Chapter 41
forty-one
Chris
I wake up groggy, instinctively reaching out to turn off the blaring alarm on my phone before remembering everything that had happened the previous night. Owen. Percy. The time loop. Sitting bolt upright, I scrabble for my phone, my heartbeat pounding in my ears as I check the date.
Guess I was wrong.
Fragments of last night haunt me as I shower and get ready for another bright and glorious Saturday.
Thinking of Owen and how torn up he’d been makes my heart ache.
The kid’s too similar to Percy and me for his own good.
In some ways, seeing him last night waving around that pistol had been like staring at some alternate version of myself—one where I’d never gotten past my initial hurt at my breakup with Percy and hadn’t met Quinn when I needed her most.
I hope my words got through to him…though I guess we might never get a chance to see.
The thought leaves me feeling even more melancholic than usual, so I scramble to focus on something else, and of course my stupid brain conjures Percy and that almost-kiss.
I groan, resting my head against the tiled wall in the shower.
I still can’t believe I’d said no after how much I’d missed him these past Saturdays.
Yet, as I shampoo my hair, I can’t help but feel like I did the right thing.
For all that I love him and am terrified of losing him again, I also don’t want to be anyone’s dirty secret—not even his.
Maybe he’d meant what he said about being ready to commit to a future together, maybe not.
Either way, I intend to wait for that future to come in order to find out. No more living in fairy tales.
I tug on fresh clothes, my mind returning to Owen. God, that poor kid. We should try to corner him earlier in the day so we can stop him before things get as far as they had. Maybe now that we know the full truth, we can convince him to confide in us sooner.
Percy and I made a pretty decent team talking him down.
Maybe we should become motivational speakers once this is over, especially if we have to repeat the loop for much longer.
Because one thing is certain—no matter how many iterations pass, I don’t intend to let a single cycle end with Owen’s death ever again.
I might’ve told Owen what I thought he needed to hear last night, but as I head downstairs, I realize I hadn’t been lying.
For the first time in a long time, I feel…
well, maybe not quite happy, but certainly content.
I think I’m well on my way to liking myself, and that alone feels like an enormous triumph.
Maybe you had some inkling about what you were doing after all, universe.
Or maybe the credit for this one is all on us.
I’m wearing an uncharacteristically huge grin when I enter the cafe. Even if we’re still stuck in a time loop, our triumph last night warrants some coffee and pastries to celebrate. The realization that I’m probably safe to go ahead and grab an order for Percy broadens my smile even more.
Heading up to the front, I brace myself for Owen to be the snot he’d been before everything went down…only to freeze in the middle of the cafe and stare.
Devon stands at the counter, waiting for his order. That’s never happened before—not once in any of our previous loops. His girlfriend always comes in without him. So, what the hell is he doing here now? Things aren’t supposed to change. That’s not how time loops work!
To add even more weirdness to the situation, Devon notices me standing there and raises a hand in greeting. “Hey, man,” he says with a bob of his head. “Good to see you.”
“Y-yeah,” I somehow choke out past my shock. “You, too.”
“Look.” He fiddles with the zipper on his jacket. “I meant what I said yesterday about talking to the school about Coach. I’ve got your back if you want to try out for the team again. And I’m sure a lot of the other guys will, too, once they hear what went down.”
My throat is too tight, my eyes bulging like they’re about to pop out of their sockets. Somehow, I manage the barest of nods.
“Cool.” Owen hands Devon his order, and he beelines for the exit. “Later, dude.”
“Later,” I say right as he’s passing through the glass doors. Still feeling in a daze, I slowly turn back to the counter. And there’s surprise number three—Owen is smiling at me. It’s small and awkward, but it’s there.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi.” This is all too strange. Deep down, I’ve got an inkling of what must be happening, but my conscious brain hasn’t quite caught up yet.
“Latte and a blueberry muffin, same as yesterday?” Owen asks.
I nod mutely, and he sets to work preparing my order. By the time he returns and passes it to me, I’ve checked my phone another half-dozen times, and it still stubbornly insists it’s Saturday. But…
“Do you remember?” I ask Owen. “About yesterday?”
He glances from side to side before leaning in. “Of course,” he says in a hushed voice. “That’s not the kind of thing you just forget.” He grimaces. “Even if I wish I could. Thanks again, by the way. I…I seriously owe you. You and Percy both.”
