In 2024, fourteen-year-old Lucy Sampson used an experimental computer mouse to travel back in time. With no project or clearly defined mission to guide her, she must adapt to the different roles time gives her, setting right what once went wrong, and hope that her next leap will be the leap home.
Lucy blinked.
She found herself once again in a bedroom. But instead of waking up in a bed, she was sitting at a desk, facing a window.
She noticed she was holding two crochet hooks that seemed to be in the middle of making a pouch. Not only that, but in front of her were a sewing machine, threads, needles, and a number of knitted products with cute pastel designs.
She sighed in relief. She must've finally leaped back into a girl.
But then she looked to her left.
There was an iMac computer beside her, its bulky white rounded-square screen supported by a single thin leg. A webcam was perched on top of the monitor, displaying its live feed on the screen.
Her eyes widened when she saw who she was - a boy about ten years old with a mop of auburn hair, an Avril Lavigne T-shirt, and denim shorts.
A boy who not only did crochet, but was also livestreaming it for all the world to see.
Then she realized she didn't know what the date was. She grabbed Boop - who was taking the place of the computer's normal mouse - and clicked on the date in the top-right corner of the screen.
She gasped loudly when she saw it - it was 1:11 PM on Sunday, January 1, 2006.
It was over a decade before livestreaming, crochet videos, and crochet livestreams!
"Shocking, isn't it?" commented Boop, intercepting Lucy's confused thoughts. "He's living like it's the late 2010s or something."
Still at a loss for words, Lucy closed the webcam window. She noticed that the operating system was more outdated than the ones on Dana Tju and Paula Serin's computers, with outdated icons and a simple blue pattern wallpaper.
She then moved the black mouse cursor around, looking for any clues to her leapee's identity. There was nothing on the desktop, so she clicked on the Safari browser.
The last used window appeared, which was open to the YouTube homepage.
Lucy suddenly remembered what YouTube was, but what she remembered didn't match what she saw. Instead of ads, shorts, and monetized videos, the site in front of her was simple to navigate and filled with authentic, down-to-earth, passionate videos.
She noticed a username in the top-right of the screen, indicating that the last user - probably her leapee - was signed in. The username was "crochettips96".
She clicked onto crochettips96's profile. Their uploads were titled things like "best yarn 4 crochet" and "how 2 make crochet amigurumis". All of them had dark, pixelated thumbnails that were taken from random parts of the videos.
Curious, she clicked on one of the videos, titled "how 2 crochet 4 beginners".
It began with a dark, barely decipherable shot of her leapee greeting his viewers in a grainy voice. At several points the audio and video randomly clear up, only for the boy to adjust the webcam, as if to hide his identity.
She clicked through several random points in the video, finding several shots of the boy's hands demonstrating crochet basics, but never showing his face or saying his name.
"How am I supposed to find out about my leapee like this?" asked Lucy, clicking onto another shot of the boy's hands.
As if to answer her question, a man knocked on the door. "Spencer? Are you okay?"
"Spencer, huh?" said Boop. "What an old-fashioned name."
"Yeah, uh… Dad," shouted Lucy in reply to the voice.
"May I come in?" replied the man outside.
"Uh, yeah?"
The door opened, and a man stepped in. He looked like the stereotypical business executive, with a narrow oval face, dark brown eyes, and short, combed-back hair.
"I see you're making your first video of the new year!" commented the man, noticing the flashing light on the webcam.
"Y-yeah," sputtered Lucy. She got the instinctive feeling to hide her video-making from the man, suddenly remembering how she wanted to keep her tech projects a secret from her parents back in 2024.
The man turned back outside. "Well, I guess I'll come back when you're done. Good luck on your video. Trust me, you really need it."
Lucy noticed the slight frown on the man's face as he said the last sentence. She already knew what it meant - Spencer's family was in some kind of trouble and she must support his passion to save them.
But what could she do? YouTube was just starting out in 2006, which meant audiences were small and people couldn't monetize their videos.
Again, as if in response to her thoughts, an alert sounded on the computer. A red "1" appeared on the icon of the Mail app, and she clicked it.
An email appeared on the screen. "Hey crochettips96! My name is Maggie Tucker, and I'm the organizer for the yearly Winter Market Fair. I've seen your videos on YouTube and I think you show potential. That's why I'm inviting you to join us. Just email me back if you're coming!"
Lucy almost squealed in excitement. This was her chance to help Spencer!
She ran out of the room and caught the man from earlier alongside a woman - who must've been his wife - about to retire to one of the rooms.
"What's up, Spencer?" asked the man. "You seem excited all of a sudden."
"Check out the email I got!" squeaked Lucy.
Lucy led the adults to the bedroom. She pointed at the email still on the screen, which the man scanned with interest.
"Looks like you've got yourself an opportunity!" cheered the man. "Go ahead and say yes to Maggie. You don't want to waste your first big break."
