Think I Want to Twist the Plot This Time

Part 5

She supposes she could be doing a lot of things while she's waiting: go for a walk, check her e-mails from the night before, do a Google search and see if Oppenheimer achieved everything he wanted to in life. But something that's still separating Barbie from the average, modern Angelino is her need for occasional silence, the chance to think about the wonderful people passing her by as they run, or the surfers a mile away, having a blast even as they wipe out into the waves and bob to the surface once again. She likes wondering where they're going after, or what brings them out here in the first place—more often than not, her perceptions of others are usually positive. Sasha called her an "old soul" for that, but it seemed more like a playful jab than her usual insults.

Maybe it's because she's still so tired from her lack of sleep, or maybe time just has its funny way of slipping when she lets her eyes glaze over as the sands get brighter, but before long, she feels her phone vibrating as Gloria calls to say they're close. Barbie starts toward the street, under the bold sign boasting what beach she's on. She looks down briefly, and flushes when she notices that underneath her unzipped jacket, in between her neck and the hem of her shirt, the marks Oppenheimer left her with are still highly visible. Quickly she zips her bomber jacket up all the way to her neck, fluffs her hair in front of her shoulders as she notices the familiar blue Chevy pull up the street. Hopefully that's enough cover. When Gloria brakes, Sasha gets out of the front seat, her morning Frappuccino and double bacon croissant sandwich in hand as she heads to the back.

"Hey, Barbie," she greets, and they give their usual quick half hug and smooch on the cheek before they settle into the car, a morning routine they've fallen into for a year now.

"Hi, hon," says Gloria, reaching over the dash for the same peck on the cheek. Barbie buckles up, sighing into the heated seat. "We got your usual at Starbucks."

"Aw, you guys are the best." Barbie grins, taking her vanilla oat milk latte from the cup holder. They're off after that, heading toward Sasha's school. Ah, nice and warm and subtly sweet. It's a classic drink for a reason, and oat milk is just so superior.

"So, did one of the Barbies or Kens give you that rose?" Gloria asks, smiling at her as they approach a red light.

Oh, right. They thought she went to Barbie Land. She decides she should at least come clean about the first part of her evening; they deserve that much. "I, um... I actually didn't go to Barbie Land last night," she confesses, looking straight out the windshield instead of at Gloria.

"What?" they both exclaim, and Gloria turns down the volume on the radio.

"Barbie, you know it can be dangerous at night sometimes out here alone." Oh, she's not really looking for a lecture so early, but she gets why Gloria's motherly instinct is kicking in. "Why didn't you at least text us that you were headed somewhere different?"

"I kind of couldn't?" Barbie explains, or rather, tries to. But Sasha and Gloria at least understand the magic of traveling between realms, so maybe it won't sound so ridiculous.

"You didn't have any signal?" Gloria guesses.

"You were pulled into a secret cult and the rose is your initiation card?" Sasha jokes, and Barbie can just feel her smirk at the back of her head.

"Sasha," Gloria warns, and then falls silent, waiting for her explanation.

"I didn't have signal," she starts slowly, "because I decided to go back in time instead?"

"What?" they exclaim again, and Barbie feels Gloria brake the car harder than usual at their next red light.

"How?"