Chapter 9

            “Mr. Weinbach, I highly appreciate it if you shift your attention to the black board,” Mr. Henry says. I snap to see his face. He has a disapproval expression plastered on his face.

            “I’m terribly sorry, sir.” He nods and continues to teach History. I look around the classroom in disbelief. What just happened? Wasn’t I supposed to appear in my room where I left with Lia to the past? Aren’t I supposed to spend a day or two in the past? Not hours?

            Something is wrong. Very wrong, indeed.

            Perhaps it has something to do with Aria. It did somehow make Lia a little animalistic. I know that it isn’t Lia’s fault that she couldn’t contain the dragon in her. Lia is perfectly human herself except during night time. She doesn’t growl or her eyes won’t change colors before we met Aria.

            There’s something about her that made our curses acting up.

            I look around to see Daniel in the same class as me, shaking his head slightly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion.

            When the bell rings, I run to Daniel so I can tell him what’s going on. Instead of waiting for me, he disappears. I sigh in unhappiness and glance at my timetable.

            My eyes bulge out of its sockets when I realize this is not my timetable. It should be English now, not Biology. The timetable has my name on it so there is no misunderstanding. Everything is changing.

            Now I really need to find Gabriella.

            I spot Gabriella not far away, talking to a girl. Not wasting any more time, I grab her hand and pull her to an empty classroom. I hear her protesting as well as trying to free herself from my grasp.

            “What the hell?” she screams at me, looking angry.

            “Gab, something is wrong,” I say, fear coating in my voice.

            She glares at me, confusing me even more. “Why does a jerk like you bother to even talk to me? If this is a bet, tell your high-class friends that I’m not that easy to get to.”

            Before she can walk out of the classroom, I grab her shoulder and force her to sit at a chair nearby.

            “Please,” she whimpers. “Don’t.”

            “Don’t? What do you mean? Gab, we are best friends for more than ten years! Why do you even act as if I’m not?” I ask, feeling something in me breaks.

            Gabriella looks up at me with fury in her eyes as she jumps up to her feet, stalking towards me. She does not look like she was whimpering like a child a few seconds ago.

            “We were never friends, Anthony Weinbach,” she states with venom. I wince when she says my full name. This is not a good sign if she says someone’s full name.

            I come to my senses as I feel a sting on my cheek. Gabriella looks at me smugly and then walks out of the classroom. I caress my bruising right cheek. That girl has a very painful yet dramatic slap.

            Everything is so messed up now. Now I know why Daniel runs away from me when I try to catch up with him. What changed other than my friends? What about Jared? Is he still married to the ugly Betty? Is my mother still alive?

            At that very thought, I take off towards my car.

There is hope! I haven’t seen her for seven years. Seven long years. Maybe there is something good coming out of all this. I drive like a madman to Jared’s mansion while my thoughts are scattered.

The mansion looks just like it’s supposed to be. Two cars are parked in the garage; one of it is my mother’s old Camry. The hope I’m clutching to is expanding as I run into the mansion, leaving my car with the engine still running.

“Mum!” I scream, immediately running to the kitchen where I know she’ll always be there.

Instantly my spirits flush down into the toilet when my eyes land on an unfamiliar lady. This lady is no older than Betty and her clothes look expensive.

“Anthony?” she asks, full of shock.

“Who are you?” I growl, taking a step back.

She puts down the spatula as she looks confused at my question. “Are you okay? Did something happen in school?”

I bare my teeth at her, growling once again. “Who are you and what are you doing in Jared’s house?”

Her shoulders drop before she answers, “I’m your mother.”

“You are not my mother. Who are you to Jared?” I snarl. My patience is wearing off, quickly.

“I’m your step mother, Anthony. Don’t you know me? My name is Anne. Are you okay?” Anne asks in concern, taking a step towards me. She sounds so motherly and who knows, it might just be an act.

I glare daggers at her, making her whimper softly. I turn my heels and run off into my car. I’m going to get to the bottom of this once and for all. I know Aria has something to do with it. This has got to be related to the past that is changing.

I drive to the only place I know will calm me down: the woods. Now all I have to do is to wait for my time to travel back in time. I hope that I don’t have to wait for days. In the meantime, I wonder how Jared found a woman like Anne or how my friends are no longer my friends. Who am I now in my time? Am I still Anthony Weinbach, the lead singer of Rebellious Lads?

I shake my head. It’s impossible. If I’m not friends with any of my band mates, there is no Rebellious Lads.

It becomes dark faster than I thought. I cry myself to sleep, not caring if it is not a manly thing to do.

I rub my eyes when the thunder wakes me up. It is not raining yet, but it will soon be. Out of boredom, I start to count the seconds between every lightning and thunder so I would know how close the storm is from here.

Something knocks on my window. I turn to see a dark figure with a hood, by the car. I let out a shrill scream, thinking that whoever it is would kill me mercilessly. I have got to stop watching too many horror movies.

The figure reaches up to let the hood fall, only to reveal a face. It’s a girl!