Lucy sat down and was about to type up a reply, but the woman stopped her.
"I'm not so sure about that, Spencer," said the woman. "You're about to talk to a stranger there. You don't talk to strangers in public, so why talk to someone you don't know on the Internet, where anyone can pretend to be anyone?"
"Seriously, Adrianne?" sighed the man. "Spencer may be ten, but he's already selling stuff and broadcasting himself online. He knows when and when not to talk to people. And besides, I have a feeling that Maggie's telling the truth."
The wife sighed louder. "Fine, Robert. We'll let him go just this once. But if we end up in big trouble, we'll have to take away his computer until he turns eighteen."
Lucy didn't let that faze her. She sent a simple reply to Maggie - "Yes. I'm coming!"
"So, when and where's this fair supposed to be?" asked Robert.
"Tomorrow, in Morton Grove, Illinois," replied Lucy, scrolling to the contact information on the bottom of the email. "Is that far from here?"
"Spencer, we literally live in Morton Grove," said Adrianne. "Have you forgotten our address again?"
"Oh, yeah, I did. Sorry."
"Where exactly in Morton Grove?" added Robert.
"On the corner of Lehigh Avenue and River Drive."
"Lehigh Avenue… that's on the way to my old job in Chicago. We can take you there."
"Really? Thanks!"
Lucy smiled at Robert as he accompanied the skeptical Adrianne outside. Lucy had the feeling that this leap was going to be a piece of cake.
The next morning, Lucy woke up before the sun was even up.
She headed downstairs to the kitchen, where she saw Spencer's parents already at the table, sharing coffee and bread. Robert was typing away on his iBook G4 laptop while Adrianne was leafing through a copy of the Chicago Tribune dated Monday, January 2.
"Oh, good morning, Spencer," greeted Adrianne emotionlessly, not taking her eyes off the newspaper. "Have a seat."
Lucy made herself a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As she ate, she noticed Robert and Adrianne weren't talking to each other, hard expressions frozen on their faces.
"Is something wrong, Dad?" she asked.
No answer. He continued to type as if he didn't hear her.
"Dad?"
Robert paused and sighed deeply. "I just… need to email some job applications."
"Job applications?" repeated Lucy. "I thought you had a job."
"We used to. But not now. It doesn't concern you, anyway. Just eat up. I don't want to stop anywhere on the way to the fair."
"About that… Maggie emailed me last night saying I should be there at 7:30. It's already 7:10."
Robert glanced at the time at the corner of the laptop screen. He hurriedly finished his email and got up. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get ready!"
Lucy went back to Spencer's room, changed into some winter clothes, and gathered as many crocheted products as she could in a box.
She brought it to the trunk of the family's beige 2005 Toyota Corolla, then sat in the front seat beside Robert.
They arrived at the fairground a few minutes before 7:30. Other people were there already - other sellers setting up booths under a large white tarpaulin tent.
Lucy stepped down from the car just as "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter started playing from a seller's boombox. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she heard the opening notes, since it was one of those songs she listened to while pondering deep thoughts like she was in a music video. It often made herself imagine walking down a rainy sidewalk in slow motion.
And just when the chorus hit, a perfectly timed winter drizzle fell from the sky. She swiveled around and dramatically opened her umbrella - just as she had practiced in her head.
Time seemed to slow down as she walked to the tent, silently hoping that someone were filming her.
"Spencer! Over here!"
Lucy's imagined moment of grandeur was suddenly interrupted when Adrianne called her over to a particular spot at the tent.
She set the box on the counter and sat on a chair behind it. Robert put an elaborately decorated frame labeled "crochettips96 the Mystery Crocheter" in front of her, hiding all but her hands from the public like a person at a ticket booth.
"Why are you hiding me?" asked Lucy.
"It's for your protection," said Robert, hanging some pouches, beanies, and plushies on the sides of the frame. "People might do bad things if they find out you're a boy who likes 'girly' crochet."
Lucy noticed an older-looking woman glance suspiciously in her direction, but thought nothing of it.
"Plus, it also works as a marketing strategy," added Adrianne, displaying a framed price list. "Making you mysterious will leave people wondering."
"Here's hoping someone appreciates 'my' work," sighed Lucy.
"They will, Spencer," replied Robert confidently. "I mean, look at this stuff. They're incredible."
A few moments later, loud feedback erupted through the tent, turning everyone's heads towards the stage in the center.
"Good morning, everyone!" greeted the suspicious lady. "My name is Maggie Tucker, and welcome to our humble Winter Market Fair. Before we begin, I'd like to thank each and every one of you - vendors and patrons alike - for supporting our local community."
Maggie flipped to the next page of a script on the podium. "This fair is all about celebrating the varied talents of our small town. Each dollar you spend goes directly to support our hardworking vendors. So shop big, eat well, and enjoy yourselves."
She then looked up at the crowd waiting at the entrance. "And, without further ado, I declare the Morton Grove Winter Market Fair officially open!"
