“Really?”
“Yes, let me show you.” She pulled the article up on her computer and I read it with amazement. “Wow. The people in charge really don’t think we’re capable of making our own choices.” I thought about Billy’s world where that was the standard way of thinking, and I felt re-energized to get my message out. “Let’s do this.”
Hannah grinned. We talked about what I would say, then she pointed her phone at me and began recording.
“Do you like it when your parents tell you what to do?” I said into the camera. “Or do you like to make your own decisions? If you’re anything like me or the millions of other teenagers in the world, you don’t like being told what to do, where to be, or who to be with.
“It’s bad enough when your parents control your life, but how would you like it if the government controlled it? Even to the point of telling you what to eat? Well, guess what? That is exactly what is about to happen. Starting later this year in schools across our country, the government is going to take away all of what they consider to be junk food in your schools, and only offer what they believe is healthy for you.
“On top of that, schools are going to start requiring all students to be weighed once a month. They say it’s to study whether their new food rules make a difference in our weight, but I say that they just want to know information that is none of their business.”
I paused.
“They don’t want you to know this, but you can opt-out of being weighed.”
I smiled at the camera and raised one eyebrow.
“Or, better yet, opt-in, but refuse to be weighed. That will send a message that we won’t be forced to share our most personal information with the government. It’s none of their business how much we weigh, or what we eat!
“I’m Morgan Campbell, and I represent a new group, a group that wants to keep the government out of our business. We call ourselves We Can Choose. And that is exactly what we believe. We believe we are capable of making our own choices and that we don’t want—” I held up my fist. “—We don’t need the government’s help.
“Some of you may have seen me before. I was tricked into doing a Public Service Announcement for the HLO—the Healthy Lifestyles Organization. But don’t believe those PSAs. The HLO is just trying to convince you that you should follow their plan. They want to convince you that the government knows best.
“Of course I believe we should be healthy and take care of ourselves. Who doesn’t? What I don’t believe in is that the government should have any part in that. I believe we are smart enough and capable enough to choose what to eat and how much to exercise. We know when we need to do better. We don’t need some Big Brother telling us what to do.
“Stand by me and refuse to be dragged into their controlling grasp.”
I paused for dramatic impact, then I pointed at the camera.
“You can choose.”
I pointed at myself, and in a loud voice I said, “We Can Choose.”
Hannah stopped recording. “That was awesome, Morgan. You are a natural at this.”
I smiled, adrenaline still rushing through me at my passionate speech. “Thanks.”
After we perfected the recording, we uploaded it to youtube, then began posting the link to our social media sites. Excited to have this underway, I almost forgot about Billy and how his time with his parents was going.
Chapter 58
Billy
“Good luck,” Morgan’s mom said as she stopped in my parents’ driveway.
“Thanks.” Reluctant to get out of her car, I paused for a moment, then forced myself to climb out and walk toward the front door. I pulled my hoodie over my head, worried about the neighbors seeing me. The action reminded me of the last time I’d been in this neighborhood. Morgan and I had walked by, curious about the people who lived here, and then we’d seen them at the cemetery crying over their dead son’s grave.
Were they expecting me to be a replacement for him? Or did they understand that I was a different person? I hoped it was the latter, because I had no intention of being anyone other than myself.
When I reached the front door I dragged in a deep breath, slowly released it, then pressed the doorbell. Almost instantly my mother threw the door open.
“You’re here.” Complete bliss lit her face. “Please come in.”
I stepped into the entry and glanced around, wondering where my father was. My mother closed the door and I slid the hoodie off of my head.
“How was the drive?” she asked.
“Long, but fine.” Actually, I’d been on edge the whole way here, worried about what I would say when my father insisted that I was lying about the parallel world.
“Jim’s in the bedroom. He’ll be out in a minute.” She motioned to the living room. “Let’s sit down.”
In a calculated move, I sat on a chair rather than the couch. That way she wouldn’t be able to sit right next to me without my permission.
“I was thinking,” she said. “We need to decide what you should call us.”
Glad she was taking the lead on this problem, I nodded.
“I know calling us Mom and Dad would probably feel strange to you, so why don’t you call us Jim and Becky?”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“Great.”
A moment later Jim came into the room.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hey.” I wondered how they felt about calling me Billy. After all, that was their son’s name. But it was my name too, so there really wasn’t another option.
“I wanted to talk to you about this parallel world claim,” Jim said as he sat next to his wife on the couch.
I had to admire his ability to cut right to the chase, although I was a little nervous about where he wanted to go with this particular conversation. “Okay.”
“I took some time yesterday to do some research on the idea, and I have to say, I found quite a lot of information.”
I’d never done any research. All I knew was what I’d experienced, and that seemed like research enough.
“What I came to realize,” he continued, “is that even though scientists can’t seem to prove that parallel world’s exist, many believe that they do.” He stared at me a moment. “Tell me about yours.”
