he possessed one of the few coveted computers in the building. The bell rang, the sound as familiar as the firehouse whistle at noon and the jangle of the bell over the door to the café.
The announcements came on and I listened to the senior class president rattle off the activities. Homecoming. I’d forgotten all about it. Next week was spirit week to be topped off on Homecoming weekend. Since I hadn’t gone to the dance, the event had faded into the fog of memory.
Bill Tucker though…he was exactly how I remembered him. Tall, with broad shoulders and wavy golden-brown hair, the senior quarterback strode into the library like he owned the place. He was flanked by two of his buddies, laughing and being obnoxious like only teenage boys can be. Ham appeared to collect their passes. His fish-like lips pressed together in disapproval but he returned to his office without saying anything.
“Freak,” Bill said and the cronies snickered. They thumped down into chairs and pulled out a deck of cards, not even pretending to do any work. They were seniors and football players after all. Stars of the school and the town. Who was going to stop them?
“So, you went out with Beth Yates last night?” Crony one—I couldn’t recall his name so I mentally dubbed him Crab— turned to face Bill with a lecherous leer on his face.
“Did she put-out?” That from Goyle, aka crony number two.
Bill smirked. “What do you think?”
The cronies chortled. I wanted to go over there and smack the look off his arrogant face. And the other two for being such faithful minions. What had I ever seen in that…that…tool?
“Who’s next on the list?” Crab asked.
In answer, Bill withdrew a folded piece of notebook paper from his pocket. I was too far away to see what was written on it but he said, “Joey Whitmore.”
“Dude, she’s only a sophomore.” Goyle, the only one of the three who seemed to have anything resembling a conscience, looked concerned. “Is she even sixteen yet?”
“Dude, she’s going to be a fucking Olympian,” Bill said. “She’s the cherry on top of my list.”
“And I bet she’s like, really bendy,” Crab added. “All those mat routines.”
More snickering.
My molars ground together. So, my life was ruined because Mr. Horny McHornytoad had targeted me to be “the cherry” on top of his fuck it-list.
No wonder he had never come to see me after the accident. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed or ashamed for causing it. No, he just wanted to nail the future Olympian. And once any chance of me having a spot on the US team vanished, his interest had gone with it.
Damn it, I had never wanted a camera phone so much in my life to record what he was saying. There would be no way my echo self would go out with him if I played back his words. One problem, my tech hadn’t traveled back in time with me.
So, how was I going to prove to young Joey that she wanted nothing to do with Bill the Thrill Tucker?
“I’m gonna catch her in between classes,” Bill said to the cronies. “Set up something for tonight.”
“Dude, you are a machine,” Crab said.
“Her mom’s on the town council.” Goyle still appeared uneasy. “Do you really think—?”
Bill flicked a playing card at his friend’s face. “Leave the thinking to me, dumbass.”
No no no. I looked up at the plastic clock over the check-out desk.
Ten hours and sixteen minutes left to alter the course of destiny.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder. Ham had snuck up behind me and looked me up and down. “Can I help you find whatever it is you’re looking for?”
His tone was the same flat and slightly disapproving one I remembered.
“Nope, I’m good.” I hustled away from the stack and past the table of boys I’d been spying on and out into the hall. I strode down the corridor and around the bend and when I was out of sight of the office, plastered my back against the wall.
Another tap on the shoulder. This time, I jumped.
“Not very good at all the cloak and dagger stuff are you, lamb?” Robin asked.
“Where did you go?” I asked him.
“I had some shopping to do.” He held a bag aloft.
“Shopping?” I eyed it dubiously. “Is that like a souvenir from our trip or something?”
“Hardly.” After setting the bag down, he reached inside and withdrew two lightweight rain jackets. “Here, put this on.”