The crowd dispersed into the tent. Some made a beeline for particular booths while others leisurely strolled, taking in the sights and smells of the fair.
Visitors quickly piled up outside the booth next to Lucy's - a family of farmers who bake artisan bread. As the line grew and waiting times increased, people began to turn towards Lucy's display.
The first two people who noticed her were two women who looked to be between their late teens and early twenties.
"Omg," exclaimed the older woman. "Are you, like, the real crochettips96?"
"That's me!" replied Lucy proudly.
"No way! We, like, watch your videos all the time. I can't believe we're, like, actually meeting each other in person!"
Lucy smiled widely. "So, is there anything you girls want?"
"How about that pouch over there?" said the younger woman. "It's, like, super cute."
"It's only ten dollars," said Adrianne.
The younger woman handed Lucy a ten-dollar bill, then walked away with her companion, both shrieking in excitement.
Almost immediately after, a girl who looked younger than Spencer pranced up to the booth. "Ooh, I love that teddy bear! How much is it?"
"Fifteen dollars," replied Robert.
And a few seconds after that, an artsy-looking teenage girl bought a beanie, which she wore immediately after buying.
Word quickly spread throughout the fair, and soon, Lucy's booth started drawing a long line of its own. Her sales quickly increased from tens to hundreds to thousands.
But of all the many customers, a particular girl about eleven years old caught Lucy's attention the most.
"Hey," she said in a cute, high-pitched voice, "My name's Mary. Do you accept bulk orders?"
"Nice to meet you, Mary," replied Lucy. "I'd love to make anything for you. What would you like?"
"I want to resell your pouches. My sister Emily's doing chemotherapy and I'm looking for ways to support her."
"Sure! I'll gladly make as many as you want. I'll even give you a discount since you have such a good heart."
"Great. Can you make one hundred pouches by Friday?"
"You can count on it."
"Thanks!"
The girl twirled her long white dress as she pranced away, making exaggerated steps like a ballet dancer.
The rest of the crowd was pleasantly surprised. Several people, many of them adults, bought extra items just to support Lucy or appreciate her generosity. Word of her selflessness made waves around the fair, and soon, almost every visitor bought at least two items from her.
Lucy sighed in relief and leaned back in her chair. It looked like this leap was taking care of itself.
All she had to do was to learn how to make one hundred crocheted pouches in time.
Noon soon arrived, and most of the crowd settled down for lunch at the seating area in the middle of the fairground.
Robert offered to buy food for the entire family, leaving Lucy and Adrianne behind to watch over the booth.
He took much longer than expected, and Lucy quickly got hungry. She wanted to get up and check on him, but she was afraid her secret identity would be exposed.
She tried to stave off her hunger by watching the crowd, but it didn't work. She excused herself, made sure no one was looking, then got up.
But she didn't notice Maggie standing directly in front of the adjacent booth.
"Y- you're the mystery crochet kid?" asked Maggie, seemingly shocked by Lucy's appearance.
Lucy broke out in a cold sweat. "I, uh, I…"
"Don't fool me, young man. I saw you come out of the crochet booth."
"Yeah. I did. So what?"
"How old are you?"
"Uh, ten?"
Maggie didn't say a word.
"Is something wrong, ma'am?" asked Lucy.
"I, uh, I… didn't expect a young boy to be behind the mask," replied Maggie. "Nothing serious."
But Maggie immediately walked away, her footsteps firm as she glared angrily at Lucy. It looked like she was personally offended by something, but Lucy had no idea what.
A few moments later, Robert returned with three Tupperware containers filled with macaroni and cheese. "What was that all about?"
Lucy shrugged. "Dunno."
They went back to the booth, sealing the frame with a "Lunch Break" sign, then had lunch.
They only reopened at one o'clock, just in time to see a very long line of people eagerly waiting to buy some of Spencer's creations.
The line moved quickly, and Lucy swiftly sold all the remaining stocks.
"What are we going to do now, Mom?" asked Lucy, showing Adrianne her now-empty box.
"You make more," replied Adrianne. "Here. I've brought your crochet supplies."
Lucy froze in shock when Adrianne plopped a box of yarn, hooks, and other supplies in front of her. She suddenly remembered how she didn't know a single thing about doing crochet, despite binge-watching crochet videos for their aesthetic.
"It's nothing to worry about, kiddo," said Adrianne, not understanding Lucy's predicament. "A live demonstration can really boost sales."
Lucy was about to complain, but when she saw the crowd starting to dwindle from boredom, she knew she had to do it.
But how?
She suddenly felt Boop scuffle out of her coat pocket. "Don't worry, Lucy. I've got this."
The mouse jumped onto the counter and displayed Spencer's beginner crochet video on her screen.
"Thanks, Boop," whispered Lucy.
Lucy followed the video exactly, down to showing only her hands to the public. The crowd gradually grew back, drawn in by the calm precision of her hands as they methodically crafted a pouch.
