Friday, April 3, 2020

The homeschool day was over. Ever since COVID-19 started, schools all across the globe had been canceled. Mine included. Our classes did ZOOM calls, and Google Classroom meetings, but it just wasn't the same. I missed my friends. Sure I face-timed them like every day, but it didn't feel right. I sighed and headed off towards the kitchen to make some dinner. I heard intense talking and looked at the TV the people on the news were speaking loudly and importantly, "Here in the United States there are at the moment, 257,305 cases of COVID-19." I shook my head and clicked mute on the remote. My stomach grumbled at the exact moment I screamed, "Mom! Where's the pasta and garlic bread?!" She screamed back from upstairs, "In the fridge sweetie!" "Thanks!" I yelled in response.

I heated up my food and waited for the beep of the microwave. While I waited, I scrolled through the news app on my phone. All of the headlines said things like, “THOUSANDS DEAD ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE, STAY INSIDE, FOOD SHORTAGES.” I wish I could do something, but what could a teen do? I glanced at the time on my phone which said seven-thirty. I gathered my consumables and headed upstairs.

I scarfed down my pasta and garlic bread while sitting in my egg chair reading a time travel novel. “What I would give to time travel to a time where all of this wasn’t happening.” I thought. What I didn’t know is that you should be careful what you wish for. I set my alarm and crawled into bed thinking of a better world. 

Saturday, April 4, 2030

I groaned and rolled over to pick up my phone. “That can’t be right.,” I said slowly. On my lock screen, my phone clearly said “Saturday, April 4, 2030” I got dressed quickly and ran downstairs, almost breaking my neck in the process. “Mom!!” I screamed. “Mom!?” I ran into our kitchen downstairs, nearly knocking down a small brown and gray-haired woman walking in front of me. “Mo-?” I started to say. The mom imposter turned around with her hands on her hips looking at her watch and said, “Lizzie Addams! You are going to be late for class young lady!” “I- Well I uh-” “No if, wells, uhs, or buts.” “Okay,” I said slowly. I pondered the question in my brain before asking and then decided I would, risk or no risk. “Are you my mom?” I said clearly. The woman rolled her eyes and said, “I have been for 25 years, ya idiot. Now hop in the car and go to class.” I started to walk out the door and then stopped quickly, “25 years? You mean, I’m in college?” “You know, Lizzie, I’m getting sick and tired of this nonsense.” I nodded and ran into the living room looking at the TV. The news channel had a caption saying, “OLIVER TIDESDALE FINDS CURE FOR COVID-19! MILLIONS OF CASES AROUND THE WORLD CURED!” I ran back towards my “Mom” and asked yet another question, “Who’s Oliver Tidesdale?” She glanced at her watch raising her voice and said, “Oliver is your boyfriend, silly. Your car is in the driveway so GO TO CLASS! I’ve gotta go I’m gonna be late for work.” 

With that, she left me standing in the doorway frozen in place wondering what in the name of time-traveling novels was going on. I heard the rev of an engine and she drove away. I stood there for a good five minutes wondering what I should do when a black SUV pulled up. I peeked out the door peephole and saw an amazingly handsome boy. He was tall, with dark brown hair, and stunning blue-green eyes. He walked with an air of importance about him. I turned around quickly and looked in the mirror by our front door. I was stunningly gorgeous. I looked just like me when I was fifteen, but ten years older. I was petite with brown long hair and dark blue eyes, with soft pink lips. I quite nearly peed myself when I turned around and saw Oliver peering in the door. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

When I opened the door I about fainted. He was even more gorgeous up close than far away. I swayed expecting to hit the ground when a pair of strong arms caught me. “Babe? Are you sick? What’s wrong?!” Oliver said. I shook my head and took a deep breath. “Lizzy?” He asked again with his eyebrow raised. I stood cautiously and took his hand in mine and pulled him to the living room couch. I rubbed my eyes and said the only three words that matter, “I’m a time traveler.” Oliver smirked and said, “Sure you are Lizzy, but we’re going to be late for class.” I yanked him back down to the couch his face inches from mine, I used both hands to grasp his collar. “Listen to me carefully. I was fifteen when I set an alarm for the next morning. COVID-19 was just starting. Now on the news, it says YOU found a cure. I didn’t even know I HAD a boyfriend until now. So you tell me that I did not time travel one more time.” His expression softened as his face turned pale. “It’s a lot to take in I know. But you HAVE to believe me.” He stepped away from me slowly, swayed, and then fell on the floor with a thump.

When Oliver woke up, I was sitting on his chest sobbing doing chest compressions, “One, Two, Three.” I looked down to see him laughing hysterically with tears in his eyes. “YOU JERK!” I screamed as I slapped him on the chest. “OW! What was that for!?” he asked. “THAT WAS FOR PRETENDING TO BE DEAD!!” I stood up walking across the room to sit on the couch with my arms crossed across my chest looking at my hands. Oliver came over to sit beside me and was quiet for a moment. “You know, I believe you.” I looked up and smiled. “You do?” He rolled his eyes and said, “I always believe you, Liz. You know that.” He leaned down searching for something in my eyes and tried to kiss me. I leaned away and stood up straight. “Oliver. In 2020 we’re still trying to find a cure. I need you to give me the cure.” Oliver grinned and shrugged, “Okay I will.” I clapped and hands when he interrupted me, “ BUT for a price. You have to kiss me.” I rolled my eyes and put my hands on my hips and thought about it, “Fine.” I said. I planted both hands on his shoulders and kissed him. He put his arms around my waist and kissed me back. “There! I did what you wanted. Now I need a cure!” Oliver rolled his eyes and said, “User much?” I blushed and said, “I’m not a user.” He turned a bright shade of pink and said, “Oh um sorry.” He fished around in his phone and pulled up a chemical formula. “This is the cure, Liz. Here I’ll send it to you.” I got a ding on my phone and accepted the text. 

He scratched his head and said, “So uh how does this work exactly. This erm time travel thing.” I shrugged and sat down beside him, “Well, in 2020 I just set my alarm and went to bed thinking about time travel, and well, I time traveled.” He paced the floor and said, “All you have to do is go to bed thinking about time travel and then you WILL time travel.” I shrugged and said, “Sounds easy enough to me.” 

I plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on an action movie. He sat down with his eyebrows raised, “What are you doing?” “I am working on falling asleep.” He smirked and said, “By watching people get stabbed and seeing blood?” I yawned and said, “It lulls me to sleep.” He laughed and said, “You’re unbelievable.” We sat on the couch and laughed about the corny lines the actors had in the movie. Oliver made popcorn and we enjoyed the buttery delicacy together. He put an arm over my shoulder as I fell asleep.

Saturday, April 4, 2020

When I woke up, I was at home in my own bed. I gasped remembering everything that had happened and grabbed my phone. I searched for the text Oliver had sent me, but it wasn’t there. I struggled for words. Had it all been a dream?! It seemed so real! I sat down on my bed knowing there was nothing I could do to stop the virus.