Boulder, Colorado, present day I killed my mother.

Okay, I didnt exactly shoot her or stab her in the back or anything.

But if Id never been born, shed still be here, simple as that. Guilt by existence. It wasnt premeditated momslaughterIm not some monster. But it was my strangeness that did her in, no doubt about it. If you saw me, youd never believe one skinny, sixteen-year-old girl could be responsible for so much tragedy. But youd be wrong. An ancient curse says, May you live in interesting times, meaning dangerous and turbulent. That pretty much sums up my life. I mean, when your very existence in time is out of control, life can get

p r e t t y interesting. Every few months, I get yanked back in time for hours or even days. I dont know why. I dont know when. I have absolutely no control over it. I feel a tingle, and seconds later, I just shimmer, fade, and poof, Im in the past. Seriously. My biggest fear was that it would happen at school, and before you could say, Did you see that? Id be the next viral freak on YouTube. It would be a short walk from YouTube to a government laboratory somewhere remote. Yeah, like I wanted that to happen.

My strategy was to fade into the woodwork, so if I vanished at school, no one would even notice. The first time I disappeared, I was six months old. In the beginning, my trips were short, and I was only gone about a minute. Of course I dont remember this happening, but Id heard the story a million times. It was the primary topic at my houseuntil my mom checked out. I was born in the fall. By spring, I had just learned to sit up and was grabbing everything I could get my hands on. It had been a long, cold winter, and my mom had waited

weeks for it to warm up enough to show me the tree house. Built with love by her grandfather, it had always been her special place. Once inside, she lifted me up to touch the trunk that rose right through the middle of the room. And as soon as my tiny hand touched the bark BAM, I was gone. She totally freakedI was in her arms one moment and simply gone the next. But before she could do anything other than just stand there in shock, I morphed back into existence fast asleep with my thumb in my mouthor so the story goes.

If that had been the end of it, maybe she could have dealt chalked it up to too much caffeine or something. But it kept happening two or three times a year, just enough to keep her on edge. The problem was that every time I disappearedwhich wasnt all that often, but stillmy mom was the only witness. She told her friends, but they just looked at her funny and began avoiding her. She tried desperately to convince my dad, Sam. But since he never saw it happen, what could he say? Talk about a rock and a hard place. He wanted to believe

her, but he just couldnt. Sam was a scientist. He needed evidence. My mom tried a few times to get me to tell my dadand I did. But Sam thought I was saying what she wanted me to sayyou know, siding with my mom out of loyalty. I mean, I was disappearing, but I was just a kid. What did I know? I was confused and too young to make sense of it then. I just wanted them to not fight about it. It was a dangerous equation. Scientist/nonbelieving dad + Iswear-it-really-happened mom = seriously-screwed-up-no-win situation.

They argued about it constantly. Id listen to them late at night, huddled outside their door, wrapped in a blanket. My mom would lay out her argument, and Sam would bring in science. Shed say she saw it happen. Sam would say it was impossible. It tore them apart. Finally she gave up talking about it. Sam pretended shed be fine if she got enough rest. I just hid in the tree house with my friends, Lex and Ipod. I was seven the last time she saw it happen. That one was the last straw. She totally lost it. The doctors gave her drugs, and she

walked around like a zombie, barely recognizing Sam and me. She started talking to herself, mumbling, and watching me like a hawk. She got all twitchy and jumped at the slightest noise. She lost her appetite. It was another dangerous equation, this time for my mom. Disappearing kid + disappearings impossible = she must be crazy. Near the end, she got caught up remembering her Grandpa Charlie, staying up all night, looking through photo albums. She was obsessed about his going crazy, thinking the same thing was

happening to her, that it was genetic. Finally, I think, it was just too hard living with the uncertainty. So one day she took a boatload of pills and made the uncertainty go away. At least for her. My world got cold and empty real fast. I got through the funeral barely. I never would have made it without Lex and Ipod. But I survived. Then about a month later, Sam and I were alone in the back yard, and I felt the tingle. Looking down, I saw that I was starting to shimmer. I remember being so

surprised. Somehow I thought it would all stop when my mom was gonelike maybe the craziness was because of her. Thats when I realized that everythingour whole, weird family nightmare was my fault. I looked up from my shimmering hands at Sam. He was staring at me as if hed seen a ghost. I felt this hollow feeling in my chesta dark, frigid emptiness. And then I disappeared right in front of a supremely stunned Sam. I was only gone a few minutes. But when I returned, he was standing there, rigid as a statue,

tears running down his face. I walked up to him and touched his hand, waiting for him to say something. He looked down at me with empty eyes and didnt say a word. He just walked into the house, poured himself a drink, and thats about all hes done ever since. Hes never talked about it not even once. My guess is it wasnt so much the shock of his reality blasting apart, or even the mysteriousness of my disappearance. It was the realization that he let my mom down. That hed failed her. That she was right all those years and he

was wrong. So now hes following in her footstepsvia slow motion alcohol poisoning. I suppose Im at fault for taking him out too. ******************* There was no explanation for the way I was, although I spent a lot of time over the years trying to figure it out. If time travel had been the only weirdness, I would have pounced on the theory that I was just a normal girl who was being acted upon by some unexplained outside force. Like maybe Id gotten caught up in some kind of bizarre

time loop that kept sweeping me into the past for little stretches of time. As scary as that sounds, I would have loved that to be the answer. I really wanted to be a normal girl. But somewhere along the line, I had come to accept the inevitable. It wasnt an outside force. What was strange was me. For as long as I remember, Ive sensed things other people dont. Ipod was the one who first called it energy. There are two types. The energy from trees, especially my tree, was soothing and healing. It kept me sane. The energy from out

in the world, especially inside buildings and around crowds, was dissonant and jarring. It took a lot out of me just to manage it. To minimize the impact and protect my secret, I kept a low profile and went virtually nowhere. But the one place I couldnt avoid was school. To make it through, I had the code of invisibility. It had ten rules and I stuck to them religiously. At that moment, as I made my way down the noisy hall to P.E., I was following rules three and fourhug the walls and keep flowing in the direction youre heading.

It worked well except for the snarky glare I got from Sloane Cheney, AKA the Bratz Doll, as I passed her ginormous, cheerleader chest. That chest was a powerful force at Boulder High. She carried it around like a display case, thrusting her twins in everyones faces as if she was selling popcorn at a ballgame. Im guessing they each have namescute ones. She probably sings them to sleep at night. Why do I care? Well, its her belief in the spectacularness of that chest that she thinks entitles her to step all

over girls like me, who are, shall we say, cleavage-challenged. But its not my chest or lack thereof that makes her treat me like dirt. Shes hated me since seventh grade when my essay won over hers in some stupid, mandatory contest. It wasnt my fault she bragged that she was going to win and then looked like a dork when she didnt. Whatever. But her hatred of me meant she was invulnerable to my invisibility. That made her dangerous. I avoided her like the freakin West Nile virus, but then, I avoided pretty much everyone.

When you are my kind of strange, you do whatever it takes to stay under the radar. My downfall was P.E. If my brain had a search engine and you entered things that suck, the very first entry would be P.E. I hated it with a vengeance. It isnt that Im clumsy. Im not. Theres just something about school that seems to drain the life out of me, literally decimating my strength by the hour. The longer Im in a building, the weaker I getbrick buildings in particular. And crowds, especially loud ones, make my brain whack-out.

That made P.E. my kryptonite. By my seventh period class, there was no way I could possibly get a ball over a net, or through a hoop, or to do whatever stupid ball thing the sport required. And since the Bratz Doll was in my class, it was a double hit. Still, her I could ignore. The bigger problem was that I had nothing to hide behind. More specifically, I had no hoodie. I felt naked. Waiting till the last minute, I snuck through the locker room and into a bathroom stall to change. No way was I going to brave the bench area. There was the routine fight

over who had to take me on their teamthe highlight of my day. That done, I played my usual game of keep-out-of-the-way with some degree of success, occupying myself with mental chatter and stealth wall hugging. I did okay with that until my mind wandered a little too far, and I lost my ball-avoiding focus. Move it, Moron! I jumped backwards, almost getting slammed by a kid twice my size. Keep out of the freaking way you stupid, little twerp, growled the Bratz Doll, two inches from my ear. Im not going to have my

team lose points because of your worthless ass. Next time youre going down. I ignored her, following rule four, but the empty feeling in my chest grew a little colder. I shoved it down deep and checked the clock for the hundredth time. Come on alreadylet this class be over! Finally, Ms. Norris blew her whistle, and the hordes rushed from the gym. I waited till the crowd thinned, and the Bratz Doll was gone, before I braved the locker room. The empty feeling lifted a little, the moment I pulled on my

oversized black hoodie. I zipped it up and yanked the hood, so it hung down like Kenny on South Park. I put on my tinted glasses. I slung my bag over my shoulder. Then I hugged the walls on the way to my locker, relieved once again, to be invisible.

Seattle, Washington, present day. Lately, Ive had to remind

myself; Im just a kid, not some attendant in a psych ward, or an actor in a horror movie waiting for my turn to scream. I take stock constantly, trying to hold on to what little thread of reality I have left. When things get really bad, I pull out my drivers license and read it. Like if I didnt remind myself who I wasthe normal stuffI might lose myself completely in this nightmare. Each day, while I shave, I repeat the basics just to ground myself. Im Constantine DeMille, a senior, seventeen, six foot one, 175 pounds. I have black hair, blue

eyes, no identifying scars, or marks, except the tattoo of a tree branch around my left wrist. No rank, no serial number, not likely to acquire them in the future. Im not much for team sports, but I love a full-out run. So I do cross-country because it takes time to really feel the speed. I need music like I need air which means I play a mean guitar and am so-so on the keyboards. I love physics and artchemistry, not so much. Im young, alive, and walking around free. Walking, thats where the thread snaps. My brother will never

walk again. Freethats becoming questionable. Of course the prison is of my own making. I felt like Id been sent to the auto graveyard, smashed by a crusher into a jagged block, and piled with the rest of my family into a useless mountain of metal. Then someone came along, toppled the mountain over, and tried to iron us out into identifiable shapesmake us as we were before. But we were so damaged; we were beyond repair. Wed always be dinged and banged up and scratched and scraped. Wed always be a pile of

junk. And Id caused the accident. How do you atone for something like that? I couldnt even confess because my parents didnt know the secret, the not-normal part of meand Ive sworn not to reveal it. They didnt know about the Guild or time travel. They didnt connect the accident with me. They just sat in the dark, moaning, why did this happen? I wanted to shout, Because I messed upIm really, really sorry! But thats not an option. I wasnt home when my brother

fell off the roof, snapping his spine, changing our lives forever. I wasnt there when my mom found him lying broken on the ground. I wasnt there when they told my parents hed never walk again. But mostly, I wasnt there to catch him when he felllike I was the first time it happened. They didnt know Id changed the timeline. My parents didnt know I was the why. But the Guild knew. I remember the sentencing like it was yesterday. It played over and over in my brain, driving me crazy, stamped for eternity on the hard disk of my mind. They came for me,

two suits, and told me Id been summoned. I had no choice but to comply. The stark room was empty, except for a long steel table, at which sat the six Regents who would judge my crime and decide my fate. A spotlight provided the only illumination, and it focused on me, the guilty one. Shadows of the Regents loomed large and ominous against the wall, making giants of my judge and jury. Making me seem small. I was a frame in a graphic novel, drained of color, with a faded background, and my agonized face laid bare for all to see.

I wanted desperately to turn the page. Head down and hands behind my back, I stood alone. My throat was dry, and I regretted not grabbing a drink before the trip. But the suits hadnt given me time to do anything. Theyd simply appeared beside my redwood tree, each one grasping an arm, and seconds later, we were morphing into the Guild courtyard. Talk about a speedy trial. The vibes in the room were cold as ice, and I suppressed a shiver and the urge to rub my arms. Wishing Id worn a jacket, I waited, saying nothing.

I had no defense. I also had no clue what abilities these Regents possessed. The hardwood floor was old and bare, and I worried they might be using it as a conductor to mindspeak with each other, leaving me in the dark. I wasnt clueless. I knew, that they knew, that I knew, Id broken a rule. The most important rule, the one they hold most sacred. It was too late now, but I was deeply regretting my impulse-control issues. Slowly I raised my head and flinched as accusing eyes attacked me. My kind, we have unusual eyes.

Our pupils are largeour glares intense. And when those eyes look at youespecially six pairs of them you know youre being looked at. This was not good. I was on the shit list of a group that could zip back in time and keep my parents from meeting. I took a step back, bracing for the attack. Finally, the head Regent stood. He was tall and thin, with a long face, and bristly, gray hair. You know the Prime Dictate, he said as he glared at me, accusing, blaming, waiting for me to answer. They all waited. I fought the urge to toss out

excuses. Yes, sir, I said, instead. And it is? he gestured. The shadow of his hand moved across the wall like a gigantic clutching claw. I felt my throat constrict, along with a desperate urge to haul-ass out the door. He looked like he wanted to strangle me. Who knew? I had no clue, really, about the inner workings of the Guild hierarchy. Without consequences to their actionssince they can go back in time and change anythingwho knew what they did behind closed doors.

Manipulating ones own timeline is forbidden, I answered as I shifted my balance from side to side. Yet, you did exactly that. I was only trying to It doesnt matter what you were trying to do, Mr. DeMille. You dove head first into the deep, dark world of consequenceon a whim no less. You broke the Prime Dictate. But I Do you know why it is forbidden? The interruption came from an ancient woman, whod been staring hate darts at me since

she walked into the room. She curled her lip and arched her eyebrows, and it was clear that she, at least, completely had it in for me. I was toast. Going back in time and editing the past is the most serious of actions, I recited, trying to sound respectful. I could see by their faces that they were underwhelmed. I was not only toast; I was ten ways of totally screwed. I hesitated, fumbling for the words. Mr. DeMille? She gestured for me to continue. As Editors, our numbers are few, yet our purpose is to ensure

that Earth survives the technological age, I continued. Tampering with ones own timeline is seductive. It can quickly become an addiction. An Editor, who becomes addicted, not only endangers our purpose, he or she is a danger to all of humanity. And yet you did this willingly forwhat was it again? she asked. I had an answer all planned; but with them glaring at me, my mind went blank. I To get out of being grounded, said the head Regent in disgust. Isnt that right, Mr. DeMille? Yes, sir, I admitted, biting the

inside of my cheek. He grabbed a tablet and scrolled down the page. So that you could see a rock concert. He sighed heavily and looked at the others who shook their heads in disappointment. I cringed. When you put it that way, it sounded totally lame. It seemed so simple at the time. I certainly didnt think anyone would get hurt or that Id get caught. But someone did get hurt, and I did get caught. And now, I was deeply ashamed. Still, I found myself defending my actions. But it was just a tiny

edit The smallest event can set off mind-boggling chain reactions, the Regent interrupted, frowning. Mistakes are as serious as the results they cause, and sometimes those results take years to manifest. I barely changed anything, I argued. I never thought it would hurt An Editor, who cant control himself, is dangerous, Mr. DeMille. Surely you can see that. Far more disturbing, than the results of your actions, is the total lack of forethought. Mastering the Prime

Dictate is the litmus test for entry into the ranks of the Guild, for earning the privilege to travel back in time. It signifies mastery of oneself. Changing the timeline is not something you do on a whim. There are three, possibly four Shadow Editors out there that are wreaking havoc in ways you cant even begin to imagine. Each of them began with what you call a tiny edit, altering their timeline a little here and a little there. Our whole economy runs on predicting the future. When you have the unlimited ability to provide

information to yourself in the past, you can amass unimaginable wealth and power. You can also become addicted to that power. He shook his head and glared at me. Addiction is a powerful force. An Editors addiction to exponentially increasing power puts the entire planet in jeopardy. We cannot afford to lose you to that kind of obsession. Nor can we afford to let you just skip through time as if it was your own personal amusement park. We might not be able to control the Shadows, Mr. DeMille, but we can control you. I know that, I told them,

looking as repentant as I could. I deeply regret what happened, and believe me, Im paying for it. And you will continue to pay, said the head Regent, looking to the others for agreement. They nodded one by one. He stood to pronounce my sentence. Constantine Evan DeMille, this is the rule of the Board of Regents. Your signature has been blocked from the root matrix. You can no longer travel through time. He banged his gavel. Let it be so entered into the records of this hearing. Every cell in my body shivered

with dread. This couldnt be happening! This was way bigger than just me suffering the consequences. My family shouldnt have to pay for my mistake. I had to change their minds. But the accidentmy brotherplease, let me just go back one more time and fix it, I pleaded. Whats done is done, the Regent said. The most important lesson an Editor must learn is to control his impulses. You must learn patience, adherence to rules, and that there are consequences to your actions. You must learn restraint forethought.

But you cant just leave it this way! My brothers paralyzed. My familys losing it They are not our concern. You, however, are. Let this be a lesson, Constantine. It is a grave responsibility to be an Editor, to travel back in time. You knew that. You willingly defied our most sacred rule. This action today is of your own making. But someone else The decision is final, he said, standing up to leave. His voice was like winter, spare and cold, and so were the eyes that stared me down. Every member of the Guild

has been informed and barred from interfering in this matter. We change the timeline to better humankind, young man. Editors cant just be out there rewriting anything they want. A line has to be drawn somewhere. But Silence, Mr. DeMille, hissed a stern, grey-haired woman. This is not open to discussion. You should be grateful that you havent been dropped from the Editor Program completely. We will revisit the option of renewing your privileges two years from this date. Until then, your signature is blocked. You are

lucky to get this chance. I suggest you take it seriously. This meeting is over. And as far as I was concerned, so was my life.

I met up with Lex at the locker bay. In direct contrast to my outfit if you could call an oversized, black hoodie an outfitshe wore a sky-blue sweater, thigh-highs, and a very short skirt. She had a smile

on her face. Her lipstick was smeared, and her blonde hair was messy. Obviously, shed spent seventh period in the stacksnot reading books. Jason Jackson? I asked, dialing my combination. Umm humm, she answered, licking her lips. She thumbed a text and grinned when one pinged her back immediately. Lipsticks smeared, I said. I bet, she said, looking in her locker mirror. Amazing I have any left on at all. Fun? You have no idea, she

mumbled, fixing her lipstick. That was true. I didnt have any idea. How could I? Id never made out with anyone in the stacksor anywhere else, for that matter. However, I did have a good imagination. Nice to be you, I said, dumping books in my locker. She grinned. Ready? She slammed her locker door. You have no idea, I said, echoing her earlier response. I was always ready to leave school. The hallway noise was unbearable, and my brain felt like it was carbonated. We maneuvered through the crowd, her paving the way. By the

time we hit the front steps, she had music going. So I stuck my earbuds in, and we walked home listening to our own separate tunes. We had the warm fuzz of familiarity that came from years of living together. We could tell each other anything, but we didnt always have to talk. Every once in a while Lex did a few dance steps and sang a line or two if it was a song she really liked. It was her walk-home ritual. She says the music washes the school off her brain. She likes to leave school at school where school belongs. That way home can be home.

Home for us is a tree house. Seriously. Im not talking some little shack with a rope ladder and a no boys allowed sign. Its a sleek, two-room cabin with polished wood planks, worked metal, and stained glass windows, set high in the sky in a massive oak. We have hardwood floors, a locking door, and even a little porch. Theres electricity, heat, and a tiny, working kitchen. The bunkroom can sleep four. Its tight, yeah, but we make it work. We had a unique arrangement, the three of us and our respective parents. Not that there was an

intentional plan or anything. It just kinda happened, mostly from each of us having a ginormous parental vacuum and filling that vacuum with each other. Ive known Lex since we were five and in the same Montessori school. On my very first day, Austin Whitney dropped a worm down my new red dress. I squealed and tried to shake it out, but it was slimy and stuck to my back. I was desperately shy and scared and started to cry. Austin just laughed and came at me with another worm. Then this feisty little blonde girl, in what had to be designer

clothes for kiddies, ran up, and shoved Austin aside. She grinned at me, reached down my dress, and got the worm. Then she smashed it in Austins face. Austin never bothered me again. Shes been my hero ever since. Lex rocks. She just does; theres no better word for it. Youd think, with parents like hers, shed be messed-up. But shes justnot. While I hide, shes totally out there, pretty much fearless. If I could be anyone, it would be her, hands down. Theres just something about her, and its not just her blonde hair, or her long legs, or all that

other stuff that makes guys drool. Okay, Im not an idiot. Of course, some of it is that stuff. But everyone likes Lexwell, except for the Bratz Doll and her sidekicks. But Lex could fit in with any of the cliques at school if she chose to. Even hanging with Ipod and me doesnt taint her. But the thing about Lexshe doesnt care what anyone thinks. Were her family and she has our backs. Her parents are both hotshot attorneys. When Lex was six, they realized Boulder was too small for the both of them. Her dad lives in New York now with his new family.

Her mom, Pat, is like one of those hyper, little Chihuahuas, which is what we call her. Her hairs so blonde its almost white. Her bodys toned. Her clothes are expensive. Back in high school she would have been the mean girl, the slutty girl, the one who slept with everyones boyfriends. We would have avoided her like the plague. Lex always seems to be a surprise to her. Like right, I forgot. I do have a Armani Jacket and a sixteen-year-old daughter. Hmmm, how can I use them to further my career? I think it was a huge relief to

the Chihuahua when we adopted her forgotten accessory. Lex spent the night so much that after a while she just never went back home. No one ever even mentioned it. The Chihuahuas known Sam since college when he was still single and a functioning member of society. So its not as if she left her kid with a complete stranger. Still Sams good looking, I guess, for an old guytall, wiry, blond. He was buffed back in college when he ran track and knew the Chihuahua. I think Sam was scared of her back then. Still is. But Lexs mom trusted

my dad, conveniently ignored the shape he was in, and basically turned the raising of her daughter over to us. Case closed. Ipods name is really Ivan Parker. Sam started the nickname. Ipod had just rattled off some long explanation about something or other. Sam ruffled his hair and said, Kid, you download faster than my Ipod. We thought it was funny because it fit his initials, and weve called him that ever since. Ipods mom was from Japan which explains his raven hair and slightly Asian features. But, like

mine, his mom is long gone. The story is she was spineless, irrational, and lazy, and ran back to Japan rather than live up to her responsibilities as a wife and mother. All we know is she left as though Ipod didnt exist. She never said goodbyenever even wrote a freakin letter. His dad? We figured he came from hell. The exotic, olive green of Ipods eyes are from his fathers genes. The haunted look in Ipods eyes? Yeah, that came from his fatherbut not from his genes. Part of it came from his fists. The rest came from whatever those fists

might have grabbedbelts, coat hangers, burning cigarswhatever was handy. We hooked up with Ipod the Halloween we were eight. Lex was Britney Spears and I was Spider Man. I was obsessed with the idea of climbing up stuff with those Velcro finger pads. Id been wearing my costume for a week. It was freezing, and we had coats on over our costumes which sort of ruined the effect. Still, it was Halloween, and we were excited. Wed planned to hit the outdoor mall alone while it was still light and then come back before dark to

meet the sitter, who would trail us through the neighborhood. My mom hadnt checked out yet, but she was fading fast. Sam had taken her to a spa for a rest and was there visiting. We headed for the shortcut down the alley. Wed gone a few blocks, when we found him in a ditchliterallybehind a garage. He was just lying there on the ground, curled up in a ball. We thought he was dead at first. But when Lex felt for a pulsewe did watch TVhe opened his eyes and gave her his best lost-puppy-dog look. So we took the lost puppy dog

home. We didnt know him, because he went to Catholic school. He had no coat on and was clammy and shivering. Lex wrapped hers around him, and I pulled my Spider Man gloves over his shaking hands. Hed been beaten up pretty bad but not anywhere that showed. We found out later that his dad was meticulous that way. We wanted to call 911, but the look of pure terror in Ipods eyes shut that down immediately. He didnt say much. You could tell he was used to sucking up his pain. We got him home in the

wagon, moving slowly, trying not to jiggle him. The tree house has a system of pulleys and a canvas sling we use to ferry up supplies and stuff. We gently laid Ipod on the sling, curled on his side. Then Lex and I, with a heck of a lot of effort, hefted him up and pulled him inside. Okay, it sounds dangerous in hindsight, but we were only eight. Fortunately, we got him to the top without dropping him. We found out later that he had burns and bruises from his knees to his neck. We never saw the backs of his legs. But he about passed out when we tried to sit him up, and

there was blood leaking through his jeans in stripes. Curled up on his side was the only position he could manage. Lex just stood there stunned and breathing hard from the effort. Her Brittney Spears make-up was smudged, in streaks across her face, from wiping away the tears. I sat on the floor leaning back against the tree trunk with Ipods head in my lap. I needed my tree to get a grip on what had happened. That big, old oak pulsed with energy that only I could feel. I couldnt explain it. It had always been that way. Where buildings

made me weak, my tree made me strong. Even then I knew that. I pulled energy from my tree into myself, until I felt calm. Id done that a thousand times. Then I kind of pushed it into Ipod. Id never done that with anyone else before; but it seemed right somehow. We needed to do something. The entire time we sat there, no one spoke. The only sound was me humming which was how I focused the energy. I sat there, humming the energy into him, feeling it flow through my body and out my fingertips.

Soon he seemed to relax a little. His jaw unclenched. His hands softened. He stopped shivering and began breathing evenly. His face regained color like a sponge soaking up a spill. Minute by minute, he improved as though wed given him a shot of some wonder drug. After about five minutes, he pulled up his tee shirt, and the bruises were already turning yellow. Scars from cigar burns faded right before our eyes. We just sat there, watching his chest in amazement. He looked at me as if I was a rock star. Lex laughed out loud and

danced around the room. I just kept humming. In another ten minutes, he was able to sit up. In twenty, he was completely healed. We were so jazzed from what happened that we rigged him a ghost costume from an old sheet and went trick-or-treating. It was the first time hed ever gone. It was the best Halloween ever. We hid him for three days. No one reported him missing. His monster of a dad runs some big hedge fund in Denver. Yeah, the kind that screws people out of their investments and makes billions for a handful of rich guys. We call him

the Hammer, for obvious reasons. The day we found Ipod, the Hammer had a bad day at the office and came home early to work it out on his kid. Ipods strategy in the early years was to stay out of sight as much as possible. He spent most of his time hiding in closets, reading library books. He got himself to school, ate who knows what, and wore clothes he scrounged from the homeless-shelter free box. He was nothing if not resourceful. Still, at least once a month, hed get caught in the kitchen or coming home from school and have

to pay the price for breathing. Hed give us a call, gasping through clenched teeth, sometimes not even able to talk. We didnt need words, wed hear him moan and know it was a 911 emergency. Hed crawl out his window and be waiting in the bushes when wed arrive with the wagon. Then wed haul him back and Id repair the damage. Hed hide out in the tree house for a few days to recoup. Then hed sneak back home and the cycle would begin again. By the time we were nine, we finally realized there was no point in his going home at all. No one

woke him up for school. No one checked to see if he was there at night. No one made him dinner. Maybe the Hammer thought hed crawled off somewhere to die, and he was rid of him. I dont know. Probably, he didnt think about him at all. So Ipod was the first of us to stay in the tree house full time easy deal. His father didnt care and my parents were too stressed to notice. I followed soon after, when my mom checked out. The only place I could fall asleep was near the soothing energy of my tree. After

the funeral, Sam asked the Chihuahua if Lex could stay a couple of weeks, so I wouldnt be alone. The Chihuahua jumped on the chance to have an empty house and overnight guests. Lex cramped her style. She didnt like people to think she was old enough to have a daughter Lexs age. Plus, did I mention the overnight guests? Sam was so trashed; he let us call the shots. Besides, he was used to us sleeping in the tree house. He thought of it as just another room down the hall. He was relieved I had someone to hold onto. Two

weeks became two months and two months became two years. Basically, Lex just never went home. Shortly after the funeral, the three of us were living there full time as though it was totally normal. Of course, normal is a relative word. But for us, it was home. As we walked into the back yard, Lex pulled out her earbuds and spoke for the first time since the locker bay, Im dying for a Popsicle. Me too, I said, climbing the tree house ladder. I walked into the tree house

thinkingas I did every daythat except for an occasional, uneventful trip to the past, my days were all the same. That was the last time I had that thought.

The screen door slammed behind me as I walked out on the back deck of the new house. I was trying to escape the moving

madness inside the house and wishing I could escape the madness inside my head. Six months ago, my life had been mint. I love Seattle. I had friends that Id had since grade school and a sweet room on the third floor, far from parental interference. I was the local track star and played bass in a kick-ass band. I did okay with chicks. I had everything a guy my age might want and more. I just needed to follow a few rules, and I had access to a future you only see in comic books and sci-fi movies. And what did I do with all that?

I blew it, thats what. Sure, I had alien technology zooming around in my body and brain, and sometimes that sorta creeped me out. But hey, it let me do all kinds of cool stuff. So all in all, it was a good thing. I was part of the Editor Program, a program carried out in cooperation with another planet that not even the frickin Pentagon knew about. How sci-fi was I? I was an idiot! I just had to see that M83 concert. Id had tickets for months, eighth row, center, and I was taking Meg Davidson, a cute, little hottie

from English. I even had the car lined up. And then I spaced studying for the big chem test. I decided to skip since it counted for twenty-five percent of my grade. I forged a note from my mom, saying I had a dentist appointment. And who walked in while I was oh, so, innocently handing that note over at the front desk? My mother, my responsible to a fault, mother, thank you very much. Id forgotten my lunch. Needless to say, I got grounded. I gave Meg the tickets since Id promised her a good time. And then, to make myself feel better

that night, I decided to stage my own concert on the roof. Id been doing it for years, climbing out my bedroom window up onto the roof, dragging extension cords, so I could play my guitar under the stars. It was one of my favorite pastimes. I knew it was dangerous, but I was always really careful. I had a place where I could stand and get a good grip on the shingles. When it got really dark, I could see the lights of the city shining like some magic land in the distance. I could see the stars against the dark, night sky. Id put on my headphones and rock out. That

night, I had the brilliant idea to include my younger brother, Devon. It was a self-serving idea, I knew, since he was the only kid allowed in my grounded situation. But hey, I was also trying to be a big brother, share something with him. Roof rocking was mint, and I wanted to give it to him like a giftsome gift. Id told Devon about roof rocking the night before and promised to include him next time I did it. I texted him to meet me in my room. He was stoked. I dug out extension cords, and the drum machine, and we hauled everything out my window and up to the

stage. Our headphones were linked to the computer, and we jammed away under the stars. Suddenly, I felt a jerk on the cord, and I saw him slip. I dropped my bass and reached out for him. I grabbed his jacket just as his feet tangled up in the cords, and he started to slide down the shingles. I stabilized him long enough to regain his balance and crawl back up the roof. My bass slipped a ways, but the cord stayed plugged in so it didnt plunge over the edge. I rescued it and sat down to check it for damage. It was then that I noticed

his stupid-ass boots, the ones he wore to be taller. I ragged on him for that and made him change. But I didnt think much of it. I was focused on the scratches on my Fender. Later that night, I got massive texts from friends that the concert had been off the charts. At school the next day, a friend gave me a blow-by-blow of what Id missed. I was standing at my locker, totally bummed, when he elbowed me. I looked up to see the little hottie, walking down the hall, holding hands with the guy she took with my tickets. That pushed me over

the edge. I know I shouldnt have done it but I did it anyway. It seemed so simple. They always seem so simple, these things I do before I do them. I figured that no one would know. I jump back in time, leave myself a note, telling myself to study and not skip chem. Id return within a fiveminute window. Id talk to no one. No one would be hurt. Nothing would be changed, except I wouldnt get grounded, and Id get to go to the concert. Since it was only a few days back, it would just be a blip on the Guild screen, not enough to trigger

any alarms. No harm, no foul. Then I would be the guy telling everyone how sick the concert was. Meg would be beaming up at me, holding my hand. Life would be good. Idiot! I never even thought about Devon going up on the roof by himself. I forgot about those stupid boots. And in the time line that Id changed, I wasnt there to catch him when he fell. No, I was at the M83 concert. One simple moment in timeone simple little change. One life ruining effect. The six months after the

accident were absolute hellI wont elaborate. Then we left Seattle, leaving behind everything I loved, including my ten-year-old sister, Claire. She stayed behind with relatives. The excuse was to let us get acclimated. The truth was that our home environment had become a toxic wasteland. My brother was in a wheelchair for life and mad as hell about it. Who could blame him? Certainly not me. Devon did a lot of what the home, health worker called acting out. He wasnt down with his situation or the move, and he wanted everyone to know it. And

believe me; everyone knew it in surround sound. Most days and long into the evenings, he played video games on the family room TV, clutching that controller like a lifeline. Bloodcurdling screams and explosions bounced off the walls, onto the hard wood floor, and echoed down the halls 24/7. He likes it loud, and no one ever stops him, even though it drives the rest of us insane. Its like living in a frickin warzone. My whole family had one foot over the edge. My mommad scary. Shed become a walking

zombie with a plastic smile etched on to her face like the Joker, the one played by Heath Ledger. I walked out of my room last week, bumping into her. She hit me with that whacked-out smile, and I almost jumped out of my skin. Her hairs gotten all stringy, she has dark circles under her eyes, and her hands twitch. I keep expecting her to break into that insane laugh and lick her lips like the Joker taunting Batman. Talk about bizarre! So the home scene sucked and I felt guilty as hell about it. But the chaos was killing me. Because for

the cherry on my suck-sundae, I no longer had my redwood tree. The tree I was bonded with. The tree I drew power from. The tree that let me travel through time. Our abilities come from bonding with trees linked to the planetary energy matrix. With my redwood, not only could I go back in time, I could whip across the country in the blink of an eye. All I needed was a travel permit and a twig off a tree from my destination. I could go somewhere, like say, the art museum in New York. I could stay for hours and then return just seconds past my original start time.

That meant that my parents never had a clue Id been gone. Come on. Think about the possibilities. It wasnt just a matter of losing my travel privileges. Even grounded, I was used to feeding off my redwoods energy. The first thing they teach you, as an Editor, is how to bond with a tree and pull energy from it. My redwood kept me strong, healthy, and mellow. It made me better at everything. And it felt amazinglike getting high without getting stupid. I fed off it every day and was pretty much always in a good mood. I didnt realize how much Id

come to rely on it until it was gone. Id been in withdrawal since I left Seattle, and it felt like I was going to crawl out of my skin. They told me that once you bond with a tree, your body and brain come to depend on it, and its essential to feed regularly. They told me the heavy emotions of others could drain you, as could steel, brick, and cement, if you were surrounded for too long. They told me all kinds of things. Id thought I was invincible. With the power my redwood gave me, Id felt invincible. Now I was just screwed.

I pulled a box under the shade of the overhang, sat down, and stared at my new backyards barren landscape. The Colorado sun was relentless. After the lush green of Seattle, this place seemed like a desert. Half the backyard was gravel, and the only trees were spindly little sticks. Without a tree strong enough to draw power from, how could I survive? Lack of green was one thing. But the lack of a tree old enough to be connected to the root matrix that just made my heart hurt. I needed to find an energy source before my parents figured out

something was wrong with me and started asking questions. They had no clue about my Guild involvement. It was like being in the CIA. Not even your family was in on it. The Guild has a front, a tree preservation organization. Basically, my parents thought I belonged to an environmental club. In reality, we edit pieces of the past that can cause disasters in the present and future. I dont mean to sound like a comic book, but we keep the world from descending into complete chaosemphasis on complete. Obviously, we cant fix everything.

But things would be a lot worse if we werent around. I used to be part of something that mattered. Now, not only had I destroyed my family, Id blown it with the Guild. So I was double guilty, unforgivably guilty, complete loser guilty. My mind-meltdown was interrupted, by my mom opening the slider, telling me to unpack my stuff and arrange my new room. She wanted me settled in because I had to start classes the next day at Boulder High. New schoolgreat just shoot me now. I should have been careful

what I wished for.

A.J., wait up! Lex had X-ray vision through my shield of invisibility. I slowed my pace, but didnt turn around. That would have violated rules five and

six of the codekeep flowing in the direction youre heading and no sudden moves. Youve been quiet all afternoon, she said, sweeping around me to walk backwards through the hallway. Whats going on? Im not sure, I said, wondering how she could just walk backwards without even caring if she bumped into anyone. Two seconds later, she did, dropping her books all over some skinny AV boy. He blushed and apologized as if it was his fault. She just grinned and let him pick up her

books and stare at her legs. Probably the first contact hed had with a girl since the sandbox. It didnt faze Lex at all. Plus, she got a kick out of giving visual freebies to geeks. Nothing trampy, just stuff you could catch in the course of a normal day. She was generous that way. The geeks worshiped Lex because she was the only pretty girl who treated them as if they were human. She winked at him and resumed her backward walking so she could talk face to face with me. Lex didnt care about being invisible.

Somethings up, she said, spill. I shrugged my shoulders. Somethings different. I cant quite put my finger on it. Lex, please turn around. Youre making me nervous. I pulled her to the side, accomplishing rule ninehave a decoy on your flank whenever possible. Avoidance, she stated, giving me that bossy, not-going-to-letyou-get-away-with-it look. Her parents stuck her in therapy so they could feel better about their own screwed-up lives. It was a condition of her very generous allowance. It

was also a waste. Lex had it more together than anyone I knew. Stalling, she continued. Her latest shrink was fond of one-word commands, and shed acquired the habit of using them on Ipod and me. Early on, Lex decided, that if she had to be in therapy an hour a week, it was going to be on her terms. She used her therapists as her own personal Psychology 101 classes, figuring out all the people in her life. She believed it when Ipod said, knowledge is power. Lex liked power. Shed get everything she could out of a shrink before theyd catch

on, and then shed move on to a new one. She was now on her fifth. She referred to them by number and quoted them often. I guess when your parents are absent; you find ways to compensate. Actually, I think that was a Shrink Three observation. Lex poked me in the arm. Earth to A.J. Will you please get out of your head and tell me whats going on? Yeah, sorry. I pulled my glasses down my nose so I could look her in the eyes. Its likeI dont knowa disturbance in the force or something. Things feel

different. I feel different. Since Lex knew my secret, she took my apprehension seriously. Elaborate. You know the creepy-crawly feeling I get at school, in buildings, or anywhere there are lots of people...plus the obnoxious noise in my head, The stuff Ipod calls static? Yeah, well, in fourth period, it went awayjust like that. I snapped my fingers. So thats good, right? Kinda, sorta, but a new sensation took its place. Elaborate.

It was calming, soothing, like my tree was following me around. Okaaay she said, waving her hand at me, calming? Yeah, but something more better than calming. It actually felt I dont knowpleasurable. Pleasurable? she drew out the word and grinned. You mean like No! Well, maybe a little but not localized. More like feeling kinda buzzed, without feeling stupid. Like my whole body feltI dont knowhappier. Your whole body feels happier when

It had nothing to do with sex. I felt my face flush, probably because it was a little like the aftermath ofnot that I had any experience other than my own solo efforts. But still, pleasure was pleasure. I found myself running my tongue across the roof of my mouth and across my lips, like I could taste itthe sweetness of it. Sweet, but something more. It scared me. Pain sucked but I was used to it. Pleasure on the other handnot so much. Id only had pocket-sized samples of pleasure, enough to know I liked it, but not enough to

become accustomed to it. And I had enough sense to know that as soon as I got to like it too much, Id reach the end of the sample bottle and have to revert to the cheap stuff. Then Id have to live knowing what I was missing. I was suspicious of the free sample bin. This felt too good to be, well, good. The tease of it frightened me. Earth to A.J., Lex said, lockers. She pulled me to the side and dialed her combination. Since I was just standing there thinking about it, she dialed mine in too. I dont know exactly, I continued, trying to sort out what

Id said out loud to Lex, from what Id said in my head. Theres nothing to freak about, but it makes me kindaI dont knowanxious. It makes you anxious she therapized, waving me on. We began dumping books in our lockers. Break, she whispered, nodding her head over my left shoulder, Jason Jackson walking south. We stopped our conversation mid-word. Lex suddenly got really busy in her locker. I hid on the other side of Lex so I could watch to see if he looked at her or not. He did.

Hes looking at your legs, I whispered. Jason Jackson was her latest crush. But for some reason, she was keeping her involvement with him a secret. When are you going to quit pretending nothings going on with the two of you? I asked. Not sure. Too soon to tell, she said, licking her bottom lip. I dont know how I feel about it yet. Hes really cute, I said. He wasblond hair, hazel eyes, and a totally sexy mouth. Yeah, right? And he smells even better. Thats the problem.

Elaborate, I said, using her word. She grinned. I dont know if I like him or if I just like looking at him. And smelling him? Exactly, she sighed, licking her lips again. We finished our Jason Jackson break when he rounded the corner out of sight. Then we resumed our conversation as though time had just hiccupped and landed us back ten seconds. She jumped in where wed left off. It makes you anxious Right, I said. Its great to

feel calm at school, and its way easier to think without the static. But this has never happened before. I dont trust it. But it feels good, right? She slammed her locker door, and we started down the crowded hallway. Yeah, well, remember the kick-ass chocolate that loser gave the Chihuahua when we were ten? You remember chocolate from six years ago? she asked, rolling her eyes. You need to get out more. Other than visiting Ozwhat Lex calls it when I jump back in timeyou have no excitement in your life whatsoever. Anyway,

which loser? The Chihuahua has had so many. The guy with the black Ferrari and the weird hair, I said. We walked in on them, doing it in the Hello, buzz kill! Jeez, I just threw up a little in my mouth, thank you very much. She clutched her throat and made a gagging sound. Sorry, I said. I hope you have a reason for grossing me out. I do. Well, spit it out. She gestured with her hand. Remember, we ate the whole

box in likefive minutes? So? She lifted her eyebrows. It was nothing but sugar, butter, and a half a shot of liqueur in each one, I said. Lots of pleasure when we ate it, to say nothing of the buzz from the alcohol. But later we felt horrible. Oh, right. How could I forget our ten-year-old hangover? And that relates to this how? Well Wait, wait, wait, I get it. She laughed. Fun while it lasted and then very un-fun the next morning. Yes! I said, nodding. Good now, but maybe leading to bad.

Dangerous pleasure. Its pleasant, but unsettling at the same time. Mostly, Im just freaked because this has never happened before. The creepy-crawlies and the static going away or the pleasurefeeling thing? All of itespecially here at school. Its kinda disturbing. Hey, youre not going to, like, beam-out right here in the hallway are you? She looked around for the first time during our conversation. She might not need invisibility, but she was protective enough of me to be concerned that I might disappear in the hallway and make

the front page of the National Enquirer or the Freakazoid Gazette. That would be violating rule two keep a low profile. No, no, its not that, I assured her. But it freaks me out, not knowing whats going on. Lets get home, she said. See what Ipod thinks.

I sensed the power the second I set foot in the school. I heard it too, right through my earbuds. Instantly alert, I yanked my buds

and stuffed them in a pocket. I wanted no distractions to this just detected and most unexpected turn of events. I couldnt believe it. It was a low undulating hum, melancholy, like a cello or an oboe. It radiated cleanly and swept through me as if I wasnt there perfect acoustics. It needed nothing to bounce off of to make it rich and full. And the feel of itwhoa. It washed across my brain, and I had my first moments peace since before the accident. Screw tree juicethis was better. All my stress and anxiety just melted away. I was stunned. An Editor at Boulder

High? It didnt compute. Id checked the area for any of my kind as soon as my parents announced the move. There were three Editors listed in Boulder County but none who would have any business at a high school. Besides, I would have been notified if one was coming here. The Guild was meticulous about proximity notices. They didnt make mistakes. Well, maybe they did; but if so, they just changed the timeline so that you never knew theyd screwed up. So it was seriously strange that I was picking up power at Boulder

High. Already late, I headed for the office, bathing in the energy and wracking my brain as to who the source could be. I mean, we all give o ff some energy, but this was the most intense power Id ever felt. Plus, it had a resonance to it that was unlike anything Id ever encountered. Not even the Regents had such perfect pitch. What the heck was? The realization slammed me so hard, I had to stop and lean against the wall. I dropped my backpack to the ground and said out loud to an empty hall, Dude, thats

impossible. Youre hallucinating. I ran my fingers through my hair, fighting to get a handle on the chaos inside my brain. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Id finally cracked from all the stress. It couldnt be. The odds were like hitting the lottery. But thensomebody wins the lottery. I sent my feelers out, flowing through the school, filtering through the fragments of the energy source. If I was hallucinating, I was doing a darn good job, because there it was, no mistakepure and clean and sweet. No matter what the

odds, there was a Shadow at Boulder High. Shadows exist because of the Editor Program, but they arent a part of it. Theres this saying in the computer world called Moores Law. It claims that computer processors double in complexity every two years. Devices continue to get smaller and smaller. Think of what technology might be able to do in, say, a thousand years. The planet were partnered with is light years ahead of us. They have a device called a Hitchhiker Mechanism. Its so small; it can hitchhike on a strand of DNA and

get passed down genetically. It only expresses sporadically and only under certain conditions. But if it does, it comes into play from the moment of conception, building a very different human being by rewriting their parts of their DNA. Their planet is exponentially more advanced than ours is. But even their tech isnt perfect. There are occasional glitches where the Hitchhiker Mechanism goes into overdrive, giving an Editor too much power. Shadows were a glitch. When an Editor is born, their signature registers on extremely sensitive equipment. The Guild is

alerted to their existence. From that point on, the Editors movements are tracked and limited. But not Shadows. Theyre invisible to our technology and the Guild has no control over them. Theyre born undetected and can travel back in time under the radar. But they were incredibly rare. There were only a few known to exist. Still, if a Shadow survived the changes at adolescence with their sanity intact and figured out how to deal with time travel, they had the world on a string. Unfortunately, the known Shadows were all corrupted by their almost unlimited

power. They were mega-rich. They hung out on yachts and lived on private islands with battalions of bodyguards. They traveled in private jets and limos. They didnt hang out at public high schools. That meant this was an unknown Shadowunknown as in they, themselves, didnt know they were one. Power that strong, left to flow unchecked, unregistered with the Guildnothing else fit. That had to be it! There simply was no other explanation. My mind went into overdrive. I slumped against the wall, slid to the ground, and began connecting

the dots. I got the implications immediately, the implications of what this lottery win could mean for me. An unknown Shadow would have no knowledge of the Guild, much less a commitment not to interfere in my case. They would be clueless about what was going on with them and grateful to the person with answers. And with a little help, a grateful, unknown Shadow could travel undetected, alter my timeline, and give me my life back. Suddenly, I was frickin psyched wed moved to Boulder, Colorado.

The bell rang and kids exploded out the doors, fumbling for phones and texting on the run. I sprinted down the hall, weaving through the crowd, fighting to get a handle on my growing excitement. More than anything, I wanted to hunt for the Shadow. What I was supposed to do was meet with Vice Principal Lowenstein. The last thing I needed was more trouble. I showed up at the meeting. I gave short answers to the Vices few questions. Mostly, he wanted to lay down the law, show me who was boss. I knew the drill. Finally, he handed me my schedule,

gave me directions to English, and released me. The power had been muffled in the office, but it grew strong again as I walked into the hall. I couldnt believe how beautiful it was. It had a strange, melancholy vibe, and threads of it reverberated through the empty hallways like music in a wind tunnel. It was haunting and compellinglike it was calling to me. I prowled the halls with my radar up, sweeping each classroom, each office, the teachers lounge, even the restrooms. It took me wandering through half the school

before I zeroed in; but finally it got exponentially stronger as I stopped outside the door of what looked to be a Spanish class. Score! I made a mental noteroom 217, fourth period. Through the window, I watched the teacher comatizing the class. Kids were yawning, a few had their heads on their desks, and one guy was obviously asleep. For the moment, I was stopped. There was no way I could lock on to anyone specific without wading through the class. I wasnt about to do that. I needed to keep a low profile. I moved away

from the window. I figured Id wait until the bell and catch people coming out the door. So I just leaned back against the wall and soaked up the calm. God, it felt good! It was hard to believe power of that caliber was coming from one person, but then Id never been around a Shadow before. It felt like an entire aspen grove. It had been days since Id had any tree juice, and my family had been draining me something fierce. Picking up energy from another Editor was even better than getting it from a tree. I stopped all thinking and just

let myself feel. Young man, are you lost, or are you just holding up the wall? I broke out of my stupor to see the Vice staring at me. Sorry, Mr. Lowenstein, I got turned around, I said, fumbling for an excuse. I gave you directions to English a half hour ago, he said, glancing at his watch and eyeing me suspiciously. We have rules here. And wandering the halls is breaking one. Go to class. Yes, sir. I tried to look compliant, pulling out my schedule and studying it intently. How could

thirty minutes have gone by? I started to sink back into the lull of the energy when I realized he was still standing there. Now, Mr. DeMille, he said, frowning about a foot from my face. With the Vice as an escort, I forged on to English. When we reached my class, Lowenstein opened the door, shoved me in, and shut it behind me. Then he stood watching through the window while I handed over my paperwork. I could see by his frown that Id made a great impression. Smooth, move, Constantine. The teacher nodded and

pointed me towards a seat in back. The desk was in my favorite spot far enough away that I could zone out under the radar. Nice. All I could think of was room 217. Id been busting ass trying to cultivate the attributes the Guild required before they would remove my travel block. Patience, consequences, adherence to rules, and what was it? Oh yeah, forethought. This was about as good a test for patience as Id ever had, because every fiber in my body longed to be searching. As for forethought, heck, the only thing I

could do was think about how things would be different if I could get the Shadow to help me. Wasnt that forethought? With a Shadows help, my brother would be playing football once more. My parents would be harassing me about cleaning my room. And my room would be back in Seattle.yeah, the one far away from parental interference. Id have my redwood back and life would be sweet again. Dude, hissed the guy in front of me. He turned and glared at my feet. Ease up on the Red Bull. It took me a moment, but

finally I realized I was tapping my foot on the floor. Sorry, I mouthed apologetically. The guy rolled his eyes and turned around. The blonde across from us snickered. The teacher glanced briefly in our direction but continued talking. I struggled to reign in my exploding excitement. Waiting was torture. The second the bell rang, I shot out of the seat, heading for room 217 as fast as I could maneuver through the crowd. The halls were packed and almost immediately, I got road-blocked by a group of girls. Weaving through them, I sprinted

for the stairs. I could still feel the power, but it was fading fast. By the time I got there, the room was empty except for the teacher. It definitely wasnt her. That meant it had to be a student. It was still in the building, but it was dissipating fast. I headed to the caf which seemed like my best bet. But the sheer number of bodies in the crowded lunchroom dampened my radars ability to focus. So I snatched a sandwich and some milk and walked back outside to find a tree. I felt a faint whisper of the energy, but not enough to track.

Maybe the source was shielding now, or maybe they were close enough to a tree that their signal was muffled. Still, it had to be a student, and that meant theyd be back in room 217, fourth period most likely tomorrow. And theyd probably return to school after lunch. I leaned back against the tree and stuck my earbuds in. The tree gave off a little juice. Compared to the source, though, it was like a watered-down latte. No problem. I still felt great from the hit Id gotten outside room 217. I ate my sandwich and listened

to some tunes. I kept my feelers out for the energy, but no dice. When kids began to stream back inside, I staked out the main entrance, screening everyone who passed. Finally, a minute before the last bell, I gave up and sprinted to classslightly bummed, but still hopeful. Suddenly, I felt it somewhere in the distance. I high-fived myself in my head. It was just as I thought something regular, not a onetime thing, or a fluke. I kept to my schedule, thinking Id hunt again as soon as school let out. The rest of the afternoon, I struggled to pay

attention; but it was a bitch and the hours crawled by. When class finally let out, it seemed like Id been there for days. My seventh-period teacher stopped me on the way out of class to hand me a syllabus. That small delay totally screwed me. By the time I made it out the door, I couldnt sense it anywhere. There was an outdoor mall a few blocks from the school. I figured Id give it a shot. I needed to waste some time anyway before I could handle the home scene. I scoured it block by block, coming up empty, not even a twinge.

Eventually, I found a bench for a stakeout and sat there getting my homework out of the way. I waited until the sun began its descent behind the mountains, plunging the temperature ten degrees lower and plunging my hopes along with it. My afternoon was a bust. I stuffed my books in my backpack. I walked home to My Chemical RomanceUnder Pressure. Id spent my day all hyped-up, and now I had to go home to depression central. My brain flashed me a preview before I even walked up the steps. My brother would be zombied

to the game controller, oblivious to my moms frantic attempts to insert a positive note into his tsunami of depression. Dinner would be drying out in the kitchen. My dad would be at the office, waiting until the last possible minute he could justify before returning home to join the death march. My mom would pounce on me the moment I walked in the door and steer me over to break Devon out of his gaming coma. So that we could all eat in morose silence watching the nightly news. Whoo hoo! Rockin fun. I walked in the door. No need

to elaborate. The preview had been spot-on. After my tour of duty was complete, I escaped to my room. Things were harsh, yeah, but I had hope now. That night, I hacked into the school network and reworked my schedule. I would now have Spanish fourth period. I downloaded the class roster and stuck it in my wallet. Id narrow it down the next day in room 217.

I watched Sam lug the box to the trash bin. He didnt notice me, high in the sky, on my tree house porch. I counted the clinkstwo, three, four wine bottles dropping.

Next crashed a cascade of beer bottles. He went back inside, taking the box with him. It was empty nowbut not for long. Sam dumping bottles? Ipod stuck his head out the tree house door. Sounded massive. Tell me about it. Ipod wore a black tee shirt that said E=mc2 and a pair of old jeans with big pockets. He was a packrat and the pockets were full of stuff. Normally he ate lunch with us, but today he had violin practice, and hed just gotten home. Other than passing by me on his way to the fridge two minutes ago, I hadnt

seen him since before school. The fridge was always his first stop. Lex told me there was weirdness at school today, he said, climbing into the hammock with a yogurt and a granola bar. Yeah, I felt somethingsome kind ofI dont knowenergy, I said, taking off my hoodie and tossing it over the porch rail. You always feel energy. Yeah, but this was different. Describe it, he said, waving his fingers at me. Ipod has very expressive hands. He uses them a lot when he talks. Its as if hes making everything three-

dimensional in his mind. The guy is seriously smart, pretty much a walking Wikipedia. Well, I said, you know how it is for me when Im away from my tree, right? Especially at school. If Im away from my tree too long, I get this prickly-panicky feelinglike ants crawling under my skin. If Im gone for a really long time, then my senses just go haywire, and I have to struggle to hold it together. All my nerve endings buzztotal sensory overload. You mean the static thing, where your brain goes all

carbonated? he asked, reading the label on the granola bar. And the creepy-crawly thing, I reminded him. The only place Im really okay is here in my tree. So, you know how I do the white noise thing, to dampen down the static and keep from whacking out? I kind of hum in my mind to help me focus and block out all the interference. He nodded. It takes a lot of concentration to do that and walk and talk and whatever at the same time. But if I dont do it You get all agitated and

twitchy. He finished my sentence. Like that time when the Bratz Doll Dont remind me, but yeah. Nobody could listen like Ipod. He was intensely curious about my strangeness and never got tired of hearing about it. It always helped to talk it out with him, especially since Sam was in denial about the whole thing. So what happened today? he asked, wolfing down the granola bar. I closed my eyes, reflecting. Its funny. Usually by fourth period, Im pretty drained. I have to really

concentrate on managing the sensory input. So there I was in Spanish, doing what I usually do, and all of a sudden the static stopped and the creepy-crawly thing vanished, just like that. I felt this calm feeling wash over me, and I know it sounds crazythere was kind of this gentle music in the background. It wasnt any instrument I recognized. It was more like humming. Humming? Thats interesting. Yeah, right? It was amazing. I heard it all afternoonjust gentle in the background. I kept feeling waves of the good energy. And I

didnt have to buffer what was going on around me. There was no more static the rest of the day. I just felt, well, calm, good, maybe even normal. Not that I have any idea what normal is, but you know what I mean. He got his curious face on. I knew hed spend hours in his head trying to figure it out. He had all kinds of theories about my strangeness. Has that ever happened before? he asked. I shook my head. Not even once? No, never. I mean, Ive gotten pretty good at handling school, but

Im on edge the whole time Im there. All I can think about is getting home to my tree so I can be okay again. Today was totally differentwell, starting in fourth period. I dont know what to think. He ripped the top off the yogurt and stirred it for a moment, not saying anything. Then he looked at me and shrugged. Beats me, A.J. Every effect can be traced back to a cause. There has to be an explanation. Give me some time to think about it. Maybe youre just moving past your strangeness, growing out of it or something. Maybe. I like the healing thing

and all, but the rest of it, not so much. I dont need any more weirdness. But this was weirdness in a good direction, right? I guesswell, yeah. So chances are its nothing bad. No use freaking out before you have to. Forget about it for now. See if it even happens again. Pay attention. Take notes. Well figure it out. And then Lex called us in for supper, and I forgot about it for the rest of the evening.

I was up half the night obsessing. Since it was such a relief to have something to focus on other than the accident, I threw myself

into it full force. I exhausted myself with theories, but I kept ending with my original conclusion. It had to be a student and they had to be a Shadow. There was just no other explanation. I looked like hell the next morning with huge circles under my eyes. No one noticed. Compared to my brother, I looked like Id just gotten back from a three-month vacation in Maui. Everythings relative, I guess. I cued up some music and hit the sidewalk an hour before school started. I wanted to be early to screen people going in the door.

When I got there, I staked out a tree by the front entrance, scanning everyone who walked by. Not even a blip. I saw a few cute girls but all I did was look. Girls were the last thing on my playlist these days. I had way too much shit going on. Dude, I said to myself. Youre pathetic. I checked my phone for the time and saw that the bell was ready to ring. Majorly disappointed, I went inside. The early morning had been a waste. But the moment I set foot in the door, my disappointment vanished. I felt it off in the distance. It descended on

me like a cloud of salvation. My muscles relaxed and a wave of calm washed over me. The lottery was still a possibility. Id staked out the wrong entrance, thats all. I still had a shot at fourth period. I zombied through my first three classes and headed for room 217 the second the bell rang. I was the first kid in the room. I presented my paperwork, assuring the teacher that, yes; Id seen the textbook before. No, I didnt need after-school assistance to catch me up. I almost high fived her when she finally released me. Trying to look casual, I grabbed

a seat in the back, eyes locked on the door and everyone who passed through it. Not him, not her, not her, not him. I was starting to get a little worried. But seconds before the bell, in rushed a couple of girls, and a wave of power swept over me. Nice! The first girl was blonde, hot, and dressed to kill. I focused on the waves of energy radiating from her direction thinking this could be interesting. Then a smaller girl appeared from behind her and stopped short as if shed hit a wall. Her book bag crashed to the floor.

She clutched her chest and let out a gasp with her mouth in an O. And the power practically lifted me out of my seat. Every cell in my body electrified and stood at attention. It waved over me, sending synaptic brushfire through my nervous system. I was so startled; my own energy slipped a littlemy badand probably slammed right into her. She turned and tore out of the room. Abruptly, the connection snapped like a rubber band. I slumped in my seat, gasping for air. Luckily, no one noticed, since

everyone was focused on the fleeing girl. This all took place in the span of, say, five seconds. But it was one of those gonna-crash-mycar-slow-motion scenarios, where it seems like ten times as long. And to make things worse, I was almost certain I gave the kid a power-slam. My bad, my frickin bad. The blonde tossed her stuff on a desk and glanced at the teacher, who nodded. The blonde grabbed the fallen book bag and took off after the other girl. I just sat there, stunned. I couldnt frickin believe it! It was the little chick. I didnt even get a good

look at her. I just saw a haze of sloppy, non-descript, no-color clothing, an oversized, black hoodie, and big, ugly glasses. The energy pouring off her had been so strong; it was all I could do to absorb it, much the less notice details. I didnt even hold in my own powerwhat a wuss. It was just so unexpected. And I swear, I would never have thought energy of that magnitude could come from someone so small and inconsequential. And now Id scared her. Smooth move, Constantine.

I had to grip the sides of my desk to keep from hauling-ass after her. But I stayed glued to my seat. No way did I want to call attention to the fact that her exit had anything to do with me. I might have won the lottery, but I hadnt cashed in the ticket yet. And until you have the money in your hand, you dont have the prize. So I just sat there, trying to figure it out. I knew it had to be a student, but I expected someone bigger for one thing, older for another. And not to be sexist, but power that strong, I figured it had to be a guy. Instead, it was some shrimpy, little

chick. About thirty minutes later, the blonde returned, handing the teacher a note. The teacher nodded, and the blonde sat down looking anxious. She slid me searching looks every few minutes from behind a curtain of hair. I smiled, trying to look harmless, but she completely avoided eye contact. She bolted the second the bell rang so there was no chance to talk to her. I was losing my game left and right. I used to be pretty good with chicks before. Of course, everything was different before.

The hell? Lex stared at me anxiously as I slumped down the wall outside Spanish. What was that? Are you okay? I couldnt speak. I held my

finger up in a wait a minute motion while I took a couple of deep breaths. Something really strange had just happened, and I didnt have a clue what it was. I was lightheaded and disorientedto say nothing of majorly confused. I needed to go home. I needed my tree. Are you going to Oz? she asked, concern pouring off her. Are you? I dont know, I managed to sputter out. No, I dont think so. Im not shimmering or anything, right? No, but youre white as a

sheet. She took my hand and pulled me up off the floor. Youre okay, though, right? I think so. I will be. Ill explain in a minute. But first, I need a tree. No problem, she said, steering me down the hall and out of the building. A teacher saw us leave and followed, probably ready to read us the riot act. But when she looked at me, she got concerned and asked what was going on. Are you feeling okay? Lex took charge as usual. She has cramps really bad, Ms.

Summers. I think she needs to go home. Autumn Jones, right? she asked. Ill call your parents. Is there anyone home? She looked down at me all maternal-like. Sometimes teachers could be okay. My dad, I managed to answer. It wasnt even noon yet so Sam should be able to drive a few blocks. I wrapped my arms around my middle. Ill stay with her till he comes, offered Lex. Thank you, Alexandra, Ms. Summers said. Ill make the call. If I dont come right back, that means

hes on his way. When Autumn gets picked up, come to the office, and Ill give you a pass. Thanks, Ms. Summers, we said in chorus. She waved and went back inside. Give me a minute to recharge, I said, heading for the closest tree. Lex followed silently. She was good about giving me space when I needed it. I leaned against the tree with relief, my cheek against the bark to absorb the most energy. I stood there for about a minute just soaking up the calm. Then I turned and gave Lex a weak smile. Okay, I think Im

stable. She held her hands up, palm out. All right, already, spill. You know that energy thing that happened yesterday and then again this morning when we got to school? I began. Yeah Well, as we got closer to Spanish, it began to build. Elaborate. Grow, expand. It got stronger and weaker, back and forth all morning. It rocked to have the static buffered, and after a while, I just went with it. I felt better than I ever have at school, as if I had a

tree with me, nothing scary at all. I mean, it was calming. But when I walked into Spanish, BAM, something hit me like a wall of electrified water. It was the most intense thing Ive ever felt. Shut up, she said, arching her eyebrows. Did it hurt? No, it didnt hurt at allquite the opposite, actually. Then whyd you run out of the room? It was so unexpected. I felt totally out of controllike I was going to get yanked into a trip or something. I panicked. But youre okay. She

narrowed her eyes at me. Yeah, I think so. What was it like? I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to find a coherent explanation. Then I pointed to the tree. Tree energy is slow, steady, and even. Its powerful, but smooth and comforting, like a humming, vibrating, electric blanket. It grows and expands, but its always steady, never shocking. What I was picking up all morning was like that calming and soothing. But when I got to Spanish It was different? Yeah, way different, I

nodded. It was direct, intense, and sudden. It almost knocked me off my feet. It felt good but it wasnt calming. It wasI dont know exciting, stimulating. Its hard to describe. It felt good, but the kind of good you dont want to feel in public. Really? She drew out the word and smirked. I instantly knew what she was thinking. Yes, I said, but it wasnt l i k e t ha t . I mean, located there. This was a whole body feeling, like all my cells were having a good time. Sex is a whole body feeling.

Yeah, but its concentrated down there. This wasnt. Besides, thats not the point. No matter how good it felt, I cant have something controlling me like thator someone. You think someone is causing this? Not for sure. But as we were walking to our seats, when you moved out from in front of me, there was this new guy sitting there. Thats when it hit me. She closed her eyes, probably reviewing the scene. Oh yeahin the backtall, big shoulders, dark hairpossibly hot. She looked at

me. Youre right, there was a new guy. Exactly. In fact, I was checking him out as we walked in. But then you had a spaz attack so I Whered he come from? I interrupted. He wasnt there yesterday. Well, new guy, she stated the obvious. You sure it was him? It had to be. It got stronger as I walked into the room but it was manageable. The moment you moved from in front of me, it hit me hard. It was him. Whoa, she said, dropping

down beside the tree trunk. This is big. Ya think? So, WTF? Beats me, I said, sitting down beside her. Im really freaked. What do you think the deal is? What if hes some kind of alien or something? Like from another planet? That seems unlikely Yeah, well, maybe Im an alien. Its the best guess weve ever come up with for my strangeness. There has to be some explanation. It wouldnt matternot to me. It would be cool. You would still be

you and Ipod would be in sci-fi heaven. Yeah, well, theres something different about this guy, and maybe Im just the only one who can sense it. You go home. She laid her hand on my arm. If you picked up something from him, maybe he felt you. He certainly had to be curious as to why you looked at him like that and ran out of the room. Unless he was doing it deliberately. Deliberately? Thats kinda creepy. I wrapped my arms around myself.

Deliberately doesnt have to mean bad, she said. Dont prefreak. He could be anything, I said, with a shiver. Lex just looked at me for a moment without saying a word. What if hesI dont know dangerous? I asked. My mind started whacking out on all the possibilities. What if hes, like, from the dark side or something? The dark side of what? she asked, arching her eyebrows. You know, like vampire dark. Pleasebesides, he had a tan. Arent vampires supposed to have

really white? Whoa, what if hes after me? What if hes looking for me? What if he knows? You mean about Yes! How could How should I know? I asked, my tempo increasing along with my volume. This is so not cool. Somethings going on here and were completely in the dark. How can I go back to that class if hes going to affect me like that? What if A.J. She grabbed my shoulders and looked me straight in

the eyes. Chillax. Shrink Four, Instead of freaking out, assess the situation and make a plan. Right, I said. I know that. I just Heyscary to be you, sometimes. Yeah, right? She leaned against the tree, and I sat back and put my head on her shoulder. I could tell the wheels were spinning, because she pulled out her phone and started playing Angry Birds. She said that helped her think. I waited, knowing shed take charge. It made me feel safe when she did that. I didnt wait

long. You go chill in the tree house, she directed, exploding another space pig. Will you be okay by yourself until school is over? Yeah, sure, of course. Because, if not, I can always call Arthur and use the cramps excuse to get out of my afternoon classes. Arthur was the Chihuahuas assistant. He handled all things Lex, from parent/teacher conferences to paying our grocery bills and Lexs very generous allowance, which she split with Ipod and me. Lex had him wrapped around her little finger.

No, I shook my head. Dont skip over this. Save it for when we really need it. Ill be okay. Good, she said, tossing her phone in her bag. I want to get another look at him. As soon as Ipod and I get home, well figure it out. How is it now? Smoother. Im okay, just a little dazed and confused. It was the surprise that threw me. What did the guy look like? Did he seem I dont knowscary? No, not that I remember. I was busy watching you run out of the room. Great. I bet everyone else was

too. Lucky me. You kind of blew rule six out of the water, she said, laughing. I blew about four rules out of the water. How can I ever go back to that class? Just then Sam drove up. He started to get out of the car, but Lex yelled at him that wed be right there. Be careful, I said. Well deal with this, she said. She tossed my bag in the backseat, while I got into the front with Sam. He looked at me intently. You okay, Honey? Hi, Sam, Lex said, before I

could answer. Its just a girl thing. Shes okay. Thanks, Lexie, he said, visibly relieved. Come on, Autumn, lets go home. Be careful! I mouthed to Lex as we drove away. I got your back, she mouthed back at me. I knew she did. I could tell that shed realized something was going on. She hustled back into school, looking right and left as though checking forI dont know vampires or Voldemort or something. She was fearless but not stupid. She always believed me.

Not that I was necessarily right about things, but that I was telling the truth, no matter how freakshow it got. I really loved her for that. No matter how screwed up my life was, at least I had her on my side. As for the rest of it? I didnt know what to think.