Once she was done, the onlookers reacted with loud applause.
Maggie, who was standing by a nearby booth selling fruit juice, turned her head at the noise. An angry glare formed on her face as she stomped over to Lucy's direction.
No one was able to react when Maggie stood menacingly beside the booth, her body straight and firm like a bodyguard.
"Alright, my lovely fairgoers!" she announced suddenly, mockery obvious in her voice despite how cheerful she made herself sound. "Who's ready to discover the secret identity of your lovely crochet star?"
Nobody made a noise. Robert wanted to attack Maggie for the interruption, but Adrianne shushed him.
"No one?" called Maggie. "Okay then, I'll reveal his secret. crochettips96 is-"
She forcibly ripped the frame from the booth. "A ten-year-old boy!"
The crowd erupted into a collective gasp. Several people's eyes and mouths widened, while others got over their shock by murmuring to each other.
"Shocking, isn't it?" quipped Maggie, sarcasm oozing from every word she said.
"That's so cool!" cried a young teenage girl in the crowd. "I didn't know boys love crochet, too!"
The girl's father, a muscular, older man with long facial hair, kicked her lightly. "What's so 'cool' about that? Real boys don't sit around making cutesy crafts. They hunt. They drive. They sweat. Do you want a boy who only knows how to fix blankets?"
"Your father's right, dear," said Maggie. "This softie over here probably doesn't even know what a carburetor is."
Lucy was shocked when instead of turning against her, the crowd agreed with Maggie. They booed and hurled insults at Lucy, quickly dispersing and telling everyone to spread the hate.
Once most people had left, Robert lunged at Maggie and slapped her clean across the face. "How could you?!"
"I did nothing wrong," said Maggie, sounding as if she took it as a personal attack. "But you, mister, you made a grave mistake by raising your son to be a lazy, good-for-nothing softie. And by daring to slap me of all people, you and your family are banned from buying or selling at this fair for life, effective immediately!"
Lucy gasped in shock. But she couldn't do anything but help Robert and Adrianne pack their things and go.
"Oh, and did I mention there's a fine?" added Maggie just when they were about to leave. "Ninety percent of your earnings goes to me."
Robert dumped the earning box at Maggie's feet. "Fine. Go and blow our stupid money. Every single cent of it!"
The family didn't say anything to each other until they were in the car.
"Dad, why did you just throw away our money like that?" asked Lucy. "That was thousands of dollars. They could've helped us!"
"I don't care," replied Robert as he zoomed back home. "I don't want anything to do with that stupid fair."
Lucy felt a pang of regret. If she had only known this fair would end up in disaster, then she wouldn't have agreed to go in the first place.
The next day, Lucy woke up to the distinct weight of sadness in the air.
She checked the time on Boop's screen - 9:01 AM on Tuesday, January 3. She was puzzled why Spencer's parents didn't wake her up earlier.
She slowly went downstairs and saw Robert and Adrianne sitting at the dining table, counting coins with despondent expressions on their faces.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad," she greeted. "What's for breakfast?"
Adrianne sighed deeply. "Just get some from the fridge."
A little puzzled by the woman's apathy, Lucy opened the fridge. "There's barely anything here."
"If we had money, maybe we could afford more food. But now, we make do with what we have."
Lucy grabbed the only remaining food items - half a loaf of sliced bread and an almost empty jar of strawberry jam - and made herself a sandwich.
As she ate, she watched Robert and Adrianne overturning all the pockets and purses they could find, as if to reveal whatever spare change they could possibly find.
"Are we really that short of money?" asked Lucy.
"If we didn't blow our entire year's savings on that grand Christmas party last week, we wouldn't," said Adrianne, glaring at her husband.
"Look, I'm sorry," replied Robert, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I didn't expect to spend that much. And besides, I had faith that Spencer's creations would more than make up for it."
"But obviously it didn't. I knew joining that fair was a bad idea."
"Who says we have to sell at the fair?" added Lucy. "We can sell right here from our house."
"I still don't think that's a good idea, Spencer," dismissed Adrianne. "People keep texting me bad things. It's like they want our business gone from the face of the earth."
"Don't let them discourage you, Mom. I'm sure they don't know what they're talking about."
Hope seemed to flash in Adrianne's eyes. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Spencer, get your crafts."
Lucy gave the extra box of crafts she saw in the bedroom to Adrianne.
Lucy watched from the window of the door as Adrianne set up a makeshift booth in the driveway. It consisted of a folding table covered in a picnic cloth with several of Spencer's crafts on it. There were no direct references to Spencer or crochettips96 anywhere.
It didn't take long for a visitor to arrive. A priest in robes walked by on the sidewalk, took a glance at the crafts, but walked past.
A few moments later, a man in an office uniform picked up some of the crafts and seemed ready to buy one. But when he saw Adrianne's face, his expression hardened, he forcefully dropped the craft, and he walked away.