Astonished didn’t begin to describe how I felt. He actually seemed to be open to the idea that parallel worlds exist. “Are you saying that you’re starting to believe me?”
His mouth quirked into a half-smile that I had seen in the mirror from time to time. “I suppose I am.”
Relief washed over me and I began to relax. “In my world,” I began, “it’s illegal to be overweight.”
Becky gasped. “What happens if you’re overweight?”
I told them how we had to weigh ourselves and how that information was transmitted to the government, and that if someone’s weight was above their approved weight, that person would have to go to a Federally Assisted Thinning center.
“And people put up with that?” Jim asked.
I nodded. “For as long as I can remember.”
“What else is different there?” Becky asked.
“Most things aren’t that different. It’s mostly the food. You can’t really get fattening or sugary foods.” I thought about Hansen and the other Enforcers chasing Morgan and me. “And the people who enforce the rules are called Enforcers.” Then I remembered Holly and the torture she put Morgan through. “There’s a resistance going on, but the people in charge are doing everything they can to find the people in the resistance.”
“So you’re from another world?” Becky asked in wonder.
I nodded.
Her voice softened. “How did your parents die? Were they in one of those Federally . . . whatever you called it?”
“They’re called F.A.T. centers for short. But no, that’s not where they were.” My gaze went back and forth between these people who were so different from my parents, and I decided if I wanted to build a relationship with th
em, I had to be completely honest. “And actually, as far as I know, my parents are still alive.”
“As far as you know?” she said. “You mean because you’re here now?”
“You said they were dead,” Jim said, his eyes narrowing.
I knew he was the one I would have to win over. “They might as well be for what they did to me.”
He tipped his head, but Becky just watched me steadily.
This would only be the second time I’d told anyone the details of what my parents had done—the first being when I told Morgan. But it felt right to tell them what I’d gone through. After I told them my tale, Becky was in tears. Even Jim seemed upset by what my parents had done to me.
“That’s unbelievable,” he said.
Was he saying he didn’t believe me, or that he couldn’t believe my parents would do something so rotten? “That’s why I told you they were dead,” I said. “They are dead. To me at least.”
Becky sat quietly for a minute, though her face had paled. “I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed right now.”
I could understand how everything I’d said would be a lot to digest, but I hoped she would be able to come to terms with it. The three of us sat in silence for a few minutes, then Jim asked me about school and I launched into a detailed description of my classes, and told him how much I liked what I was learning.
“So you like it here? In our . . .” He laughed. “Our world?”
The way he said it emphasized how crazy my reality sounded. But it was just that. My reality. “Yeah,” I said. “I really do.” I paused, wondering if I should tell them about my near-miss with going back to my world, but then decided to take a chance. “To be honest, after you both came to Mr. Tasco’s house I got kind of discouraged that I couldn’t tell you the truth and I . . . well, I decided that maybe this world wasn’t the place for me, that I didn’t belong here after all.” A lump formed in my throat as I recalled the feeling of sorrow I’d had when I’d been certain that I’d made it back to my world. “I even tried to go back.”
Becky gasped.
“How?” Jim asked. “How did you do it?”
Not sure that it was a great idea to tell anyone about the location of the portal, I said, “It’s not important how. The important thing is that I failed.” I smiled. “And I’m really glad that I failed.”
“What do you mean?” Becky asked.
“I mean, I didn’t make it back to my world. I went through all the steps that should have taken me there, but it didn’t work.”
“Thank goodness for that,” she said, then she looked thoughtful. “Maybe that’s a sign. You know, that you’re supposed to be here.” Her voice dropped to a near-whisper and her gaze went to her lap. “With us.”
I looked at Jim to see his reaction, but he was gazing at his wife with a look of tenderness.
“Maybe,” I said under my breath, but neither one of them seemed to hear me.
Jim looked back at me. “But how, Billy? I want to know how it works.”
My shoulders tensed at his insistence. “I want to tell you, I really do. But for now . . .” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but for now I think it’s best to keep it a secret.”
He didn’t seem upset. “You don’t trust us yet. I understand.” He smiled. “I can wait.”
Relief swelled within me. He’s not making you leave just because you’re not telling him what he wants to know.
“I’m going to make lunch,” Becky said. “Are you two hungry?”
We both said we were, and before long the three of us sat around the small kitchen table eating thick sandwiches.
“Our Billy was good at fixing things,” Jim said as he set his napkin on his empty plate. “What about you? Are you any good with your hands?”
Startled at the way he talked about this world’s version of me so casually, I didn’t say anything for a moment. “Uh, yeah, actually. I’m pretty good at that too.”
“Huh. Imagine that.” He was quiet a moment, and then his eyes became misty. “Sometimes on the weekend he would help me work on my old car.” He blinked a few times and his eyes cleared. “It’s in the garage. Do you want to see it?”