I became a one man/one goal detective agency, immediately snagging her name from a girl on the way out of class. If I couldnt

meet her then, I could at least track down some info. Shed definitely left the campus. I couldnt pick up even a hint of her energy. I wasnt too worried. I figured shed be back the next day. I crossed the street to Jalinos. The last thing I wanted to do was deal with the lunchroom scene. I had to figure out where I fit here at Boulder High before Id tackle that. Besides, I couldnt argue with pizza. The minute I walked in the door, I knew the pizza would be kick-ass. It smelled really good. The place was a little crowded, but no big. I was okay just standing there, smelling

it. I paid for my slices and headed for the creek behind the school. It was cool how the creek ran right through the upscale town. The sound of the flowing creek was soothing, and even though there were other kids around, everything was mellow. I had to admit that it was a sweet lunch spot. I scored a tree, flopped down, and pulled out my tablet. I cued up last years online yearbook and searched for her name. No surprisephoto unavailable. There was nothing else. I found the blonde quickly in

the junior As. Her name was Alexandra Archer. She was seriously hot, and from what I could gather, popular. She was in the drama and debate clubs and had several miscellaneous shots. She was laughing in every one of them. I couldnt find an online profile for the Jones kid which was telling in itself. No web presence at all, which sucked, but didnt surprise me. It was the same for freshman year. Obviously, she stayed off the gridsmart. I kept my own online stuff really generic. Mostly, it was just band shots and stuff like track and snowboarding.

So far, no good but no big. I had some serious hacking ability at home. The Guild relied on the younger Editors to deal with all the high-tech equipment, which gave me access to programs that werent on the market. I figured Id find out more when I could tap into that. I kept my radar up all afternoon, but I picked up nothing, not even a blip. I didnt see the blonde again either. After scanning the usual spots and finding nothing, I headed home. As far as moving forward with the plan, the day was a bust. But for the first time since the accident, I had hope.

At that point, it occurred to me that there was probably some rule about reporting a Shadow to the Guild. I immediately pressed delete on that option. I wasnt about to let the Guild loose on some innocent Shadow kid. No, this little lottery ticket was going to stay my secret, at least until I got her to help me. Besides, Id been known to break a few rules now and then. I was already on the black list. And the Shadow was my one chance to get off it.

Sam steered the Subaru, looking at me anxiously and smiling his sweet Sam smile. I patted his arm and leaned back on the seat with my eyes closed. At home he shuffled me inside, lugging my book

bag. I hit the john and then I headed to the tree house. Once inside, I leaned against the trunk and soaked up calm, leaving my mind blank. After a few minutes, I replayed the morning to see if Id missed anything that was only obvious in hindsight. Id picked up a little something as wed approached the school that morning. Its happening again, I had told them. You sure? Ipod had asked. Well, at least we know its related to something or someone at school. This is the second time in the same location. Not necessarily conclusive,

so pay attention. Make notes. Well figure it out. After a brief locker stop we took off for class. By third period, I was getting used to it. I had no explanation but it didnt feel threatening. I mean, it was wonderful not to have to deal with the usual sensory overload. I felt really good. So I concentrated on class stuff and shoved it to the back of my mind. As for Ipods request, there was nothing to note. So I almost forgot until that massive wave tsunamied me in Spanish. I didnt like unpredictability

when it came to my strangeness. My jumping back had been fairly stable for the last couple years, and I wanted it to stay that way. It was hard enough in grade school when I only jumped back every few months. But when I hit puberty, things went wild for the better part of a year. The first month I jumped back twice a week. It was terrifying because I had absolutely no control. At first I didnt stay long maybe fifteen minutesbut the stress of it wore me out. Then about once a month Id have an extended trip. Once I was gone for almost two days. That time I

thought it was permanent, but eventually, I got sucked back home. So, there at the tree house, after what happened at school, I was going a little crazy trying to make sense of these new developments. I certainly didnt want a replay of that horrid year when everything was so out of control. I didnt mind the soothing energy or the lack of the static. It had been great to feel okay at school, and I hoped that part was permanent. But soothing energy was one thing. The sensation that hit me in Spanish was something else entirely. Not that it felt bad,

but. I tried to relive the feeling since Ipod would expect details. What would have happened if I hadnt bolted the minute it touched me? I shut my eyes and savored what had scared me earlier, the feeling that had thrown me completely off course. But that was a mistake. The tingle started at my back and torso and moved to my arms and legs. It began slowly and then escalated fast, flowing off my fingertips. No! I took a deep breath and tried

to stop it. It didnt help. I heard Ipod and Lex talking as they came into the yard, tinny voices in the distance like a bad cell connection. You up there, A.J.? Lex called. As soon as she spoke, I felt the tingling ramp up like the volume on the TV. I had just enough time to grab my survival pack and get into position so that I didnt hit my head when I passed out. With Ipod at her heels, Lex lunged into the room. They couldnt see me. But I still had a bit of consciousness left. As I faded away, I heard Ipod say, Well, this cant be good. And then nothing.

Devon and my mom were gone. A note said he had a doctors appointment. I was alone in the housemost excellent. I cued up

some music, taking full advantage of the fortuitous, empty-house moment. I kicked off my shoes and turned it up loud, losing myself in the beat. There were possibilities now, and that changed everything. In the never-ending battle between glass half-full and glass half-empty, half-full had the upper hand. I wanted to hold on to it as long as I could. When I came to a good riff, I couldnt help but do a few steps in socks on the hardwood floor. I was in a surprisingly good mood, given I hadnt really gotten much info yet and lived in depression central.

Maybe the combination of the empty house and the hint of possibilities were doing something much needed to my brain. Or maybe my mom was spiking the milk with happy drugs. Probably it was the hit of energy Id received from the Shadow. I made a sandwich, poured a glass of milk, and took everything to my room. I might have even smiled as I opened my laptop detective worksomething I was good at. Since she didnt seem to have much of a high school record, I decided to go earlier. After checking Google Maps, I scanned

for the nearest middle schools, finding her at the second one. I wormed my way into her records. Autumn Juniper Jones, only child of Samuel Jones, an environmental scientist. Father teaches online classes for the University of Colorado. Mother, Simone Jones, deceased. Whoa, lost her mom. So the kid had a screwed up lifesomething I knew about. Her grades were average, varying from quarter to quarter, but her test scores were sky-high. Okay, smart, but doesnt apply herself. No surprisebeen there, done that.

There was a report to the counselor from her 6th grade P.E. teacher talking about A.J. being the victim of bullying. There were some interesting entries, particularly from English teachers. Autumn has a vivid imagination and is a gifted writer. I would recommend entering her in the state essay competition. Autumn Jones is a quiet child, speaking only when called upon. But when she does speak, she is articulate and obviously quite bright. I would encourage having her screened for depression, given the obvious mood swings and

family history. I would also suggest having Autumn tested for the gifted program. She is an unusual child and someone more qualified should evaluate her. Autumn is bright, writes beautifully, and is intellectually advanced for her years. However, she only applies herself sporadically. At times she seems quite sad and despondent. Her absences result in lower grades than she deserves. She appears in class in dark and outdated clothing and sometimes other children make fun of her. I would advise a parent/counselor meeting to

determine the presence of problems at home. I wanted her help in solving my disaster, and it seemed like she needed help even more. I felt bad for the kid. I checked the obits for her moms name. Simone Jones passed away in her home on August 10th. She is survived by her husband, Samuel Jones, daughter, Autumn, 9, and her father, Jeffrey Lane of Palm Beach, Florida. Mrs. Jones was a longtime activist for Greenpeace International, where she fought battle after battle to save the rainforests.

I did a search on Simone Jones + Greenpeace. Seems Simone Jones was pretty busy in the late eighties and early nineties. I scanned the page: tree sittings, protests, awards, trees saved, etc. Then I found an article from Life Magazine. Trees Give Life, Greenpeace Does It Green. Trees give life, says Simone Jones of Boulder, Colorado. They make the very air that we breathe and they remove harmful carbon dioxide. They are a vital part of our ecosystem, yet we destroy them without thought. When are we

going to do something about this? Greenpeace worker, Simone Jones, decided to do something. After almost a decade of tree sitting and political activism for Greenpeace International, Jones has taken her work home. In a time when advertising is everything, Jones made quite the statement by giving birth in a tree, well, a tree house to be exact. On September 15th, at 7:22 a.m., the exact moment of sunrise, Simone Jones gave birth to Autumn Juniper Jones in the tree house nest of a large, red oak.

The birth was attended by proud father, Samuel Jones, also a Greenpeace activist, and midwife, Ramona Desmond. The baby and mother are doing well and thriving in this life-giving tree... No frickin way.born in a tree. No wonder she was so powerful. There was a photo of a stunning red oak, holding the most spectacular tree house Id ever seen. Oak leaves blazed like fire around the structure. Standing on the porch was a beautiful woman, mid-twenties, with auburn hair cascading over bare shoulders almost to her waist. A green sheet

wrapped around her torso, leaving her long legs exposed. Piercing amber eyes stared into the camera from a solemn, soulful face. She looked like Eve surrounded by nature in the Garden of Eden. The woman held a naked baby with flawless skin and tufts of honey-colored hair. Her tiny hand grasped a branch pulled tight to her chest as she peered over the flamered leaves. She looked straight into the camera, as though she knew how important the moment was that her birth had made a statement to the world. So this was A.J. Jonesborn in

a tree house. Interesting.

Awareness morphed in slowly one sense at a time. First, I felt my body, heavy on the ground. Then the tingling faded and I struggled for consciousness. It took a moment before my eyes would open. When

they did, I sighed with relief. Maybe I was back in time. But I was still homeand earlier version of the tree housethe best possible scenario. I got up slowly, avoiding the windows in case someone was in the yard. Afternoon light filtered in from the stain glass windows, casting rainbows across the room. Outside, the leaves were green summer. The desk held a picture of my mom as a teenager standing with her grandfather, Charlie. A thin sheen of dust covered everything, and when I opened it, I found an empty fridge. Mom was at college,

yes! No one would be using the tree house. I was safe for the four or five hours till time sucked me back home. Fate was on my side this time. All I had to do was lay low for a while. An earlier version of the tree house was my usual jump destination. But sometimes, I ended up in the middle of nowhere, away from any signs of civilization. Those were the scariest jumps, the ones that really freaked me out lions, tigers, bears, and all that. One of the scariest jumps happened when I was five. Wed gone on a picnic to see the fall

aspen leaves. I had been running from tree to tree, looking at the dark eyes found in the white aspen bark. As I stopped and stared into a particularly life like eye tingle, blur, bamI was gone. I woke in an aspen grove. But the trees were newly budded so I knew things had changed. I didnt understand yet about time travel. I just knew that strange things happened to me. I sat for a moment, rubbing my arms because it was cold, wondering how long Id be there. Suddenly, a face peered out from behind a bush. I startled,

scrambling back against the tree. A boy, with reddish skin, stepped out into the clearing and just stood there, looking at me. He didnt seem to feel the cold at all. He was wearing only moccasins and leather pants and had a couple of feathers in his long, dark hair. I would have been more afraid, but at first I thought he was just a kid in costume and was simply wandering the woods like me. Then I noticed that he had a bonelike knife stuck in his belt and was carrying a string of fish. Suddenly I felt a flash of fear. He was the real deal, like in the olden

days. He didnt act dangerous but I was petrified. He said something to me in a high, rapid voice. He waved his arms and looked around, as if he was searching for someone. I just stared. He looked around again, laid his fish down, and walked over to me. I stood up quickly, wanting to run. But I was too scared to do anything. I had acorns from my tree in my hand. They fell to the ground. The boy crouched down, observing me as if I was an animal in a zoo. He picked up the acorns, looked at them, and put them in his

pouch. Watching my face, he slowly reached out and gave my red sneaker a poke. When I didnt move, he pulled on the Velcro tab. It tore apart making a ripping sound, which startled him. His eyes got wide, and he hesitated a moment before pushing the tab back and pulling it again. Then he laughed and tapped on his chest. Hosa, he said. He gestured to me. When I didnt move, he touched his chest again and said Hosa. Then he pointed at me expectantly. A.J., I said quietly, drawing myself in as small as possible. Even

then I tried to be invisible. He grinned. Aaajaay, he mimicked, stretching out the vowel sounds. Aaajaay. He pointed at his hair and then at me. He stood up and slowly reached out and touched my hair, softly. Looking straight at me, he reached in his belt and slowly pulled out his knife. Suddenly, I remembered something horrifying the boys at school had said about Indians, knives, and scalps. I was only five, and the Indian had just touched my hair and was coming at me with a knife. I felt the prickly heat of fear

and a warm trickle down my legs. Then it was as if it all morphed into a slow motion movie with me in the distance, watching it happen to some other little girl. He reached over and hacked off a hunk of her hair. I remember thinking he was bigger than the girl was. I wanted to yell at her to run. I felt so sorry for how much it would hurt when he scalped off her hair. I didnt want to be there to watch. I remember seeing my dads face in my mind, wishing I were safe in his arms so that it wouldnt happen to me too. I thought of him

really hard. I felt his arms around me. I leaned back against the tree and the tingle came. I reached out for it, tried to meld into it, to hold on, to make it back home with my own scalp intact. I heard the boy chanting when I couldnt see him or the scared little girl any longer. And then the world went white. I woke up to the sound of someone calling my name. I scrambled up, shaking and sobbing wildly. My father came into view and ran to me, asking if I was all right. But I was too overwhelmed to answer. He asked if Id seen an animal, and I shook my head. Then

he noticed that my pants were wet and assumed that was the problem. He told me I should have told them I needed to go, that I was too old to wet my pants, and knew how to use the bathroom in the wild. But when I continued sobbing, he just hugged me, took off his jacket, and wrapped it around me. Dont worry, Autumn, he said. Accidents happen to the best of us. And he picked me up, wet pants and all, and carried me back to the car. I never told them. What could I say? Even then, I learned to hide my strangeness if I could. The last

thing I wanted was to get them arguing about it. As soon as I got home, I ran to the bathroom to look at my hair in the mirror. There it was, on the left, about an inch below my eara ragged gash where a lock of hair was missing. I knew then that what happened was real. The evidence stared at me every day from the mirror for months before it melted into the rest of my hair. When I was older, I realized that the Native American boy probably hadnt meant me any harm. But that tripalso in hindsightwas the first inkling that

I was going into the past. I used to ask why me, why me? I dont ask that anymore. It is what it isout of my control. Today all signs pointed to an afternoon of reading. I pulled my Kindle out of my pack. I finished one book and started another and the hours passed slowly by. Finally, I was just lying there, wondering what Ipod had found out about the new guy, and I felt the tingle. I grabbed my stuff and curled around it on the floor. I woke with Ipod and Lex hovering over me. They must have just walked in because I dont stay passed out

long. How long have you been here? I asked them, shaking off the dizziness. Ipod cleared his throat and looked at Lex. Long enough, said Ipod. Lex nodded. Long enough, Ipod said again.

Heart pounding, I woke abruptly about an hour after Id crashed. My throat was dry as though Id been breathing heavily,

and my legs were tangled in the sheets. It was the same nightmare I always havethe curse of the Constantine screw-up. Its like watching a movie with the sound off. Its a repeat, but each time its as though I cant quite remember the ending. Im standing on the roof with Devon, whos wearing my M83 tee shirt and playing his black Strat. Christmas lights are strung along the roof, flashing yellow, like warning signals against the cold, night sky. Im conducting him like an orchestra, waving my arms, and flipping my hair; and I notice he has

on these stupid boots he wears to look taller. Im thinking, I told him to wear grippy shoes on the roof. I yell at him to watch his ass, but no sound comes out of my mouth. I want to go warn him, but my own feet seem glued to the shingles. So Im standing there, unable to move, waving my arms, trying to get his attention. Devons just rocking out with this stupid grin on his face. Then suddenly, he slips. And the grin disappears. Desperately, he flails, trying to regain balance. But those stupid boots are tangled in the Christmas

lights. He falls backward, only he falls up, and out like a slow-motion back flip off the diving board. As he drops over the side of the house, I see his face. Hes looking at me like what the? Then I look down and notice Im holding the end of the string of lights he tripped over, and its pulled tight. And I hear the only sound in the dreamjust a sickening crunch. Then nothing. But off in the distance, there was a muffled screamlow, guttural, and strained. And it took a

moment before I realizedthe scream was mine. I bolted up, heart pounding, hoping beyond hope, that I didnt wake my parents. I cracked my bedroom door and waited, listening hardnothing. Id lucked out; saved by the tranqs they took to make it through the night. The house was as quiet as a tomb. I splashed water on my face and pulled on some sweats and a long sleeve tee. After the nightmare, my house was giving me the creeps. I had to get out of there. I needed to see some signs of life. Id take anything, a kitchen

light, a passing car, a dog barking anything that showed there was life outside this mausoleum. Grabbing tunes and running shoes, I crept down the hall and out the back door. It was a dumb thing to do, but I did it anyway. I was desperate. The night was crisp and clear, and I told myself I needed a good run. Id mapped her address out earlier that eveninga few miles away. What could it hurt to get a little closer? Maybe just close enough to feel the calm. I wasnt doing so well without my redwood and I needed relief. Like an addict,

Id had a taste of the good stuff. And now, I wanted more. Adjusting my earbuds, I broke into an easy jog to release the nightmare kinks. I cued up one of my favorite running tunes. I turned the volume up high. Stopping at a street corner, I did a few slow stretches, breathing deep, testing my reserve, testing my patience. I sent out my radarstill too far away. So I broke in to a real run. As feet pounded pavement, the nightmare terror drained out my pores, dissipating into the wind. I gave it everything I had, faster and

faster, until I was flying down the middle of the street. My muscles burned, but I didnt let up the pace. I wanted to pound the past into the cement. I wanted to stomp out the injustice of my wretched life. I wanted to run and never stop running. By the time I got to her street, my heart was thumping out of my chest. Searching for house numbers, I slowed to a walk, trying to cool down. Streetlights cast an amber glow on the pavement around me and in little spots every twenty yards or so. Down the block, the light of one illuminated the

branches of a beautiful maple. I headed for that one. I was right. Half way thereI felt it. It washed over me like anesthesia, numbing the bad, and smoothing out the tangles of my mind. My heart slowed and my breathing normalized. My shoulders relaxed. And I would swear that the oxygen level in the air about doubled. I took a deep breath, and like a starving man to food, I followed the scent. The battered mailbox said, Jones. The only light inside was the intermittent flicker of a TV in the

front room. The house was quiet. I crept up the lawn, under the maple, keeping low. Lying back on the lush grass, I stretched out with my hands behind my head. And for the first time in a long while, I relaxed completely. The tree itself was strong. I sensed its power in the roots buried deep beneath me. But the steady flow of calm came from somewhere in back. At that moment, I didnt care where it came from. I didnt question it. I just wanted to bathe in the energy and forget about my life for a while. I lay there soaking it up for over an hour, no music

needed. Then I fell into the most peaceful sleep Id had since the accident.

A.J., you okay? Lex asked, grabbing my pack and tossing it aside. She pulled me up off the floor and settled me on the sofa. Im fine, boring trip, nothing happened, I answered, shaking off

the dizziness. Well, the return wasnt boring, at least not for us, said Ipod. Guess what Ehhh! I said give her a minute. Lex scowled at Ipod and handed me a glass of water. Ipod sat ramrod straight, his face electric, as if hed just hacked something monumental or hit level nine in Portal 2. He fiddled with his glasses and beamed at me expectantly. Something was up. Whats with him? I asked Lex. Jeez, Louisewhat are you, five? she asked Ipod. You cant wait two minutes? Okay, tell her

already. A.J., we saw you, he blurted. We saw you do it this time. It was so freaking tightoff the hinges! You just, well, materializeda total beam-me-up-Scotty. We were waiting, tracking down info on the new guy, and we heard this shooshing sound Like a whoosh, Lex interrupted, waving her hands trying to reproduce it. Soft Yeah, really soft, said Ipod, if wed had the TV on, wed have missed it. And it just whooshed Yeah, and so we turned

around We turned around, and the air was all shimmery andand you just You just freaking appeared out of nowhere, Ipod finished. Then he bounced on the sofa into a standing position. My mind is officially blown. I didnt know what to think. Id never morphed in in front of them before. Its as if something senses if someones there. If they were home, I usually returned outside by the trunk. This is big, I said. Yeah, right? agreed Ipod. He looked at Lex, who nodded. Then

he bit his lip and looked right at me. Okaywait for it. We got it on my phone. It took me a minute. Shut. Up. Seriously? Seriously, Lex said, elbowing Ipod. Hellooothe phone? Oh, right, right, Ipod said, pulling it out of his pocket. Luckily, I was holding it andokay, theres the corner you woke up inempty see? Okaywait for it. He held it up and pressed play. The air in the corner seemed to shimmer. Then I just faded in slowly, curled up on the floor around my pack, looking like I was

asleep. How surreal. Ive been living this my entire life, I said. Youd think it wouldnt be shocking. But it kinda isyou knowseeing it on video. Exactly, Lex said. Ipod flipped out. I did not. I was just Ipod began. You practically peed your pants, Lex said, laughing. Yeah, right, he said, dropping down on the sofa. Just because some of us believe in science and are a little blown away when something defies it. I wonder why it never happened before, I mean in

front of us. Somethings changed. No duh, I said, I dont mind you seeing. But the change is disconcerting. Suddenly, I didnt want to talk about it anymore. The danger of popping in and out in front of people was my biggest fear. I didnt mind Lex and Ipod. But if I disappeared in front of the wrong people, life as I knew it would be over. I had this scary, reoccurring worry of being locked up in a government laboratory and experimented on by freako scientists. It haunted me whenever anything out of the ordinary

happened with my strangeness. It really creeped me out. I walked out to the porch, trying to shake it from my mind. And the moment I stepped out the door, I felt calmer almost instantly. The scary thought just faded away. It was as though there was something new in the night air, as if I was touching the energy Id picked up at school. Not the intense hit, just the smooth, warm feeling. It shimmered over me. I sighed. You okay, A.J.? Lex asked, following me out to the porch. Strangely so, I said. A minute ago, I was kinda freaked

you know about what happened. But the minute I came outside, my freak faded. Maybe it was temporary, but at that moment I just wanted to chill and look at the stars. Hungry? she asked, putting her hand on my shoulder. Starved, I said. Cereal? Perfect. She went inside and rifled in the cupboard. She came back and handed me a bowl. Oh shit, I forgot the spoon. She stuck her head back in the door. Ipod, bring the notes and a spoon. She turned

to me and grinned. We have info on the new guy. Did you talk to him? I asked. I went back to class after you left, but I didnt speak to him or anything. I wanted to wait until we got info first. But I got another look at him. Hes totally hot. She raised her eyebrows at me suggestively. Oh, yeah? I said, Elaborate. She grinned at my use of her word. Buffed, but not a no-neck muscle jock, black hair, strong features, and these arched eyebrows. All the girls in class were whispering. He didnt even notice. Before I could really process

that, Ipod turned on the porch light and walked out with his laptop. He handed me a spoon. His name is Constantine Evan DeMille, he said, enunciating each syllable. Hes seventeen and a senior. His family moved here from Seattle when his dad got a job at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Hes really interesting. I have lots of info on him, his resume Could care less about the dad, said Lex, rolling her finger at Ipod. All rightgive me a minute. He scrolled down a few pages. I was able to get his transcripts

What did it cost you? I asked. Two one-hour tutoring sessions before the physics test on Friday. I appreciate it, I said. No big, he said, grinning. Youve saved my butt so many times. Im just happy I can do something for you for a change. He sat down on the arm of my deck chair. He has high test scores and descent grades all through high school except for chemistry. He has a couple of AP classes and he scored an A in physics. I like that. Anyway, there wasnt much in his file, but this was interesting. He

was in a fight in ninth grade. I downloaded the report. Its short. Ill just read it. The names of the other boys are blacked out. Blacked out and Blacked out had been beating up on Blacked out and Blacked out, who were half their sizes, as part of an ongoing money shakedown. DeMille stepped in and took on both boys at the same time, after pulling the smaller boys out of the way. The fight was witnessed by twenty-four classmates, all who testified to DeMilles version of events. He has no previous record of trouble. Apparently, this made him

some kind of local hero, Ipod continued. There was a story about it in the school blog. Thered been massive complaints about the bullies, but admin could never catch them in the act. The bullies were expelled, and Constantine got detention for a weekmandatory for fighting. Although it states very clearly that he was just protecting the younger students. Brownie points for that, I said. Whatever was up with this guy, he didnt seem mean. Ipod scrolled down his laptop. Seattle drivers license, one ticket forty-six in a thirty-five. Six foot,

one, 175 lbs. Tall. He was on the track team at school, apparently, the star. In spite of my loathing of P.E., I didnt mind running. Running could be useful. Id always thought it would be really exhilarating to just full out run like a wild stallion. At least its not football, I said. Really, agreed Ipod, who didnt like P.E. either. Most of his online stuff is really generic and sparsedoesnt seem like hes into the friend collecting thing. His online profile is heavily oriented towards snowboarding and music. He plays bass and maybe

keyboards. Thats cool, Lex said. Anyway, continued Ipod, he has a sister, Claireten years old, not enrolled in school locally. Theres a brother, Devon, fifteen. The brother had a bad accident about six months ago, fell off a roof, smack onto a fence, and broke his back. Hes paralyzedhell never walk again. There were a couple of articles about it in the school blogone when it happened and one when he got out of the hospital almost six months later. He isnt enrolled in school here, probably still recovering.

Thats sad, I said. No doubt, Lex said. His home life has got to suck with something like that going on. We all knew about sucky home lives. What else, Ipod? I asked. They owned their previous home since before he was born. His mother, Rebecca, taught at the Art Institute of Seattle up until his brothers accident. Ipod frowned. I couldnt find her listed in Boulder County. She must stay home and look after the brother. Thats all I could find. He set his laptop on the floor and relaxed back into the

hammock. He really seems to be just a kid, Lex said, standing up and stretching. I dont doubt that something happened to you in Spanish, A.J., but there doesnt seem to be anything out of the ordinary about this guy. I agree, said Ipod. The more likely explanation for what happened is that it had to do with you, and his being there was just a coincidence. Maybe, I said, not really convinced. Still, we need to keep our eyes open and stay in control of this,

Lex said. She sat down on the arm of my chair. Playing devils advocate, records can be faked. He still could be some kind of What? asked Ipod. I dont know, Lex said, shape shifting, alien, psycho-killer, cyborg from the future. Im just saying we need to keep an eye on him until were sure. I agree, said Ipod, but not for the reasons you just listed, Lex. Wasnt he just sitting there, doing nothing when you walked in? I cant say for sure that the energy you felt didnt have anything to do with him, A.J. But I feel pretty confident that

even if hes different in some way, hes at least living his life as a high school kid. Theres way too much of a paper trail. If you say so, I said to them. But inside my own head, I was having a way different conversation. It did have something to do with him. I knew it did. I dont know how I knewI just did.

The night-of-the-living-dead screeched in my ear, yanking me out of a deep sleep. My eyes flew open. My arms thrashed to protect

my face, as I struggled to figure out what was attacking me and where the heck I was. In the soft, blue light of early morning, an old man loomed over me like a blimp, belly hanging out from under a faded camo jacket. He reeked of cigarettes and had one hanging from the corner of his mouth. What was left of his gray hair stuck out in patches, and he was holding the leash of a stupid, little yap-dog that was having a spaz-attack two inches from my head. The neighborhood watch great. I scrambled up; afraid the

alarm-clock-from-hell might rip my face off. The old dude glared suspiciously, phone in one hand, finger poised for 911. I stretched, trying to look innocent. Really hard run, I said smiling. I glanced at my phone. 6:08. Damn. I did not intend for that to happen. The old dude just stared. I needed to handle him carefully. The last thing I wanted was a scene in front of her house. Im aumJim. I live over on Spruce Street. I pointed south. Early morning run, took a break, guess I fell asleep, I continued.

Probably should get back. My mom will have breakfast ready. That wasnt true, but I was going for normal. The yap-dog yapped on, teeth bared, just waiting for the go signal. This is not a public park, the old dude growled, frowning. Yeah, I know, sorry, I said, shrugging my shoulders and backing away slowly. Im outta here. Gotta run, dont want to be late for school. Lets go, Viper. He pulled the dog to his side and stuck the phone in his pocket, obviously

disappointed thered been no reason to use it. When Viper wouldnt shut up, he picked him up and walked across the street, turning periodically to glare at me. As I walked away, I caught a quick look at her house. It looked sad in the early, morning light badly in need of a paint job. A broken window was patched with duct tape, and an ancient Subaru rusted in the driveway. Strangely, the vegetation appeared incredibly healthy. It was amazingly lush for early spring. The grass was the greenest on the block, which was a weird juxtaposition with the beat up

house and car. But I couldnt hang around long enough to make sense of it. I certainly didnt want to be seen. I made it home with enough time to get in and out before anyone else entered the picture. I grabbed the hide-a-key and quietly opened the back door. I took my shoes off. No way did I want to wake anyone up. Mornings were scary around my house, and I avoided them whenever possible. Luckily, the house was still in mausoleum mode. Thats where everyone but me is tranqed-out, and its so quiet you can hear

yourself blink. The curtains are closed, the shades are drawn, and sometimes you forget if its day or night. Night and day, my house cycled between mausoleum mode and warzone. I tried to time my comings and goings during mausoleum mode. It was creepy. But warzonedont get me started. I downed some OJ, in the dark, in front of the fridge. Then I snuck into my room and hit the shower. I nuked a breakfast burrito and made it safely out the door. On the way to school, I thumbed through my playlist for something mellow. I was stressed that Id blown it before I

could even meet the kid, much less present my case and ask for help. I needed to relax. I settled on a classic by The Clash, but no dice. The little Shadow was my ticket back to normal. But I wouldnt relax until Id sealed the deal.

I heard them arguing softly. Ipod, let her sleep. We didnt crash till almost two. You know it wipes her out to visit Oz. I disagree, he countered. She needs to see if it happens

again. At the very least, she should get another look at the guyget a feel for him. Ill feel him out, Lex said. Ipod snorted. Lex snickered softly. Out, not up. You know what I mean. We dont need to rush this. Were keeping her away from him till were sure hes safe. Hes not going to suck her blood, or zap her brain right there in Spanish, Ipod argued. She should Guys, Im awake, I said, sleepily, rolling over in my bunk. Stay here today, A.J., Lex

ordered. Out, Ipod. She pushed him towards the bunkroom door. I only Out! All right, already, he said, grabbing a stack of clothes. Im hitting the shower. Ill meet you out front in fifteen, Lex. Later, A.J. Sweetie, go back to sleep, Lex said. You have a free pass from yesterday. Ill leave a note for Sam to call and Ill text you your assignments. I dont know, I murmured, sitting up. I have to face him eventually. Yeah, but not today, she said

firmly, pushing me back down. Sleep. Ill check him out. It didnt take much to convince me. The euphoric feeling Id had last night was gone, and I was exhausted. I closed my eyes and was out in minutes. I didnt even hear Lex leave for school. When I woke up, it was almost noon. I headed for the big house. Theres a bridge rigged from the tree house porch to the deck off my old bedroom. It allows us easy access to a bathroomthe only necessity our home lacks. We left the slider unlocked, and Sam was used to us going in and out 24/7. I

think it reassured him to hear us rumbling around. I walked thru the slider and listened. The TV was on softly. He was up. I hopped into the shower, and as often happened there, my thoughts drifted to my mother. It was getting harder and harder to see her face as the years went by. Sam packed all the pictures away one night when he and the bottle were having a fight. I knew they were stuck somewhere, but I didnt want to ask. The only one I had left was the Life Magazine photo. She looks like a kid and I was just a baby. It doesnt seem like us at all.

I closed my hand around the antique key that I wore around my neck. The key was my touchstone to my mother. It opened the door to the tree house. She gave it to me shortly before she checked out, telling me she trusted me to keep it safe. She must have known then that she was going to leave me. At that thought, the cold, dark emptiness began to build in my chest. I wrapped my arms around myself and took a deep breath to keep it from getting too big. I rubbed my key again. Then I shut off the shower and tackled the tangles in my hair. The emptiness

dissipated somewhat and I stuffed what was left down deep. That worked okay, I guess. I had a lot of practice at dealing with it. I pulled on some old jeans and a tee shirt and went to check in with Sam. Surprisingly, he wasnt in his chair. He was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking what looked like beer in a coffee mug. He looked up as I walked in. Bummer! I knew that look. Hed been waiting for me. Ambush. He had a concerned look on his face. That didnt happen often. It was rare that we had actual conversations. We certainly didnt

talk about important stuff. Denial was Sams M.O. How are you feeling, Autumn? he asked. Im okay, I said, pulling out my earbuds. I just needed a little extra sleep. I dropped my Pod on the counter and rooted in the cupboard for Pop Tarts. I poured some juice, stuck the Pop Tart in the toaster, and braced myself. Maybe he was finally dealing with the mortgage payment problem. He cleared his throat. I sat down and took a mental breath. So I said, waiting for the toaster to ding. I cant believe how grownup

youre getting, he said finally. Yeah, sixteen, almost over the hill. I looked at his unshaven face. I shouldnt have let Lex use the female thing excuse yesterday. It must have gotten him thinking. The toaster dinged. I hopped up and grabbed my Pop Tart. It was too hot, and I tossed it from hand to hand until I could snag a paper towel. So I said again, sitting back down. There are things a mother should talk to you about, he said. Then he blushed and shifted in his seat. Oh jeez, I cringed to myself,

not the sex talk. I focused on the Pop Tart, peeling it apart. A strip dropped face down on the floor. I bent over to pick it up, grateful for the chance to hide. I so didnt want to be having this conversation. I bumped into Pat yesterday atumthe store, he said, stumbling over his words. Ok a y, so not expecting that. What did Lexs mom have to do with things my mother should tell me? This was bizarre. Yeah, so how is the Chihuahua? I asked, trying to move the conversation forward. You guys are going to slip one

day and call her that to her face, he said. I wouldnt want to be in your shoes. I shrugged. There were way worse names we could call her, and she deserved every one of them. Pat feels, he continued. We feelwere concerned that you guys are teenagers now, and you and Lexie aregirls. And Ivan iswell, a boyand youre still all sleeping there together so much of the time. AndwellPat thinksI mean, I think We dont want Is that what this is about? I interrupted, relieved. It wasnt the sex talk, it was just the you guys

are getting a little old for sleepovers talk. Wed been expecting it for years. We dont want things to get um, complicated, Sam said. His eyes were glued to his coffee cup. Complicated? You know, with you or Lexie ending upin trouble. He blushed and rubbed his hand across his whiskers. Pats concerned. Give me a break, I said. I wondered how the Chihuahua knew Ipod was still around. Its not as if Sam would bring it up. Her P.I., probably. Lex would be pissed. Pat wouldnt know concerned if it bit

her in the butt. He just looked at me. He knew I was right. He didnt realize that Ipod slept there virtually every night. We tried to make it seem like it was sporadic. Wed gotten away with our arrangement for years. Trust the Chihuahua to throw a wrench into things and get Sam all up in our business. Sam, I said firmly. Ipods our brother. Weve grown up with him. Hes family. We could never think of him that way! Now I blushed. Sam just sighed and took another drink from his mug. He knew a little about Ipods situation,

but not the whole deal. Not like I could just say, Yeah, Ipods dad beats the crap out of him, and then I use my super power to heal him up. Sam couldnt handle my disappearing. Finding out that there was even more to my strangeness would freak him out for sure. And this focus on the issue was scaring me. It might be harder for Ipod, he said. Boys that age needum, a certain amount of, well, privacy. He can have privacy in the shower, I said, certain that my face was beet red. I couldnt believe I was talking about this with my

father. Jeez, Sam! Look, were the only family Ipod has. Hed never do anything to screw that up. Besides, its Ipod! Come onhes not like other guys. Hes a guy, Autumn, trust me Its not a problem! I interrupted, louder than Id intended. I slammed my juice down hard and it splashed out on the table. Take it easy, Autumn, He grabbed a bunch of napkins to wipe up the juice. We just You dont have to worry. Its not like that with usnot at all. I

grabbed the napkins from him and finished cleaning up the mess. Ipod lives in his head. You know that. Besides, there are studies that show when children grow up as a family, they dont have, well, they dont feel that way about each other. Lex found this out from Shrink Three. Wed tracked down some research on the net, knowing this time would come. We were prepared. Studies? he asked. Yes, legitimate psychological research. Okay then, he said, obviously

wanting to be done as much as I did. So the studiesI mean, Pat Ill email them to Arthur, I said. Besides, shell forget about it by tonight. Which was good; because our studies said the phenomenon applied to kids raised together before they were six. We didnt think anyone would actually read the stuff. We just needed to send some links to impressive sounding websites. Well, all right then, he said, relief flowing off him like rain off a metal roof. I could practically hear it hitting the floor. Exactly, I said.

You want another Pop Tart? he asked, nodding his head at the table. I looked down and realized Id been tearing my Pop Tart into little pieces instead of eating it. No, I said. I think I lost my appetite. Youre a good kid, Autumn. He kissed me on the head. I just worry sometimes. He walked into the living room and I made my escape while I could. As awkward as that talk had been at least it was out of the way. We were safe for a while longer. The threat of losing Ipod scared me, to say nothing of thinking of

him with that monster. There was no way I was going to let them break up my family, just because the Chihuahua was a bitchno freakin way. I was still hungry, but there was cereal at my real house. I curled up on the sofa with a book and a bowl waiting for Lex and Ipod to get home. I wanted to tell them about the talk. I wanted to tell them that we were safe again for a while as far as our living arrangement. But mostly, I was eager to hear what they found out about Constantine. I decided that tomorrow, Id go back to school and

see for myself. Yeah, getting bold in my old age. As if.

I didnt catch her before school and I didnt sense her energy all morning. I couldnt believe I let my power slip the day before.

Obviously, Id scared the kid. It had to have been the first time shed ever encountered another Editor, let alone get slammed by a wave of energy. For me to have let that happenwhat a moron. Smooth, move, Constantine. She was probably freaked. I had no idea how she held it together in the first place. Being an Editor and not knowing it would be utterly bizarre. Sort of like someone slipping you acid and then not having a clue what was happening when you started hallucinating. Editors have really complex nervous systems that are extremely

sensitive. It takes a lot of management, and I gotta say, skill, to deal with the energy. I wondered how she pulled it off with no training. She attended school so she couldnt be totally whacked. Still, I had no clue what the story was. I needed to tread carefully, curb my enthusiasm, and move slow. This was the one chance I had to fix my mess. Id probably go the rest of my life without meeting another Shadow. The morning crawled by. Finally, fourth period came. I was the first student through the door.

The class began to fill. Kids wandered to their seats, talking in groups or sneaking a final text moment before the teacher arrived. A few hastily scribbled down the last few homework answers. I waitednot exactly patiently. Again seconds before the bell, in walks the blonde. And I think, okay, this is it. But the blonde was alone. Her walk said self-assured, focused, and dont mess with me. She scanned the room, her eyes hesitating briefly on me and then moving on. Other than that small flicker, she ignored me. She sat

down slightly ahead of me to my right. I assured myself that just because they arrived together last time, didnt mean they always came together. I watched the door expectantly, but no frickin dice. Damn! I let out my breath and slumped in my seat. I glanced at the blonde from time to time, but she seemed mesmerized looking at herself in a mirror. She didnt turn my way even once, so I couldnt make eye contact or anything. I needed to talk to this chick. I didnt know what she knew. I didnt know if she knew. When class ended, the

blonde leapt up, but I was faster. Can I talk to you for a minute? I tapped her on the shoulder. She kept walking as though she hadnt heard me. I followed, determined to make contact. Please? I asked, as politely as I could. She kept going for a couple of seconds. Then she slowed, hesitantly, as if she was considering whether or not to stop. I just wanted to ask if your friend was okay, I said, to the back of her head. She stopped but didnt turn

around. I walked to her side and held out my hand. Im Constantine, I said, looking her in the eyes with what I hoped was my trustworthy look. I just moved here from Seattle. She looked at my hand and kind of smirked. Shaking hands what are we, fifty? She took it anyway and shook it firmly, as if establishing dominance. But I have big hands, and it just ended up being obvious. Didnt faze her at all. In fact, I could tell that she thought it was funny. Well, she thought something was funnyme

maybe? She almost slipped and smiled. There was somebody home, there. I could tell that immediately. You could see it in her eyes. Lex she said, finally, folding her arms across her chest and cocking her head. Well, New Guy? Spit it out. Tick tock, tick tock. What happened yesterday? I asked, innocently. Is your friend okay? She looked up at me suspiciously, arching her eyebrows, and biting her bottom lip. She hesitated for a moment, and then she said, yeahwhy? It seemed like I scared her, I

said. She shook her head. No, she justshes just sensitive. Sensitive? Yeah, to umchemicals and stuff. You knowall the toxins and crap that they pump into the environment. They must have cleaned in there the other night and usedI dont knowammonia or whatever. She gets these wicked migraines from it. They hit her suddenly. Sometimes she passes out, and she didnt want to do that in front of the class. So it wasnt me? I was impressed with her off-the-cuff

explanation. I grinned. No. Really, because it seemed like it Not you, migraine. She seemed fine until she saw me G e t over yourself, she interrupted, nothing to do with you at all. She doesnt even know you. How could it possibly have anything to do with you? I could tell that this was a chick who was used to winning arguments. I didnt want to push her too far. But I couldnt really ask what I wanted to ask, and she

certainly wasnt volunteering anything. Well, I Look, New Guy, she said, forget about it. If you say so. But if theres anything I can do Not your problem. I have to go. She resumed walking. Lex, I called to her back. I had to take a shot at something. She stopped, but didnt turn around. Whats her name? I asked as if I didnt know already. She hesitated a moment. A.J., A.J. Jones. Well, tell A.J. I hope she feels

better soon. Tell her that the trees are in bloom, and smelling the blossomstell her its good for migraines. She turned, looked at me funny, and then hurried off. I followed several yards behind, trying to blend in with the crowd. She met up with a geeky kid on the sidewalk. They spoke for a moment and then headed across the street to the Pita Pit. I circled around, so I could cross the street incognito. Peering into a window, I saw the two of them paying for their order. No A.J. The place was packed, and all the

inside tables were taken. There was one table left outside. It was next to a huge box sign, sitting on the ground in front of the joint. Moving fast, I dropped down behind the sign, crossing my fingers, hoping theyd grab the table before anyone else. They didscore! I could recognize her voice. Pulling out my phone, I leaned against the sign, texting so I wouldnt look obvious to people walking along the sidewalk. Yeah, but dont you think thats weird? Lex asked. Could just be a coincidence,

the guy said. Right. With all the things he could say, he wants me to tell her that the trees are in bloom. He used the word blossoms. That is not a guy word. Come onit means something. Maybe. They were talking about me. It was a start. You know how A.J.s pupils always look dilated? Lex asked. Yeah, so? Well, his eyes, theyre like A.J.s. His pupils are huge. We have no evidence that her eyes have anything to do with her

strangeness, he said. He was probably high. His eyes werent red. Besides, I can tell if someones high. Its a clue. You can be really stubborn sometimes, you know that? You say that like its a bad thing. He lowered his voice. Still, I have to admit theres something strange going on with this guy. Ive been waiting till I was sure we were alone Spill, she ordered. He has P.E. second period, like me, the guy said. His class was running track. I was on the bleachers, and, of course, I was

focused laser sharp on him. You should see him run. Hes a machine. What do you mean a machinelike a cyborg? Hes not a cyborg. You watch too much TV. Dont give me shit, she said sarcastically. Even I know that a cyborg is more probable than time travel. Besides, Im not ready to discount anything after last night. Point made, Ipod said. Sorry, just fast, human fast. So they knew. I wondered what had happened last night. I hoped it w a s n t my fault. Sometimes

energies can collide and trigger strange effects. I needed to be more careful. Ipod spoke again. Anyway, Rush Rove was shoving this kid around. I dont know himsome freshman geek. Rove was threatening him with something. I couldnt hear anything, but the kid looked like I feel when I see my father walking towards me. Anyway, Rove smacked the kid to the ground, just as the coach blew the whistle for people to line up for the 600-yard dash. He is such a tool, she said. Somebody needs to

Somebody did. Rove swaggered over and got in position. New Guy picked the lane beside him on his right. You could see Rove was annoyed, probably because the new guys so tall, and Rove doesnt like anyone faster running beside him. But it was too late to change lanes. At first, New Guy kept pace with Rove, who was giving it everything he had. The new guy looked like he wasnt even breaking a sweat. You know how you run with your arms bent like this? Yeah, so? New Guy was three feet away

and a little ahead of Rove. They got going really fast. And as they rounded a turn, New Guy whips his left arm down with the palm facing Rove, not touching him or anything. And at that exact moment, Roves legs went flying out from under him. I couldnt believe it. No shit! Lex said, What gives? No clue, but the second New Guys arm went down, Rove was airborne. New Guy bent his arm back up and just kept on running as if nothing happened. He never even looked back. Rove didnt know what hit him.

I couldnt help grinning. Reflective gravity could be really useful sometimes. Cool, Lex said. How do you think he did it? No clue, but the movement was so synchronized and isolated it couldnt have been coincidence. And the way Rove fell wasnt like what happens when you trip. New Guy might be living his life as a high school kid, but theres something unusual about him. A.J. was right. Well, at least he used his power for good, she said. Shoving it to Rush Rovegotta like him for that. Anyone suspect anything?

Theres no way I could know that, but I dont think so. Logically, what could he have done? Im only thinking outside the box here because of A.J. Otherwise Id never have connected the two things, no matter how isolated his arm movement was. Rove fell flat on his face. He got a bloody nose and looked like he was going to cry. It was really satisfying to see him brought down a notcha gift for the geek world. Rove reminds me of the Hammer. No doubt. I dont suppose you got it on your phone. Unfortunately, no.

YouTubes loss, she said. I know! While Rove was whining to the coach, the new guy went over to the geek, high-fived him, and they walked to the gym laughing their asses off. It didnt take rocket science to put two and two together. Made my day. Whatever weird is going on with him, I think hes a stand-up guy. Why else would he go out of his way to protect a geek? Well, I think hes like A.J. She cant be the only one. The eye thing, the tree thing, thats gotta be it. You might be right, he said.

Damn straight, she said. Still, this is strange stuff, and I just want to make sure he doesnt screw with her. If he can knock Rove to the ground with a wave of his hand, who knows what else he can do. I heard paper crumbling and realized they were probably done eating. Taking a chance, I peered around the sign. Luckily, they were facing away from me. I decided to vacate before I got caught. A group of kids was passing by. I wove into the crowd and kept with them till we hit the next block. Then I headed for the caf so I could grab a slice before class.

They were checking me out. Id made progress. That chick was sharp, making the connection with the eyes. The eye anomaly was the only outward sign of an Editor. And that dimwit in P.E. had it coming, harassing that kid for no reason. I was psyched A.J.s friend had been watching. I might not have my foot in the door, but at least the door was open a crack.

I spent the afternoon whipping my history paper into shape. By 3:30, my paper was done and Id cleaned up the tree house. I was sitting on the porch, eating a Popsicle when they walked into the

yard. I hopped up and got them each a cherry pop from the freezer. Yum, said Lex, smiling at me. She dropped her bag and tore off the wrapper with her teeth. Set mine on the railing, Ipod said as he headed to the john. Dont get to the good stuff till I get back. Good stuff? I asked, anxious to hear what theyd found out. Ignore him. Spill. She sucked the Popsicle and closed her eyes for a minute, thinking. My theory is that hes like you. Like me? Why?

You know how youve always thought your eyes have something to do with your strangeness? I did. Thats why I wore the tinted glasses to school. At the very least, Id be suspected of being on drugs. Yeah I said, tentatively. You just might be right. His eyes, theyre like yours. Well, not exactly like yours, but his pupils are huge. Seriously? Seriously. She grinned. Its kinda cool, really. I read this article online how women in Renaissance Italy put belladonna drops in their eyes to give them a sexy, dreamy

lookbedroom eyes. Of course, belladonna is poison, so they paid a heavy price. But boy, does New Guy have dreamy eyes. I think hes like you, A.J., only a guy. Hows that for good stuff? I didnt answer. I was too busy absorbing the magnitude of someone else like me. Not that Id never wondered. I had. I had daydreams about it all the time. If it happened, I thought it would be some wise, wrinkled old lady, with snowy white hair. Someone like Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter. Id see her in a crowded city

across a bus terminal or somewhere movie-like. Shed look at me intently with twinkly, all-knowing eyes, and then disappear into the crowd waiting for me to follow so she could enlighten me with her wisdom. I certainly never expected it might be a guy and that Id meet him in Spanish. Ipod jogged across the bridge, grabbed his Popsicle, and flopped down beside me. Tell her what happened with Rove, Ipod, Lex ordered. Im going to change. Lex went inside, and Ipod told me the story in his matter of fact

way, while I just sat there with my mouth open. Thats amazing, I said. I know, he said, grinning. Of course, I cant be absolutely certain and theres no way I can prove it. But the way Roves legs just swept backward, out from under him like thatthat just doesnt happen in a fall. It was an effect that needed a cause. I think New Guy provided the cause. Massive points for sticking it to Rove, I said. But as far as being like me, I suck at P.E. I certainly cant wave my arm and knock somebody down.

Its just a theory, said Lex, returning to the porch in jeans and flopping down into a deck chair. But whatever the deal is with him, I dont think its anything bad. Well, Im not sold on the eye thing, Ipod said. But even Im convinced that theres something unusual about him, and you know what a skeptic I am. Lex snorted as she propped her foot on the railing and began polishing her toenails. I have to admit that the chances of him being like you are greater than him being a whole different brand of weird, Ipod said.

No offense, A.J. So maybe shes right. Oh, Lex blurted. I almost forgot. There was the tree thing. What tree thing? I asked, instantly alert. Lex relayed the conversation in the hallway, and when he said the word trees he emphasized it. That is strange, I said. I know, right? Who would say that, especially a guy? She set her bottle of polish on the floor and flipped her Popsicle stick at Ipod. He was trying to say something without really saying anything totally a coded message.

All my passwords are tree names, I said, getting a chill down my spine. I mean, if there are more people like me, and trees are part of what I am, a tree word could be the connection. Logically, yes, said Ipod, pushing up his glasses. So, what do you think? I asked them. We have to consider the facts, said Ipod First; I think hes a stand-up guy. What does that mean, exactly? Lex asked. Stand-up, repeated Ipod. Like in standing up for that geek

when he was in trouble. Volunteer when help is needed. I think hes that kind of guy. His records look legit. He has a family. I found another article about his brothers accident, and the kid in the photo looked a lot like Constantine only stockier and younger. That alone makes me think hes just a kid like us or maybe like you, A.J. So at the very least, I think we can safely rule out the long list of anyone/anything bad out to get you. Plus, theres the fact that hes hot, Lex said, arching her eyebrows. Hot is irrelevant, and it doesnt

count as evidence, said Ipod, walking back into the tree house. No duh, Ipod. Im not a complete idiot, Lex said. But it doesnt hurt either. With Ipod gone for the moment, she turned to me and whispered, Youd like him. I know you would. And if hes like you, maybe she trailed off and looked me in the eyes. Shed been trying to get me interested in guys since, well, forever. It wasnt that I had no interest. It was just that I figured guys were off limits for me because of my secret. He sounds amazing, I

whispered back, fiddling with my braid. Im impressed, she said in a normal voice. And in spite of whatever paranormal thing that might be going on, he seems pretty human. I watched him all through Spanish. He has this habit of running his hand through his hair, pushing it back, like it discharges energy or something. He did it all through class and then again in the hallway. How do you know? asked Ipod, coming out with a banana. I thought you were sitting in front of him.

I have my ways. Well, I hope you werent being obvious. We agreed wed Jeez, Ipod, give me a little credit. I was one seat ahead and over a row, which was the perfect spot. I could hold a mirror a little to the side and see him perfectly. Sorry, Lex, said Ipod. I didnt mean to insinuate Guys, enough! Just give me the facts, I said. Lex stretched back in her chair, closed her eyes, and continued. Theres something different about him. I dont mean the paranormal stuff. I mean him. He thinks before

he speaks. I like that. You got a lot from one conversation, I said. I knew how good she was at reading people. I pay attention, she said. He seemed concerned that hed scared you. I told him it had nothing to do with him, that you had migraines. Why migraines? I had like two seconds to pull an excuse out of thin air. You did take one look at him and run out of the room. I needed something. Better than I could have done, Ipod said, swinging the hammock with his foot against my deck chair. I have to admit, youre

quick with the comeback, Lex. Damn straight, Lex said, grinning her Im-devious-and-I-likeit grin. He might be a worthy adversary. He knew I was playing him, but he didnt call me on it. It wasnt as if he was backing down. It was more as if he was just not pushing me to say something I didnt want to say. It was a simple thing but it kind of got my respect. Respect from Lex was rare. Now, I was impressed. But heres what sealed the deal, she said. She got out of her chair and leaned against the porch rail, obviously planning to act out

the scene. Between second and third, Im standing outside the classroom, reading a text. I look up, and I see him from behind, walking up the stairs. All of a sudden, he stops, turns around, and practically flies down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He ducks into the first door he comes to. I look back up the stairs, thinking what the heck? Seconds later, guess who comes clomping down? Who? I asked, flipping out my hands. Oh, please, she said, grinning at me. If you dont get this, Im going to have to punish you.

The Bratz Doll? Ding! She wins the prize. She mimed dinging the bell. Hes the new guy and hes hot. She and the Kicks came marching down the stairs, looking left and right. They were on the hunt and they werent happy. Ha! It was rich. Did they see you? I dont know. I dont care. I ducked into the classroom till they went by. Then I came back out to send one more text, and I saw him back on the stairs, taking them two at a time, going up. That boy is smart. He has their number. He wanted your name. He ran after me

to get it. My vote is to give him a chance but go slow. We dont say anything aboutyou know. We can at least talk to him, feel him out. I concur, said Ipod, mimicking Einstein. He touched my arm and gave me his serious look. A.J., you sensed him. If Lex is right, and hes like you, he probably sensed you too. Who knows what his story is. Maybe hes just as much in the dark as you are. From how he acted with Lex, it seems like he wants to meet you. I think you need to meet him. I dont know about this, I said. I was suddenly really

apprehensive. I mean, he was a guya cute guy. Ipod was the only boy I talked to other than the occasional geek he hung with or one that was being nice to me to get to Lex. After so long in hiding, it was stressful to think of being seen. Talking to guys is not my thing. You know that, Lex. I want to know about him, but I dont know if I want to do it in person. This could be the chance of a lifetime, she said. What if he has answers? Jeez, I want answers. I did want answers. And suddenly, I knew. I had to do it. I had to meet himno matter how

hard it was. If there was even the remotest chance he might have answers, I had to go for it. Okay, Im in, I said, with determination. Thats my girl, Lex said. So you know I have your back, right? She had that devious face on, where she kinda arched her eyebrows and bit her bottom lip. She was up to something. After a moment of hesitation, I answered, Yeah... In having your back, theres no way Im going to let you meet a guy who, I might add, could end up being importantlooking like this. I glanced at my hoodie where

Id tossed it over the porch rail. I guess this hoodies a little ratty, huh? Lex snorted. Finally, Captain Obvious! Yes, this thing is horrible. She picked the hoodie up for a moment and then dropped it as if it had fleas. Sweetie, the time has come. Shes right, said Ipod, giving Lex a thumbs up. Weve discussed this. That get-up even scares the geeks away. Thats the point, I said, kicking his butt where it hung down in the hammock. My disguise had a purpose. It made me into an ugly.

That helped me fade into the woodwork with everyone except for Sloane Cheney. I didnt know if I was ready to give that up. No offense, said Lex quickly, giving me the sorry look. Youre beautiful, A.J. You could be the mousey librarian who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and theninstant hot chick. Yeah, agreed Ipod, you hide all the good stuff, even your hair. The rumor in the geek world is that youre in the witness protection program. Seriously? I asked. Okay, that might be my bad,

Lex said, with a laugh. She shrugged and rolled her eyes at me. What? I have to say something when people ask me what the deal is with you. Give me a break. I do have a life outside this tree house, you know. I know, I said, slumping in my chair. Im sorry my strangeness is hard on you guys. Its not your strangeness, Lex said, picking up the hoodie again. Its how you handle it. I understand about the codeI do. And in the beginning, I agreed with it. God, there was that period in middle school where you kept

getting yanked to Oz so often it was insane. If that had happened to me, I would have hidden in a hoodie too. We never knew what was going to happen. It made sense to lay low. Well, thats Im not finished. Just let me get this out. She sat down on the arm of my deck chair and looked down at me. Shrink Three said youd lose the hoodie when you got over the death of your mother. But she never knew the real reason you wore itobviously. Shrink Four said that youd give it up once you discovered boys. They were both

wrong. Ive tried to be patient about it, but Ive finally realized that if I dont intervene, youd wear this ratty thing to the grave. This whole ugly thing has run its course. Its time for a new strategy. I barely exist at Boulder High, I said, rubbing my key. If I ever have to go into hiding, I dont want anyone to be able to recognize me. And if I were to Yes, yes, I know, she interrupted. If you were to ever disappear at schoolhas that ever happened? Not so far, I said, defensively.

Well then, I think its safe to assumeIpod, back me up on this it wont happen in the next week or month. Shes right, A.J., he said, nodding his head. Logic dictates that Let me finish, Lex said. Not once have you ever disappeared at school. It doesnt make sense anymore. Youre just in a rut. You can still keep a low profile and just blend in with the masses. Maybe she was right. Id gotten so used to my disguise; I didnt want to let go. I knew it was a crutch, and to tell the truth, Id

been giving it some thought myself lately. Are you done? I asked. I knew she was winning this time. No. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. Its really starting to piss me off when Bratz doll is so condescending. Youve worn that same outfit since sixth grade when you were flat as a board and had a mouth full of braces. She has no clue what you have under that hoodie. You even wear baggy clothes and glasses in P.E. You could use a little help in the cleavage department, but in a year or two...

Not everyone can be a Bratz doll, I said, sarcastically. I huffed and hunched over, folding my arms across my chest. Ive seen you naked, said Lex grinning. I havent, said Ipod, but Id be willing to take a lookfor the sake of science, of course. He raised his eyebrows suggestively. We looked at him, then at each other, and rolled our eyes. In your dreams. I flicked my Popsicle stick at him. Okay, Ill think about it, I said to Lex. But remember, I still have to deal with the energy and the static. I still

need the code. Thats all I ask, she said, giving me a hug. You can adhere to the code without that stupid hoodie. Ipods comment reminded me of the conversation Id had that morning with Sam. I gave them the highlights. They agreed with me that the Chihuahua would space it within the day. Lex was pissed that her mom might have had her P.I. spying on us. She said shed handle it. And they were both psyched wed moved past the subject with Sam and were safe for a little while longer. Ipod went inside to do

homework, and Lex dragged me to the bathroom for a makeover. Youll love it, she said. And if I dont? Anythings better than this, she said, flinging out her arm. If you dont look amazing when Im done, IllIll walk up to the Chihuahua and give her a hug. Shut up! I said. I couldnt pass up a bet like that. But as for the me-looking-amazing part, I wasnt holding my breath. Lex was psyched that shed finally broken me down. I had no choice but to go along with itat least for now. Besides, I had a back-up hoodie

in my locker.

I waited as long as I could before heading home. But by dark, the guilt-meter had rocketed into the red zone. I could hear Devons

game almost two houses down great. I bet the neighbors so psyched wed moved next door. Devon liked the war games best; the more violent, the better, and he played them loud. I snuck in the back way so that I didnt have to step directly into the insanity. Any hope of a reprieve vanished the moment I cracked the door. BAM! Machine guns firing, voices screaming, bombs blasting! The game shrieked through the house at full roar. It echoed off the walls. It bounced off the hardwood floors. It sounded like the frickin end of the

world. The war had come to my house, thats for sure. I was home and Life was waiting with my nightly, morbid martini. Yea, crappy hour. I walked through the kitchen and peered out the door. The first thing I saw was my mom, leaning against the wall outside the family room. She had her arms wrapped around herself and her eyes were closed. It looked like she was working up the courage to go talk to Devon. She had her bizarre, Joker smile frozen in place, and she twitched each time Devon scored a kill shot. It was seriously scary.

Through the family-room door, I saw my brother, strapped to his wheelchair. He was slamming wildly into the controller as though his life depended on it. It was all he did the whole frickin day. The home health worker said Devon had to go through the stages of grief about being paralyzed. But Devon seemed determined to stay in the angry stage. He revved up his anger by slaughtering stuff on the screen. He took his anger out on anyone in range. I crept down the hall to my dads office. He was hunched over his desk with headphones, trying to

escape into his computer. He looked a decade older than he had six months ago. He hadnt shaved, his clothes were wrinkled, and I could swear he was getting grayer every day. I decided not to bother him and returned to the family room. Maybe I could get my brother to turn the game down. But before I could do anything, my mom was trying, once again, to talk to him. Devon, Honey, how about a little dinner? she asked with her hand on his shoulder. He ignored her. Theres food on the stove, Devon, if youre hungry. She tried

again. He shrugged her hand away. Then he lurched abruptly forward and slashed the head off something. The head rolled, and blood splattered across the screen about twice as loud as it had been just seconds ago. My mom jumped. I was in hell. Devon had to have turned it up just to freak her out, the little jerk. My moms Joker smile collapsed into defeat. Tears streaming down her face, she fled to her bedroom. It wasnt pretty. I wanted to punch my brother. I knew things sucked for him, but he didnt have to take it

out on my mother. But as pissed as I was at him, I didnt want to make things worse. I knew the best thing I could do for my mom was to get the sound turned down. So I sucked it up and tried to talk to him. I tapped him on the shoulder. Dev, lower the volume, Dude. Come on, its way too loud. I can hear it two houses down. Mom and Dad are losing it. Nothing. Dude, come on, be reasonable. The neighbors are going to complain again. Youre freaking mom out. You need to let up on that.

Blow it out your ass, Jerkwad. He glared at me for a second and then turned back to the screen. But after a couple of minutes, he lowered the sound a little. There was mac and cheese on the stove in the kitchen. I scooped out a bowl full and took it out back to the deck. I dropped into a lawn chair, trying to figure out how I could get my brother to mellow out a bit. Devon was angry. I knew that. A chunk of that anger was focused on mehis big brother, the track starhis big brother, the musician. I think that at that point in his recovery, he hated me, the

brother still walking around. I didnt know how to handle it. I have a natural affinity for music. From the time I was really young, I could hear the music in the energy waves around me. It just floated there in the background of my awareness. I understood harmony and I understood it well. I spoke the language. I started piano at six. By the time I was nine, Id moved on to the guitar. I have big hands and long fingers that move fast and fluidly over the strings. I play a pretty mean guitar. I like the bass best. I love how it holds all the

other sounds together. And even though I was still in high school, before I left Seattle, I was in a band that landed professional gigs regularly. Devon had always been jealous about that. He played, but he didnt seem to have music in his soul, like say, my best friend, Daniel. Devon struggled on even simple songs. He resented that it came easily for me. He resented me for doing better in school. He resented my wins at track. But once he hit middle school and found football, everything changed. Suddenly he was the star. He

was better than I was at something which changed everything between us. He was a brick wall that no one could get past, and it made him feel ten feet tall. When he made the team, he wore the stupid jacket 24/7. My parents, who didnt know football from hacky sack, went to the games and loaded on the praise. I did too. And Devon, with his cheerleader girlfriend, was so high he was living on the moon. Cue Constantine, the Destroyer, with his awesome idea. Idiot! I told him not to do it alone. I told him to wear shoes that would

grip the roof. I told him to watch out for the extension cords. But I should have known he wouldnt listen. He never listened to me. I was just trying to share something with him, trying to be a big brother, trying to have a moment. But a moment was all it took. In an instant, he lost the one thing he loved. If I lost my legs, Id still have music. Being physical was everything to Devon. Theres this part of me I call the critic. Its this voice in the back of my head that gives me shit when I screw up. It had been on my case pretty bad since the accident. And

at that moment, it was reading me the riot act for wrecking my familys lives. I tried hard to ignore it. But between the chaos in the family room and the chaos in my head, I didnt know how I was going to make it through the weekend. Hard to believe, at that point, I dreaded weekends and couldnt wait for Mondays. Talk about ironic. And for the cherry on top of my suck-sundae, I was getting nowhere with the Shadow. There was nothing I could do for my mom, and there was nothing I could do about Devon. Even though Id just gotten home, all I

wanted to do was to get the heck out of there. I went back inside and stuck the bowl in the fridge. Then I went to tell my dad I was going for a run. I pretty much yelled that at him. But he had on Bose noisecancelling headphones, probably over earplugs. He didnt hear me. He just sat there staring at his computer screen. I wrote a note on a yellow sticky: I stuck it on his screen. He blinked for a moment, looked over at me, and nodded. Then he turned

back to his computer. I was a commercial, not worth sustained attention. I was a ghost in my own life. I pulled on some sweats and stomped out the door, cuing up angry tunes. Id start with that and pound out some of the rage. I figured I needed a couple of hard, slamming, rap miles, before I could make my way to electronic and then rock. Then Id move gradually down my play list into mellow, so maybe I could sleep. I didnt plan on going there again. Really.

Well, maybe deep in my subconscious, but my subconscious was pissed at me, and we werent talking. I took off in the opposite direction. The good me was trying to behave, do the right thing. He was ready to travel the straight and narrow and all those metaphors you hear in lectures. Not that he was any kind of saint or anything. He just wanted his life back. And he felt guilty as hell about his family. But the screw-up me, AKA the do-the-wrong-thing-anyway me who was rapidly becoming the stalker mewanted to feel better. And he knew where to find the drug

to do the trick. So before the good me noticed, we were circling around the other way. The good me just went with it. He was too stressed to argue.

I dont know what youre expecting here, I said, as Lex applied a hot oil treatment on my hair. Hold still. Im expecting to find a girl, she said.

Ow, I complained, as she caught a snarl. I wouldnt get my hopes too high, if I were you. Youre totally clueless, she said. Youve been in hiding for so long; you think that hoodie is a part of your skin. You just wait. While the hair treatment was cooking, she put a masque on my face and did my nails in a clear polish. Then she sorted through her stuff to find something suitable for me to wear. She didnt even bother looking through my things. I cant change completely overnight, I said. I still need to be incognito. I need a hoodie, maybe

not my big black one, but something. She sighed, but then looked at me with concern. I could tell she was torn between wanting to complete her project and wanting me to be okay. We compromised on a pair of trendy jeans with boots and a shirt in an amber color that matched my eyes. It was layered over an copper tee and topped by a filmy silk sweater with a hood. She laid it all out on the towel rack. I dont know, I said, hesitating. But she just shoved me into the shower to wash off the oil and

masque. It was strange to be the focus of this attention, even from Lex. I avoided mirrors. I tried to forget what I looked like. I considered that part of being invisible. I didnt even want me to notice me. Besides, it wasnt as if I was some great beauty. I guess I still saw myself as the flat-chested, skinny girl with braces and ugly glasses. I ran my tongue across my front teethsilky smooth. No braces. Lex was right. There had been some changes. But my mouth was still too big, I didnt have much in the way of cleavage, and my

eyes were still strange. I didnt see what Lex could do to change any of that. After I dried off and put on a robe, she sat me down on a stool in the bathroom and combed out my hair. She trimmed off a few inches so it was midway between my waist and my shoulders. She cut pieces around my face and a few bangs. Then she spent about twenty minutes putting in a few little braids. Youre wearing it down tomorrow, she announced. No make-up. I feel like a clown whenever you put it on me.

That hasnt happened since we were ten. Of course, you looked like a clown. You were ten, with makeup on. And Im sure I just slathered it on. And why would I do that? I dont know, I said, shrugging my shoulders. Because I was ten, she said, making a face at me. Fine, no makeup, but were dying your lashes. What! No way. Its either make-up or dye, and the dye is easier because you dont have to do it every day. You have great lashes, really long and

thick. But theyre invisible because theyre so light. Wait till you see what you look like when Im done. You wont recognize yourself. I knew it would be useless to argue. She pulled her kit out from under the bathroom sink and went to work. She wouldnt even let me look. When she was done, she blew my hair dry, made me try on the clothes, and then steered me in front of the mirror. Someone else stared back at me. She was right. I didnt recognize myself. My eyebrows arched now. My eyelashes were

dark but still soft. My eyes looked huge but not goopy like the Bratz Doll and her sidekicks. For the very first time, they didnt seem quite as strange. Plus, I looked really different with some hair framing my faceinstead of being pulled back severely in a braidalmost like a different person. I didnt know what to think. Well? she asked, grinning. Hello, Fairy Godmother, I said. I was blown away. I looked like a real girl. She laughed and then she hugged me. You look amazing, Sweetie, absolutely amazing. She

opened the bedroom slider and yelled for Ipod, who was in the tree house. Go down to the living room with Sam, she ordered, now. She twirled me around looking for flaws. Then, seemingly satisfied, she pulled me down the stairs before I could argue. Sam was sitting in his chair, reading a book. Lex cleared her throat and stood pointing to me as if I was a piece of art shed created. I kept expecting her to say ta da. Ipod walked in and stood there with his mouth hanging open. You look amazing, he mouthed behind

Sams back. Lex grinned, as if shed made me herself out of thin air. Autumn? Sam asked. He got a funny look on his face and hesitated a moment. You look just like your mother, he said quietly. Lex flinched, and I froze, waiting. No one wanted to set Sam off on a binge. You looklovely, he said, finally. He smiled. Good job, Lexie. Autumn shouldnt hide the way she does. Its not healthy. Lex and I both let out a breath and then grinned at each other. Thanks, Sam, Lex said. I

appreciate your support. He reached out and touched my cheek, making me feel warm and fuzzy. Id forgotten how beautiful your hair is. Its been so long since Ive seen it down. Whats the occasion? Are you guys going somewhere? Just time for a change, replied Lex, grinning. Out with the oldin with the new. Well, how about we order some Thai to celebrate, offered Sam. He didnt like my hoodie either. Excellent idea, said Ipod. Thai was his favorite.