“Open up,” she mouths.

I let the window down a few centimeters, not enough for her to try to fit her hands in and strangle me.

“What?” I ask snappily. It is not a good day for me.

“Uncle Tony,” she says, her voice is also familiar. I cringe at the way she addresses me. Only the children in the past call me that, not a teenager who looks the same age as me.

“My name is not Tony, let alone Uncle Tony. Do I look that old to you? Who are you?” I demand with my hand close to the button that controls the window.

“My name is Emma and I’m your niece.”

“Are you drunk, lady? Get lost,” I say in a loud, threatening voice.

“Listen, I’m from the future. I’m your step-sister’s daughter,” she explains, desperately trying to make me believe her.

“You’re crazy. Just get away of here or else the future you will regret it,” I warn.

“I know that you’re cursed to time travel,” she suddenly announces, finally getting my attention.

I snort, trying to show that it didn’t bother me. “And you’re cursed to be annoying.”

She rolls her eyes. “Uncle Tony, I know that you’re suspecting something is up. You sent me here to assist you.”

“I sent you? I don’t even know you!” I exclaim.

We are interrupted by a loud thunder, causing the girl to wince at the loud noise.

“The future you sent me,” she corrects. “I’m one out of four people who receive visions of the possible future.”

That takes me aback. Visions of the future? It sounds rather familiar. “Are you cursed too?”

“No exactly. It’s rather difficult to explain . . .”

“Explain,” I demand.

“Let me first introduce myself. My name is Emma and I’m currently seventeen in the year 2030. My biological mother is Jen, your step-sister,” she starts.

I gasp in fake shock. “Jen made a great mistake by getting herself pregnant. Now a fan girl is trying to claim that she’s her daughter from the future. Isn’t this just great?” I mumble to myself.

Emma obviously hears me and scowl. “I’m telling you the truth, Uncle!” she cries.

I cringe again. “Stop calling me that. At least call me Anthony.”

Emma grimace. “It is weird to call you by your first name after calling you ‘uncle’ for the past seven years. You are my favorite uncle, after all. It is weird to see you as old as me.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about but if you want to make me believe you.” I lean closer to her and say, “Prove it.”

            She is in deep thought as I wait for her.

            “Let me in first,” she proposes, looking up at the sky when the lightning appears.

            “No,” I firmly reply. “Who knows you might be a serial killer and I value my precious life.”

            Emma rolls her eyes at me. “Do I look like a merciless murderer to you?”

            I shrug. “I’m not taking any chances, miss.”

            “I have a name, you know. The name is Emma,” she says.

            “How did you even find me?” I ask, pretending not to hear her earlier statement.

            Emma gives me a look. “Let me in or I’m not going to say a word.”

            I groan out loud. “You’re such a pest!” I complain. She pretends to zip her lips, staying true to her words. “Fine! But you have to promise me to tell me how you know of my curse and everything.”

            She grins at me. “You have my word, Uncle Tony.”

            I make a face that makes her burst out in laughter.

            “And stop calling me that,” I add.

            She cocks her head at one side. “Then what should I call you?” she asks wonderingly.

            “I don’t know, how about Anthony?” I sarcastically suggests, unlocking my car.

            Emma sticks out her tongue at me after she takes the passenger seat. She mumbles something under her breath as she warms herself up.

            “What was that?” I ask, hoping that she would repeat whatever she said.

            She sighs, almost as if she’s annoyed. “You never really did change. You only look younger.”

            “So how did you know about my curse?” I ask, straight to the point.

            The girl takes off her cloak and neatly folds it while replying, “It’s best if you hear my story, it is related to your question. I am raised in the orphanage for ten years. In other words, I was ten when I was adopted by you. You told me that you have been looking for me for years after my mother gave me up.”

            She pauses to take a deep breath. The way she said her mother is as if Emma hates her.

            “My biological mother is Jen, which I guess you already know. By now, she must still be pregnant with me, correct?”

            I nod, thinking of my last phone call with Jared. Then I remember that Jared has another wife, Anne instead of Betty. If Betty and Jen is not a part of my family anymore, how the hell is Emma born? This time traveling stuff is so confusing.

            “You took me in when I was ten and raise me. You did not communicate with my grandfather, grandmother or even my mother, which I’m grateful of. There were a few times you asked me if I wanted to meet my mother but I decline every time. That is until I was sixteen. I met my mother and she tried to get me back. I found out that I have a step-father and step-sister. I was given a choice whether to live with you or my mother. I chose you. That devastated mother, she blamed you for manipulating me and stuff,” Emma says, rolling her eyes at Jen’s low of mentality. I can’t help but roll my eyes as well. That is typical of Jen.

            “Anyway, I didn’t find anything about my biological father. When I was sixteen, I receive visions. About you and a black dragon, which I presume is Princess Lia,” Emma continues saying. Her statement is not a question so I don’t have to answer her.

            “Not only that, I’m one out of four who receives this vision, just like Lady Aria.”