me carry those for you. They must weigh near a ton."
A pleased look overcame my mother. Her face glowed as she gave Randy a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"Such a nice boy," she said. "You could do well to follow his example Lauren."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'll take that under consideration."
Mom wrinkled her nose at me. Randy held my books, looking embarrassed. He came around my side, intertwining his free arm with mine. I went still, eyes narrowing on the arm around my own. He had some nerve. I hardly knew him and he thought he could just step into my personal space?
"Well, we don't want to be late," Randy was saying. "I'll be sure to drop her off after school, ma'am."
He was backing out of the house, his arm still locked into place with mine. Mom waved from the door. I wanted to scream at the both of them but instead kept quiet. I wasn't sure what good it would do me.
When the beehive of blond hair disappeared from the foyer window I finally snapped. We were only a few feet from the Mustang but I'd had it with this Adderson kid. I wrenched my arm out of his, my elbow accidentally slamming into his side. He cried out in surprise, textbooks falling to the pavement.
"What was that for?"
"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you."
"You got a nice way of showin' it," he accused.
"Look buddy, you were the one gettin' all grabby. I don't need an escort to your car."
He busted into a fit of laughter. Forgetting his side for a moment, he looked at me like I'd grown another head.
"Are you kiddin' me, Lauren? You know it ain't like that."
I didn't believe him. "What's it like then?"
"Marcia and me, we're goin' steady. You know that. 'Sides, Jed wouldn't like it much if he knew I was trying to get his girl while he was away at school."
"I'm no one's girl," I snapped. "Let alone this Jed fella's."
Randy, caught off guard, stumbled and nearly tripped over the pile of books lying scattered on the sidewalk. I watched him bend down to pick them up.
"I can pick up my own books."
Randy gave me room as I took the few from his hands and added them to the ones I'd already begun to collect. He was eyeing me the same way my mom had.
We got into his car and pulled onto the road without a word. That was fine by me; I had nothing to say to the gangly teen, anyway. I kept my attention focused out the passenger window, watching as the scenery slowly changed. We drove out of the small suburban hell I now knew as home and made our way towards a main stretch of road, decorated on either side with small shops.
"Marcia spent the night at Cherry's, so she'll be gettin' a ride with her today."
"Well, isn't that just so gosh, darn nice of Cherry. Say, how 'bout the four of us go over to Pop Tate's after school and share a chocolate shake? Say, we may even run into Archie and the gang, wouldn't that be just swell?"
Randy glanced from the road to me and back again.
"What's gotten into you today?"
I folded my arms across my chest, letting out a dramatic sigh. I knew I was acting like a child but that's what I was now, right?
"I'm not acting like anything," I said.
"Well you sure aren't acting like Lauren."
Randy ignored me for the remainder of the drive. I didn't blame him. I was being a rude, obnoxious baby and would keep it up until I was back in my old life. I was finished with the sixties. They could keep their poodle skirts and Beatle haircuts.
Will Rogers High loomed beneath a light dusting of snow. It stirred my anxiety, bringing it to the surface once again. I reached for the door handle before the car had stopped. We were still pulling into the parking space when I started to open it.
"Lauren, wait 'til I've stopped the car," Randy called to me.
I wasn't listening. With the door all the way open, I went to make a run for it. Something restrained my waist, pulling me back into the vehicle. I'd forgotten to take my seatbelt off.
The engine died. Randy was pocketing his keys, watching as I fumbled with the seat buckle. Gently, he pushed my hands aside. It was then I noticed they were shaking.
"What's wrong with you today?" he asked. "I've never seen you act this way before, since when are you in such a hurry to get to class?"
"I'm not. I'm in a hurry to get out of this place."
He'd finished with the seatbelt. I tried for a second escape only to find his hand around my arm, holding me in place.
"You aren't thinking of ditching classes again, are you?"
"Let go of my arm," I said through clenched teeth.
"Lauren, you know how your old man is when you ditch. It wouldn't be smart, not with you wrecking the Mustang and all. 'Sides, how do you expect to be with Jed next year if you keep missing class? You don't really want to be held back again, do you?"
I failed? Well, isn't that just great.
"How 'bout you keep your after school specials to yourself."
I pulled my arm once and instantly he let go. He looked disappointed.
"I ain't coverin' for you this time," he said as I climbed out of the car. He followed my lead, looking at me from across the Mustang's roof.
"That's fine," I replied, "because I won't be coming back. I'm done with this town."
"What's that mean?"
"Figure it out."
000
The cold was seeping into my bones. Every part of me ached from it. Biting winds cut through my wool jacket, the blue fabric did little to keep it at bay. Though I was accustomed to the harsh, Canadian winters, I was still a baby when it came to even the slightest cold draft.
I'd been wandering around the streets of Tulsa for the past forty-five minutes. Born without a sense of direction, I'd ended up lost after the first ten. Admittedly,I had no idea where I was heading to in the first place, I continued to walk, distancing myself as far away from the high school as I could manage.