Thatd be really nice, Sam, said Lex. I just smiled. We ordered Pad Thai and coconut curry with cash that Sam scrounged up from who knows where. Then we watched two movies all smashed together on the sofa. My looking like my mom didnt kick Sam into a funk at all. He even laughed at the funny parts of the movie. He nursed the same glass of wine all evening. Nobody mentioned it, but we all noticed, and it definitely added to the festive mood. Lex made popcorn which we

ate even though we were stuffed. It was one of the best nights I could remember. It was as if we were a real family. I didnt even feel exposed without my disguise. Of course school was another matter altogether. Towards the end of the first movie, Sam moved to his chair. By the second he was zonked out and snoring. Lex pulled a blanket over him, and we headed out to the tree house. It was getting late, but we werent quite ready to let the night end. We had so few family-type evenings. The moon was full, and the

night was absolutely spectacular. It was one of those Colorado, spring evenings where the temperature is perfect, the sky is clear, and you get a hint of summer to come. One Christmas, wed strung those tiny, white lights that hang down like icicles. We loved how they cast a magical glow to the darkness, and wed never taken them down. Every once in a while wed turn them on. It was a comfort thing. Plug in the lights, Lex said to me, as she dropped into a deck chair. You read my mind, I said, grabbing the cords.

When they flashed on, I caught my breath at the beauty of everything around me. Earlier, thered been a light, misting rain, and the lush yard was covered in tiny droplets. The water sparkled in the glow of the lights, and the backyard looked magical. The lilacs were in full bloom, and the air was saturated with their scent. As I breathed it in, I heard Lex sigh in contentment. I smiled to myself and took the other deck chair. Ipod walked out with his violin to play on the porch so Lex and I could change for bed. It was our bedtime ritual. Tonight his notes

sounded so very sweet, I could hardly stand it. I was feeling so alive and in the moment, that I ran across the bridge to the bedroom and pulled out the silk nightgown that my grandparents had sent me for Christmas. Lex had been bugging me to try it on for months. I wanted to show her how much I appreciated our wonderful evening, you know, make an effort. The ivory gown was an oldfashioned Juliet with lace and a long, streaming blue ribbon that tied under my breasts. The sleeves draped down at the wrist, and the

skirt flowed around my calves. Lex loved it but Id never worn ittoo conspicuous. Tonight, I just didnt care about being seen. Of course, it was just Lex and Ipod, but still. Lex made Sam smile and I owed her big. I wanted to make her smile too. I pulled on the gown. It fit perfectly, and it felt silky smooth against my skin. Lex was slumped in a deck chair listening to Ipod play. So I pirouetted barefoot across the bridge, the gown blowing against me in the soft breeze. Ipod grinned and launched into a waltz. I twirled a few times, making a show of it.

Lex clapped. I couldnt remember the last time Id been so happy. It was like there was something in the air that was infecting all of us, even Sam. After a few songs, Ipod put down the violin and joined us on the bridge. We stood there looking at the stars. I liked the way the breeze blew the silk against my body and my hair out into the wind. It gave me a sense of what it might feel like to fly like Wendy in Peter Pan, soaring through the night in her white nightgown. How cool that would beso free, so powerful. I held out my arms so the

sleeves could fill with air. Queen of the world! It was as if the energy had followed me home. I felt incredible. Even Sam had seemed normal, almost happy. Seeing Sam smile, watching him laughheck, Id dress better, no problem, if thats what it took to make him whole. I mean, I couldnt change overnight, but I could make an effort. I leaned my head against Lex and we looked for the big dipper. All this time Id been trying to pinpoint the energy source. Maybe it wasnt from somewhere or something.

Maybe it just was. At that moment, I didnt need to know. I just wanted to be there with my family having a moment of happy. No matter what sucked in my life, no matter how crazy it was, I had the two of them to make me laugh, help with Sam, and to you knowgive a damn. What I really needed was to find a way to hold on to the house, so we could keep the family together. I knew that. But for then, I was content. Making a good memory, for a change.

The good me and the screw-up me fought in my head nonstop for the first two miles of my run. Annoyed and agitated, I cranked

my tunes and focused laser sharp on the lyrics. By the middle of mile three, I managed to shut down the internal chatter, but not from concentrating on the music. It was from knowing what a relief it would be, if I could tap a little energy from the tree in her front yardor from the kid, if she was home, and she was broadcasting. My left foot hit the edge of a pothole, and I had to catch myself to keep from stumbling. I couldnt believe how weak I felt. The air was so much thinner in the Rockies. Seattle was at sea level so I could run fivesix miles, full bore, and

barely break a sweat. I could probably do twenty at a descent pace. Now, only a few miles into the run, I was winded. My lungs hurt and my head ached. I had this feeling of impending doomlike my cells were all freaking out. I needed tree juice. I needed it bad. Id never gone more than a day without tapping energy from my tree. It had always been there, making me sharper, stronger giving me an edge. I totally took it for granted, never having a clue how much I depended on it, never having a clue how life would be

without it. I wished Id listened when the Regents told me to be sure to get a house with a suitable tree. I wished Id listened when they told me about withdrawal. I wished Id listened to a lot of things. I slowed as I neared her block. Approaching her house, I turned the music off and scanned the area. The street was empty. There was a faint light in the living room, and I could see the flicker of a TV in the front window. A dog barked in the distance but went silent as I walked onto her lawn. The flowering trees mingled with the fresh, Colorado

air, and the scent was incredible. I crawled up under the maple. And I felt her. Chemicals released in my brain and flooded through my nervous system. My shoulders released and the vice on my skull dissolved. I was addicted to this kid before Id even met her face to face. Her energy combined with that of the maple tree was pure bliss. I wanted to dig down into the dirt like a vampire and just hibernate there until life made sense again. But I wasnt, and I couldnt. So instead, I dropped down on the grass, using my bundled-up sweatshirt as a

pillow. Thered been a light mist earlier, but it was dry underneath the tree. The sky was crisp and clear, highlighting the full moon. The stars were brillianta Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds night. The little Shadows energy enhanced everything. Before long, I was totally high on it all. The grief Id brought from home dissipated into nothingness. I lay there for about an hour, maybe two, just basking in relief. Then a light went on in back, and I heard talkinglaughter. It was followed by the wailing cry of a

violin. The artist rocked, and the music streamed out into the otherwise silent night. Of course I was curious. Euphoria dampened down any caution the sober me might have had. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was up and lifting the latch on the backyard gate next door. The neighbors house was dark. Hugging the shadows, I crept along the outside of her fence. I found a spot where I could hide in the bushes and by standing on a rock, peer over the eight-foot fence. Id seen the tree house in the Life Magazine photo, but in real life

it blew my mind. It was as if some giant just scooped up this cool, little cabin and plunked it high in the biggest oak Id ever seen. A bridge connected the porch on the tree house to a second level deck on the main house. A soft, warm light cast a gentle glow on the porch and half way across the bridge. That kid, Ipod, was standing on the bridge just wailing on the violin. God, he was good. Like a frickin virtuoso, he swayed back and forth into the light and out of it again, his arm moving, hair flying. Then out bounced Lex in pink pajamas. She stared at the sky for

a moment and yelled, A.J., come see the stars. A jolt of excitement whipped up my spine. The focus of my life had become meeting this kid, and shed blocked my every move. Of course, I couldnt speak to her, reveal myself, stalker that I wasnot then and there. But at least I could finally lay eyes on what I hoped was my salvation. What I hoped would help me put my life back together again. Hey A.J., whats the hold up? I saw a shooting star, Lex called. I waited. Then, I swear I felt her move

just movea wave of heat deep down inside me. I knew the tree was heightening my senses, making them more powerful. It enhanced our synergy, and the strength of it drew me closer against the fence. The beating of her heart echoed through the wooddeep, strong, and sweetly disturbing. Id never been this affected by any other Editor. Not even the Regents were this powerful. I didnt know what to think. Within seconds, my own heart was following her rhythm, like she was controlling it. I stood there with my hand on my chest, listening,

wondering, feeling. Then I sensed her turn around, felt it deep, like a ghost of her was inside me, running through my body. The sensation threw me off balance, and I had to step down off the rock to stabilize. I climbed back up immediately, grabbing the top of the fence to steady myself. It was electricbetter than the night beforelike someone turned up the volume on everything good. Suddenly, my eyes were drawn to a shape in the shadows, a ghostly blur on the deck above. She floated onto the bridge. At first, she was a silhouette in the darkness

no colors, no details. But when she got to the middle of the bridge, the light hit her, and I froze. I was completely unprepared. She wasshe wasI didnt even have a word for it. She looked like an angel in one of my moms Da Vinci art books flawless skin and huge amber eyes. Her long hair blazed in the moonlight, silky, auburn ripples cascading softly over tiny shoulders. She twirled, her dress billowing around her like a cloud and her hair blowing in the breeze. I just stood theremesmerized. It was surreal, like in a dream.

Lex laughed and clapped, and the guy grinned and broke into a waltz. And when he did, the angels energy expanded exponentially and streamed out strong into the night. A wave of it flowed through me, and I almost groaned out loud with pleasure. And the angelthe angel twirled for a moment in the moonlight. I held fast to the fence, my eyes never leaving her face. She smiled and kissed the guy on the cheek. He smiled back, never missing a beat. She hugged Lex and they stood looking up at the stars. She lifted a slender arm to point at

the sky. And then she laughed, and I thought my chest would explode. The wind picked up for a moment, blowing her gown against her, silhouetting her body in the moonlight. I sucked in my breath. This was no kid. Time stopped. At that moment, I got her. I totally got her. Who she was. Everything Id read about her suddenly made sense. Hot girls usually flaunt it. They have more power than anyone does, and they use it too, to get what they want. The baggy clothes and the glasses were a disguise.

To experience the world as a Shadow without knowing anything about it and living a public life, that took unimaginable courage. To have gone all these years without anyone finding out, that took incredible fortitude. People thought she was a freak, but she was totally in control. She wasnt depressed and screwed-up. She was laughing and smiling, and apparently her friends were devoted to her. This chick rocked. I could have spent hours suspended in that moment, taking her in, just being near her. I had an iron grip on the fence, and I

realized Id stopped breathing. I sucked in a ragged breath and watched her every move. We should crash, Lex said, finally, walking towards the tree house door. Play something soft, Ipod. It was the best night, ever, the angel said. Her voice was soft and silky. She walked across the tiny porch and into the tree house, pausing in the doorway for one last glance at the sky. Then she smiled and The beauty of that smile took my breath away. The kid picked up his violin and

played a soft song. The combination of the music and the heartrending vision of the angel left me all kinds of confused. This was far more than just some pretty girl. Id seen my share of pretty girls. This was something else entirely. Somehow, it engaged the Editor part of me. This girl had gotten into my head in a way Id never felt before. All I knew was that I wanted to meet her, and not just so she could help me. I wanted to know her. I wanted to know everything about her. A dog barked, and I scrambled

back to the front yard, collapsing under the maple. I stuck the sweatshirt under my head and soaked up the remaining Prozac, pulling in every piece of it I could reach. I saw the loveliness of her face in my mind, and I soaked that up too. What Id seen changed everything. I was too overwhelmed to analyze the ramifications of what Id just witnessed. I didnt want to. I didnt want to think about anything at all. I just wanted to feel. I lay there feeling, until the predawn glow warned the sun would soon be

creeping over the horizon. Then I sprinted home and snuck into the house. I was glad I stayed out all night. Obviously, no one missed me. I could paint myself purple and walk naked into the living room, and no one would notice. Maybe I could sleep all day Saturday. Maybe I could sleep the whole frickin weekend away. Maybe I could just lie in bed, think of her, and drown out the critic in my head. How many more hours did I have till fourth period, room 217? How the heck was I going to make it through the weekend?

Wake up, guys. Sam made pancakes! Ipod shook me. I sat up quickly. No way! Way! Believe it or not, ladies, Sam is in the kitchen cooking up a storm, he grinned. Pancakes.

Blueberry. With sausage. Yeah, right, Ipod. Thats not a nice thing to tease us with, Lex grouched sleepily, pulling the covers over her head. I lieI die, he returned. He was fresh from the shower, and he shook his hair like a wet dog on Lex, covering her with drops of water. She kicked out at him. This better be good, Ipod, or Ill have your head for breakfast. She crawled out of her bunk, sticking her feet into her slipper boots. I smiled. So Sam was having a good stretch. That really made my

day. He had them every once in a while. I got up and kissed Ipod on the cheek. Then I pushed him out of the room so we could change. Lex had the outfit shed picked out for me the day before, laying at the foot of my bed. I eyed it warily. She stood there, hands on her hips, waiting for my protest. I didnt want to break the streak of good so I put it on. This is awful clingy, I said, hesitantly. She handed me a lightweight, waist-cropped hoodie, knowing I couldnt do it cold turkey. Where are my glasses? I

asked, searching. I hid them, she said smugly, pulling on her own clothes. I need them. For what? You have 20/20 vision. Im exposed. Get over it. Seriously. Look what it did to Sam to see you out of your shell last night. Right, play the guilt card. Surely my fugitive clothing wasnt what kept him sick. Jeez, if it would fix Sam, Id walk to school naked. Okay, maybe not nakedbut what if that fixed him? That was stupid. No one was making me choose

between Sam being okay and having to walk to school naked. What a dork! Still, images of me walking around school with nothing but glasses made me shudder. Id have nightmares for weeks. Earth to A.J. Oh, sorrymy brain got off on a really stupid tangent. Glasses, I said, deleting the horrific images from my mind. Got it covered. She handed me a pair of trendy sunglasses. I dont know I tried them on and looked in the mirror. They covered the eyes of the girl in the mirror, but they didnt hide her face.

My regular glasses were a mask. They hid my identity. I dont know if the teachers will let me wear these in class. Mine arewell theyre supposed to be regular glasses, just tinted, because of my eye problem. Theyre perfect, Lex said, putting them on me. Transition lenses. You can do this. Besides, this is just a test run. Were just going to the mall. Guys, food! Ipod yelled out the kitchen slider. Lex made me twirl so she could see the whole package. Youre going to like this new guy, and I

want you to look good when you meet him. I have plans. I just want to know if hes like me, I said. The last thing I need is a guy. I wouldnt have a clue what to do with one. Yeah, well, well see. She grinned at me suggestively. You, Ipod, Sam, and saving this house, I said adamantly, are all I care about. She just smiled as if she knew a secret. Whatever. I was already on overload. I didnt need more complications. We climbed down the ladder and crossed the yard to the scent of

hot maple syrup. Ipod was right. Sam had a huge stack of pancakes on the counter, sausage on the stove, and the table was even set. The yellow kitchen seemed sunnier somehow. Sam was freshly shaven, wearing a blue shirt I didnt recognize. He was even drinking actual coffee from his mug. Had hell frozen over? Were pigs flying around the room? I raised my eyebrows at Lex and Ipod. Lex shrugged her shoulders, and Ipod grinned and snagged a sausage. They smelled heavenly. Morning, Sam, Lex stood on her toes and kissed him on the

cheek. This smells yummy. Morning, Sweetie, Sam said, beaming at her. Good morning, Autumn. He held out a plate and kissed the top of my head. I took the plate, trying to move past speechlessness. Killer sausage, Sam, Ipod said, building a bridge across my awkward silence. Yum, pancakes, I said, finally, sitting down at the table. It was all a little unsettlingnice, but still Sam brought plates for Lex and Ipod, and then one for himself. I doused my pancakes with actual hot maple syrup. I couldnt

remember Sam eating a real breakfast in yearsnot since before. I picked at my food nervously, but Lex and Ipod attacked theirs. Even Sam seemed ravenous. Me, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. You look exceptionally lovely today, Autumn, said Sam, with his mouth full. Lex winked at me. See, she mouthed. I knew she was trying to snag me into the collective delusion that things were fine, that this was just another Judy Blume moment in our

sweet, little Hallmark life. I smiled warily at Sam and took a breath. Who was I to argue with Hallmark? Delusional or not, we needed moments like this. I couldnt believe that the simple change, okay, massive change in my appearance had so much power. I debated bringing up the house, but no way did I want to wreck the moment. Whatever it was, I wanted to hold on to the good while I had the chance. Suddenly I was hungry, not just for the good but for the food itself. I couldnt remember the last time Id had pancakes. I shut the paranoia

closet and dove into them. Ummm, spongy, buttery maple infused my mouth with flavor. I closed my eyes, melting into the sweetness. I inhaled the savory smell of sausage and the sound of my family talking and Most excellent breakfast, Sam, I said. I smiled at him. He smiled back and reached over and touched my cheek like my mom used to. Lex hooked her ankle around mine under the table and swung it back and forth. Ipod ate enough to feed an army. And we all sat around the table, stuffing our faces and beaming at each other.

Like a real family. Too bad no one was filming it, because we could have been a freakin Hallmark commercial. At least for that moment in time.

I sent this text to my friend, Daniel, who was the drummer in my band. Am still hating life. The

weekend suckedyou dont want to know how much. If there was a suck-meter, it would have exploded. This came back: Bummer to be you, man. Every time I bang my drums, I send up a shout for you to the guy upstairs, because you be having some God-awful luck. He needs to give you a break. Thats what I think. I could just see him sitting there, size twelves on the cluttered coffee table. Hed be thumbing away on his phone and bobbing his head to some reggae tune in the background. His wiry, black braids

would be poking out every which way, and his drumsticks would be within easy reach. The only flaw in this picture was that he was in Seattle and not here. I really missed having him around. I sent this back: You have no idea. Daniel: You need to meditate, man. You need to get in touch with your inner self. Play some music. I miss that sweet, mellow bass of yours. The bands not the same without you. Come on home, man. You can bunk with mefinish high school. You gotta do that, man. The music. Come home for the music.

Me: No can do, Daniel. I cant leave them alone. Its mad crazy here. Im the only sane person in the house. Daniel: And youre questionable at that. M e : Thanks for the vote of confidence. Daniel: Hey, I live to serve. I tossed my phone on my desk and cracked the door a couple inches to assess the situation. Devons game blared full blast which meant Mom was probably hiding in her bedroom. Dad had gone to the office early, even though it was the weekend.

Predictable. He couldnt handle warzone. Devon really knew how to clear a room. I shut the door. At that point, I was holding on by a thread. It wasnt pretty. I needed to find a way to deal with the fact that I was now treeless. Normally, I was good at storing energy. A hit like I got at the Shadows house would hold me for a weeka month. But lately, I didnt seem to be able to hold on to anything. Id jogged home from her house, feeling all warm, and buzzed and rejuvenated. But the minute I opened the front door, the desperation hit me .

Now, my skin crawled and I was amped up. Not even music could mellow me out. As the hours went by, it only got worse and worse. The good me and the screw-up me warred all weekend long. The good me wanted to not be frickin spying on her. But the screw-up me just wanted to feel better. The critic lectured nonstop about being a stalker. Intuition told me I was out of control. But I didnt cross the line into the back again. Even I have my limits. Well, except for the one time, but since then Id stayed behind that frickin line. I

compromised by basking in the energy that escaped into her front yard, telling myself I was just relaxing from a run, that I wasnt doing anything wrong. It was bad enough I kept ending up at her house like some heat-seeking missile. As soon as I soaked up enough calm to think straight, I left. The rest of the night I ran until I couldnt run anymore. Then Id limp home exhausted, fall into bed, and sleep the day away. I knew it was cheating, tapping her energy to get me through withdrawal from my redwood. But I was desperate.

The weekend lasted a month. I dont think I took a shower until Sunday night. I dont remember eating the whole weekend. Of course, no one noticed that I didnt shower or eat. No one bothered to find out if I was still alive. No one noticed that I slept all day. Dreaming. Playing the video of her in my headover and over and over and over.

The weekend was the best I could remember. However temporary, things were good. Warning signals about things being too good surfaced periodically, but I shoved them back in the anxiety

closet. For the first time, I actually wanted to try out being a normal girljust to see what it felt like. I didnt know much about that, but I had Lex to show me the way. That meant we had to go to the mall. I sucked at shoppingId never really done muchbut Lex had a shopping Ph.D. She bought me several outfits with her credit cards substantial clothing allowance. The Chihuahua didnt hurt for cash, and she liked Lex to look good in case they ran in to each other in public. Plus, her dad sent guilt money once a month since he only actually saw Lex once a year. She was

psyched that Id finally relented and let her make me over. She enjoyed dressing me up, but after a while, even I began to get a glimpse of a girl underneath all the layers of disguise. Imagine that. Ipod and I watched another movie with Sam on Saturday night Lex went to a party. On Sunday, we pitched in and cleaned the downstairs. It was one of those incredible, Colorado, spring days, and we had all the windows open. The fresh air energized us, and we sucked up the dust and tossed out the piled-up trash. There were

fewer bottles in the recycle than I could ever remember. Lex made chocolate chip cookies, and the smell permeated the house. Sam got high on the aroma, put on some music and slid across the wood floor in socks, playing air guitar, doing an impression of Tom Cruise from some ancient movie. The three of us were ROFL. None of us had ever seen Sam get silly before. We were high on it the whole day.

I welcomed Monday as if it was Christmas and I was five. The thought of fourth period, room 217, had me in the shower before

sunrise. Since the moonlight sighting, her face hadnt left my thoughts. It floated in front of me like a hologram, and I replayed every nuance of her expression over and over. After a few hundred repetitions, it almost cancelled out the critic in my head that read me the riot act every time I sneezed wrong. Almost. At night I dreamed of her, waking up feeling all warm and well, you know. Then reality would slam me in the face, and Id be back treading water just to make it through the day. But the weekend

was finally over. I was more than ready to get the heck out of this tomb and see if I could soak up a little sanity from the real world. I was actually psyched to go to school. I knew if she was there, Id be feeling way better whether I met her or not, just from being in her proximity. As soon as it was light, I crept through the silent house, carrying my shoes. I skipped the kitchen and breakfast. As usual, I hoped to escape before anyone else got up. I had a one-per-day, soul-sucking limit, and Id recently realized that the morning dose was easier to

avoid. Not that I had much soul left to suck, but I wanted to hold on to what little I had. Camping out on her front lawn had become the only thing keeping me sane. Too bad I couldnt keep a flask of her essence in my pocket. I eased open the front door and looked up at another cloudless, blue sky. The air was brisk but with a hint of the warmth that would come later in the day. I took off my jacket and tossed it on the porch swing, realizing I was no longer annoyed by the constant, Colorado sun. After a weekend alternating between warzone and mausoleum mode, the

sun was kind of welcoming. Maybe I was getting used to it. Maybe it was because I knew Id see her in a matter of hours, regardless of the weather. I didnt know. Maybe it was that there was a window through the madness nowa chance that I could fix this mess Id made. If anything could get me up and out the door at the break of dawn, that could. But it was more than thatit was her. The very idea of her. There are only about a hundred and ten Editors in the country, and out of that, maybe ten are below the age of twenty. As far as I knew,

there wasnt anybody else even remotely like her in the Guild. And that I would meet her out in the world, instead of at an Editor function? I knew what Daniel would say. Thats destiny, man. There are no coincidences. Something that unusual? Its a signa piece of your destiny. You better grab it while you can. And then hed grin, his white teeth in that dark face shining like piano keys. Hed drum his sticks on whatever surface he could reach and say, Write a song about it, man. Play it out in the music. I really missed having Daniel

around. I took a deep breath, and leaving about twenty pounds of angst on the porch, I headed down the quiet street for school. I cued up You, by The Pretty Reckless something light and mellow. I stopped at the bus station and grabbed a latte and a bagel with cream cheese. After one sip, I chucked the latte for an OJ. I didnt need caffeine amping me up even more, not after the weekend Id had. Better slow than sorry. I reached the mostly empty campus and headed towards the

huge maple on the corner. I wanted a hit of energy before school, plus it gave me a great vantage point for watching people arrive. I dropped down against the trunk, instantly soothed by the trees strong connection to the matrix. Immediately, I could tell it was bonded with an Editor. It was probably where she came to replenish when she was at school. Maybe, shed do that today. I felt a hint of her essence in the mix, soft and clear. Grasping on to the wisp, I replayed the movie of her in my mind over and over for probably thirty minutes, ignoring

the growing cacophony around me. The scent of pot wafted through the mountain air, as stoners took one last toke to get them through the morning. As the minutes passed, the noise escalated. Competing playlists clashed, along with the sounds of kids arrivingscreeches, chattering, yelling, car hornsnow too loud to ignore. It was time to turn off the A.J. show. I certainly didnt want to miss the real deal, maybe even meet her face to face before school. I was giving my fantasy one last run when I heard a high-pitched voice call my name.

Constantine? I winced at the nasal whine that shattered my daydream. Perfume overload smacked me, like passing a skunk on the highway. I opened one eye. It was that annoying cheerleader and her posse, Rich Girl One and Rich Girl Two. Lovely. Yeah? Okay, I could be a little more polite than that. I tried again. Hi, hows it going? Great, she returned, smiling and flipping her hair. Great, echoed Rich Girls One and Two, in chorus.

Remember me? Sloane Cheney, we met last week, she gushed, thrusting out her chest. I nodded and gave them a half-assed smile. Apparently, the chorus didnt warrant introduction. And I appreciate a chest as much as the next guy; but after about two seconds, I appreciate a soul attached. Id watched this chick in the hallways, slamming on people. It wasnt pretty. Plus, the voice nails on a chalkboardan insult to my sensitive auditory senses. Um, right, Sloane, whats up? I didnt feel motivated to summon up anything more complicated. The

chest just wasnt enough to do it for meespecially not now. A party! she syruped, looking around for a clean place to sit. That knocked me into action. I stood up abruptly, grabbing my backpack. The last thing I wanted was for A.J. to think I brought them to where she hung out. On your way to class? I asked, leading the group away from the tree. Its Saturday night, she said, hurrying to keep up with my long legs. I know youre new here and wanted to invite you. We like to help new kids get acquainted with the Boulder scene. She smiled and

gestured to Rich Girls One and Two, who smiled on cue. Especially cute guys, blurted out Rich Girl One, looking up at me suggestively. Cheerleader glared at her. So did Rich Girl Two. Rich Girl Ones face fell, and she quietly added, We welcome cute girls too and Cheerleader interrupted, stepping in front of her, Most of the football team will be there, and a lot of the, well, fun kids. We like to party here in Boulder. You should come. Well

It will be really tight, said Rich Girl Two. Apparently Rich Girl One was on probation now and couldnt speak again without permission. Rich Girl Two looked over at her leader for confirmation shed acted appropriately. Totally, said Cheerleader and rewarded her with a little nod. She looked up at me and gave me the smile daddy paid big bucks for. So, how tall are you, anyway? She put her hand on my arm. How tall am I? Really? We just met and thats what she wants to know about me? I answered, six-

one, six-two. I havent measured lately. I like tall guys, she gushed. What do you say to something like that? Thank you? Hurray for me? This chick didnt want to know me, she wanted an accessory to her shoessomeone tall enough to let her pull them off. That wasnt a role I liked playing. Besides, the perfume was overwhelming. Suddenly, I felt a clean whiff of nice break through the clutter. It was far in the distance, but I was so tuned to her energy now, I could detect even the barest hint of it. A.J. could be blocks away, but she

was coming closer. I caught my breath and smiled reflexively, forgetting the buzzing, rich-girl flies. So, we hope to see you at the party, said the cheerleader, jolting me back to reality. She batted her eyelashes, obviously thinking my smile was for her. Let me put my number in your phone and you can text me for the info. I shot out a quick lie. I left it on the charger this morningnew house, everythings kind of crazy. As if Id ever forget my phone. No problem, she said. And before I knew what was happening, she grabbed my hand and wrote

her number on it. This chick was just frickin annoying. Besides, A.J. was getting close. I could feel her. I needed to ditch the flies and I needed to do it fast. Plus, now I needed to wash the stupid number off my hand. Um, thanks, I said, pulling my hand away. Reluctantly, I smiled down at her. I figured turning on the charm might allow for faster freedom. Sounds fun, but Ive got to go. I have to stop by the office before class. Im late. Thanks for the invite. I nodded at the flies and sprinted towards one of the side

entrances. At least, I knew A.J. was on her way. If I was lucky, I might catch her in the hallways. If not, there was still room 217.

On the way to school, we chatted happily about the weekend. Ipod had Lex and me in hysterics by mimicking Sam, mimicking that old actor guy, playing the air guitar. As we walked onto the campus, I was

so caught up in the moment that I forgot I wasnt in disguise. Still laughing, I headed down the walk, completely forgetting to implement the invisibility code. That was a mistake. Who would be standing on the sidewalk giving me her if looks could kill, youd be dead meat look? Ding! If you answered, Who are Bratz Doll and her suck-ups-inwaiting? youd win the prize. She looked annoyed. The Kicks were standing at attention the requisite three feet behind her, waiting for orders.

Perfect. Ah, the Bratz Doll, said Lex, just what I wanted this morning, a dose of disgusting. Yes, for the crime of looking better than she does, youve been labeled enemy combatant. You must be punished. I knew I should have kept the hoodie, I said, slowing down. The hoodies dead, Lex said. The hoodies history. Ill handle this. Bratz Doll was wearing these ridiculous shoes that made her, like, ten feet tall. I didnt get the point. She towered over most of the guys, although it did put her breasts right

at their eye level. Maybe that was the point. But she had to hold her neck back in a funny way to balance. It kinda gave her a double chin. Not a good look, really, in spite of the eye-level cleavage. Lets go in the front door, said Ipod, turning left. She probably thinks youre a new girl and havent yet cleared your passport through her. You know she hates that. I followed Ipod, leaving Lex to cover my back. We sped up, but the Bratz Doll actually ran to intercept usbad sign. Apparently, she was determined to take me down.

Whatever. She had to go through Lex first. Thats impressive, actually, said Ipod, watching her run in fiveinch heels. I certainly couldnt do that. They say everyone has a talent if you look hard enough. The wall of perfume that preceded them made me queasy, and I heard Ipod gag. Later, he said under his breath. And then he ducked and detoured, weaving into a group of giggling, freshmen girls. Handling Cheney was Lexs job. I suddenly got really interested in something in my bag. I always

completely ignored her, hoping that someday shed get the hint and leave me the heck alone. So, Jones, what pulled you out of your shabby, hoodie shell? Bratz Doll asked, breathing hard and flipping her hair. Wardrobe crumble to dust? I think she lent it to a friend, contributed one of the Kicks. I saw her hoodie on that wino, digging in the dumpster. Under her breath, Lex said to me, she so sets herself up. Then out loud, she said, meeting the wino at the dumpster again, Misty? Surely, you can find a better-

smelling place to hook up. She placed one hand symbolically behind her back, indicating this was an easy battle. Youyouyou suck! Misty sputtered. Lex smirked and whipped out a Tootsie Roll Pop from her book bag. Shed been waiting for this one. She pulled the paper off and twirled it around in her mouth with a loud sucking sound. I do suck, Misty, thank you very much. Im busy now you knowsucking, so can I ignore you some other time? Im sure, Misty said, wobbling on her heels. She frowned as she

struggled to make sense of Lexs diss. Misty didnt exactly have mad skills when it came to comebacks. Then again, who am I to talk? I just stood there, silently. Rule ten stay calm and do not engage. Rule fourno eye contact. I stared at the grass, trying desperately to keep a straight face. Weve been trying to figure out where your string is, you know, the one I need to pull to before you can speak. Bratz Doll sneered at me. She was annoyed shed been left on the sidelines, and that Lex was getting all the attention. Mommy cant always be around to

talk for you. She motioned to Lex. Then she elbowed the Kicks and they giggled on cue. Too bad your mommy never taught you manners, Lex said, but I suppose you cant teach what you dont know. She slurped loudly on the lollipop, pulling it in and out of her mouth. I do love to suck, she said, suggestively, her eyes never leaving Bratz Dolls face. A couple of football players, whod stopped to watch the interaction, hooted in appreciation. Nice technique, Archer, one of them said. Thanks, guys, Lex said,

slurping loudly on the lollipop, its all in the tongue. Screw you, Archer, Bratz Doll blurted out. You are such a whore. Oh, is this your corner, Cheney? I certainly dont want to intrude on your turf. It took her a minute, but when she got it, Bratz Doll huffed and gritted her teeth trying to think of a comeback. Lex beat her to it. Crawl back under your rock, Cheney, she volleyed with ease. And take your posse with you, before someone mistakes you for roaches and calls

the exterminator. Oh, waitI guess that wouldnt be a mistake. I slipped and smirked. One of the Kicks caught it and whispered in Cheneys ear. Damn! That was my first slip in five years. I immediately went back into non-existence mode, watching them from the corner of my eye. They both glared at me. Then Bratz Doll looked down at my feet and slowly worked her way up to my hair. What are you looking at, Dipshit? Dont be thinking too much of yourself just because you finally took a bath. Youre still trash. Get over yourself, Cheney,

Lex said. Sure, youre a dog next to A.J., but dont worry your empty, little airhead. Your pet gorilla knows he cant get any from her, so hell still settle for your twenty-fourhour takeout. Screw you, bitch. Bite me. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but youll always be pathetic. Up yours, Archer. Is that seriously the best you can do? Daddy should have bought you a brain upgrade to go with the new nose you got last summer. Cheneys hand flew up to her face, and she whipped her head

back and forth to see who heard. You are such a bitch! Oooooo, sticks and stones again pathetic, Lex said. Speaking of pathetic, I heard Rove tripped over his own big feet and is covered with Band-Aids. Obviously, your kisses dont have the power to make his boo boos all better. Must be the oil slick on your dried-out, little lips. You knowtoxic waste leakage from your filthy mouth. Lex gave them a big smile, batted her eyes, and mimicked Bratz Dolls hair flip. My job here is done, she said, putting her arm around me. We walked off, leaving

the three girls sputtering curses at our backs and the football guys practically ROFL. Yo u so rock, I said to her when we reached the Bratz-free zone. Good workout, she said. Keeps me on my toes. We met up with Ipod at the lockers. Lex was still sucking on the lollipop. Ipod saw it and grinned. So you finally got to use the suck joke, I see. Howd it go? Lex was brilliant, as always, I replied. I relayed the Rove line, and Ipod laughed.

Cheneys such a bitch, Lex said, pulling books out of her locker. She deserves Rush Rove. No doubt, I agreed, opening my locker. I caught my reflection in Lexs locker door mirrorI didnt have one in mineand startled. I dont know about this You cant let her win! Lex interrupted vehemently, locking her eyes onto mine. Youll be okay, A.J. The hoodie era is over. Ipod, tell her shes safer looking normal. She nudged Ipod. Shes right, Ipod agreed. Its okay, A.J. You can do this. He took off down the hall. Later, he called

over his shoulder. Youve never gotten yanked back to Oz from school, Lex said. Its not going to happen the one day you wear regular clothes. Youre gonna be fine. Yeah, well, how about the fact that I bolted from the room like a lunatic the last time I was there, totally violating rules six and seven. The whole class thinks Im a nut case. Theyve always thought you were a nut case, Lex said. Thats nothing new. Just concentrate on walking to your desk and sitting down. Nothing else exists. Thats all

you have to do. Yeah, well And besides, no matter what they thought before, Ill tell you what theyre going to be thinking now. The guys are going to be thinking Whoa, whos the hot, new girl? The girls are going to be thinking damn, she hid all that under that hideous hoodie? And Im going to be thinking eat your heart out, all of you, because my best friend looks freaking amazing. I stared at my books and ignored the looks coming our way as we walked down the crowded hallway. It was hard. Although not

as hard as it would be naked. I was momentarily yanked back to my daydream from Saturday. The comparison did make my present situation a little easier, but I was still nervous about fourth period. Hes here, I whispered as we walked into homeroom. Ive been feeling him since we reached the grounds, but its even stronger now. He must be in the building. So hows the static? Gone, I said. Creepy crawlies? Theyre gone too. You cant argue with that. Yeah, well I couldnt. It was

really nice not having my nervous system assaulted. But I was letting my guard down. I couldnt believe Id let the Bratz Doll get a reaction out of me, even if it was just a smirk. I like him, A.J, Lex whispered, dropping into her seat. Im still cautious, but Ipod and I think hes for real. Well take it slow. So chill, okay? I nodded and sat down. The last few days had been wonderful, and it was great having full use of my brain here at school. But I was apprehensive about too much change or too much good. It hit my

pleasure/pain paranoia buttonthe one where if things got too nice, it meant that something bad was going to happen to balance it out to take away the good and punish you for hoping. Fate couldnt be trusted. Fate was a bully who got off on slapping you down, if you stuck your neck out by wanting something, or called attention to yourself by being too happy. And after this weekend and in my new outfit, I felt exposed and vulnerable. I was totally violating the code. It made me anxious. The first two periods passed slowly, but I got through them

better than I had imagined I would. I even managed to smile and say thank you to a couple of comments about my appearance. It wasnt that I was overwhelmingly shy or anything. Id just adhered to the code for so long; I didnt know how t o be outside of it. I was an actor playing a part and Id played it for years. I tried to imagine myself from their eyesfreak one day and the next just a girl. I mean, what did they think was under the stupid hoodie? My third period teacher looked at me with confusion as I walked in the room and headed for my seat.

He said Hello Autumn, slowly and looked like he was going to comment. But apparently, he thought better of it and let me pass without directing attention my way. I appreciated that and gave him a faint smile. It was my first non-Lex class and I was really anxious. I wondered where Lex hid my real glasses and considered making a break after class to grab the backup hoodie I had stashed in my locker. But when class ended, Lex was waiting for me, leaning against the wall opposite the door. She knew me well. I wondered how shed gotten out early, but I didnt

ask. I followed her to fourth period, feeling him grow stronger as we got closer to the classroom. My heart sped up and my legs got wobbly. Hold on, I said, grabbing Lex outside the door. She waited patiently, but the bell was about to ring, and we had to move. She pulled down my hood and fluffed out my hair. I immediately pulled the hood back up again. She rolled her eyes, but left it alone. I need something, I pleaded. It hit me hard as we walked in the door, but I was prepared this time and able to absorb it or let it

flow past me. I dont know how I did it exactly. It felt so amazing, it was hard as heck not to just sink into it, drop to the floor, and let it wash over me. But there was a classroom of people staring at me including himpeople who were probably just waiting for me to do something weird. I had to hold it together. I locked my eyes onto Lexs back, and somehow, I just kept walking. Lex turned and gave me a little push as we reached our seats. I changed focus to my book bag and whirled around, facing the front of the room. I felt his power pulsing a

few feet away. A long leg stuck out into the isle. It had to be his. Hey, Lex. His voice was low, smooth, and sexy. I felt my face flush. Constantine, answered Lex. She gave me a shove and I dropped into my seat. Is this he began, but the bell rang. Tomar un trozo de papel para un examen sorpresa, Senora Ortega ordered immediately. A pop quiz. The test wasnt hard but concentration was. After about ten minutes, I was able to dampen down my euphoriaat

least enough to keep from floating out of my chairand finish, before the teacher collected the papers. When she got to me, she stopped. She peered down at me intently, and said, Autumn? I looked up at her and begged her with my eyes not to call attention to me. She looked at my paper, and I guess she recognized my handwriting. She nodded and moved on. I let out a breath. I heard a guy a few rows over whisper, Whos the hot, new girl? under his breath. I heard a girls voice answer, Thats no new girl. Thats A.J.

Jones. No way! Way. She walked in with Lex. Thats her seat. Its her. No shit! the guys voice said again. Whod a thunk? That seemed to start a conversation on the other side of the room. Perfect. I blushed and pulled my skimpy hood down as far as it would go. I brought my elbows onto the desk, so I could put my hands up to hide the sides of my face. Senora Ortega launched into the lesson, and I stared at my notebook, counting the metal

spirals that held it together. There were thirty-four of them. I counted them over and over: one, two, three, four... I heard a piece of paper rip behind me. When the teacher turned to write on the board, Lex poked me in the back. I wasnt about to turn around and she knew it. So I reached over my shoulder to palm the note I knew would be there. It was short.

Yeah, right, like I was even going to look at him, much less smile. Thinking of those eyes focused on me made me all quivery inside. Thanks a lot, Lex. I felt another flush rise up my neck and explode across my cheeks. Leaning down, I let my hair fall out of my skimpy hood to hide it. I missed my real hoodie something fierce. I

needed to find a tree and have Lex say something to ground me. I knew I had to meet himI wanted to meet him. But this was too much, too fast. There was no question, at that point, about the origin of the energy Id been feeling lately. It was definitely him. I didnt really know what to make of it, what to make of him, and mostly what to make of my reaction to him. I sat there, analyzing, daydreaming, and wondering at the quality of his energy. I began to relax into the soothing harmony. That was a mistake. Suddenly I shivered, and the

tingle began to creep over me, the one I get pre-jump. Oh, nono, no, no That wasnt supposed to happen! My first instinct was to boltnotoo visible. I caught my breath. A bathroom pass? How long would that take? I certainly didnt want to vanish on my way to the door. Besides, I was scared to move, as if movement might accelerate it. The tingle got stronger. The way it felt, I knew I wouldnt make it out of the room. I laid my head on my arms in defeat my worst nightmare was seconds

away. I knew I should have kept the hoodie.

After I escaped the flies, I wandered the central hallway, hoping to run in to her. Once again, luck was not on my side. I sprinted

to homeroom and dropped into my seat just as the bell rang. I tried not to let it get to me. It was reassuring that I could feel her out there somewhere. Shed be in room 217, fourth period. I just needed to be patient. I really sucked at being patient. I looked for her every class change and caught just one glimpse of her from afar down a long, crowded hallway. She was out of disguise, which was curious. I wondered what had changed. She looked incredible. Every guy she passed stared as she walked by. Stay away from her. Shes

mine, I thought as I headed in that direction. But before I could get even remotely close, she must have ducked into a classroom. I didnt see her again all morning. I could feel her, though, off in the distance. Finally, fourth period came. The class was half-full when I got there. I grabbed the seat I had the day she bolted from the room. There was no avoiding it now, I told myself. My time had come. Sitting at my desk, I sent my feelers out. I felt her approach, energy growing second by second. I realized I was so stoked that I was grinning like a lunatic. I shook my

hands to loosen up and wiped the stupid grin off my face. The last thing I wanted to do was to scare her again. I opened a notebook and tried to look casual. It wasnt easy. As before, they walked in the door with seconds to spare. She looked amazing and she felt even better. I could tell she was focused on dealing with the energyhers, mine. Who knew? She followed Lex to their seats, avoiding eye contact. Lex spoke my name and nodded, but A.J. dropped into her seat, completely ignoring me. I said hi to Lex, but before I could introduce myself to A.J., the bell

rang. Then the teacher dropped a pop quiz on usfoiled again. At least I was close enough to reach out and touch her, which I didnt do, of course. I just spent the entire period watching her and basking in her energy. She barely moved. During class, I rehearsed opening lines and ran through all kinds of future, hoped-for scenarios. She sat totally still, facing front. A few minutes before class was up, Lex nudged her, and she reached back and palmed a note. She opened it inside her book, but I was too far away to read it. Whatever

was on the note sparked something, because her energy spiked immediately. I really wanted to read that note. She pulled her arms up to the side of her face and bent her head down. A lock of auburn corn silk tumbled out, first one, and then another, and then a cascade. She let a wall of hair fall around her. As her hair fell, I detected a faint scent of jasmine. Nice. I was just sitting there, tripping on the scent of her hair; when suddenly, her energy became

erratic. It began to buildfirst slowly and then escalating with a sensation I knew all too well. I felt a moment of panic. No way could she be jumping! There wasnt a tree here. Surely I must be mistaken. You cant justit got stronger. Holy shit, she was on the vergetree or no! Not good. I felt her struggle to rein it in, contain it, but she didnt know how. The energy wavered and then began to grow again. I felt her panic deep in my gut, and Ithis was no time to argue protocol. I leaned forward and focused,

reaching out my own power, laying a blanket of calm over her. I held it steady. The surge halted and in seconds began to retreat, slowly fading out of the danger zone. Once I was certain she was stabilized, I let my own power pull back slowly. As for the shock of realizing that she could jump without a treetoo complicated to contemplate in Spanish. But she was ready, no doubt about it. She remained steady through the last few minutes of class. The second the bell rang, she jumped up and rushed from the room. Lex grinned and shrugged.

Whatcha gonna do? she said as she gathered up her books. I beat Lex out the door. I didnt care what it took. I was going to meet A.J. right then, no matter what. She hurried down the hallway, hugging the wall, clutching her stuff in front of her like a bag of groceries. I called her name but got no response. Totally determined, I whirled around in front of her, so she had to stop, or she would have run into me. Which I wouldnt have minded. A.J.? Hi, Im Constantine, I said in what I hoped was a nonthreatening voice.

She stopped and stood motionless, staring straight ahead at my shirt. I could tell she was focusing hard on containing her power. Every cell in my body screamed out to touch her. She was so soft and delicate. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her that I had all the answers. I could show her how to handle her power. I could tell her what she was. I could be the one who was there for her. I was close enough to breathe her injasmine and the air after a heavy rain. I inhaled slowly, letting her scent saturate me. Her energy

wrapped around me and mingled with my own. In the midst of hallway chaos, time stopped. Our energies mixed and whirled, cutting us off from everything else. The frenzied world of Boulder High streamed around usunnoticed and unimportant. She closed her eyes, and I knew she was taking me in too. At least I hoped she was. Then I just couldnt help it, my hand floated up to her cheek completely on its own. Carefully, gently, I ran my fingers down to her chin and slowly lifted her face. Her skin was rose petal soft and it

glowed with health. Her lips were full and moist and parted ever so slightly as she breathed in and out with ragged breaths. Soft lashes lay long and thick against a face completely bare of all the goop most girls wear. Bare skin was so sexy. I couldnt help but run my fingers a few inches up her silky cheek. She sighed and caught her breath. I burned the moment into my brains hard drive. Her energy began to build again. I let my power flow a little stronger now, helping her contain

the surge that lay threatening to burst forth, should she let down her guard for even a moment. She had amazing control for someone with no training. Power, as great as hers, could be tricky. As for how that was happening with no trees near, or what was pushing her to jump, I didnt have a clue. But I didnt care about hows or whats or even whens. I just wanted to be totally and completely now. I felt her relax a little as my power compensated for hers, giving her control. She was matching my frequency, instinctually. We were in

perfect harmony. As for the auditory aspect of it, it was the most beautiful music Id ever heard. Her skin was like velvet and I felt it warm at my touch. I said her name, softly, my hand still touching her cheek. She took a breath, bit her bottom lip, and slowly opened her eyes. And when her eyes met mine, I almost passed out. I had to brace my legs just to keep standing. A jolt of electricity shot between us like lightening. I couldnt tell if it came from me, or her, or if it was just an explosion of her energy connecting with mine. I

didnt know. I didnt care. It was like nothing Id ever felt in my life. And I Suddenly, I was outside of time, experiencing it at a sped-up rate. I saw images like in a dream tiny pieces of her timeline. Memories, hundreds of them, came swirling around me. I was in a hologram of her experiences. They say that right before you die your life flashes before you. Only no one was dying, and what was flashing before me was her life. A younger her stood looking in a mirror as her mother bushed her hair. She was climbing a tree. She

was hugging the walls at school, trying to be invisible. She was lying in a hammock, reading. She was laughing with Lex and Ipod. One after the other, memories passed through my mind, each containing the feeling shed experienced at the time. I felt what she felt: her love for her mother, her need to be hidden, and her devotion to her friends. I saw who she was. I saw the very essence of her. Someone called my name in the distance. I ignored it. I happened again, right next to me. Hellooo. Earth to either of you, Lex said. She waved her hand

back and forth in front of our faces. The power wavered, becoming erratic, unstable. The hologram faded fast into nothing. A.J. jerked reflexively, eyes still locked on mine. She dropped her stuff and it scattered across the hallway floor. Years of training kicked in. I fought for control, sending out a net of containment over both of us. Constantine! This time it was louder, insistent. Damn! I tore myself away from A.J.s eyes to look down at Lex. What the? Suddenly, the cacophony of class change hit meI was in the

frickin hallway at school, for Petes sake. I stepped back, bumping into someone as I struggled to pull myself together. The link with A.J. snapped like a rubber band. A.J. wavered as the connection broke, but Lex was right beside her, arm around her, holding her up. Earth to A.J., she said, giving her a little shake. We need to bounce. A.J. blinked and gave Lex a look of confusion. You okay? Lex asked, grinning up at me. I was too stunned to answer. I think I just stood there. I couldnt

stop watching A.J. Her hair had fallen into her beautiful, amber eyes. I desperately wanted to reach out and push that lock of hair behind her ear. I almost did, but then Can you get that? Lex asked, pointing to A.J.s stuff. Speechless, I picked up the books and bag and handed them over. Lex grabbed them with her free arm. Lets go, A.J., she said, pulling her down the hallway. Lex called something back to me, but I couldnt understand the words. Or if I did, I dont remember.

I was still in a daze. Right before they rounded the corner, A.J. glanced back over her shoulder. Her eyes were huge and they locked on to mine one last time. I think I laughed out loud with the thrill of it. I didnt know about A.J., but Id just been in her world. I was in awe. After something like that, all I could do was stand there, smiling. Which I did until a girl, with serious tattoos and heavy metal, shoved me out of the way. Do you mind? she asked, annoyed. Youre blocking my locker. No problem, I said, suddenly

able to speak again. No problem at all.

You should have seen her, Ipod, Lex said, laughing. She was just standing there, frozenand him, too. He was looking at her like she wasI dont knowbut that was some look.

I miss all the good stuff, Ipod said, smiling at me. It was like they were under some kind of spell, Lex said. The hell, A.J.? Clueless, I said, leaning up against the trunk of a big cottonwood. I was still dizzy and dazed and confused. Im just grateful I disappear from Spanish. I cant really think straight yet. Here, sit down, Ipod said, taking my bag and steadying me. I dropped to the ground by the tree. He tossed his own bag down and stretched out on the ground beside me, using his bag as a pillow.

We were in back of the school where there were trees, shade, and even a creek. The creek was flowing fast with spring snowmelt from the mountains. The sun was out, and it was nice there in the shade with the breeze off the water. We hung there a lot. Lex always knew when I needed a nature fix. She was good that way. I looked at her. Please tell me my mouth wasnt hanging open, I begged. Maybe a little, Sweetie, but it wasnt bad. You just looked stunned. What gives? I dont know. At first, I felt like

I was going to jump and had to totally focus on not. Not that Ive ever been able to stop it. So much for me being safe today out of my disguise. Hey, Im no expert on your Oz situation, but I know it cant have anything to do with your clothes. That stupid hoodie does not protect you. Yeah, well Besides, you didnt disappear. I almost did. I dont understand it. The tingle got really strong. Then this calm washed over me, and everything settled down. The calm part was really, really

nice. And then when I looked in his eyesI cant even describe it. What do you mean? Ipod asked, pushing up his glasses. Its hard to explain, I said. Youre going to laugh at this, Ipod, but for a moment in time, it was as though maybe a part of me actually knew him, but had forgotten or been asleep. Then it suddenly woke up, recognized him, and was massive happy about it. He just seemed familiarintensely so. I know that sounds totally crazy. HesI dont know. Hes not a normal guy. You saw his eyes, right? Lex

asked, pulling her water bottle out of her bag. I think hes like you. Maybe you are an alien, and hes from the same planet, and something about you recognizes your own kind. She hesitated for a moment, gave a quick glance at Ipod, and leaned in to me. Or maybe you knew him in a past life. Ipod snorted. He didnt believe in past lives. Theres a slight possibility, that he could have done something to trigger the release of chemicals in your brain, which in turn caused physical sensations. That I would be open to. What did it feel like, exactly?

Aside from absolute bliss, it felt like suddenly I knew him on some deep, all-encompassing level. There was just a rightness about him. I knew it was crazy, and maybe I didnt know specifics like the color of his toothbrush. But I knew him. And every second of it was wonderful. I wracked my brain for a way to describe it to Lex and Ipod. It was so fantastic; I couldnt even begin to explain. But then, I had an idea. You know that thing vampires do Hypothetically, Ipod interrupted, vampires, being fictitious creatures

Yes, of course, hypothetically, Ipod, where they look into your eyes and youre filled with ecstasy and you cant move? Well, thats what happened. Every cell in my body felt wonderful and drawn to him. Surely, youre not saying hes a vampire, Ipod said, because No, of course not. Give me a little credit. But thats the closest I can come to an explanation. That doesnt make sense, he said, shaking his head. Are you sure you werent imagining it? Im serious. Thats how it felt. I lieI die.

But Ipod, get over it, Lex said. We never question I lieI die. You know that. Something happened. You can dissect it later. What I want to know, A.J., is why you couldnt at least say hi. We practiced this meeting, over and over. It wasnt hard. Hi, Im A.J. Nice to meet you, Constantine. Im just a normal girl, and youre a very hot guy. Sure, Id like to hang out with you. Yes, now that you mention it, I do disappear and travel back in time. Did what happened keep you from speaking?

I dont know. Maybe. It just didnt seem necessary at the time. He really wanted to meet you, Lex said. He took off after you like a bat outta hell before I even got out of my seat. But then, after your zombie moment, I had to get you out of there before you collapsed to the floor. In spite of my lack of words, it was as if we were meeting, just in a different way. I just couldnt explain it. But I knew she was disappointed Id blown her attempt at matchmaking. I know, I know, I said. I was just so caught up in it, I didnt think about talking. How long

were we standing there? Maybe two minutes, she said. It was bizarre. You just stood there, staring at each other. I was waving my hand in front of his face, and it was as if he didnt even see me. And then I had to half carry you down the hall. I stretched out on the grass beside Ipod, putting my head on his shoulder. Once she laid it out like that, it did sound bizarre. I dont know what happened. Youre right, Lex, I should have said something. I sighed. Like a statue, Lex said, shaking her head. I couldnt

believe it. And today of all days when you look so Amazing, said Ipod. Like a statue, Lex said again. Suddenly, I had a vision of myself, just standing there like an idiot. I so suck, I moaned, hiding my face in Ipods shoulder. I threw my arm across his chest and spoke into his jacket muffling my words. Why. Cant. I. Just. Be. Normal? Ipod patted my hair. I wouldnt stress about it, A.J. From what Lex says, he didnt exactly say anything either. Ipods right, Lex said. Really, when you think about it, it wasnt

such a bad first meeting. He seemed pretty happy about it. But next time, you have to talk to him. I will, I promised. I had to. This guy was important. He might have the answers to my strangeness. But the funny thing was, that at that moment, I wasnt thinking about answers or even my strangeness. I knew it was crazy, but all I could think about was his fingers on my cheek. All I could think about was way his eyes looked into mine. All I could think about was him.

I was in love. I was in love and enamored and entranced. I was mesmerized. I was lost. I was

Hey, Constantine, screeched a voice a few yards behind me. Bam! Hooker-heavy perfume slammed me back to planet Earth. At least the screech jolted me, so my body could function again. Without even looking back, I bolted down the hallway, evading the relentless, cheerleader flies. What was with that chick and why couldnt she just leave me the heck alone? I tore down a flight of stairs, taking them two at a time. I ditched the cheerleader, but there was no sight of Lex and A.J. I was determined to find them, no matter

what it took. Enough of all the cloak and dagger crap; we needed to talk face to face. A.J. needed to know what was going onwith her, I meanwho she waswhat she was. And we needed to discuss what had just happened in the hallway. I could hardly wrap my mind around what happened in the hallway. I sprang through the door, looking right and leftno dice. I sprinted across the campus towards the west parking lot. Maybe Lex had a car. Or maybe A.J. had one. Who knew? The only car Id ever

seen a her house was the rusted Subaru. I scanned the parking lot. I didnt see them. Suddenly, I stopped. I was way to revved up. I had to slow down. I had to think this through first. I jogged back to the building and into a side door. I ducked into an empty classroom and took a seat. This was way too important to be impulsive. I didnt want to end up kicking myself later for doing something stupid then. What had I been thinking, charging after them like that? I hadnt even considered an opening line. What was I going to say?

Guess what, you have alien technology in your head. And by the way, what happened in the hallway was a fluke. Nothing to worry about, but there might be some significant side effects. I drummed my fingers on the desk. I needed a plan. I needed to mellow out. At that point, I was way too buzzed to talk to anyone. I took a deep breath and slumped in the seat with my eyes closed. We melded in the hallway. I saw into her world. I experienced slices of her timeline. Now, I felt connected to her. I thought back several years to

my entry-level screening. Id just been told about the planet of Oreon, six-hundred light years away. Id been given the rundown on Editor Program. I was told about the sub brain the size of a Double Stuf Oreo and how it branched down our whole nervous system, giving us the capability to perceive and handle energy. I was told how energy could be shared and how that was a bonus feature of the DNA alterations. The concept of melding was just a footnote in the information package. The Regent screening me told me not to worry about it. I

remember his words exactly. Its highly unlikely to happen. If it did, it was just a fluke and not harmful. There had been no known cases of it being triggered in humans. The footnote had been included because, well, the Oreonians wanted full disclosure. Every Editor has a specific baseline vibratory rate when they deal with energy. For melding to occur, you had to match perfectly. For it to be triggered, not only did you have to be touching and be gazing into each others eyes, you had to have perfect genetic compatibility. In a sample size of

roughly three hundred Editors on Earth, the chances of that happening were highly improbable. Yet what happened in the hallway was exactly how it was described in the footnote. A fluke. Everything on Oreon was oriented around energy compatibility. Melding allowed compatible partners to enter each others mental worlds. An Oreonian would never mate with someone with whom they couldnt meld. It didnt make you fall in love, but it made you feel connected. Maybe it was a fluke that it happened to us.

But hey, I already really liked the girl. If something was going to give her a little nudge my way, I wasnt going to argue with it. But I needed to tell her about it. She was probably feeling drawn to me. She was probably really wanting to meet me. She was probably half in love with me already. I needed to find her, but I needed to go slow with all the alien stuff. I didnt want to scare her. I resumed my search, trying to mellow out. I did a quick scan of the lunchroom, but no dice. I walked the perimeter of the building. When I reached the back

score. There they were, all three of them, hanging out under a big cottonwood. Ipod was lying on the grass with his head on a backpack. The girls were sitting on either side of him. They seemed deep in conversation, probably trying to figure out what had just happened. How convenient, since there I was there with the answers, ready and willing to enlighten them. It was lunchtime. There was no impending bell and no excuse to run. A wave of excitement washed over mefinally a chance for an actual conversation. Finally, I could show her that I could help her,

make her life better. We frickin meldedwe had perfect compatibility. Not that I was going to get into that right away. No, Id start with the simple stuff. I headed their way, so hopeful and happy I hovered a foot off the ground. But before I could walk more than three yards, that happiness hit a landmine and exploded right in my face. A . J ., my A.J., stretched out beside Ipod. She put her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest. She just snuggled up against him as if shed done it millions of

times before, like a lover in a familiar place. And him, the rat, he reached around and stroked her hair. My angels beautiful hair. Hair that smelled like jasmine. Hair that Id never even touched. I was a fool, a complete and utter fool. I was an idiot. I felt this overwhelming heaviness that seemed to anchor me to the ground. For a moment, I couldnt move. I just stood there, stunned. Then the critic in my head got in the game. You moron! he

screamed. What were you thinking? Get out of there before you make an even bigger fool of yourself. Vacate! Grabbing my last ounce of will power, I turned and ducked behind the building. I didnt think they saw me. Dropping to the ground, I leaned back against the wall and just tried to catch my breath. How could I have been so blind? How could I have been so wrong? How could I have been so stupid? As for A.J. and IpodI didnt see that one coming. I should have. You idiot! scoffed the critic in

my head. He lives with her, Dude. Of course, theyre together. What is wrong with you? Why was he asking me? I sure as heck didnt know. But I knew one thing. It wasnt fairto have it be over before it had even really begun. To have what should be the love of my life dangled in front of me and then wrenched away like that. What a rip! Not that I deserved herI knew. But this was a heavy blow. Once again Life was playing games with me. Hey, look at this. Youve won the lottery. Ha, ha, made you hope,

loser! I hauled myself up off the ground. I needed to leave in case they came my way, but I didnt know what to do. I certainly was in no shape to handle going back to class. I figured I might as well go home. Homeyeah, thats a fun place. Ill go there to get cheered up. Have a nice chat with the parents. Play guitar with Devon. See my little sister. I wish. I headed there anyway. I had nowhere else to go.

The afternoon went by slowly. I didnt see or sense him for the rest of the day. I wondered where he went and what would happen the next time I saw him. Mostly, I just obsessed on what happened in the

hallway. And funny, obsessing seemed to help me ease into posthoodie life. I forgot to be invisible. I answered people who spoke to me. If someone said hi to me, I said hi back. I knew I looked way different than I had in the hoodie and the glasses. Id finally looked in the mirror a few times since the makeover. Not that I was suddenly any beauty queen, but even I could see that I wasnt the scrawny, little freak Id been in middle school. I wasnt beautiful like Lex, but I wasnt exactly ugly either. Besides, guys at school were staring at me

as if I wasyou knowa normal girl. Ipod would call that evidence. Maybe I hadnt made the best impression when I met Constantine. But if Lex was right and he was like me, he might understand my confusion. Because, strangely enough, I was beginning to entertain the thought that a guy might actually like me. For one thing, if he was like me, then I could get to know someone without having to worry about my secret. And if he was like me, maybe he wouldnt think I was strange. Of course, what I wantedwhat we all wanted was answers. I knew

that. Thats what meeting him was really about. But as the afternoon passed by, I realized that there was something more going on. Something inside of me had woken up and taken interest in a way Id never felt before. I certainly didnt tell Lex, but after what happened in the hallway, I started thinking about Constantine as more than a source for answers. I started thinking about him as a guy. Imagine that.

I cued up some metal to get moving. Not my fave, but anger trumps hopelessness, and I marched home to the beat of a

wildly, angry drummer. It kept me from thinking. Almost. My body moved mechanically forward in a state of witless, clueless, human autopilot. My shades blocked the sun. But I couldnt avoid the fresh air of a perfect, spring day, slamming into my face, mocking me. The sun here was frickin relentless. Didnt it ever just cloud up and rain? What was wrong with this place? I needed raina heavy, pounding Seattle rain, to wash off the dark cloud that clung to me like Velcro. I kicked a rock that flew to

the side and hit the tire of a parked car. I kicked another, with equal ferocity, but it just went into the road. A woman, passing by, smiled at me, and I scowled. She looked startled. Whatever! I just kept stomping home. Well, stomping to the house my family lived in, while we were waiting to implode. This sun soaked place wasnt home. And my family was no longer a family. So far, Id been the odd man out, the only one still having a foot in the real world. Thoughts of A.J. had given me something good to focus on. That

gone, I was ready to plunge into the abyss and let it take me down with the rest of them. Halfway home, I realized if I walked in the door now, my mom would know Id skipped and have an unfair advantage if we got into an argumentwhich was highly likely, given my current state. I turned around abruptly and headed back downtown. The abyss could wait. I didnt feel like losing anything else at the moment, even a fight with my mom. Besides, she had enough to stress about without me adding more. I might be hopeless, but Im

not heartless. My backpack was still leaning against the school building, where Id hunched down, trying to sooth the ache in my gut. I considered retrieving it, but not for more than a second. My ripped out heart lay bleeding beside it. Screw it. I didnt need either of them. I just kept walking. Let Ipod explain what was happening to her. Let him teach her how to handle her power, the squirrelly, little geek. Wed see how that turned out. I was done with girls, done with school, done with trying to pretend things were okay.

I didnt need her. I didnt need anybody. Id figure out a way to save Devon on my own, without her precious, Shadow powers. Id beg the Guild to reconsider. Id give up asking for my travel block to be cancelled, accept permanent censure. Id become their slave for life, if only theyd help me put my family back together. Thats what really mattered. Then Id find a deep hole somewhere and crawl inside. I didnt need A.J. Jones. A brief ghost of her eyes looked up at me, haunting; causing an ache that filled my whole body. I

saw her in the moonlight I slapped that image out of my head and closed a steel box around it, locking it tight. I needed some kind of distraction. I caught a bus to Twenty-Ninth Street and sat through two showings of a movie I barely watched. At least it was dark and the theater was practically empty. I wasted the rest of the afternoon roaming the Pearl Street Mall. Finally, beat and ravenous, I bought a hot dog, scarfed it down in three bites, and then got another, dripping with yellow mustard. Rage works up an appetite, but food

soaks the anger up a little, so your brain can function again. Earlier, Id been wicked angry angry that lately, nothing ever seemed to work out for me. Angry that Id screwed up. Angry that my family was falling apart and that I had to leave Seattle and my redwood. Angry that Id let myself get so wrapped up in some girl, when wed never even had a conversation. What a moron. What was wrong with me? I sure as heck didnt know. And I was angry about that too. But since a few hours had passed, and my stomach was full,

the anger was burning out or at least diminishing. Besides it was hard to stay pissed off with the taste of mustard in my mouth. I slumped back against the bench, totally wiped out. At that point, I was mostly confused. Something had happened in the hallway. I was sure of that. But when I saw A.J. and Ipod lying there together, nothing made sense anymore. Now I didnt know what to think. It had to have been a melding. It was exactly how it was described in the footnote. I saw into her

world. My vibrations matched hers completely. I knew how I felt and what had happened to me. But A.J. was snuggling up to Ipod minutes later. He was stroking her hair. That wouldnt be happening if shed just felt that kind of connection to me. Shed be thinking about me. I tried to remember if the footnote said that melding could work in a one-sided fashion. That would suck. Could I be all hung up on a girl who loved someone else? How lame would that be? I wasnt in love. What had I been thinking? Id let myself get sidetracked with this girl, getting all

emotionally involved. The melding had complicated that even more. But it didnt control me. No matter what, I had to fix my family. That meant I had to think this outdo it right. I needed to suck it up, get her to help me, and then move on. During the melding, when the images had been whizzing past, there had been scenes with her and Ipod. Now that I stopped and thought about it, I could have sworn there was one where they were sleeping side by side. They were a little younger, maybe, but she had her arm around him. They were together. I had to accept that.

I got up and tossed my hotdog wrapper in the trashcan. School had let out hours ago, and the mall had gotten crowded and loud. I needed some peace and quiet which meant I certainly didnt want to go home yet. The home scene was sure to be in full-scale warzone. I walked to the park on Thirteenth Street and found the oldest tree there. After pulling some energy to take the edge off, I sat there until the sun sank into the mountains just trying to make sense of it all. But no frickin dice! Finally, I gave up and hauled

my ass home.

Earth to A.J.helloooo. Lex waved her hands in front of my face. Sure, I answered, staring at her blankly. Sure? She laughed. I just

said Im running off to join the army, want to come? And you say sure? Whoa, youve got it bad! I dont believe it. Our little A.J. has a crush. We were in the tree-house living room. Ipod was playing Portal 2. I was slumped there beside him on the sofa, watching. Id been inside my head again, lost in thought about you know who. Im just tired, I lied. I was spacing out on Ipods game. Its kinda hypnotic. Give her a break, Lex, Ipod said. He paused his game and grinned at me. Cant you see shes

in love? He drew the word out like we did in grade school. Im not in love, I protested. I barely met the guy. Hey, sometimes it hits you like a bolt of lightning, Lex said. Constantine and A.J., sitting in a tree She wrapped her arms around herself and made kissing sounds. Shrink Five told me this day would come. Yeah, Shrink Five also told you that love doesnt work like that. Thats why you were keeping the whole Jason Jackson thing on the down low. You need shared experiences. You need time. Im not

in love. Im just kinda, I dont know, preoccupied. Lex smirked. You like him. You like, like him. You guys need to rein it in, I said. Im taking a shower. I grabbed my pajamas and headed for the door. K. I. S. S. I. N. G., sang Lex. Not likely, I called from the porch. Whatever! Id had my private, little crushes before on guys who never knew I was alive. But Id never done more than watch them from behind my hoodie. They were always my secrets. Lex and Ipod

had never seen me show interest in a guy before. They didnt really know what to do with it. Unfortunately, they were choosing to act like we were five. I crossed the bridge to the big house and hopped in the shower. I wanted to clear my head. Okay, so something had happened in the hallway. Maybe for a few minutes, I felt some kind of connection, but I wasnt dumb enough to think that was love. I mean, I knew stuff about this guy, but I didnt know him. I needed to get a grip. I stood under the shower until the hot water ran out.

