Skipping Forward

by Bethany Wicker

  Rhett burst through the door and helped me out of my predicament. He helped dress me after that and I felt like a child. Neither of us spoke a word while he worked. It wasn’t until we got into my bed that the walls came down and the dam finally broke.

  That night, I cried. I sobbed and sobbed and made up for not crying earlier. Mom didn’t come home that night and Aunt Berty was busy tending to her, so Rhett slept over. That way I wouldn’t be alone. Being cuddled next to him was the only reason I actually got some sleep. That and the weeping wiped out all of my energy.

  I stayed home from school the next day and Rhett stayed with me again. He just held me as I cried and soothed me. He didn’t even talk, which was exactly what I needed. He cooked food, but I couldn’t stomach it.

  Mom didn’t come home that night either and Rhett was once again my rock. I was forced to wonder what I would do without him.

  The better question right now was what was I going to do without Maddox? What was I going to do without my brother?

  Chapter Eleven

  Two days. That was how long it’d been since the accident. I was currently on my way to lunch, not even sure what I was doing at school in the first place. My brain couldn’t absorb any information and I was walking around like a zombie, still moving, but not functioning. Rhett was walking next to me, but I barely registered his presence. After crying all yesterday, I was so worn out, but needed to escape the house. I would imagine Maddox playing video games in his room, like he never left. Like this was all a nightmare I would wake up from.

  His funeral was set for tomorrow and Aunt Berty had handled all the details. I was hoping school would distract me from it, but it was only making me feel worse. Everyone kept saying they were sorry when it wasn't even their fault. I was so sick of that word. Most these people weren't truly sorry either. They were just going through the motions.

  Mackenzie Martin’s dad was the drunk driver that killed my brother. She notified me that her dad was still in jail and that she knew he had a drinking problem. She apologized over and over again, but anger was the only thing I felt when she talked to me. It was stupid and petty to blame her for the accident, but the truth was that I was jealous. Her dad was still alive while my brother died. What right did he have to draw breath when he killed my brother? Even if he was inside a prison wall, he still got to live. My brother will be buried forever tomorrow.

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. My brother was still supposed to be here, playing video games with me and mocking me at breakfast about my relationship with Rhett. He was too young to just be gone. He didn’t live a full life or even get to experience his first love.

  I can’t let this be it…

  Why had I not thought about it before? I was blinded by my grief. The solution was inside of me this whole time. I could go back in time and make sure they weren’t on the road at the time of the accident.

  “Don’t even think about it, babe. You can’t change the past. I’m so sorry for your loss, but it was meant to happen. It was his time,” Rhett stated.

  “I’m not okay with that and I can’t believe it. I have to do something if it’s within my power. Only I can.”

  “Molly,” he said my name in warning, but I shoved him away.

  I had to do something. I was the only one that could.

  Rhett chased after me as I ran to the parking lot. I blinked and skipped forward to when I was pulling in the driveway. Rhett was close behind me and parked only ten seconds after me, so I darted passed my mom who was crying at the table. My Aunt Berty was trying to console her and they didn’t even acknowledge me as I headed for my room. Dad was still in the hospital, but he would be coming home tomorrow. Truth was, he was better off at the hospital. This house was too depressing to aid a healing man.

  Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make this better.

  “Molly,” Rhett called as he entered my house.

  “What in heaven’s name is going on?” Aunt Berty asked.

  I slammed my door and clicked the lock. It wasn’t long before Rhett was banging on it and yelling my name. I tuned him out and focused on what he taught me.

  Breathe in and out and focus on when you want to go.

  I concentrated as hard as I could and for once, welcomed the metallic tang. I blinked and looked around as I tried to determine where I was. Rhett was sitting in front of me and was chuckling.

  “I like seeing you flustered. Just keep in mind that I can read your thoughts. If I ever need clarification, then all I need to do is peek into that chaotic brain of yours.”

  I recalled those words. We were at dinner the night my brother died. Rhett sobered up pretty quickly and shot me a surprised look.

  “Did you really just travel back in time?”

  “We have to go. Now.”

  “But we haven’t even gotten our food,” Rhett complained. “What’s up?”

  “Just read my mind and it’ll fill you in on everything you need to know. While you do that, we need to leave. If we don’t intercept my dad and brother at the store now, then Maddox will die.”

  I jumped up and dashed out of the restaurant. I could hear Rhett hot on my tail. The waitress watched us with a flabbergasted expression as we left and Rhett started the car as fast as he could.

  “I don’t think this is a good idea,” Rhett murmured as he sped out of the parking lot.

  “Saving my brother’s life isn't a good idea?”

  “Changing the past isn’t. If it’s his time then it’s his time. Nothing you do can change that.”

  “What’s the point of having this ability if I can’t even use it to save my brother?”

  Rhett sighed. “Which store are they at?”

  I gave him the directions. On the way, I attempted to call Dad’s cell, but it went straight to voicemail. When we pulled up to the local grocery store, I was relieved to see Dad’s car was still there. I moved to get out, but Rhett’s hand on my arm stopped me.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? You can’t escape fate.”