Pride swells my chest at the obvious gratitude in his voice. “Of course. What are friends for?”
That earns me another grin. “Does that mean you plan to return to our fair island? Despite my less than warm welcome.”
“Maybe someday. Though you could always come visit Percy and me at school. We can show you around the city. Assuming your mom approves, of course. Nothing against Mackinac Island, but I think I could use a break…and I have a feeling maybe you could, too.”
His face lights up. “That’d be awesome!”
“Great. See you later, Owen.” I start to turn away, then pause and glance back at him, trying to act casual. “Oh, one last thing. Can you tell me what day it is?”
His brow furrows, and I get the impression he’s searching for some hidden meaning in my question. “It’s Sunday,” he says at last. “Sunday, October fifteenth.”
Sunday. Holy shit! I nod calmly, resisting the urge to scream and cheer and dance across the tables. “Right. Of course. Thanks.”
The fucking time loop must’ve fried my phone. Or maybe the incorrect date is the universe’s final joke at my expense. Either way, I practically bolt out of the cafe, eager to find Percy and share the good news. I’m in such a rush I almost collide with Quinn in the entryway.
“Well, looks like someone’s feeling better,” she says, cocking an eyebrow and grinning at me. I surprise us both by wrapping her in a tight hug. “Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Chris?” she demands as I spin her around.
“Sorry.” I set her down. “I guess I’m in a celebrating mood.”
“I can tell. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you so happy.” Her smile softens. “You should try it more often. Joy looks good on you.”
A sudden flood of emotion has me close to tears. God, I’m a wreck this morning. But I suppose that’s what happens when you save someone’s life and break free of a time loop you’ve been trapped in for literal months.
“Thanks,” I say hoarsely.
She tilts her head. “For what?”
“For always being such a good friend. I love you. You know that, right?”
Now it’s Quinn who looks one second away from bawling. “I know.” She wipes discreetly at her eyes, and I pretend not to notice. “Is this about that time loop you mentioned yesterday?”
“Yep.”
“It’s Sunday now.”
“Yep.”
“Well, then…good. See? I told you everything would work itself out. You’ve just gotta trust in the universe.”
I snort. “Oh, the universe didn’t do jack shit. This was all me and Percy. Speaking of…”
She waves her hand. “Yeah, yeah. Go celebrate with your new boyfriend.”
Some of my excitement dims. If only. But I don’t want to get into all that heartbreak with her right now. There’ll be time enough to dissect that can of worms in the days to come. Because finally, finally, I can count on those days actually arriving!
Leaving Quinn with a shouted goodbye, I race up the stairs to Percy’s room and pound on his door until he answers, looking sleep-rumpled and entirely too cute in a pair of Beast Wars pajama pants and a RuneWorld Online T-shirt.
He rubs his eyes and squints at me. “What’s going on?”
“I got tired of waiting for you.”
“Yeah, well, I figured I deserved to sleep in after last night.” His shoulders slump. “It didn’t work, Chris. I mean, I’m glad we saved Owen, but I checked my phone, and—”
“Come on.” I grab his arm and try to yank him into the hall, but he resists, looking at me like I’m insane.
“What are you doing? I’m not even dressed yet.”
“I need to show you something.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait. Wake me after Oshkoff leaves for the bike tour.” He starts to turn, and I hold out an arm to prop his door open. “Chris…” he says, his tone low in warning.
All right, fine. Telling instead of showing it is. “Our phones are wrong, Perce. I just came from the cafe, and Quinn, Devon, and Owen all remember everything. It’s Sunday.”
His eyes widen, his mouth falling open as he examines my face. “You’re serious? You’re not trying to trick me or something?”
I roll my eyes. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“I don’t know! Shits and giggles.”
“It’s not a trick, Perce. This is real. We’re free.”
He stares at me a moment longer, then shoves past into the hall, gesturing frantically at a guy—I think his name might be Carl?—coming out of his room a few doors down. “Hey! You! Can I see your phone?”
Carl glances between me and Percy, who’s rushing toward him still wearing his Beast Wars pajamas, then shrugs and seems to decide to roll with it. “Sure, dude. Whatever.”
He holds out his phone, and Percy snatches it, staring at the screen. He blinks at it several times before a broad grin splits his face. He turns to me. “We did it, Chris! We fucking did it!”