But the thoughts of Constantine stayed.

All I wanted to do was shower and crashmaybe listen to some tunes. After the day I had, I wasnt in the mood to deal with more

madness. It was almost eight when I made it home. Surprisingly, it was quiet when I reached the front stepsno gaming. Maybe Devon was eating. I was contemplating sneaking in the backdoor when I saw that the front door wasnt shut all the way. I pushed it open, slowly, scanning the foyer. Silence. Not expecting that. Silence only happened during mausoleum mode. By day, the house was at war. If he wasnt playing games, hed have the TV blaringsomething loud and angry. What was up? The living room, family room,

my dads office, and the dining room were empty. I headed to the kitchen to check for a note. I was attacked by a disgusting smell burnt broccoli. Gagging, I yanked the offending pot off the stove and whirled the mess down the disposal. The room still reeked. A roast chicken sat on the table intact. I touched itstone cold. Dishes covered the counter. The table was set for four and wine had been poured for my parents. One glass was on its side, flooding the table, dripping blood red splotches on the white tile floor. Not good.

I ran for Devons room, calling his nameno answer. His room was dark and I flipped the light switchno Devonjust an empty wheelchair, turned on its side. A cold wave of fear snaked down my spine. Bam! The front door slammed and I almost jumped out of my skin. Mom? Dad? I yelled. Constantine? Thank God! We need to leave immediately, my dad called from his office. I let out a breath and ran down the hall. Leave for where? Where is everyone? I blurted out, confused.

The hospital, he answered, shuffling through a file drawer in his desk. His hair was sticking out, his shirt was buttoned wrong, and he hadnt shaved. He grabbed a file, slammed the drawer shut, and headed for the door. I followed him at a run, jumping into the Audi as it lurched away from the curb. My father clutched the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white. Before I could get my act together to question him, his phone rang. Rebecca? my dad rasped. My God, no. But whatyeah, I got the insurance stuff. Yes, I found

Constantine. No. My God, Rebecca. Waithold on.yeah, just hold on for a minute. He pulled to the side of the road and jerked the car to a stop. The hospital on Broadwayyou drive, he said as he jumped out of the car. I slid over the gearshift and grabbed the wheel. He got in the passenger side, still talking into the phone, one hand frantically pushing back his messy hair. Go, go! he yelled at me, waving his arm ahead. He turned back to the phone. Well, what do theyno, no, no. How

could thismy God, Rebecca. No, this is not your fault. No, its not! I was the oneI know, I know. Were almost there. I knowjust hold on. He shoved his phone in his shirt pocket, leaned his head against the back of the seat, and let out a ragged breath. Dad, I said. He stared at me as if he was confused I was even there. Dad, I said again, whats going on? Dont youdidnt he stammered, trying to make sense of my confusion. Dad, I have no clue whats

happening. Its Devon, he blurted out, looking at me with bleary, redrimmed eyes. Hehe tried to kill himself. What? How? When? My words were ice now, clear, sparse, precise. This evening, he choked out. Your mom found him when she went to get him for dinner. A knife slashed through my gut and I had to grab my stomach. How? Pills. He took a bottle of your mothers pills and some of his own and drank them down with a pint of

vodka. The world morphed into slow motion. I drove with hyper-focused precision. This couldnt be real. I glanced over at my dad. He was drumming his hands on his knees like that would speed up the car. Suddenly, I realized my dad wasnt in a suit. You were home? I asked. He nodded. You didnt go to work today? No. How come? We had a late night. You cant tell me you didnt hear it. I wasI went for a run, I

answered. Guilt made my words defensive. I ran a good part of the night. It helps me sleep. I didnt He was screaming at your mother and he just wouldnt stop. Yellingscreaminghe said the most hateful things. She was crying, hysterically. He just went on and on and on. Finally, I just lost it, he choked out. Tears were streaming down his face. II slapped him. I just couldnt take it anymorethe way he was hurting your mother. He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and blew his nose. This morningthis morning, he wouldnt come out of his room, he

continued, staring straight ahead. I stayed home to help your mother. We tried to reason with him. We but he wouldnt even get out of bed. He wouldnt eat. He wouldnt do anything. The only thing hed do was yell at us to get the hell out of his room. Finally, we did. Well, what else could you do? I muttered lamely. We thought hed get over it if we gave him some space. Then your mom went to see if she could get him to come to dinner His voice trailed off. I went cold inside. Id just sat down at the table

when I heard this scream. At first I thought it was a stupid video game. You know how they scream. Suddenly, I realized it was your mother screaming. I ran into the room and there he was, just lying there, barely breathing. Oh my God, what kind of father slaps his kid? He let out a heart-wrenching sob. It sucks to see your father cry. It sucks big-time. Its my fault, he said, quietly to the windshield as if I wasnt even there. I stared silently at the road. I knew whose fault it was.

I had no appetite. When I tried to study, I couldnt concentrate. I watched a movie with Lex and Ipod, but I kept losing track of the plot. It was as if my brain had only one channelall Constantine, all

the time. I couldnt turn it off. What was up with that? Lex was having a field day, laughing at me being such a space case. I thought about what she said about me knowing him in a past life. He did seem familiar. But I didnt know if I believed in past lives. I just knew I couldnt get him out of my head. No matter what I did, I couldnt shake him. And strangelyI didnt want to.

Hospitals have a pulse. If you listen closely, you hear it swoosh under the drone of desperation. It throbs, guiding the flow of staff and

machines as they scramble to keep it going. Periodically it skips a beat, and alarms sound, and workers in white rush to the damage site. I knew its beat well. I knew the music. Id heard it non-stop when we practically lived in the hospital for the first two weeks of Devons stay in intensive care. Then theres the smell of death. Like toxic rain, it burns when it touches you. It can soak clear through to your soul and drag it down into the abyss along with the dying, leaving your startled body behind to stumble through life as an empty shell. My mother was already

sucked dry, having offered up her soul in a desperate attempt to exchange it for Devons life. My father waited in line to offer his. Me, I was holding onto mine with every fiber of my being, but I felt guilty as hell about it. I spent two hours slumped in a waiting room chairfull blown deja vu from the accident. Florescent lights made everything stark and washed out. The unwatched TV droned in the background. In intensive care, its the white noise of despair. My parents huddled together, stroking each other, like terrified

monkeys in a cage. I felt so bad for them; I could hardly stand it. They clutched Styrofoam cups of stale, hospital coffee and looked up frantically each time someone came through the door. They were waiting for any sliver of hope that Devon was going to make it. It was hard to believe they were the same parents I knew from before. These withered and dried out husks had no power, no juice. I kept waiting for them to crumble into dust like on some Simpsons intro. The intermittent twang of the intercom made it impossible to sleepnot that I could sleep

anyway. Devon was still in a coma. They didnt know when or if he would come out of it. They didnt know what hed be like if he did. They didnt seem to know much of anything. The only thing I knew was that it was all my fault. My mother wasnt even crying at that point. She just sat there, pale as a ghost, lips pressed together tight, as though if she opened her mouth, she might start screaming or something. She wore the last six months of her pathetic, soul-crushing life like a train wreck. The damage was just too horrifying

to watch anymore. I ripped my eyes away. I needed to get out of there. I launched abruptly out of my chair. If I didnt escape that minute, Id suffocate. I told my parents I needed air. My dad nodded and quickly turned back to my mother. They barely noticed me. I had become a bystander, outside the circle of awareness. Okay by meI felt like hiding anyway. The night was crystal clear and about twenty degrees cooler than it had been that afternoon. The brisk air jolted me out of my waiting-

room coma. I breathed it in, exchanging bad air for good. I just stood there for about an hour; trying hard to shut my mind off. I swore to myself one more time that I would fix my family if it was the last thing I ever did. An ambulance screamed in the distancesomeone elses life falling to pieces. Worried-looking people hurried in and out of the hospital doors. Periodically, someone erupted from the side exit to make a phone call or grab a smoke. The outside lights faded their harried faces, making them look like the walking deadwhich is what I felt

like. I kicked at some peeling paint on a pole, finding perverse satisfaction in flaking it to the ground. A woman walked by and frowned accusingly. A bleary-eyed orderly, leaning against the building sucking down a cigarette, saw her and smirked at me. Ha! If you only knew. Like peeling paint was the worst of my sins. I glared at him and walked back in the building. I made it as far as intensive care. But the moment I got there, all hell broke loose. Suddenly, buzzers sounded, and a woman screamed out for a nurse. Panicked

family members streamed out of a room, yelling for help. Bells dinged, the intercom squawked for a doctor, and a crew raced down the hall with the crash cart. I turned abruptly and bolted back through the exit, down the halls and out of the hospital. I was ready to explode. The orderly was still sucking on his cigarette. He looked up with a scowl as I headed for the parking lot. A car screeched to a halt, and the driver cursed me as I thumped the hood and scurried past it. I grasped frantically for my memory of where Id left the car,

pivoting one way and another, until I saw it parked crookedly a few lanes away. I slumped down into the drivers seat with my arms against the steering wheel and my head on my arms. All the grief Id collected and stored away for months came pouring out. I banged my fists against the dashboard. Time crawled by, I dont know how much. Eventually, I got in back and stretched out, sticking my long legs out the window. I just lay there, thinking of nothing but doom and gloom scenarios, and pounding my fist against the back of the front seat. Finally I sat up, my feet

stomping on my dads gym bag. I didnt even question it. I tore into the bag, dragging out a sweatshirt, pulling it over my head. Then I locked the car and took off down the street at a brisk pace. I didnt even stop to stretch or warm up. Within seconds I was running full bore, tearing down the road like a mad man. I kept it up nonstop, giving it every ounce of energy I had. A few minutes later, I found myself on her street. The critic shouted for me to get back to the hospital. But the sound was turned off in my head, and all I had was a blurred picture of an

open mouth calling me. I ignored it. I knew it was temporary. I knew it was an illusion. I knew it was messed-up. But I needed a few moments of relief. I needed it bad. I dropped to the ground by the maple, gasping for air, pulse racing. I yanked off the sweatshirt and used it to wipe off my dripping face. Then I balled it up, lay back, and stuck it behind my head. I felt her without even reaching out. Her energy washed softly through me, and I felt my anger and grief dissipate into the cool, night air. My body shuddered and

my muscles slowly released. Soon I was breathing normally. The uncut grass below me was soft, and I floated on the calm of her energy. I lay there with my eyes closed, just soaking it up, shoving all disasters and traumas to the back of my mind. I knew I needed to get her to help me and then move on. But I couldnt stop thinking about her. I replayed the scene from the hallway over and over. The only sound I let in was the gasp she made when Id touched her cheek. I saw her amber eyes look into mine. I know it was stupid. I know I

shouldnt have done it. I really do. But I was so hungry for her. I just in a moment of weakness, I reached my energy out to hers. For a moment, I felt it answer. My heart jumped in my chest and I reached harder. Then all I felt was panicher panic. I bolted up, gasping for air. I jumped to my feet, ready to sprint to her rescue. Then the panic stopped and she was gone. I was aloneConstantine the Destroyer. What had I done now?

I felt the tingle and rolled over, thinking I was dreaming. I felt it again, and I tried to shake it off, but it clung as tight as the sheet that wrapped around me in my narrow bunk. It didnt go away. It

got stronger. Suddenly, realization slammed into me, and I jerked, banging my elbow against the wall. That woke me up. It woke me up fast. Oh nono, no, no I shot up, frantic, clutching air, grasping for my survival pack. All I got was a bed sheet. I shoved the mop of hair out of my face and crawled up on my knees, trying desperately to untangle my legs from the blankets. I struggled to make sense of the moment. But it was dark, and I was groggy and confused. The tingle got stronger.

WTF? No! Adrenaline sent needle pricks down my torso, jerking me into action. I crashed out of my bunk, launching for shoes, grabbing everything in reach. I called out for Lex and Ipod. But before they could answer I was gone.

What had I done? I reached out and touched her. Seconds later, she disappeared. My bad! My frickin bad!

Had I knocked her into a jump? Could it have been a coincidence? Who knew with this chick? Id never known a Shadow before. I knew nothing about her powers. I didnt even know much about how melding affected things. But moments ago she was there, all peaceful and mellow. She was probably sleeping. Enter Constantine, the Destroyer. Suddenly, she was gone. It had to be me. I needed to fix this. What could I do, rap on the tree house door, and ask if A.J. had just disappeared? Im sure that would

go over well. A light went on in the backyard. I snuck around to my spot, stepping up on the rock to see over the fence. Muffled voices came from the tree house. Shadows loomed against the window shades. Two figures moved back and forth, highlighted in the windows. I couldnt feel her at all, but a faint trail of her energy hung over the yard like a mist. Ipod came out and sat on the porch, rubbing his eyes. I found myself feeling sorry for him in spite of the jealousy. I couldnt blame him for loving her. He was there

first. I was just an intruder in their lives. I was the stalker. And now, apparently, Id knocked A.J. to who knows whennot good. I didnt belong there. Still, I didnt leave. A minute later, Lex emerged, patted Ipod on the head, and walked across the bridge with a flashlight. I wondered if she was going to get A.J.s father, but she returned a few minutes later alonebathroom, maybe. No lights had gone on in the house. I wondered if A.J.s time travel was a secret from the dad. At that moment, I was glad A.J.

had them for friends, even Ipod. Lex sat for a minute beside him, talking softly. Then they went into the tree house and the light went off. Everything went silent. Using what I hoped was forethought; I reasoned that it would be a mistake to interfere at that point. What could I say? I was just in the neighborhood? Shed come back. It was way easier to return than it was to leave. I told myself shed be okay. I knew I needed to get back to the hospital, but I stood there for another hour, just waiting and hoping shed return. She didnt.

Finally, I left. I didnt feel so good. I was sick with worry about her. I was sick with worry about Devon. Maybe I was just sick. I wanted to fall into a hospital bed myself and let someone else take care of me. I wanted to be drugged into oblivion. I wanted to have tubes, wires, and machines do all the work of living my life. For a moment, I thought I understood how Devon felt. And that scared me.

It was a harsh awakening. Pain hit first as I fought for consciousness. Panic followed, and I struggled to see in the glaring, noonday sun. I scrambled up, pain screeching through my head, stuff

falling out of my arms, looking around frantically from between my fingers. No one in sight. My stupid hair was in my eyes and all crazy and tangled around me. I shoved what I could behind my shoulders and felt my heada lump the size of a walnut made me wince. I searched for blood, but luckily my fingers came back dry. I wondered if Id been out long. I sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly, trying to slow the pounding in my chest. But the throbbing in my head held my heart hostage, and it whacked against my chest

like it was trying to escape. Im okay, Im okay , I lied to myselfbecause I was freakin not okay. One minute I was sleeping. The next I was panicking. And the next I was somewhere else entirelyto say nothing of sometime else. Anger flooded my brain, pushing every cell in my body into a pulsing crescendo. It hurt so bad! I wanted to break something. I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch Fate, or God, or whoever was pulling the strings and screwing with me like this. But there was nothing to break and no one around

to blame for yanking me out of bed and tossing me out the window of my own reality. And screaming in an unknown locationnot a survival strategy. Son. Of. A. Bitch! Id never, ever, jumped in the middle of the night before. I felt totally out of control and scared, to say nothing of being so dizzy and queasy I had to sit down. And my headmy head was stuck in a silent scream of agony. My mouth tasted of copper. I swiped my hand across my lips. Red, great, Id bitten my tongue when I fell. Thered been no time to

get into position to cushion the fall. My head must have gone down hard. I hoped I didnt have a concussion. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I looked around cautiously, taking stock of my situation. There was no immediate dangerno lions or bears or psycho-ax-murders in sight. I crawled a few feet to find a little shade and then I lay down. The lump on the back of my head forced me to lie on my side, and I curled into a fetal position and moaned loudly. Then it hit me that sound traveled really far with no buildings

around to absorb it. I decided Id better get a grip and stop being such a baby. But first, I needed my heart to stabilize, so my head would quit slamming against my eyes. It hurt so bad I could hardly see. I huddled there on the hard ground, holding absolutely still, trying desperately to gain control of my body. Trying to have this not be real. In the back of my mind, I heard Lex say, Shrink Four, Its either true or not true. What you want is irrelevant to the equation. I clung to that, just to have a focus other than the relentless pain. She was

right. I had to face realityimmediately. Survival depended on it. Lex wasnt there and moaning hadnt brought any super heroes to my rescue. That meant it was up to me to figure out what to do. I took another deep breath and let it out slowly like Ipod taught me. I took another. Gradually my heart quit racing, and the throbbing in my head slowed to an annoying ache. Luckily, nothing was broken, just a lump on the head and a cut tongue. It could have been worse. I pushed myself to a sitting position and looked around.

I recognized the terrainnot specifically, but in a general sense. It was typical for the Colorado Rockies. I was at the edge of an aspen grove, and there was a grassy valley off to one side. I spotted junipers, pines, and cottonwoods. The plants looked familiar, and there were mountain peaks in the distance. To my knowledge, Id never gone anywhere except Colorado on my jumps. I was probably somewhere in the foothills above Boulder. That must be the where. As far as the when There were no signs of

civilization. No phone lines, no towers, no garbage, no buildings, no planes overheadnothing but nature. I was in the middle of nowherein bear and mountain lion t e rri t ory. Lex, I need you! I screamed in my head. But she couldnt hear me. I was alone. At least it was daytime. And it wasnt winter. Id lucked out season wise. It had to be early summer by the look of the trees. I hadnt had time to grab my survival pack. If that had happened in winter, I could be dead in a few hours. I had on thin, cotton pajamas over a

skimpy tank top and luckily, socks. I could have kicked myself for not sleeping with my pack. From now on, I promised myself. After a few minutes of easing into it, I got to my feet. In my panic, Id grabbed everything I could on my way out, knowing I could be in deep trouble without adequate clothing. I needed to inventory what came with me. Stuff was scattered in the tall grass. I snatched up a black blob. It was Ipods heavy, cotton hoodie, and the oversized pockets were full. It was huge, but the bigger the better given I was wearing pajamas

covered with little SpongeBobs. The hoodie would hang down almost to my knees, and Id have to massively roll up the sleeves. But the deep pockets could hold stuff, and it was better than my own jacket if it got cold which it would once it got dark. I tried not to think of dark. That took a lot of trying. I dug in the first pocket: a small notebook, a pen and a folded piece of sheet musicnot much help. I searched the other side: a paper clip, a tube of peanuts and two Snickers bars. An inside zippered pocket yielded up a folded blue

bandana and two granola bars. After all the times Id razzed him about it, I was benefiting from Ipods insatiable hunger. Hed made a 7Eleven stop on the way home. Id never bother him about it again, once I made it home. I saw no shoes, but Id grabbed Lexs bedroom slippersboth of them. Okay, that was good. It would so suck to be without footwear. They were suede, anklehigh boots, with woolly stuff inside and rubber soles. They had Velcro straps that I could pull tight to compensate for my smaller feet. The next blob was a pair of

jeansno beltbut again they were Ipods. He left his stuff hanging on a hook at the end of the bunks, and that was the direction Id lunged, before I was yanked out of my own time. Apparently, I got nothing that was actually mine. His jeans would be huge, but they were thick denim. I grabbed the jeans and started on the back pockets. The first one had a comb, a string of safety pins and his walletsorry Ipod. The other held the thin black ski cap he wore on bad hair days. I moved to the front, finding a Swiss army knife and his phone. The other side had

some change and a pocket flashlightyes! That gave me a brief burst of relief. It was a good one too, one of those slim, Sharper Image thingies. Thank you, Ipod. His packrat tendencies were saving me. Of all the things I could have grabbed, Ipods pants rocked. Alone in a strange placemaybe doable. Alone in a strange place in total darknessnot so much. I dropped the jeans and looked aroundslowly, because of my pounding head. Id pulled my sheet along with me. I could put that to use right away, starting with the pants. I tore off a strip of the sheet

and looped it through the belt loops. Then I pulled the jeans on over my pajama bottoms and tied them on. I folded up the legs a few times. I felt immediately better, just having something thicker cover my legs and some protection from stickers and spiders and creepycrawly things. Okay, not too shabby. This was good stuff, I assured myself. I scanned the area, spotting a blue suede lump in the tall grass a few feet awayLexs mini-pack more of a purse, really. I grabbed it and dumped out the contents: hairbrush, a small pair of scissors,

hair ties, bag of chocolate covered almonds, Kleenex, aspirin almost full water bottleyes! I tossed a couple aspirins in my mouth, took a swig of the water, and continued taking inventory. There was a zipper bag with a toothbrush and little bottles of shampoo and conditioner in case she washed her hair after gym. That, along with several items of make-up, would get me nowhere out here in the wild. Neither would perfume, mints, wallet, mirror, or supplies for a necklace she was making. But the pair of minibinoculars might be useful. Shed

gone to a concert a while back and had never taken them out of her bag. The side pocket yielded a pair of soft leather gloves, keys, and a box of matches from a bar the Chihuahua frequented. Lex didnt smoke, and shed never let on she needed anyone, but she kept little mementoesgo figure. Lucky for methe matches were probably the best find, other than the water. I pulled out a red thing in a little black pouch. It took me a minute to figure it out, but when I did, I let out a whoop. Yes! All right Lex! Pepper spray.

Even when she wasnt with me, she still had my back. I had food, water, clothes, light, and weapons. Okay, not much in the way of weapons, but something at least. I brushed the twigs off my socks and put the slipper boots on, looping the Velcro straps through the slots, and pulling them snug. The binoculars had a cord, so I hung them around my neck. I hooked the flashlight and the knife around belt loops and tied on the pepper spray pouch. I felt like Inspector Gadget which might have been funny if I hadnt had such a slamming

headache. I took another scan of the area and saw a black rectangle a few feet away. It was Lexs phone. I must have swept it off the nightstand with the sheet. Its what we used for an alarm. That was it. Nothing else but trees, rocks, grass, and sky. Tired of the wind whipping my hair in my eyes, I brushed out the tangles, braided it, and hid it all under Ipods cap. It felt good to get it out of the way. Plus, even though I was alone now, I didnt know when that might change. It felt safer, somehow, trying to pass as a

boy. It was a little too warm for the hoodie, so I tied the arms around my waist. It was clumsy, but better than carrying it. I put the pack on my shoulder. Then I folded the sheet and stuck it between the shoulder straps, so my hands were free. At least now I had a survival pack of sorts. Pepper spray, flashlight, water, foodnot exactly Neyteri, from Avatar, but better than that whiney Survival girl forgot her name. Then again, probably more like Inspector Gadget. The pain was easing a little and

I looked around for some better shade. I spotted an outcropping of rock about a hundred feet away. I wanted to sit down and hopefully wait out my headache. Mostly, I wanted to get out of the glaring sun. I plodded along clumsily in my strange outfit through the tall grass. It was hard to move in Ipods heavy jeans. Id never be able to run very fast in them. Not that I could run fast without thembut still. God, I hoped I didnt have to run. I reached the rock overhang and sat down for a moment, just to steady my dizziness. I needed to let

the aspirin kick in before I could do anything else. Using the folded sheet for a pillow, I lay down on the uneven ground. Motion had slammed my head back into throb mode and my stomach felt queasy. I wondered how long it would take till the aspirin did its thing. I lay there for another twenty minutes or so, just thinking about how I was going to get through this. I had no way of knowing how long Id be stuck therean hour? A week? I didnt have much water. That was bad. Should I hunt for water, or should I stay put? And if I found water, would it be safe to

drink? How was I to know? This was nothing like ending up in the tree house. I regretted never having taken a survival course. Of course, I hadnt expected this. I had no idea what to do next. Well, you cant just lay there, Lex would say if she were with me. Shrink Four, Instead of freaking out, assess the situation and make a plan. That was her favorite Shrink advice. Consider your options, Ipod would say. Whats most important? My head, I would answer. Im practically paralyzed with it

pounding like this. Well, what can you do about it? Ipod would ask. Think. Maybe I could pull some energy from one of these trees. Id never tried healing with stranger trees. But I certainly got energy off the maple at school so I knew it wasnt just my tree that had power. It was worth a shot. I sat up slowly, holding my aching head. There was a massive cottonwood about a football field away. That seemed like my best bet. I lumbered clumsily towards it, tripping on the rolled up cuffs, which jerked me and made the pain worse.

Cut the cuffs off, Ipod said in my mind. Use my knife. So I sat down and hacked off about four inches of each pant leg. Walking the rest of the way was easier. It was a magnificent tree huge and pulsing with life. I could feel its power even before I touched it. The leaves were slick and green with the newness of early summer. I dropped the pack and hugged the trunk, placing my cheek against the rough bark. I let myself melt into the feel of it. Between the beats of my pounding head, I could sense

energy pulsing upwards from the roots out to the leaves. I could feel the leaves sucking up energy from the sun. I visualized both energies pulling out of the tree and into me. Up the roots and out into me. Down the leaves, through the branches, down the trunk, and out into me. Id never been this creative with it before. Id never had to be. I soaked it in with every pore in my body. It was like being immersed in warm, soft fizzy-water, caressing every inch of me. The anxiety vanished along with the pain in my head. I was energized, revitalized. Maybe there were no people

around, but as long as I had trees, I wasnt completely alone. I knew you could do it! Lex said in my mind. I picked up the pack and tried to figure out my next move. Water, said Ipod in my head. I knew I could go a long time without food, but waternot so much. There were no lakes or rivers in sight, but cottonwoods were big water suckers and usually grew near it. There was a long row of them along a gulch not that far away. I headed for it, moving way more smoothly than before and feeling incredibly grateful to the

tree that had healed my head. Scrambling down the gulch, I saw a little trickle about six inches wide at the bottom. That wouldnt do much good, unless I slurped it up off the ground. I knew people had to do all kinds of yucky things, like eat bugs, when they were fighting for survival; but I wasnt ready for ground slurping. I followed the gulch about a mile and stopped where the little stream merged into a real creek, flowing wildly with the snowmelt. It looked pretty clear. I downed the water in my bottle and refilled it. Held up to the sun, it looked

sparkling clean. I knew about parasites and bacteria, but Sam said those were caused by industry, people, cattle, and stuff. There wasnt anything like that around there. Besides, people had been drinking water from creeks since well, since there were people, duh. I decided that keeping hydrated was more important than the possibility of germs. Also, bonus, I could tap into the healing energy of other trees besides my own. If I got sick, well, I could probably fix it. I could do this. Okay, Ipod, I have water. With water, I could go days on the junk

food in Ipods pockets. I needed to stay near the water, but not too close. I knew from camping with my parents, that as soon as it began to get dark, animals would come to drink. That was probably my biggest danger. It didnt seem like I had to worry about people. The place was totally deserted. I figured since I hadnt heard an airplane the whole time Id been here, Id probably jumped back pretty farmaybe like massive far. I could be back before there were people in America. I could be back in caveman time for all I knew.

Okay, I was alone. Id already established thatI could deal. But I needed to find some kind of shelter before it got dark. I wanted to at least have something at my back. When it gets dark in the Colorado mountains, it gets really, really dark. Using the compass on the knife and then looking at how the sun had moved since Id been there, I figured it was late afternoon. Rises in the east and sets in the west. Soat early summer, I should still have about five hours till I lost the light. I didnt want to think about losing the light.

I knew what Ipod would say to that, Just because you dont want to think about it, doesnt mean it wont happen. He was right. Taking another deep breath, I felt for the flashlight and stroked the key around my neck. Then I set out to look for a place to spend the night.

It took me ten times longer to walk back to the hospital than it had taken me to run to A.J.s house. The streets were dead quiet, but

my mind was exploding with guilty accusations about everything Id ever done in my life. An ambulance shattered the silence, screaming past me, drowning out the screaming in my head. I should have hitched a ride since we were going to the same place, but Id become invisible in the darkness. After all, I was empty of all things worthwhile. I had no patience. Apparently, I had no impulse control, no restraint. I had no forethought. I didnt even have my frickin backpack, and thus, no tunes to get me through the night.

Talk about running on empty.

I hiked upstream. With each step, thoughts of Constantine intermingled with worries about my situation. I knew I should focus on the task at hand, but thinking of him was soothingbetter than

listing all the scary possibilities for nighttime. I couldnt help thinking that it was just my luck, that right when I meet him, I get sucked back to before either of us was even born. That was so unfair. The ground was blanketed in wild sage and chamomile, and walking on the plants released heavenly scents into the air. I inhaled the aromas; along with the purest air Id ever breathed. Blue sky, fresh airthis definitely wasnt the worst place to get stuck. Of course, it wasnt dark yet. I felt once again for the flashlight, and scanned for anything

that could provide a little shelter. I spotted a group of ginormous junipers climbing the side of a moss rock cliff and spreading out on the ground below. They had to be hundreds of years old, all rugged, and gnarly, with huge roots about a foot and a half off the ground. The roots wound around and corralled little nests where they crisscrossed each other. They were about thirty feet from the creek, which made it a pretty good location for a campsite. I found a nest with a hollow big enough for me to curl up in. It felt halfway safe. At least Id have something surrounding me.

I cleared out all the rocks and sticks and swept it as smooth as I could with a tree branch. After much deliberation, I saw that if I spread out my sheet, I could lay on half and flip the other side over top of me. Then I could tack it to the upper part of the root with safety pins to cover me like a little tent. Okay, not real solid, but at least it should keep creepy-crawly things off me and hide me from animals. It felt better keeping busy, so I took my knife and gathered armfuls of the soft, ferny sage and chamomile. I soon had a stack about two feet high. Sure, it would

smash down when I laid on it; but it was certainly better than sleeping on hard ground. I spread the sheet on top, folded it over, and stuck four safety pins in the root to seal me up later. I crushed a bunch of chamomile, releasing the pungent aroma. It smelled amazing. After breathing it in for a few moments, I rubbed some on my arms, hoping it would help hide my human scent from any animals looking for dinner. Next I hauled rocks to a flat spot a few yards away and made a fire pit. I cleared the loose brush from the area, so there wasnt any

danger of sparks catching hold and the fire getting out of hand. One thing I knew to fear in Colorado was wild fires. I wasnt about to start one. There was plenty of fallen wood everywhere so I gathered enough for several days. I didnt expect to be stranded that long; but it felt good just to have it stacked in a pile. I was freaked, but not totally. Id camped out beforeI could do this. I mean, one night, right? At some point, I had to get yanked back home. Campsite organized, I climbed up the hill to take a look around.

With the binoculars, I could see for miles. There was a huge meadow to the east and mountain peaks to the west. Aspens and evergreens covered the mountainside, and the meadow was blanketed with a rainbow of wildflowers. But there was no sign of human life anywhere. I couldnt decide if that was good or bad. It depended on how long I was going to be there. Suddenly, I heard a loud buzz. I jumped. I whipped around, scanning the area. It took me a minute, but I finally realized it was Lexs phone alarm. I had to laugh at myself. I reached into the bag and

shut it off. That meant it was morning in Boulder. I was starving at that point so I launched into a granola bar. It was amazing how good things tasted when you were out in the fresh air, and the food was limited. That got me thinking about my food supply. I had two thirds of a bag of chocolate covered almonds, two Snickers bars, another granola bar, and a tube of peanuts. Not exactly the four food groups. I liked chocolate as much as the next kid, but I needed something a little more substantial. It was too early in the season

for berries or fruit. There seemed to be a heck of a lot of rabbits. But what was I going to do, chase one down and whack it with a rock? I dont think so. Id have to be awfully darn hungry. I wasnt there yet. Id never been fishing, but Id seen it in movies. How hard could it be? The creek was full of fish. The thought of a hot, fish dinner made my stomach growl. I dug through my pack to see what I could use. There was a spool of something with Lexs packet of beads. It didnt say fishing line on it, but I figured it was the same thing. It seemed really strong. I decided since a

safety pin was sharp, it would make a better hook than the lone paper clip. I cut off a long piece of line with the knife, looped it around the little hole in the end of a safety pin, tied it, and sealed it with a match. I wrapped the line up to the clasp so that it would work as a hook, making several. Then I found a couple of long, straight sticks for poles. I notched the ends and tied the lines on as tightly as I could, impressed with my own ingenuity. And all without input from Lex or Ipod. I needed bait. That meant bugs or worms, which I was pretty

squeamish about touching. I spotted Lexs leather gloves in the pile of stuff. I debated but not for long. I knew she wouldnt mind, given the situation. When my mom was around, we did a lot of gardening so I knew about earthworms. The best bet for finding some was in the loosest and blackest dirt. The dirt by the campsite was hard clay. But closer to the water, the ground was thick with mulched leaves. I hiked down towards the creek and found a patch that seemed promising. It took the better part of an hour, digging hole after hole with a stick,

but I finally had a pile of worms in the empty, granola-bar wrapper. At that point, I realized I did know some stuff. I high-fived an invisible Lex and Ipod. The fading light jolted me out of my daydream, and I scurried to get the fishing going while I could still see. There was a place on the bank, where the roots of a tree stuck out a bit over the water like a balcony. Cringing, I chopped a worm in two and stuck safety pin hooks through the wiggling parts. Then I propped one fishing pole in the roots and sat down with the other.

And I waitedand waitedand waited. After about forty-five minutes of increasing disappointment, I checked to see if the worms were still on the hooks. They were gone so much for my brilliant plan. Here I thought Id been all Survivor contestant, and the fish refused to cooperatestupid fish. The sun was sinking lower, and thoughts of the approaching night began to creep me out. Suddenly, an idea flashed through the fear; I dont know where it came from. It was crazy, but what the heck. I had a much better chance of sleeping

when it got dark, if I wasnt hungry. Besides, there was no one around to see me fail, if it didnt work. I had nothing to lose. I put new worms on my hooks, and then I laid belly down on the big root so that I had full contact with the bark. I let my line trail out in the flowing creek. Closing my eyes, I imagined fish, droves of fish, moving towards it and snagging themselves on the hooks. I could feel little bursts of energy moving around in the water. Humming softly, I called to them in my mind. Then I pulled power from the tree and sent it out into the water.

Within seconds, I felt a jerk. My eyes flew open, and I yanked my pole, slapping a beautiful little fish smack against the dirt. I saw my other pole straining and caught it before it came loose. I flipped the second fish onto the bank beside its brother and stood, proudly, beaming at my amazing feat. Okay, I know its stupid, but I couldnt remember ever feeling so powerful. I felt a little sorry for the fish, but even that couldnt cancel my buzz. Grimacing, I loped off their heads, scooped out the yucky stuff, and washed them in the river. Then

I hiked back up to my campsite, holding them by the tails. I got a good blaze going, and then I stuffed the fish with wet sage, because Id seen it done that way with other herbs. I let the fire burn down a little to make coals, so the fish wouldnt end up burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. I used a stick to crunch a half-burned log to speed up the coal making process. Then I got a thin, flat rock and washed it off in the creek. I laid it on the coals, and as soon as I could see steam rise; I placed my fish on the rock. Periodically, I splashed a little water on them so

they wouldnt dry out. Estimating about thirty minutes more of twilight, I decided to get everything ready for the coming dark. After catching the fish, I wasnt quite as scared as Id been before. I arranged all my stuff within easy reach, found a big stick I could use as a club, set it by my nest, and returned to my fire. While I waited, the sun moved lower over the horizon. I tried not to feel alone. I focused on Constantine, remembering what it felt like when he touched my face. Thinking of him was way better than stressing about the

approaching darkness. I wondered what he thought of what happened in the hallway. I wondered if he thought about me at all. I wondered if he would ask about me when I wasnt at school the next day. Every few minutes, I checked my dinner by using a stick to pull the fish open. When it got to the flaking point, I used a bigger stick to shove the rock closer to the outer edge of the fire pit. One of the fish fell into the coals, and I had to stab it back on the rock. It was a little sooty, but the dust was only on the skin. I decided I could deal.

The best thing I could come up with for silverware was the little pair of scissors. I figured I could hold the sharp end and scoop stuff up with the handle part. Okay, not exactly a fork, but heythings were working out just fine. There were no plates so I just knelt over the rock and forked up mouthfuls of trout. With no side dishes, I ate fish until I was stuffed. The savory trout just melted in my mouth, and the sage had been a great idea. Even though it was starting to get dark, I felt amazingly content. I think the fact that Id managed to feed

myself by rigging together the things I found in Ipods pockets and Lexs purse, gave me such a buzz, that I didnt feel quite so helpless. Besides, I had half my brain dedicated to Constantine now. When I wasnt directly dealing with a task at hand, my mind just floated to thoughts of him. It was stupid, I knew, but it gave me something to focus on. I kept forgetting to be scared. The air smelled like campfire. When the sun hit a certain spot, the sky broke out into a palette of colorspink, red, blue, and purple. I was no longer hungry, the sunset

was incredible, and I had actual memories of a guynot too shabby. As the sun sank over the mountains, it started cooling down fast. I put on Ipods hoodie, built up the fire to a roaring blaze, and sat as close to it as I could get. I poked at it with a stick, reviewing my day. I was still alone, but I wasnt nearly as freaked as when Id first arrived. Id found out that I could use stranger trees to heal myself, which meant that if I got hurt, I had help. Id even made fishing poles and caught my own dinner. How cool was that? I wasnt sure if Id actually used

the tree to call the fish or if it was just a coincidence. If I was still there the next day, Id try it again. Sure, I was out in the middle of nowhere. But Id go back home sooner or later. I always returned home before. Surely I found myself yawning and knocked the logs down a little so that the fire was safe. I wanted to keep it going in case of predators, but I didnt want it to get out of hand. My nest looked cozy in the soft, glowing firelight. Totally exhausted, I set my water bottle and my flashlight against the root,

pulled off my slippers and curled up on the mossy bed. Then I pulled the sheet over my little nest and stabbed the pins through it into the wood. I dont think I had time to be scared, because I was asleep moments after closing my eyes.

Back at the parking lot, I tossed my dads sweatshirt in the car and went inside the hospital. My parents hadnt moved. They probably never

even noticed I was gone. I spent the rest of the endless night slumped in an uncomfortable chair, wrestling with the demons in my head. The demons were kicking my ass big-time. The news on Devon continued to suck: critical condition, no change, still in a coma. By late morning, my mom looked my way, almost as if she didnt recognize me. Constantine? Yeah? I sat up. Have you been here all night? Pretty much. Go home, Son, my dad said.

Theres nothing you can do. Yes, go get some sleep. Well give you a call if anything changes, my mom added. I lost my backpack yesterday. It has my phone in it Its okay, Con, we all got a little scattered yesterday. Ill call on the landline. Yeah, okay. She thought Id lost my stuff, because Id been freaked about Devon. I didnt bother to correct her. No point. I couldnt believe Id just left my backpack lying there. What a moron. Um, all right if I take your car, Dad?

Of course, drive safe, son. The smell of sour food hit me the minute I opened the front door. I dumped out the spoiled dinner, stuck the dishes in the dishwasher, and took out the garbage. Then I wiped off all the counters, mopped up the spilled wine, and lit some incense. I figured sooner or later, my mom would come home to get some sleep. I didnt want her to walk in on the mess. I stood in the shower for twenty minutes, trying to wash off the hospital stench. I whipped off a text to Claire, just in case my parents forgot. I sent her a link to a

You Tube videothe one where some guy plays Notorious Big music to his baby to get it to stop crying. Shed get a kick out of it. I didnt say anything about Devon. I just tried to keep it light and funny. Then I tried to distract myself by playing my bass. But no diceI couldnt concentrate. Finally, I fell into bed, exhausted. I slept for about six hours, waking up to a dark, empty, and creepy house. There was a light blinking on the phone. I must have slept right through the call. No change. Theyd stuck a cot in Devons room for my mom, and my dad was coming

home later to get some rest. They said there was no reason for me to return to the hospital. No reason for once, I actually agreed with my parents. I made a sandwich and ate it in front of the TV, trying to distract myself from thoughts of A.J. lost and Devon dying. After a couple hours of channel surfing, I went upstairs and Googled coma. When I reached the part about vegetative states, I shut my laptop and contemplated my dads liquor cabinet. I really wanted to just not think for a while. But I had no clue what might go down tonight, and

the critic kept yelling forethought. So I grabbed my running shoes instead. I left a note and took off at a slow jog towards her house. I didnt even argue with myself about it. I wasnt going to stay long. I just needed to see if she had returned yet. Since I was overwhelmed with guilt for pretty much everything bad in the world, I figured that if A.J. was back, at least I could cross one thing off my list. Disappointment punched me in the gut the second I turned onto her street. I felt nothing, not even a trace. When I reached her house, I

detected a whiff of her essence, but not her. I collapsed on the curb for a moment, just trying to get a grip. An impeccable, white BMW idled in the driveway, but the house was dark. Angry voices came from the back, and I snuck along the fence to investigate. They got louder the closer I got. Before I could peer over the fence, I heard a voice that made my skin crawl. Get your worthless ass into the car, Ivan, immediately! This play date is over. But I SMACK! I reached my spot just in time

to watch Ipod get backhanded to the ground by a burly, severe looking man in a pin striped suit and a flat top. Lex launched herself at the mans back, hanging on, as he turned and tried to shake her off. Leave him alone, you stupid son of a bitch! My mom will sue your sorry ass. The man dumped her to the ground sneering, Your mom is the one that alerted me to this untenable situation, you little slut. Your mom threatened to sue me if he got you pregnant. So get the hell out of my way.

Lex, dont, Ipod begged, blood pouring down his face. Bummer toss of the dice, Dudea frickin drill sergeant for a father. I wanted to jump the fence and cream the SOB, but I didnt want to complicate things. So I stood there, watching the scene unfold, trying to have forethought. I figured Id move if it got really serious. Youre a cruel, sadistic sicko! Lex hissed at the man. She kicked him, making him wince. He glared at her with hatred in his eyes, took a wider stance, and drew back his fist.

Yeah, you want a piece a me? Go for it, freak! Go ahead and hit me, she taunted him, thumping her chest defiantly. You dont scare me I searched for a foothold, ready to fly over the fence. He started for her and then stopped abruptly, clenching his fists, breathing loudly through bared teeth. When he stood his ground, I stayed put. It was none of my business. I knew that. But if he laid a hand on her, he deserved any damage I could bring down on him. Ipod seemed stunned, but Lex was fearless. I was impressed.

Bring it on! Ill jam your balls so far up your torso itll take a brain surgeon to get them out! She stuck out her chin, daring him. Then she spit on his polished shoe. He looked down, whipped out a white handkerchief, and wiped off his shoe. He slowly raised his head, anger pouring off him like steam. She got right up in his face. My dads a lawyer too. Well see what hell do to your sick ass in court. She was bouncing from foot to foot as if she was going to launch herself at him. The man glared at her. Then he slammed his fist into an open hand.

Get in the car, he snarled at Ipod. Ipod was trying to stop the flow of blood down his face with his shirt. He had a black eye, that was really starting to swell. He started to get up and staggered erratically to one side. Father, I Shut up, you cretin. Just get out of here and leave us alone! Lex hissed. Lex, dont. I need to go. Ipod wavered and then dropped to the ground. Lex ran to him and kneeled, cradling him in her arms. She brushed the hair out of his eyes and wiped the blood off his face with

the hem of her shirt. Get up and act like a man! his dad barked. He leaned down, shoved Lex aside, and yanked Ipod to his feet, holding him tight by the upper arm. I wondered where you went every night. I thought you were a fag, you little runt. Now I know youre just a spineless wimp, hiding out in a tree house with a couple of pathetic, little girls. I would have had you in military school years ago, if I hadnt thought they would just toss you out on your worthless pansy ass. Father, I The van is waiting at the

house. This is a done deal, Boy. Well see if the military can make a man out of you. Youre going to pay for this! Lex hissed. She wiped the tears from her eyes, smearing Ipods blood across her face. The man let out a bloodcurdling laugh and smacked Ipod to the ground again without even watching him fall. He crossed his arms and sneered at her. Yeah, and whos going to make me? You? Theres a lot of clutter in this world, girl. The military does a good job of cleaning it up. He turned to Ipod. Get a move on, Boy.

I need my stuff You dont need stuff in military school, the man barked, yanking Ipod to his feet. Youll be part of a machine, now, Boy, stripped down and efficient. You cant do this! Lex yelled, holding on to Ipods arm. The man cackled, sadistically. You have no power here, you little bitch, he sneered. Im in control. He grabbed Ipod by the hair, causing Lex to give up her tug of war. Ipod winced, and stumbled along beside his father to the front yard. Lex just stood there, tears

streaming down her face. She wrapped her arms around herself and fell to her knees, sobbing. Ill fix this, Ipod, I promise, she called after him. I felt like Id been kicked in the gut. I could only imagine what she felt like, to say nothing about Ipod. I ran along the fence to the front yard and watched as the man shoved Ipod in the back seat, slammed the door, got in the front, and gunned the engine. Ipods anguished face looked back as the car drove out of sight. I returned to my spot, torn about what to do. I saw Lexs

shadow pacing back and forth against the shades. Should I try to be there for her, revealing my role as a stalker? Or should I just go home and mind my own business? That jerk was Ipods father, after all. I cringed. I thought of my own dad and the complaints I had about him. All of my bitching about getting grounded. My dad was a frickin saint compared to that psycho. I sat down on the rock and tried to have forethought. If I just appeared out of nowhere, it might really freak Lex out. If she saw me as a stalker, Id lose any cred I had

with her. Id busted ass trying to look trustworthy. I certainly didnt want to blow it now. I decided it was best to just go to school tomorrow and see if shed let me help then. Maybe with both A.J. and Ipod gone, shed be open to a little assistance. After grabbing a quick hit of the maple in the front yard, I took off for home. When I got there, a light was on. Someone was homemy dad, not my mom, because her purse would be on the counter. She must have stayed with Devon. The door to their bedroom was closed. I figured my dad was sleeping. I

hoped he was sleeping. I nuked a pizza and watched TV, trying to tune out all the madness. When TV didnt work, I took another shot at my bass using headphones so I didnt wake my dad. After majorly sucking at anything I tried to play, I put the guitar away. Then I just stood in the shower, trying not to think. Finally, at about two, I fell asleep and stayed that way until morning.

I opened my eyes to white cloth as if I was encased inside a coffin. Still groggy and now panicked, I flailed out my arms, hitting something rough and scraping the skin off my knuckles. I

sat up to be bounced back down by the sheet that was pinned tight a few inches above me. Heart pounding, I kicked it offjuniper and blue sky. I was still in the past, which was disappointing. But it was better than a coffin. I scanned the campsite to make sure I was still alone. I was. Using a corner of the sheet to wipe the blood off my knuckles, I took a deep breath. I pulled energy from the tree to heal the abrasions on my hand. Then I crawled out of my nest and high-fived myself in my head. Id done it.

Id slept through the night without incidentno freak-out, no nightmares, no mountain lion eating me for dinner. Of course I was still in the past, but at least I was in one piece. Surely, it wouldnt be long now before I returned home. The day was stunning. The cloudless sky was Easter egg blue, and the mountain valley sparkled with color. The scent of campfire filtered out from my clothes when I moved, along with the sweet smell of chamomile. Pleased that there were still hot coals under all the ashes, I fed

last nights fire some dried grass and twigs. Soon I had a blaze going. The sun might have been up, but it was early, and I shivered in my smoky hoodie. Warming my hands, I figured Id wait until the fire took the chill off, and then Id go catch some breakfast. So I sat, watching the flickering fire, thinking of home and all that had happened in the last week. I had little snippets of concern from time to time about my situation. But mostly, I was just content surprisingly so. Lex would be proud of me. When the morning chill

evaporated, I loped down to the water and retrieved my fishing poles. Digging up a couple of worms, I speared them on my hooks and decided to forgo any pretense of fishing like a regular person. I sat cross-legged on my cottonwood balcony, holding a pole in each hand. I focused. Humming softly, I pulled energy from the tree and sent it out into the water, calling the fish to me. Within thirty seconds my first line was jerking, and before I could pull it in, the other one almost jumped out of my hand. I yanked them both in like a Kung Fu guy

with nun chucks. I wished Ipod and Lex could have seen that. I was the fish whisperer! I was the freakin Harry Potter of the Rocky Mountains. Take that, Sloane Cheney! I had two really big ones this time. I cleaned them, filled them with sage, and laid them on my fire-pit grill. Then I gathered all my stuff together. When the tingle came, I wanted to be ready. Then, with nothing else to do, I just sat there waiting to go home. After a while, I began obsessing about just not going home at all. What if I was stranded

forever? If that happened, the sooner I found civilization, the better. Of course, there might not be any civilization. In the eighteen or so hours Id been there, not one jet had broken the silence. Denver International was a huge airport. Planes flew out in every direction. On this trip, my problem was the when. I stacked some more wood. When the fish were done, I had breakfast. I took a hike and climbed a couple of trees, but other than that, I just lazed around the campsite. It was when I was eating the chocolate almonds and a few

peanuts for lunch, that it hit me. If I got stuck in the past, Id never have chocolate again. Id never have a lot of things again like bathrooms and showers and air-conditioning and TV and computers and phones and the net and music and Pop Tarts and pizza. Wha t did they have in the olden days?dirt, germs, dirty water, and gross food. I really didnt want to stay in the olden days. I stacked some more wood. I hoped I wouldnt be there long enough to need it all, but it helped to keep busy. Soon, I ditched the hoodie. It

got so hot mid-day; I decided to go for a swim. I wanted to wash the smoke out of my hair in case I got home early enough for school. I put some trout to the side of the coals for a slow cook, so I could wash off the fishy smell and be clean for the rest of the evening. Then I gathered up my stuff and took it all down by the water. I wanted it to be close in case the tingle came. It would suck to pop back home naked. I stripped down and waded into the cool water. The first few moments were shocking, but I soon acclimated. It felt wonderful. I used

Lexs shampoo and conditioner to wash my hair, and then I swam around for about an hour, just lazing in the sun. Lex would flip when I told her I went skinnydipping right out in the open. I dove deep, pulling myself along the bottom of the creek bed and feeling the soft river rock. I was coming up for air when I heard them. I froze, and a chill ran down my naked spine. There were two voices, both men. I swam towards the bank, making sure not to splash, deeply regretting my skinny dipping idea. I could hear them perfectlysound

carried so far out there in the middle of nowhere. Well, looky there, Edgar, somebody done made us some grub. Thats right neighborly of them. Gimme some of that, Joe. Dont hog the whole thing. Hold onits still hot. Dang it! Get the plates. Hold your horses. You see anybody? Nope. Seems like somebody just up and left us some supper. What about the chief? He can catch his own food. Umm, this is good.

Shaking, I scrambled to dress, my wet body sticking to the clothes. My fingers were cold and stiff, as I fumbled with the buttons on my pajama top. The last thing I needed was to be caught naked by a couple ofohmygod. I wrung out my hair and wrapped it around my head, quickly pulling on Ipods hat. I sat down on the root and yanked on my socks and a boot, fumbling and dropping it. Then I got it on the wrong foot. I hurriedly switched and pulled the Velcro tight on both of them. I figured I might need to run. I really hoped I didnt need to run. Umm ummthat does taste

fine. What do you think happened to the fella what cooked this fish? Probably saw us comin and took off. Dont matter. Theres wood a plenty for days. Looks like we got ourselves a campsite. Bummer! Any minute, theyd come down to the water. I took my folded sheet and put it under my pajama top in front, like a belly, to hide what there was of my breasts. Then I pulled on the hoodie in spite of the heat and buttoned it up all the way. Grabbing my pack, I crept along the bank, keeping low, toward an outcropping of rocks

about twenty feet away. I snuck behind the bushes making myself as small as possible. When I reached the rocks, I let out a quiet breath and crawled between two huge boulders. Standing, I could peer out over the rock behind some brush, see the campsite and the water, and yet remain hidden. Teeth clenched, I inched up to peek at what I was up against. I couldnt believe it. Id gone back far. Id gone back real far. I was in a freakin, olden days western. Id heard two voices, but there

were three men: two scruffy cowboys and a big, muscled Indian. I stood there, watching the whole scene like it was a movie. It was just too bizarre to be real. The cowboys werent old, but they were so weather beaten it was hard to tell their ages. Their clothes looked like theyd been slept in for, like, months. The one, whod been called Joe, was skinny and wiry and had dark beady eyesso black I wondered how he could even see through them. He kept darting those beady eyes around my campsite, as if he was looking for

anything else the former occupant might have left. When he grinned, it was truly frightening. He was missing several teeth and had brown stains around his mouth from the gross stuff he kept spitting around my campfire. The other guy had a hawk nose, massive eyebrows, and long, dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He was huge and hulking and looked like someone you didnt want to mess with. If he was in my time, hed be wearing an old army shirt with the sleeves ripped off and have a million tattoos. Hed own a Rottweiler and have a boatload of

guns. I pulled my hoodie close around me. They wolfed down my fish in two minutes flatthe slime balls. When they were done, they wiped their hands on their clothes and unloaded their horses. They were absolutely disgusting. Neither man had ever seen sunscreen or conditioner, obviously. Their hair looked like it had been hacked off in chunks with a knife. The two cowboys shuffled down to the water, leading their horses. They took a drink and then sat down on the bank, pulled off their boots, and

put their feet in the water. The Indian followed. He didnt say a word to them. He just took a drinkupstream from their dirty feet, I noticedand headed back up to the campsite. The Indian was youngmaybe mid-twenties. He was tall and lean and his arms and legs rippled with muscle. He had a long straight nose, jet black hair, high cheekbones and dark, observant eyes. A curved bow and a quiver of arrows hung over one shoulder and leather pouches hung from his neck and waist. He wore a deerskin loincloth, a beaded necklace,

leggings, and moccasins. He moved fluidly through the campsite, making no noise at all. He knelt down to check out my footprints. Lexs slipper boots had rubber, grippy stuff on the bottom with stars cut into the heels. Id walked all over the campsite with them. No doubt hed never seen that kind of footprint before. After studying them for a while, he followed them to my sleeping place, kneeling down to examine the bed of sage. He scanned the campsite carefullylooking for the person who wore those boots. And that

was me. My heart began to race again, and I struggled not to hyperventilate. I felt totally trapped. I was totally trapped. There was nothing I could do, and damn it, no way I could make myself just freakin beam back home. All I could do was watch and wait for him to find me. He followed my tracks down to the cottonwood that stuck out over the water. He picked up my fishing poles and studied them. He touched the end of the safety pin and jerked as it pricked his finger. He had to struggle to break the fishing line

and seemed astonished at how strong it was. He broke off the part of the stick where it was attached, pulled out a piece of leather, and wrapped it around the hooks and line. Then he put it in the pouch at his waist. He walked back towards the campsite, scanning the ground. All this time, he said nothing to the cowboys who were lying on the bank with their feet in the water. I just stood there, breathing in and out; thinking now would be a good time to feel the freakin tingle. And just as I had the thought, that my heart was beating so loud, surely he could hear it...

He froze with his head to the side like he actually did. He arched his eyebrows, and he turned and looked straight at me. In a flash, he had an arrow in his bow. Crouching low he crept towards me. I sank down between the rocks, my heart going wild. I clutched my bag close and ducked my head, trying desperately to be invisible. I didnt even hear his approach; he was so quiet. But I sensed him. And when I looked up, this hard muscled Indian was standing there just staring at me. Talk about a rock and a hard

place. With no place to run.

My dad was gone when I stumbled to the kitchen the next morning. A note on the counter told me to go to school and to call at

lunch. To tell the truth, I welcomed the promise of high school monotony after all the drama Id experienced in the last, well, a heck of a long time. Had my life ever been normal? I couldnt remember. I stopped by the office to see my counselor about the absences. But when I saw the look of pity on her face, I knew my mom had called her already. If she were in the middle of a tornado in the middle of a desert being chased by a pack of wild hyenas; my mother would still be responsible. Too bad I didnt inherit that gene.

I got by with skipping Monday afternoon since it coincided with the accident. Someone had turned in my backpack, and the counselor handed it over apologetically. She said shed discussed my situation with my teachers which I appreciated since I hadnt done any homework. Plus it gave me a free pass for less than stellar behavior for a week or so. No one would make me answer questions, pay attention, or even show up for every class. I grabbed my excuse, said thanks, and went to homeroom. I couldnt sense A.J. and that

scared me. I kept hoping she was just late, but I didnt feel her all morning. Time flowed glacier slow. By fourth period, I was as tense as a guitar string. People bitched at me twice for tapping my foot and once for drumming my pen on the desk. Yeah, I was making friends left and right there at Boulder High. I was the first person to arrive at room 217, where I waited anxiously. Two seconds before the bell rang, Lex wandered in looking like shed just come from a funeral. She was dressed all in black. Her eyes were puffy, her nose was red, and it

looked like she hadnt combed her hair. She dropped into her seat with a thud and immediately laid her head on her arms. Lex, I said softly. She didnt move. Lex! I repeated. She lifted one elbow and peered at me from underneath it. Leave me alone! she hissed back. You okay? She ignored me. I nudged her with my shoe. She kicked my foot away. The teacher started conjugating verbs on the board. She noticed Lexs head down on her

desk and tapped her on the shoulder, asking her to join the class. When she caught a look at Lexs face, she did a double take but didnt comment. Lex sat stoically, her arms folded across her chest and her swollen eyes half closed. The teacher didnt bother her again. Only a fool would do that. Enter the fool. I wrote her a note.

I passed it to her when the teacher turned to the blackboard. She scowled, sighed heavily,

scribbled something, and tossed it back without looking at me.

A tear ran down her face. She brushed it off angrily, staring at the front of the classroom. This was

going to be harder than I thought. I was wiped out. She looked even worse. My next note was more to the point.

She turned and glared at me

like I was crazy. What do you mean? she mouthed. A.J., I mouthed back to her. I know shes gone. I know the secret. She looked at me for a few seconds longer, irritation turning to hesitant curiosity. She nodded. Lunch, she whispered. I gave her the ok sign and slumped in my seat, stretching my legs into the isle. We pretty much ignored each other for the rest of class. I sat there thinking about what to say to her, trying to come up with a good opening line. Finally, the bell rang.

I bolted from the room before the teacher could launch into any kind of sympathy speech about my brother. Lex followed on my tail. By some unspoken agreement, neither of us talked until wed cleared the building. We crossed the lawn, drawn to the maple like it had been prearranged to meet there. We dropped our stuff and she sat down. I touched the tree and paused for a moment, closing my eyes. It was a great treeold, deeply connected. No wonder A.J. hung out there. I could feel a trace of her essence lingering around it. Give me a minute, I said to Lex.

She didnt question it. I put both palms flat on the bark. I leaned into the tree as though I was going to push it over. I reached deep into the trees core. Once I connected, I let the energy flow through me, filling me with calm. It wasnt as good as A.J.s energy, but it was still a relief. After about a minute, I held out my hands, shaking the dissonance off my fingertips. When I opened my eyes, she was just standing there, staring at me. My guess was that shed seen this before. My guess was that what Id just done said it better than any

opening line I could have come up with. So youre like her, she said, crossing her arms. Pretty much, I answered. It wasnt the time or place to go into the Shadow explanation. Can you help me get her back? I cant promise anything, but probably, I said. I think so. Her eyes filled with tears, but they didnt fall. She gave me a long, heavy look. You better not be screwing with me, New Guy. Cross my heart. I made the motion across my chest. Lets get

out of here. I pulled her to her feet and grabbed both our packs. Is there somewhere we can talk? She nodded. Yeah, lets go to our place. This time I nodded, and we set out silently for the place where Id been spending half my nights since Id been in Boulder. At least this time, Id get my foot in the door.

The Indian just stood there, head cocked; scanning me as if he wasnt quite sure I was real. Lowering his bow, he slowly moved closer and gave my knee a tentative poke. My mind exploded,

grasping frantically at possible actions, coming up empty. His muscled body blocked my exit, but I was too stunned to attempt escape. I just stared back, trying desperately to stop the panic, trying desperately to stop shaking, hoping beyond hope that he wasnt going to hurt me. My eyes locked on his but on the periphery. The knife in his belt grabbed my attention like a neon sign. My scalp tightened, adrenaline prickled from my torso down my arms, and I felt beads of sweat between my breasts. I waited for him to grab me or at least yell for

the others. But he didnt. After an hour-long minute, he knelt on one foot. Dropping his bow and watching my face, he reached out and gently lifted up a slipper. When I didnt protest, he shifted his eyes to see the bottom. I crouched on one foot, trying to keep my balance as he ran his fingers along the ridges and traced the star on the heel. Then he set my foot back down and grabbed one of the Velcro straps, giving it a swift tug. It made that frrrrpppp Velcro sound, and he grinned, his dark eyes crinkling. He did the same

with the other strap, this time laughing softly, grinning at me like wed just shared a really good joke. Then he stared at melike questioning or something. I took a ragged breath and stared right back. He was big and powerful. But there was aa kindness in his eyesand a curiosity. I took an even breath this time and attempted to smile. Then Chief! a rough voice startled both of us. The Indian stood quickly and backed away, eyes lingering on my face. He held out his hand, palm

down, and shot me a quick look like be quiet or something. And before the cowboy got close enough to see around the rock, the Indian turned and walked back to the campsite. The cowboy followed. So whadaya think, friend? How far to the yellow rock? Half day, the Indian answered in a low, melodic voice. Camp here. Leave first light. Well then, how bout you take that bow and arrow of yours and shoot us something to throw in with the beans? The Indian just grunted. Apparently, he wasnt going to nark

on me. I hoped hed help me. I hoped my read on him was real. I felt like we had a moment there with the Velcro thing and all. It reminded me of that trip when I was five. Maybe this wasnt so bad after all. I was still scared, but no longer shaking. I could do this. I could get through this. I had no choice but to try. I sat back, hand against my chest, trying to slow my heartbeat with deep, even breaths. The Indian took off through the trees with his bow on his back. I stressed that one of the cowboys would walk my way for a bathroom break

before the Indian came back. Luckily, they seemed content for the moment to sit around my fire, drink whiskey, and talk about the whores theyd buy when they struck gold. It was revoltingthey were revolting. And the way they were talking about women put the fear of God into me, thats for sure. I stroked my key, holding it for luck. Then I just crouched there, making sure not to move, making sure not to even breathe loudly wishing hard that the Indian would return. I focused on the cowboys conversation, trying to keep from

thinking about getting caught. I had to extrapolate from bits and pieces of broken banter, but it seemed that the Indian had been trading with them for a whilefurs. Theyd been selling the furs to another trader, who took them east, so that they could buy supplies to continue their hunt for gold. While dropping off a load of furs, the Indian had seen them panning for gold. He told them he knew where to find more of the yellow rock and was taking them there. And now they were making plans for what theyd do when they were rich. A bath would be a good idea, I

thought. After about twenty minutes my legs began to cramp. I stretched out slowly, trying to change positions without making noise. A stick cracked and I jerked reflexively. Joe and Edgar stopped talking for a moment. I held my breath, waiting. Then buzzzzzzzzz!!!! Oh, no, no, no! Lexs phone alarm! I jerked and knocked my head against the rock, lurching for the backpack. Ignoring the pain, I frantically rifled through the pack, grabbed the phone, and hit off. The abrupt silence was more startling

than the alarm. I heard them scuffle, probably going for their guns. What the heck? one of them hissed. What made that racket? Over there, said the other. I clutched the backpack, frozen with fear. I had no way to explain the phone. In movies, when people got caught with tech from the future, they always got burned at the stakeespecially if they had red hair. My hair wasnt red, but it was auburnclose enough. A particularly gruesome scene flashed through my mind. Shaking uncontrollably, I flung the pack out

of sight in the bushes. Then I inched back between the rocks as far as I could squeeze. I dropped my face to my hands, and waited, holding my aching head. I heard a cackle and then a grunt. Well, looky here, one of them said. When I looked up there were two shotguns pointed my way. This wasnt a movie. This was real.

Once again, we walked in silence. What we had to say was too important to be said on the run, as though the air had ears and

could carry our words in the wind. We shared a secret that was so big; we were instantly connected. When we reached the car, she got in beside me and laid her head back against the seat with her eyes closed. I just drove and let her have her space. We reached A.J.s place in record time. She didnt seem to notice that I knew the way. The old Victorian was shabby in the harsh, noonday sun. Apparently, no one had been to the front door in years; the path to the porch was completely grown over. Only the side path showed signs of regular

traffic. I pulled up in front. Lex opened her eyes when I stopped. She looked out the window, and then she looked over at me. Been here before, huh? Yeah, I said, hoping she didnt get pissed off. Why play games? It would all come out at some point anyway. We got out and headed for the back. I suppose you have a good explanation? I do, I said. At least I think its a good one. I didnt mean any harm, if that matters. It does, she said, elaborate. I just needed to know where

she livedlong story. Lets get inside, she said, pushing open the gate. In the dark, the tree house had impressed me. In daylight, I was blown away. The place was incredible. Lex eyed the back door warily as we tramped through the yard. Watching for A.J.s dad, maybe? She scrambled up the ladder, motioning me to follow. We stepped up onto a porch, and she pulled out a key and unlocked the door. A.J.? she said softly as she pushed it open. She let out a loud breath when there was no answer. We walked inside, and she

dropped her stuff on a coffee table made of some kind of exotic wood. She stood there for a moment, watching me look around. New Guy, she said, I want answers. But first I really need to pee. So get your oohs and awes over with, and Ill be back in two minutes. When I do, be prepared to spill. This place has a bathroom? I wish, she as she walked out the door and across the bridge. I tossed my backpack in a corner. I was prepared for the thrill of being in A.J.s space no matter what it looked like, but the inside blew my mind. The room was split

in two by the trunk which acted as a kind of room divide. To the left was a brown, leather sofa. A big TV hung on the wall across from it. Above the sofa, books traversed long, inset shelves that reached to the ceiling. The floor was polished hardwood, worn smooth from use. The whole place had a really comfortable vibe. The other side had a kitchenette across one wall. Opposite that were a long, built-in desk, three chairs, and three computer stations. Shelves and cupboards were built in everywhere. Like a high-end, yacht

galley, no space went unused. The planked walls and floors were old and worn with a soft sheen like finished mahogany. There was metal worked into the wood in really artistic ways. The room was a piece of art. I ran my hands down the doorframe, unable to keep from touching the wood. Silky smoothness, like polished petrified wood or glass, but warm like youd imagine the skin of a marble statue come alive. A rush rippled up my fingers and arms and enveloped mepure tree bliss combined with a strong jolt of A.J.s energy added in for spicewhoa.

The whole tree house was alive. For a moment I forgot everything but that soul-soothing current of calm. I sucked it up greedily. I floated on power, rejuvenating, revitalizing, reenergizing. Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation. The tree pulled on me, as if it was calling me to jump. My signature was blockedno way should that be happening. You have to initiate a trip; it doesnt come out of nowhere. You have to connect to the right ring. You have to adjust your vibrations to the patterns of

the time frame. This was like the TV playing without a power source. The pull was strong, enticing, compelling. Reluctantly, I pulled my hands away, shook them, took a breath, and tried again. The pull was stronger still. It reached down inside me and swirled around my core, compelling, enticingcommanding. Okay, there were things going on there I didnt understand. Maybe it had something to do with the melding. Now I was the one wanting answers.

Whadda we have here? asked the one called Joe. He spit a wad of brown goop at my feet and leered at me. I flinched and pulled my hat tighter on my head. The big one

grinned and gestured at me with his shotgun. Who are you, boy? Whadaya doin out here all by your lonesome? I looked up at them without answering. My head throbbed from knocking it on the rocks, and I felt a little dizzy. I wasnt exactly seeing double, but I was having a hard time focusing. I didnt know if I could get up without falling over. And besides, it all seemed so surreal, like I was in some Nick at Nite cowboy movie. I didnt really know how to respond. Hey, boy, Im talkin to you, Joe snarled, nudging me with his

toe. Howd you make that racket? What do I do now, guys? I asked in my head to Lex and Ipod neither of whom seemed to have anything to say. My mind was blank. I swallowed and tried to speak. I Give him a minute, Joe. Cant you see hes about to piss his pants? said the big one. Joe hooted and then reached out and grabbed me by the arm. Come outta there, boy. He pulled me to my feet and out of the rocks, looking suspiciously at my clothes. Skinny little thing, aint he? Howd you make that noise?

