PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)

APRIL 16, 2003
THE BARN

Alexis, Quinn, and Lucy stood huddled together in the dim light of the barn, shadows cast over the rustic walls and hay bales scattered across the floor. Right in front of them was a machine-small, unassuming, and far from anything anyone would expect as a portal through time. It looked like a bulky backup generator, with a few flashing lights and buttons, humming faintly with a soft mechanical sound that seemed to reverberate through the air.

Quinn tilted his head, skepticism etched across his face as he stared down at the machine. "You're telling me this is a time machine?" he asked, his voice dripping with disbelief. His gaze was fixed on the machine, as if he expected it to suddenly morph into something more... impressive.

Lucy shrugged, her arms crossed as she shifted her weight, her expression a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "There was a flash," she said, her voice trailing off, a hint of confusion in her eyes as she tried to explain. "And then... I was just here. So, yeah... I guess it is."

Alexis let out a high-pitched squeal of excitement, bouncing on her toes. "Oh my god!" She grinned wide, her eyes sparkling with an idea as wild as her imagination. "I wanna go to 2024! I want a phone! With, like, social media and everything!"

Quinn shook his head immediately, shooting her an exasperated look. "You're not going to the future, Lexi. You're staying right here in 2003," he stated firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Alexis pouted, crossing her arms and giving him an indignant glare. "You're such a killjoy, Quinn." She huffed, rolling her eyes dramatically. But her gaze eventually softened as Quinn turned his attention back to Lucy, clearly fascinated by her story and this mysterious device.

"Okay, so... I just thought a time machine might look more... futuristic," he said, scratching his head as he inspected the machine further. He tapped it lightly, as if half-expecting it to beep or transform in some way.

Lucy's gaze shifted from the machine to Alexis and then to Quinn. Her eyes suddenly caught sight of a blinking screen on the machine, showing a date that made her heart skip a beat. The numbers were unmistakable: April 16th, 2003.

"Wait... April 16th?" she asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and shock. She glanced up at them, her expression growing more intense. "Why'd you choose that date?"

Alexis tilted her head, blinking in confusion at the urgency in Lucy's tone. "What do you mean, why? We didn't pick it. It's just... there." She gestured toward the machine, shrugging. "It's the date that's flashing."

Lucy's face paled, her eyes flickering with a sudden realization. She looked at both of them, something dark and serious in her gaze that neither Quinn nor Alexis could place. "Oh, shit," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're not doing anything important right now, are you?" she asked them, her tone shifting as though she was preparing them for something big.

Quinn shook his head, his brows furrowed. "No, not really," he replied, unsure where this was going.

Alexis glanced at her watch, suddenly remembering. "Well, I have to go to soccer practice in, like, twenty minutes," she said, looking a bit torn as her curiosity tugged her to stay but her responsibilities were pulling her away. She gave Quinn an apologetic smile. "Fill me in later, alright? Don't do anything crazy without me."

Quinn chuckled softly, his gaze warm as he looked at her, a subtle softness overtaking his stern demeanor from earlier. Alexis leaned up on her toes, placing her hands gently on either side of his face, pulling him down to meet her lips. She kissed him passionately, a silent promise lingering between them, as if they both understood the strange feeling in the air-the feeling that whatever was going on with this time machine was bound to change things. She pulled back slowly, giving him a quick smile before stepping back.

"Don't go falling into the future without me," she teased with a wink, giving Lucy a nod before heading out of the barn, her footsteps echoing as she disappeared out the door, leaving Quinn and Lucy alone with the machine.

APRIL 16, 2003
SOCCER FIELD

Alexis trotted onto the soccer field, tying her cleats tighter and securing her ponytail as she joined her teammates for practice. She loved this-the steady rhythm of her feet hitting the grass, the familiar shouts of her coach, the sound of the ball bouncing between teammates. For Alexis, soccer was more than a sport; it was an escape. Out here, she could forget about everything else: the whispers at school, the drama that seemed to follow her and her friends, and, most of all, the tension building up around Quinn.

The coach called for drills, and Alexis focused herself, falling into position and moving instinctively. She darted in and out, her cleats digging into the earth as she sprinted to keep up with the ball. Her mind became a blur of commands: sprint, turn, pass, shoot. Everything else faded into the background, leaving only the game.

"Alexis, your turn to take a shot!" the coach shouted, his voice carrying over the field.

She took a deep breath, feeling her muscles coil with tension as she squared up to the ball. She approached with quick, nimble steps, her focus so intense that the world seemed to slow down. Her foot connected with the ball, sending it rocketing towards the goal, past the outstretched hands of the goalie and into the back of the net.

"Yes!" she whispered to herself, a surge of pride lighting her up as her teammates clapped and cheered.

A few drills later, she found herself in the goal, her turn to defend against shots from her teammates. She braced herself, digging her feet into the turf, eyes narrowed as she tracked the ball coming her way. She watched her teammate wind up for the shot, reading her movements and gauging the angle. As the ball flew toward her, Alexis threw herself sideways, her fingers grazing the ball just enough to knock it off course.

