I jumped in at that point. “Now, Mom, you and Rhett are about to do the same thing, but it won’t change what you believe, So, I’ve taken it upon myself to go back in time and write a little message for you. Dad, it’s in the chair, so if you’ll do us the honor.”
He blinked at me before he processed what I said and felt around for my note. It took him a couple of seconds, but he finally pulled it out. Dad read it so everybody could hear and I knew Dad was sold on it when he got to the dog part.
“I’m so sorry we didn't believe you all these years, sweetie.” Dad clambered out of his chair to give me a hug.
“She could’ve put that there before we started talking,” Mom tried to use logical reasoning.
“Dear, there’s no way she could’ve known the first word I thought of was dog unless she’d gone back to write it,” Dad tried to convince her.
Her hardened gaze finally softened. “Then, that means we punished her all those times when she was telling the truth.”
“So, does that mean you guys believe me?” The hope in my voice was hard to miss. I’d been waiting for this day for years.
“It’s hard not to when you have Rhett being able to read minds too,” Mom admitted. “He built your case for you. I just have one more question. All those years you were trying to convince us that you couldn't control it and would skip time without meaning to, what changed that?”
“Rhett did. He’s helping me control it. I’m still not perfect at it, but it’s coming along. I can actually go backwards now, but it’s useless since I can’t change anything.”
“That’s another thing we owe you for,” Dad thanked Rhett.
Rhett’s cheeks colored and it was the first time I’d seen that happen. It was cute and I hoped to see it more often.
“We think Maddox was like us too,” I stated solemnly. “That’s the only way he could smell the metal and know he was going to die. We don’t have proof of it though.”
“What’s the most amount of time you’ve skipped in one sitting?” Dad asked.
“I skipped about two months after the accident and have no recollection of what happened during that time.”
“That must be terrible.” Mom gasped and covered her mouth.
“Yeah, it is.” My eyes cast downward.
“Now that you guys know about it, you can assist Molly with telling her what happened in the time she missed,” Rhett proposed. “You guys did stuff without me, so maybe you could share those memories with her.”
“You talk way beyond your years,” Mom complimented and Rhett blushed again.
“It comes with the territory. You have to be a little more insightful when you know things like time traveling and reading minds exist.”
“Do you know anyone that can fly?” Dad’s voice was filled with enthusiasm.
“Not that I know of.” Rhett chuckled. “But that would be cool to see.”
“I hate to be a buzz kill, but this whole thing has me exhausted.” The yawn that followed proved my statement. “How about we pick this up in the morning?”
They all agreed and we went our separate ways. My parents to their room and Rhett and I to mine. The house had quickly fallen silent and Rhett decided to go take a quick shower. The sound of running water was soothing as I drifted off to sleep.
That night was the first night I’d dreamed in a while. It began with Maddox smiling down at me. Rays of light surrounded him.
“I’m glad you told them the truth and found my letter.” His voice echoed like he was in a cave.
“Maddox?” My eyes widened and my arms reached towards him. “Why can’t I save you?”
“You’re not meant to,” he replied.
“What use is my gift then?”
“You’ll find that answer for yourself one day.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”
“We were never close until recently. But that’s not why I’m here. I wanted to say thank you for being my sister and I wanted you to know I’m okay. Move on and be happy. It’s what I want. I have to go now. I love you, sis.”
He was fading and I called out for him to wait. My voice kept repeating his name, but I couldn’t recall saying it. Then, darkness surrounded me.
My body jolted upwards. I was back in my bed with Rhett. Sweat soaked my clothes and my hair clung to my face. My breaths were erratic and my heart was beating rapidly. Rhett turned over so his back was facing me, but didn’t wake up. I clutched my chest and willed myself to calm down. It felt like I was about to time jump.
My head fell back on my pillow and I focused on my breathing. Finally, everything seemed to return to normal and I finally allowed myself to think back to my dream. It felt so realistic, as if Maddox was really there. With all I knew now, I realized nothing was impossible, but this was just crazy.
Half of me wanted to wake Rhett up and the other half wanted to go back to sleep. Fatigue won out and I drifted into a dreamless rest this time.
~*~
“What do you mean you talked to Maddox?” Rhett asked as we were eating cereal the next morning. Mom and Dad were eating in the living room.
“Well, it was in a dream,” I clarified. “It just felt so real.”
“Maybe it was your subconscious trying to give you the remaining closure you needed.”
“Maybe. At least we don’t have to worry about school anymore.”
“Graduation’s this weekend. Are you planning on walking?”
I swallowed the bite I’d taken. “I’d like to, but it seems so mundane after all that’s happened.”
“I think we both need a little mundane in our life. We have more than enough excitement.”
“So, I’m guessing you want to walk?” I raised an eyebrow at Rhett.
He smirked. “It’s something I haven’t done before so yeah. I’m actually looking forward to it. There’s also Project Graduation after that I’d like us both to attend.”
“Project Graduation? What on earth is that?”