The big one spoke. Where you from, boy? Whadaya doin out here by yourself? Umm CCColorado, I stammered, clutching my hoodie tight around me. I searched frantically for the Indian, but couldnt see him anywhere. CCColorado? You ever heard of that, Joe? Nope. Joe yanked me by the arm out into the open. Why you dressed so funny? he asked suspiciously. Looky this, Edgar. Feel this. Ever feel anything this soft? They both fingered my hoodie. Ever seen buttons like

that? Whadaya think theyre made of? Dont rightly know. Look at the tiny stitchin on this thing, Joe said. Never seen such even stichin. This has got to cost a pretty penny. This is some kind of fancy boy. Whatdaya doin out here, fancy boy? Leave me alone! I growled. I scowled, wrapped my arms around myself, and backed up a few steps. Whoa, spunk! Come back here, boy, said Joe. I didnt move. I said, come here, boy, Joe snarled, glaring at me and chewing

on his mustache. I inched forward, wobbling as I held my hand to my head. He grabbed my arm again and dragged me, stumbling, back to the campsite. He shoved me against a large cottonwood, making my head scream with pain. You stay put while we have a little powwow, he ordered. Dont even think a runnin. They walked a few yards away and began talking animatedly, keeping their voices low, probably figuring out what to do with me. Free for the moment, I turned to the tree. I grabbed on to the

trunk, hugging it tight, connecting with its energy. I soaked it up fast, pulling as much power as I could while I had the chance. The dizziness passed. The pain faded and my vision cleared. Halfway myself again, I looked over at the two men. Apparently, theyd come to some kind of decision, because they were nodding their heads and grinning. Whats yer name, boy? the big one asked. My mind went blank. Hey, Edgar here asked you a question! Joe growled, starting towards me. You need to show a

little Elmo, I blurted out, grabbing the name from Sesame Street. You got family nearby, Elmo? Edgar asked. I didnt know what the safest answer was. I decided on yes. I nodded. Where they at, then? Umm, hunting, I answered, but theyre coming back soon. Take a look around, Joe, Edgar said. Joe climbed up the hill and scanned the horizon. Dont see nothin, he called as he slid back down. Looks like we

got ourselves a prize, eh, Edgar? Looks like, agreed Edgar, grinning. So Elmo, we been thinkin how nice it would be if we had ourselves a cooksomeone to clean up, brush down the horses, gather wood, and make camp. We wuz thinkin about gettin ourselves a squaw. But the injuns dont like parting with their squawstake real offense at it, they do. So maybe you might do just fine instead, Joe smirked. Whadaya think, Edgar? Just fine, Edgar answered. So you stay put, boy. No way can you outrun us, and theres

nowhere to go. We got horses, and youre on foot. We got guns, and I have myself a mighty fine whip. Dont you go makin us use them, Joe said, lifting the whip off his saddle. You hear me, boy? He flicked the whip out and snapped it back with a loud crack. I nodded and huddled against the tree. Fear kept my breathing shallow and erratic. They sat down by the fire, chugging on a whisky bottle. I leaned against the tree thinking hard. The pepper spray was in my back jeans pocket. Surreptitiously as I could, I pulled it to the front. I checked for my knife,

which was a joke. What was I going to do, knife fight a couple of men? As if. I waitedanxiously. Finally the Indian strolled back into camp holding a couple of fat, brown rabbits by the ears. He glanced at me, lifted his eyebrows slightly, and sat down on a log as though hed seen nothing unusual. Look what we found, Chief, Joe cackled. We got ourselves a prize, Edgar added, grinning ear to ear which, I might add, was not a pretty sight. He shuffled around in his pocket and pulled hunk of something black. He hacked a

chunk off with his knife, stuck it in his mouth, and began to chew. Could he be any more disgusting? The Indian just grunted and took his knife to a rabbit. It took him less than a minute to lop off the head, scoop out the guts, and whip off the skin. I shuddered. I didnt know that you could just peel a whole hunk of skin off like that. My scalp tightened and I swallowed hard. I think our luck just keeps gettin better all the time, huh, Edgar? Be right nice to have somebody to do some of the work around here.

Right nice, Edgar agreed, staring at me intently. You see the skin on him? Ever see skin like that? Stand up and hold out yer hands, boy! I complied. Theres not a single callous on them hands. Not a mark. Hes got to have family, rich family. He aint done a lick a work in his life. I never seen hands like that. He glared at me suspiciously. Well, maybe them rich folk might pay to get him back then. Maybe we keep him for a spell, let him do the cookin and such; and then when we strike it rich, we

ransom him back to his folk? Whadaya think? Yup. But, howd he get way out here? Edgar asked, not quite convinced. Look how clean he is. You ever seen anyone that clean? Smell um! He walked over to me and sniffed. Smell um! Joe walked over, leaned in, and sniffed. I didnt know how he could possibly smell me over his own stench. I gagged and almost barfed right on his filthy boots. He snickered. Youre right, he smells all flowery. Why you smell like that, boy? He pushed back my

hood. I jerked. What kind of hat is this? Look how smooth this is, Edgar. He fingered Ipods cap. Then he looked me in the eyes, grinned wickedly, and yanked it off. My hair tumbled down, all wavy and wild from being stuffed in the hat when it was still wet. It cascaded over my shoulders and bounced around my face. The Indian stood abruptly, mouth open. Edgar grinned and Joe hooted. Woohoo! We got a prize, dont we just! We not only got a cook, we

got ourselves a bed-warmer. Look at that hair. I aint never seen hair like that. No wonder his skin is so soft. Hes a gol danged girl! Edgar chimed in, wobbling from the whisky. Ill be a donkeys ass. Hes a gol danged girl. Kind of young, though, aint she? For a bedwarmer? Suddenly, Joe reached out and ripped down the front of my hoodie, taking the folded sheet and my pajama top with it. Buttons flew, the sheet fell on the ground, and my clothing gaped open wide. Me, I just stood there in my thin, little tank top, too shocked to

react. Looks like shes old enough, Edgar, he hooted, slapping his knee and taking a chug of the whiskey. Old enough!

She poked me in the back. Earth to New Guy! I jumped. I hadnt heard her return. I was

spaced out in front of the tree, my hands on the trunk, tapping into the rhythm of its power. I pulled back, shook my hands, and ran them through my hair to discharge the excess energy. Then I turned around, took a deep breath, and brought the room into focus. She was wearing jeans and a tee shirt and had washed all the goop off her face. She sighed and kind of shook her head. You are like her, she said. Just what I need, another space case. I tossed out an excuse. Lunch time, didnt eat much breakfast. Tends to space me out. I wasnt

lying. I was hungry, and if I was going to get A.J. back, I needed fuel. I dropped down on the sofa, hoping shed get the hint. Guysbottomless pits. She rolled her eyes. But she pulled a couple of Hot Pockets from the fridge and stuck them into the micro to nuke. She tossed me a bottle of water and kicked off her shoes. Then she stepped onto the sofa and slowly sank down, crosslegged, facing me. Foods coming, she said. Lets do this. I struggled for an opening line. I cracked the water and downed half of it, stalling. This is a first for

me, I said, finally. Ive never discussed this with anyone except guild members. Not even my best friend, Daniel, knows. Its not like I cant keep a secret, she said, stretching her arm across the sofa back. Yeah, Im counting on that. I looked her square in the eyes. This was serious stuff. She held my gaze and didnt flinch. If my radar was any good at all, she was trustworthy. Besides, it was a zero sum game. She had secrets too. So I just jumped right in. I travel through time like A.J. does. Well, maybe not exactly like she does,

but similar. So you have control over it? I nodded. A.J. just gets yanked back. Thats harsh, I said. It would have to be. I can teach her how to handle it. Seriously? I nodded. Easy deal. We initiate travel by tapping into the energy matrix of trees and their connection to the life force of the planet. I can show her how to do that. So it is the tree, thats what Ipod has always said. Yeah, its the tree combined

with someone with abilities. Were called Editors. Because? We go back in time and edit the past, rewrite it so to speak. No shit! And you do this how? We use the trees as portals or maybe more like power sources. How was that? Not too bad sounded cool. It seemed like she was going for it. Okay, you dont get to laugh at this, but are you an alien? No, I said, shaking my head. That wasnt a laughing matter. We werent aliens, but she was close to the truth. Is that what you guys

thinkthat A.J.s an alien? When we were little, we thought it was magic, she said, letting out a little laugh. Ipods obsessed with figuring it out. But hes never gotten anywhere. Once he found science, he convinced us magic wasnt real. That eliminated all the paranormal stuff you find on TV. So at that point, we went with alien. We held that belief through middle school. The last couple years, we figured we just had no way to know. Not knowing sucked, especially for A.J. No doubt, I said. Someone tracked me down and eased me

into it before any of my abilities showed up. Lucky you, she said. We didnt have that luxury. So if someone taught you the ropes, that means there are more of you. I knew she couldnt be the only one. How many? About three hundred worldwide. She got a wrinkle between her eyebrows. No shit? So we have backup in case you cant pull this off? I nodded. Of course, that was a whole other complicated scenario. I needed to pull this off if I wanted

A.J. to help fix my timeline. I didnt want the Guild in on it. Then how bout we skip to the part about rescuing A.J., she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. I sighed. Heres the thing. That just got a little more complicated. I hoped she didnt think I was wimping out. How so? Logistics, I said. Theres just a slight change in time frame. Theres something about this tree. Its wicked powerful. I dont know if its the tree itself, A.J.s energy, or a combination of both. Im still game,

but I want to wait until the sun goes down before I try. Because...? She stretched out the word and flicked out her hand. Its safer. Basically, the tree is quieter then. Trees rest when it gets dark because theyre no longer drawing energy from the sun. The micro dinged. That makes sense, she said, walking into the kitchen area. She put the Hot Pockets on plates and came back, handing me one. So we wait till dark? I nodded and launched into the food. Then youll go get her, right?

She seemed somewhat pacified. She sat back on the sofa and took a bite. No, unfortunately, I cant go anywherelong, sad story. Ill fill you in later. I didnt want to get into that yet. Let me eat this and then Ill explain. Deal? Works for me, she said, taking another bite. I didnt want to stare, but I sorta watched her out of the corner of my eye while we were eating. She was hot. That was just a fact. And I thought how normally, Id be thinking about how I could get her to go out with me. But I totally

wasnt. Part of me was there, trying to explain things to her. And part of me definitely noticed the view. But a big part of me was miles away, just thinking about A.J. God, I hoped she was okay. It only took a few minutes go wolf down the food. When we were done I explained about Shadows. How they could travel undetected, but that they always left a link to their portal tree. So Im going to lock onto her energy and pull her home, I said finally. Well, offer her a lifeline. She has to latch on. And if she doesnt?

She will. This is her portal tree. Shell recognize her its energy. Shell reach for it when it touches her. Youre going to pull her back? Pretty much. Done it before? A few times, I said, draining my water bottle. Is it dangerous? Not at all. Okay, then, she said, with a sigh. So we wait. You want to go to afternoon classes? Not so muchyou? She snorted. As if. This is epic. Ive been living in Freak City for

years with no answers. How about you give me some? I can do that, I said, stretching my legs out on the coffee table. This place was mint. And the sofa was really comfortable. What do you want to know? First, were you sent here to find A.J.? Sent here? By whom? I had to laugh. Yeah, right. Like the Guild would send me anywhere. No, Iit was a complete surprise. Youve got to understand, the odds of us meeting are winning-the-lottery small. No, no I laughed again. Total coincidence, amazing

coincidence. We moved here because of my brotherlong story. My laugh faded. I didnt want to get into that either. Then how did you know she was like you? she asked. I could feel her, sense herat school. I could hear the music of her soul. No shit! She felt you too. Yeah, I know, I said smiling. We have highly enhanced nervous systems so that we can handle the energy it takes to master time travel. That makes us really sensitive to the energy of other Editors.

So you want to meet her because shes like you? she asked. Basically. Also, I need her help. Its a long story that you wont understand until you know more about the whole deal. Ill tell you all about it, I promise. So, you sensed her at school, she said. Yeah, and that day she bolted from the room, I She was freaked. I thought it was a migraine, I said sarcastically. Yeah, well, what can I say? I guess I was a little persistent.

She snorted and rolled her eyes. Quick question, I said. The other day in the hallway, did A.J. say anything about seeing pictures in her mind? Id been obsessing about the melding since it happened, wondering if it was only mehoping that it wasnt. No, she just talked about how it felt. What do you mean, pictures? Never mind, I said quickly. Its nothing. So the melding was a one-sided t h i n g . Great. It probably didnt affect A.J. since she was a Shadow.

I was alone in thisnot good. I focused back on Lex. Okay, Ill give you the whole rundown, I said. But first, give me a quick overview of A.J. Two minutes. Ill time it. It might help me know where to start. Two minutes. Then you spill all. Deal. I set the timer on my phone. She told me A.J.s story. I made no comment. I didnt want to stop her by asking questions. But Id never heard of anyone traveling before they were a teenager, and even then, they had to be taught.

The girl was mint. A.J.s mom, Simone, freaked, as you would expect, Lex continued. No one believed her. They thought she was imagining it at first, or high, or maybe even faking to get attention. Later, they thought she was losing it, that maybe she had the crazy gene. The crazy gene? She stared at me solemnly for a moment, and then she leaned forward and looked me square in the eye. A.J.s totally amazing, you know. Dont ever doubt it. She might seem all sensitive and weird and stuff. And of course, theres the

deal with that stupid hoodie. But shes smart. Shes tough. And theres no one else like her. You have no idea what shes had to deal with. I want her back. I need her back. I get it, I said. Ill do everything I can Okay, then. Just so you know. Where were we? The crazy gene. The crazy generight. This was before A.J. was born. A.J.s great-grandfather, Charlie, was supposedly one fry short of a happy meal. She pointed to a photo of a tall, white haired man standing

beside an oak tree. Is that this tree? I asked. Yeah, she said. It was Charlies tree first. And I guess that Charlie got a little absentminded as he got older. He disappeared from time to time, causing problems. Disappeared? She shrugged. Wandered off, I guess. He was old. It was a long time ago. I dont know all the details. Anyway, Simone worshiped her grandfather. He was this sweet old man, and she claimed he was eccentric, not crazy. The two of them were tight, into the environment and stuff.

Simones mother died when she was youngcar accident. Her father remarried some bimbo, trophy wife. He and Charlie didnt see eye to eye on anything. Charlie was a gardener, a thinker, the artist type. He built this for Simone. She gestured around the room. Simones dad was country club. Charlie embarrassed him. So the dad pretty much just got him out of the way. How? Put him in a home and took control of all the assets. It was sad. Charlie didnt do well locked up. He was an outdoor guy and he went

downhill fast. One day he just disappeared. No one knows how he got out of the home. They never found him. Harsh, I said. Exactly. Simone spent years trying to track her grandfather down, but they never even found a trail. She blamed her dad and they never spoke again after that. A few months after her grandfathers disappearance, her dad sold off the land surrounding this house. Then he and the trophy wife packed it up to Florida. Anyway, when no one believed

her about A.J., Simone finally decided she had to be hallucinating. It made her question everything. If she was wrong about A.J., maybe she was wrong about Charlie too. Maybe he had a crazy gene, and shed inherited it, and that was why she thought A.J. was disappearing. When we were nine, she wolfed a bunch of pills. It was massive heartbreaking. Yeah, I was familiar with the pill-wolfing thing. Harsh, I said again. How do you know all this? Simone kept a journal, she said. We found it the day she died. When it happened, Sam called my

mom and asked if I could come stay with A.J. When I got to the house, A.J. was curled up in her moms chair, sobbing her little heart out. The journal was under the cushion. So that had a lot to do with why A.J. thinks its all her fault: her moms suicide, her dad being a mess, everything. My phone alarm buzzed and we both kind of startled. Perfect timing, she said. Thats A.J.s story in Cliff Notes. You ready to spill? You have an open mind? I asked. I do, she said, nodding.

No problem then, I said. No problem at all.

Before I could blink, the Indian was between the cowboys and me. Not your child, he said calmly. He gestured with his knife, which was dripping blood from skinning the rabbit.

Fear buckled my knees. Struggling to control my shaking, I took a few wobbly steps backwards and leaned against the tree for support. I clutched at my ripped hoodie, pulling it closed and wrapped my quivering arms across my chest. Then I crouched by the tree, my eyes riveted on the scene in front of me. Easy now, Chief, take it easy, Joe said indignantly. This here belongs to us. We found her, Edgar chimed in, licking his lips, as if I was a pork chop. Not your child, the Indian

repeated, wiping his knife on the grass. Joe looked at the knife. Edgar whispered something to him. Joe nodded. Hey, were happy to share, Joe said, backing up, hands held up in front of him. Edgar backed up too. The Indian just stood his ground, staring them down. The cowboys retreated to complain by the campfire. No hurryplenty a time, said Edgar. How bout we get that rabbit cookin? He pointed to the rabbit and held up the stick the Indian had been sharpening to skewer it.

Completely ignoring me, the Indian walked over to him and grabbed the stick. Glaring at Edgar, he shoved it through the rabbit in one violent move. Edgar flinched. The Indian changed his gaze to Joe and did the same with the second rabbit. Joe, whod just opened his mouth to say something, closed it abruptly. Both cowboys suddenly got very interested in the whiskey bottle. The Indian put the rabbits on to cook. Then he crouched by the fire, staring into the heat. The cowboys passed the bottle back and forth talking low and urgently to

each other. Not once during the little scene had the Indian looked at me. Not once. I was confused. I sat back against the cottonwood. Obviously, the Indian wasnt on the same team as the cowboys. But he seemed a little scary. Still, he was the only thing between me and the Gross Brothers and things too horrifying to mention. I wanted to thank him, but had no clue how to do it. When the rabbits were done, the Indian split them up, and the cowboys dug in greedily. The Indian walked over to me with a hunk

skewered on a stick. He handed it to me gently and motioned for me to eat. I took the stick and nodded. He looked at me intently for a moment and then went back to sit by the fire. Now that the action was over, he broke his pattern of ignoring me. As he sat staring into the fire, he glanced at me periodically from under a curtain of heavy, black hair. I knew that trick. Maybe he wasnt that scary. I was feeling pretty good about him at that point. The cowboys were a problem, but if the Indian was on my side, I had a chance. I was still scared, but not

quite as much. Keeping an eye on the cowboys, I munched on the rabbit. It tasted a little weird, but hey, I had no clue when I might eat again. It was strange to eat something Id seen, well, not exactly killed, but skinned, which was even grosser. I mean, I knew hamburgers came from cows, but Id never seen one slaughtered. A live animal had just turned into dinner in the blink of an eye, with no grocery store buffer zone in betweencreepy. The rabbit skin peeled right off, like a freakin banana. I shuddered and struggled

to swallow the wad of it in my mouth. Suddenly, I wasnt so hungry anymore. I spit out the meat and tossed the bone in the bushes. The cowboys were wolfing it down and leering at me. When he saw me looking at him, Joe gave me a freak-show grin. I cringed and pulled my hoodie tighter. Then I sat back against the tree with my hand on the pepper spray. I needed a plan. There was no way I could fight them, especially not two of them. So you need to slip away, whispered Ipod in my mind.

Yeah, right. They had horses. They knew the terrain. I was on foot in Ipods big bulky jeans and Lexs bedroom slippers. It wasnt the best outfit for speed; even if I was a runner, whichcue laughter from the audienceeveryone knows Im not. And lets not forget the weapons. Pepper spray versus guns and a whip? You do the math. If I could incapacitate them with the pepper spray, I could steal a horse andandwhat? Gallop off into the sunset? Theyd just come after me and theyd be pissed. What were the chances of pepper

spraying both of them without getting shot? And could I even climb up on a horse, much less make it go? I turned my attention back to the Indian. He was sitting on the log, calmly gnawing on a rabbit leg, licking the grease off his long fingers. His hands were huge. He was huge. He ignored both the Gross Brothers and me. He was buffed, but he seemed like one of those Indians who might be more a peace-pipe smoker than a scalper. Would he keep defending me? Would he help me get away? I didnt know.

But I knew one thing. I might be strange. I might be a misfit. I might have some of the worst luck in the history of luck having. But I sure as heck wasnt going to lose my V-card to one of those disgusting slime balls. I needed this Indian to be on my side. I closed my eyes and went inside my head. Lex stood there, chin up, fists clenched, looking determined and fearless like she always did. You can do this, A.J.! Shrink Four, Instead of freaking out, access the situation and make a plan.

Ipod told me to consider all my options. Brains are more important than brawn. You just use them differently. If you cant fight them, you have to outthink them. Look at your problem space. Focus. See it clearlyall the pieceslike a chessboard. What are the possible moves on each side? People who survive disasters stay calm and make their moves intelligently. Look ahead and your chances of winning increase exponentially. I took a breath and scanned the board. The light was fading fast. It would be dark soon, and with no cities, dark was really,

really dark. The flashlight was in my pack in the bushes by the rocks where Id hidden earlier. There was a chill on the side of me not facing the fire. I figured it would get a lot colder as the night progressed, and I didnt have much fat keeping me warm. My hat was on the ground a few feet away. My hands were already cold and the gloves were in the pack. I needed that pack if I was going to head off on some survival get-away by myself. I needed it to get through the night. I took a mental inventory of what I did have: the knife, pepper

spray, and the other half of the granola bar. My water bottle and the matches were in the pack. Ipod would tell me that getting the pack was my first move. And at that point, I really needed to pee. In the movies, people never had to pee. They could sit tied up for days and not pee. But this wasnt the movies. You can do this, Ipod told me. I can do this, I repeated like a mantra. I stood up and instantly two pairs of eyes riveted my way. Joes hand moved to his gun. What was he going to do, freakin shoot me for standing? Excuse me, I said, my voice

catching. The Indian looked up. Excuse me! I tried again, a little louder. Joes eyes traveled up and down my body. I swallowed. I need to use the jeez, they didnt have bathrooms in the olden days. What did they call it? I need toum relieve myselfin private, I said as firmly as I could. I waited, blushing furiously. The Gross Brothers looked at each other and snickered. Joe stood up. Ill count to fifty, he said, leering and pulling on his filthy

beard. If yer not back by the time Im done, Im comin after you. And maybe Ill just relieve myself too. Edgar hooted and gave Joe a conspiratorial nudge with his elbow. I guess they hadnt invented the high-five yet. Joe glanced sideways at the Indian to see if he caught on. The Indian just continued cleaning his knife, ignoring everyone. I nodded. Joe started counting, and I scrambled across the little clearing and back behind the rocks, where Id hidden earlier. I could hear him, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen At least I could tell by his voice that

he was still by the campfire. I quickly relieved myself and dug through the bushes for the pack. Twenty-nine, thirty, thirtyone I slipped one arm out of my hoodie and through the strap, flattened the pack against my chest, and closed the hoodie over it. It was a little bulky, but the hoodie was huge, and the pack didnt hold much. Thirty eight, thirty nine, forty He started to speed up his count, the rat. I scurried back to the tree,

grabbing my hat on the way. Joe looked disappointed that Id made it. I sat back down against the trunk, heart pumping. It was a small victory, but I felt pretty good about it. Maybe I was just soaking up energy from the tree, but I felt a little more powerful for having taken the risk kinda as if Id won round one. Okay, I was still screwed, but at least I didnt have to pee anymore. Joe and Edgar were getting loaded at that point. They bumbled through a round of drinking songs and thumped each other on the

backs talking about their run of good luck. They offered the whiskey bottle to the Indian, but he shook his head. He sat down and leaned against the tree facing me, knife in his hand. He watched me intently for about a half hour, and then his head began nodding against his chest. Soon he was snoring softly. So far, nothing really bad had happened. Maybe this was the worst of it. Maybe the Indian would protect me. I looked over at him, sleeping against the log. Except for the snoring, he seemed so peaceful. The sight of him relaxed me. It was reassuring to have him between the

Gross Brothers and me. I glanced over at the campfire. The campsite was empty. I felt a quick jolt of adrenaline whip up my spine. Joe and Edgar were gone. I didnt see them anywhere. What A filthy hand slammed across my mouth, slapping my head hard against the tree. For a second, I think I lost consciousness. Because when I opened my eyes, there was Joe, approaching in stealth mode. He was grinning wickedly and fiddling with the buttons on his pants. Son of a bitch!

We were still sprawled on the sofa. Lex was sitting sideways, cross-legged, and I was on the other end facing her. She was

waiting for answers. Once again, I was searching for a good opening line. I didnt find one. Earlier, you asked me if we were aliens, I said finally. We arent, but we do have alien technology. Are you serious? As a heart attack. Its extremely advanced. For one thing, we have enhanced computer capabilitiesthings that would blow your mind. The most important is a grid system for tracking travelers and changes in the timeline. Each Editor has kind of a signature, like a fingerprint that can be tracked and monitored. Or blocked I stopped

that line of thought. I didnt want to get into my disgrace yet. But the really vital part is something we call a Hitchhiker Mechanism. Which is? She rolled her finger. You know how tech just keeps getting smaller and smaller all the timeexponentially? She nodded. Well, imagine how small things might be, say, a thousand years from now. The aliens are light years more advanced than we are. They created a device so incredibly small it can hitchhike on a strand of DNA and get passed down

genetically. No shit! She seemed like she believed me. So are your parents Editors? I shook my head. No, they know nothing about it. The HM is programmed to just express sporadically. They didnt want power condensed in families. She got up and opened a window. Thats a pretty big secret to keep from your parents. It must be hard. Tell me about it, I said as the breeze from the window blew cool air across my face. So how does it work? she

asked, sitting back down. Have you ever heard of junk DNA? I took biology. Its the left-over pieces that dont do anything, right? Right. Well, the Hitchhiker Mechanism codes our junk DNA for the alterations that give us our abilities. How does that connect with time travel? Ever heard of string theory? Yeah, its one of Ipods favorite things. But I ignore most of what he says when he gets on one of his rants. So Ive heard of it, but I cant

really say I know much. It deals with subatomic particles. Not a geek here, Dude, simplify. Okay, well, you know about atoms, rightthe basic units of matter? Every atom has a nucleus with electrons zooming around it, like little planets around the sun. There are different kinds of atoms and theyre incredibly small. For instance take a helium atom, you know, the stuff you fill balloons with. I picked up a pencil lying on the table. You could line seventy million helium atoms in a row

across this eraser, thats how small they are. I stood and grabbed a round pillow off the sofa. Pretend this pillow is an atom, blown up. The nucleus in the center would still be smaller than this grain of salt. I licked my finger and picked up a grain of rock salt that had fallen off my Hot Pocket. Im talking really, really small. Still with me? Okaaay. And this matters, why? So you have the pillow or the atom with this tiny grain of salt for the nucleus. The nucleus has electrons spinning around it. But

most of this pillow is filled withnothing. Most matter is really empty space. When we travel, we move through the empty spaces. Strange, she said, it just doesnt seem possible. Yeah, I know. It gets even stranger. The building blocks of everything are increasingly small. Even smaller than the atom is a quark. Even smaller than a quark is a string. These strings are the building blocks of everything, including us. We used to think that these building blocks were points like dots. But now we know that theyre really unimaginably small,

vibrating strings. I walked over and plucked a string on Ipods violin. Like this string, these strings have specific vibrations, tones so to speak. Well, Editors can control the vibration of their strings. And thats important because It lets us do very cool things, I said, sitting back down. Thats where it connects to the time travel. Theres one more component. You know how trees have rings. That I know. A ring for each year, right?

Right, as a tree moves through a year of four seasons, it marks time with a ring. Like everything else, trees at their basic level are just a mass of vibrating strings. Each cell on that ring was formed at a specific point in time. That point in time corresponds to a particular vibration. Editors can match their strings to the exact vibration of the tree at that specific point in time. They harmonize with it and use gravity to pull themselves through the empty spaces to that point in time. Whoa Yeah, I said. Cool, huh?

Were traveling through an alternate dimension when were in the vortex. Ipod will be in geek-heaven. Hes been trying to figure it out forever. Hes always speculating about what scientists are going to be able to do in the future. Too bad hes not here to hear this. The mention of Ipods name must have gotten her thinking again because she teared-up a little. I felt bad for her. You okay? I asked. She sighed and then was silent for a second. Im dealing. A.J.s not my only disaster.

Want to talk about it? I asked. Maybe later, she said. What I want to know is how you got the alien technology. And are they friendly or are they going to enslave us? No worries, I said. Theyre peaceful. There have been visitations, but only on a small scale. We call their planet Kepler22b. They call it Oreon. And theyve been observing us for centuries. Thats a little scary, she said, getting the wrinkle between her eyebrows. Weve just been conditioned

by Hollywood that aliens are evil warmongers that want to take over our planet. The Oreonians mean us no harm. Think about it from our perspective. We wonder whats out there in the cosmos. Weve been searching for signs of extraterrestrial life for decades. Finding it would be the news of the century. The whole world would be fixated on it. Well, the planet Oreon is fixated on us. What do you mean? she asked. They wondered what was out there, too. Only, theyre way more advanced than we are, and theyve

actually gone looking. We spend the bulk of our resources on weapons and wars. They spend theirs on science and learning. Theyve been searching for life on other planets for centuries, and theyve found it. The reason they find us so fascinating is that were the only planet theyve found that has both technology and humanoid life. Humanoid life? Walks upright, has limbs, opposable thumbs. Theyre obsessed with us. In the beginning, they just had our airwaves. But once we developed the internet,

they had everything. Their linguists deciphered our major languages. They study us at their universities. They have what could only be called fan clubs. Their kids play with Earth dolls. Seriouslywere like their reality TV. Shut the front door! I know, right? I couldnt help grinning. It was incredibly liberating to just say it out loud. I started getting into it. After all the times I wanted so frickin bad to tell Daniel. Telling Lex was kind of making up for that. She was a good audience. For a long time they just watched us, I said. But then they

began to get concerned that we werent going to make it through the technological age. We too readily use war to settle our differences, and we continue to build more and more powerful weapons of destruction. We give no serious attention to climate change. We just arent evolving fast enough to keep up with our technology. They didnt think we were going to make it. They instigated the Editor Program to give us a fighting chance to survive the next century. How so? Over the years, there have been disasters that, in hindsight,

were preventable. They felt that if we had a way to go back in time and reverse some of them, wed have a better chance to evolve. Is our government involved in this? No. They wanted nothing to do with our government. They introduced the Hitchhiker Mechanism into a random selection of people in several of the most advanced countries. Since an Editor has to be formed from birth, the Oreonians set up the Guild to collect them when they reached adolescence and draft them into the program. They gave the Guild

sensitive equipment to detect and monitor them. I dont really know all the details of the early days. How did they get to Earth without us detecting them? Ha! Youll love this. Theyve developed the capacity to harness the power of stars. They open a wormhole to the far side of the moon and sneak in a little ship. But they open the wormhole in the past to before we had radar. They zip down to Earth and park the ship somewhere remote. Then they travel through the trees to the present and to where ever they want to go.

She threw out her hands. Who knows about this? Only Editors and now you. Guild members keep everything on the down low. Editors who leak get wiped out of the program. Then the Guild goes back in time and repairs the leaks so were pretty protected. Besides, who would believe it? Yeah, I know. Im a little on the fence here. Cross my heart, I said, making the slashes across my chest. She laughed. What? I asked. Im serious. Everything Im saying is true.

I lieI die, she said, making a cross on her chest. Excuse me? I lieI die. She kind of shook her head and gave another little laugh. Its just this thing we did when we were little. The three of us had it pretty tough. We really relied on each other. I lieI die was our solemn oath. Youve done it twice now. You didnt say our words, but I think the sentiment is still the same. We never question it. I guess Ill just have to trust you. Hey, I have a lot on the line here, I said. Theres a lot of trust coming from this side too. I lose big

if this gets out. In just a few hours, Lex and I had an affinity that usually comes with, well, maybe not years of friendship, but at least months. I guess we were both so committed to saving A.J., that it cut out all the games and bullshit. She didnt flirt with me and I didnt come on to her. Dont get me wrong. She was a stone, cold fox. Admittedly I had a random thought now and thenI am a guy. But my interests lied elsewhere. And it was sorta refreshing, just being with her that way, person to person. If I couldnt

trust her, who the heck could I trust? Shed protected A.J.s secret most of her life. That was good enough for me.

Edgars hand gripped so tightly across my mouth, it cut my lip on my teeth, and I tasted copper. His other hand threaded through my hair and held my head hard against the tree trunk. My arms were free.

But with my head in a vice, there was little I could do without breaking my neck. Struggling to breathe and shake off the dizziness, I dug my heels into the dirt and yanked with all my might to pry his filthy fingers loose. They wouldnt budge. He just snickered and held me tighter. Then he ran his tongue up the back of my neck and I knew Joe crept towards me, moving silently past the sleeping Indian. He was grinning, and licking his lips like I was dinner, and he hadnt had dinner in a long, long time. My insides turned to ice.

Panicking, I scratched and clawed at Edgars calloused hands. It didnt even faze him. I hung heavy on his arms, trying to use my weight to break his grip. But he was a big-ass cowboy. And I was me. He weighed more than twice what I did. And even though I was terrified, I just kept thinking about how disgusting his hands smelled, and that I would do anything to get them the heck off meto say nothing of keeping Joes hands from touching my body. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I needed air. I couldnt even scream, with Edgar gagging me.

I had nothing. Still, I writhed, and yanked with all my might, trying to get away, trying to make noise, trying to wake the Indian. Edgar hissed at Joe to hurry up before the Indian woke up. Joe just smirked and reached down to grab my feet. I kicked out, but he quickly had a hand around each ankle. He wrenched my legs out straight, looked me right in the eye, and flicked out his tongue. I gagged. Adrenaline shot through me in a whip-snap streak. I yanked my legs in tight against my chest.

Joe toppled towards me, losing his hold. The next second, he was inches from my face, hands on either side of me against the tree. His breath was hot and disgusting. Those beady eyes looked straight into mine. He smirked. And then he whispered in my ear, Were gonna have ourselves a little fun, Sweetheart. I dont think so, I thoughtnot if I can help it. I closed my eyes. I felt the tree behind me. Quickly, I sank into its vibration until I reached its core. I soaked up the power, pulling everything I could hold. I brought

my legs in even tighter against my chest. Then, as hard as I could, I slammed my feet straight into Joes stomach. I heard a loud grunt and then a thump. I opened my eyes to see Joe twenty feet across the campsite, crash landing on the log by the Indian. The Indian was up in a flash, knife in hand, looking stunned to see Joe on the ground. The shock made Edgar loosen his grip enough for me to reach my pepper spray. I whipped it out and squirted it behind my head. The hand on my

face dropped, as Edgar howled, clutching his eyes. I screamed and spit out the filthy taste. And then somehow, I was up the tree in two seconds flat, watching the scene from above. Joe lay moaning in the dirt. The Indian just stood there looking up at me with his mouth open. Edgar was screaming bloody murder and rolling on the ground. High in the tree, my heart pounded like a hummingbird on speed. I looked down and realized that the lowest limb had to beten, maybe fifteen feet from the ground. The cottonwood had drawn me up

like a Slurpee straw. One moment I was on land and the next Iand how had I kicked Joe clear across the campsite? Id hoped for a little extra strength from using the tree power, but that had been cartoon kickboxing. I couldnt make sense of it. Edgar crawled for the creek, screaming curses at me. Joe staggered to his feet, but he couldnt quite stand up straight. He held his stomach, stumbled, and then he barfed right on his own boots. The Indian stood there grinning up at me as if I was the best show hed seen in years.

Me? HelloI was up a tree. Joe scowled at the Indian who was full-out laughing at that point. His laughter allowed my internal terror alert to move from red back to orange. From the way the Indian was grinning at me, I figured I was okay as long as he was around. The Gross Brothers needed him to find the gold. It would be stupid to mess with the Indian. Momentarily, I was out of danger. Id won round two. But how long could I stay up there, and how was I going to get down? Speaking of which Youll get down here, girl, if

you know whats good for ya! Joe yelled. In his dreams! The filthy, lowlife, dirt bag, thinking he could justuhhh! I flipped him off. Did they do that in the olden days? Apparently they did. You get down here, you little bitch! yelled a swollen-eyed Edgar. Joe, get her down! Joe walked around the tree and then backed up and looked at it. How the heck did she do that? He took a running start and leapt for the lowest branch, missing it by about two feet. He tried it again and smashed his face against the

bark, scraping off pieces of skin. He fell back, swearing and swiping at the scratches on his face. The Indian was practically rolling on the ground, laughing. Joe grabbed the whip off his saddle horn and glared at the Indian. The Indian got quiet and stood there with his hand on his knife. I climbed to a higher branch, instantly regretting flipping Joe off. That had been a stupid move. Joe stomped past the Indian and stood under the tree. You cant stay up there forever, he yelled. Yer gonna pay for this! Joe lashed out the whip. It

cracked like a sonic boom, but it didnt come close to reaching me. A bunch of leaves and branches came crashing down on his head. The Indian started laughing again. Joe cursed, shouted, and stomped on the ground like a two-year old. Then he slumped down by the fire and bitched to a moaning Edgar about women who didnt know their place. I smirked down at them. Well, my freakin place was up a tree and out of their reachat least for the moment. I only had value if I was alive, so I didnt think theyd shoot me down. I was stuck there till I

went back home, which rocked for avoiding them, but sucked because I really needed sleep. I began to worry about how I was going to make it through the night without falling and breaking my neck. My smirk faded. The Indian settled back against the log, still laughing quietly to himself every few minutes. He watched me for a while, and then he nodded off again. Off in the distance, a pack of coyotes howled. The wind picked up a little and blew my hair every which way. I shivered and gazed longingly at the fire now too far

away to do me any good. Id lost my hat in the mad rush up the tree, but I still had my pack on. I took a few safety pins and secured my clothing together the best I could. I was safe for the moment, but it was going to be a long, cold, and creepy night. I climbed to a better spota wide, flat fork where two big limbs met the trunk. An image of Ipod lying in the hammock danced through my head. In a flash of Ipodinsight, I pulled out my sheet and ripped off about eight strips of cloth, each one about two inches wide. The ripping sound made the

men look my way. I ignored them. I had a planat least to get me through the night. The two big limbs shot up in a parallel V away from the trunk, leaving a good-sized flat space at the bottom where they joined together. I crouched there with my strips of sheet. I tied each strip about four inches apart across the two limbs, until I had a row of them, like the slats on the back of a chair. I used knots Ipod taught me that got tighter with pressure, and the roughness of the bark kept them from slipping. I folded up the rest of the sheet

into a long piece about two feet wide and eight feet long. I wove it up through the strips and then looped back it back for another flat layer on top. It was a little rustic, but it worked like a sling back hammock. It slacked enough between the two limbs to keep me from falling out in my sleep and it seemed really secure. Not badnot bad at all. Intensely satisfied, I twirled around and leaned back with my feet against the trunk. I still believed that sometime soon, Id go home. All I had to do was to wait it out, and now that I had a little

comfort, no biggie. I could do this. I took a deep breath. I was okay. Sure, something really bad almost happened. But in the end, it didnt. And the really wild thing about the whole night was that Id kinda saved myself. I was okay for the moment. I knew the tree energy was giving me a false sense of security, but false or not I went with it. Thered be plenty of time to freak if and when something else happened. I pulled out what was left of the chocolate almonds and sat back munching. Safe for the moment, I allowed myself to

indulge in thoughts of Constantine. He went well with chocolate.

By late afternoon we ordered pizza. Apparently it was a regular deal because the delivery guy didnt comment when he climbed the tree

house ladder. Lex insisted on paying and tipped big. Or at least I assume she did because the delivery guy grinned when she handed him the cash. The pizza smelled incredible. I immediately snagged a hot piece, loaded with gooey cheese, and lots of pepperoni. Excellent, I said, stringing the cheese into my mouth. She laughed. What? Im starved. I took another big bite. No doubt. Why do you think I ordered pizza? Ive been listening to your stomach growl for the last hour.

I shrugged. All I had since breakfast was that Hot Pocket. I need more fuel than that to pull this off. Ill buy you pizza for life if you bring my girl back, she said, grabbing her own slice. Lets eat outside and watch the sun go down. Its one of A.J.s favorite things. Sounds good. I closed the pizza box and brought it with us to the porch. I dropped into a deck chair, leaned back, and put my feet up on the rail. This place is amazing. Dont I know it. She gave me a fist bump and then she climbed

into the hammock. It wont be long now, I said. Then we relaxed, ate pizza, and watched the sun sink slowly over the horizon. We were mostly quiet. It was nice. I liked this chick. She didnt talk just to fill in space like some girls did. If she didnt have something to say, she was okay just watching the sunset. I liked that. Waiting is hard, she said finally, taking her last bite. A.J. usually just goes back to an earlier version of the tree house, but I still worry. She got up and walked back inside. She set her plate on the

counter and then flopped down on the sofa. I followed. Im sure shes fine, I said, with absolutely no knowledge to back it up. The critic started stressing, but I shoved him to the back of my mind and just focused on Lex. Heres what I dont get about the whole time travel deal, she said. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. Why doesnt someone go back and really change history, like kill Hitler and keep mass murders from being born and stuff like that? I wish, I said. First, some of

that has happened, and we just dont realize it because, well, things have been changed. The Guild does what it can to prevent disasters. Its their primary purpose. Second, its not that simple. Just like there are laws of physics, there are laws that govern time travel as well. Time isnt that easy to change. You can only do little things. Look at it this way. I moved in front of the TV and picked up the super-soaker squirt gun that was propped against the wall. I handed it to her. Say you took this squirt gun and aimed it at the screen.

How bout I squirt you, she said grinning. She pointed the gun at me and gave it a squirt. I jumped out of the way. Lets keep this hypothetical, I said. If you shot at the screen, I could move in front of the water stream and block the TV from getting wet, right? She nodded. Now, say you switched to a garden hose. I could maybe block most of the water, but splatters would still hit the screen. If you switched to a fire hose, it would knock me right against the screen, and the TV would get soaked even

though I was trying to block it. In fact those suckers are so powerful, it would lay me out and knock the screen right off the wall. Point? she said, setting down the super-soaker. Coming. If there was an ocean wave bearing down at me, thered be nothing I could do for the TV total destruction. Hitler, mass murderers, theyre tsunamis. The impact they had was so frickin huge, its just too set in time to be able to go back and move after the facttoo heavy. Make sense? I guess, she said hesitantly, stretching her legs out on the coffee

table. Think of it like this, I said, using my hands for emphasis. The greater the impact, the wider the spread, the more difficult it is to change. Also, the farther back in time it happened; the harder it is to rewrite. Plus, theres the multicausal factor as well. Meaning Twenty guns aiming from all anglestheres probably no way I could block the screen from getting wet. The easiest things to change are the ones where there are limited causal factorspreferably just one.

Doesnt sound like you can do much, she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. Yeah, its tricky, I said, and not as easy as it sounds. But small rewrites can have huge consequences. I sure knew about that one. So, hypothetically, she started. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. Say something happened recently. And say it had a single causal factor. More preciselysomeones mother selfishly shooting off her big mouth. Yeah I said tentatively,

knowing where things were going. Could you go back and change it? Hypothetically? Her eyes filled with tears, but she held them back. They didnt fall. I looked down at my hands and gave her a second to regroup. When I looked up, the tears were gone, but there was a little spot of wet on her right shoulder. Hypothetically, yes, I said, truthfully. I couldnt help but think that Ipod was conveniently out of the way, leaving A.J. open to fall for me. That kind of worked for me. Does this have something to do with Ipod? As if I didnt know.

She nodded. His monster of a dadwe call him the Hammer, the son of a bitchHulked out on him here. He probably laid into him again when he got him home. The Hammer could have whacked Ipod and buried him in the backyard for all I know. Thats just the thing. Ipod doesnt have his phone. He hasnt been online. Hes dropped off the grid and I cant find him anywhere. That sucks, I said. Part of me wanted to have A.J. to myself and part of me wanted to help the guy. The A.J. and me thing wasnt looking so good at that point. So

you know the exact causal factor? Yes, the exact causal factor, she said. If this one thing didnt happen, Ipod would be sitting right here. We need Ipod. It will just kill A.J. to lose him. I felt a knife in my gut. We cant have that. How do you know there was a single causal factor? She grimaced and kind of shook her head. My mom found out Ipod crashes here most of the time. Since shes such a sleaze herself, she assumed we were all going at it like bunnies and that it would be a problem for her if I got knocked up. So, bitch manipulator that she is,

she decided to remove Ipod from the equation. The easiest way to do that was to tell Ipods dad shed sue his ass if Ipod got me pregnant. Whoa, I said, thats lame. Yeah, lame is her first name. Right before bitch. Can you sue for that? Doesnt sound Shes a lawyer! she said, slamming her fist down on the sofa. She sues if someone looks at her funny. It doesnt matter if she has a case or not. By the time its over, the other persons broke. Besides, she plays dirty and she always wins.

Harsh. Exactly, she said. She got a determined look on her face. She screws upIpod pays. Not okay. She made a big mistake, messing with my people. Ill deal with her later. Right now I want to know about rescuing Ipod. Are you and Ipod? Nowell, first, not my type. Hes like my little brother. God, when I met him, we were still losing teeth. I know him way too well for anything romantic to possibly happen. But hes family. My hopes sank even lower. So it was him and A.J.

I justI kind of feel responsible for them, she said, sighing. A.J.s my BFF, but she has a lot to deal with. Somebody needs to have her back. And Ipod, someday hell do something amazing. But hes just so freaking brilliant, he doesnt fit well in the real world. And now theyre both gone. They could be in serious trouble, and I just she trailed off and shut her eyes for a minute. Itll be okay, I reassured her. Howd his parents allow him to live here in the first place? His moms dead, and his dad couldnt care less, she said,

opening her eyes and scowling. He never has. She told me the story of how they found Ipod lying in the ditch. Harsh, I said when she was done. Thats messed-up. Exactly. She narrowed her eyes. He was in bad shape that day. But A.J. healed him, and the three of us have been tight ever since. What do you mean she healed him? I asked, confused. You know, she tapped into the tree and channeled it into Ipod. Twenty minutes later, he was fine. Dont you all do that?

Not that I know of, I answered. Most Editors can keep themselves healthy. We heal fast and we have long lives. But healing someone else? I dont think so. Besides, the things we do take time to learn. Thats my girl. I always knew she was all kinds of special. People laugh at her. They dont have a clue. I was blown away, but at that moment, I didnt want to think about how special she was. Mostly, I didnt want to think about her and Ipod. I stood up and stretched, hoping that Lex would change the

subject. She didnt. It took us some trial and error, but we finally realized that as long as Ipod showed up for violin lessons once a week, he didnt have to go home. I guess getting the bill for that once a month was how the Hammer knew he was alive. We were fine until my mom butted in. So, one causal factor. You can get him back, right? Its making me crazy, worrying that hes hurt and suffering. Sufferingthat word hit home. I had to help her. I couldnt leave him there, not even to get him out

of the way. Their gain/my pain. It sounds pretty straight forward, I said, reluctantly. Once A.J.s back, well figure it out. What has to be figured out? she asked. I couldnt put it off any longer. I have a problem, I said. I majorly screwed up a while back. For now, Im blocked from the timeline. She arched her eyebrows at me. You can still get A.J., right? Yeah, I havent lost all my abilities. I just cant travel. Thats why I have to pull A.J. back. So, can you do that with

Ipod? Nowhole different scenario. The timeline will have to be changed. If we can figure out a way to keep your mom from talking to Ipods dad, we can pull it off. But A.J. will have to travel back and do it. I slumped down on the sofa with my feet on the coffee table. I let my head drop back and closed my eyes for a moment. Think of it like having clearance, like a key card to get into top secret facilities. Each card has an ID or a signature like a retinal scan. Mine has been blocked. A.J. has 007 special, black

opsno one even knows she exists. She can come and go as she pleases. I just need to show her how. She jumped up and raised both clenched fists in the air. Yes! Then she gave me a sly kind of look. So, New Guy, what exactly did you do? I told her the story of how Id changed my timeline and what happened to Devon. That sucks! she said sympathetically. We knew he was in a wheelchair, but we didnt know why. Now you do, I said, feeling a

wave of guilt creep back over me. Yes, I am the why. Anyway, the Guild caught me and yanked my travel privileges. You mean, they wouldnt let you go back and fix it, she said. Right. That blows. Tell me about it! The reason? Teach me a lesson, I guess. I shrugged. I didnt want to launch into the power addiction speech, at least not then. Its complicated. She shook her head and folded her arms. So, nobody else knows why it all turned out this way with

your brother? Other than Guild members, youre the only person who knows about any of this. And the Guild banned any other Editors from helping me. Shut up! she said. So thats why you were so eager to meet A.J. You screwed up, and now you need redemption. Sadly so, I said, running my hand through my hair. Im going to get my brother his life back if its the last thing I do. First, I had to get her back. Sure, she wanted Ipod, but at least shed be safe. If Ipod made her

happy, well, Id get him back too. I needed to concentrate on Devon and my family. School. I had a brief little jolt of satisfaction that at least I was having forethought. Small jolt. Atom sized jolt. And then just a punch-in-the-gut feeling of loss. I think its time, I said, walking to the door to look at the fading light. Cool! What do you have to do? Can I help? She got up off the sofa and stood there waiting. Does she pass out when she jumps? Yeah. She nodded. She usually gets into position so she

doesnt hit her head. It might happen too fast for that this time, I said, walking over to the trunk. So just be ready to catch her when she morphs back in. Ill do the rest. How long will it take? It could take a few minutes, or it could happen really fast. Ill try and give you a warning. This is soooo cool! She braced her legs, and held out her arms. Ready. I rolled up my sleeves and took a deep breath. After giving Lex a slight nod, I closed my eyes. The moment I put my hands solidly on

the trunk, an energy surge ripped through my body almost knocking me off my feet. Damn, this is one powerful tree! I yanked my hands free and shook them. I needed to play this right. I needed to ease into it slowly. Lex gave me a worried glance. Its all good, I reassured her. But I didnt feel reassured. If it hadnt been A.J. out there, I doubted Id try again. But it was. And I would. This was probably my fault and she could be in trouble. She might need help. She might need me. I wanted her to need me. Wha t I needed was to not screw

this up. I spread my legs wider, getting a more solid stance. I touched the tree again, just barely with my fingertips. Slowly, I moved my palms closer to caress the bark, letting my energy meld with the tree. I felt the surge, but I stood my ground, letting it wash through me. The tree hummed with life and infinite vibrations. I struggled to separate out the noise, get rid of the clutter, and find the basic melody. I played with it like a piano, dancing lightly over the surface, learning the music. When I achieved harmony, I followed the

flow. I played my way through the rings, back, back, back. My consciousness stretched like a rubber band between the now and the ether of time. A hint of her, far away and ephemeral, breezed lightly into my awareness. Ahhh. Gently I latched on to it and tugged it my way. I felt a touchrecognitiona hesitation and then. It pulled back! Wham! I broke free of the now. The past sucked me in so fast I couldnt stop it. On the way out, I heard Lex yell, Nooooo!

But it was too lateI was in the vortex.

I fell asleep to thoughts of Constantine. I even dreamed of him. But in the middle of the night, I woke up shivering. I knew where I was immediately and swallowed a huge hunk of disappointment. The

temperature had dropped about twenty degrees, and my fingers were ice. Pulling my hoodie tight, I wondered how I was going to make it through till morning when I was so very cold. The moon was full and high in the dark, night sky, and it gave an eerie glow to everything. A mist covered the meadow. The water drops, on the waving grass, sparkled in the moonlight as they had at home from my fairy lights. At home it had been comforting. But there in the tree, it looked surreal and somewhat ominous. A coyote howled in the distance, and it made

me realize just how very far away from home I wasto say nothing of very far-a-when. Down below, all three men were snoring. The campfire had died down low. In spite of the company, I felt alone. I felt really alone. I couldnt believe this was happening. I couldnt believe I was stuck in the past, and up a tree, and clueless as to whether or not I could get back to my time. I hated this. My family needed me. They needed the tree house. It was their home. But without me, it wouldnt be. And Sam?

I didnt even want to think about what would happen to Sam if I didnt come home. Im okay, I told myself. But I wasnt really. I was starting to freak. I should have gone home by now. I thought Id gotten through this mess pretty well so far. But what was I going to do when daylight hit? Holding my hoodie tight, I linked to the tree and pulled more energy. It smoothed me out a little, but I was still jittery. The cottonwood just wasnt as strong as my oak. I pulled again, wishing I could just get warm. I lay back in

my hammock, huddled in my hoodie, trying to hold in my body heat. A minute later, I realized I was no longer shivering. Okay? Was the tree warming me up? I pulled again and thought of warmth. Immediately, heat surrounded me like an electric blanket. Yes! I settled back into my hammock, psyched that I was no longer freezing. But I didnt stay psyched for long. I mean, I was grateful to be warm. But every time I closed my eyes, images of the almost-rape kept popping into my mind: Joe leering at me with those beady,

little eyes, walking towards me, fumbling with his pants. Edgarjust being Edgar. That whip had really freaked me out. In my mind, I kept seeing Joe crack it. I sat up and checked my pocket for the knife. I patted the pepper spray. There was no way I was going to fall asleep if I couldnt calm down. The tree was helping a little. It was compensating for what ordinarily would be utter fear. I mean, I was still in the past, and there were bad guys down below. But if I was going to deal with tomorrow, I needed sleep. I focused on Constantine again,

trying to distract myself. But there in the dark, even that went off in a screwy direction. My fixation on him had seemed confusing earlier, but now it just seemed bizarre. It wasnt like me. I mean, Id had my from-afar infatuations, but Id never spent much time thinking about boys. There was no point, not with my secret. What I didnt understand was why the pull towards him was so strong. I was obsessing about a guy Id barely even met. Me. What was up with that? It didnt compute. I remembered the incident in the hallway when our eyes met. The explanation Id given Lex and

Ipod, about the vampire compulsion, came rushing back into my mind. What happened to me around Constantine was scarily similar to stuff on the net about vampire mind tricks. I couldnt get him out of my thoughts. I longed for him. I lost all control when I was near him. At the time, I hadnt been serious. I knew vampires werent real. I was just using the compulsion thing to give Lex and Ipod an idea about what happened. But what if he was screwing with my mind somehow? What if he had hacked my brain and was making

me obsess about him for some nefarious purpose? I lay there, exhausted, and supremely frustrated. I was making myself crazy. Ipod would say I was being paranoid. We researched Constantine. There was no mysterious, missing past. He had a paper trail, at least where school was concerned. Lex and Ipod both liked him. He was okay. He had to be. He was probably just like me. So I liked the guy. That was a normal thing. Maybe thats what happened when you fell for someoneyou thought about them 24/7. It had just never happened to

me before. Or maybe the compulsion thing was just part of my strangeness and had nothing to do with him at all. Just because I was scared about tomorrow, didnt mean that I had to turn Constantine into a scary thing too. I struggled to get a hold on my run-a-way brain by focusing on what happened when we locked eyes in the hallway. There was nothing scary about that at all. I pulled more energy from the cottonwood. This time it worked better, relaxing me a little. I thought of his hand touching my face and that indescribable moment

our eyes met. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on it. I imagined his fingers running down my cheek. I saw his beautiful, blue eyes looking into mine. I watched him run his hands through his hair. I played the scene over and over, getting mellower with each replayway better than freaking out. Maybe I could even go back to sleep. I could do this, I thought. I could make it through the night. The fantasizing, along with the energy, began to lull me into a gentle semi-trance state where thoughts of tomorrow no longer mattered. I just went with it,

relaxing back into my hammock, thinking this is really nice. After a while, I got a hint of his energythe savory flavor of it. It flowed softly towards me, soothing and strangely sensual. It seemed to come from far away, as if there were wispy tendrils of it just floating out in the atmosphere. It washed over me, calming and blissfully warm. I reveled in it, letting it just swirl around me. Then, suddenly, it got stronger like it was reaching out to me. I figured the tree was heightening my imagination. Maybe, at that point, I was

dreaming. I didnt care. I liked how it felt and I wanted more. I reached out with my mind and pulled it closer, like Id done with the warmth from the tree. Then, BAM! The energy hit so hard, I gasped. I grabbed on to the limb to steady myself, breathing it in. It was like the first day I walked into Spanish, only now I was by myself, lying back, and able to enjoy it. Colors swirled around me. A strange sort of humming soothed me. Sensations of pleasure filled my body and brain, sensations Id only felt around him. Closing my eyes, I floated on the buzz. How could I

ever look at another guy, when just thinking of this one was so mesmerizing? Funny, I could almost smell him sandalwood soap and some kind of musky guy scent. God, I was good! I might suck at volleyball, but I rocked at this tree pulling deal. I A.J. Okay, that was strange. I heard my name inside my mind. It was as though I had a pair of earbuds in the middle of my head. A.J. There it went again, soft and insistent. It echoed a bit. Puzzled I looked down. I might have been kinda baked from the

energy, but I heard something. I knew I did. The men below hadnt moved. Besides, this was inside my head. And it wasnt me faking conversations with Ipod or Lex to make myself feel better. It was his voice. This trees getting me high, I said to no one. Im hallucinating! I heard a soft laughand then, my name again. Ahhthis time I just lay back and let it wash over me. Why fight it? This was so much better than lying there stressing Its Constantinefrom Spanish class.

I whipped up, swinging my legs to straddle my hammock. That was just a little too real world. I was either dreaming or those knocks on the head had done something to my brain. I was thinking of him and he appeared? Please. That just doesnt happen. My hair blew wild around me in the breeze. I shoved it out of my eyes and listened carefully. Dont freak. Youre not hallucinating. Im talking to you in your mind. I dont want to wake up the men below. Wave your hand if you can hear me. It had to be a dreama lucid

dream. Id fallen asleep and now I was dreaming. Still, feeling like a complete idiot, I held up a hand and waved. Nice! I knew you could hear me. Startled, I shut my eyes for a second. I opened them again, slowly, half expecting to see a Cheshire cat or some other wild thing sitting on the branch. It was surreal. I saw nothing but I heard his voice again. Ive just come from the tree house. Lex is there waiting. Where are you? I whispered to the air. Hey, Im all for lucid

dreams, especially one with him in it. I was going for it. About four feet up and to your left. I dont see anything, I said, hesitantly. I felt like a dork. Even though, apparently, there was no one there to witness me talking to myself. Oh, right, sorry. Give me a minuteforgotsuch an idiot! The voice said, laughing. Then to my great surprise, Constantine morphed into existence right smack in front of me. And he was grinning like a freakin, Cheshire Cat. Stunned, I held on to the limb.

He just stood there, looking down at me. His hair was all tousled and wild and his mouth Please dont freak, A.J. My bad. I didnt realize Id morphed in shaded. Thats what happens when there are people near. I was just so surprised to be thirty feet up in the air, that I spaced it. Are you all right? What are you doing here? I asked softly. He smiled. Hey, like I said, this was not the plan. I was hoping to pull you back to the tree house. Lex is pretty freaked. So you came to help me get

home? I hoped I remembered this dream when I woke up. Well, yeahI guess, now that Im here, that will be the plan. But you pulled me here. Yeah, right, I said, sarcastically, laughing a little. I pulled you here. I decided to just go with it. This was my dream. I might as well enjoy it. How are you talking to my mind? I asked, flowing with the dream. Its a long story. I dont want to wake your...um companions. You can do it too. Yeah, right, I said, softly. What do you mean, I can do it?

How did you do that disappearing act? He sat down on the limb and ran his hands through his hair. Im like you, he said. Only I know whats going on. As for the disappearing, I didnt actually disappear. I was just shading, you know, like a cloaking device. We call it shade, like hiding in the shade of a tree. My brain was turning summersaults. I took a breath and looked down for a second. It was hard to think while I was looking at him. But looking down brought my hideous outfit into focus. I cringed

momentarily but then I brushed it off. You were always dressed weird in dreams. At least I wasnt naked. I took a breath and said, Okay, Im okay. Youre not hacking my brain or anything, right? He laughed. Im just broadcasting audio waves at you. We call it mindspeaking. Try this. Think of what you want to say to me and then send the words to the front of your forehead. Let them kind of float out to the air and then push them towards me. Seriously? I pushed the word to a place past my forehead. Whoa, not that loud. He held

his hand to his head. Apparently, you dont have to work too hard to broadcast. Just talk to me quietly and softly float it my way. Hows this? I asked quietly. Excellent. He smiled and gave me the OK sign. Wait, can you hear everything Im thinking? That was a scary thought, even in a dream. No, no, no, he laughed, only the words you push towards me. Maybe a little more in the beginning: while youre learning how to differentiate, how to shield your thoughts, and how to project what you want others to hear. Its

not as if I can just read your mind. And we can only do it because were connected by the wood. It would work under the tree too as long as there were roots beneath us. So its the tree? Well, partly the tree and partly you. We use the trees to travel through time. Your oak, by the way, is one amazing tree. Ive been at the tree house with Lex most of the day. She said to tell you that she wouldnt have brought me home if I wasnt okay. She said to say, I lie I die. I lieI die, huh? That had to be

a good omen. Maybe my subconscious was telling me to trust this guy. Maybe this was one of those symbolic dreams. This is just off the chart weird, I said to him. Yeah, but youre okay with it, right? Hey, Im having fun. I was bolder in dreams than I was in real life. I didnt have to adhere to the code. I grinned at him. I couldnt help it. He grinned back at me. Im happy to hear that. Yeah, well. Imthis isIm not used to anyone knowing my secret, and Ive never known anyone else

like me. Im just trying to catch my breath, here, even if its a dream. He laughed. Maybe this was one of those dreams where you got answers from your subconscious. Shrink Five was big on those. She made Lex keep a dream journal. I figured I might as well ask him what Id wanted to know my whole life. So, for the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question: Am Iare wehuman? Yeah, well mostly, we just have some altered DNAlong story, he said, smiling. He stood and looked around, his hair blowing in the breeze. The moonlight bounced off

his cheekbones, making them more pronounced. He looked like a prince in some kind of Lord of the Rings movie, all tall and regal. God, the air here is incredible, he said. I love the scent of a campfire mixed with pineits soso summer camp. Do you know where we are? Heaven, I thought. Joe and Edgar killed me, and now Ive died and gone to the afterlife. That thought kind of jolted me a little, and I looked down to make sure my body wasnt lying dead at the base of the tree. It wasnt so I answered his question. Maybe the foothills above Boulder. Im not sure. This is

so surreal. Yeah, I bet. He flashed me an amazing smile showing straight, white teeth. I felt another wave of something shivery, deep inside. I felt lots of thingslots of really nice things. I didnt realize you felt so much in dreams. I wondered if Id overdosed on the tree energy and was hallucinating. This was like going down the rabbit hole in Alice. I struggled not to dissolve into a fit of euphoric giggling. It wasnt enough that I was dressed like a clown. Lets just add a little hysteria to the mixsure to make me

irresistible. Too bad I couldnt dream myself a better outfit. He just stood there on the branch watching me. I watched him back, letting the dream play out. I have a question for you, he said, finally. I assure you, Im completely clueless about pretty much everything. He laughed again. God, I loved it when he laughed. This was such a cool dream. Ive been trying to connect up with you, he said. But youve been avoiding me.

Yeah, wellIum. Im not used to talking to strangersguyswell; people in general, so dont take it personally. We werent sure, you know, what the deal was with you. He ran his hand through his hair. I got the whole rundown from Lex. Lets see: alien from another planet, vampire, genetically enhanced human hybrid, the Phantom Zone of you Yeah, well, we were just tossing out theories. Its not as if we were taking them seriously. Youve got to admit were dealing with sci-fi stuff here. It had to be something. Of course, it didnt have

to be anything since I was just dreaming this. But I was going for it as if it was real. Why not? This was the best dream of my entire life. It was also the longest conversation Id ever had with a guy. Im surprised Lex told you all that. Not until I spilled my own secrets. Shes very protective of you. But then you know that. Were family, I said. We look out for each other. I dont know what Id do without her and Ipod. So she told me. He lost his grin, and looked away for a moment. Is something wrong? I asked, suddenly concerned that Sam had

found out I was gone. Even in a dream, I worried about my dad. Lucid dreaming was weird. You still reacted. Is Sam okay? No, I mean, yes, Sams okay. Well, I assume hes okay. I never actually met him, but Lex gave no indication that anything was wrong. He doesnt know about me. I dont think he knows youre gone. I just its nothing. So why are you up this tree? See the cowboys down below? Yeah. Very Nick at Nite. Not quite as entertaining. Theyre disgusting, filthy lowlifes. I camped here and they found me.

They triedthey tried. I couldnt say it, even in a dream. So Im up here waiting to go home, I finished lamely. Did they hurt you? He asked way more loudly, his face clouding into a scowl. No, wellnothing serious. One of them ripped my clothes. I gestured to the safety pins. The other one came up behind me and slammed my head against the tree Those sons of bitches! Are you okay? Yeah, I fixed my head, but then you probably know all about the

healing thing. Yeah, Lex told mebut they didnt No! Somehowokay, I know this will be hard to believeI kicked the one guy across the campsite like a freakin comic book hero. And then I pepper-sprayed the other one and was up the tree in seconds. Impressive, he said, grinning. Go A.J. And I thought I was going to have to rescue you. Looks like you kicked some ass all on your own. That made me smile. I wasnt used to beingwellcapable and strong. When I smiled, he smiled back. I felt cocooned in the wonder

of itbetter than chocolate. No ones more surprised than I am, I said, finally. I seem to be able to pull energy from trees. Maybe you know why that is. I dolong story. Maybe there was something my subconscious could tell me in a dream that could help me get home when I woke up. I would love to have some answers. But what I really want is to go home. No problem. He smiled again. For real? Ye a h, he said, its kind of a ruby-slippers thing. Returning home is easier than going anywhere.

You mean, I just need to click my heels and say, theres no place like home, and poof, Im home? I dont have ruby slippers. All I have are Lexs bedroom slippers. I held out a foot. I gotta say, you do wear the strangest clothes. He laughed. Id felt his laugh, as if it was running through me. It felt wonderful. I have my reasons, I said. Besides, this outfit wasnt on purpose. It was all I could grab on my way out. The jeans and hoodie are Ipods. The SpongeBob pajamas are, unfortunately, mine. I winced as I pulled out a corner of the PJ

top to show him a little SpongeBob. Nice, he said, giving me a thumbs up. Im lucky I got here with anything at all. Im not used to having it happen in the middle of the night. One minute Im sound asleep. The next Im panicking, trying to grab everything I could get my hands on. Seconds later, Im way the heck in the past. Well, that might have been my faultsorrymy bad. What do you mean your fault? I asked. II wasyou see, my energy wellits another long story. Ill tell

you, really. Its just tooout of sequence to explain now. Okaaay, I said slowly. He ran his hand through his hair and crouched down on the branch. He got a serious look on his face. We have a lot to talk about. Talk away , I said, feeling completely at ease. I was surprised that the dream was lasting so long. I pinched myself and felt the pinch. What did that mean anyway? I thought about him and he appeared. That just doesnt happen. I am dreaming, right? I asked him, finally. If so, Im having the same

dream. No, A.J., this is very real. Want to touch me to know for sure? I hesitated for a moment and then I nodded. I knew what touching him was like. I didnt get a lot of great moments in my life. I could wake up any minute. I wanted some good stuff before that happened. He climbed down to a branch close to me and stretched out his hand. Slowly I reached mine towards his, and we touched. Waves of energy flowed down my arm, filling me with warm and tingly feelings. The blood in my veins electrified. I had to laugh out loud. I

just couldnt help it. He laughed too, but silently. Wild, huh? Our energies really play off each other. Well find our harmony. Its like defragging your hard drive. All the little pieces need to find where they fit together. It will ease up a little, once it settles into place. Well be able to be around each other without things going wildunless we want them to. Scoot over. What did that meanunless we want them to? Barely able to function, I made room for him to sit beside me. He swung his long legs over the limb, straddling it and

facing me. The next moment he was so close, I could feel his breath on my face andII got warmer still. The essence of him permeated everything. My heart went into hummingbird mode, and I swayed a little with the dizziness of it. I put my hand against his chest to steady myself. He covered my hand with his, holding them both against his chest. Then he reached his other hand up and touched my hairand I Your hair is like silk, he said softly, running a strand through his fingers. He leaned in to sweep my

cheek with it like a paintbrush. Seesoft, huh? I shivered with delight. I could hardly contain myself. Slowly, I lifted my face to look into his eyes. The night exploded! Waves of happiness swept through mepulsing waves of glittery blissfulness. I stared into his eyes, reeling with the intensity. Every cell in my body woke up, and suddenly, my life actually made sense. Who I was made sense. I wasnt strange. I was me. It was as if I was whole for the first time whole, powerful, and incredibly alive.