Working with my hands was something concrete I could do. I’d never worked side by side with my father, but the idea held great appeal. “Yeah, I would.”
He smiled, then stood. “It’s this way.”
I followed him out to the garage where he had an old Ford Mustang.
“It’s a ’66,” he said. “I’ve been working on restoring it for the last two years.”
I ran my hand over the hood, which was coated with primer. “It looks like it’s coming along.”
He smiled, clearly proud of his work. “Yes, it is.”
We spent the rest of the day working on his car. Becky spent most of the afternoon in the garage with us and I found myself feeling more comfortable with them. When evening came they offered to drive me home and the three of us climbed into their car, with me in the backseat.
“It’s been wonderful getting to know you,” Becky said as she turned in the passenger seat to smile at me.
I smiled back, but didn’t say anything. I’d enjoyed being with them too, but I wasn’t ready to spill my feelings just yet. What if they decided my story was too much? I didn’t want to leave myself vulnerable to getting my hopes crushed, so I held that hope inside.
“Maybe you can come back next week,” Jim said as he looked at me in the rear view mirror.
His invitation was somewhat surprising, but I welcomed it, and my hopes rose closer to the surface. “Yeah, okay.”
When we got to Morgan’s house, Jim and Becky both got out of the car to tell me good-bye. Becky hugged me tight, but Jim held out his hand. I shook it, and though that was nowhere near the affection that Becky showed, it was enough for me.
“Until next week, Billy,” Jim said.
I nodded. “See you later.”
They got back in their car, and I went into the house.
Chapter 59
Morgan
When the front door opened and Billy walked in, my gaze flew to his face. I’d been thinking about him all afternoon, and I was dying to know how things had gone with his parents. His face looked calm and peaceful, which was a great sign. “Hey,” I said as I walked over to him.
“How did your thing with Hannah go?” he asked, as if that was the most important activity of the day.
“I’ll tell you about it later. Even better, I’ll show it to you.” I smiled. “But first I want to know how your day went.”
Brushing my arm with his hand, he laughed. “Oh, you’re curious, are you?”
The fact that he was joking led me to believe his day with his parents had gone really well. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” He took my hand and we sat on the couch, then he told me how everything went. When he was done, he was smiling. His happiness was contagious, and I leaned towards him and gave him a kiss. “I’m so glad they seem to be accepting you.”
“Me, too.” Melancholy briefly swept over his face. “I just wish my own parents had been as nice.”
“I guess you have to consider the environment they lived in. It’s just so different there.”
He was quiet a moment. “Enough about that. Let me see this video you and Hannah did.”
Excited to show him, I led him to the computer and pulled up the youtube video.
“Look at that,” he said as he touched the screen.
I looked where he pointed and saw that there had already been over a thousand views. “Wow! That’s awesome! It’s only been up since this morning.”
He smiled at me. “I guess word’s getting around.”
We watched the video together, and halfway through Amy joined us. When it was done she looked at me with confusion. “Why did you say Holly’s PSAs are a lie? I thought you believed in them.”
I hadn’t considered Amy in all of this. She’d loved doing the PSAs, but I thought it was more because they would put her on TV r
ather than the messages themselves. Turning to her with an expression I hoped conveyed the seriousness of my feelings, I said, “I only did them so that you could do it, Amy.” I gestured toward the video we’d just watched. “Like I said, I don’t have anything against being healthy—in fact I think it’s important to make good food choices. But that’s just it. I believe we should make the choice, not have the government take our choices away.”
She nodded like she was starting to get it. “Okay, I guess that makes sense.”
I bit the inside of my lip. “Does it bother you that I said not to believe the PSAs?”
She shrugged. “Maybe a little.” Then she smiled and pointed to the monitor. “But you got to make your own PSA, and I think that’s great.”
I stood and hugged her. “I think you’re great.”
She giggled a little, and I hoped she knew I meant it.
When Mom dropped me off at school on Monday, Hannah was waiting for me.
“Did you see how many views we had?”
“I haven’t looked since Saturday afternoon.” I’d been busy spending time with Billy and my family. While I’d been in the other world I’d vowed that I would take the time to be with them, and the day before we’d spent all afternoon playing board games. The boys had loved it, and I could tell that everyone else had had a good time too.
Hannah’s smile grew. “We’ve had, like, five thousand views.”
My eyebrows shot upward. “That’s great.”
“I know, right? I think lots of kids didn’t know that the new rules would take away their favorite foods, and they are not happy. Plus, almost everyone hates the idea of being weighed every month.” She pursed her lips. “Especially the girls.”
Good. “So what’s next?”
Looking even happier, if that was possible, Hannah glanced around, then leaned close to me. No one else was near, but her behavior made me nervous. “My friend?” she whispered. “The hacker?”
After (Parallel Series, Book 4) Page 25