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APRIL 16, 2003
THE GARAGE

The school's garage-turned-woodshop was dimly lit, with the scent of sawdust lingering in the air, mingling with the faint whir of machinery in the background. Rusted tools, half-finished projects, and old, splintered workbenches filled the space, creating an atmosphere of quiet, gritty industriousness. Alexis and Quinn stood in the middle of it, facing Lucy, a girl who seemed out of place not just in her appearance but in the way she held herself—a mix of nerves and a strange sort of authority. They had only met her recently, but she was about to change everything they thought they knew.

Lucy's voice, low and hesitant but steady, cut through the silence. "I'm... from the future," she said simply, her words hanging in the air like a strange, intangible mist.

Alexis blinked, her expression a blend of disbelief and excitement as she tried to process what Lucy had just said. Her mind spun in circles, tripping over itself in its desperate attempt to comprehend. Quinn, on the other hand, gave a short, scoffing laugh, crossing his arms over his chest in a classic stance of skepticism.

"You're from the future?" Quinn repeated, his voice laced with doubt. The disbelief in his tone wasn't surprising; after all, who would believe something like that?

Lucy didn't flinch, just nodded solemnly. The seriousness in her gaze didn't falter, as if she knew this would be hard to believe but was prepared for it.

Alexis's eyes were wide, darting between Quinn and Lucy, her breath catching in anticipation. A part of her wanted to believe, wanted to cling to the thrill of the impossible suddenly being real.

"Prove it," Quinn said, narrowing his eyes. "If you really are."

Without a word, Lucy slipped her hand into her pocket, her movements calm and measured, and pulled out a slim, shiny device. She held it out toward them, her face unreadable but expectant, like she knew they'd be shocked but didn't mind.

Quinn and Alexis exchanged a bewildered glance before Quinn reached out, cautiously taking the device from Lucy's outstretched hand. It felt cold and smooth in his palm, lighter than anything he'd held but with a strange weight of importance. He turned it over, inspecting the strange, glassy surface, noting the lack of any buttons or obvious dials.

"What... is this?" he asked, brow furrowing as he scrutinized the unfamiliar object.

"It's my phone," Lucy replied, her voice steady but laced with the faintest hint of amusement, as if she'd been through this explanation before.

Alexis let out a soft, excited gasp, her eyes shining with wonder as she leaned in to look closer. "This is going to be my phone in 20 years?" she squeaked, an enthusiastic grin spreading across her face. The very idea of holding something from the future sent a rush of adrenaline through her.

Quinn rolled his eyes but allowed her to take the device from his hands, watching with mild irritation as she tapped the screen with an almost reverent touch. "So... you call people on this?" he asked, his tone dripping with skepticism, as if that simple question could somehow disprove her claim.

Lucy chuckled, shaking her head in that strange way she had, a combination of patience and knowing. "Not exactly. I don't really call people that often," she admitted. "But it's everything—my flashlight, my alarm clock, my music, my TV... my whole life, really."

Alexis's eyes were practically sparkling as she slid her finger along the screen, her movements hesitant but curious. She accidentally swiped open the photo app, and suddenly her own face was staring back at her from the tiny screen. She let out a high-pitched yelp, almost dropping the device as she took a startled step back, her hand covering her mouth.

"I... I could see my face!" she exclaimed, her tone caught somewhere between terror and delight. She looked at Lucy with wide, awed eyes as if the girl had just performed some kind of magic.

Lucy smirked, bending down to retrieve the phone from where it had fallen. "It's a camera too," she explained patiently. "You can take pictures of yourself." With a quick movement, she held up the phone, pressed a button, and a soft clicking sound filled the air as she captured a selfie. She turned the phone to show Alexis the image, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Alexis practically squealed, pressing herself close to Lucy to see the photo. "No way! This thing can do that?" She took the phone back, and within moments, she was happily snapping a dozen pictures of herself from various angles, her excitement bubbling over.

Meanwhile, Quinn, despite his initial skepticism, was watching the interaction with a growing sense of intrigue. His eyes narrowed as he observed Lucy, his mind finally beginning to entertain the possibility that she might be telling the truth. "So... you're really from the future?" he asked, his voice quieter, more thoughtful this time.

Lucy nodded again, her expression calm as she took the phone back from Alexis. "Yeah, look. Here's another proof," she said, tapping on the phone's lock screen. "It has Face ID—only recognizes me." She tilted the phone toward Quinn. "Try to unlock it."

Quinn leaned in, his brow furrowed as he positioned his face in front of the phone. A soft beep sounded, and the screen displayed the message: "Facial Recognition Not Recognized." He blinked in surprise, pulling back as Lucy leaned in, the phone clicking open as it recognized her face.

Alexis gasped in amazement. "Oooh! I want one! Quinny, make me one!" she exclaimed, smacking his chest playfully. Quinn laughed, shaking his head as he reached out, curiosity now fully piqued.