  “Am I sure about saving my brother’s life? You don’t need to read my thoughts to know the answer to that question.”

  He let me go after that and I went in search of Dad and Maddox. I found them heading for the check-out line.

  Made it just in time.

  “Hey guys,” I yelled and waved them over.

  Maddox smiled, but Dad looked confused.

  “What happened to your date? Weren’t you supposed to be at the restaurant?” Dad inquired.

  Crap.

  I’d been so worried about getting to them that I didn't create a backup story.

  “The restaurant was closed for renovations, sir,” Rhett said from behind me and caused me to startle. I didn't notice that he followed me in.

  “That doesn’t explain why you’re here though,” Dad stated suspiciously.

  “Molly saw your car and we figured we would see what you two were doing.”

  Man, I was so thankful for Rhett. “And I’m glad we did. There isn't anything good in this cart. How about we hit up the candy aisle?” he suggested.

  “Yeah,” Maddox exclaimed. “That’d be so cool. How about it Dad?”

  Dad laughed. “Sounds good to me.”

  Just like that, we wasted fifteen minutes in the candy aisle goofing off. Rhett even joked with us. By the time we were checking out, it was past the time that Aunt Berty would’ve called me to come to the hospital.

  Rhett didn’t say anything as we followed my dad and brother home. For once, I was happy for his gift because it saved me from having to explain what seemed impossible. We passed a car that had crashed into a tree. An ambulance, firetruck, and cop cars were surrounding it. That was the drunk driver that would’ve hit my dad and brother. I recognized the car from the newspaper article that talked about the accident. We’d successfully kept them away from it. Rhett eyed me as we passed it and he knew what it meant, but still didn’t say anything.

  A sob made its way out of my thr
oat when we all reached the driveway safely. I hopped out the car and plowed into Maddox when he got out. My arms held him tightly as tears flowed freely. I was on the brink of becoming hysterical, but that didn’t matter. My brother was here. He was okay. He was alive.

  “What’s all this about?” Dad asked with a chuckle. “Are you really that excited about not being grounded anymore?”

  “Yeah, sis.” Maddox pushed me away. “You’re acting weird. Shouldn’t you be hugging Dad and not me?”

  “No,” I choked out. “I just love you. That’s all.”

  “It’s happened. You’ve lost your mind,” Maddox joked and I took in the sound of his voice.

  “Since your dinner got interrupted, how about we all go out as a family? You’re more than welcome to join us Rhett.”

  “I’d love to, sir,” Rhett said from behind me. He was probably still processing what I did.

  Heck, I was still trying to process it.

  That night, we went to our favorite diner. It was a little hole-in-the-wall place, but it had the best food. We ate as a family and laughed and joked with each other. It was a nice change and I was happy Rhett was involved.

  I could tell by Rhett’s eyes that he had some questions for me, but they could wait. For now, I wanted to enjoy tonight and relish in the fact that my brother was still alive.

  ~*~

  The next morning, I could’ve frolicked to school after breakfast with Maddox. The air felt fresher today, but that was most likely because I was still on cloud nine. Not only was I able to save my brother, but I also traveled to the past willingly for the first time. It was two feats that I was still amazed I’d accomplished.

  Rhett was waiting for me in the parking lot like usual, but it was for a different reason this time. “By you being here, I’m assuming your brother’s still alive?”

  “Did you think otherwise?”

  “I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve never been through this before, but I’m sure you know that.”

  “I’m sorry about the date. I know you really wanted to try their steaks, but you aren't missing out. You complained about how dry the steak was the whole time you tried to eat it.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Look into my mind if you don’t believe me.”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that that sucks. I was really looking forward to trying a steak from there. Do you know of a good steak place?”

  I grabbed his hand and started steering him towards the school so we wouldn’t be late. “You should have asked me in the first place. The trick is to avoid the typical chains. I know a local restaurant that’s the place to be. Everyone tells me they have the best steaks.”

  “All right, well we’re going there tonight,” he proclaimed.

  “Deal, and thanks again for last night.”

  “You’re welcome. I just hope things continue to work out.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “It’s just hard for me to believe that you can just change fate.”

  We were quiet after that and kissed before parting ways.

  Mackenzie Martin was usually in my first class, but she was absent today. Her father died in that car wreck last night. He crashed into that tree instead of my dad’s car and was killed on impact. He died, but my brother lived.

  The rest of the day went by with a blink of the eye because I skipped right through it. I was eager to get home and play video games with Maddox. I’d taken our time together for granted, but wouldn’t do it again.

  I barged through the front door, but stopped when I saw Mom on the phone. She was grasping her chest and tears cascaded down her cheeks.

  A bad feeling settled into the pit of my stomach. “What is it, Mom? What’s wrong?”

  She ended the phone call with a ‘thank you’ before turning to me. “That was your brother’s school. Maddox’s bus was in an accident. It flipped several times before catching on fire. We have to get to the hospital. Can you drive? I don’t think I’m capable of it.”

  She was wobbling where she stood and I rushed to help her to the car.