And as if that wasn't enough, the next visitor - a cheerful-looking older lady - struck up a conversation with Adrianne and even bought two crafts. But when Lucy went out to thank her, the lady screamed insults at her, returned her purchase, and walked away.
"See what I mean, Spencer?" said Adrianne, tears welling in her eyes as she glanced at the empty earning box. "It's like the entire town of Morton Grove is against us!"
"Not everyone," said Lucy.
Lucy was obviously referring to Mary, who was prancing down the sidewalk with the same flowing white dress she wore the previous day.
"Hey, Mary," greeted Lucy. "What brings you here?"
"I've got bad news," replied Mary. "Emily needs to do another round of chemo. That's why I'm increasing my order to one hundred and fifty pouches."
"Sure. I'll get to work right no-"
"I'm sorry, Mary," interrupted Adrianne. "We're kinda low on finances, and I'm not sure if Spencer here has enough supplies to make that much."
"I understand," replied Mary. "Just make as much as you can. I'll just resell them for higher prices."
"You really are a good person, Mary," said Lucy. "You not only look after others but also have good business skills. Emily is very lucky to have a sister like you."
"Thanks, Spencer."
Her hope renewed, Lucy retired to the bedroom and began work on Mary's order.
Despite Mary's suggestion, she wanted to complete the entire order of one hundred and fifty, knowing that her and Emily would benefit from selling more items at a cheaper price.
But Lucy ran out of yarn in the middle of creating her forty-ninth pouch.
And with Spencer's family's finances running slim, it didn't look like she was going to get more yarn - and complete this leap - anytime soon.
Some time later, Lucy realized that her forehead was resting on her arms, which were folded over the desk.
She didn't know how long she was stuck in that pose. All she knew was that she cried upon realizing her dire situation, then fell asleep wondering how to fix it.
She glanced around, hoping that something miraculously changed for the better.
But the empty yarn spools still stood in the exact positions she left them, and the half-finished forty-ninth pouch lay across them, with the crochet hooks still stuck into it.
She sighed deeply, hoping to go back to sleep, but she was disturbed by the door slowly creaking open.
"Is everything alright, Spencer?" asked Adrianne, slowly pushing herself inside.
"No," sighed Lucy.
Adrianne sat on the bed. "Why? Is something bothering you?"
"No. It's just… I ran out of supplies."
"Why didn't you tell me? We can always go to the craft store."
"But I thought we didn't have any money."
"Dad and I just finished counting our change and turns out we still have a few hundred dollars. That should be more than enough to get the supplies you need."
Lucy's expression lightened. She followed Adrianne to the car.
They took a short drive to a huge chain craft store in a strip mall on Dempster Street.
It seemed to be empty, with the only person Lucy could see being a teenage boy bobbing his head to "Temperature" by Sean Paul playing on the radio. She felt confident that she would be safe there.
But when she stepped deeper inside, she found more customers browsing the aisles. Their faces hardened and turned away whenever she got near, as if she was some kind of evil spirit.
She quickly found the yarn and filled her basket with all the materials she needed.
As she stepped out of the aisle, though, she accidentally bumped into a middle-aged woman.
"Sorry," said Lucy, picking up the things the woman dropped. But when the woman saw who Lucy was, she stomped away, leaving Lucy to return the items to their shelves.
Not letting it discourage her, she went to the cashier.
Luckily, the lady behind the counter didn't seem to be repulsed by her. "So, who are you buying all that for?"
"Me," giggled Lucy innocently.
"What do you need so much yarn for?"
"My crochet project."
"Crochet?" repeated the woman incredulously. "But isn't crochet for girls?"
"People are buying from me, so I don't see how that's a problem."
"It's a problem because boys shouldn't do girly things. You should've bought dinosaurs or monster trucks, not yarn!"
The cashier forcefully pushed Lucy's shopping bag in her direction.
Lucy returned to the car with tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't say anything throughout the entire drive home.
When she arrived at Spencer's room, she didn't continue her project. She instead faceplanted straight into the desk and cried like a baby. She never felt this hopeless since her time-traveling adventure began.
Her spirits only lifted when she heard a mail alert on the computer.
"Hey crochettips96!" began the message. "I've noticed how you hide yourself in your videos. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you want to hide that you're a boy. I just want to say there's no need to hide who you truly are. As a boy who loves crochet like you, I know how it feels to be lost and alone in a sea of girl crocheters. You're doing much better than you think you are just by broadcasting yourself to the world. You have no idea how that means to people like me."
Even though she was a girl, Lucy felt touched by the message. She felt as if it was written by some kind of guardian angel.
She regained the courage to create a few more pouches, playing YouTube videos to keep focused on her task. The only problem was that since there was no autoplay, she had to click on new videos every few minutes.
She spent hours listening to the music of the time, her favorite being "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. But she quickly got bored of it, so she decided to search up something else.