He let out his breath and held my hand tighter against him. He had to be feeling it. I hoped he was feeling it. Something from inside of him touched the very core of me, just like in the hallway. And suddenly, pictures began flashing through my mind, like snippets of movieseach in color and vividly clear. It was as if hed downloaded moments in time, tiny diamonds of experience, into my brains hard drive. I was a computer app, zooming through images at record speed with absolute precision. Like I was there, suspended in timeinside of his

world. He was a baby, gurgling in his mothers arms and grabbing on to a lock of her hair. I felt the wonder of that baby, as he gazed into his mothers face. He was riding a rollercoaster and laughing. His excitement filled me completely. He was running fast and free across a meadow. I felt the exhilaration Id always known would be there, if you could run full out like a wild stallion. He was wailing on a rubyred guitaron a rooftop. And I understood how the music moved him. He was leaning against his redwood, long fingers pulling power

I felt that power. I sawI saw into his universe. I saw him, the very depths of him. I really liked what I saw. More than liked, I was in awe. I looked up at him in wonder. And then I think I sighed. He smiled down at me. It was the most beautiful smile Id ever seen. I think I laughed. It was all fantastic and surreal. I didnt care that it was a dream. It was unbelievable. For the first time I could rememberI felt joy. So thats what that word means.

Wow! I never saw it coming. She yanked me right through a signature blockthat should be impossible.

This girl was mint. This girl was amazing. Wed been talking, and laughing, and sharing our secrets stuff wed always had to hide. And now our energies were merging. It was electric! It was more than electricit wasit was. I swayed a little with the intensity. I grabbed on to a branch to steady myself. It was dead and broke, falling to the ground. I caught hold of the limb we were sitting on, my eyes never losing focus, never leaving hers. I couldnt believe that I was there with her, and we were She gasped and for a second, I

could have sworn that she was looking at me, like I was looking at herlike she was everything. I didnt care about the meldingI liked this chick. I really liked her. I wanted to kiss her soooo bad. Every cell in my body screamed to do it. But in the back of my mind, the critic yelled at me, forethought! He was right. She wasnt mine. Not yet. But someday, I swore she would be. I didnt want to move too fast. I didnt want to scare her. I fought against the impulse and held my ground. But then, she sighed so sweetly.

It moved mecompletely. The longing overpowered me and I lost all control. I had to kiss her. I leaned in closer and Hey! Whats goin on up there? A rough, guttural voice smashed my moment to smithereens. Damn! I moved wicked fast and shaded, holding my breath and glaring down at the idiot whod just ruined our first kiss. A scruffy cowboy, with swollen eyes, stood at the base of the tree, holding a branch in his hand. I cursed myself for having been so careless to have knocked it off.

Go back to sleep, A.J. called down softly. Youre dreaming. Go back to sleep. He peered up, scratched his head and walked further away to get a better look. He was halfasleep, stumbling, and too drunk to make sense of what he thought he saw. The Indian got to his feet, looked up, and then frowned at the cowboy. Leave child be, he said crossly. Sleep now. He lay back down and closed his eyes. Mumbling to himself, the cowboy dropped to the ground, and soon he was snoring once again.

But my chance to kiss her was gone.

For one magic moment, I was in perfect harmony with the universe. And then some filthy, freakizoid hit the delete button. Perfect.

The warm buzz faded as Constantine pulled away from me. The images disappeared. A little dizzy, and more than confused, I struggled to change focus. Edgars ill-timed interruption was just too reminiscent of yesterday for this to be a dream. I was suddenly hyperaware of everything around me: the wind, the roughness of the tree bark, and the crickets chirping in the background. Besides, this whole thing had gone on way too long for me to be dreaming it. What had I been thinking? At that moment, I knew. I was awake.

I called down to Edgar that he was dreaming. I dont know if he bought it, but he was so hung-over, he could barely stand. He dropped to the ground and passed out again in seconds. I didnt see Constantine. But I could feel him. He must have shaded again. I looked down at my horrid outfit and sighed. Since this was real, then he was really seeing me dressed this waylovely. I couldnt afford to get all self-conscious at that point. Besides, Id been talking to him for the last hour or some, an awake me. Id sailed through the awkward part, because Id thought

it was a dream. It had been easy to be with him. I just had to keep doing it. We needed to get home. Are you there? I whispered softly. Im up here. Mindspeak. We need to be more careful. Sorry, Im trying to wrap my mind around the shock that this is real and that all the stuff youve been telling me Its real, all right. We probably should make a plan for getting home. Ye a h . Suddenly, I could see how bad this was for him. Here Id been all wrapped up in my romantic

fantasy, and we had the real world to deal with. There were jerks down below who didnt like me very much. They would like Constantine even less. Id put him in danger. Im sorry I got you into this mess. Its not your fault, A.J. Those guys down there are dangerous. You wouldnt be here if it werent for me. He morphed in for a second and gave me a soft smile. He shook his head. Theres so much I still have to tell you, he said. Then he ran his hand through his hair and looked away for a moment, as if he was thinking of what to say. It can

wait, he said finally. We need to figure out how to get back. He faded out. Im going to stay shaded for a while. Will this tree get us home? I asked, trying to concentrate on getting home. The change in focus had been pretty abrupt, and I was still reeling from all the feelings. I dont think so. Its too old. Cottonwoods dont live that long. I doubt it will be alive in our time. Where did you land? I just needed to keep talking. Mindspeaking made it easier. An aspen grove not too far from here. Excellent. That means we dont

need to find the exact tree. Do you know the way? I concentrated and then pointed. I followed a stream about half a mile where it merged into the creek. I followed the creek here another milemaybe a little more. That should be doable, he said. How do we know if a tree will still be alive in our time? With an aspen grove, it doesnt matter. Aspens are special. They appear as separate trees, but theyre really a collective organism, a colony. Theyre all intertwined beneath the ground. Each visible tree might live forty or fifty years

a hundred and fifty at best. But the colonythe roots underground can survive for a couple thousand. Thats cool. Yeah, aspens are way powerful. Theyll be our ticket home. It looks like hes asleep again. I think were safe for a while longer. Im going to take a look around. He morphed in and climbed higher. I can see the meadow. Thats where well be most vulnerable. We can shade under the trees, but it wont hold past the tree line. If we can use any tree in the grove, its probably less than a mile across it to the aspen grove itself, I

said, combing my hair with my fingers. I couldnt believe I was wearing my stupid SpongeBob pajamas. It looks wider than that, he said, returning to sit beside me. I smiled at him, trying hard to seem like I had been before when Id thought this was a dream. What do you have, night goggle vision? I cant see anything past the campsite. Actually, I sorta do, at least here in the tree. We call it TV for twilight vision. Its closer to half vision, like twilight is halfway to dark. Its a little ghostly, but

incredibly useful. Its one of the easiest things to learn. Ill show you. Then, not only will you be able to see better in the dark, youll be able to see me when Im shaded. That way I can keep shaded till we leave. He disappeared, but I could still feel him there in front of me. His invisible arm moved like a faint whisper in the corner of my awareness. I felt him touch my cheek softly and brush a lock of hair behind my ear. I shivered. I have to tap a sequence of acupressure points at your temples

and the back of your head, he said. It wont hurt, but it might feel a little strange when I wake up the circuits. You game? Go for it. All right, this is going to sound a little weird, but you need to hum. Perfect. I not only had to look like an idiot, I had to sound like one too. Hum? Yeah, humming activates the part of your brain that I need to work with. It releases chemicals its complicated. Just hum something. You dont have to do it loud. Ok a y, I said. It kinda made

sense. I had no idea why, but Id always hummed when I healed Lex and Ipod. I began to softly hum the theme song from one of our favorite TV shows. I heard him rub his hands together. Then he began to tap on my temples with two fingers. He moved his hands to the back of my neck and tapped gently on several places on my head in a sequence. He repeated this three times. Then he returned to the spots on my temples once more, rubbing them gently. Tingling energy swirled through my brain, making me a little dizzy. I

just kept humming, feeling like a dork, waiting for him to tell me what to do next. Feel anything? I nodded. I didnt say anything because I was still humming like an idiot. Okay, you can quit humming now, although, I was enjoying it. Yeah, right, I said, feeling my face flush. Seriously, he said. At least you hum in tune. He was still shaded, so I couldnt tell by his face if he was silently laughing at me or not. I really hoped he wasnt. Can we just move on to the next step?

No problem, he said. Are you familiar with those optical illusions, where you kind of defocus your regular vision and the picture changes? Yes. Ipod had a book of them. Let your eyes relax, as if you were looking at one of those. Imagine you have eyes in the back of your headway inside. Try and see me with those eyes. Anything? I kinda see a ghostly outline, but Bring me into focus. Im not Trust me. You can do it. Relax your eyes.

I jerked, spooked by his sudden appearance in front of me. He dropped his hands and laughed, quietly. It was wild. Not only could I see Constantine, I could see his energy. And it wasnt just him. Every living thing radiated light. The sky stayed fairly dark, but I could see the terrain around us. The shadows shimmered and the trees blazed as though they were lit up from inside with electricity. They were striking against the darkness of the sky. The grasses and bushes glowed. It was as if wed been dropped into some surreal, digital landscape. I stood up on the limb to

get a better look at this amazing new world. Suddenly, my stupid outfit just didnt matter anymore. And somehow, I got the idea that it didnt matter to him either. It all was just too extraordinary to waste time being self-conscious. This totally rocks, I said, grinning at him. I cant believe how quickly you catch on to stuff, he said. Watch this. He shook his hands. Sparks shot off his fingertips. He swung his arm up and waves of light whipped out into the night. He looked like a gaming character created with offthe-chain special effects, painting

glowing colors in the sky. Trippy, huh? Trippy doesnt begin to describe it! I whispered. It was the most incredible thing Id ever seen. When the wind blew the grass, it flicked light beams out into the darkness. Far away, I could see little darting lights in the stream. They had to be fish. He leaned against the tree trunk and grinned. Its a little like infrared, he said, only instead of heat; were picking up life force. And its not just red; its the whole spectrum. He ran his hand through his hair and sparks shot out.

I waved my own hands and watched waves of color whip out into dark sky. I shook my hair. Does it make sparks? I asked. Serious sparks. Its been so long since Ive hung out with another Editor. It rocks sharing this with someone, even though were literally up a tree. He laughed again, catching himself before he got too loud. It was indescribably cool. It was better than a dream. Will I be able to do this on my own now? I have a feeling that you can do all kinds of things, he said. You picked up mindspeaking

immediately. The TV is fun and all, but it can be really useful as well as in now you can see me, but they cant. He pointed to the men below. Then he smiled and ran his hand through his hair again, shooting off sparks. I imagined running my own hands through that hair and just stood there getting baked on the fantasy. It was as if wed hopped into a wild online game and become our own avatars. We played with it for a while longer, and then he sat back down on the limb. This has been fun, he said. But

we better quit screwing around. I need to teach you to shade, and then we need make a plan to get out of here. I nodded and sat down beside him. He ran me through another complicated procedure to open up the circuits in my brain. Shading required more concentration than the twilight vision did, but after a few tries, I got it down. Then he taught me how to balance my energy. Apparently, Id been out of phase my whole life, and thats why leaving my tree was so overwhelming. I was psychedno more static and creepy-crawlies at

school. I could be a normal person. So were just going to shade and sneak away? I asked, shoving my mop of hair over my shoulder. Its not that simple. Shading has its limits. It works here in the tree, and it will work on the ground as far as the tree roots go. But any further than that, it wont hold. Does it work with any tree? He nodded. Anything old enough to have a substantial root system, but the older the better. What if we go from tree to tree? It doesnt work that fast. I landed in this tree, which gave me

a connection to it. You have to form a bond with the tree first. Its not going to happen instantly. At the very least, it takes a minute or two, which would leave us visible some of the time. Oh. He narrowed his eyebrows in thought. Thats the problem with our abilities. We need the tree connection for them to work for the most part. The faster we get to the aspen grove, the better. Because its connected underground, it will work like one big tree. We can shade quickly, because youve been there before. The root matrix has a

kind of memory. Maybe we should leave now while theyre asleep. The Indian, hes cool, but the cowboys are bad news. I looked down at the men. He shook his head. The meadow grass is really tall. Im concerned about animals, mainly mountain lions. Were too close to a water source. They hunt at night and I saw shapes moving in the meadow. Something big? Well, bigger than rabbits. Could just be deer, but I dont want to chance it. Its pretty dark out there. Hopefully, dawns not too far off. I

say we go just before the sun hits the horizon. We can shade from the men, but the animals can track us by scent. I felt a moment of fear at that thought. This wasnt going to be easy. Then I remembered how high we were. I pointed down. Regardless of the cowboys, we have to get down from this tree. I dont know if youve noticed, but there are no low branches. I can get us down from the treeeasy deal. Watch this. He climbed to a nearby branch. Prepare to have your mind blown. Looking down at me, he stood

on the limb and leaned against the trunk. Once he was stabilized, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He just stood there for about a minute, humming softly to himself. Then he shook his hands, opened his eyes, and grinned. Youre going to love this, he said. He held his hands out, fingers spread, as if he was going to play the piano. Energy radiated down from his hands, casting a gentle glow on the ground below. At first it was just a flow of slow and silvery filaments, falling softly to the ground. I watched in wonder. Then he flexed

his fingers several times and waved his hands up and down. The energy began to build. With each wave of his hands, it got brighter and brighter, faster and faster, until he was shooting white-hot needles of lightening. I was so mesmerized by the light show, that at first I didnt notice. Suddenly, I realizedhis feet were no longer touching the tree! Slowly, he began to rise. Then he just hovered there, in midair, like Criss Angel: Mindfreak. Only, we werent in a studio, and there was no way that it was a trick. He was really floating on air. I couldnt

believe it. After about a minute, he opened his eyes and gave me a sly grin. Pretty cool, huh? IhowI dont know what to say. Are you sure Im not dreaming? He laughed and slowly floated back down on the tree limb. The energy faded. Its funny how this one seems to really mess with peoples minds. Traveling back in timepeople can accept that. But air walkingthat seems to push them over the edge. All the new Editor recruits are blown away by it. I know I was, the first time I saw it. How the heck did you do that?

We can do some sick things with gravity, he said. You know how gravity attracts like a magnet. Well, we can push against it. Thats how you kicked the guy across the campsite and got up the tree. You used repulsive gravity without any training even. Im impressed. So, Ill be able to do these things? He nodded. Apparently, youre a natural. You just need someone to show you how. Youre going to love it. I know I do. You have to watch yourself, of course. You cant go letting anyone see you. But then you know about keeping hidden, I

guess. I do. If I knew anything, it was that. Some skills take longer to learn than others. Repulsive gravity is one of those. You have to be sixteen before the Regents will even let you begin. Im still at a pretty low level, but I can float us down from the tree. Experienced Editors can walk on air and dart around and stuff. We cant fly, but we can push against things, like how you jumped up this tree. Its really fun. Ill show you more when we get home. Right now, we need to figure out how were going to

sneak out of here. Whats the plan? When theyre not looking, we drop to the ground, he said. Well be visible in the air, but just for a moment. Ill carry you on my back. Once were on the ground, we shade again. Then we move to those rocks under the shade of this tree. See that cottonwood hanging over the rocks? I nodded. The roots probably spread out a good thirty feet. We hide behind the rocks and wait until we can shade from it. That should cover us to the next set of rocks. Then we

run like hell across the meadow to the aspens, hopefully, without being seen. As soon as we reach the grove, were safe. I nodded, but inside my stomach clenched. Run like hell. Yeah, right. I couldnt even run like heck. In the light of full disclosure, I filled him in on my lack of running skills and reminded him of my current footwear. He just smiled. Then he showed me how to pull really deep into the trees core and then lock in the power, so I could store it like a battery. He thought Id be able to boost my running capabilities long

enough to get across the meadow. Think I could store enough to get me through P.E.? I asked, hopefully. Depends on the location. Its easier to hold on to power when youre actually touching the ground, especially if youve just tapped a tree. Inside buildings, things are harder. Ill take anything I can get. He laughed, but then he looked down and cut the laughter off. Joe was still snoring, but Edgar had gotten up to stoke the fire. The only flaw in the plan is getting down from the tree without

them seeing us, Constantine said. Well be visible in the air. This might be harder than I thought. Once they see us, were in trouble. Were sitting ducks in the meadow. The guy thats up doesnt look too friendly. He must be the one you pepper-sprayed. He deserved it, the rat. Hes bad news. The other one is even worse. But youre still shaded to them, right? Yeah, only you can see me now. He waved his arms wildly in the air. Edgar, who was looking right at us, obviously didnt see him. He just

poked at the fire and scowled at me. He tossed a couple of logs on the fire and then he crawled back into his bedroll. Con was right. We had a problem. What if we create a diversion? I asked. Works in the movies, he said. What do you have in mind? Technology. The reason I got caught in the first place was that Lexs phone alarm buzzed. I must have set it by accident, fumbling around. Her phone was in the mix of things I picked up, on my way out of the bunkroom. I grabbed everything in reach. Thats why Im

dressed sookay, the elephant in the room. Admittedly, I dress strange, but usually I wear my own clothes. Its because I try to keep a low profile, you know, because of my secret. Hey, I understand about being hidden, and I know what its like to have a secret. Even so, I cant imagine how hard its been all these years, having no explanations for all the stuff thats happened to you. Lex told me all about it. The fact that youve held it together the way you have is impressive You must have done something big to get her to spill. She does not

trust easily. I told her I could bring you back. Shes crazy worried. I bet. They always stress when Im gone. I hoped they were okay. I grabbed my key and rubbed it for luck. You guys are really tight, arent you? He asked. She has my back and theres nobody I trust more. Were family, her, Ipod and me. Yeah, so she said. He looked serious all of the sudden, with his eyebrows kind of drawn together. He looked away and ran a hand through his hair. I felt a waver in

his energy. It pulled away a little. Shes okay, right? I asked, suddenly concerned. I mean, other than being stressed about me being gone? Yeah. At least, I assume she is. She was when I left. Well, she was before I got pulled into the vortex. I dont exactly know how she reacted to my disappearing. She knows my secret, so the disappearing itself wouldnt be over the top. But shell be freaking not knowing whats going on. Ill time our return so that its close to the time I left. She wont have to wait long. He sat down on

his limb and leaned against the tree trunk. Anyway, the diversion? I have Lexs phonerigged for sound. We can use that. This has to be pre-electronic. Theyll freak. Excellent. We should get it as far from us as possible. Too bad we dont have a rope. I thought for a moment. We can make oneat least one strong enough to hold the phone. I pulled out the folded piece of sheet from my hammock and started tearing it into strips. He came back down to my branch and sat across from me. Can I help?

Sure, I said. Our being together was going really well. I couldnt believe it. And I was just flowing with itlike a normal girl. Wait till I told Lex. I smiled at him and handed him some strips. He started tying the strips together. Excellent, he said again. We need a way to hold the phone so it wont slip off. Oh, I know what we can use, I said, picturing the inside front pocket of Ipods jeans. I could cut the white lining out. It would work like a little pouch. I stood up on the branch and held a higher one for support. Without thinking, I undid

the cloth belt that was holding the heavy jeans on my skinny hips. The pants dropped to my ankles, and I stepped out of them. Grabbing the jeans, I looked up to see Constantine staring at me with his mouth open. It took me a moment. But then I saw the whole thing through his eyes. When I realized what Id just done, I felt my face flush. Then I just stood there, frozen, in my thin, cotton pajamas, holding the stupid jeans in my hand, and not saying a word. I couldnt freakin believe it. I was like one of those people raised by wolves. I needed a handler. I didnt

know how to behave in mixed company. He coughed and cleared his throat. Im wearing layers, I said, finally. I knew I had pajamas on. I want to cut off a pocket to hold the phone. I flipped the white lining out to show him. Besides, I cant run in Ipods jeans. Theyre way too big and bulky. I Hey, dont worry about it, he said, laughing softly. Sorry, I dont mean to laugh. It was just a little out of the blue, thats all. Im not complaining. Forget about it. Show me what you have in mind. What

really matters is getting home. Yeah, I said, grateful to him for changing the subject. Here, take this. I handed him the backpack and concentrated on emptying the pants pockets into it. I cut a front pocket off the pants, made a series of slits around the top of it, and threaded a thin strip of cloth through them. I stuck the phone in the pouch, pulled the drawstring tight, and tied it to our rope. I whirled it around a like a lasso. S e e ? I said, finally looking him in the eyes. Nice, he said. If I ever get stuck somewhere, remind me to take you

with me. Yeah, Im a regular Survivor contestant. Seriously, this is a kick-ass idea. I can throw it hard with this get it really high. Theyll go crazy not being able to find the source of the sound. Theyll head for cover, which is perfect since were going for the open meadow. Ill try for that big pine right above the skinny guy. He pointed. The music will be amplified by the rock wall. Theyll freak. I nodded, feeling somewhat vindicated. Seriously, he said. This rocks.

Were out here in the middle of nowhere with practically nothing, and youve had all kinds of good ideas. I was blown away by your hammock. I like smart girls. Theyre great to have around when youre stranded in time. He smiled and ran his hand through his hair. I smiled back at him this time. He was kind. I really liked that. He organized the playlist while I added length to the rope. Then we just sat and talked, about him, about me, about everything. I told him about my mother and what it had been like all those years not knowing what was going on with

me. I told him the history of my tree, how my great grandfather, Charlie, drove over the hill into Boulder and saw a spot of red from miles away. How he tracked down that spot and bought the land because the tree was so beautiful. We talked about how Id appeared in front of Ipod and Lex after years of that never happening. He said that was an anomaly for sure, but it probably had to do with them having traces of my energy from me healing them. He told me about his brother and what had happened to his family. He told me what it was like

to be an Editor and belong to the Guild. He told me about Oreon, and how the Editor program got put into place. He told me how he screwed up in the first place and that it might have been his energy that knocked me there. I didnt care. Meeting him was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Talking to him was so easy. I forgot about my stupid SpongeBob pajamas. He was just so real. He was just so sweet. He was just soI dont know everything wonderful. Who knows how much time went by, but at one point, he stood up and looked at

the sky. Its time, he said softly. The sun hadnt risen yet, but you could tell it was just over the horizon. A mist still covered the meadow. The wind picked up every now and then and there was a chill in the air. Edgar was fiddling with the fire, and he kept looking up at me with a scowl on his face. I think it worried him that I was so busy. Ha. He was in for a surprise. Joe was zonked and the Indian was still snoring. I felt bad for scaring the Indian. I decided the least I could do was to wake him up, so it wouldnt be quite so

abrupt. I broke off some twigs and tossed them at him. It took a while since my throwing sucked. Finally, I hit him, and he opened his eyes. I tossed another and amazingly enough, hit him in the chest. He looked up at me, and I put my finger against my mouth in the shh sign. Did they have that in the olden days? Seems like they did. He looked over at Edgar and back at me and then nodded. He sat up slowly and stretched, watching me with interest. I was glad I had warned him. He was on my side. Joe, I left sleeping. Joe could

have a heart attack, for all I cared. I didnt ever want to see his evil face again. Constantine climbed way out on the highest limb that would hold him. He swung the phone round and round until he had it going really hard. Then he let it go. It soared across the campsite and wrapped around a branch high in the pine tree. Yes! We both said, grinning at each other like a couple of idiots. Edgar noticed nothing. He was majorly hung-over to say nothing of having swollen eyes. Served him right, the jerk.

Constantine climbed back down to my branch. We have three minutes, he said. I nodded. I pulled the Velcro straps on Lex slippers tight and tucked the bottoms of my PJs into them. I took what had once been my belt, and tied it around my hoodie. I slung my pack over my shoulder. I had visions in my head of how I must look, but shoved them aside. When we got home, I was dressing differently. At that point, we just needed to get out of there. I waved at the Indian. He watched me carefully. I put my

hands over my ears and then pointed to him. He slowly raised his hands and put them over his ears, looking at me quizzically. I nodded enthusiastically. Then I pointed to his horse and did the same thing. He got up and walked over to his horse, holding the reins and talking to him, softly. Constantines eyebrows rose in question. Its okay, I told him. Hes a good guy. I waited until Edgar had his back turned, and then I held up my hand to the Indian in, if movies can be trusted, what was a sign of

peace. I threw in a regular peace sign just for the heck of it. Then I pointed to myself and to the ground. The Indian nodded and held on to his horse. Its time, Con said. Ill help you get on my back, but then youll have to hold on. Ill need my hands to get us down. He half knelt beside me on the limb while holding on to a higher branch. I climbed onto his back, my arms around his neck, and my face against his soft, dark hair. He stood slowly, hefting me up, and I locked my legs around him. We were the closest wed ever been. But I didnt

have time to think about that. We had to get home. Con repeated his earlier performance with his hands and the energy. I could feel it pulsing through his body and shimmering into me. I held my arms tight around him, and suddenly, we were hovering beside the branch. Then all hell broke loose. Heavy, pounding rap shrieked wild, echoing off the rock walls. The speaker must have been facing the rock. It sounded like a screaming hoard was charging straight towards us. The unit was rigged for extra amp, and against the silence

of the middle of nowhere; it sounded rock-concert loud. The Indian held firm to his horse, but the other horses bolted, broken reins flying free. Joe screamed like a banshee and lunged to his feet, waving his pistol. Edgar jerked spastically, arms flailing, seemingly unable to decide which way to go. He lurched forward and tripped over his own big feet right into the hot coals. He leapt up, howling bloody murder and slapping at the fire on his shirt. Then he stumbled towards the trees. Joe took off away from us, just like we wanted.

It was perfect. In the midst of the chaos, we floated slowly down. The Indian looked stunned, but he stood quietly, holding his horse and frantically watching me. I smiled to reassure him. The warning had kept him from bolting, but the appearance of Constantine in midair had to have spooked him. He stood his ground though. I figured he thought we were spirits of some kind so he was a little more open to the unexplained. As soon as Cons feet hit the dirt, I dropped to the ground. He grabbed my hand and said aloud,

ready? I nodded. We didnt take the time to shade. The cowboys had vanished. I just waved to my Indian, and we headed for the meadow, not bothering to stop at the rocks.

By the middle of the first song, we reached the meadow. Twilight vision gave a soft, eerie glow to everything around us. Combined

with the approaching dawn, the effect was magical. The sky was shot with color, and the thigh-high grass waved wild against it. When the wind blew, it rippled like ocean waves against a blood-red sky. It looked like one of my moms surrealistic paintings. Check out the sky, she said, as we waded into the waves. Its going to be a spectacular sunrise. Well probably miss it, I said. I planned to be gone by sunrise, spectacular or not. I wanted to be safe and back in our own time before daylight hit. Twilight vision faded as we left the shelter of the

trees. We can no longer shade now that were past the tree line, I reminded her. Were not safe till we make it across this meadow. She nodded and squeezed my hand. Then we hauled ass through the tall grass, as fast as I could tug her along. She was right. She pretty much sucked at running. The slippers didnt help and the tall grass was a bitch. Still, the temporary boost from the tree, combined with me pulling her, allowed us to keep a decent pace. But it was a big meadow. By the second song, she was breathing hard. My heart was

pounding, and I could feel hers doing the same, right up her arm and into mine. By the middle of the song, they were pounding in unison. By the third song, we were both pretty hyped. If we hadnt been running from something, the whole thing would have been exhilarating. But we were, and I was terrified that I wouldnt be able to get her to safety in time. Daft Punk had just begun when the first shot rang out. The boom startled both of us, causing A.J. to stumble. As I caught her, I looked back to see Joe in pursuit, waving his rifle in the air.

Son of a bitch! Not good. Distorted, electronic lyrics screamed wild from the pine trees. Over the music, I heard him yell. You witch, you harlot, you demon spawn. Yer gonna die! We gotta move! I shouted. A.J. hadnt been exaggerating. That guy, Joe, was a whack-job. He thrashed into the meadow, screaming and waving his rifle, like we were animals, and he was trying to scare us off. Every few seconds, hed turn and do the same in the other directionI guess at the music. Who knew what he thought was happening?

Maybe Daft Punk was pushing it as a music choice. At that moment, I regretted our high tech diversion. We wanted to freak him out and we did. But maybe we freaked him out a little too much. He thought A.J. was a witch. I dont know what he thought I was. But there was no doubt he thought his only salvation from the insanity was to kill the witch. No way was I going to let that happen. No way in hell. When the next shot boomed, I pulled her in front of me. There wasnt much I could do against a

gun, but at least I could cover her back. The only thing we had going for us, was that Joe had a hangover and couldnt shoot for shit. Keep going! I yelled. Im right behind you. The next shot practically shattered my eardrums. It ripped through her flying hoodie. She screamed and I dropped her to the ground. I covered her with my body, wondering what the heck to do next. Even though my ears were ringing, I realized that Joe had stopped screaming. I whipped around to see why. He was trying to reload; but he was shaking so

badly, he kept dropping bullets. I yanked A.J. up, and we gained another thirty yards while he fumbled with the rifle. I watched him over my shoulder, waiting for him to aim again. He raised his gun. Down, now! I yelled to A.J. We dropped to the ground, crawling forward in the tall grass, trying to gain distance any way we could. The next shot scattered dirt about a foot away, hitting both of us in the face. A.J. whimpered softly, but she didnt stop. I covered her trembling body with mine, crawling directly over her. I couldnt

frickin believe this. Big hero I turned out to be. Then a though hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a hopeless situationI was toast anyway. But if I could distract him, maybe she could escape. I wondered how long I could stay standing. How many bullets could I take before I collapsed, and would it be enough for her to reach the aspen grove? Maybe I was Constantine, the Destroyer, but there was no question that Id do anything to save her. A.J., I hissed. I have a plan. We need to split up. When I say go,

jump up and run for all youre worth. Dont look back no matter what. As soon as you reach the grove, shade yourself invisible. Find the biggest aspen you can, curl around it and think of your tree. Push your power into the tree and let it take you home. It might not be the exact date, but youll be safe. She looked back at me, long hair blowing wild in the wind. What are? I put my fingers to her lips to stop her. Just do it! Go as fast as you can and dont stop for anything. Ill be right behind you. I felt a

sharp pain in my chest, thinking this was the last glimpse Id have of her, and that the last thing Id said to her was a lie. My biggest regret was that Id never even kissed her. She shook her head. No, no wait, what are you? I pulled her up and shoved her forward. Just go, now, run! I needed to do this fast. Not like I wanted to die. I just had to save her no matter what it took. I stood and held my arms out. Terror pounded in my chest. Here I am, you stupid son of a bitch! I hissed under my breath. No! A.J. screamed.

Joe lowered his rifle for a moment and glared at me. Then he raised it back and took aim. I held my breath as a cold wave of fear plunged through my core. This was harsh, I knew, but I was tackled at the knees, full force from behind, by A.J. We crashed to the ground. Look! she yelled. Behind Joe, on a huge black stallion, charged A.J.s Indian. He held a tree branch in his right hand. His left held the reins of the cowboys Mustang. They were heading straight for Joe. The Indian raised the branch high in the air

and let out a blood-curdling howl. Joe didnt even turn aroundhe was crazed. As Daft Punk screamed, harder, better, faster, stronger, there was a loud thump. The cowboy dropped. The Indian didnt even pause, but now he had the rifle in the same hand that no longer carried the tree limb. It was epic! The Indian slowed the horses beside us and threw me the Mustangs reins. I straddled the horse in a single bound, grateful in hindsight for summer camp and riding lessons. I reached for A.J.,

pulling her up behind me. We rode full bore for the aspen grove, A.J. pressed tight against my back. She was right. The Indian was on our side. And we owed him big. By the time we reached the aspen grove, the sky had exploded into a riot of colors. Dawn was approaching fast. We needed to hurry. I didnt want to be caught in broad daylight with at least one psycho still out there. I realized Id never looked back to see if Joe had gotten up. The only thought on my mind had been saving A.J. I looked over my shoulder, searching for Joe, but the meadow was empty. I

dont see him, I said. I think we made it. You okay? I am now, she said, hugging her arms tightly around me. Im a little shaky, but otherwise in one piece, thanks to you and the Indian. I put my hand over hers, where she clutched my waist. We owe the Indian, I said. He saved our lives. An old Led Zeppelin tune played in the distance. I could barely hear it. It was the only sound in the upcoming dawn other than the hiss of our labored breathing. We slowed the horses to a walk,

and I jumped down, leaving her riding. The Indian leapt off his horse with a huge grin. He was having fun. I suppose at that point, we could have turned into walruses, and it wouldnt have fazed him. It had been a smooth save. We were all juiced. I looked up at A.J. on the horse in her SpongeBob pajamas, and I had a sudden hit of the incredible irony of the situation. Somehow, for that moment in time, it seemed funny, frickin hilariouslike some kind of spoof comedy instead of a real life and death drama. I let out

a burst of insane laughter, my lungs hurting, and my heart still pounding out of my chest. A.J. looked at me in surprise. I shrugged my shoulders, and after a second, she began to smile hesitantly, and then she giggled. I tried to control my snickering. But when I reached up to lift her down and saw the SpongeBob pajama legs and the bedroom slippers against the finely woven Indian blanket; I dissolved into hysterical laughter. Sssponge Bbbob, I snorted, arms across my stomach to keep the stitch in my side from aching.

She looked down and then at me and burst out laughing as well. Soon tears were running down both our faces. We were charged. I think it was the enormous relief of having escaped combined with an extreme amount of adrenaline coursing through our veins. A minute ago, we were dead meat. I was facing down a gun with my arms held out. Now, we were safeshe was safe. I was just so jazzed; it made me a little psycho. The Indian even laughed as we led the horses deeper into the aspen grove. He let out a whoop and raised the rifle in the air. He

didnt know Sponge Bob but he knew the relief of escape. And he seemed to have a sense of humor. The guy was okay. I set A.J. on the ground, and she walked beside me, hand in mine. Slowly we regained our equilibrium. After wed walked about twenty yards into the grove, I motioned to the Indian to stop. I ran my hand down the white bark of a large aspen, feeling the power of its connection to the matrix. This is good, I said. She bit her bottom lip and gave me the sweetest smile. Her cheeks were flushed. Her amber eyes

sparkled. Her hair was all wild and tangled around her. She looked radiant and more alive than anyone Id ever seen. She was beautiful. Were going home, she said. A wave of longing flowed through me, followed by a sharp jolt of reality. Home, rightBoulder and Ipod. Suddenly, things werent so funny anymore. I ran my fingers through my hair and dropped her hand. I pretended to focus on the tree, restraining the urge to take her into my arms for at least one real kiss before we went home. It wasnt right. She wasnt mine. Besides, we

had to get out of there. I needed to focus. Id deal with all that when we got home. What now? she asked. Let me run you through the process for getting home, I said. Its not hard. Rub your temples like I did earlier. Concentrate on being inside your head as if you were just floating in your mind. Youll get this wild sensation of a matrix; lit up in white, all filigreed like lace. See it in your mind. It has rings like a spiders web. Anything? A lacey pattern against black, kinda glowing? Thats it. Latch on to it. Let it

become a part of you. Make it stronger. Okay, she said, nodding. Now find the trees rings. Can you see them? I think soconcentric circles? Yes. Heres the one you want. I touched her temples and sent the vibrational pattern to her mind. Anything different? Yes, one of the rings is glowing gold. Theres a spot on it that is brighter than anywhere else. Excellent. Focus on that spot. Now feel down in the dirt for the tree roots. Let the pattern of the

roots overlay the matrix. Ill stand with my back to the tree. You stand in front of me. Lean back so our bodies touch as much as possible. Think of the tree house. Feel its vibration. Long for it. Feel yourself move towards it. Your energy will lock on and harmonize. Let me know when that happens and Ill add an energy boost. At that point, were good to go. Got it? She nodded. I need a minute. No problem, but make it fast, I told her. The Indian stood watching thoughtfully. A.J. pulled off her pack and

turned to him. Thank you, my friend, for saving our lives. He reached out and touched a lock of her hair. Aaajaay, he said slowly. He untied the pouch around his neck and pulled it off. Opening it, he took out some kind of talisman. It looked like maybe a piece of a foxtail held together by a string of beaded leather. Aaajaay, he said again, holding it out to her. Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him, eyes wide. Hosa? she asked, staring at the charm and then at the Indian. Hosa! Her knees buckled, and she sat abruptly on the ground before I

could catch her. A.J.? I ran to her and crouched down. What the heck is going on? Are you okay? She looked at me as if shed seen a ghost. Then she broke out laughing. I dont freakin believe this, she said finally. I dont freakin believe it. Believe what? I demanded. She just smiled. Wait for it, she said, standing back up. The Indian watched us solemnly. She stood back up and held her hand out to him. He placed his charm in her hand and stepped backalmost reverently. I was lost.

What was going on? See this? she asked, holding out the Indians lucky charm. Yeah, I answered, not catching the significance. She took a lock of her hair and held the two together. They matched. They matched perfectly. Its mine, she said intently. Its my hair! No way! I said astounded, looking from her to the hair to the Indian. No way. Way! she said, nodding emphatically. Ill explain later. As you saylong story. Hosa, she said, smiling. She

pointed to me. This is Constantine. Constantine, this is Hosa. He struggled with my name. Connastatine. Hosa, I said, resisting the urge to shake his hand. I didnt know how they handled introductions back in the Indian world. I stood there stupidly and then raised my hand, palm up like Id seen on TV. He did the same and nodded gravely. I hate to break up this little reunion, but we have to go, I said to A.J. She nodded. Wait a second. I want to give him something to

thank him for saving our lives. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the knife. She opened the largest blade and showed it to the Indian. His eyes opened wide as he watched her open and close it. You try, she said, handing it to him. It took him a second but he got it open. Then she showed him the other functions while he watched her in absolute fascination. After making sure he knew how to work it, she crouched down and sliced off the top strap on her slipper. Then she did the same to the other side. He likes Velcro, she said to me in explanation. She took one of

the straps, fitted it together, and pulledfraaaappp. Hosas face broke out into a wide grin. I pulled out my phone and started filming. See? she said, smiling at me. We could have freakin bought Colorado with Velcro alone. She took a strap, tucked it through the ring at the top of the knife and then walked over to Hosa and looped it through the rawhide, holding up his loincloth. She let it hang there for a second. Then she ripped open the Velcro and took the knife off, and then put it back, closing the Velcro together once again. She took his

hand, pulled it to the strap, and told him to try it. For a very amusing moment, Hosa, the gigantic, gentle Indian, practiced ripping the Velcro open and closed, and taking the knife off and on. He stood there looking like hed just won the Olympic Gold, his hand resting on the knife. It would have made a hysterical Saturday Nite Live sketch. She riffled through her pack. Suddenly, she laughed. Beads! How freakin fate is that? She pulled out a plastic box of multicolored beadsjade, lapis, and silver. She opened the box and

showed Hosa. Then she pulled out a spool of fishing line and poked a piece through a silver dove and a couple of beads. Its very strong, A.J. said to him. He was obviously impressed. Lex was going to make a necklace, she said to me. She dumped out the rest of the pack and sorted through the contents, making two piles. She stuffed a few things into her big hoodie pockets, leaving the rest on the ground. When she showed him the matches, I thought hed have a heart attack. He thought those were magic for sure. Save them for

winter, A.J. told him. He nodded, totally serious. She beckoned him over to where there was a break in the trees, showing a mountain in the distance. She held the binoculars up to her eyes and scanned the sky, following a hawk cruising on the wind. Look, she said, pulling him down and holding the binoculars up to his eyes. He grabbed them and stood up, moving them in front of his eyes and away and back again. He stood with his mouth open, watching the bird soar down through the breaking dawn to land on the top of

a broken pine tree. A.J. gathered up the gifts and stuffed them in the pack. We have to go, she said, handing it to him. He took the necklace from around his neck, and gently put it over her head. She reached up, touched it, and said, thank you, my friend, Hosa. We gotta go, I said, urgently, watching the sun appear over the horizon. We could shade now, but we were putting Hosa in danger. Thank you, I told him, pulling A.J. back towards the giant aspen. Peace, A.J. said to the Indian, holding up her hand up, palm out.

He did the same. Then she split her fingers into the peace sign, tears running down her cheeks. He looked at her with what I could only call reverence. His eyes watered, and for a moment, the aspen grove was quiet. A boom shattered the silence. Hosas knees buckled, and he dropped to the ground, mouth open in surprise. Blood spurted from his thigh. He writhed in pain. Hosa! A.J. screamed. She started to run to him. I grabbed her and shoved her behind me. Get down! I yelled, trying desperately to focus enough

to shade There was another boom and the weight of a sledgehammer slammed my chest. I went flying, bringing A.J. down with me. Then time morphed into slow-motion madness. At first there was no painjust intense pressure. I tried again to shade, but I couldnt lock on. I tried to speak, but I couldnt do that either. Then my air began to run out. A.J. crouched over me, her eyes like saucers. Tears ran down her face as she called my name. I lifted my shaking hand to my

chest and it dripped bright red. I looked at it in surprise. Then the pain hit. A wave of fire screamed through me. My left lung cramped with excruciating violence. Each breath was a knife, stabbing me in the chestover and over. The fire burned, searing, harsh, and violent. I struggled just to thinkand I thought, A.J. Wheres A.J.? I have to save her. The world around me reeled. I fought to focus. I tried calling her name, but no sound came outjust a bubble of blood. Someone shrieked, Nooooo! Shade! Shade! I screamed in

my head, but I couldnt focus enough do itand the pain, the pain. The pain was burning me alive. I couldnt move. I couldnt breathe. Another boom. And then nothing.

Constantine! I screamed. The front of his shirt was red, and the stain was spreading fast. Ohmygod! He was hurt! He was hurt bad. Twitching erratically, he

clutched his hand to his chest. He lifted it and blood dripped off his fingers. He stared at me, his mouth struggling to form words that never reached the air. Then his body jerked. His head fell back and he let out this terrifying moan. I heard a sick, cackling laugh, and I looked up to see Joe tearing into the aspen trees, jerking, weaving, and waving a pistol. That stupid, stupid, son of a bitch shot my Constantine! And he was running towards me. Transfixed by fear, my brain froze. And my heart pounded so hard, it hurt to breathe. I searched frantically for something

to use as a weapon. There was nothing. I had nothing. I had absolutely, freakin nothing. But damn it! I wasnt dead yet. I leapt into frenetic, adrenaline action, ripping open Constantines shirt. Blood flowed out the wound and ran down the sides of his chest. I tore off my hoodie and flung it aside. I ripped off my pajama top and stuffed the soft side on the wound. I pressed hard, desperate to stop the bleeding. The air pushed down on me, thick, heavy, and suffocating. Every movement I made was against the tide. I struggled to focus. Stop the

blood. Thats all I knew. I needed to stop the blood. Me. There was no 911. Constantine, I cried again. Please, please, be okay. And in that horrifying moment I knew. I loved him! I did. I had to save him. He let out a heartrending moan. I let out a sob. His eyes fluttered open. He stared up at me, trying desperately to speak. I heard a tattered whisper in my mind, but I couldnt understand it. He took the bullet meant for me, and now he was going to die. I poured all my energy into him, but something was wrong.

I was depleted by the run. I needed my tree. I needed any tree. He jerked with a spasm and sprayed me with blood. And then his eyes closed and he went limp. Noooo! I screamed into the madness, willing for it to stop, willing for him to live, willing him not to leave me. In the distance, Remy Zero wailed, Just save me It was sickening surreal, that horrible part in the movie, right before somebody dies. I hated that part! Joe stopped about thirty feet away, laughing like a lunatic. He fired a shot that scattered dirt over

top of us. Wed pushed him over the edge, thats for sure. He was practically foaming at the mouth. He hurled curses at me, calling me a witch, drawing it out, trying to scare me. He did. I was terrified. He had a gun. I had nothing. Laughing manically, he fired a shot in the air just to screw with me. He fired another one at my feet, toying with me like a cat with a mouse. I shoved the terror back with blazing determination. Looking the devil in the eye, I yanked the

pepper spray out, and sprayed it in his direction. He backed off, sneering, and shaking wildly. I sprang into a crouch, ready to launch myself at him. But the second I let go of Constantines wound; it started gushing. I couldnt leave him. And I had nothing. I had absolutely nothing. But I wasnt about to let the psycho see me cave. You stupid son of a bitch, I hissed, trying to fake him out. Youre going to regret the day you messed with me. Youre right. I am a witch and I put a curse on you. You better run now, or youre a

dead man. Go! Be gone! It didnt work. He didnt run. But he quit taunting me. He lowered the gun and spit on the ground. Then he got this crazed sneer on his face. Time to die, witch! he shrieked. He fired, the gun shaking with his fury. I flinched as the bullet grazed my shoulder. Pain seared down my arm, but I ignored it. The psycho fired again, but he was out of bullets. He swore as he struggled to reload. Trembling with fear, I tore my eyes away from him. I bent down and touched my cheek against

Constantines, my tears mingling with his blood. I love you, I choked out, sobbing. I love you, I said again. If it was over, I had to tell him. He lay silent on the ground. An ugly snicker from Joe jerked me upright. He came closer this time, obviously no longer afraid of me. Stopping ten feet away, he swore and made the sign of the cross. He raised his gun again. I shut my eyes and held my breath, trembling with terror. But there was a thwack and a then slurping sound. Not a boom.

I looked up to see a knife sticking through the psychos throat Hosas knife. Joe fell without sound, his hatefilled eyes turning empty as the life filtered out of them. He hit the ground, twitched, and then was still. I looked around in disbelief. Hosa was propped on one elbow, face white from blood loss. His expression was grave. He gave me a little nod when our eyes met. I nodded back and turned to Constantine who was breathing in slow, staggering gasps. A chance, we had a chance.

I knew this part. Maybe not life and death, but I knew hurt, and pain, and injury. I knew something about putting back together what a psycho had torn apart. I had practice with Ipod. I leapt into frenzied activity, shooting a look of gratitude at Hosa. Press on your leg! I yelled. Stop the blood! I wanted to help Hosa, but I wanted to help Constantine more. Cons face was white and his eyelids were bruised purple. His shallow breathing came in sharp wheezes as if someone was pounding on his chest. His hands rested limp at his side. His nails and

lips were turning blue. I pressed my palm flat over the cloth and focused on stopping the gushing blood. This wound was big, way bigger than anything Ipod ever had. I needed more. I wasnt touching a tree, and I couldnt drag Constantine without letting go of the wound. I put my palm to the ground, searching, connecting, begging for help from the huge, ancient matrix of roots beneath me. Hurry, hurry! There was a second of nothing. And thenthe aspen grove responded. The air vibrated, and not just

one tree, a chorus of trees, thousands of them sang their power. I gathered that power, and I pulled. I pulled hard. I pulled power from the ground, through Constantines back, pushing the bullet right through his chest. It just popped through the wound with a little sucking sound. I grasped for the bullet, but my shaking fingers slipped on the blood. I took a corner of the shirt and used it to yank it out and stuff it in my pocket. I flowed calm across his forehead and pain relief down his chest. Hed need it for what I had to do next.

I pressed hard on the wound and focused on his lung. Somehow by touching him, I could see the lungwhere it was torn, where it needed reinforcementlike I had a split screen in my head, one side showing a good lung, and the other showing his damaged one. I made his hurt lung match the one on the screen. I knitted it together and made it move up and down, pump oxygen through his body. I made it whole. He gasped for air, clutching his throat. Slowtake deep breaths, I told him, touching my hand to his

cheek. Its okay. You were shot, but the aspen grove is healing you. Its over. Were safe. He grabbed my arm and looked up at me, his eyes wide. I brushed his hair back and tried to smile to reassure him. His eyes closed again as he fought for air. His ragged breathing evened out. The color seeped slowly back into his face. His fingernails turned pink. He coughed up a pool of blood from his lungs. I turned him to the side so it could flow out onto the ground. Then I turned him back and wiped his face off with my bloodied pajama top.

He took a real breath. I let mine go. I turned to the wound itself, blood vessels to reattach, nerves to calm and restore function to. Then I fused the cracked rib and knit the muscle of his chest back together. I did it all without thinking. Something inside me just took over as if Id done it a thousand times before. I didnt question it. There was no time. I began to breathe in harmony with him, tuning my energy to his frequency, and slowly pulled his breathing, his heartbeat, to a slower pace. I pulled the cloth

away. His skin was red and angry, and there was a big, ugly scar where the bullet had pierced his chest. But it was closed, no stitches needed. He opened his eyes, his beautiful, blue eyes, and my heart sang in harmony with the aspen trees. He looked up at me, and I could feel his heartbeat, strong and pulsing. Thank you, thank you, thank you, became the song my mind sang, over and over. Thank you, thank youkeeping time with his heart. Just lie still, I said to

Constantine. It was hard to leave his side, but he was no longer critical. I could speed up the healing later. I needed to movethis was triage. Ill be right back. Hosas hurt too. I ran to the Indian. When I crouched down beside him, he moved his hand, giving me access, gritting his teeth with the pain. Since he was conscious and breathing, and not on the immediate verge of dying, I focused on disbursing the pain. Once the pain was gone, his body would heal faster. Id done it many times with Ipod; times when his beast of a

father had beaten him so badly he could barely move. I broke up the pain and let it drain into the ground. Hosa got a look of pure wonder on his face. His cheek muscles relaxed, and his mouth softened. He took a deep cleansing breath and closed his eyes for a moment in relief. But he opened them again to watch me intently as I worked on his leg. I pulled again from the chorus of trees, pulled the energy through the back of Hosas leg, focusing on the metal inside, drawing it towards me. The bullet popped out of the

wound, and Hosa reached down and pulled it out himself, actually grinning. He wiped it off on the cloth and stuck it in the pouch at his neck. He was one tough Indian. I focused on healing the muscle and tissue. Then I closed up the wound. It was still red and warm to touch. But now it would heal clean. I gave it one more wave to jolt his white blood cells into action. I wanted to make sure there was no infection later when I wasnt around to fix it. I knew that infections were dangerous in the olden days. I sat back on my heels for a moment and took a breath. I wiped

my hands on my pajama pants and shoved my tangled hair behind my shoulders. Hosa reached out and touched my face. I smiled, patted his leg, and stood. We needed to go. Id almost gotten us killed by delaying earlier. Edgar was still out there somewhere. I wasnt going to make the same mistake twice. The sun had fully risen, and gentle morning light filtered down between the branches of the trees, dancing like fireflies over the tree bark and the two men lying on the ground. Bird song blended with the sound of aspen leaves rustling in

the wind. Far, far in the distance music still softly playedJeff B uck l e y s Hallelujah. I thought about how wed all soon be gone, but the music would continue to play with no one to hear ita funeral dirge for the dead body of the psycho. Then finally, the music would die too. I felt a shiver of cold, and realized I was standing there in a thin tank top and blood-soaked pajama bottoms. Wrapping my arms around myself, I looked over at Constantine. He took a bullet for me. I would never forget that. He

smiled weakly, and I felt a twinge of something that was so, so not the cold, dark emptiness. It was the opposite of ita wonderful fullness. You saved my life, he said. Youre amazing. You took a bullet for me, I said. So you saved me first. And he gave me the sweetest smile, a smile that reached his eyes, a smile that said I was worth taking a bullet fora smile I knew Id remember forever. The wonderful fullness inside me grew, and I laughed with delight. The sheer relief I felt to see him breathe without gasping was reason enough

to laugh. But the look on his face was icing on the cake. I walked over to where he was lying, head propped on my hoodie, hair falling in his eyes. How does it feel? I asked, kneeling down beside him. Excellent, he answered, looking up at me. At this moment in time my life is perfect. A few minutes ago, I was a dead man. But now Im looking into the face of an angel. Ive never felt more alive. I mean your chest, you dummy, I said, blushing. My chestwell, thats a little

sore, but the rest of meperfecto. He struggled to sit up, holding the arm on his bad side against his chest. Let me give you a hand, I said. I helped him lean back against the huge aspen trunk. He swished his tongue around his mouth and spat some remnants of blood in the grass. Sorry, he said, grimacing. Im a mess. He wiped his sleeve across his mouth and gave me a funny look. So are you. God, is that all my blood? I nodded. Well, some is Hosas, I guess.

Sorry, he said again. Then he got this concerned look on his face. A.J., your arm is bleeding. I reached up and wiped a stream of drying blood off my arm with my pajama top. Its nothing, I said, just a flesh wound. It healed when the aspen grove healed you. I refused to let myself think of how it could have been so much worsehow it almost was. It was over. We were okay. I think he felt the same way, because he just watched me without saying anything. He grabbed the hoodie and handed it to me. Here, put this on.

Youre shivering. I pulled it on. It felt like an old friend. I held up the bloody pajama top. So much for SpongeBob. SpongeBob rocks, he said, with a weak smile. He nodded at Hosa, who was watching us intently. No insult to your powers, A.J., but Im assuming Hosa did the deed. I shuddered, glancing over at Joes dead body. Hosa saved us twice. You know that saying in the nick of time? Well, I so know what that phrase means now. Our time was upmy God. I was crouching over you, pressing on your chest,

trying to keep you from bleeding to death. Joe was whacking out, jerking around like a lunatic. He was shooting the ground around us trying to psyche me out. I was petrified. And youyou were freakin dying. And I was just waiting for the next boom, you know, the one that would. I bit my lip, trying to stop the tears as the images flooded my brain: the gun and the blood and the dead guy. Constantine almost dying. The smell of gunpowder was still strong and there was blood everywhere. To say nothing of a dead guy.

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around myself, determined not to start crying like a baby. What a mental case! One minute, Im happy just to be alive. The next, Im falling apart. I took a ragged breath and wiped my eyes. I didnt know if I was shaking from the cold, or the adrenaline, or some kind of post-traumatic stress thing, but I Just when I thought I was totally going break, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Seconds later, a wave of calm wrapped around me like a blanket: soft, smooth and warm. It was lighter than usual, but strong and familiar. I let myself bathe in it,

shoving the scary pictures out of my mind. They didnt matter. We were alive! And we were together. You okay? he asked. I nodded. I am now. Good, he said. Well talk about it later. Right now, we need to vacate before the other dude shows up. Hosa should leave too. We owe him big, but he should get the heck out outta Dodge. Hosa, listening to us, put his fingers to his mouth. A shrill whistle pierced the air and the stallion came trotting up. Knife, Hosa said, looking at me, and then at Joes body lying face down in the

dirt. Gritting my teeth, I walked over and kicked the body tentatively. It didnt move. I kicked it over, tossing my bloody pajama top over the face, so I wouldnt have to look at it. The knife released with a sucking sound along with a river of blood. I wiped it off on his shirt. I couldnt believe I was actually yanking a knife out of a dead body; I mean, talk about bizarre. I cut off his money pouchno sense letting it go to waste. There was a bulge in his vest pocket bullets. I gathered those up and picked up the pistol. They seemed

to be the only things of value. I struggled to focus on things rather than the fact that there was a dead guy lying at my feet. I guess the fact that he tried to rape me and kill us all, kept me from a total meltdown, you know, about the dead part. Con called to me, Cut a few branches from one of the big trees. I want to take them back in case we ever want to return here. I cut some branches and gave them to Constantine. Grabbing the backpack, I loaded it with the stuff Id taken off Joe. Then I helped Hosa up so he could lean on his

horse. He clicked his tongue, and the horse knelt down. He stood on his good leg, and I helped him lift the hurt leg over the horses back. The horse got up, whinnying. Hosa patted him and looked down at me. Thank you, my friend, Hosa, I said, handing him the backpack. Be careful with that leg for a few days. Stay off it as much as you can. He nodded. Thank you, my friend, Aaajaay, he said, solemnly. I patted his horse and smiled up at him. Then I returned to Constantine. You ready? I asked. Absolutely. Wincing, he held

his good arm out. Sit down between my legs and lean back against mecareful. Im still pretty sore. We need as much body contact as we can. Lean your head back on my shoulderyeah, the good one. Reach your arms behind me and touch the tree trunk. Remember what I told you earlier? Yeah, Im there, I said. Im linked in. I was. It was simple at that point. I was so connected to the grove, that I found it instantly. Good. When I give you the signal, flow your power into the tree and me. Then he looked across at Hosa.

Thank you, friend, he said. Hosa nodded and raised his hand in the Indian-movie peace signal that both Constantine and I had used before. I didnt know if that was authentic, or if he was doing it because we had, but it meant something just the same. I raised my fingers in a V and said, peace. Hosa mimicked me, splitting his fingers. Now, said Constantine, wrapping his arms tight around me. I pulsed my energy into him, feeling the tingle rippling down my body.

As the aspen grove faded out, I heard Hosa chanting. Peace, Great Spirits of the Sky. Peace.

Ohmygod, ohmygod! A.J.! Is she all right? Are you all right? What happened? Whose blood is this? Oh. My. God! Lex crouched

over us, frantically assessing our blood covered bodies, touching the pulse at A.J.s neck. Its okay, Lex, I reassured her. Chill. Shes fine. Ignore the blood. Ignore the blood? Where did you go? she growled, not giving me a chance to answer. I thought you were going to pull A.J. home, not freaking vaporize! The hell? She sat back on her heels with her hand over her mouth. A.J. was still unconscious, lying back against my bloody shirt. I felt the warmth of her body sending healing energy into mine.

Give me a minute, I begged wearily. A.J.s fine. A.J.samazing. She pulled me to her time. I couldnt stop it. I didnt know that was going to happen. Im so sorry, Lex. I was so wiped out that I could hardly speak. Plus, my chest was killing me. She glared at me, petting A.J.s knee. I was really freaked I know. My bad. I couldnt stop it. Shes incredibly powerful. Yeah, Lex said. Okay, then. Well, thanks for bringing her home. I didnt mean to rip your head off. I just No problem. I shoved my hair

out of my eyes and took a ragged breath. Just give us a second to acclimate. Okay, she said, taking A.J.s hand. I can wait for details, but this bloodwhose is it? My chest felt on fire and I struggled not to moan out loud. Mine, I said, grimacing. Oh, thank God! She exhaled loudly and sat flat on the floor. Wow, thanks for the concern. Sorry. Didnt mean Dont worry about it, I said, straightening out my leg. Its not stillflowing, is it? No. Your girl here, shes

incredible. You should have seen her. I was shot You were shot? Her eyes were huge, and I could tell that she was squeezing A.J.s hand a little too tight. With a gun? Shut the front door! With a gun? I nodded and gently pulled their hands apart. Oh. My. God! Wait! Dont tell me anymore. I need a minutea gun? Were they shooting at A.J.? Well I decided not to tell her about the bullet that had grazed A.J.s shoulder. Wait, wait, dont tell me. I need to see A.J.s eyes, see that

shes really okay first before I can handle this. A gun? There was Ehhh! No talking! She held her hand up at me in a stop sign. Then she knelt in front of A.J., leaning over her, waiting for her to regain consciousness. Her patience was brief. She reached out and gently patted A.J.s cheek, Wake up, Sweetie, wake up I started to say something, but she shot me a look, and I held back. I need her to wake up, she said, forcefully, giving me a look that told me not to mess with her.

She continued patting and A.J.s eyes opened slowly. Lex! she cried happily, leaning forward to hug her friend. The sudden loss of her body heat gave me a chill. But the ecstatic expression, in Lexs tearfilled eyes, warmed me right back up. Thank you, she whispered, smiling at me over A.J.s shoulder. She didnt try to hold the tears back this time. They flowed freely down her face. My pleasure, I whispered back. Finally, they broke apart. I

have so much to tell you, A.J. said. She crawled to the sofa and sat, leaning against it. Youd be so proud of me, Lex. You wont believe what I did. I fought a cowboy, kicked him twenty feet across a campsite. Hes dead now. It was horrible Dead? Lex looked horrified. You killed a cowboy? No, no, I didnt kill him, the Indian did Oh. My. God! Lex hugged A.J. again, getting blood all over her shirt. Where the hell were youor I guess, when? No, I dont care. It doesnt matter. Youre home and

youre okay. Thats all I Wheres Ipod? A.J. interrupted, scanning the room. Lex glanced at me, eyebrows raised, You didnt tell her? Tell me what? A.J. demanded, looking at Lex and then at me. Guys, youre scaring me. Its late. Hes not here. Where is he? Heres the thing, I said, wincing. Sorry, Lexmy bad. There was so much going on, and it was all so dangerous, we didnt really get around to Ipod. Besides, I didnt want to stress A.J. out even more. There was so much to explainyou know, about me, and her, why she

disappears. We had enough on our minds just getting out of there Pause! Lex interrupted, holding her finger up. Then she turned to A.J. and spoke in a softer tone, Okay, this sucks, but its only temporary. The Hammer showed up here at the tree house, knocked Ipod around a little, and then shipped him off to military school. There was nothing I could do. Believe meI tried. But its going to be okay. New Guy and I have a plan to get him back. Military school? A.J. asked. Why would The Wicked Bitchlong story,

Lex interrupted. Ill handle it, I promise. He wont last long there, A.J. said, her eyes welling up with tears. Have you heard from him at all? Hes off the grid, Lex said, with a sigh. Were gonna get him back. We have a plan. Right, New Guy? She looked at me, nodding her head towards A.J. Right? Right, I said. We have it all figured out. Id get him back for her, but I didnt have to like it. See? Its all going to be fine, Lex said. You just need a good nights sleep. Well deal with it tomorrow. She jumped up and

grabbed a towel from a cupboard. She spread it on the sofa, pulled A.J. up off the floor, and gently helped her down on it. You need a hand? she asked me. I nodded. She pulled me to my feet, using my good arm. I staggered over and dropped down beside A.J., wincing as I hit the sofa. We need food, I told Lex, especially A.J. Shes totally tapped out. Maybe Im on it! She ran to the fridge. Soupwe have a fresh batch from Whole Foods. Ill heat it up. She pulled out a quart

container and poured the contents in a pot, setting it on the stove. Three minutes, she said, grabbing a couple of waters. She started to toss one to me and then apparently thought better of it. She opened it and brought it to me. I took it with my good arm and drained the entire bottle. Thanks. She opened the other one and handed it to A.J. Drink the whole thing, she said. All you need to do now is eat, shower, and sleep. Tomorrow well rescue Ipod. I need to finish Constantine, argued A.J. weakly. Hes in pain and hes lost a lot of blood. I didnt

have time to take him all the way. There was Hosa and we had to hurry. Im okay, I protested, trying to be stoic. A.J. seemed in pretty bad shape, and I knew she was freaked about Ipod. She turned and pressed her hand against my cheek. You were shot by a psycho. With a gun. It was inches from your heart. You had a punctured lung, a cracked rib, torn muscle. It was horrible. I thought you were going to die! She burst into tearsaftershock. Before I could react, Lex was there, kneeling in front of A.J. She

took her face in her hands. Youre okay now, she said firmly, wiping away A.J.s tears. Youre home. This is a psycho-free zone. Were going to get Ipod back and it will all be as it was before. Soup. You need soup and a shower, and then youll be just fine. New Guy, put your arm around her, she ordered. Man up. Do some comforting. Ill get the soup. I readily complied, pulling trembling A.J. over to sob into my filthy shirt. I was pretty shaken up too. I just wanted to touch base with normal for a moment. I wasnt quite sure what normal was

anymore. I didnt think A.J. did either. I brushed the tangled hair out of her eyes, and after about a minute, her crying slowed to a few ragged breaths. Sorry, she said, wiping her eyes off on her sleeve. I think Im just really tired. No doubt, Lex said, reaching behind the sofa and pulling out two TV trays. She shoved the coffee table out of the way and flipped out the trays. She walked to the sink and returned with a hot wet dishtowel. Hands, she ordered, staring down at our filthy ones. We held out our hands like two-

year-olds. She wiped them off gently, one by one, keeping a corner of the towel to swipe our faces. It had been a long time since anyone had washed my face, but it felt right somehow. Then she brought us two large, steaming mugs of soup and a box of crackers. Chicken tortillayour favorite, she said to A.J. A.J. gave her a weak smile. Lex picked up the remote and turned on the TV. You need normal stuff, she said. Eat. Watch TV. Shower. Then well talk. Lex was right. At least she knew something about normal. We

attacked our soupwhich was kickassand watched TV. Hows Sam? A.J. asked, abruptly, as though the thought had just occurred to her. Did he know I was gone? He thinks we were at my house some of the time, Lex said hesitantly. Then I made excuses. Youre in the shower. Youre doing a paper and wanted me to make him a sandwichthat kind of stuff. Hes been at the piano non-stop for days. You know how he gets when youre gone. He doesnt notice much when hes Piano Man. I made sure he ate at least once a day.

Oh, A.J. said quietly. Thanks. I got your back, Lex said. You done? When A.J. nodded, Lex took the mug and set it on the coffee table. She folded A.J.s tray and pulled her off the sofa. Now, you need a shower. Youre drenched in blood. How can you stand it? Its starting to creep me out. Go. Ill bring clothes. A.J. nodded and headed out the door. Lex turned to me. You done? She took the soup mugs, set them in the sink, and put the trays away.