“Oh right. You skipped the day they explained it to us. It’s where we get locked in after graduation until the next morning. It takes place in the convention center and there’s supposed to be a whole bunch of games where we can win prizes. I think it’d be fun. We would get to stay up all night.”
“I haven’t done that since grade school. Well, you sold me on it.”
“Good, because I already bought you and me a ticket.” He produced two tickets and waggled his eyebrows.
“So, basically, I didn’t have a choice either way.”
“Nope, you didn’t.”
I giggled and took the ticket to examine it. It sounded fun enough and not as boring as walking. Plus, from the looks of it, I could win some money or other electronics. I wondered if Autumn was going to it and told Rhett I was going to give her a call.
I wound up talking to Autumn longer than expected because Rhett had fallen asleep waiting for me. He looked so peaceful that I didn’t disturb him as I clambered into bed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Graduation wasn’t fun at all. Rhett and I didn't get to sit by each other because our last names were too far apart in the alphabet. Autumn was on the other side of the room too. The ceremony was dull and they mentioned the passing of Maddox. It would’ve been sweet if it didn’t put all eyes on me. Alec was sitting next to me and he patted me on the shoulder. It was a weird exchange, especially after how mean he was to me. He and Rhett were still friends though and he was trying to be nicer to me. It was the end of high school so it didn’t matter anymore anyway. The principal started calling the names for people to claim their diplomas. I spaced out until it was my row’s turn. Mom and Dad were easy to spot out with their air horns and bright green signs. They got so loud when I got up and did the same thing for Rhett. Rhett’s parents couldn’t make it, so it was a nice thing mine did.
I was so happy when it was finally over. I was hoping Project Graduation would be better. Rhett and I were on our way with Autumn following
in the car behind us. He was promising we would have a good time and I hoped he was right.
The place was already packed by the time we arrived. The secretary collected our tickets and handed us some play money. She explained the money would be used to play games. Each game cost a certain amount and you won tickets to enter the raffle to win prizes. The prizes were located in the front and all tickets had to be in before four in the morning if we wanted to win.
Autumn, Rhett, and I all entered together with linked arms. I was in the middle and smiled at the theme. It was ‘Once Upon A Graduation’ and it was magical. There were fake horses when you first walked with a mini carriage. White streamers hung from the ceilings and most of the games were decked out in sparkles.
We started making our way through the crowd when Alec greeted us with Fallon in tow. The two boys talked and I pulled Autumn away.
“Let’s start this night off right with some coffee,” I said with a grin.
“You know I love coffee.”
“We’re going to need a lot of it to make it through tonight.”
“At least there’s no alcohol.”
“Yeah, it’s great,” I agreed. “People actually have to interact with each other on a normal level now. Cliques no longer exist after graduation. All those people who called us weird are now in the same boat.”
“Are you planning on going to college? We haven’t talked about it with the accident and all.”
I shrugged and thanked the lady that handed me a coffee. “I’m not sure what I want to do just yet. To be honest, I haven’t even thought about what the next step is going to be. Whatever it is, it’ll probably be with Rhett though. What about you?”
“I got into the local college and want to go there so I don’t have to dorm. I plan on commuting so I can still spend time with my brother.”
“You don’t have to let Maddox’s situation affect you like that. Don’t get me wrong. I wish I had more time with Maddox, but you don’t want to smother him.”
“It’s hard not to.” She sighed. “Let’s forget about the future and past just for tonight and have a blast. I’m almost ready for my second cup.”
She held up her nearly empty cup for me to see.
“How the heck did you finish that so quickly? We were talking.”
She smirked. “I’m just skilled like that.”
We got back into the coffee line and I downed my cup by the time we reached the front.
“You two back already?” the lady smiled.
I didn’t recognize her but grinned back. “We need it to get through tonight.”
She laughed. “I might need me a cup before the end too.”
“Go for it,” Autumn cheered.
The lady jokingly poured a shot of coffee and drank it. We smiled and told her we would be back soon. This time, I got a cup for Rhett and handed it to him when we reached him.
“Thanks, babe. I guess I’ll see you around, Alec.” Rhett nodded to him.
“Yeah, man. See ya.” Alec waved bye to us and Fallon looked more than ready to find a new crowd to hang with.
“So, where should we start?” Rhett asked eagerly.
“We passed a claw machine with stuffed unicorns in it. I’d like to try to win one to keep as a memento,”Autumn suggested.
“I think I’d like one too.” I grinned.
“So, out of all the things we can do, you guys want to go and try to win a unicorn,” Rhett deadpanned.
“You mean you don’t want to win it for me?” I put on a pouty lip.
“Come on. You’re better than that.” Rhett shuffled on his feet. “Okay, let’s do that first and then we move on to the cool stuff.”
Rhett won me a unicorn on the first try and then won Autumn one right after. He had skill when it came to the claw machine.
“There. Ya happy now?” Rhett shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Very. I’m going to name her Sparkle,” I claimed.
“Sounds like a stripper’s name,” Rhett commented and earned a smack on the chest from me. He rubbed the tender area. “I mean, it’s perfect.”
Autumn giggled. “You two are crazy. I’m naming mine Sapphire.”