She clicked on the YouTube homepage and found something interesting: a video titled "This is my story."
It showed a boy not unlike Spencer. His face filled almost the entire screen, half obscured by handwritten note cards which he was showing to the webcam.
Through the cards, the boy explained that he has an extremely rare heart disease. Although he had surgery to insert a pacemaker, the doctor gave him one month to live, and he had already passed out three times. He ended by encouraging people to donate to his parents' fundraiser, explaining that he claimed to receive a vision where he was told that it was almost his time.
It struck a chord within Lucy, but it wasn't one of empathy. Instead, it gave her an idea. What if she made a note card video of her own?
She got a few index cards, wrote on them with a black marker, and filmed herself showing the cards to the webcam.
"Hello. My name is Spencer Lou," she began, finding her leapee's last name from a piece of homework in one of the drawers. "I'm ten years old, and I'm a crocheter. Oh, and I'm also a boy. Last week, my family blew their entire savings on a Christmas party. I joined the a market fair to support them, but they kicked me out. Now the whole town hates me. I feel so alone now. I made this video because I really need support. Not just for me, but for all the boy crocheters out there who feel alone and invisible in this girl-dominated craft."
She uploaded the unedited video to the crochettips96 account.
She didn't expect anyone to notice her, but comments came within minutes of the upload. Most of them felt empathy for Spencer, speaking in various degrees of eloquence. Several even wanted to buy directly from her online.
"How do I sell stuff online?" Lucy asked a random commenter, unsure of how to do it in this era.
"There's this website called Etsy," replied the commenter almost instantly. "You can set up a shop there. It just started six months ago, so you don't have much competition."
Lucy opened a new tab and navigated to Etsy. There was no username on the top of the screen, which meant that Spencer wasn't signed in - or he didn't have an account at all.
She went back downstairs, where she saw Spencer's parents drafting a budget plan.
"Hey, Mom," asked Lucy, "do I have an Etsy account?"
"Etsy?" repeated Adrianne. "What's that?"
"It's a website where I can sell my crafts."
"Well, why didn't we hear about it earlier?" said Robert excitedly. "I'll make you an account."
Lucy and Robert went back upstairs. Robert entered Spencer's email and username into the sign up page, while Lucy provided the password - making sure to write it on a piece of paper so Spencer would know it when she leaps out of his body.
Lucy then set up a listing for her crafts, which she linked to in the rapidly expanding comments section of her video.
Almost instantly, she received a large number of orders.
She sighed, but she wasn't sad. She had work to do - and it was about to turn her leapee's situation around.
"Spencer, wake up!"
Lucy slowly opened her eyes when she felt someone nudging her body.
"I'm going to the post office," said Adrianne in a slightly hurrying manner. "Are you done with your orders?"
"Yeah," said Lucy, groggily glancing at the crocheted goods which she had been working on before she fell asleep. "I think so."
She clicked the computer on, noticing that it was now 8:13 AM on Wednesday, January 4. She navigated to Etsy and checked the number of orders she received, confirming that she had finished everything.
"Great," said Adrianne. "Let's go mail those items."
Lucy packed her online orders in a box, which she placed in the car's trunk.
She and Adrianne then drove to a small post office on Waukegan Road.
"How much would it cost to ship these to these addresses?" asked Adrianne, showing Lucy's handwritten list of recipients to the smiling man at the counter.
"It depends on the weight of the packages," replied the man. "What are they, anyway?"
"Oh, just some crochet products I made," said Lucy innocently, clasping her hands behind her back.
The man raised an eyebrow. "…You made these?"
Lucy nodded.
"A boy who does crochet," said the man, grabbing his chin. "Well, that's something you don't see everyday."
Lucy was a little puzzled by his reaction. "You don't find it weird?"
"Weird?" chuckled the man. "My boy Gene does crochet too. It's perfectly normal for boys to like crochet or things like that, as long as they don't hurt anyone."
"I'm so glad you think so. Everyone else hates me for being a boy crocheter."
"Well, sonny, you shouldn't let that stop you," the man said firmly. "Go out there and sell your crafts to everyone who'll buy. That'll show folks that there's nothing scary about boys crocheting."
Adrianne interjected with a sigh. "We tried. We had a booth at the Morton Grove Winter Market Fair last Monday, but we got kicked out. She said we can't buy or sell there for life."
The man's smile vanished. "Who exactly kicked you out?"
"Maggie Tucker," Adrianne muttered, her voice tinged with frustration, as if even saying the name left a bad taste in her mouth.
The man sighed deeply. "Oh, Maggie. It's a good thing I left you."
Lucy's eyes widened. "That woman's your ex?!"
The man chuckled. "Isn't it obvious? If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she talks big but doesn't follow through. My guess? She's bluffing about banning you. I'd say you're safe to go back to the fair."
Adrianne's face lit up. "That's wonderful news!" she exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest. "But first, we'd better get these orders shipped."