Then she came back and sat beside me on the sofa. Heres how this is going to work, she said. When A.J.s done, Ill run you a bath. Think you can handle that? No problem. I felt a little stupid, getting bossed around by a girl who was almost a foot shorter than me. Still, somehow it was comforting, and my usual opposition to authority had gone to sleep. Ill help you get there and stand guard for Sam. Once youre clean, and shes had a chance to take a breath, she can give you a little more help. I dont mean to be

harsh, but she needs sleep. Shes a mess and now shes got Ipod to worry about. She gave me a long, heavy look. We need to pull this off, you know, New Guy. We have to get him back. I know, I said, returning her look. I knew we did. We would. Okay, then. Just so thats clear. She let out a big breath and looked down at her bloodstained shirt. So much for this shirtoh well, no biggie. She went into the other room and returned in a clean tee shirt. Youre staying here tonight in case your lung cracks open or

something, she said. We have no logical explanation for your condition so we need to keep it on the down lowdamage control. I nodded. She was right. The last thing we needed were questions as to why I was healing from a gunshot wound. If you need to make a call and leave some excuse for not going home, do it. If she sleeps near you, her body will finish the jobslowly without draining her too much. She can regenerate and fix you at the same time now that shes here in her tree. Okay, I agreed, probably a

little too eagerly. My mood instantly brightened. Ill sleep on the sofa, she said, looking at me pointedly. Right, I said, of course. When Ipods hurt bad, it works well for him to sleep next to her. That steady flow of energy really does the job. An image of that took my mood down a notch. I tried to ignore the thought. I wished I could ignore it into oblivion. She pulled the coffee table into the kitchen and dragged a narrow mattress out from the bunkroom, blankets, and all. She dragged

another one beside it and stripped off the sheets. Ipods, she said. She opened a tall cupboard, took out a clean set of sheets, and made the bed. She went into the house and came back out with a stack of clothes. Sams stuff, she said. Ipods would be too small. Then she left me sitting on the sofa, watching TV, and thinking about spending the night lying beside A.J. Each time an image of Ipod popped up, I just deleted it. New Guy, you need to make a call? She looked at me with intent. I jerked my thoughts back to

reality. Devon! I grabbed my phone from my pocketone message, forty-five minutes ago. It seemed like days, but it had only been a couple hours in Boulder time. It wasnt even nine yet. I dropped the phone in my lap. Well? she asked. One message from my dad, I said. I know it will be bleak and Give it to me, she ordered, holding out her hand. I handed her the phone. Code? I gave her that too. She listened and then gave me the details in a steady voice. Devon

had taken a turn for the worse. I felt a knife in my gut. My parents were staying there in intensive care. Only two people were allowed in the room. There was nothing I could do and no need to come to the hospital. You okay? she asked. Sure. That was a lie. Well fix it, New Guy. Its only temporary. Yeah, I know. Youll get your redemption, she called over her shoulder as she walked out the door. I leaned back on the sofa and closed my eyes. Redemption? I

didnt know if anything could make up for the mess Id caused, not even a rewrite. I figured Id carry the guilt with me for the rest of my life. But at that point, the last thing I wanted to do was talk to my parents. There was no cell use allowed in the ICU. That meant I could call and just get voice mail. I left a message that I didnt want to stay at the house alone, and Id be at a friends place. In their frenzied state they wouldnt bother wondering which friend I was with in this new town. Twenty minutes later, the girls

returned and sat down beside me. A.J.s freshly scrubbed face had regained a little color, and her long, wet hair dripped on the towel she had around her shoulders. She wore a white tee shirt that came halfway down to her knees. It must have been her dads. Below it her legs were bare and really fine. I tried hard not to stare at them. It took a lot of trying. In that situation, I needed to forget about her body all togetherI knew that. I would soon be sleeping next to it. I didnt know how I was going to pull that offthe forgetting, I mean. The sleeping-next-to-it part? I was

pretty confident I could handle that. The not-thinking-about-it part? Not so much. Luckily, I was exhausted and barely able to string two thoughts together about anything. I focused on her face. She looked lovely and she smelled amazingjasmine and the air just after a heavy rain. I reached out my hand Ehhh, no touching! Lex commanded. Youre filthy. Your turn for a bath. Wait, A.J. said. Let me give him a little pain relief. Im doing better, really I am. Lex started to say something,

but then she took a look at me and didnt. I appreciated that. I was hurting pretty bad. I think she could tell. She was concerned about A.J., but at that point, I think she was a little concerned about me too. A.J. put her hand against my chest, closed her eyes, and hummed softly. Warmth flowed into my chest and waved out all the way to my fingertips and toes. The pain faded and I took a deep breath. Thanks, I said, gratefully, giving her a smile. New Guy, Lex said, lets go. Waters running. She helped me up and we

walked across the bridge. As she pulled open the slider, I heard the pianoa haunting, classical piece. Sam, she said in explanation. For some reason, he always gets like this when A.J.s away. Lex flipped the light switch. Harsh light flooded the rooma childs rooma sad, lonely, childs room. A large dollhouse stood in the middle of the floor. Tiny furniture and figures were scattered around it as though someone had been interrupted in the middle of rearranging and never returned to finish the job. The walls were bare, but there were picture hooks and

faded spaces underneath them as though someone had taken down all the photographs in one fell swoop. A rocking chair sat beside the bed, a book turned upside down on the seatinterestingly enough, A Wrinkle in Time. The bed was covered in a SpongeBob comforter. But the covers were pulled back and there was an indention from a head in the feather pillow. Youd think that some kid had just gotten out of bed a few hours ago and thrown off the covers without making the bed. That is, until you noticed thatlike everything else in the roomit was

covered with a heavy layer of dust. We dont use this room, Lex said quietly, watching me look around. Not since SpongeBob, I pointed, changing the subject. Yeah, we loved him because he was so happy. He made us laugh, when we didnt have much to laugh about. Understandable. The only sign of life in the room was the trail of footprints across the dusty floor, leading to the bathroom. I added mine to the mix, as I followed Lex. The tub was full, and she turned off the water. She

handed me a fluffy towel and washcloth. I was afraid you might collapse in the shower, she explained. I thought it was safer if you were sitting down. I appreciate that. You all right by yourself? No problem. Theres shampoo on the shower shelf. Toss your clothes out the door. Ill throw them in the wash while youre in the tub. I doubt you want to go home in Sams sweat pants. Not so much. I gave her thumbs up and she left the room. I stripped, emptied

my pockets, and tossed my filthy clothing out the door. I heard her gather it up and I was alone. I eased into the tub. It was hot but soothing. Lex had added some kind of bath salts that smelled like eucalyptus and felt great in my lungs. I flipped the switch for the jets and the water whirled around me. For the first time in a while, I relaxed completely. A.J. was safe. I was alive. I had a plan to fix my family. What more could I want? A.J. Well, except for that. I allowed myself a few illicit thoughts about her while I was alone, hoping to get

some of it out of my system. Then, relaxed by the warmth of the water, I fell asleep in the tub. New Guy! Lex hissed through the door. Tick tocktick tock! I woke abruptly, sloshing water everywhere. Be right there, I called softly, sorry, fell asleep. I shut off the jets, grabbed the shampoo, and doused my hair. I ducked under the water which had cooled considerably. I got out, wiped up the spilled water with my towel, and tossed it in the hamper. Then, cringing, I dressed in clothes that belonged to the father of the girl I had a thing for. How whack

was that? I headed for the tree house. On my way, I noted that the house was now silent. No more crying piano. A.J., looking really fine, was bundled in a comforter on the sofa. Her hair was almost dry and it billowed out around her like silk. She was watching TV with Lex who was snuggled up against her. They both looked up when I came in the room. It was a pretty sight, the two of the sitting there together, even though A.J. looked half-asleep. I grabbed my phone, and snapped a quick shot of the two of them. Wed

had an adventure. It deserved documentation. Room for me? I asked. A.J. patted the empty space next to her on the sofa. I sat down and put my arm around her. We have to commemorate this with a photo, I said, as an excuse. I held my phone up. Lean in, Lex. Say cheese. I snapped a few more shots and then put the phone away. I took my arm off A.J., but I stayed there, sitting close. Were debriefing tomorrow, A.J. said, yawning. I gave Lex the Cliff Notes, but Im just too trashed

to think straight. Shes convinced me that Ipod will be okay, and Im just going to trust her on that. Weve been waiting for you so we could crash. But first, I want to add a little juice to your repair system to get things moving faster. Sorry I held you up, I apologized. I nodded off. It was a long night. Yeah, right? she said, sighing. It was a long couple of days for me. Lex threw me a pillow and took charge. Youthere, she said, pointing to the far mattress. I crawled between the soft,

white sheets. I lay down on my back with my good arm folded back behind my head. I watched the girls moving around, and I wondered what Devon would thinkthe old Devonabout me spending the night like that. I knew what Daniel would think. Hed make me write a song about it. God, I hoped I didnt snore. A.J., if youre going to give him a boost, do it now, Lex ordered. She was holding a silky, folded-up, comforter. She tossed over me. One minute, no more. Okay, A.J. said. She knelt down beside me. She placed her

soft hands on my chest and leaned into me, sending soothing waves throughout my body. When she leaned in, her hair swung down. It swept across my chest. I almost passed out with the scent of her. Her breasts were right there. I tried not to stare, but. I focused hard on her hands and the wound on my chest. But that couldnt stop the thoughts of her. The bliss at the very nearness of her. I suddenly really, really grateful to Lex for tossing that bulky comforter over me. Lex looked at me and kind of smirked. I was oh, so, glad she

couldnt read my mind. Youre lucky I got to know you or this would damn well not be happening, she said as though she knew what I was thinking. She stood there for a moment more and then she gave A.J. a shove. A.J. dropped down beside me. Her eyes were closed. She let out a little sigh and curled up on her side. Hey, look at that, Lex said with a little laugh. I think she was actually asleep, kneeling over you. Ive never seen her so wiped out. I made no comment. I wasnt quite sure how to proceed. I neednt have worried because, of

course, Lex took charge. Okay, she said, this is going to seem strange, but you need to sleep right next to her. If you can, put her head on your arm and pull her in so her back is touching your wound. The longer you can stay that way, the better youll be in the morning. Think you can do that and behave yourself? No problem, I said, straight faced, feeling oh, so, guilty for what I was seeing in my mind. I wrapped myself around A.J. Could I lie with her in my arms all night? I think I could handle that. The critic in my head snorted. I just pulled her in

tight against my chest. She still smelled really good. I broke my leg once, Lex said, and it was half way healed the first night. By the second, it was almost back to normal. Sometimes it takes a couple days for Ipod to repair fully. But hes never been shot, so I dont know exactly how this will come out. Id guess that youll be doing pretty well by morning. Get some sleep. Well deal with everything tomorrow. At that I closed my eyes. The hum of her energy mixed with mine, and I was back in my pleasure bubbleshe smelled so

good! I nuzzled my face into the nape of her neck, inhaling as much of the scent of her as possible. She gave a little sigh in her sleep. Behave, Lex said sharply. This is therapeutic, not for fun. I looked up guiltily; once again, glad she couldnt read my mind. Maybe A.J. belonged to Ipod, but tonight, she was sleeping in my arms. Lex doused the lights and settled down on the sofa. We have a big day tomorrow. Get some sleep. The near-death experience had been a nightmare. But it all was

worth it to be able to sleep beside A.J. for the entire night. Id take another bullet for that privilege any day. Okay, cancel that. The gunshot sucked. I didnt need a repeat. But lying there with her was mint. I couldnt believe the day was going to end like that. I planned to spend the entire night just inhaling her scent, nuzzling my face into her silky hair, and kissing the back of her neck. I figured that this would be my one chance to hold her, before I sent her off to rescue her boyfriend. But I was so wiped out by everything that happened and

relaxed by the bath and A.J.s healing energy, that I fell asleep immediately. What a stud.

I woke in his arms. It took me a second to remember why I wasnt in my bunk. When I did, I couldnt help smiling. Id been dreamingsomething soft and wonderful. I struggled to grasp

on to it, but it faded away. I didnt care. Whats a dream compared to the real thing? He was holding me in his arms. Things werent perfect I knew thatwe still had to get Ipod back. But Lex had convinced me that was a done deal. So in that moment, lying there with his arms around me, I was totally and completely happy. I lay motionless, unsure how to proceed. His top arm curled around me, warm and heavy. His hand held my hand against my chest. His long and elegant fingerspiano hands Sam would call themwere close enough for me to kiss. But of course

I didnt. Im the queen of imagining things that I dont actually do. Id never slept in anyones arms before. Well maybe Lex and Ipods when they were hurt, but it was always my arms around them, and they were family. Waking up in Constantines armsI didnt even have the words. Lying there with his breath in my hair, his heart thumping against my back, and his strong arms wrapped around me; it felt right somehow. It felt safe. When wed gone to bed, Id been the walking dead and paid no attention to Lexs logistics. It wasnt the first time Id been used as an

overnight, healing blanket. But that morning, I didnt want to move, maybe not ever. I couldnt see a clock, but the sun streamed through the stained glass window, coloring the room like a rainbow. It sparkled off the hairs on his arm and threw a gentle glow over the rumpled covers. Another sunny, Colorado day maybe Id spend it in bed, well, on a mattress on the floor in Constantines arms. As if! The sofa was empty, so Lex was up. I figured Id just lie there, faking sleep until someone else

made a move. Someone did. I can see youre both awake, she said. So theres no reason to prolong thishealing session. Tick tock. We have things to do. Shed just come from the shower and had a towel wrapped around her head. Shed already done her makeup. Constantine hugged me tight for a moment, and I thought he kissed my hair for a split secondI could be wrong. And then, his big arm lifted off of me. Did Lex see that, the quick hug-possible-hairnuzzle thing? Did that mean he liked me? Of course, he probably

had a girlfriend back home, probably some popular cheerleader, with better clothes, blonde hair, and real cleavagesomeone who wasnt outcast and weird. Good morning, he said to the back of my head. Um, good morning, I echoed, crawling out of the covers and taking the hand Lex held out. She pulled me up. You look a hundred percent better this morning, she said, giving me a hug. How are you feeling? She pulled off the towel and let her wet hair fall around her shoulders. Great, I told her.

Constantine was lying back with his arm behind his head, smiling at us. How about you? I asked, thinking that Id just been lying there beside him, wishing I still was. I wondered what I looked like all rumpled from sleep. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to straighten it out a little. Im all better, he said. Take a look. He sat up and pulled off his tee shirt, revealing broad shoulders and a well-defined torso. Perfect, I said, kneeling down and tracing the spot where the bullet had entered.

Lex, who was blatantly staring at his bare chest, laughed. I agree. Impressive six pack. I mean that its healed, I said, blushing. Look, theres hardly any scar. If you saw what it looked like yesterday Sweetie, chillax. Lets eat some breakfast and make a plan, okay? Okay, I said, glad to have the subject changed. I get the bathroom next. Be right back. I left the room before I embarrassed myself with more babbling. This was so new for me. I had no clue how to handle it all. I

wanted to tell Lex to ask Constantine if he liked me. How freakin middle school was that? I was just finishing washing up, when Lex appeared at the door with clothes. Youre not going back to the hoodie, she said, firmly. That era is over. She handed me a skirt, a stylish top, and the boots shed given me for Christmas. I knew better than to argue with that tone of voice. Plus, I was ready to lose the loser look. Now that I could control a few things, I didnt need to hide anymore. Besides, nothing I could encounter at school could possibly

compare with what Id just gone through. Bring it on! When I was dressed, I checked on Sam. He was still sleeping. I gathered up bottles from the previous few days and tossed them in the bin. I walked out to the mailbox to collect up the clutter of junk mail and unpaid bills. There was another urgent request from the bank. Sam was down to only one online class at that point. That barely covered the utilities. I set the notice beside his chair, hoping hed make an effortdo something.

But I could hope till the end of time. I left him a sandwich in the fridge, a note on the table, and headed back to the tree house. Bathrooms all yours, I said to Constantine. Hed gotten up and was helping Lex move the mattresses back to the bunkroom. Be quiet and dont go wandering. Sams sleeping, but he doesnt need any shocks to his system. Con took off with his freshly washed, although blood stained jeans, and one of Ipods tee shirts. He looked skeptically at the jeans on his way out the door. Lex shrugged. Hey, blood

stains are hard. I told Lex about the latest foreclosure notice. Well find a way, she said confidently. I probably have enough to make one payment. Then maybe Ipod can figure out how to hack my trust fund. Or Ill convince my dad to intervene. Or maybe you can call your grandparents. Sam hated my moms parents. It would kill him to have to ask them for money. It would kill him to lose the house. Checkmate, I said, resignedly.

Well deal after we get Ipod back and help Constantine, she said. I lieI die. I left it at that. When Lex said that, she always came through.

I trucked across the bridge and snuck into the bathroomno Sam in sight. Grabbing her towel, I held it to my face. I inhaled deeply,

remembering the feel of her in my arms, the smell of her hair, and the soft skin on the back of her neck. Then, abruptly, I tossed the towel back on the rack and splashed some water on my face. I was seriously conflicted. Not about her. There was no question at this point about how I felt about her, regardless of the stupid melding. I was conflicted about what my options were as far as having her in my future. I knew she was with Ipod, but she didnt seem to have any problem holding my hand or sleeping next to me. The critic jumped in at that

point and reminded me, that A.J. slept near me to heal my gunshot wound. Lex arranged it, not her. I had to admit that was true. But she did hold my hand in the past. The critic snorted at that one. Okay, I conceded. We were in a life and death situation, and all bets were off for something like handholding. Besides, most of the handholding was when we were running for our lives. Its not as if she made out with me or anything. Still, she seemed to like me. We had moments. I knew we did. Exceptmaybe I was having a moment, and she was just stunned

by the newness of what was going on. I didnt know if the melding worked for her at all since she was a Shadow. Probably she was blown away by all the Editor stuff, and I was just a part of that. Probably, she didnt think of me that way at all. When it came down to it, what proof did I have that she was even into me? None. Nada. Zilch. I knew she was with him. I saw them lying together, practically making out. They lived together. And there I was, planning to get him back for her. A part of me wanted to save the kid, and a part

of me was glad he was out of the picture. Overall, I was just confused. A n d so understanding the expression: Damned if you do damned if you dont. Damn it!

Constantine returned, dressed in Ipods tee shirt and his own bloodstained jeans. He held the damaged shirt against his chest. Lex poked her finger through the hole. Really close to your

heart, she said, slowly. Then suddenly, she hugged him. After a moment, she pulled back and looked up at him. New Guy, she said, thanks for bringing my girl back. I owe you big. I was a dead man, he said. A.J. did the savingher and Hosa. He tossed the tee shirt on a chair and turned to me. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck and looked down at me. Youre amazingthe things you can do. Ive seen some unbelievable stuff, but none of it comes close to watching you heal Hosa and me in the aspen grove. I can hardly wrap

my mind around it. But at least Im still around to trythanks to you. You took a bullet for me, I said. And before that, I was in serious trouble. I never would have made it home without you. I never would have made it down from the freakin tree without you. So were even. He smiled. It was a really nice smile. I think I smiled back, but I was so caught up in feeling his smile, that Im not sure. Lex rolled her eyes at me behind his back. Then she rummaged through the cupboards, pulling out boxes of cereal.

Whatever. A.J.s amazing, for sure. But then I already knew that. You brought her home, New Guy. You said you would and you did. Id be lost without her. Ipod would probably be dead. I am your friend for life. So Lex, he said. Ive been in Boulder a while now. When do I quit being New Guy? You arent New Guy to Boulder. Youre New Guy to usto our group. That might last a while at least until Ipods back, and he approves too. Its been a long time since weve taken a new member. Still, you come highly

recommended. I wouldnt stress over your application. Im flattered, he said, dropping down on the sofa. You should be, she answered, its a very exclusive club. Anyway, its cereal for breakfast because its getting late. Sounds good to me, I said, getting the bowls down and grabbing spoons from the drawer. While we ate, we discussed the mission to retrieve Ipod. My plan was to go alone, text the Lex from the past to meet me after school, and get her to help. That Lex could text the other me what was going

on and could fill her/me in later. The other me would be okay with it. I/she was used to weird things happening. Mostly, I didnt want the current-time-frame Lex risking anything. I didnt trust time travel completely yet. It was one thing for me to do it, because I didnt have any choice most of the time. Lex did. What if something happened to her? Besides, I wanted to show Constantine that, although she acted like it sometimes, Lex was not my mother. I wanted him to see that I was competent and not helpless.

I dont think so! Lex said emphatically, when I suggested going solo. I can do this by my Yeah, in Never-gonna-happen land, maybe. But in Boulder, Colorado, Im going with. Constantine watched us, looking amused. I should have told her in private. Usually I just went with it when Lex laid down the law. But now, I was the fish whisperer, the cowboy kicker, and a little more assertive. Of course, Lex had many more years practice at assertive than I did. Who died and made you

boss? I said as if I didnt know through and through, that she was boss. HelloooIve always been boss. Im coming. But I said no, she said again. You can take people along with you. New Guy said so. Youre taking me. Theres Ehhh! she held up her hand. Ive been tearing out my hair for days now, losing you and then Ipod. I am not going to sit here by myself while you take off again on some adventure. No way, Jose. Besides,

the earlier me doesnt know the plan. I do. Im coming. End of subject. I threw my arms out and shrugged in defeat. Why the heck not? She was right. Besides, I wasnt helpless when I healed him and Hosa. Maybe I didnt have to be perfect at everything. Youre sure nothing will happen to her in the vortex? I asked him. I lieI die, he said, laughing. Im sure, shell be fine. In all of Guild history, nothings ever happened to anyone in the vortex. See? Lex nudged me and

grinned. Its settled. Heres the plan. New Guy picks us up after school. We jump back to the day before the Chihuahua threatened the Hammer. We walk to Broadway and catch the bus to her office. I checked with Arthur. She was there all day. I confront her and convince her to keep the hell out of our business. Then its back to the tree house and return to the present. Cake. So you think you can talk your mom into keeping her mouth shut? Constantine asked. Lex snorted. Talkings useless. Shes a lawyerremember? Ive got

the only thing she understands irrefutable evidence. A.J., you said you brought my keys back. Yeah, but other than your wallet, thats about all. Sorry Just stuffkeys? I dug through the ruined hoodie pockets. Here, one set of keys and two wallets. Like I said, the rest of the stuff went to Hosa. Your phone was sacrificed so we could get away. No big, I dealt with that the day you left, she said, pulling out a new phone. You give him my beads? I nodded.

Cool, she said. That slays me. Hundreds of years ago, an Indian wore the beads that I got at the bead shop last Saturday. Way back then, all the other Indians are looking at his necklace saying, Dude, those are some kick-ass beads. Where did you get those? Ill bet they made him chief, because he had the most rockin necklace. Beads were big back then, even for guys. She twirled the keys around her finger, grinning. I made a piece of history. Whats with the keys? Constantine asked, wolfing down

his second bowl of Cheerios. Its not the keys exactly; its whats on the key chain. She held up a thumb drive. Been saving this for a rainy day. This here is Exhibit A. What I started to ask, but she walked out the door. Ill fill you in later, she called as she crossed the bridge. I want to brush my teeth. We need to go. I cant afford another late slip.

**************************** Cons dads car was a silver Audi with black tinted windows. It was sleek inside with black leather

seats and cool looking computer functions on the dashboard. Unbelievably, I got in front, and Lex got in back. I dont know exactly how it happened, but suddenly, there I was, sitting shotgun in the car with a guy as if it was a normal thing. On the way to school, Constantine Cliffs-Noted Editor physiology 101things he hadnt had time to tell me in the olden days or at the tree house. He explained how affected we were by the negative emotions of others, especially people we cared for. Our heightened sensitivity made us

vulnerable, and apparently, it took years to master building and holding a barrier. He said, in hindsight, he wished hed worked harder on developing that ability before his brothers accident. Isnt it weird being you? Lex asked from the back seat. Ive never not been me, so I dont know how to answer that, he said, looking at her in the rear view mirror. Its weird having such a huge and complicated secret. I have to always watch myselfwhat I do, what I say. But its cool to have abilities. A.J. has mad skills. She just needs to learn how to

handle her power. Go A.J., Lex said. Its all about energy frequencies, he said. A.J. packs significant power. Take sound waves, for instance. He turned on the radio. This car has a sweet sound system. But I could turn it as loud as it will go, and it will fade out to nothing a few blocks away, especially here where there are so many houses. Most Editors are anywhere in the car stereo range on up to nightclub speakers. A.J., shes a rock-concert sound system. Super Girl, Lex said to me. Ill design you a costume.

I had a costume, but you wont let me wear it anymore. You mean Loser Girl? I was thinking more like some formfitting, spandex thing, something with sparkles. As if! I said, turning and giving her my are-you-freakin-oncrack look. She just grinned and stuck her tongue out at me. If A.J.s so powerful, why dont you just have her heal your brother? No can do, Con answered. First, I dont think that even A.J. could heal a severed spinal cord. Second, hes a documented

paraplegic. Do you have any idea the uproar something like that would cause? No, we cant risk the exposure. None of us would ever have another peaceful day for the rest of our lives. Yeah, I can see that, Lex said. We were really careful when she healed my broken leg. I faked it for weeks. Good thinking on your part, Constantine said, staring ahead at the road. The only way to fix Devon is to change the timeline. Keeping a low profile is vital. Luckily, you cant really tell were different by looking at us. Our

differences are internal. Except for your eyes, Lex said. Your pupils look dilated like A.Js. Thats how we began to lean towards thinking you were like her. Do we all have eyes like this? I asked. Yeah, it has to do with the twilight vision, he said, stopping at a red light. Our eyes function somewhat differently. But Ive never seen eyes quite like yours, A.J. Theyre intense. He looked over at me. I got a sharp twinge in my stomach, and I felt myself warm up

about ten degrees. He looked back at the road and shifted into third. His knuckles grazed my bare knee and just kinda stayed there. I looked out the window as if I didnt notice. For a moment, their conversation faded out. I got lost in my head, thinking about what he said about my eyes. Intensewhat did that mean? I slept next to him all night. I told him I loved him. But I thought he was dyingthat I was going to die. Still, I meant itI did. He didnt hear me, but I said it. Of course, we werent in this lifetime, so maybe it doesnt count. Still, he

was there Earth to A.J.! Lex tapped me on the shoulder. She goes off like that. I think the inside of her head is more entertaining than us sometimes. Sorry, I said, feeling my face flush. I didnt mean to space out. No problem, he said. I do the same thing. I was telling Lex that we usually stay really healthy as long as were bonded with a tree. He went on to explain about the sub-brain and our enhanced nervous system that were the source of our abilities. Most abilities were dormant until activated, and

they required years of practice to master. Abilities surfaced slowly. Some were triggered by hormones at puberty. The rest were elicited with help from more experienced Editors. The tech, from Oreon, included the incorporation of binary code into this sub-brain, allowing it to process digitized information. In Editors, digitized information could travel along the nervous system and connect to the sensory areas of the brain. Con thought that explained the images Id seen when I was healing him. He said it worked a little like dreaming.

The upper-ranks Editors received instant learning downloads for things like languages and martial arts moves. He said that my HM must have launched an emergency medical program that had been lying dormant. He said it was probably a combination of my being a Shadow and the adrenaline hit Id gotten from getting shot at. That reminded me of the images Id seen of him when we were in the tree. I wanted to ask him about it. But at that point, wed reached the school. He pulled up in front. Tick tock, Lex said, gathering

up her stuff. We need to hurry. Thanks for the ride. She straightened her thigh highs and got out of the car. I grabbed my bag. It felt strange to be leaving himeven stranger to be going to school after all that had happened. I opened my door. Ill see you after school, Constantine said. Youre not going to class? I asked him as I stepped out on the curb. No reason for me to do the school thing today. After we bring Ipod back, were working on my

problem, remember? When thats done, the Boulder High thing will be history. I got it immediately. The whole picture just exploded in my mind. I was too stunned to speak. I wanted to yell WTF?! You risk your life to rescue me. We survive a nightmare. I fall for you. You spend the night holding me in your arms. And youre justleaving? So my skipping doesnt really matter, he continued as though the world hadnt just tilted on its axis. Its a waste. Ill pick you up after schoolwest parking lot. Im going to check on the family and

then work on the plan. For a moment, I just stood there. I felt a pain deep in my chest, and I wrapped my arms around myself to hold it in. My hair fell forward, hiding my face. I slung my bag over my shoulder and said a quiet later without looking at him directly. In my peripheral vision, I saw him raise his eyebrows, but I was mad and confused andhurt. I didnt know how to respond. So I slammed the car door without looking back and took off across the grass. This time it was Lex scurrying to keep up.

Youd think Fate could have warned me before knocking me down again.

What the heck happened? One second, Im the time-God, handing out the secrets of the universe, and the next she wont even look at me.

She bolts from the car, slams the door, and barely says goodbye. Girls! Ill never understand them. I thought we were good. One minute, she flows healing energy my way. And the nextbam!she jerks it back without explanation and slams the door in my face. Well, not exactly in my face, but at me. I speak door slam. Im the king of door slamming. I invented the frustrated and angry screw you, this is unfair, like sucks door slam. That was one of those. Was it an accident? No, I decided, as I pulled out onto Arapahoe Avenue.

It was deliberate. Thinking otherwise was, as Daniel would say, just a selfplacating delusion. According to him, I used too many of those to get through life. I knew what Daniel would say about what was going on I didnt even have to text him. Mellow out, man. Lifes too short to get all agro over a woman. Grab your bass. Play it out in the music. To complicate things, when A.J. yanked her energy away, she took all my stored-up power with her. I didnt think she meant to, even if she was mad at me. But I was empty and not doing well. An hour

earlier, Id been walking on air. Sure, there was the mess with my family, but I had a way to fix that. Now all of the sudden, I was drowning again. Not good. As I drove home, I sifted through past conversations, searching for some lame-ass thing I might have said that was insulting or inappropriate. I couldnt come up with anything. I thought Id been smooth. I laid next to her all night, hands to myselfhow frickin responsible was that? Well, maybe I kissed the back of her neck and sniffed her hair a

little, and admittedly I had some illicit thoughts. But I didnt make one illegal move. And maybe I was out cold for 99% of that time, but still. I should get some kind of award for thatthe frickin forethought, patience, and selfrestraint award. Where the heck was the Guild when I did the right thing? Maybe I was seeing it all wrong. Maybe the door slam had nothing to do with me. Maybe she was just stressing about returning to school. That was it. That had to be it. Please, let that be it. I chose to go with that explanation,

delusional or not. Sometimes a selfplacating delusion was the only thing that got you through. Apparently, I spoke that language fluently too. I stopped at the house to change out of my bloodstained clothes, and then I headed for the hospital. As I pulled into the parking lot, I struggled to change focus from A.J. to my family. It was hard to think when I was so drained. It was hard to concentrate. As usual, the visitors lot was full, forcing me to park closer to Nebraska than the hospital. I got out of the car. Then I slammed the

car door a few times, to get a sense of how hard shed have to shove it to make the sound Id heard earlier pretty damn hard. She was mad at me. I carried the A.J. hates me freak-out with me as I walked through the parking lot. I wished I could have left it in the car. The one parked in Nebraska with the loud-slamming door. I scanned the area for a tree to get some help for what waited inside. But there was nothing of any decent size nearby. I was late as it was. I was supposed to be on my way to school. I decided to just hit the park later. Hoping to hold it

together till then, I headed into the hospital, completely defenseless. In the hallway, I passed a couple of Devons nursesa grandmother type and a skinny brunette about my moms age. They were talking and laughing about something. But when they saw me, they cut their laughter off and got quiet. The grandmother gave me a sad smile and patted me on the shoulder as she walked by. The other one avoided eye contact completely. Walking through the intensive care doors, I felt like I weighed about five hundred pounds.

Immediately, the smell of death and disinfectant punched me in the face. I shielded the best I could. Still, my Editor-enhanced senses picked up everything. The lights were dim, like at home in mausoleum mode. Everything was controlled and stark and sterile. Anxious voices murmured in low, constrained tones. It was the song of hopelessnessbad lyrics against the drumbeat of machines keeping people alive. I tried hard to shut it out. It wasnt a cut I wanted on my memorys play list. When I reached Devons room, I just stood there for a while,

watching through the window. My parents were barely recognizable. At first I thought it was my grandfather sitting by the bed. I wondered why my dad hadnt texted me that hed come. Then I noticed he was wearing the same rumpled shirt my dad had worn when Id driven him to the hospital. How long ago was that? And I knew it was my dad or some version of him. When the nurse informed my parents I was waiting, my dad dragged himself into the hallway. His zombie transformation was complete now, leaving little ability

to relate to me, the living son. He didnt try to sugar coat it. He didnt even make eye contact. He just explained in restrained, convulsive sobs, that Devons brain was no longer active. They were letting him go. My dad was a scientist. We grew up believing in facts, not superstition. There would be no argument about what to do. Brain dead was, well, dead. I knew that. All that was left was Devons broken body. My dad said they were doing it that day, but my mom refused to do it while the sun was shining. Devon loved the sun. So

they were waiting until dark to pull the plug. My dad put his hands on my shoulders, and with tears running down his face, he told me to say goodbye to my brother. He said there was no reason to stay after that, to just go home. There was a two-person limit on visitors. I just nodded. Then I walked into the frigid room where my brother lay comatose, hooked up to machines with tubes and wires. My mom raised her head when I entered and immediately collapsed, sobbing against the side of the bed, unable to even look at me.

I stood stoically, saying nothingdoing nothing to provide her with any relief. I didnt know what to do or say. I figured Id just keep out of their way so they didnt have to look at me, the son still walking around. As though each step I took, took one away from Devon. Maybe it did. I didnt know. But I knew that it was my fault. My father gently collected my crying mother and took her to the waiting room so I could be alone with Devon. I couldnt talk to my dad, much less my desolate mother. How could I talk to my brain-dead brother? I was alone in

that room, but not with Devon. I was just alone. I looked at the gray ghost decaying on the hospital bed and shuddered. I forced myself to take Devons cold, dried-out hand. Then, looking around to make sure no one could hear me; I said only one thing, the one thing I wanted to shout at my parents, before I begged their forgiveness for having put them through such hell, Ill fix this, Dev. I promise. Then I ran from the room, down the hallway, and out of the house of death. It wasnt real, I told myself on

the drive home. It wasnt permanently real, at least. By the time I went to bed that night, Id have my old life back. Id give back the lives Id taken. Youd think knowing that would make it bearable. But somehow, it just frickin didnt. I pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. Id been so preoccupied with the hospital scene that Id forgotten to stop by the park for tree juice. Damn! The drama at the hospital had pushed me even further out of whack. My whole nervous system was buzzed up and over activated. Id never

been this low before. I didnt know it could get this bad. The only trees in Colorado I was bonded with enough to get a real hit were at A.J.s house. No way could I go there in daylight. I didnt want to run into her dad, especially in this condition. Dude, I said to myself. You need to get your act together. The house was in mausoleum mode, obviously, since no one was there but me. Still, I found myself practically tiptoeing as though they were all sleeping behind those closed doors. It was creepy. The house felt hollow, like if I spoke it

might echo. So I lay on my bed with my iPod cranked high and tried hard to get lost in the lyrics. Grabbing my Fender, I fingered the strings, even though the bass was unplugged and made no sound. At least it gave me something to hold. To fill in the empty spaces between songs, I kept telling myself that by the time I went to bed that night, Id have my old life back. About three songs in, it hit me. My old life was in Seattle. As in far away from A.J. How had I not connected the dots before? Id been so obsessed with her and with fixing my family;

hadnt thought the whole thing out. Id just focused on Devon being okay and my family being back to normal. It didnt register that normal was fourteen hundred miles away from A.J. Sure, she had a boyfriend. I knew that. But in the back of my mind, I told myself that Ipod was a childhood crush. They had to be. It was just a matter of time for her and me. I had to behave, play my cards right. She was with Ipod now. But, we belonged together. Surely shed realize that once she had a chance to know me better. But if I werent day-to-day in Boulder,

knowing me better wouldnt happen. So incredibly not good. The critic screamed at me to quit being so selfish. I should be thinking about my family and not some girl. Selfish was what got me into thisthat and lack of forethought. He was right. I might be messed up, but every once in a while, forethought came creeping in. Maybe it didnt always come at the right moment. But at least now I knew the word. I had to do it. I had to leave her. I had to go back to Seattle. Maybe I wanted her, but I had

a responsibility to my family. I texted Lex that I wanted to pick them up at lunch, so we could move things along. Besides, even though they wouldnt remember it in the end, I wanted to spare my parents the pain of having to pull the plug on Devon. I wanted to be done with it. At least, Id get my redwood back. I could take some comfort in that. I took my phone and recorded a message to myself, my old self, the one lacking forethought. I told him what had gone down, and what he needed to do to make it right. When the me in Seattle saw himself

on the screen, hed do the right thing. The DeMille nightmare would be over. And the A.J. nightmare would begin. I suppose I deserved to hurt after what I put my family through. I just never imagined that anything could be so frickin painful. The gunshot was nothing compared to this. At least, in hindsight.

Slow down. What gives? Lex asked as we headed across the crowded campus. Hes leaving, I choked out. What? Whos leaving? Constantine! We fix his past

and hes gone. Wait, wait, A.J., stop! She grabbed my arm, swinging me around. Hold on a minute. What are you talking about? We rewrite his past, and hes back in Seattledoesnt even know I exist. Lex just looked at me, startled, as the truth sank in. But Think about it, Lex. If his brother didnt have the accident, Constantine never would have moved to Boulder. We never would have met or have found out about my strangeness. Whoawaitthat cant be true

 No? Well, it just gets worse. Here we are plotting on how to rescue Ipod. But if Constantine never came to Boulder, that wouldnt even be an option. Sure, we rescue Ipod now, but when we rewrite Constantines problem, the timeline changes. We go back to not ever knowing him. And if we dont know Constantine, how the heck are we going to rescue Ipod? No, nowaitthis is confusing. She walked towards the building, looking at me with grave concern. That cant be the way it works out. He wouldnt do that.

Then, as if we didnt have enough shit hitting the fan, we ran into a Bratz-Doll roadblock. So, Jones, where have you been hiding out, fashion-disaster rehab? Cure your black hoodie addiction? Too bad a change in clothes doesnt change your loser statusdoes it girls? Sloane Cheney glared at me with heavily glopped eyes and stretched her oilslicked lips into a fake smile of triumph. The Kicks voiced their agreement and sneered at me as well. Lex opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to the

punch. Seriously? I asked, getting right up in Bratz Dolls face. Bite me! You are such a sad clich. Dont you ever go to the movies or read books? Nobody likes the mean girl. I let out a breath and shoved my way through her and the Kicks. Sloane was so startled at my movement; she stepped backwards onto the grass. Her spike heel sank into the dirt, knocking her off balance. Her heavy book bag swung back, and the next moment, she was on her butt with her legs in the air. She yelled something at me, but I didnt stop. I didnt care. I was

over being stopped by a Bratz Doll, cheerleader model or not. Bring it on! Lex was silent as she followed me to the locker bay. I dumped my books and slammed the door. I cant do this today, I said. Lets get out of here. Like Constantine said, what does it matter if we skip? It will all be different tomorrow. Yeah, sure, okay. Lex stuffed her books into her locker and we headed for the door. We walked in silence to Pearl Street. When we reached the coffee shop, I grabbed a table, and Lex stood in line. While I waited, I

stared out the window, watching the clueless walk by as though the world wasnt ending. Okay, we need to figure this out, Lex said as she handed me a steaming mug. Why would he have us rescue Ipod, if it was just all going to change as soon as his own story was rewritten? It doesnt make sense. Maybe he just hasnt thought it all out, you know, the ramifications of time travel. I mean, its really complicated. You touch one thing and fifty others are affected. Isnt that what got him in this mess in the first place?

Yeah, but hes not an idiot. Surely, he must have considered how this would play out. W h y ? We didnt! We didnt think it through to the end result. Yeah, but We just focused on having Ipod back. And me, I was seeing this stupid love story. I shut my eyes for a moment, breathing deep to keep the tears from flowing. I a m such a loser! Why didnt you stop me? Youre not a We thought, fine, he shows us how to bring Ipod back, surely we can do the same thing for him, I

said. But no one thought about the complexities. Once we change Constantines life, everything changes. Think about it! We never even meet him. We dont know that your mom is going to screw everything up with the Hammer. And Ipod is slammed right back to military school which we know will kill him. We dont get a rewrite! And me, well, Im a freakin bed warmer for the Gross Brothersstuck in the past forever, just waiting to die of old age at twenty, all toothless and used up, with five little Gross-brother babies

and no disposable diapers. Sam goes completely off the deep end. The house goes to the bank. And you, well, you can fill in the blanks there, Lex, because youre back with the Chihuahua. I burst into tears, knocking over my mug. It fell to the floor and shattered. The coffee ran all over. Everyone stared at us. Lex just sat there with her mouth open. I jumped up and bolted for the bathroom. What did I care about what people thought? It would just erase anyway. Some emo girl from school, skipping like we were, was hiding

out, smoking a joint. I glared at her, obviously looking insane, because she quickly put it out and left. I grabbed the first stall and slammed the door. Then I sank to the floor, sobbing. It just wasnt fair. And it was all so confusing. Everything was falling apart. I didnt know what to do and I had no good options. Lexs painted nails snaked over the top of the door. She gave it a shake. A.J., open up. I didnt answer. I just sat there, sobbing silently. Come onopen the door.

I caught hold of myself and let out a few ragged breathes. Let me in. Were going to figure this out. I knew it was out of Lexs control this time. But after a minute, I wiped my eyes on my shirt and blew my nose on a piece of toilet paper. Then I stood up and unlatched the door. She pulled me out of the stall. Were going to handle this. Shrink Fourinstead of freaking out, assess the situation and make a plan. You know that. What if we rescue Ipod but we dont rewrite Constantines past? Then we have

Ipod back. You still know who you are and what you can do. Let Constantine find somebody else to fix his problem. I shook my head. Wont work, I choked out. First of all, I already promised Id do it. His familys really messed up. How can I not? Besides no matter who fixes it for him, if its fixed at all, he never comes to Boulder. Dont you see? Its either him or us! Lex rubbed my back. There has to be Not this timerock and a hard place. I thoughtI thought he liked me. I thought we connected. I

thought maybe because I was like him, that maybe wemaybeit wouldnt matter if I wasyou knowme. You arent I thought this was my chancefinally. Maybe I could fall in love and have someone love me backsomeone who didnt see me as a freak. This is what happens when you get your hopes up. Having hope is just a straight shot to getting your heart broken. Lex put her hands on my shoulders and leaned her forehead against mine. Its never wrong to have hope, A.J. All the Shrinks

agree on that. Im as confused as you are, but I know the guy likes you. I see how he looks at you. He wanted to know all about you while we were waiting to bring you back. He just wanted to know if I could help him. No, it was more than that. It was sweet, really. And before you got up this morning, he kissed your hair You saw that? I thought maybe I was It was real. He was awake before I left for the shower. He was faking sleep. He could have moved. He just wanted to lie there next to

you. He was awake? Are you sure? I lieI die, A.J. Listen, I know youre scared. But, we dont have all the facts yet. Theres been so much to talk aboutyou know with who you are and all. He wouldnt just use you to get his old life back and let ours collapse. There has to be something we dont know. Youre pre-freaking. You think? I asked, wanting desperately to believe her. I let out a show, shaky breath. I think, she said, adamantly. She pulled back and looked at me, accessing the damage. Stay here.

She left the bathroom and returned a minute later with some crushed ice in a zip lock. She wet a couple of folded paper towels and laid them on top of it. Here, hold this against your eyes. I held the compress against my face. The coolness of it was soothing. She ran her brush through my hair and gave me some lipgloss. Let me see, she said, when she was done fixing me up. I pulled the ice away. I guess thats one benefit of not wearing makeup, she said. Youd be a mess right now if you

did, after crying like that. Your eyes are red, but otherwise you look really good. Your cheeks are all flushed. Lets find a tree. That will fix your eyes. Bring the ice. Her phone buzzed. Its him, she said, reading the text. He wants to pick us up early. When? Lunch. Tell him to pick us up at the bus station, I said. Thats close enough to school so he doesnt have to know we blew the morning off. I dont want him to know I freaked out. On the way out, I saw that

someone had cleaned my mess. Lex tossed a ten on the table, and we left the coffee shop, ignoring the stares. We had some time to kill till lunch, so we just hung out in the bookstore. We didnt talk about it anymoreno point. Rock and a hard place.

All the drama had really taken a toll on meto say nothing about the lack of tree juice. Exhausted, I dropped back on my bed and fell

asleep minutes after texting Lex. Sometime later, my ring tone woke me. Groggy and reeling from a headache, I fumbled for my phone, knocking it off the nightstand. It skidded across the hardwood floor. Holding my aching head, I hauled myself across the room to get it. The text was from Lex. They were at the bus station and not school. When I saw the time, I was shocked it had gotten so late, but grateful that Id gotten through the hours without having to spend them thinking. I downed a couple aspirins with a glass of OJ. Then I put on a clean shirt. As I pulled it on, I

looked at my chest in my bedroom mirror. It was hard to believe Id been shot justwhatyesterday? My chest was smooth. The scar had disappeared. Man, that girl was something else. And I was one lucky son-of-a-bitch that she was around when I got shot. Then it occurred to me, that it was the first time Id even thought about getting shot since wed talked about it that morning. How bizarre was that? Like getting shot was just an everyday occurrence. With everything going on, it had completely slipped my mind. I

couldnt believe what a rollercoaster my life had become. The aspirin kicked in and the shower helped a little, but I still felt lousy. Mostly, I had this overwhelming feeling of dread that I couldnt shake. That, combined with all the drama, was pushing me over the edge. I needed to find a tree and I needed to find it soon. I went to the back yard to see if I could pull anything off the pathetic little twigs growing there. But no dicetheir scrawny roots could barely feed themselves, much less me. This was not good. I couldnt deal with being around the

girls this messed up. I needed help if I was going to be able to function and not look like a complete idiot. A big cottonwood hung over our fence from next door. It seemed the most promising solution. Id never met the neighbors, but their cars were gone, and I knew they worked. I scanned the place to make sure no one was outside. Then I hopped the fence, dropping quietly into the empty yard. The tree was ordinary but old enough to have some juice. I wasnt bonded with it so I wouldnt get much. But at least it would even me out enough to drive and help me

make it through the day. I hugged it tight, full body contact, tapping deep into its vibration. Just as I had begun to feel a response, an angry German shepherd came charging around from the front, barking holy hell, rabid at me invading his space. I was barely able to shade before he lunged for me. I jerked to the left. He backed off whining, growling, confused at the disparity between his eyes and his sense of smell. I had no way to hide my scent. He escalated back into full bark mode, going crazy that he couldnt see me. Hoping once

again that no one was home, I quickly pulled hard from the tree. Then I hopped the fence before he could rip my leg off. Sorry, boy, I said. Guess I wouldnt be using that tree again. It wasnt that great anyway. I got just enough to stabilize my dizziness and take away the last of the headache. But the feeling of dreadit didnt go anywhere. As I got into the car, I caught a quick glimpse at myself in the rearview mirror. I looked terrible. My eyes were still glassy and red rimmed. They had dark circles

under them, like I was sick or something. My hair was all wild and sticking out. Id forgotten to comb it. I raked my fingers through my hair, smoothing it down. There was nothing I could do about my eyes. The tree might have given me some juice, but I was used to a higher quality of energy now. Dude, I told myself, youre pathetic. I drove to the bus station in silence. Music couldnt help me this time. Heading down 14th to Walnut Street, I saw her auburn hair from two blocks away. They were sitting cross-legged on a brick planter,

heads together, obviously lost in conversation. A.J.s long hair hung down hiding her face, the shining ripples of silk reflecting highlights in the bright, Colorado sun. I wanted to bury my face in it and feel its softness on my cheeks. I yanked myself back to realitynot an option. She was taken. They didnt look up as I pulled to the curb. Probably they were talking about how great it would be to get Ipod back. At least I could do that one thing right. I was ready to take a bullet for her; I could rescue her boyfriend. Then she could help me rewrite my original screw-up. Id

redeem myself and just forget about everything else. My old, pre-accident life wasnt so bad. Id been happy. I needed to keep telling myself that. At least my family would be okay. Thats what really mattered. I honked and they looked up and walked over to the car. A.J. climbed in the back seat. Lex got in the front. Could she be more obvious? She didnt even want to be near me. I watched her in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were red, and she looked really bummed out. Something was seriously messedup.

Something concerning me, Constantine, the Destroyer. We need to talk, Lex said. Were confused about something. Pull over somewhere. I nodded and drove a couple blocks to the park. No one spoke. A.J. was staring at the floor, and it sounded like Lex was playing Angry Birds on her phone. I was losing it. It was strange, being that close to A.J., yet being so far apart. I didnt like having our energies so separated. It feltI dont know cold and empty. She had her energy pulled in really tight. The tiny trickle leaking

off her did nothing but taunt me with its sweetness. I had to fight to keep from jumping in the back seat, taking her in my arms, and sucking it up off her like a drug. To say nothing of just kissing her. She wasnt mine. I had to remember that. Fortunately, I had the critic to remind me of it every frickin, five seconds. Thanks a lot. I found a spot and pulled over, anxiety snaking up my spine. Whats going on? I asked, finally. Umhows your brother? Lex asked. That caught me off guard. I didnt speak for a moment. Then I

hung my hands on the steering wheel, leaning forward to rest my head against my arms. I was at my breaking point, but I was not going to lose it in front of them. Bad, I said. Seriously, frickin bad. Bummer, Lex said. Im so sorry. A.J.s voice came softly from the back seat. Its over, I blurted out. His brain is toast. Theyre pulling the plug as soon as it gets dark. My voice was muffled from talking into my wrists. I could barely keep it together at that point. My brother dying, my parents losing it, A.J. mad at me, and me without tree?

Not a great combination. Just when I thought I was going to totally crack, I felt her hand touch my shoulder. Warmth radiated from her fingertips, and I could hear her humming softly. Healing energy flowed into me. Instantly, the pressure lifted. I almost moaned out loud in relief. God, it felt good. My jagged nerve endings quieted down. The pain evaporated. My neck muscles unclenched and the feeling of dread dissipated. I took a deep breath and sat back with my eyes closed. Thanks for that, I said. I seriously miss my redwood.

Youll see it soon, A.J. said quietly from the back seat. It its in my power to make it happen, I will. I promise. Thanks, I said again. God, I loved this girl. Even though she was mad at me, she still wanted to help me. How was I going to stand losing her? I took another deep breath and opened my eyes. I was supposed to find a tree when I moved here, I explained, embarrassed that I was such a basket case. I havent had the time to deal with it. I havent made the time. This stuff with my family keeps draining me. Editors need to

be near trees. I miss my mine. You can imagine. I can, she said, but thats all she said. She removed her hand from my shoulder. I turned to Lex, feeling better, but still unsettled. Im sorry, Lex, what were you saying? You guys were confused about something? Lets sit outside, she said. A.J. does better under the trees. So do you, apparently. Yeah, I agreed. Im not as good as A.J. is at pulling from just any tree. But having my feet on the ground is definitely better than being surrounded by a hunk of

metal. We got out and snagged a picnic bench under a large, white oak. The park was in full spring mode and the trees smelled incredible. There was a Tai Chi class out in the middle of the green, probably twenty people, bending and moving in unison. There were kites in the sky, the playground was full of kids, and some guys were tossing a Frisbee. A few yards away, three stoners were cracking up about somethingwho knows whatbut they were practically rolling on the ground. Under a Simpsons sky, everyone seemed

happyeveryone but us. I sat down on the top of the picnic table and waited, anxiously. The girls sat down on the bench. Neither of them spoke. A.J. avoided eye contact, and that scissored through my gut like a hot knife. I didnt like it. I didnt like it at all. Even the critic was silent. Were confused, Lex said, finally. A.J. said nothing. She just fiddled with her key. Okay I said, about what exactly? If we get Ipod back, and then A.J. helps you rewrite your

timeline She paused and took a drink. Say we get Ipod back, she began again. Yes, yes, I know, get Ipod back for A.J. Just throw it in my face, why dont you? She continued. So Ipods here, and then A.J. goes and takes your message to the you ofwhat is it six, seven months ago? I nodded. So then youll be back in your old life, right? she asked. I nodded again. Yeah, just trade me for Ipod, and everyone will be happy. Well then, we will never have

met, and we wont know why A.J. is the way she is, and we wont know how to rescue Ipod. We wont know you, and we wont even know that any of this has happened! she blurted without taking a breath. And A.J. will still be stuck in the olden days, and get raped by the gross guys, and Ipod will be in military school. That is so not cool. Whoa I said, looking over at A.J. She sat completely still, apparently waiting for me to confirm the horror show. So that was what was wrong. No wonder they were freaked! How had I

missed explaining that they could still hold on to their timeline? Well, then again, how had I missed realizing that fixing my mess would result in me ending up away from A.J.? Forethought? Hindsight? Who the heck knew? Just another Constantine screw-up. Not exactly, I said slowly. Maybe I could fix thisat least the A.J.s mad at me part. What do you mean? Lex asked. Not exactly what? I know how to do it so that you keep your memories and hold on to your timeline, I answered. Ipods rescue will remain, even

though I would have never come to Colorado. A.J. will still be safe. Its complicated but we can make it work. Yes! Lex pumped her fist in the air. Then she hugged A.J. who had tears streaming down her face. How had I let that happen? Im such an idiot! I so suck at forethought! My bad, I apologized. Im really sorry. There was just so much to explain No biggie, Lex said. Its all good now. So, New Guy, elaborate. You okay, A.J.? I asked. I couldnt believe Id screwed that up.

Im okay, she said. Im really glad we were wrong. Thinking of Ipod in military school was just unbearableto say nothing of losing all the stuff Ive learned and getting stuck in the olden days. I guess I freaked for nothing. Sorry for that. No problem, I said. Sorry I spaced explaining. Spit it out, already, Lex ordered, nudging me. Patience might be a virtue, but its not one of mine. Rewrite the future for us, New Guy. Lets hope your version is better than ours was. It is, I said. The whole

concept of time travel is incredibly complex. For instance, say you and A.J. go back and talk to my old self. Because youre the travelers, youll have both the memories of this timeline and the timeline thats there after you change things. The timeline you carried with you meaning this onewill be dominant. Everything around you stays the same, except for what you change. Mine is the only one that will change completely. Its not like youre messing with your timeline, just mine. So, well stay the same here, even though in theory, you will

have never come to Colorado? Lex asked. Yeah, but nobody else at Boulder High will remember me because the timeline itself will have changed. How about you? A.J. asked quietly, I mean, since you wont be traveling? Will you remember? Well, that depends, I answered carefully, avoiding her eyes. If Im connected to the tree when its active, Ill retain the memories of the timeline. If not, Ill just go back to my old life, where I didnt screw up, and it will be like none of this ever happened.

So youd delete your brothers accident and getting shot andall the bad stuff. Youd get your redemption, Lex said. Yeah, I answered, staring straight ahead. Id get my redemption, but look at what Id lose. A.J. was silent. I wanted her to throw her arms around me and say there was no way I could just forget her, forget all wed been through, that she wanted me, needed me there with her. But she just sat there, playing with her key. The silence began to get awkward. How about Ipod? she asked,

finally. That cut deep but I answered anyway. He wont remember military school because he wasnt tied into that trip, which is probably good as Im sure it sucked big-time. For him, it will be as if it never happened. Yes! she said, sighing heavily. She leaned against Lex who put an arm around her. Lets do this, Lex said, getting up and heading towards the car. Tick tock. We piled in the car. They huddled in the back together, and I sat up front, by myself, like a frickin

chauffer. Everyone was quiet. I figured that they were both thinking about who they were getting back. I was thinking of who I was losing. A.J. didnt say another word. It was all I could do to steer the car.

The ride home was tense. Everyone was caught up in his or her own part of the drama. I knew Lexs brain was whirling, probably thinking about getting Ipod back. Maybe she was rehearsing her talk

with the Chihuahua. Maybe she was wondering how badly I was going to lose it when I lost Constantine. I didnt know. She played Angry Birds, quietly, on her phone. I laid my head on her shoulder, and she leaned her own head against mine and continued with her game. I just wanted to get home and do what needed to be done. I shuddered to think of Ipod in military school. I was glad he wasnt going to remember. I realized that sometimes not remembering was best. I supposed it would be best for Constantine too.

Constantine just stared at the road. Too bad mindspeak didnt let me know what was going on inside his head. Earlier in the car, the severity of his situation had become agonizingly clear. Id been so wrapped up in my own stuff; I hadnt realized the toll his stuff was taking on him. His whole world was falling apart. How could I not have seen it? His only brother lay in a hospital, waiting to die. They were pulling the plug. I imagined Ipod in the same situation. If that were my brother in that hospital bed, I would be thinking of nothing else except

how to save him. Thats why he was so eager to track me down. Thats why he came to rescue me. I was the way to get his life back. I was making it all into some stupid fairytale. I mean, we never even kissed. In my inexperienced mind, we were half way to happily ever after. Probably, everything I thought was happening between us was just my imagination because I was so new to all the Editor stuff. I was embarrassed that Id slammed the car door that morning and walked off in a huff as if hed done something wrong. I needed to shove my unrequited love-saga out

of the way before I really humiliated myself. I needed to get a hold on things. Besides, even though I was losing Constantine, we were getting Ipod back. I should be happy. I was happy about that, but the happy was just squashed by the sad. I couldnt help it. My eyes filled with tears. Its going to work out. Lex soothed me as if I was five and had skinned my knee or lost my teddy bear. Yeah, I know, I sniffed. I elbowed her and gave her the shut up look. I didnt want him to see

me crying. I quickly wiped my face on my sleeve. I hopped out of the car the minute we reached my house and hurried to the back yard, not looking back. I knew my eyes were red again. Probably my whole face was puffy. If I could just get a quick minute with my tree, I could stabilize, fix my face a little, and pretend that everything was okay. I didnt want his last picture of me to be like that. I scrambled up the tree house ladder. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I walked up to the trunk, pulled some energy, and made myself better. Kinda better. Better on the outside.

Inside my chest, my heart was busy ripping itself to shreds. Lex walked in the door and sat down on the edge of the coffee table. So lets rock! she chirped. Whats the plan? She was obviously psyched about the jump. Id been jumping back all my life. It was new for her. I couldnt blame her for being excited. I pulled away from the trunk and smoothed down my skirt, trying to appear normal. Constantine came through the door and looked over at me with a worried expression. You okay to do this? he asked.

Of course, I said. I wanted Ipod back as much as Lex did. I was ready. Did you map it out? he asked. I nodded. Okay, as a last resort, you know how to get home. So if anything goes wrong He left it hanging. No problem, I said. The traveling itself didnt scare me at all once he showed me how to control it. Trees, I connected with easily. It was the guy thing I really sucked at. You better launch sitting down, he said. Lex will pass out.

You dont want her to hit her head. I showed you how to stay conscious, remember? I nodded again. I got it, I said softly, really. His eyes looked tired and he seemed distracted. He kept running his hands through his hair. I noticed, for the first time, that his shirt was buttoned wrong. He was a mess. I wanted to just get Ipod back and then make Cons nightmare go away. That was worth something. And I realized that having him be okay was more important than having him for myself.

I fumbled with my keyrubbing it for luckand walked over to the tree. We got into position, me leaning back against the trunk with Lex in front of me. Slump down a little and lay your head against my shoulder, I said. I dont want your head to whack me in the face when you pass out. She leaned back. Ready, she said. Lets, as Ipod would say, defy physics as we know it. Good luck, Constantine said from across the room. I nodded with my eyes closed. I just wanted to get through it. I concentrated on the location and

timethe tree house, the day before the Chihuahua had confronted the Hammer. I harmonized my vibrations with the exact spot on the ring. My GPS kicked into gear. I could feel it rumbling deep inside me. There was a minute or so of bonding with the tree. It seemed like an hour. I did it with my eyes closed so I didnt have to look at Constantine. Finally, we jumped. The trip was smooth. I held on to consciousness, but Lex was limp in my arms. It only lasted twenty, maybe thirty secondswe werent going back very farbut while it

lasted, it was insane. Incredible colors, flavors, sounds, sensations like being bathed in sensory art. If I could package it and sell it at school, Id retire by the time I was a senior. It would put all the local drug dealers out of business. Too bad, I was too sad to really enjoy it that time. Id have to try to hold Lex conscious for the trip back. Shed flip. When we arrived at the tree house, I laid Lex gently down on the floor and stuck a pillow under her head. The past tree house looked the same as when we left well, except for the lack of

Constantine. I was going to have to get used to the lack of Constantine. I made sandwiches while I was waiting for Lex to wake up. I hoped that Constantine was making use of our refrigerator. Lex had told him to. I wondered if he was touching the same loaf of bread I was. I made sure to leave him plenty of turkey. By the time Lex came to, I was half way through my sandwich. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Did it work? I nodded and handed her a sandwich. Eat. So were eating food in the past?

Yeah. Weird. I wonder if it disappears from our stomachs when we travel back. No clue, I answered. Trust Lex to think of something like that. Chips? she asked. I went back to the cupboard. Water, too. I brought both back. We finished our lunch with Lex talking about how cool it was to travel back in time. I knew she was trying to distract me. I tried to throw myself into the game, let her have fun. We left our plates in the sink. She wanted to see if theyd be there when we got back to our time.

Ready? I asked. I am so ready for this! We walked west to Broadway and caught a bus to her moms office building. The Chihuahua was prepping for a trial and would be there all day. She didnt do lunch. It was strange knowing where people would be, like hindsight ahead of time. I had to admit it was cool. So, whats the plan? I asked as we dropped into seats near the back of the bus. Blackmail, basically. Youre going to blackmail your own mother? She snorted. As if! Birth

mother. Pat hasnt been my mother since she popped me out and tossed me to the nanny. Well, trueI guess. I knew it was true. You guess? Hellowhere have you been the last ten years? Has she ever attended even one school function? She began counting off on her fingers like Ipod was always doing. Well, no Who does my parent/teacher conferences? Arthur. Who do I spend Christmas with?

Me, Sam, and Ipod. The Chihuahua always went skiing. Whos taken care of me when Ive been sick? I had to think a minute on that one. I cant remember you ever being sick, I said, finally. Exactly! Ever remember Ipod being sick or you being sick yourself? Well, no, now that you mention it, I said, shaking my head. Thats cause weve never been sick! How amazing is that? We just never noticed because you dont notice things that arent there. Ever

thought about why that is, huh? My tree? It has to be! And you, she said, poking me in the chest. You keep us all healthy, better than any mom could do. I guess. She was right. Wed never been sick. Who took me to the hospital when I broke my leg? Sam, I answered, obediently. Ding! When he called the Chihuahua, Arthur faxed permission and insurance info from the office. She didnt even show up at the emergency room. And who slept the next two nights with their arms

around me, making me better? And on whose sofa? That would be me and my sofa. Right. More points for Sam and A.J. And what did Sam spend that afternoon and all the next day doing? Umm, dont rememberlong time ago. What? An old woman across from us seemed riveted with our conversation. Lex didnt even notice. She wouldnt have cared anyway. She was on a rant. He built the bridge from the tree house porch to the house, so I didnt have

to climb the ladder. Oh, right, right, right. I forgot thats why he did it. Well, point for Sam. Yeah, point loss for Pat. She glared at the old woman who was openly staring at us. She does pay our grocery bill Damn straight. Insurance policy for possible neglect charges lawyer, remember? She needs a paper trail. And the moneyyou know Im the reason she has the big bucks. I did. I knew a lot of stufflike the details of the Lancaster/Archer

war. I knew about the bet between Lexs dad and the Chihuahuas father, Rick Lancaster. This bet was at the core of Lexs animosity towards her mom. She wasnt all that happy with her father about it either. Lancasters legal firm, Lancaster/ Basset, is one of Boulders highest priced law firms. For almost a decade, Alexander Archer (Lexs dad) was Lancasters archrival. For years, they competed for clients and argued opposite sides of high profile cases. They trashed each other in the news. So who does the Chihuahua date right

after she gets out of law school and joins her fathers firm? Ding. If you said, Who is Alexander Archer, youd win the prize. That really pissed Lancaster off. It pissed him off even more when they got married six months later. Archer was loaded. His dad had invented some high-tech, datastorage device in the nineties were talking big bucks. The Chihuahua loves money and she went after Archer with everything she had. But she loves a good fight too. She just couldnt help herself. She got off on pitting her dad and

her husband against each other, which she did over and over, until it all blew up into the divorce from hell. It was legendary. The prenup said that if they split up, the Chihuahua didnt kick in to the really big Archer money until theyd been married five years. It was obvious by the first two that shed never reach that five-year mark. The time was reduced to three years if she had a child. So the Chihuahua had Lex and then she dumped Archer. It was a financial decision, through and through. Lancaster represented his

daughter in the divorce against Archer. The old guy was ruthless, tried every trick in the book to take everything Archer owned in spite of the prenup. During deposition, Archer claimed the Chihuahua had gotten pregnant just for the money, that she didnt deserve any of it. That pissed Lancaster offhis archrival claiming something so demeaning of his little girl. The two of them got up in each others faces one day outside the courtroom, arguing about it. Theres video of it on YouTube. Archer swore what he said was true. He bet Lancaster that shed admit it if he threw a

Mercedes into the settlement for her admission. Archer won the bet. Lex played Angry Birds on her phone. I knew she was thinking about the bet. She confirmed that, with the next thing she said as she knocked a pig into Angry Bird hell. Think I havent read transcripts of the divorce? Please, I know all my moms passwords. Ive done due diligence. I know. My dad had her number, she said, not that hes any prize. I know. He wanted it in black and

white, Lex continued, and he got it, in the public record, no less. I know. Which meant I had to find it and know about it. Thats my legacy. Well, no one forced you to break into your moms office and hack her computer. But yeah, you know about it, which sucks. I didnt break in. I had a key. The bet didnt even embarrass her. Shes not my mother! Better than nothing No way, Jose. At least you had your mom until you were nine. Simone adored you. She was good

to me. I loved her too. It was devastating when she died. She wanted you. You have a story about it in freaking Life Magazine. You werent a down payment on a trust fund. Yeah, I agreed, softly. And you have Sam, she added. Hes barely there, I said, leaning my head back against the seat. Sam has a broken heart. Remember, before Simone died he was fun and used to smile and play happy music on the piano? I do. I remember those days. I hold on to

those days. We take care of him now. Thats what family does. Family isnt just blood. Sometimes you have to make your own. Family is whos there for you. I learned that by Shrink Two. I know who there is for meyou, Ipod and Sam. Thats my family. She was right on all counts. I changed the subject, before the old woman across from us called social services or something. You ready for this? I asked her. She nodded, emphatically. I am soooo ready for this. Im going to beat the Chihuahua at her own evil game. She will never squash

me again. This time, I win. The gigantic wooden doors at the entrance to Lancaster/Basset probably weighed a ton apiece. We walked right past the fashion-model receptionist, who was on the phone and unable to stop us. Suits were everywhere, walking and talking on the phone, standing, and texting, hunched over laptops on big desks in huge offices. No one even noticed us. Arthur was surprised to see us in the middle of the day. He was thin, perfectly groomed, and had a lot of nervous habits. He sat at a desk, right outside the Chihuahuas

office, so he could be on hand to serve her every whim. The Chihuahua treated him like a slave, and he just took it year after year after year. He shut his laptop as Lex walked around his desk. Why arent you in school? he asked, flicking a piece of lint off his jacket. I need to talk to Pat, Lex answered. Not a good time, Lexie, he said. Shes prepping for trial. He shook his head and backed up to block the Chihuahuas door. You know how she gets. I do. Dont care. Its important.

She said no interruptions for any reason. I cant Come on, Arthur! You dont want me making a scene and freaking out the partners. Lexie, be reasonable. You know I cant just No, but I can. Im not asking you to run interference. Just stay out of my way. Youre not going to win this one. Remember, Im my mothers daughter. She grinned at him. Scary thought, huh? She pushed Arthur aside and barged right into the Chihuahuas office. I followed.

Lexie? Autumn? Why arent you in school? Arthur! The Chihuahua moved a stack of papers on her desk and pulled her laptop down part way. Arthur leaned in the door, looking scared. Sorry, Ms. ArcherI couldnt stop them. Then he disappeared before the Chihuahua could rip him a new one. I nonchalantly pulled out my phone and cued the vid. No reason Ipod should miss this. This is not a good time, Lexie. Visibly annoyed, the Chihuahua took a swig of her nofat, triple-caf latte and glared

across the massive, glass desk. Its never a good time, Pat, Lex countered, rolling up her sleeves and grinning at me. Lex loved symbolic actions. And she liked a good argumentespecially with her mom. Dont be rude, said the Chihuahua. Dont be a bitch, Lex volleyed. I cringed. All right, thats enough, said the Chihuahua. Why arent you at school? Snow day, Lex said, sarcastically. She stood there,

completely relaxed. The Chihuahua shook her head, frowned, and looked at her watch. What is so damn important that you barge in here and verbally abuse me? I had a dream, Lex said, flamboyantly. She wasnt about to be hurried. She did have a plan. If youre not Martin Luther King in disguise, you better damn well have something better than that! I have work to do. Arthur! Arthur reappeared, biting his nails. Theyre leaving, she told him, waving her arm at us towards the

door. Au contraire, Arthur, were not leaving, Lex said, adamantly, in fact, were just getting started. Pat, I think youll want to listen to this dream, and I doubt you want Arthur to hear it. Arthur, you can go. Actually, on second thought, stay if you want. You might enjoy this doesnt matter to me. Arthur looked confused. He looked to the Chihuahua for guidance. She waved him away. Then she stood up, narrowed her eyes, and pursed her lips. If I had infrared vision, I bet I would have seen

smoke coming out her ears. She was pissed. Well? I dont have all day, she growled. I had a dream, Pat, Lex began, twirling the thumb drive on her finger, and you were the star. You know how you love the limelight. I dreamt that I could see in advance what was going to happen, what you were plotting behind my back. Yes, I could actually see the future. And what I saw astounded me. The Chihuahuas frown deepened. She tapped daggers on her desktop with blood-red nails.

Lexie You did something so evil, so heinous, Lex said, I couldnt believe that even you would stoop so low to screw someone I cared about, screw me Alexandra! Ive had enough of this. You Ehhh! Lex held up her hand. Im not done presenting my case. The Chihuahua looked exasperated, but apparently figured shed get rid of us faster if she let Lex do her thing. I dreamt that you started thinking that I might be like you you know, in the friends-with-

benefits department. In my dream, you decided that if I got knocked up, it might be an inconvenience, complicate your climb to the top. So that meant getting Ipod out of the way. The Chihuahua sat down. I dreamt that you made a little visit to Ipods father and told him that youd sue his ass if I got pregnant. The Chihuahuas mouth dropped open. How did you she started. I havent even I had a dream, Lex said, waving her arms. She was obviously getting off on the drama. I dreamt

that you narked on Ipod to his psycho of a father. And Ipods father beat the shit out of him and shipped him off to military school. She leaned over, putting her hands on her mothers desk. And it was all your fault. The Chihuahua moved back in her chair, literally stunned silent. A n d then Lex paused for effect, in my dream, I got really, really angry. I wanted revenge. She leaned closer and stole some lines from the Hulk, delivering them perfectly, Pat, dont make me angry. You wouldnt like mewhen Im angry!

How Ehhh! No talking! This was my dream and Im not finished. I got so angry that I posted all kinds of little items from your hard drive on the net. She waited a moment to let it sink in. Her mothers face went white. She stood up, knocking files to the floor. You dont have Oh, indeed I do, Lex interrupted, twirling the key chain with the thumb drive around her finger. Indeed I doin the dream, of coursethe one where I could see the future. And I dreamt that your hard drive was full of all kinds

of nasty things. Emails with highly suspect content, correspondence admitting withholding of evidence, hourly billing for times when you were out of town skiing. I especially enjoyed your photo album. That little number with you in that interesting outfitor lack thereof would go viral on YouTube. The Chihuahua grabbed for the thumb drive. Lex snatched it back, snickering. Please, Im not that stupid. Think I dont have backup? The Chihuahua closed her eyes. She said nothing, but her knuckles were white from gripping the edge

of her desk. Oooo, this one I particularly like, Lex said. She grinned at her mother, as if shed done something she was really proud of. I had to add it myself. Its a picture of your underwear draweryou know, the one with the little vials of white powder next to your passport. Lex held up her phone so her mom could see the picture. Nice shot, huh? The Chihuahua said nothing. I trust Ive made my case? Lex asked, sarcastically. The Chihuahua nodded in defeat.

