Chapter 10
I walked away from Freddie, tears stinging my eyes as I realized he’d probably already forgotten that brief interaction we’d just had.
Why would he have held on to it? I was just a stranger, after all.
And unless I did something about it, that was all I’d ever be.
If I couldn’t fix this situation, I was going to be stuck here. Possibly forever.
The thought was chilling enough that it stopped me in my tracks.
What had started as a fun adventure, and then a problem to solve, was suddenly stretching forward as an interminable purgatory.
I’d just always be here, at this particular Grad Nite, wearing this same dress?
Never able to move things forward with Freddie or escape my past mistakes?
The thought was enough to make my stomach clench.
That couldn’t be my future. I wasn’t just going to accept it—I was going to do something about it.
I changed direction and started walking, fast, back toward the doors. I’d wished for this to happen, and it had happened. The lights had flickered, and then the next thing I’d known, I was stuck in this time loop. So I’d just un-wish it.
As I picked up my pace, I shook my head, annoyed at myself that I hadn’t actually tried this yet.
Because maybe things would just be that simple.
Once again, I lamented the fact that my wise guide had apparently gotten held up in traffic or stuck on a Zoom call or something, because knowing these kinds of rules would have been super helpful.
I slowed down a little as I got nearer to the doors.
I took a deep breath and said quietly, “I don’t want another chance at any of this.
I just want to be back to normal. I want this to end.
I’m happy with how everything is.” Even as I spoke the words, I knew they weren’t entirely true.
I wasn’t exactly happy with how things were going tonight—but I was just through with all of this.
It was time to leave, go back to my real life, move on.
I couldn’t just stay here forever, trapped in this loop and never getting to go forward.
The lights didn’t flicker, but I figured that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe they only did that at the beginning of a wish, not the conclusion of it.
I crossed my fingers as I got close to the doors, my heart beating hard. But I was feeling secure in my knowledge that I was making the right move. Because I was done. It was time to end this.
I took a deep breath and stepped through the doors.