  “I’ll drive,” Rhett offered and scared me. He was getting good at being there without me knowing, but it was exactly when I needed him.

  The drive to the hospital was rougher the second time. Mom was dry heaving from sobbing so much. I was once again frozen and couldn’t find the tears to cry. I was in the backseat with my mom and would see Rhett glance at us in the rearview mirror with an indecipherable look.

  Dad was already at the hospital and was crying as a doctor was talking to him. Deja vu hit me like a freight train. This couldn't be happening again. I walked straight passed them and into Maddox’s room.

  He reminded me of what Dad looked like in the hospital with the tubes and wires hooked up to him. The only difference was that everything was turned off and Maddox looked sickly pale.

  I moved slowly towards him.

  “Molly,” Rhett whispered my name from behind me.

  I grasped Maddox’s hand in mine. It was icy and lifeless.

  “No, not again,” I muttered under my breath. “Not again. I fixed it. This shouldn’t be happening.”

  Rhett whispered my name again and placed his hands on my shoulder reassuringly. I shrugged his arms off.

  “I won’t let this happen again,” I told him.

  “What are you talking about, Molly?” Dad asked through his tears. He was embracing Mom as she cried.

  “I’m going to fix this,” I told them before dashing out the room.

  Rhett caught me before I could reach the elevator. “Molly, you can’t fix this. I don’t think all those other children were supposed to die, but most of them did. I think it was because you changed the past, so fate claimed him another way but took others with him. You can’t change it Molly. Something worse happened when you tried.”

  His arms were on my shoulders again, but he was slightly shaking me this time, as if that would make me see it his way.

  “You can’t stop me.” My eyes narrowed at him.

  “Molly—” he started, but I interrupted him.

  “See you in another time, babe.”

  My lips touch his before the familiar metallic tang enveloped us.

  Chapter Twelve

  My eyes blinked a couple of times and I was sitting in cooking class. We were waiting for the hamburgers to cook and Roxy was asking me how my weekend went.

  “You did it again, didn’t you?” Rhett accused.

  Roxy and Brantley looked between the two of us confused. We never argued so I was certain it was strange to them. They probably assumed we were having your typical lover’s quarrel.

  “I had to,” I told him before I asked the teacher if I could be excused.

  “Can I be excused too?” Rhett asked.

  “Only one person at a time,” the teacher denied him.

  I took the hall pass and left without any intention of coming back. Rhett knew it too and against the teacher’s wishes, he followed after me. The teacher was yelling his name from the classroom for him to come back.

  He followed me all the way to the parking lot without saying another word and even climbed into my car.

  “What about your car?” I asked.

  “We’ll come back for it,” he replied. “I would ask what the plan is, but I already know.”

  “I can’t let him die, Rhett. I can’t. Not if I can stop it.”

  “I don’t think you can, sweetie. I’m sorry to say it, but you can’t try to fix it if it happens again.”

  I didn’t respond to him and pulled up in front of the junior high. The secretary welcomed me with a smile.

  “Molly, to what do we owe this pleasure? I remember when you went to school here yourself. You were such a good student.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Magee. I’m here to pick up my brother so he gets a day off from riding the bus. Can you let him know for me?”

  “Of course, dearie. I’ll just page his teacher to
send him on up here since school only has a couple of minutes left anyway.”

  “Thank you so much. That would be great.”

  It only took a few minutes before Maddox came into the office. “It’s pretty cool of you to pick me up, sis. And you have Rhett with you. Awesome. Can we stop at the video game store on the way home?”

  “Oh course we can.” I laughed at his enthusiasm. “Bye, Mrs. Magee. Thank you again.”

  “Bye dearie. Don’t be a stranger, ya hear?”

  “I won’t,” I called back as we strolled out.

  On the way to the game store, I asked, “Is this new game that really cool zombie one?”

  “Yeah and we can play it as soon as we get home. Rhett can even join us if he wants.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. You in, Rhett?”

  “I guess so.” He didn’t sound too excited about it, but Maddox and I both ignored it.

  We never made it to the game store.

  ~*~

  Loud beeping awoke me. At first, I felt numb, as if I was floating in a void and only nothingness surrounded me. Then, came the burning. My body felt like it was on fire. Pain erupted from every nerve ending in my body. My eyes struggled to open and the bright light only made it harder.

  “I think she’s waking up,” Mom’s voice called. It sounded scratchy and worn out.

  The first thing that came into focus was my body. It was covered in casts and my legs were elevated in a sling. I was in the hospital. The familiar coldness had seeped into my bones and the scent of cleaning supplies invaded my nostrils.

  “It hurts.” I winced.

  It was amazing I was able to croak those two words out considering the fact that it felt like I was dying.

  “Don’t worry, sweetie. The nurse will be right back with some pain medicine for you. She just left to retrieve it. Do you want some water?”

  “What happened?” It was hard to recognize my own voice. It sounded too wounded.

  “Sweetheart,” Mom’s hand covered mine, “you guys were in an accident. An eighteen-wheeler pushed your car off the road and the car flipped a couple of times.”