“I don’t know. I can’t go home. Mum heard about me cutting class and I told her I was pregnant.”
Kelsey roars with laughter. “You what?”
“It was the first thing that popped into my head. I know it was a dumb thing to say, but it’s obviously not true. I hope I haven’t ruined anything for this version of Anna.”
“But then maybe we’ll all forget what happened by tomorrow and we’ll still think your original version of 1996 exists.”
“Actually, I hadn’t thought of that. I really wish there was a manual for this situation.”
“Either way, I say we go out and have some fun. I’ll get you reacquainted with 1996 and you can tell me more about this crazy future you’re from. You say the fashion industry has kind of collapsed. Is that because everyone wears a generic bronze-coloured uniform or something?”
I laugh. “No. I’m not sure why high fashion is in trouble, but maybe it’s because you can buy everything on the internet now, and if you still want to go to the shops, there are lots of massive boutiques that sell really cheap clothes. Everything is instantly available.”
She shakes her head. “So what do you wear in the future?”
“It’s actually not that much different from now. In fact, all the teenagers are wearing nineties-inspired stuff at the moment. But all pop culture kind of fractured into lots of little sub-groups, so anything goes, really.”
“Oh.”
“For example, we have people called hipsters. It started out where it wasn’t cool to be called a hipster, but now it’s pretty much normal. The guys have huge beards and tie their hair up in buns. Oh, and then there’s the active-wear mums who buy expensive leggings and workout gear even if they’re not going to the gym.”
She rolls her eyes. “It sounds awesome. Not.”
We grab our bags and head outside.
“I’m not going to disagree with you there.”
TEN
Shell Beach is a small town, and Main Street is pretty much the only destination for teenagers, so when Kelsey suggests we go back there for the evening, I agree. But I do ask that we eat somewhere other than Beans. Kelsey is fine with that and chooses a little restaurant overlooking the beach.
“I want to know more about the future. Tell me everything you can think of!”
“Do you want to know about all the celebrities who die?”
“That’s a bit depressing, but okay.”
“Um…Princess Diana dies next year in a car crash in Paris with her boyfriend, because the paparazzi were chasing them…”
“Oh my God! That’s horrible!”
“I know. The whole world can tell you where they were when they heard the news. Also, Steve Irwin is killed by a stingray.”
“Who’s Steve Irwin?”
“Oh. Yeah, you might not have heard of him yet. He’s this crazy Aussie guy they call the Crocodile Hunter. He gets really popular in the States before becoming famous back here.”
She wrinkles her nose. “I might have heard of him?”
“Believe me, he’ll be all over the TV soon if he isn’t already. Oh…and Michael Jackson and Prince die.”
Her face is shocked. “When?”
“I’m not sure of the exact dates, but Michael Jackson was a few years ago now. Some lethal combination of prescribed drugs, I think. And Prince only died in 2016. Drugs too, I’m pretty sure.”
“What about Madonna? Please tell me she’s okay.”
“Yeah, she’s still doing her thing. She controversial as always, but now it’s because she’s older and still prancing around half naked on stage. I think it’s pretty cool, though.”
Kelsey laughs. “That’s awesome.”
“2016 was an interesting year. Along with Prince, David Bowie died, and so did Alan Rickman. You might know him from Die Hard and Robin Hood, but soon he’s going to be Professor Snape in a series of movies called Harry Potter. They’re based on these books that are basically the most popular thing since Lord of the Rings.”
“I have to be honest. I’m still not totally convinced you’re from the future, but either way, this is all very entertaining!”
“As long as you give me the benefit of the doubt, that’s all I can ask for. I’m glad we’re spending the afternoon together.”
She reaches over and hugs me. “Me too. But can I call you Psycho Woman?”
“If you like. I won’t be offended.”
We head into the café and sit right on the edge of the boardwalk overlooking the ocean.
“You know in the future, this place charges almost fifty dollars for a steak? And twenty dollars for a dessert?”
Kelsey shakes her head. “I don’t know if I like the sound of the future.”
“There are lots of good things too.”
“Like what?”
I actually have to stop and think. “Well, the internet makes life really convenient. I already told you that you can buy clothes on there, and track down pretty much anyone you want, but you can also read the news, listen to any song, and watch any movie.”
“What—for free?”
“Not quite. Some stuff you still need to pay for. But there’s this thing called YouTube that has millions of video clips people have uploaded, and you can watch most of them for free. But there’s a huge problem with piracy, so the movie and music industries are in trouble, because they aren’t making as much money anymore.”
“That sounds like a bad thing. I thought you were going to tell me good things!”
“Right. Um…I guess it’s hard to explain. I mean, there are a ton of fun things I end up doing on a personal level. Like travelling overseas…and my job is really cool. I get paid to post blogs about food.”
“What’s a blog?”
“Oh, like an online diary. I make healthy desserts and take photos of them, and then I post them on the internet.”
“And you actually get paid to do that?”