Part of me kept thinking that if I walked long enough, then maybe I'd come across a clue that would lead me home. Maybe I'd stumble upon a magic DeLorean to get me out of this mess. It was all wishful thinking and of course, none of it ever happened.
I made my way to a part of town I was unfamiliar with. It was bustling with all sorts of people. Stores lined on either side of the streets, while cars rushed back and forth. I merged into one crowd of busy shoppers, following them down the sidewalk.
I couldn't help peering into the store windows as I went past. Though I hated to admit it, there was something beautiful about this place. People always talked about how simple things were back in the day. I never understood how someone could live without all the technological advances we had; everything was so convenient in the future. But there was something to be learned from this time as well. The lack of cell phones made things a lot quieter and there weren't dozens of people around me plugged into iPods. It was all quite different, I sort of liked it.
Snap out of it, Lauren, you have to get home!
I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I turned away from the department store, with its picturesque window display. The traffic light flipped to green before I'd stepped off the curb. All I was thinking about was the other side of the street. The other store windows I'd look in.
Tires squealed. A car horn cut across frigid air. A dented truck fender came at me. I screamed in surprise, trying to jump out of the way and only managing to slip in the brown slush that littered the streets. My arms shot out to cover my face as I cowered away from the oncoming vehicle. I waited for it to hit me, expecting to find myself splattered across downtown Tulsa in millions of pieces.
It never happened.
"Someone get that girl outta the road!"
People were shouting. Someone blasted their horn relentlessly.
Still shaken, I lowered my arms and lifted my head. The dented fender was inches from my face, bent steel mocking me. I sat there, overwhelmed with relief. Tears ran rampant down my cold cheeks. My butt felt wet as did my legs and for a moment I was worried I'd peed myself out of fear. It was then I noticed I was still sitting in the muddy snow.
A car door slammed. The fender bounced.
"Move your truck!" a man yelled. "You're blocking the road!"
"Y'all can just go around if you're in that much of a hurry!" another shouted back.
The crunch of ice underfoot sounded from behind. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder, startling me. I stirred to attention, slipping further into the slush. The hand tightened, the hold becoming rough and almost painful. Whoever this joker was, he obviously had no consideration for other people.
"Would ya stop movin' around, you're going to hurt yourself."
The voice sounded oddly familiar. A handsome, serious faced young man appeared in front of me. Eyes roaming across my body, while I sat there like a drowned idiot.
"Muscles?" I whispered.
Though he was without his black t-shirt, it was impossible not to recognize him with that stupid haircut. Our eyes met and while mine were still glassy with tears, his were looking more blue than green. They really were quite nice, sort of girlish pretty, though I doubt that would have been a compliment for him.
"You're the girl with the Mustang."
"And you're the one it hit," I said.
A smile tugged at his lips. It looked awkward on his otherwise, stoic face. His hand slipped off my shoulder, having lingered there for far too long. I followed it with my eyes, watching the hand ball into a fist. He was crouched down to my level, hovering over me, still looking concerned. I'd been getting a lot of that today.
"I didn't hit ya, did I?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. You missed me by a few inches."
I flashed him a trembling smile. He didn't seem too impressed by it. If anything, it turned him off more. He made me feel like a child.
"How come you just walked out like that? Don't you know to wait for the red light?"
My cheeks heated. I wiped at the tears starting to dry on my face. I was embarrassed to have him see the stains left behind.
"I wasn't paying attention, alright? I've had a lot of things on my mind."
"What, besides oncoming traffic?"
My temper flared. "Why are you still here? You didn't hit me and I'm not hurt, so your duties have been fulfilled. Go find yourself someone else to bother."
He narrowed his eyes, directing an annoyed look my way.
"Maybe if you spent less time thinkin' 'bout yourself and more time worryin' about the going ons around you, you wouldn't get into so much trouble."
Muscles straightened from his crouch, eyeing me from his high altitude. I glared at him, having to squint around the sunlight. He left me there, walking back to his truck. I struggled out of the slush and managed to get back onto the curb without any trouble.
The red pickup had yet to pull out. Muscles appeared to be taking his sweet time.
Who does he think he is?
"I don't care what you think of me!" I called to him.
No response.
"Why should I? I don't even know you," I continued.
Again, there was no response.
"You know that black t-shirt you wear? Well, it's too small for you. Yeah, that's right, it looks ridiculous. Do yourself a favor and burn it."
Once more, I was met with silence.
"Your hair looks stupid." I was beginning to flounder.
Muscles turned his head. I'd thought I'd won. I was ready for his retaliation. I expected him to lose that calm demeanor. It'd show him not to talk to me like that.
"Thanks," he replied, flashing me a cocky grin.
The pickup edged back onto the street, leaving me in its wake. I could picture him watching me from his rearview mirror, that dumb, cocky smile on his face the entire time.
Asshole.