So my dream can just stay a dream? No need to make the movie? She nodded again. Look, Pat, we have a deal. I let you pretend youre single and free to live the wild life. You stay the hell out of mine. You got your hands on a big chunk of the Archer money. I get my trust fund and my college tuition. You get an empty house, and in return, Arthur pays my grocery bill and deposits an allowance in my debit account. An allowance that needs a cost-ofliving raise, I might add. Ill speak to Arthur.

The Chihuahua smoothed down her suit jacket and slowly sat back down. Oh, and your private investigator? He comes anywhere near me, or any of my people, and youre the next YouTube sensation. Got that? The Chihuahua nodded. Wed never seen her speechless before. Its a good deal for both of us, Lex finished. Its worked pretty well up to now. Do we need to go back to court and modify the contract? No, the Chihuahua said, wearily, waving us towards the

door. Then Id say this case is closed, Lex said, motioning to me. Since his ear was against the door, we banged into Arthur on the way out. As we passed him, he applauded silently, with a huge smile on his face. Lex bowed flamboyantly. And we left the building with Lex pretty much dancing in the street.

That was amazing! Lex yelled, as they morphed back into the tree house. That was so freaking tight!

A.J. smiled at me where I sat on the sofa, fiddling with the remote. Lex danced around, then ran over, jumped into my lap, and hugged me, singing, Ding, dong, the bitch is dead, the wicked bitch So, you held Lex conscious for the trip back, I observed, impressed. Yeah, and it was epic! she yelled again as she hopped off my lap. I love this time travel stuff. I take it that it went well, I said, grinning, in spite of my bad mood. When Lex was happy, she

was really, really happy. I had to admit, she was really infectious. Lex rocked, A.J. said. I have it on my phoneat least part of it. You need to see it. She pulled it out and played it back, the two of them supplying commentary through the whole thing. Remind me never to make you angry, I said to Lex. She grinned. Then she leaned over me and delivered the Hulk line again. The two of them lost it. It was so good to hear A.J. laugh. I wished I could bottle it up for later. Lex danced around the room, blonde hair flying, bracelets

clanking. The trip was the bomb. But even more than that, the Chihuahua is never going to squash me again. I won, yes! The trip was amazing, A.J. said softly. I had no ideaall those trips and never feeling the journey or seeing the colors. I loved it. Yeah, I agreed. I love it too. Every time I So, New Guy, when do we knowyou know, for surethat it worked? Lex interrupted. I have total confidence in my intervention with the Chihuahua. Shes not about to cross me now. But still, I want concrete evidence.

Soon, probably. I checked my phone for the time. School just got out. Id say A.J.s ring tone sounded. Lex grabbed it and shouted, Whoo hoo! Text from Ipod, look! AJ U back? Cant find Lx. Lex waved the phone in the air, hugged me, and then grabbed A.J., dancing her around the room singing. A.J. disentangled herself from the dancing Lex, took the phone, and texted Ipod to come home. For some reason, Lex was thrilled about a couple of dirty plates in the sink. Then we all sat down, and they gave me another

replay of the confrontation with Lexs mom. The whole conversation was punctuated by intermittent bursts of Ding dong, the bitch is dead! from Lex. Lex? You up there? Ipods voice called from the yard. As he reached the top of the ladder, he waved to A.J. through the open door. A.J., girl, when did you get back? We were so worried! Wow, you look really nice! Hoodies gone for good, huh? Both girls attacked him the moment he made it to the porch. He walked in the room, a girl on each arm. He was laughing with

them, but when he noticed me, he sobered up immediately. Ohwhoa. Okay, whats up guys? He looked from A.J. to Lex and then to me. Lex, I looked for you after school. But youre here, andtheres something wrong with this picture. Ipod, Sweetie, you better sit down, cause do we have a story to tell you! Lex shoved him down on the sofa beside me. You wont believe what has gone down! You were in the past, and A.J. and I went backnono, you werent in the past; youre just missing a piece of it. A.J. was in the pastthe olden

days past, but then you know about that. The Hammer came here, beat you up, and then hauled you off to military school Say what? Ipod interrupted. Wait, wait, slow down, Lex A.J. got chased by cowboys and Constantine got shot. You were gone. A.J. was gone. I didnt know what to do. And Constantine, he was going to get A.J. back. But then A.J. pulled him into the past, and there was an Indian andohmygod! You just wont believe it all. Im so glad to see you! She dropped down on his lap and hugged him. I had to blackmail the Chihuahua to

get you back. He just stared at her, and then he looked at A.J., who nodded. Well, kinda-sorta, but way more complicated than that, she said, laughing. Lex got off Ipods lap and sat sideways on the sofa. She was facing him with her back to me. Okaaaay, Ipod said, pushing up his glasses, obviously, Im missing massive data here. Lex, I just saw you a couple hours ago at lunch. We were figuring out a plan you know He trailed off and glanced around Lex at me. Its all right, he knows, Lex

said, turning and winking at me. She looked back at Ipod and grinned. You arent going to believe all thats gone down. Ha! Theres even a little string theory in it for you. I got up and walked into the kitchen. The sofa was getting a little crowded and I felt like the odd man out. To have something to do, I grabbed a bottle of water and chugged half of it down. Then I just stood there, watching them, feeling seriously awkward. Lex was right, A.J. said. Hes like me. She sat down coffee table across from himtheir knees were

touching. Wait, you guys have never actually met, have you? Ipod, this is Constantine. She turned and gestured to me. Constantine, this is Ipod. Nice to finally meet you, Ipod said, nodding his head at me. Likewise, I said, from across the room. Nicer if you werent A.J.s boyfriend, I thought. The three of them jumped right back into their conversation, laughing, and talking over each other. At that point, it was obvious. They were a unit, and I was an intruder. I still needed her help, unfortunately. But right then, I

wanted to vacate, at least until they caught Ipod up. Majorly bummed, I walked to the door. A.J. saw me and stood up. Constantine, are you leaving? She walked over and put her hand on my arm. I felt the warmth of her energy, but it was mellow. She knew how to handle it better now. You guys have a lot to talk about to bring Ipod up to speed, I said. I need to run an errand. Still on for the second trip? She nodded. Absolutely. She bit her bottom lip and then she glanced back at Lex and Ipod. The two of them were focused on each

other, paying no attention to us. A.J. put her hands against my chest and stood on tiptoe. I guessed to kiss me on the cheek. I leaned down so she could reach me. Her lips were velvet soft against my skin. Constantine, thank you for bringing him back, she whispered in my ear. Thank you for everything. Im just glad it all worked out, I told her. I meant it. Her wish was my commandeven if I got totally screwed in the process. The scent of her hair made me dizzy. I held my arms at my sides, woodenly, determined to keep from throwing

them around her and holding her against me. She stepped back and looked up at me with her head tilted to the side. She fumbled with the key around her neck. Are you okay? She mindspoke. I felt a little wave of calm come with the words. Yeah, I mindspoke back. But I lied. I was losing it. I was absolutely falling apart. Here we were, talking, and no one else could hear us. Who else could do that? We belonged together. Why couldnt she see that? She gave me a little smile that didnt quite reach her eyes. Were

going to fix it. All the bad stuff will disappear. I know. And so would she from my life. I couldnt take any more. I needed to get out of there before I did or said something stupid. I spoke out loud this time. Ill be back in an hour. When I turned to climb down the ladder, she was still standing there watching me. I felt a knife in my gut. I thought Id never seen anything so beautiful as A.J. Jones standing there in the doorway of the tree house. All I wanted to do was go back to her. To hold her. To be with her forever.

As I walked through the yard, I heard Lex shout, New Guy, bring back a pizza! Pepperoni and mushroom. Ill pay!

Ipod couldnt believe all that had gone down. He was grateful to Constantine for all hed done. He was impressed with the confrontation with the Chihuahua. But mostly, he was blown away by

the fact hed gotten beaten up again by the Hammeryet there he was, no bruises and no memory of it. Hed be buzzed on that one for days. I left Lex and Ipod, completely immersed in talking about all that had happened. I crossed the bridge to the big house and walked out on the landing to see where Sam was. I hadnt been around the last few days. Lex had covered for me. But still, I didnt want Sam checking on me in the next couple hours, considering what we were doing. My dad didnt come to the tree house often, but he did make an

appearance once in a while. Lex had said hed played the piano pretty much nonstop while I was gone. The house was silent now. I called his nameno answer. When I got downstairs, I was relieved to see that his bedroom door was closed. That meant he was sleeping. Hopefully, hed stay that way till we got back. I wanted to grab a quick shower and change while Constantine was gone. All that time we spent in the past, I had been wearing my stupid SpongeBob pajamas and Ipods hoodie. If this was goodbye, I wanted his last

vision of me to beI dont know at least as a girlmaybe even pretty. I put on a skirt, a short one, and a soft blouse of Lexs that had colors that matched my eyes. Along with my key, I added Hosas necklace and a bunch of bracelets. I even used a tiny bit of Lexs Dolce and Gabbana perfume. I grabbed one of Lexs jackets since it would be November in Seattle. Con said it would be cooler, maybe even raining. When I was finished, I thought I looked okaywell, for me. I certainly looked the best hed ever

seen me. Not that seeing me seemed to be too high on his list at that moment. Still I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, stroking my key, struggling to get a handle on my feelings. Suddenly the truth of it overwhelmed me with its cruel, frigid reality. What was I doing, getting all dressed up, worrying about his last vision of me? It could be my last vision of him! What did it matter what I looked like? He wouldnt remember! It was so not fair! I sank to the floor and wrapped

my arms around my knees. I rocked back and forth on the bathroom rug, determined not to cry. It was hard. The guy who took a bullet for me, the guy whose life I savedhe was just going to disappear. I didnt care that there would be another version of him somewhere in Seattle. I wanted the guy who raced across the meadow with me. I wanted the guy who laughed at my SpongeBob pajamas. I wanted the guy who almost died in my arms. I guess I just wanted too much. If Id learned anything in my sixteen years of life, it was that you

dont always get what you want. If Fate had taught me anything, it was that. Once we made the change, Constantine would have his life back. Ipod was home where he belonged. I didnt die in the olden days, and I didnt lose my V-card to a couple of Neanderthals. I knew how to control my time travel, and I didnt have to worry about being invisible anymore. Those were good things. Fate was cutting me some slack. I shouldnt expect to get everything. Lex and Ipod were happy. I should be happy too. But that fault line down my heart was

beginning to crack again. And it hurt.

I slammed the car door shut and gunned the engine. I lied about the errand, but I had to get out of there. I was glad the guy was safe,

but I couldnt watch one more second of that touching reunion. A reunion, I might add, that left me out altogether. I knew I was thinking like a jerk, but hey, their gainmy pain. Having absolutely nothing to do, I drove to Abos on the hill, and ordered a large with pepperoni and mushrooms. Then I sat in the car, waiting for it, trying to figure things out. I had two options, both of them grim. One, I could stand clear of the tree when they took the past me my message. Id end up in Seattle, in my old life, with absolutely no memory of anything

that happened there in Colorado. Id forget A.J. Jones. The feeling of dread that washed over me at that thought was enough to make me moan out loud. How could I possibly do that? I banged my fist on the steering wheel and leaned back with my eyes closed. The whole situation sucked! The best moments of my life had all been with her. Some were in the midst of total madness, sure. Some of the moments were fleeting. But they were still my most amazing moments. But if Id never known them, I couldnt miss

them. Sure, I felt like shit, knowing I was going to lose her. But as soon as they made the change, Id be totally fine. If a tree falls in the forest and theres nobody to hear, does it make a sound? If a memory happens on a different timeline, and you dont remember, did it really happen? Not for the me in Seattle. Ignorance is bliss. Id also delete all the memories of my brothers suffering, my parents collapse, and the horror that went with the accident. I delete the whole DeMille

nightmare, because none of it would have happened to the me in Seattle. I wouldnt be on the Guilds blacklist. Id no longer be Constantine the Destroyer. Id have my redwood back. My life would make sense again. The second choice was to hold on to the timeline. Id still end up in Seattle, but Id remember. Id be this me, slowly incorporating the Seattle memories of the last seven months. Id remember the accident. And Id remember A.J. Jones. Id remember everything: how her hair gleamed in the moonlight,

her amber eyes. God, A.J. twirling on the bridge in the white dress against the dark night sky. That seemed like so long ago. Drowning in her eyes in the hallway at school. Watching her heal Hosa. The exhilaration of racing bareback across the meadow with her behind me, holding me tight. Lying with her in my arms all night, waking up with my face in her silky hair. God, how could I give up those memories? The question was, could I live with the memories and not have her? I had no idea how much the

melding affected how I felt. At that point, I didnt care. I loved who she was. Lex said that A.J. just wanted to be normal. The way we connectedso profound, so deep normal just wouldnt do it for me anymore. Normal would be like being with a mannequin. I knew she was with Ipod. But deep inside, I figured, eventually shed get over him. We were a perfect fit. Id thought that once she got to know me better shed see that. But that wouldnt happen if I lived fourteen hundred miles away. He lived with her. Sure, I could see her from time

to time. Id have my travel privileges back. But the relay station wasnt going to give me unlimited travel passes just to see some girl. The Guild frowned on that. How could I compete if I was hardly ever in the picture? Forethought was no help at all. Was it really better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Who the heck came up with that? Should I take a risk for the chance that Id have her in the end? Could I stand the pain of being without her until then? Or did I do the logical thing; just go back to my previous life, clueless as to her

existence? Screw forethought! I was tired of hurting. I was tired of all the confusion, of trying to have forethought. I was tired of trying to do the right thing but having no good options. Id walk through fire for that girl, but losing her would kill me. The hardest thing was that if I kept the memories, I wouldnt be able to stay away from her. What would become of me? Would I end up scamming travel passes and camping out at night on her lawn just to be near her? Would I become a stalker? I couldnt chance

that. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her or make her hate me. I didnt trust myself to hold on to the memories and stay away from her. That left only one choice. Erase it all. If I went back to my earlier life, all the craziness would be gone. No more guilt. The jerk in my head would shut the heck up. Id lose the memories, but Id have my sanity. I wouldnt be aware of what I was missing. The pain would just stop. It was the only choice. I pulled out my phone. I deleted the message Id left myself from my bedroom and made a new

one. I picked up the pizza. Then I headed backto say goodbye.

I checked myself one more time in the mirror before leaving the big house. The girl in the mirror was certainly prettier than the one who was there before the makeover. I didnt know what to

think. I didnt feel prettier. I just felt numb. The emptiness had ballooned in my chest, and I couldnt shrink it no matter what I did. I felt fragile and shaky, as if the least, little thing could shatter me to pieces. I was determined not to let it. He was back by the time I walked through the tree house door. Lex and Ipod were sprawled on the floor, scarfing down pizza, laughing, and talking. Ipod was so blown away by the scientific implications of everything that he could hardly contain himself. I dont think Id ever seen him so

animated. But Constantine just slumped on the sofa, holding his plate, his slice untouched. He looked up as I walked in. I felt his energy waver, then jerk, and pull back sharply. I guess he didnt want it to mingle with mine. I held mine in too as I walked into the room. I didnt want to invade his space if he didnt want me to. He looked tired and his beautiful face looked haunted. His hair was a mess and he had dark circles under his eyes. His gaze held mine for a moment, searching. Then he gave me the saddest smile

Id ever seen from him. I couldnt blame him for dumping the nightmares of this timeline. I knew he was hurting. I knew what it was like to feel guilty for destroying your family. I wanted to throw my arms around him and tell him it would all be over soon, that I would make the bad stuff go away. I almost said something. Then he looked away sharply and set his untouched pizza on the coffee table. I just stood there, numb, stroking my key. What was there to say? I knew what had to be done. I was ready, but I wasnt going to be

able to hold on forever. I needed to do it quickly while I could still keep it together. I realized why people in movies were always saying they hated goodbyes. A.J., have some pizza, Lex said. She waved a slice at me and then stuck it in Ipods open mouth. Not hungry. Lets do this. You ready? I forced the words out of my mouth. Hey, gorgeous! Ipod said from his place on the floor. He whistled. You look amazing! I cant believe the hoodie is gone for real. Thank you, Ipod, for bringing up the hoodie. As if it mattered how

I looked. In an hour or so, he wouldnt remember me anyway. Lets do this, I said. Constantine stood and walked over to the doorway. He kept checking his phone, as though he was wondering how long it was till they were going to pull the plug on his brother. His energy swirled round him like a cyclonedark, erratic, and disturbing. It seemed like he couldnt quite contain it, as if he was stretched to the limit. I felt horrible for him. I felt horrible for me. My chest felt tight and cold, but I brushed it off. I was determined to

see this through, and I sure as heck wasnt going to break down before I did it. Ready, Lex? I asked. Anytime, anyplace, I love this time-travel stuff! She closed the pizza box and set it on the counter. Put the rest of the pizza it in the fridge, Ipod. A.J. will be hungry later. She wiped off her hands and grabbed her jacket. I have his phone with the message and the branch, A.J. She handed me the branch from Constantines redwood that would allow us to go straight to his backyard in Seattle. I held it for a moment and focused on its imprint. Then I stuck

it in the waist of my skirt against my skin. I put his phone in my pocket. I noticed that Lex had a branch from my oak stuck through her belt loop. Whats that for? I asked. Insurance, she said. Then she walked over to Constantine and gave him a fist bump. So, New Guy, I guess this is it. Youll be gone when we get back, right? Right, he answered quietly. If you pull this offand I know you willIll be back in Seattle. Lex hugged him. Well, I have to say, its been a hell of a ride! Thanks for everything.

He gave her a half smile as she broke away. I took advantage of that moment to get in a quick goodbye. Yeah, reallythanks for everything, I said. Well pull this off. I promise. I didnt hug him. I barely made eye contact. The whole thing was seriously awkward. He just looked at me and nodded. Ipod bridged the gap by walking up and shaking Constantines hand. Im incredibly grateful, he said. I know I dont remember it, but I bet military school was a bitch. You saved my

butt. I wish you could stick around. I have a million questions. The whole thing with my family is really complicated, said Constantine. Take care ofthem, okay? You got it, Ipod promised. We have each others backs. Always have, always will. He crouched down, touching the trunk, so he could hold on to the timeline. Constantine backed off so he could let it golet me go. He looked so beautiful standing there. And I thought how I didnt even have a picture of him, that this was it, that Id never see his eyes again.

Then, as though he heard me, he raised his eyes and looked right at me. For a moment, my heart stopped or skipped or something. I felt dizzy and I couldnt catch my breath. I was losing him. You okay, A.J.? Lex asked. No! I screamed in my head. But I nodded. Then I leaned against the trunk, and I pulled Lex in front of me. She looked back, her eyebrows raised. I just shook my head at her. I desperately needed to leave immediatelyor I was going to crack. I held the branch. I found the

location. It was easy. I needed more to focus on. It would take thirty seconds or so to make it happen. Thirty seconds of avoiding his beautiful, blue eyes. I focused on the location, but there was still empty space in my mind. I needed to fill it so that I didnt think of him. I held the location of our destination and I thought of my tree house. I thought of my greatgrandfather, Charlie, how hed found this tree so very long ago. I focused on a picture I had of him standing beside my tree. For a moment that gave me the distraction I needed. I held Charlies

face in the front of my mindto block out the other face I couldnt stand to say goodbye to. Then I surged my energy into the tree and Autumn! Whats going on? I turned my head and saw a shimmery Sam standing in the doorway. Ohmygod, what was he doing there? I tried to stop, to pull back, but it was too late. The energy whirled around me, holding me in its grasp. The room was fading. I fought the pull. Sam lunged for me, yelling, Autumn! The swirling energy knocked him down.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, sending shock waves down my spine. It was Constantine! In slow motion, I twisted his way and saw a look of desperation on his face. He couldnt stop us. I closed my eyes, trying hard to concentrate. But thenLex and I were in the vortex. For a moment, I thought Constantine was there with us. I felt him. But when I opened my eyes, Lex and I were alone. Colors, sounds, and feelings swirled around me, but this time, I was disconnected from the wonder. I felt dizzyI couldnt think. I couldnt

focus. I held on to Lex, trying to orient myself. She looked back and grinned at me. Apparently, she hadnt seen Sam. About thirty seconds later, the swirling stopped, and I felt the ground beneath my feet. Lex dropped to the grass, laughing wildly. That was so freaking tight! For a moment, she just laid there with her eyes closed. Then she laughed, kicking her legs in the air. Wahoo! That was such a buzz. Time travel is my new favorite thing. Apparently, shed had a better trip than I had. I shook off my dizziness and

looked around. We were downhill from his house which was modern and angular. The side that faced us was nothing but glass and steel. The air was crisp and pungent with the scent of someones fireplace. The yard was a mini redwood forest. Luckily the yard was empty, and a tall fence hid us from the neighbors. Cons redwood was ginormous with powerful energy. I leaned against it, just trying to catch my breath. Lex was still spazzed out on the ground, coming down from her buzz. Earth to Lex, I said,

somewhat sarcastically. I held my hand out to pull her to her feet. Sam saw us. He came in just as we were leaving. No way! Way, I countered. He saw us disappear. And for a moment, I thought that Constantine was with us in the vortex. But apparently I was wrong because hes not here. So what gives? she asked, brushing off her clothes. No clue. Thats the point. Okay, well, dont pre-freak. We deal with it when we get back. Hopefully, Ipod gets Sam out of there before Constantine

disappears too. Lets go. Nothing we can do about it now. Yeah, I said, with a sigh. The last thing I needed was to have Sam fall completely apart. But she was right. There was nothing we could do about it till we got back. Okay, then. She held out her hand. Let me see his phone. Why? I gave it to her. I want to hear the message. What? No, nowe Why not? Arent you curious? Come onits not like hell know I dont care. I just want to get this over with. I struggled to hold back the tears. Im losing him, Lex.

This isnt fun! Okay, okayno big. I know youre upset, but look at it this way. For sixteen years, youve had no clue what was going on with you. Now you know and you have control over it. You can travel through time and take me with you. Thats just freaking amazing, right? I nodded. It was but You lost your horrid hoodie. You told off the Bratz Doll. We got Ipod back. Sweetie, were making out like bandits here. Yeah, I know, I said, starting up the hill. Youre right. Lets do this. Weve got to get back and deal

with Sam. She was right about the other stuff, but she didnt understand about Constantine. Guys were replaceable items for her. It was Jason Jackson that month. Next month, it would be a new guy. Constantine was irreplaceable. Lex grabbed my hand and stopped me. I know this is hard, she said, and I know youre freaked about Sam. But think about this. In about two minutes, youre going to meet Constantine again. How cool is that? Sure, this one wont remember all the lifesaving stuff, but you could start fresh. Hes

still the same guy. But yourebetter. Knock his socks off! I nodded at her and tried to squeak out a smile. I wanted my Constantinethe guy who took the bullet for me. I wanted the guy whose life I saved. Okay, I said, anyway. We trudged up the hill and around to the front of the house. Wild guitar music filtered out from an upstairs window. Lex rang the bell. No answer. She waited until there was a break in the music and rang again. This time a girl, obviously his little sister, opened the door. She

had long dark hair, wore a boyband tee shirt, and was busy thumbing on her phone. Yeah? she asked, without looking at us. Were here to see your brother, Lex said. Which one? she asked, still thumbing. Constantine, Lex said. Hold on, Ill tell him. She finally looked up from her phone. She gave us a long look, smirked, and then bounced out of sight. Lex pushed the door open, revealing a long, wooden stairway. We watched as his sisters skinny legs disappeared up it. A moment

later, the music stopped abruptly, and I heard her giggle. Hes coming, she yelled. But she didnt have to tell me that. I knew. I felt him before I saw him. It might have been a different Constantine, but he sure felt the same. His energy swept down the stairway and over me, searching then questioning. I sucked my own in tight. I didnt want them mingling. I didnt want the tease. I backed up a few steps as I felt him draw closer. My pulse sped up and I stroked my key. He came down the stairs carrying a ruby-red guitar. His

fingers danced over the strings even though the guitar was unplugged. He was looking down at his hands as if he was practicing a cord. His black tee shirt fit snugly over his broad shoulders and chest. His hair was a little longer. It was bizarre. Another Constantine. A Constantine I didnt knowwho didnt know me. I didnt quite know what to make of it. But I was determined to see it through, no matter what it took. I was doing this for my Constantine. When he got to the bottom of the steps, he looked up. He seemed surprised. His fingers stopped

dancing across the guitar strings. Youre looking for me? he asked. He pulled the guitar over his head and set it on a chair. I knew I needed to avoid eye contact. Or maybe that didnt matter as long as we werent touching. I wasnt sure, but I didnt want to complicate things more than they already were. I figured Lex could handle most of the talking. Im Lex, she said, jumping right in, and this is A.J. We have a message for you. I felt his energy reach outand then hesitate.

Do I know you? he asked, arching his dark eyebrows. No you dont, I thought. Quickly, I glanced up at the guy who looked exactly like the guy who almost died in my arms. You dont know me at all. Um, can we come in? Lex asked. This is kind of complicated. Oh right, sure, come on in. He led us into a high-ceilinged living roomthe one with the full wall of glass. Bookcases lined the side walls, and a telescope stood in front of the glass window. A baby grand filled a chunk of the room, and two large brown leather sofas stood on

either side of a worked-metal coffee table. Art filled every bit of wall space that wasnt glass or books. Lex immediately got lost in front of a huge, surrealistic painting. She pulled herself away reluctantly when Constantine waved his arm at a sofa. Have a seat, he said. Can I get you a soda or something? No, thanks, were good, Lex said. I glanced up quickly again as I dropped down on the sofa. His dark hair was messy and he hadnt shaved for a couple of days. But his eyes lacked that sadness Id seen

only minutes ago back at the tree house. He looked happy and healthy. That was what he wanted, his life in Seattle. That was what Id give him no matter what I was going to lose. So whats the deal? Do I know you? He ran his hand through his hair and sat down on the sofa across from us. Do you think you know us? Lex pounced. Do you recognize? I elbowed her. Okay, no, you dont know usnot reallywell kind ofin a way, she said. Are we alone? I asked, trying to move things along.

Yeah, well, except for Claire, but she went back downstairs. Whats this about? Who are you? Are you from thethe Guild? he said the last word in a whisper. Do you think were? I elbowed her again. Quit playing games! I hissed under my breath. No, I said, forcing the words out. You dont know us. Were fromwere from your future. We have a message for you from you. Seriously? Seriously. I reached out and handed him the phone along with the earbuds.

When he touched the phone, I felt a jolt up my arm. He felt it too and jerked his hand back. What the? Who are you? It will all make sense if you just listen to the message, I said. This time I just tossed the phone on the sofa beside him. Hey, this is my phone. Wait? He dug in his jeans pocket and pulled out an identical one. Oh, noI thought It is your phone, I said, just from the future. Use the earbuds. Lex rolled her eyes. Since she wasnt going to get to hear the message, she got up and resumed

looking at art. Just do it, she said, from across the room. Youll understand once you hear it. Well leave as soon as were sure you understand, I said, making that perfectly clear. This is really strange, he said. He popped in the earbuds and held the phone in front of him. Then for the next few moments he just listened. Since he was focused on the phone, I watched him. Sa y what? he said out loud without looking up from the phone. And then he looked at me and then

back at the phone and then at me again. He tossed the phone to the side of the sofa, threw out his hands, and leaned forward. So youre from my future. This is for real. I nodded. And youre like me. I felt you as I came down the stairs. I thought someone from the Guild was here, although they dont come to the door. But youre not from the Guild? No, you called me a Shadow. Youre the only one who knows about me. Seriously?

Pretty cool, huh? Lex said, coming to join us. We know you in a different time and place. In fact, we just left you back in Boulder, Colorado. You got shot I got shot in Boulder, Colorado? No, noyou got shot in the olden days, Lex said. You went there to rescue A.J. Its a long story. But that doesnt matter now. What matters is that you cant skip chemistry because youll get caught, then youll get grounded, and then it all goes bad from there. Oh, and dont show Devon how to play music on the roof.

This is bizarre, he said. No duh, Lex said, how do you think we feel? We didnt even know about Shadows and Oreon until you clued us in. I told you about Oreon? I cant believetheres no way Way. You found out that A.J. was a Shadow. You wanted her to fix your screw-up when you messed with your own timeline. Devon got paralyzed, and now hes lying in a hospital in Boulder waiting for your parents to pull the plug. The Constantine in our timeline is on the balcony. Its up to you to make sure he doesnt have to jump. Think

you can handle that? He nodded. Its vital that you dont skip chem, I said. Thats what started the chain of events that lead to the accident. Its what you called a pivotal causal effect. Thats why were here, to change that. You gonna behave yourself? Lex asked. It isnt like were asking you to commit murder or win the Nobel Prize. You just have to avoid screwing up. Study tonight, take the test tomorrow, and then you get to go to the M83 concert. No harm, no foul. You have the tickets? Well, yeah, but

Were your friends, just seven months from now. How could we fake this? Its you on the message, right? He nodded. Yeah, but this is crazy. Besides, a Shadow Man-up, she said. Weve had our reality stretched way more than this little scenario. Its simple, really. You screwed up royally by messing with your own timeline. You were a baaad boy. Have you told Devon yet about playing music on the roof? No Good, she said. Never, ever tell him about it. Never do it again.

Did you forget the chem test tomorrow? He nodded. Well helloooo! Youre the one that screwed up. Got it, he said, shaking his head and letting out a sigh. So were friendsall of us? Id love to talk a little, find out who you are; find out what happened in a little more detail. This getting-shot thing is a little alarming. So is the thing about my brother. You want a soda or something? We have to get back, I said quickly, before Lex could accept. You dont need to worry about the

details as long as you do what he says in the message. Myour the Constantine in our time is in bad shape. Hes counting on you. I better give it one more run, he said, cueing the phone, make sure I got it all. Again he glanced over at me every few seconds. I tried to avoid his eyes, but I couldnt keep them off him completely. He didnt look at Lex much, just me. I didnt know what that meant. I figured my Constantine told him about the olden days rescue, and he was trying to make sense of it. He ran his fingers through his hair and put

the phone down on the coffee table. New Guyumm Constantine tick tock. Weve had a long day. We need to bounce. Lex had finally noticed my supreme discomfort. This has been niceold home week and all. But we have school tomorrow and you have a test to study for. So, you live in Boulder, Colorado? You go to Boulder High? Yes, I answered. A.J. Jones and Alexandra Archer? Right, I said. Tick tock, Lex said, getting

up. Chem test tomorrow, right? Absolutely, he said. Promise? I asked. He nodded. You can count on it. You sure you have to leave? Because I You need to study, Lex said. She walked over and opened the door. We need to get back and deal with our own mess. But its been nice knowing you. Good luck on your test. She walked out the door. I was a few yards behind her. A.J., wait! Constantine grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. A.J., look at me. Look at me just once. He put

both hands on my face and tipped it up gently. I closed my eyes. I couldnt do it. This wasnt my Constantine. Look at me, he said, please. I took a deep breath and then I caved. What the heck. Maybe he wasnt my Constantine, but I wanted to see those incredible, blue eyes one more time. I opened my own eyes and looked up at him. The was a second of stillness, and then it happenedjust like the hallway at school. Just like that night in the tree. It was slow and sweet at first. Then it was dancing like the buzz from a high. Then, a

sharp ache down my core, as if hed plunged into the deepest recesses of my being and... and then it began to grow. My knees buckled and I gasped. He caught me to keep me from falling. I felt his energy, my energy, swirling, mingling, and singing. Eyes locked on mine, he moved his face slowly towards mine. Softly, he touched my lips with the briefest of kisses. A shock whipped down my body, plunging deep in my core. I went limp in his arms, but he held me tightly against him. My own arms were dangling, and my feet no longer touched the ground.

And then he kissed me again, this time for real, this time deep, probing, and long. Every cell in my body tingled with life and I Something snapped and for a second I lost all control. I reached up, tangling my hands in his silky hair. I moaned softlykissing him back. He swept an arm beneath my knees and picked me up. Then he slammed the door with his foot. He carried me across the room, still kissing me. He set me gently on the sofa, and he knelt beside me, taking my face in his hands. I was shaking and tears were streaming down my cheeks.

The doorbell rang. Who are you, A.J. Jones? he asked tenderly. He wiped away my tears with his finger. He ignored the doorbell. Ive never felt anything likeI I closed my eyes, struggling to stabilize. I needed a tree! This was wrong! This wasnt my Constantine. My Constantine was leaving, and why was I teasing myself with something I couldnt have? Are you okay? he asked. I dont know what I was thinking. I didnt mean The doorbell rang again. I need to go, I choked out. I

cant do this! The doorbell screamed without stopping. Claire ran to open it and let Lex back in. The hell? Lex yelled, eyeing me, disheveled on the sofa. She ran to me, shoved Constantine aside, and then she turned and glared at him. What did you do? He threw up his hands and backed off. I just Nnnothing, I stammered softly, grasping for Lexs arm. He didnt do anything. I just got disoriented. Im okay now. Lets go. She pulled me up and we

scrambled out the door. I took one quick look back to see a very confused Constantine standing in the living room, running his hand through his hair. It was all I could do to keep from rushing back and throwing myself into his arms. Luckily, I had Lex dragging me away from the house and down the hill to the tree. I collapsed against it, breathing heavily, trying to make sense of what just happened. WTF? Lex asked, dropping down beside me. Sitting down, we were hidden from the windows by all the bushes and vines that blanketed the hillside.

You dont want to know, I said, with a heavy sigh. Of course I want to know! She looked at me as if I was crazy. Have you met me? When did I ever not want to know? II just need a minute, I pleaded with her. He kissed me. Ill tell you when we get home. I cant think about it now. I need to concentrate so I can get us back. Let me just sit here for a few seconds. No problem. Im in no hurry. I was just trying to get you out of there. She pulled a phone out of her pocket. It was his.

Howd Hey, its not like it was that Constantines phone. He has his. It will probably just disappear anyway. She stuffed the earbuds in her pocket. You dont have the code, I said. I do so have the code, she said, grinning mischievously. She called up the message and held the phone up so I could see. What the heck. I figured at that point, it didnt hurtanything to take my mind off what just happened. Constantine appeared on the

screen. He looked like death warmed over but still beautiful. He was sitting in his dads car. Yeah, its me, he said, well, you, really. Youre an Editor. You know the drill. You screwed up, Dude. You screwed up so bad; there isnt even a word in the world of screwed-upness for how bad you screwed up. Youve gotta fix this, Dude, or your future is toast. Lex nudged me, pressing pause. See, hes laying it out for himself. We have nothing to worry about. Hell fix it. I just needed to make sure. Yeah, right, I said. Youre

just nosey. She grinned and pressed play again. You have a chem test tomorrow. Yeah, forgot, didnt you? Too busy thinking about taking okay, I cant remember her name that chick from Englishyeah her to the concert. Right, I know what youre thinking. Im you, remember? Well, you blew it, Dude. You didnt study for the test and decided to skip because it counts for twentyfive percent of your grade. Bad move. Mom caught me, you, uswhatever. We got grounded. Well, you havent done it

yet. I guess I got grounded. So dont make the same mistake. Cause heres what happened. I decided that it wouldnt hurt anything if I just jumped back and changed it. Yeah, I know, Prime Dictate and all. Well, you talked yourself out of that one. You convinced yourselfmyself, that it was just a tiny edit of our timeline. I was wrong, big time. I was so frickin wrong. Constantine choked up at that point. I felt my eyes fill up with tears. Lex put her arm around me, and we leaned back against the tree. Constantine put the phone down for

few seconds. In the silence, we could hear him taking short, gasping breaths. But we kept watching. We couldnt stop at that point. When he picked the phone back up, his red eyes looked intently into the camera. This is serious, Dude. You have to believe me and do exactly what I tell you. If you dont, then Devon falls off the roof and is paralyzed, never to walk again. And it will be your fault. Believe me. You dont want that. We moved to Colorado because of his wheelchair and the sun. Yeah, you lose your redwood, and I cant even begin to

tell you how bad that turns out. Mom and Dad go off the deep end. In my world right now, theyre sitting by Devons hospital bed, waiting till dark to pull the frickin plug. He stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, and let out a long, ragged breath. Theres no hope. Hes brain dead. He didnt do well being paralyzed. He lost football. You know how that would be. He didnt have anything else. His girlfriend, she dumped him in a hot minute. Mom, my God, Moms two steps short of a cliff-dive. The doctors

loaded her up on tranqs and all kinds of shit, just to keep her from jumping. And Devon, he downed every frickin pill in the house. The rest is history. But its bad, Dude, its incredibly, overwhelmingly bad. And you need to fix it. You need forethought. Yeah, you scoff, but that words become really important. Im telling you, all you gotta do is not skip chem. Take the test. Go to the concert. Dont tell Devon about roof rocking. In fact, give that up altogether. And never, under any circumstances, mess with your own timeline. Its not worth it. Who knows what the

consequences could be. Besides, the Guild will catch you and block your signature, leaving you screwed for the rest of your miserable, little life. And those stupid boots Devon has that make him taller? Trash those boots, Dude. Trash those frickin boots. He shoved his hair out of his eyes. One more thing, see that girl no, not the blonde, dumb-ass, the other one. The one with the energy, yeah, the one with the amber eyes. You felt her when she came in, didnt you? Yeah, shes a Shadow. You found her in Boulder. Shes the

reason youre not going to have to live the nightmare I just laid out. But theres more about her. I know Im laying a lot on you, Dude. But it cant be helped. You need to know were in love with that girl. I gasped and grabbed on to Lexs arm. She pressed pause, looked at me, and grinned, See, I told you he liked you! I grabbed the phone from her and pressed play. Shesshes frickin incredible. Shes tough and shes smart. Shes not like anyone youve ever met or will ever meet again. Shes the one.

Dont give me shit. I know how that soundsdoesnt matter. Id take a bullet for that chick. Ha, you cant even begin to know. I He shut his eyes and bent his head down, holding his chest with his other hand, breathing in and out slowly. Then he opened his eyes back up and looked straight into the camera. I dont have time to spell it out. But she means more to me than anything or anyone in my whole life. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. Her dads name is Samuel Jones. They have a house on Mapleton Avenue. He paused and took a deep breath.

She lives in a tree house. Its so amazing. You have to see it to believe it. I gave her up. I know, stupid, but it was the only choice. Its screwed up here. Not just the family but also the situation with A.J. She has a boyfriend, a kid named Ipod. Yeah, weird name, huh? But hes an okay guy. I gotta hand him that. Shes with him now. So Im releasing this timeline because I just cant take the pain of losing her. Not after all weve gone through. So when I integrate, Ill be a blank slate. After you graduate, track her down and find out if things have

changed with this guy. Maybe shell outgrow him. And if she has, then whatever it takes, get to know her. Because youll never find anyone like her if you live forever. I guarantee it will be worth it. Do it, Dude! No matter what happens when she gives you this message, you cant make any more contact with her until after 6:00 the evening of next May 10th or youll risk messing up the timeline. Trust me; you dont want to do that. And dont go narking to the Guild either. This is just between you and me. Oh, and one more thing. Do

me a favor. Youll laugh. I neverI never even kissed her. Dont give me shit. You have no frickin clue. Shes not like all the other girls youve been wasting time with all these years. Shes worth a million of them. Anyway, kiss her for me, okay? The timeline has probably already diverged meaning this me is toast. Since I live on in you, I want this one memory. So make it a good one. You wont be sorry. Anyway, I know this is a lot to take. But you know about timelines, and you know Im serious as hell. Im counting on you, Dude. Ill see you soonor I guess thats be

you. With that the screen went blank.

In English, we read this turn-ofthe-century story about a man and woman who were deeply in love. They were dirt poor and each had only one treasured possession. The guy had a watch, and the woman

had beautiful, long hair. Christmas came and they desperately wanted to buy each other a present. Long story shortthe guy sold his watch to buy the woman bling for her hair. While he was out doing that, the woman sold her hair to buy a chain for his watch. It really moved me when the teacher read it aloud in class. Id thought it so romantic at the time, how they gave up everything they had for the one they loved, not knowing that the other was doing the same thing. But having just heard Constantines message, I thought of the story, and it didnt

seem romantic at all. It just seemed sad and incredibly unfortunate. He loves me, I whispered. Well, did. Looks like, Lex said. She shut off the phone. Im so, so sorry, A.J. I mean, not sorry he loves you, just sorry hes going to forget. She put her arm around me. I dropped my head against her shoulder. The times we had together, I said, theyre gone now, for him. That so sucks, she said. Her good mood evaporated as the irony of my loss hit her. Maybe you can go back and do it over again. Tell

him how you feel before you come here to fix his problem. You know, do a rewrite of the rewrite. I could screw things up even more. I could do what he did and accidentally hurt someone. I guess Why did he think I was with Ipod? No clue. In hindsight, there were signs of it. He acted strange sometimes. I just thought he was worried about his family and blew it off. He wasnt real eager to bring Ipod back. I mean, not that he didnt want to rescue him. He just didnt seem happy about it. But it

never occurred to me that he thought you and Ipod were a thing. We sat there, mostly in silence, offering a comment every so often. We watched the dry, dead leaves blowing in the winda surreal dance, fitting our melancholy mood. Lex gathered a pile of redwood needles at her feet and toyed with them listlessly. I just sat there, drained. Kind of sweet though like that story with the watch, she said finally. I was just thinking about that. Yeah, because he loved you,

he brought Ipod back to make you happy, knowing he couldnt have you himself. You tried to be strong, so he wouldnt know you were hurting; so he thought you didnt love him, and he gave up this timeline. You let him dump his memories, so he didnt have to hurt, when what he was hurting from, was losing you. Now his memories are gone, and you find out he loved you after all. Sadder than the watch story. Tell me about it. Too late now. Which majorly blows, she said, shaking her head.

Yeah, right? I grabbed a pile of leaves and let them drift through my fingers. You think Im justI dont knowjinxed? No clue, A.J. Its not as if hes dead. This Constantine kissed you after all, and he has a pretty clear message to track you down. Maybe someday, you guys will get together again. But it wont be the same. I want my Constantine. And when we get back, he wont be there. Maybe we didnt know each other for long, but in the short time that we had, a lot happened. We have a history. He took a bullet for me.

Yeah, I know, she said. Not many girls can say that. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. Its freaking freezing here and it looks like its going to rain. Lets go. We need to deal with things at the tree house. I hope Sams okay. Samright, I said, sighing. Like we dont have enough going on. When we stood up, we could see over the bushes. Con was standing at the window. He had his hands pressed flat against the glass. It was too far away for me to see his face clearly. But he stood

perfectly still, his head cocked to the side, just watching us. I turned away and didnt look back again. No point. We left him there, the Constantine who had given me my first kiss. ******************** The trip back was short and sweet. That time, I lost myself in the wonder of its beauty in spite of my sadness. The tree house was empty when we arrived, and Lex dissolved into a pile of laughter on the floor.

I will so never get tired of that! she said, lying there. I looked around and The coffee table was gone. So was the picture of my mom and me. Something wasnt right. Lex, get up, get uplook! The furniture was wrong. Everything was wrong. The hell? Lex jumped up and looked around. Our stuff is gone! And who is this girl? She picked up a photo from the desk. The girl looked about thirteen or so and she was sitting on a horse. Okay, A.J., what did you do? Are we in a freaking parallel universe or

something? She grabbed me by the shoulders, frantic. No clue! I didnt do anything, really. I mean, nothing that I know of. I ran to the porch. Oh. My. God! I screwed up on the time. That has to be it. What do you mean? I messed up on the return time, or something. We must be in the future. They foreclosed on the house; and somebody bought it and fixed it up, andwhere the heck is Sam? My God, Lex, what have I done? I was horrified. Sam probably went totally off the deep end; and

my moms greedy idiot of a dad stuck him in a nut house, and then sold off everything. He sold off my tree house and I heard laughter from behind me. Shes lost it, I thought. Lex has lost it. We were in the future and my house belonged to someone else. Id lost Constantine. Id probably killed Sam. And Lex was freakin laughing? I wanted to punch her. Whats so darn funny? I snarled. Okay, wait for it, she said, laughing and pounding me on the back. Waitwere pre-freaking,

A.J. You can fix this. Thats what you do! We just do it againgo back to the right time! I just looked at her for a moment and then snickered. And then we were both laughing, slumped on the floor. Helloooo! she said, time travel! We slowly pulled ourselves together. That was close, I said, standing up and giving her a hand. Im just not used to this yet. No duh. A.J., check this out. I dont freaking believe it. We looked out the door at what

used to be my house. But instead of the dilapidated, run-down place wed left behind; we saw a newly painted, remodeled house. This was a home people cared for. A stone path wound from the tree house to the house and around the side. The grass was freshly mowed. Classy lawn furniture sat around a brick barbeque. Everything was immaculate. The trees were trimmed and there were roses cascading down trellises. It was beautiful. She turned to me. We panicked for nothing. Yeah, something just messed

up, thats all. I must have grabbed the wrong place on the ring. I was so shaken up fromwell, you know. I can get us back. At the very least, I can take us back to Seattle. I still have the branch. I held it up. Hey, that reminds me. Wheres the branch from my oak tree? She grinned. I left it at his house. Seriously? Yeah, she said. I got your back, A.J., you know that. To him, a branch is a ticket to somewhere. Maybe someday, hell cash it in. Yeah, well. I couldnt think about that now. I needed to focus

on getting us back. Sorry for the screw-up. I dont know what went wrong. We need to find out what went wrong here, she said. We must not have been able to save the house. Im getting some answers. She started across the bridge. Wait! What are you doing? We cant just Sure we can. What if we run into someone? I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. What are they going to do, shoot us? NoI dont

I want to find out what happened, so we can change it when we get home. At the very least we need to find out the date. Im not about to give up my home, especially now that Ive completely pissed off the Chihuahua. And besides, where is Sam? Sam. She was right. We needed to find out. Okay, I said. But please be quiet. No problem, she said, walking across the bridge. I followed in stealth mode. The slider was unlocked. She eased it open, and we stepped into

what used to be my bedroom. My perpetually unmade bed was gone. So was the dollhouse. Instead, two brightly covered twin beds were in their place. And everything was clean, I mean, really clean: no dust, no cobwebs, and new wallpaper. I looked at Lex, and she looked at me and We heard voices from below happy voices. Someone could come up here, I said, backing up, ready to run. We better go. Wait, thats my sweater, Lex hissed, grabbing it off a chair. Thats the sweater my father sent

me from Bergdorfsthe cashmere one. It did look like her sweater. Listen! Lex put her finger to her lips. Someone was coming up the stairs. Shit! She ran for the slider, tripping over a pair of boots by the bed. I gave her a hand, pulling her up and Sam walked through the door. I dropped her midway. She fell to the floor with a thud. I let out a gasp. Someone had given Sam a makeover. For a moment, no one spoke.

Then a clean-shaven, welldressed, younger-looking Sam walked slowly up to me and smiled. Youre back, he said. He pulled me tight against him and he didnt smell like beer. He smelled like the old Sam. He let me go and stepped back to look at me, holding my shoulders. There were tears in his eyes, and they streamed down his healthy cheeks. Thank you, he said. My precious, baby girl, you saved me. You saved us all. Sam? Lex called from the floor. Is that really you? Sam laughed. He reached out,

pulled Lex up, and hugged her as he had me. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. Its me, he said. Its really me. Thank God, this is me! Weve been waiting for you. Im lost, I said, looking at Lex. Dont ask me! she said, shrugging her shoulders. Are we dreaming? I asked. Then it hit me. Oh, my God, Lex. Were dead. We died in the vortex, we No, no, Autumn, Sam laughed, hugging me again and bringing Lex in on it. Youre not

dead and youre not dreaming. Admittedly, theres a lot to tell you and a heck of a lot to make up to you, Honey. Im so, so sorry for all those years. You have no idea. I just wasnt myself. He kissed the top of my head. I know youre confused. We knew you would be when you came back and things were different. We tried to make it smooth. The door opened, and a voice from my past softly spoke my name, Autumn? Lex squeaked. I looked up Then the room started to spin,

and everything went white.

I returned with the pizza to find A.J. gone and Lex and Ipod still laughing and talking about the changes. They tore into the pizza

but I wasnt hungry. A few minutes later, A.J. walked in, looking beautiful, but stressed. Almost immediately, she told Lex she wanted to get going. The next few minutes went by in a blur. Ipod thanked me. Lex hugged me. And before I knew it, A.J. was pulling Lex into position to jump. Id made my decision, but I hated that things were ending that way. Something was wrong. She barely said goodbye. She wouldnt even look at me. I just stood there, devastated, watching from the doorway. Then, at the last minute, the

critic got into the game. You fool, he scoffed, sure, youll delete the DeMille nightmare. But youll be losing the most amazing memories youll ever make. Youll be losing the times you felt the most alive. You took a bullet for her. She saved your life. And suddenly, the answer to that question came crashing into my mind. Dude, you idiot, the answer is yes! I t was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. What Id had with her was far too precious to give up even if it was all Id ever have. I loved her. I

loved the very idea of her. My world was better, just knowing she was in it, no matter how she felt about me. Who knew what might happen in the future? What had I been thinking? Besides, she still had to deal with her abilities and eventually the Guild. What if she got in some kind of trouble? What if the Guild tried to exploit her? I couldnt chance that. She might need me. Even if I couldnt have her, I had to make sure she was okay. I hadnt even thought about that. She started to shimmershe was seconds away from the vortex.

I moved fast, lunging for the tree, desperate to keep from making the biggest mistake of my life. Id just caught hold, when some guy burst through the door, shouting her name. Autumn! he yelled, running towards her. It had to be her dad. I reached for A.J., grabbing her shoulder, trying to stop the jump. The next thing I knew, I was swirling in the vortex. For a moment, all three of us were there: her, Lex, and me. Then, suddenly, I was alone. The vortex was amazing, as it always was, but I was too stunned

to enjoy it. What the heck happened? Where was I going? When was I going? When it hit me, I almost had a heart attack. Holy Shit! My timeline hadnt been changed yet. My signature was blocked, which meant, I couldnt initiate a jump. How was I going to get home? I didnt know where I was going, but I knew one thing. I might never be able to return from it. I could be stuck there forever. This was not good. This was so not frickin good. The trip was fairly long, which meant I was headed to before I was even born. I wondered if shed

flung me back to Hosas time. That would suck. That would suck bigtime. The vortex slowed and the sensations faded. The world came into view, and I landed by an oak tree in the middle of a field. A house was under construction nearby, but it was almost sundown and it looked deserted. There were houses in the distance so it wasnt all that far back. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least, Id have some kind of civilization. I jumped at the sound of someone behind mestunned, I whipped around.

A guy stood there about ten yards away, holding a load of lumber in his arms. He was tall and wiry like me, and maybe a few years older. I was confused, and for the moment, had no clue how to handle things. Id never had an exposure before. Something was off. I should have landed shaded in front of a normal person. Hed seen me land. He was standing there staring at me. He was obviously working on the house. But he didnt look startled or freaked like someone whod just seen a guy appear out of nowhere. In fact, he was smiling.

For a moment, he just stood there with a huge grin on his face. Then he dropped the wood, walked up to me, and held out his hand. So Im not the only one, he said. Welcome to nineteen-fifty-four. It took me a minute but then it hit me. I looked up at the oak tree above me. It was smaller, sure, but still familiar. I looked back at the guy. He had auburn hair and amber eyes. I hadnt sensed his energy because it was too close to my jump. I shook his hand, and once I touched him, I knew. He was a Shadow. And he was grinning at me as if hed just won the lottery. This

was good. This was way good. You must be Charlie, I said, grinning back at him. Ha! I dont frickin believe this. You must be Charlie.

Id been dreamingone of those magical dreams that you wish would never end. I struggled to hold on to it, but someone had put a cold cloth over my eyes and forehead. Had I been sick? The

dream faded and I reached for the cloth. A.J.? Lex looked down at me, anxiously. Sweetie, are you okay? My God, Lex, I had the strangest dream. We were I stopped midsentence. This wasnt the tree house. We were in the bedroom, the one in my dream. Its all good, A.J., she said, helping me sit up, like seriously. I looked around; feeling like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Sam was there, the dream Sam. And Autumn? I turned and there she was. For a moment, I just froze,

trying to make sense of it. Then I sprang off the bed and lunged for her, grabbing her before she could disappear. I didnt care if it was a dream. I didnt care if I was dead. I didnt care if I was in freakin Oz. She smelled of lilacs and she was soft and warm. She was my mom. She held me, stroking my hair, saying my name over and over. I sobbed unrestrained, holding her close, and breathing her in. I kept my eyes closed tight, afraid that if I opened them, it would all go away. Then I felt Sam bring his big arms around us both. He pulled Lex in too. She giggled in my ear. I

cracked my eyes to see her grinning at meher gigantic, happy Lex-grin. I opened my eyes all the way. And nothing disappeared. Its all different, Lex said to me from her squished position beneath Sams arm. And its amazing! I pulled back and looked my mom straight in the eyes for the first time in seven years. She was so beautiful! She was healthy and she looked younger than I remembered. And there in that moment, the cold, dark emptiness just faded away. How did this happen? I asked

her. How Its complicated, she said, kissing me on the forehead. But it was you, Autumn. You changed the timelineyou and your friends. A.J., wait till youjust wait, Lex blurted, as bubbly as Id ever seen her. Its wildso insanely wild! She danced around the room while Sam laughed. And my mom, my momshe laughed too. You rock! Ipod said as he walked into the room and hugged me. He seemed taller, somehow. He was definitely better dressed. So we changed the timeline

and my mom is alive again? I asked him. How is that even possible? You upped your game with this one, A.J., he said, smiling. He looked at Sam. Everyones getting impatient. There are some people waiting to meet you, Sam said gently. Are you okay, now? I think so, yeah, ImLex, whats going on? I grabbed her arm and stopped her from twirling. Come see, she said, taking my hand. With my parents and Ipod following, she led me to the

landing. At the bottom, a group of people stood, waiting expectantly. When we emerged, they broke into applause. My knees buckled, but my parents held me up. Finally, they had my back. We went down the stairs slowly, Sam on one side and my Mom on the other, with Lex dancing ahead. I didnt recognize anyone. They were mostly older, except for a young girl, the one in the picture. She was grinning at me, and when she caught my eye, she gave me a little wave. As we reached the bottom step, a tall, distinguished man, with

white hair, stepped forward. He seemed familiar somehow. He looked at me with twinkling, allknowing eyes. Then he smiled as he reached out and took my hands. Do I know you? I asked, confused. Autumn, this is my grandpa, Charlie, my mom said softly. She put her arm around him and he smiled down at her. Charlie? I asked. You mean tree house Charlie? The very one, he answered. Im your great-grandfather. Im also a Shadow. And Ive been waiting for this day for almost sixty

years. But, I thought you were dead! When did they find you? Arent youlike a hundred years old? You look younger than your son. The crowd laughed. Come on, everyone, a white-haired woman said, smiling, let the girl acclimate. Give her a little breathing room. Shes just had a huge rewrite. People began moving into the living room, talking and laughing. Its a day to remember, one of them said. The turning point, said another. I need to sit down, I said,

overwhelmed. Sam led me into the living roomwhich was very different from how it used to lookand I dropped down into a leather chair. Wheres Lex? I asked. I was suddenly frantic at all the changes too much, too fast. Right here. Scoot over, she ordered, squishing beside me in the chair. Relax, Sweetie. Its all good. I lieI die. So just go with it, okay? I nodded. My mom stood beside my chair with her hand on my shoulder. I could still smell her lilac perfume

the scent I most linked with things being right with the world. I was confused. But I was okay. Lex was there. And my mom was there too. I took a big breath and looked around. The crowd stared at me expectantly, as if they were waiting for me to break out into a speech. It was kinda bizarre. Who are all these people? I whispered. And why are they all looking at me? Theyrewere from the Guild, Charlie said, smiling. And theyre looking at you because you did something amazing. You changed

Guild history. He motioned to an older woman with long, black hair, streaked with white and skin the color of Hosas. She was tall, and willowy, and had high cheekbones. She smiled at me and held out her hand. This is my wife, Rachael, Charlie said, beaming at her. Hello, Autumn. Im honored to meet you. Her voice was husky and her handshake firm. As she leaned forward, her necklace swung out, gleaming in the sun from the picture window. There were beads of lapis, jade, and silver, and there

was a silver dove in the middle. That necklace, I said, pointing. I recognize those beads Ooooo, me too! squealed Lex, jumping up and peering in to see it closer. My beads! A.J., those are my beads, the ones you gave the Indian! Hosa? I asked in wonder. How My many-greats grandfather, she said proudly. This necklace has been in my family for almost two hundred years, passed down from generation to generation, along with the story of the great

Aaajaay. No shit! I said. Whoops, sorry, Sam! I have a story? Look at this one. I lifted Hosas necklace over my head. Hosa gave this to melikea few days ago. It was his. I held it out to her. Oh, Charlie, she said, getting tears in her eyes. She took it from my hand and held it against her chest. Hosa planted your oak tree, you know. My tree-house tree? That very one. The first time he saw you appear; you dropped a handful of acorns. His family was on a hunting trip. That summer, they

camped in the valley that is now Boulder. The boy thought the acorns were magic and he planted them. Your tree was the only one that took root. After your second visit, Hosa visited that tree every year until he died, hoping youd appear again. Hosa saved our lives, I said. I know the story, she said, smiling. He was a great man. In his honor, someone from the family visited the tree every decade until finally the town grew up around it. Thats how I met your grandfather. I wanted to see the tree that Hosa planted.

Charlie smiled and put his arm around her. He looked down at me. We have a lot to discuss, young lady. But first, someones really anxious to talk to you. He nodded at Lex. Do you Im so on it, Lex said, grabbing my hand. She grinned at my grandfather and pulled me through the crowded living room and then the yellow kitchen. People scattered to let us pass. We walked through the kitchen slider. The sun hit my eyes and I shaded them with my hand. At that point, I was just going with the flow. Sam was good. My mom

was back. Charlie was alive and I felt him before I saw him. I felt him strong, and firm, and all encompassing. His power wrapped around me in a welcoming embrace. I turned to the left, hardly daring to hope. He was leaning against my oak, his beautiful, blue eyes staring straight into mine. A.J., he whisperedinside my head. It was the most beautiful sound Id ever heard. He smiled and ran his hand through his hair. That was some first kiss! My knees got weak and wobbly and I could hardly breathe. You

remember! I whispered back. And I didnt hide my eyes. I didnt look down. I didnt stay silent or just stand there, waiting for someone else to make the move. I didnt even hesitate. I ran full bore and jumped into his waiting arms. The rest of the world disappeared. But Constantine didnt.

Slowly, over the next few days, I began the task of acclimating to all the changes. Sam told us the story of what went down when Lex and I launched into the vortex. When Sam walked in, and

Constantine grabbed my shoulder well, everything went wild. Constantine got knocked almost sixty years into the past, straight to Charlie at the oak tree. Id been concentrating so hard on Charlie and the tree when I connected to the matrix, that I just flung him there. Apparently, my power is pretty strong. Go figure. Constantine spent almost a week there, filling Charlie in on everything. Charlie is like Ipod, perpetually curious. He grilled Constantine nonstop. Con taught him to handle his power, to shade, to use reflexive gravity, to find the

Guildhe taught him everything he knew. Charlies had over sixty years since then to innovate. He completely remade the Guild. Charlies timeline changed the moment Constantine told him he wasnt crazy. So it was all in motion before we even rang the doorbell at the house in Seattle. Im still trying to get a handle on it. When Sam walked in and tried to grab me, he hit the tree instead because I was already gone. But he was linked with the jump so he kept the memories of both timelines. It turns out that there were things

going on in my family that I knew nothing about. Both my parents felt the energythe static and the creepy-crawliesjust not as intensely as me. They thought it was nerves or something. Thats why Sam drank so much, trying to calm it down. Charlie said my Shadow energy was the only thing keeping Sam from going off the deep end all those years. Thats why hed be in such bad shape whenever I was away. We dont know why Guild technology didnt pick up on Sam when he was bornhis whole adoption is a mystery. Maybe well

find out someday. We have time. As for my mom, shes a Shadow like me. She just didnt spontaneously jump. I guess thats one reason she was so fond of her grandpa Charlie. She didnt understand it, but she felt better when she was around him. He balanced out her vibrations. The same for when she met my dad. When they were together, everything was better. It sure explains their love for trees. That girl in the photo? I have a sisteryeah, Summer Aspen Jones. What didnt change was my moms tendency to pick weird names.

Summers sweet. Apparently, she and the other me got along okay; but I cant remember yet. As I said, Im still integrating. But I think Im going to like having a sister besides Lex, of course. The other A.J., Lex, and Ipod knew for years that the big day was coming. Charlie had them prepared to merge with the broken us when the time came. Theyd merged before, so they werent afraid or anything. But still, I thought it was pretty brave of them to take on our baggage. They just stood there waiting for the appropriate moment, and poof, they integrated

into us. I mean, once everything balances out, theyll /well still be them/us, just with some additional memories. I dont know what it will be like yet to have the other A.J.s memories, but Im ready to find out. Lex and Ipod seem to be integrating faster than I am. That worries me a little. But Charlie says it will all sort out, and Ill be even more powerful, once the other A.J.s memories surface. It sounds strange, but Lex and Ipod think its really cool having both sets of memories. Ipod says it rocks because the other him learned all

kinds of stuff he didnt have a chance to. Now that walkingWikipedia brain of his is filled with even more data. Ipod lives right next door with Charlie and Rachael. They adopted him. That kinda makes him my grandfather. We get a kick out of that. Constantine told Charlie how Lex and I found Ipod and made sure that he knew the time and place. So this time, Charlie found Ipod in the ditch. And the Hammer never beat him up again. Thats a story, boy. The Hammer, hes in a cage. Ipods mom? Well, she didnt run back to

Japan, deserting Ipod, after all. That was just a Hammer cover-up. The Hammer whacked her and buried her in the back yard. He got a little carried away one night when the hedge funds were crashing. It was a tragedy, but leave it to Ipod to be logical about it. He was so young when he lost his mom, he barely remembers her. Ironically, it makes him feel better that she didnt just abandon him. Hes merging two timelines and loving the part of him that spent the last eight years with stepparents who care about him. Plus, the Hammer will never lay hands on him again.

Ipod handles a lot of the tech stuff up at headquarters. Hes totally in geek heaven, having access to technology from another planet. Him and Charlie, boy, are they a pair. I couldnt have imagined a better father for Ipod. Lex, well, shes still got my back. She lives with us like before. This time, those twin beds are ours. We still hang out in the tree house, but its nice being closer to the bathroom. Lex still thinks shes boss but thats okay. I guess she was boss in both timelines. Were in trainingyou know to protect the time line. Yeah, think

about it. Its so freakin cool! With Charlie at the helm, the Guild is totally different than the one Constantine knew. Once weve finished training, well go on missions to rewrite the timeline. I try to imagine myself doing that, but I cant quite get there yet. Still, I know how to hide and wear a disguise. Its a start. Constantine told me about melding. I didnt care. Maybe sharing his experiences made me feel connected, but that wasnt why I loved him. Anyway, it didnt matter. We had time now to figure out what was going on with the two

of us. We were having a really fun time working on that. Cons integration was really confusing. We didnt know it at the time, but the Guild Con had mentioned when we took him the message, was the Guild run by Charlie. Yeah, that timeline had already been changed before Lex and I made it to Seattle. And in the new timeline, Charlie had made sure that that Constantine and the other me never met so that nothing interfered with Lex and my trip. Charlie did a lot of planning over the years to make sure everything worked out smoothly.

But the important thingat least to meis that Con kept all the memories of us together: the hallway, in the pasteverything. After his visit with Charlie, Con returned to current time. Once he integrated with the Constantine I had kissed half a year earlier, he knew he had been wrong about Ipod and me. That Constantine had been going nuts all those months, waiting for the tenth of May. After that kiss, he wanted to track me down immediately. But this time he used forethought and waited so he didnt chance screwing things up. Since the timeline had been

changed, Con no longer had a travel block. He showed up shortly before Lex and I arrived back at the tree house, using the branch Lex had left on his coffee table. He cleared things up with Ipod. He met my parents. He talked to Charlie again. Its funny how Con could have arrived before Lex and I did. Its complicated, this time travel stuffreally complicated. When I flung Constantine back, and he told Charlie why he disappeared at random, it changed everything. Sure, Con did most of it. He rewrote the original timeline. He was the one who told Charlie how

to find the Guild and rescue Ipod. But I sent him there. If I hadnt done that, Charlie would never have found out he wasnt crazy. Of course, Charlie built the tree house in the first place. So he started it all. Without that, we might not even be here. Okay, maybe Sam would be here, but hed be a mess. Well, maybe not because my mom wouldnt have killed herself, if I hadnt been born and then disappeared, making her think she was crazy. But then, if Charlie hadnt disappeared, she wouldnt have joined Greenpeace and met

Sam. And who knows who Sam might have met. My God, he might have married the Chihuahua. Then maybe Id be Lexor no, a combination of Lex and me. Id be Ajex. Its really freakin confusing. When it comes right down to it, I saved my mother. I saved my father, too. Okay, I didnt exactly swoop down with a cape and yank them from a burning building. Im no super hero. But if I hadnt been born, they wouldnt be here. Salvation by existence. If it werent for my strangeness, none of this would have happened.

Its hysterical, really. Talk about irony. Im like a freakin hero in Guild history. Yeah, me! Bite that Sloane Cheney! I guess Im not jinxed. Suddenly, I haveyou knowhope and even a bit of confidence. I mean, come onI have Constantine! How cool is that? Constantine? What can I say about him? Oh. My. God. It would take volumes. But as Lex says, tick tock. Places to go, people to see Timelines to rewrite.

THE END

AUTHORS NOTE Dear Readers: This note is for youyes, YOU, the wonderful people who took the time to read my book. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I loved writing Rewrite Redemption. And by the time you read this, I will be hard at work on the sequel. This is my first book. Even though Im coming from complete obscurity, I chose to self-publish because I believe that is the wave

of the future. This book will rise or fall, depending completely on your opinionyou, the reader. If you liked the book and want to tell your friends about it, that helps me. And if you want to rate or review it on Goodreads or Amazon, youre really doing me a solid. Thank you. Only time will tell how it all turns out. Id love to hear from you. Tell me what you liked and what you didnt. Tell me the kinds of books youd like to see in the future. I hope to have the next book out sometime in 2014. Until then, please keep in touch with my

website: www.jhwalkerbooks.com. I will blog from time to time.

With much appreciation, J.H. Walker

ACKNOWLEGMENTS This book is dedicated, with endless love, to my husband and partner, Rod. Without you this book would not exist. The young adult genre is brand new to me. I was a sci-fi/fantasy buff. I was never fond of elves, or dragons, or talking animals. Nor did I like intergalactic warfare. But take a book with a contemporary character and add a paranormal twist, give it an alternative sociological aspect, or set it in the

futurethat was my kind of reading. You had to search far and wide, but there were authors giving characters paranormal abilities and circumstances before some of todays Y.A. authors were even born. And as for dystopia, if you havent read Octavia Butlers Parable of the Talents , youre missing out. Thanks to all of you, the writers of my early years. You opened up my mind as to what might be possible. My endless thanks and appreciation to Rachael Harp, my brilliant and creative designer, for

her stunning work on my website, the book cover, the chapter images, and everything Ive used for J.H. Walker Books. My thanks to Steven Truex for building the website. You guys rock! My sincere thanks to Kris Kendall, for her tireless effort in finding and correcting the many flaws in my manuscript. If any remain, its because I continued to revise and edit for four months after what was to have been her final proofreadmy bad. Grammatical errors that remain are the result of my stubbornness in having my

characters stay true to their voices and not grammar. My thanks and love to my daughter for reading the manuscript and for all her suggestions and support. The same to my son for being the source of much of Constantines voice. Its all good. I love you guys. And last, but not least, there is one person without whom this book would never have been writtenmy husband and partner in all things. You kept my computer world running, which is no small feat.

Although this is a young adult novel, you listened to me read it out loudtwice. Then you read it yourself several times. You turned it from a Word document to an eBook. This book is better because of you. This book exists because of you. Your support of the project and me was unwavering. You are my person, the love of my life. When Fate sent you to me, she, as my characters might say, did me a solid.

 2013 by J.H. Walker, Inc All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission from the author. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the authors imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER A.J.'S RULES INVISIBILITY CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11

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CHAPTER 63 CHAPTER 64 CHAPTER 65 CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 CHAPTER 70 CHAPTER 71 CHAPTER 72 CHAPTER 73 AUTHORS NOTE ACKNOWLEGMENTS COPYRIGHT PAGE