Lucy watched with restlessness as Adrianne completed the paperwork for their shipments.
When they returned to the car, Lucy could hardly contain herself.
"I'm a little scared, Mom," confided Lucy. "I'm scared Maggie wasn't lying when she said she'd ban us. She looked so… serious."
"Serious doesn't always mean truthful," replied Adrianne gently. "Sometimes people act tough to see if you'll back down. But if you believe in what you're doing, you can't let fear hold you back."
"I just want to play it safe. We'll go back to the fair but we'll not be at the fair. We'll park outside the tent, display stuff from our trunk, and sell only to people who look interested."
"Good idea."
They drove back to the house, picking up Robert and some of Spencer's craft stash, then returned to the fairground.
They parked in an area with high foot traffic, making sure not to be obvious that they're selling. Despite that, several people stopped and bought from them.
Things seemed to be going well - until a familiar face pranced up to them.
"Oh, Spencer, nice to see you here again!" said Mary, still wearing the same white dress. "What brings you back to the fair?"
"Just, uh, trying our luck," replied Lucy. "Oh, and, your order is here."
Lucy handed Mary the box containing her pouches, only to be interrupted by a shadow looming over her.
"Ahem!"
Lucy turned around to see Maggie Tucker standing behind her, arms crossed and her expression cold and unyielding, like a teacher catching someone red-handed.
"What exactly are you doing here, young man?" demanded Maggie.
"I'm, uh, giving a gift to my friend," said Lucy quickly, her voice faltering.
"Don't try to fool me," snapped Maggie, her eyes narrowing. "I know you're trying to sell here. Leave or I'll call security."
Lucy took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay steady. "Call security? For what? For standing here? For giving someone something I made with my own hands?"
Maggie's lips parted, but no words came out. She seemed momentarily caught off guard.
"You know how hard it is to be a boy in a craft dominated by girls?" Lucy continued, her voice trembling but resolute. "People like you make it even harder. You're not protecting anyone - you're just making it worse for people like me to be accepted for who we are!"
Mary stood up, clutching the box close to her chest. "And Spencer's right!" she said, her voice rising with passion. "I'm a girl, but I love dinosaurs - and everyone tells me dinosaurs are for boys. I know how it feels when people tell you what you're allowed to like. Why can't you just let people enjoy what makes them happy?"
Maggie couldn't take it anymore. "Security!"
Two muscular men in uniform rushed over to her position. "What should we do, boss?" asked the taller of the two.
Maggie pointed at Lucy and Mary. "Get those meddling kids out of my sight. Now!"
The guards marched forward, batons drawn. Lucy and Mary tried to step back, but they were already pressed against the car. There was nowhere to run.
"Wait, stop!"
A bald teenage girl emerged from the white 2005 Toyota Prius parked next to them.
"Emily?" gasped Mary, recognizing the girl.
"My sister doesn't mean any harm," continued Emily. "She just wants to buy stuff to raise funds for my chemo."
"That's the problem, young lady," said Maggie. "Your sister is buying from someone who has been banned from the fair since Monday!"
"And why is he banned?"
"Because I'm a boy and 'boys shouldn't do crochet'," answered Lucy.
"What's wrong about that? My crush, Gene, is good at crochet too. Last I heard he was finalizing his registration for this very fair."
Emily suddenly noticed something. "Oh, there he is."
"Hi, ex-mom," greeted Gene sarcastically as he strutted up behind Maggie, softness barely noticeable in his voice.
"Gene?!" said Maggie as she spun around, spooked. "What happened to you? Why do you look like that?"
"It's a long story," replied Gene, twirling his long hair. "But to keep things simple - let's say "Let's just say I feel more like a Jean now. You know, like the name spelled J-E-A-N."
Lucy tilted her head. "Jean?"
"Yeah, as in, 'Jean went to the store. She bought yarn.'" Jean's voice was steady but firm.
"That's ridiculous. You're a boy, and that's what you'll always be. I knew that getting you spoiled on crochet was a bad idea."
Jean licked her lips. "Now say that again to my new mom."
"Hi, I'm Sophie Lester with ABC7 Chicago," said the young woman standing behind Jean, pointing a microphone at Maggie. "I've received reports about rampant discrimination at your fair. Care to give any comments to the media?"
Maggie flinched. She glanced around, as if looking for a way to escape, but all she saw were Sophie's cameraman and the crowd gathering nearby, with several camcorders pointed in her direction.
Lucy smirked to herself. It looked like Maggie would finally get the justice she deserved.
There was a big commotion among the news crews as they went through the fairgrounds, stopping to interview Lucy and the other sellers as they seemingly searched for something.
Not long after, officers from the Chicago Police Department descended on the scene. Without saying a word, one of them cuffed Maggie and dragged her kicking and screaming to a waiting 2005 Chevy Impala.
"What happened to her?" asked Lucy as the cops drove away.