“Yeah. A lot of people do it and don’t get paid, but I’m lucky.”
“Cool.”
“Anyway, let’s have a break from talking about the future. Tell me about now. What’s the latest?”
She thinks for a minute. “I’m in love with Aaron.”
I laugh. “I already knew that. When I came back the other day we went to Rachel’s party and you were hoping he was there.”
“Oh. Well, then I guess you know he wasn’t.”
“Actually, I didn’t. I ended up being cornered by Todd and then passed out.”
“So you still had the same thing happen as the first time?”
“Almost. I didn’t let him get me alone in a bedroom, though.”
“That’s hilarious.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean that what Todd did was hilarious, just that you seem to be reliving the same things.”
Not everything.
“It’s fine. I know what you meant.”
“Okay, I guess I don’t know what to tell you. You already experienced it the first time, so I can’t tell you much new.”
“How about we just eat and enjoy now? Whatever this time is?”
“Sounds good to me.”
We each order a hamburger with fries and a Coke. Kelsey looks thoughtful.
“What?” I ask.
“I just really hope we can be friends again in the future.”
“Me too. I’ll make it happen.”
She looks at her watch. “What time are you supposed to leave or whatever?”
“8pm, probably.”
“Kind of like the Cinderella pumpkin thing, but a few hours earlier.”
“Yep. This is all just a dream.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s not a dream.”
“Says the figment of my imagination.”
“Don’t say that! It’s happening, so it’s real.”
“Okay. We’ll act like that’s the case, regardless of whether it is or not.”
“Thank you. Hey, before you were talking
about US pop culture and politics a lot. How come?”
“I guess because the world is so connected with the internet, we’re exposed to all their news. I thought it was like that now.”
“I’m not sure it’s as bad as what it is in your time.”
“Just you wait until you learn about the Kardashians.”
“The what?”
“And reality TV. Sorry, I know I wasn’t going to talk more about the future, but I can’t stop comparing then to now. In the future, more than half the TV shows are reality TV. They have cooking competitions, house renovation competitions, dating competitions…”
“Like Perfect Match?”
“No, this is Perfect Match on steroids. They get one guy and twenty-five women and they have to fight to be chosen by the guy. Each week, some of them get eliminated until there’s only one left.”
“Sounds awful.”
“It’s strangely addictive, but yes, it’s pretty bad.”
Kelsey is staring at something behind me.
“Hey,” she nudges me with her elbow. “Check out the hot guy over there.”
I turn my head to see who she means.
My heart stops. Of course.
“You mean the guy with the long dark hair?” I ask, still looking at him and trying not to move my lips.
“Yep.”
“That’s Kurt.”
“Who?”
“The guy I was telling you about before.”
She shrieks in glee, which of course causes him to look in our direction. I quickly turn away, but I know he’s seen me. Damn.
“He’s coming over,” she whispers.
“Thanks a lot,” I mutter.
I try to slide down in my chair, but it’s not like we’re in a booth or anything. I’m completely exposed.
“Hey. Fancy seeing you here.”
I look up with an embarrassed smile.
“We were just stalking you,” Kelsey jokes.
He looks at me questioningly. “Is that right?”
“No. I promise we weren’t,” I hurriedly assure him.
“Really?” His eyes are twinkling. Oh God.
Kelsey cuts in. “I was kidding. This place was my suggestion. We actually had no idea you’d be here.”
He keeps looking at me. “Oh. That’s a shame.”
Kelsey decides to take matters into her own hands. “Well, of course if we had known you were going to be here, we definitely would have chosen it on purpose.”
I give her an exasperated look.
He laughs. “Well, I’d invite you both to join me and the guys, but we were just paying our bill. We’re not in a hurry to go home, though, so do you want to meet us out on the boardwalk when you’re done?”
“Sure!” Kelsey answers before I can protest.
“Great. Take your time. See you in a bit.”
He walks off and Kelsey turns to me, her eyes shining. “Wow. He’s a total babe. Well done.”
“What are you doing?” I hiss. “I’m married, remember? Besides, he’s much too young for me. My next landmark birthday is forty.”
“So, you can have a toy-boy. And didn’t you just say this is all a dream? If he doesn’t technically exist, you can’t feel guilty. I mean, have you ever felt bad for making out with Leonardo DiCaprio in any of your other dreams?”
Despite my annoyance, I laugh. I didn’t realise my celebrity obsession had been so enduring. “For the record, Leonardo is still cool in my time. And no, I don’t feel guilty about celebrity dreams. I understand your point, but this feels different. I have control over what happens, so I’m not going to choose to cheat on my husband.”
“Whatever. But if it was me, I would be taking full advantage of the situation. We can’t be rude anyway, so we’ll have to at least say hello after we finish eating.”
“Fine. But we’re only staying for a couple of minutes.”
“Party pooper.”
We munch on our burgers and look out at the ocean. I try to concentrate on my food, but I’m suddenly not very hungry. There are way too many butterflies in my stomach competing for space.