Carl watches wide-eyed as Percy and I embrace in the middle of the hall, both of us somewhere between laughing and crying.
He feels good against me, like he belongs in my arms. I force down another pang when I realize this means our pseudo-vacation is over.
Now that we’re no longer trapped here, we’ll return to our regular lives.
We won’t be stuck together, forced to interact anymore. We’ll finally be able to move on.
I cling to him a little tighter than I should, and I’m not sure if it’s my imagination, but I think he does the same.
“But…how?” Percy demands once we’re alone in his room. “Owen?”
“It has to be. That’s the biggest variable we changed yesterday.”
“You really think the universe orchestrated this entire thing so that we could save one troubled teen? Out of all the people in the world who need saving?”
When he puts it like that, it does sound a bit ludicrous. But… “What other explanation is there?”
He shrugs, fidgeting with his glasses. “Maybe it’s a random fluke. Pure chance. And we just got lucky with how it ended.”
“Maybe,” I say, though I don’t really believe it.
No matter what Percy might think about the unlikeliness of the universe selecting us, I have a hard time believing there hadn’t been some method to the madness. There are too many coincidences otherwise. No, someone or something had wanted us to help Owen.
Although…now that I consider it, he wasn’t the only one helped by this experience, was he? Maybe this hadn’t been about helping us or Owen. Maybe it had been about teaching all of us how to help ourselves.
Percy suddenly pales, clutching his head. “Oh man!”
“What is it?” I demand.
“I didn’t visit a single spot my dad wanted me to yesterday.”
I laugh. “Oh, come on. You’ve visited them plenty in other cycles, along with a bunch of places and things that weren’t on your list. I think you’ve done your familial duty.”
“But what if my dad doesn’t see it that way?”
I give him a flat look. “Does it matter how he sees it?”
Percy meets my eyes, then slowly shakes his head. “No,” he says. “I suppose not.” His tension fades, and he even gives me a slight smile. “Besides, I’m pretty sure my mom would be proud of how I spent yesterday. I can’t think of a better way to honor her memory.”
It’s my turn to groan. “Oh, shit. I went off on my mom yesterday. I hadn’t expected any of it to stick, but now…” Now, I’ve got to live with the consequences.
“Do you regret anything you said? Was any of it untrue?”
I consider the question carefully. “No…I guess not. I mean, I could’ve been more diplomatic, but everything I said was how I feel.”
“Then, it seems to me you don’t have anything to apologize for either.” He sighs. “I wish I’d gotten the chance to return to Friendship’s Altar, though. I wanted to see if my parents’ initials were still there after how I chickened out that original Saturday.”
I hesitate, checking the time. It’ll be a bit tight, but we should be able to make it back before noon. I start toward the door. “Come on.”
“Wait, where are you going?” he calls after me.
I glance over my shoulder and raise an eyebrow. “Friendship’s Altar. Where else?”
He blinks, staring at me long enough that I start to wonder if I’ve made a mistake. Then, his face breaks out into a radiant grin that steals my breath. “Just give me a minute to get changed.”
It’s a peaceful walk through the forest to reach the familiar clearing. As soon as we do, Percy hurries to the hunk of limestone and crouches to study its base. I move up beside him right as he pauses near the small marks I’d made yesterday.
“Found them!” he exclaims. He runs his fingers over the etched stone, his face a mix of sorrow and something resembling awe. “I can’t believe they survived all these years.”
I let out a breath and rub the back of my neck. “Actually, they didn’t.”
He looks up, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you mean? They’re right here.” He taps the side of the rock with his fingertips. “R & L for Robert and Lizzie.”
Maybe I should’ve let him believe the lie, but I don’t want to risk ruining this new openness between us. He deserves the truth.
I stare down at the fallen leaves, worried about his reaction. “I came out here yesterday and checked. When I couldn’t find them, I pried a nail out of the post and carved them myself. It’s a bit crude, and I dunno if it matches how it originally looked, but—”
I cut off in shock as Percy nearly tackles me in a fierce hug. “Thanks, Chris.” He rests his head on my shoulder. “You’re the best.”
For all that everything had gone right and we’d broken free from our infinite Saturday, I can’t fully stifle the sense of loss that tightens my gut. I close my eyes, relishing the feel of him against me for what might be the last time.
“Anything for you.”