Hope you enjoy this new chapter...x

Changing the Future

Previously
Rae, who was sitting beside me, put her hand over her mouth and coughed, "Awkward."

I glared at her and mouthed the words 'grow up'. She smiled at me and carried on eating. Before I looked back to my food I saw Derek give us a confused frown.

After dinner Simon and the Young me went to go get their ice-cream and Andrew left to go do some business-y work, so it was just Rae, Tori, Derek and I left at the table. We all sat there in silence, except for Rae who was too busy laughing to herself. I kicked her ankle under the table but that just made her laugh harder and louder.

"What's so funny?" Tori asked.

Rae laughed and I glared at her. "If you only knew..." Rae chuckled. "You would be peeing yourself laughing..."

"What? You can't tell us? Is it a secret or a future thing?"

"Future thing—ow!" She stopped laughing to rub her ankle where I kicked it a second time.

Tori turned to me. "Why don't you think whatever-it-is is funny? Rae does."

"Because Rae has a cruel sense of humour," I said scowling at Rae but she was still laughing. "Rae! Will you just, shut up?"

"Sorry," she laughed. "I'm going to take a shower, see you in a bit," she smiled.

We all watched her walk out the door with different expressions on our faces. Mine had a glare, Tori's look said that she thought Rae was crazy and Derek looked as if he was working something very complicated out. I finished off my dinner and went up stairs to my room and looked out the window that looked across the garden and into the woods. I don't know why I just stood there for so long, waiting for the moment when I would walk out of the woods alone. A few minutes later the younger me came out of the woods alone, just like I remembered, and looked up to find Derek standing on the porch.

I saw Derek walk out farther on the porch and myself walk up to him. I watched as I saw myself think whether I should run back into the woods or confront Derek.

"Where's Simon" I heard Derek snap.

My young self pointed towards the woods.

"He left you? Out here? At night?"

"He dropped something. He isn't far," Their voices were muffled by the glass but I could understand it perfectly seeing as I was standing there once. The young me tries to get back into the house but Derek blocks me.

"You're crying?"

"No, I—just dust. From the path. Simon's that way." I tried to pass again but then Derek stooped down to look at my face, I kept moving my head so he couldn't see my face so Derek grabbed my chin. I remember the effect that had on me, my heart was thudding and my stomach was doing flips.

"You have been crying," his voice was soft. "What did Simon—? What happened?"

"Nothing. It just didn't work out"

"Didn't work out?" he said slowly. "Why?"

"Talk to Simon."

"I'm talking to you. What you do to him?"

The young me stiffened. I love Derek but sometimes he really does annoy me. "I screwed up. Again. You're shocked, I'm sure. Now let me go inside—" Derek blocked me again

"What you do Chloe?"

Young me moved to the side and so did he, blocking me.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Yes, I like him. Just not..."

"Not what?"

"Talk to Simon. He's the one who thinks..."

"Thinks what?"

Me tried to move but Derek blocked me again. This is getting too familiar but I really didn't want to move away from the window, it was like I was hypnotized by this moment I once lived. All I could see was the tops of their heads but it's like actually being there again.

"Thinks what?" Derek said again.

"That there's someone else," Young me blurted then she took a shuddering breath. "He thinks there's someone else."

"Who?" Derek asked. Then at that moment the young me looked up at the window I was standing at and then Derek looked up following her gaze. They were both staring at me for, like, two seconds before I quickly moved away from the window and sat down on the bed. Oops.

Sitting on my bed I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. I couldn't tell if it's changed or stayed the same because of that one difference I've made. From what I remember the conversation between Derek and I there was a big argument, then Derek goes to look for Simon and I go back into the house.

A few minutes later I look back out the window and see Derek walking out into the woods and Young Me walking into the house. I jumped off the bed and sprinted into the bathroom. If I know me—which I do—then the first place I'll be going to is to me, and that's a conversation I really don't want to have.

As I was running into the bathroom I passed Rae on the way dripping wet and wrapped up in a towel. "If you wanted to take a shower, I kinda used all the hot water."
I just ran straight passed her. "Where's the fire?" She shouted after me.

When I reached the bathroom I closed the door and locked it behind me. I leaned against the door a breathed heavily. Maybe I'm over reacting but, as you can see, I'm not really into awkward moments. I slid down the bathroom door and sat there for a short while. On the other side of the door I could hear voices so I pressed my ear against the wooden door.

"Rae, have you seen Chloe—me—anywhere?" Oh no. Rae is bound to snitch on me.

"Yeah," thank you Rae. "She ran into the bathroom a couple of minutes ago."

"Thanks Rae."

"No problem," she said with crystal clear amusement in her voice.

I scrambled up off the floor and quickly turned the shower on so I could pretend that I couldn't hear anyone while in the shower. A few seconds after there was a knock on the door. "I know you're in there. And I know the shower trick!"

I mentally cursed my stupidity. Of course she knows the trick because I know the trick. I ruefully turned off the shower and opened the door a little to see Young Me standing in front of me, arms crossed with an expression of confusion and annoyance.

"You know it's really hard to talk to yourself when you're avoiding yourself," she said. To anybody else that wouldn't have made sense but to us it was a perfectly normal sentence.

"I'm not avoiding you," I said in my innocent voice. But of course, you can't fool yourself. She looked at me with disbelieve.

"I want to talk to you," I started to say my excuse but she cut me off. "Please, I really need to talk to someone and if I can't even talk to myself then who can I talk to?"

She—I—was right. This was crazy, I can't avoid myself.

"Maybe I should talk to Rae...," she mused.

"What? No! She'll stir it up, she'll make things worse."

"So you know what I want to talk about then?"

"Yes..." I opened the door wider and walked out. "Let's talk."

We walked to her and room but it was occupied by Tori lounging on her bed reading Monte Carlo. We went to my room but was occupied by Rae listening to music and dancing around. She froze when she saw us but we just awkwardly closed the door behind us. The kitchen was occupied by Andrew on the phone to someone important so we went into the living room. We both sat on opposite sides of the sofa with our legs up in the exact same position.

"So," I started. "You wanted to talk, let's talk."

"W-well you h-heard the argument with D-Derek outside, right?" She stuttered

"I lived that argument with Derek. What about it?"

She took a deep breath. "Was S-Simon right? Is there... someone e-else?"

"You would know too."

"Yes," she sighed. "But that's not the point. I want confirmation. I'm so confused. But you've been in this situation already so you know what happens and so you can help with my confusion."

"I don't believe in telling people of the past about the future—."

"Please, just tell me. You're me so you know how I'm feeling—you have to know!" She said franticly. "I know it's not exactly life and death but it's important to me. Please tell me," she let out in a breath.

I sighed heavily and just accepted the inevitable. "Yes," was my simple answer.

"Yes?" she said confused.

"You asked me if there was someone else. And yes there is... And we both know who that someone else is."

She looked at me like there was more to say but I didn't say anything else. "Wait, what?" she said after she realised that was all I was going to say. "But... that doesn't make sense."

"Why?" I frowned.

"Because he doesn't like me... He would never like me."

I gave her a look that said 'I beg to differ'. Her eyes widened at her mouth made an 'O' shape. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"Okay, so you're telling me that in the future Derek and I are... together. Like together, together."

I couldn't help but smile now. "Yep."

She smiled at that but at the same time someone walked into the room.

Well that's the chapter and I hoped you liked it. So... who walked into the room when Chloe said that she and Derek were together? Simon, Derek or Tori? You'll have to see who it is in the next chapter! Please, please, please REVIEW!
Miss WolfGirl...xx