I looked to Rhett waiting for his input, but nothing came. “What do you want to do?” I asked him.
“I’d like to go play some ski ball and try to win some prizes.”
So, that was our next destination. The three of us held a competition for high score and Rhett beat both of us every single time. Autumn and I wound up getting frustrated so we switched games. Next, was basketball. We watched Rhett play and he was pretty good at that too. I was waiting for him to be bad at something.
Fallon cut us off on the way to the next location. “How you guys doing?”
“Pretty good,” Rhett answered. “Where’s Alec?”
She lifted her shoulders. “Don’t know. I ditched him. Mind if I join you?”
Rhett looked to us for an answer but we both gave him clueless looks. This was pretty random of her and I wasn’t sure what she was playing at.
“I guess so,” Rhett stated hesitantly.
“Cool. I have so many tickets they’re falling out of my pocket. Want to go put some in for prizes? Free up some space for more stuff?” She smiled coyly at Rhett.
Was she moving in on my man?
Rhett’s uneasiness showed and he moved closer to me. “Only if these two girls want to.”
“Do you have enough to make a trip?” I asked Rhett.
He produced a stack of tickets from his pockets. “Guess I had more than I thought.”
I grinned. “Well, let’s go see what we can win.”
“We? I believe these are mine. Unless we’re at the ‘what’s yours is mine’ stage?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Sorry, bud. Not yet,” I shut him down.
“Aren’t they cute?” Autumn questioned Fallon. I knew exactly what she was doing. She was staking my claim for me.
“Adorable,” Fallon scoffed.
Rhett grabbed my hand as we eyed up the prizes. He wasn’t swayed by Fallon’s presence in the slightest. She must’ve noticed he was a lost cause because she left while we were scoping out the loot.
“Guess we were boring her,” Rhett joked.
“Guess so.”
Rhett put his raffle tickets in for money, a new video games system, and a new television. I put all of mine in to the gift cards to local restaurants. Autumn was going for some small appliances she claimed her house needed. They would call winners around five in the morning.
After all our tickets were spent, we went for our third cups of coffee. Well, Autumn and I had one up on Rhett. He was getting his second.
“They should have some energy drinks in here,” Rhett complained. “This coffee isn't cutting it. I’m getting tired.”
“Those things are terrible for you and your heart,” Autumn argued.
“Your three cups in on coffee. What do you think that’s doing to your heart?” Rhett challenged.
“Knock it off you two. You’re just becoming an old man, Rhett. Can’t hang with us young folk,” I taunted.
“Guess not.” He sighed.
“Aw that’s no fun. You’re supposed to argue back. You’re the one who likes that kind of stuff.”
Rhett yawned. “Nope. Too tired.”
“We aren’t even halfway through the night,” Autumn stated.
“I wonder if there’s a nap station,” Rhett murmured to himself.
“What are you in kindergarten or something?” I mocked.
“No way. They do have one.” Rhett pointed to a pile of mats in the corner, but they weren't being used for sleep. “I’ll take a quick catnap and will be good to go.”
He ignored our protests and was snoring a few minutes later.
“Looks like it’s just us,” I pointed out.
“Does he always go to sleep early?”
“Not usually.”
“Where to now?”
“I’m hungry. L
et’s hit up the food station.”
The options for food were limited to chicken tenders or salad. The choices for snacks were vast though. They had snack cakes, donuts, candy, crackers, cookies, and chips. You name it and it was there. They had teenagers pegged down. So, instead of being responsible and eating chicken, I went for the snacks. Autumn did the same thing.
We found a little table in a corner to eat at and ate silently while we watched the bustling around us. It looked like everyone was having fun and I realized this would be our last time together as a class. This was the end of the road and then we were being shipped off to adulthood.
“Are you scared of being an adult?” I asked Autumn out of nowhere and it caught her off guard.
She took a second to chew her cookie and said, “Not really. I’m ready to go to college and get my degree so I can start making that money.”
“Yeah, but with a job comes bills and then what? With the accident and losing Maddox, my eyes were opened to all the possibilities we have in life. I’m not ready to just go into the mundane day to day life.”
Autumn leaned back in her chair. “I am. I’d like to meet a guy, hopefully one as sweet as Rhett, and settle down. But just because I want that doesn’t make what you want wrong. That’s the beauty of adulthood. We can make our own lives and choices. What does Rhett want to do?”
“We haven’t talked about it. I haven’t been ready to. It was always hard to think about a future without Maddox, but I think I’m ready now.”
“I think you are too,” Autumn encouraged with a grin. “I hope we stay close.”
“I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”
“Yeah…” Autumn trailed off.
We sat like that for a little while longer before we gave ski ball another try. Autumn and I were having a blast and about two hours later, Rhett finally woke up. We were getting our fifth cup of coffee when he joined us.
“Have you ladies won me any prizes?”
“Nope. You get nothing for sleeping.” I smirked at him.
“Aw man.” He glanced around. “Where’s the food around here?”
Autumn and I both pointed him in the direction of the food table. He came back with a mountain of chicken tenders.
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