"In addition to violating the anti-discrimination provisions of labor laws, we've found evidence that this fair is unregistered," replied Sophie in a quick, chatty newscaster voice. "But don't worry. Since you're a minor, the contract you signed isn't binding, so you're not getting into any legal trouble."
Lucy smiled at Sophie as she and her crew boarded their van.
A few moments later, an old woman put a hand on Lucy's back.
"I'm really, really sorry, young man," said the woman. "I shouldn't have mocked you and told everyone in town to ignore you. You have a good heart and you deserve all the support you get."
Lucy smiled. "Thanks, ma'am."
"As a token of appreciation, I would like something for me and for each of my friends. Is that alright, ladies?"
The woman turned to the other ladies behind her. They glanced at each other, exchanging shrugs before agreeing with the first woman.
Lucy handed each of the women a pouch. They inspected the crafts, silently marveling at their craftmanship, then walked away with smiles on their faces.
"You know, that woman is right," said Mary. "You do deserve all the support you get. I'll tell my parents, my friends, and everyone at school to support you."
"Really?" said Lucy, putting her hand on her chest. "You'd do that for me?"
Mary nodded. "And I'd better start by buying the rest of your stock." She handed over a few bills to Lucy. "I want to resell your crafts even when Emily's done with chemo."
"Sure. Just get them from the trunk."
Lucy watched with delight as Mary collected the remaining crafts from the trunk, which she gave to Emily and two adults whom Lucy thought were Emily's parents.
Adrianne suddenly put a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "We're so proud of you, sweetheart. With sales like this, we might just be able to turn our lives around."
Robert and Adrianne hugged Lucy tightly.
"Psst, Lucy, over here."
Lucy turned around to see Ian's hologram poking behind one of the vacated fair stalls.
"I'm just, uh, going to get some snacks," she excused before running to her guide.
"So, Lucy," said Ian, "wanna find out what your leap did this time?"
Lucy nodded.
"Great. So, Spencer continues to sell his crafts at small fairs and pop-up booths across the country. He also becomes one of the first viral YouTube vloggers, but he slows down posting in 2014 to focus on the advocacy group he establishes with Jean. As for Maggie Tucker, she gets a twenty-year jail sentence for various crimes dating to the nineties. The rights to the quarterly Morton Grove market fair are bought by a new group in 2017, who restart it that summer with the promise of equal opportunities for everyone. Spencer, Mary, Emily, and Jean are granted permanent spots at the new fair."
"A lot of great changes as usual."
"And it's all because you stood true to yourself despite all the challenges. Good job, Lucy," said Ian, patting Lucy on the head despite their holographic arm phasing through her body. "Now I'd better get going. I think it's time for your next leap."
Lucy suddenly noticed that her body was engulfed by a strong bluish-white light. A whirlwind surrounded her as a powerful wave of energy emanated from Boop and overtook her, sending all her hairs standing on end.
And the next thing she knew, she was no longer in 2006.
Lucy blinked.
She found herself in a lush forest. Tall trees stood all around her, their canopies filtering the light from above. Warm, dry air blew against her face, carrying the sound of birds tweeting and a brook babbling.
She looked down and saw the brook at her feet. She bent down to take a sip.
The water was cool and sweet. It was even more refreshing than the tap water back in 2024.
As she straightened back up, she noticed her reflection in the water. She was still a boy, and one who looked Hispanic at that. She was about twelve years of age, wearing denim overalls, a striped shirt, and a sombrero.
"¡Carlos! ¿Está ahi?"
Lucy turned around to see an older Hispanic man heading in her direction.
"¡Estábamos mirando por todas partes!" said the man breathlessly.
"What did he say, Boop?" whispered Lucy.
Boop popped out of Lucy's overalls pocket. "Translation mode activated. Now you can hear everyone speaking English, and they can hear you speaking their native language."
Suddenly, Lucy heard the man speaking English, but with a thick Mexican accent. "We've been looking everywhere for you, Carlos. What were you doing here?"
"I was, uh, drinking water?" replied Lucy, unsure of what else to say.
"You don't have to go out into the poplar grove to get water, Carlos. There's a well on our street. Come on, Mamá is looking for you."
The man led Lucy to a clearing, where she saw a horse tied to a tree branch. They boarded the animal and rode off into the distance.
They soon reached a large, bustling city. Tall buildings with huge windows stood on either side of the wide streets, which were populated by trams and Ford Model T cars that spooked the horse. Everyone was wearing dresses or suits.
"Where are we?" said Lucy.
"Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas," replied the man.
Lucy turned to her left and saw a ruined church she recognized from her history lessons. "Is that the Alamo?"
"Yes. That's where the battle was fought 86 years ago."
"86 years ago?" Lucy began to count on her fingers. "That means the date must be…"
"Saturday, July 1, 1922," interjected the man.
Lucy's eyes widened. It was more than a hundred years before her home time!