"Nice save, Lex!" one of the girls shouted, a genuine cheer of encouragement. Alexis smiled, her heart thumping with the thrill of the block.

After a particularly intense round of drills, the coach blew the whistle, signaling a break. Alexis jogged over to the sidelines, grabbing her water bottle and taking a long, refreshing drink. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, feeling the satisfying sting of sweat on her brow. As she stood there, catching her breath, a few familiar voices drifted over from nearby, low and snickering.

At first, she didn't pay much attention. Soccer practice was full of chatter, the usual mix of playful gossip and lighthearted teasing. But then she caught a name-Quinn. The mention of his name instantly sharpened her attention, her ears straining to pick up the rest of the conversation.

"I'm just saying, Ethan and Brian should've gone through with it," one of the girls muttered, laughing under her breath. "You know, actually thrown him in the river. That was the whole point. But no, Alexis and that new girl had to play heroes."

Alexis's grip tightened around her water bottle, the plastic creaking under her hand. Her face flushed with a mix of anger and disbelief. She turned her head slightly, just enough to catch the smug expressions on the girls' faces as they laughed to themselves, clearly finding amusement in the idea of Quinn nearly being thrown into the river. She felt a burning need to step in, to put them in their place.

"Why are you talking about Quinn like that?" she demanded, stepping forward and fixing them with a hard stare. Her voice came out sharper than she'd intended, but she didn't care. "Ethan's an asshole, and he knows Quinn can't swim. It's not funny."

The two girls turned to look at her, their eyes narrowing in amused, mocking expressions. They exchanged glances, sharing a smug smile, as if silently daring her to go on.

"Why are you always defending Quinn?" one of them sneered, folding her arms over her chest and tilting her head with exaggerated curiosity. "It's weird, Lexi. You're way too soft on him."

Her words stung more than Alexis wanted to admit. She felt her cheeks burn, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck. The accusation hurt not just because it was teasing, but because it was hitting something she'd been hiding. Only Lucy knew about her and Quinn. She'd kept their relationship private, a quiet, cherished thing away from the scrutiny of others. But here were these girls, making her feel like a fool just for caring about him.

"Maybe because he doesn't deserve to be treated like trash," she shot back, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to keep it steady. "Unlike Ethan, who thinks he's so tough picking on people who can't fight back."

The girls snickered, their laughter cutting into her like tiny knives. They seemed to relish her reaction, like wolves circling their prey, growing bolder with each second. One of them raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening.

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "You're getting all worked up over nothing. We're just saying what everyone's thinking. You're always defending him. What's up with that? It's almost like... there's something going on with you two."

Alexis's heart skipped a beat, panic flickering across her face. She forced herself to breathe, to stay strong, but the jab had hit home. Her throat tightened, the sting of tears threatening to blur her vision. She tried to blink them back, but her sensitive nature made it hard to brush off their words. She'd always been the kind of person who felt things deeply, and right now, their taunts were cutting deeper than she could handle.

She wanted to shout, to snap back with something that would make them shut up and leave her alone, but the words stuck in her throat. Her mind was a chaotic mess of anger, hurt, and the desperate urge to keep her secret safe.

"What's wrong?" one of the girls taunted, noticing her struggle to speak. "Cat got your tongue?"

Before she could gather herself to respond, the coach's voice cut through the air, stern and sharp. "Is there a problem here?"

For a brief, hopeful moment, Alexis thought he'd seen the way the other girls were picking on her. She thought maybe, finally, someone would back her up. But instead, the girls turned on their innocent faces, putting on an act so flawless it almost made Alexis sick.

"No, Coach," one of them said sweetly, a smug smile tugging at her lips. "Alexis just got a little sensitive over something we were joking about."

The coach looked over at Alexis, his expression flat and disapproving. "Alexis," he said, his tone heavy with disappointment, "you need to focus on the game. Don't let little things get to you. It's just a bit of team banter."

Alexis's heart plummeted, the unfairness of it hitting her like a punch to the gut. She glanced at the girls, who were now looking at her with self-satisfied smirks, their victory evident in their faces. She wanted to scream, to tell the coach what they'd really been saying, but the words felt useless. He wouldn't believe her anyway; he'd already decided she was just being "sensitive."

"Got it, Coach," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

He gave a brief nod and walked off, leaving her standing there, the laughter of her teammates ringing in her ears. The girls walked away, their snickers echoing as they continued to talk among themselves, clearly pleased with how things had played out.

Alexis felt her throat close up, the sting of humiliation mixing with the ache of frustration. She'd stood up for Quinn, defended him against people who didn't understand, but no one had stood up for her. She turned and walked to the far edge of the field, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the others. She took a shaky breath, staring down at her cleats as she fought to keep the tears from falling. She didn't want to let them see how much their words had hurt her, how alone and betrayed she felt.

She clenched her fists, determined to hold her head up high, even if her heart felt like it was breaking.

ASH SPEAKS!

alexis is such a softie for quinn :(

next chapter alexis' near death experience at the mall...

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)