After Kelsey finishes eating, we head out onto the boardwalk where Kurt and the two guys from the earlier Frisbee game are sitting on a nearby ledge. One of them is smoking. I’m relieved to see Kurt isn’t, and then wonder why I care.
His face lights up when he sees us. “Hey. Anna, this is Stewart and Jeremy.”
The two guys half wave. I point to Kelsey. “This is Kelsey.”
“You want to just hang out for a bit? Or go for a walk up near the national park?”
“Actually, we can’t…” I start, but Kelsey interrupts. “Let’s walk.”
Damn that girl. She loves to meddle. I’d forgotten that about her.
She inserts herself between Stewart and Jeremy, threading an arm through each of theirs, and pulling them along the boardwalk. Kurt and I are left there standing alone.
I laugh nervously. “Sorry. Kelsey isn’t very subtle.”
He smiles. “Don’t worry. My friends do that kind of thing to me too.” He nods in their direction. “Are you okay with this?”
“Yes. But I just want to let you know now, I’m already in a relationship…”
“Anna, I don’t expect anything from you. We’ve only known each other for five seconds, and I didn’t even remember the last time we met. I at least owe you my time to rectify that.”
Wow. He’s good.
“Okay. Thank you. That’s very sweet.”
We walk slowly up the boardwalk. I feel tongue-tied. While I was up front about not being available, I still feel a little like I’m betraying Ed.
“I take it you live around here?” he asks.
“Uh, yeah. Just in an estate about ten minutes from here.”
“It’s a pretty nice area to grow up.”
“It is. What about you?”
“I live down in Maroochydore. Not far from the record store, so I can walk to work.”
“Convenient.”
He looks at me. “You know, I don’t think I have met you before, but you seem really familiar. If I believed in reincarnation, I’d say we were friends in a past life.”
He’s echoing the thought I had at the record store the other day. Of course, in his case, it’s sort of true. It makes me wonder if the memory from the other day is cosmically tied to his brain somehow. And if other people are able to do what I’m doing now, it could explain things like déjà vu.
“Sorry, I’m not freaking you out, am I?” he asks when I don’t respond.
“Oh, no. You’re not freaking me out. I was just contemplating the workings of the universe.”
“Do you believe everything happens for a reason?”
“I didn’t use to. But I’m starting to question that.”
“Me too.”
Kurt and I stop and watch as Kelsey and the boys run down to the water’s edge and start splashing at the edge of the waves. It must be freezing.
I shiver at the thought.
“Are you cold?” Kurt asks.
“Um, only a little.”
He shrugs off his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” I protest.
“I’m fine. I don’t really feel the cold.”
I pull the warm fabric around me. It smells faintly of sandalwood, presumably from his aftershave.
“Thank you.”
Kurt sits down on the sand and I join him.
“Tell me about you, Anna.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “Really? Everything?”
“Yep. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Are your parents still together? What’s your favourite movie?”
“I have one sister called Amy. Yes, my parents are still together. And my favourite movie…” I have to think back. What movies did I love when I was sixteen? “…is The Usual Suspects.”
“Me too!
How awesome is that film?” He looks ridiculously pleased by my choice.
“So good,” I agree, silently relieved I didn’t say something that hadn’t been released yet.
“I’m assuming you’re still at school?”
I nod.
“What’s your favourite subject?”
“Home economics,” I say automatically. “It gets a bad rap because it’s not strictly academic, but it’s the most practical subject for life after school.”
He laughs. “You say that with such conviction.”
Because I know it for a fact.
“But it is! You learn to cook, sew, work out a household budget…”
He holds up his hands. “I know, I know. I was just teasing. I did home ec too, and I totally agree. But I have to admit, I only chose it because I thought it would be easier than physics.”
“Unless you’re going to be a scientist, home ec was probably the better choice.”
“You’re right.” He looks at me, and I almost shiver again, despite not actually being cold. “Tell me about your boyfriend.”
I blink. “Why?”
“Because I want to know whether he’s worthy of your time.”
I laugh. “That’s a little possessive of you, but all right. You don’t have to worry. He’s good to me. He has a good job…” I’m about to say, he supports me, but that’s not strictly true. Ed isn’t exactly the kind of guy you go to for emotional support. But I’ve never really needed that. I like to deal with stuff on my own.
“That’s it? He’s nice to you and he has a decent job? Does he show interest in your interests?”
I don’t like where this conversation is heading. “Please don’t assume you know my boyfriend. He’s a good person…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I guess I’m just a little jealous, and I want to know what I’d have to do to capture the attention of someone like you.”
You’ve already done more than enough.
“Well, you can remember my face next time,” I joke. I know I’m being unfair, but he nods good-naturedly.
“Oh God. I can’t believe I don’t remember you from the store. Seriously, I must have been hungover or…I don’t know…recovering from a lobotomy or something.”
I laugh, despite myself.
1996 (90s Flashback Series) Page 8