"Let me see that," he muttered, taking the phone from Lucy's hand and scrolling through it. He was utterly fascinated, his eyes widening as he navigated through unfamiliar apps. "This thing must be worth a million bucks... This is insane," he breathed, his voice tinged with awe.

As Quinn marveled at the device, Lucy's attention drifted away from them, her gaze shifting toward the window. Outside, she could see Summer and Emmy in the middle of what appeared to be a heated argument. A strange look crossed Lucy's face, a mix of nostalgia and melancholy, but she quickly schooled her expression into neutrality.

Quinn glanced up from the phone and noticed her distant stare. "Wait, wait. Hold on," he said, stepping closer to her. "I have a million more questions." His eyes sparkled with excitement, his earlier skepticism melting away.

"Is Arnold Schwarzenegger president?" he asked, half-joking but entirely curious.

"Arnold... Schwizburg?" Alexis repeated, mangling the name, and Quinn snickered, unable to resist a laugh.

Lucy rolled her eyes, her lips twitching with amusement. "It gets a lot worse," she muttered, an almost ominous edge to her tone.

Quinn leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Is Paris Hilton still hot?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with mischievous curiosity.

Alexis smacked his shoulder with a playful huff, but Quinn just chuckled. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, looking equal parts amused and exasperated. "How is that your second question?" she asked, smirking.

Quinn shrugged, smirking back. "I'm just curious!"

At that, Alexis's eyes lit up with a thought. "Do we have robot pets?" she asked eagerly, her voice filled with excitement.

Lucy furrowed her brow. "Well, we have a Roomba. It's a robot vacuum cleaner," she said, clearly trying to lower their expectations.

But before they could ask anything else, a new voice interrupted their conversation. "Quinn, Alex!"

Their heads snapped around to see Summer standing in the doorway of the garage, her expression softening as she walked toward them.

"Hey, Summer," Quinn greeted, trying to appear casual despite the rapid beating of his heart.

Lucy's gaze intensified as she watched Summer, her eyes filled with something neither Alexis nor Quinn could quite place—a complicated mixture of recognition, longing, and sadness. Unbeknownst to them, Summer was actually Lucy's older sister, though Lucy had kept that secret close to her chest.

"Hey, Quinn. Alex," Summer greeted, her tone gentle as she gave them both a small, apologetic smile. "I wanted to say I'm sorry about Ethan and Dylan. They were just... messing around, but it was still out of line."

At the mention of Dylan, Alexis's expression faltered, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face as she remembered the unwelcome slap on her backside. Summer seemed to notice her unease and added quickly, "I dumped Ethan, and I told Dylan off. They're both jerks."

Alexis smiled, relief and gratitude softening her expression. Summer seemed to sense that there was something between her and Quinn, even if they hadn't announced it to the world.

"Oh, by the way, did you finish the chem homework?" Summer asked, shifting topics.

"Yeah, I have it back at my house," Quinn replied, nodding. "I can bring it over if you need it."

"Oh, me too, please!" Alexis chimed in, looking up at Quinn with pleading eyes. "Mr. Hoffman might fail me if I don't get this right."

Quinn grinned at her, giving her a reassuring nod. "Of course."

Summer let out a relieved sigh. "Oh my God, that would seriously save my life. Thank you."

As Quinn, Alexis, and Lucy all exchanged looks, there was an unspoken understanding between them—things were about to get a whole lot more complicated. Their futures—whether they wanted them or not—were about to collide in ways they never expected.

She turned to Lucy, her eyes narrowing as she studied her face. "Do I know you? You look really familiar."

Lucy's eyes darted nervously, her voice low. "Uh, no, I just... have one of those faces."

Summer tilted her head, still staring. "No, no, it's more than that. It'll come to me." She paused, searching her memory. "Camp Deerkill? Three years ago?"

Lucy hesitated, then nodded. "Uh... yeah, I was there."

Summer's eyes brightened with recognition. "You were the girl who peed in the pool and denied it!"

Alexis tried to hold back a laugh, her cheeks puffing out as she stifled it. But when Quinn burst into laughter, Alexis couldn't help herself and joined in, giggling uncontrollably.

Lucy just hummed in response, feigning nonchalance as she rolled her eyes. Summer gave her one last lingering look, then smiled. "Nice meeting you, Lucy," she said, turning to leave. "That's actually my middle name."

As Summer walked out, Lucy's face fell, her usual composure cracking for just a moment. "This can't be happening," she muttered under her breath, looking both anxious and frustrated.

She turned to leave, and Quinn noticed her urgency. He reached out and grabbed Alexis's hand, pulling her along as they followed Lucy.

"Wait, Lucy," Quinn called. "There's something you need to show us, right?"

ASH SPEAKS!

short chapter but i love them so much!!!

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