The Date Matters

Going back in time

       “Georgia!” A bouncy girl with a long fishtail plait dripping down her back rushed over to the sodden drench now sheltered behind the bin. Georgia looked up from her phone and grinned. Her best friend, Kath, would definitely make her feel better. Kath squeezed past a bunch of year 7 girls and hugged Georgia tight, wincing slightly at the drips of rain from Georgia’s blazer against her cheek. Georgia smiled, broke apart from Kath and pulled her friend into their form room.

       They sat down at their allocated seats, not noticing the glare given by their teacher and pulled out their phones. Several text messages were waiting for Georgia.

Inbox:

16/02/12

Sorry, didn’t get 2 say bye to u properly. Hv a good day, honey. Mum xx

Hi Georgie, how bout that pizza on sat night? Love you babes, Luke xxx

This is soooo boring, right??? What is she on about!?!? Can’t wait to get out of here. Remember, it’s open day!!! Kath xxxxxxxxx

End of Messages

         Georgia glanced up at the teacher hovering by her desk and let out a long sigh. Wrong move. Miss Acornly, an old teacher in her sixties whipped round, saw the phone and snatched it up.

      “Georgina Phileps, to make up for having this thing out in Form Time, you will go down to the basement to get the Three Red Files for Open Day.” Georgia stared up at her teacher and started to mutter an apology, but it was not good enough. The old woman would not budge. Georgia stood up, sighed for the fourth time that day and sauntered out of the classroom, not looking back.

**

         The basement was creepy, everyone knew that. But nobody had actually been down there before.

         She arrived at the door and put her hand on the handle. Georgia pushed it down and slowly edged open the door. It was dark and dusty and the air had a slightly strange musty taste to it.

         Pushing the door open further, Georgia found the light switch and flicked it. A powerful beam shot out from the bulb above her and she started down the stairs.

        Georgia’s eyes were fixed straight ahead of her, and she did not notice the first door she passed on the way down. Nor did she notice the second or third doors either. When she came to the bottom door, Georgia stopped and her eyes refocused again. She twisted the handle and went inside.

        Fumbling around in the darkness, Georgia found the Three Red Files. She picked them up and hugged them to her chest.

       Moving back through the mess she had made, Georgia found her way to the basement door. She walked back up the stairs again and the dust made her eyes cloud over. Georgia entered the third door and stepped. Into the corridor.

**

         The wallpaper looked different. That was the first thing Georgia noticed; the wallpaper. Earlier it had been cream and smelled of fresh paint. Now it was slightly grey. Georgia frowned as she turned around; the pictures on the wall were different, too. There were no girls that Georgia recognised and she was sure that a few more trophies had been in the trophy cabinet the last time she looked.

         A young lady with soft black hair that curled around her face walked down the corridor and tapped Georgia on the shoulder. Georgia turned around and frowned. Surely she had seen this woman before. “Lily, thank you for getting the files. You can have your phone back now.” The woman said. A huge, bulky, grey phone was passed to her.

          Georgia gasped at it. “What? This isn’t mine!”

         The woman glared at her angrily. “Yes it is, Lily. And you must answer to my proper name. Miss Acornly.” She turned her back before Georgia could say another word and walked back down the corridor.

         Georgia leaned against the wall and breathed heavily. That was not Miss Acornly. That woman was young and very pretty and Miss Acornly was… not. And why had that woman called her Lily? Georgia looked down at the name badge she had been given earlier in the Form Room. It said “Lily Adams” on it. Ah, that explained the misunderstanding of the phone and the name. Georgia brushed aside the questions her mind was asking her and muttered to herself that it must just be a coincidence. She took the badge off and placed it in a bin that was conveniently right next to her.

          Georgia walked unsteadily to her Form Room and opened the door. Inside, the chairs and desks had been moved around. In fact, the desks were separate and they looked extremely old. A few minutes ago, new, modern desks that two people could sit together at were arranged in a circle. Georgia frowned. She must have come into the wrong room. As she turned to go, Georgia saw the board. The date was wrong. It said:

16th February 1977

         Georgia laughed. It was obviously somebody’s idea of a joke, but it was strange. Nobody in her class had writing as neat as that, not even the neatest girls. She sat down at a desk and started to hum a tune, hoping somebody would realise she had gone missing and come to find her. Eventually, the door opened and a tall girl about the same age as Georgia walked in. As soon as she saw Georgia, her eyes lit up. “Lily!” She cried.

        Georgia looked up. The girl had long chestnut-brown hair that fell across her face. She brushed it away, revealing bright green eyes and high cheekbones. “Wh- what?” Georgia stuttered.

       “Oh Lily, stop being silly. I hate it when you play tricks on me. Okay, this time you are pretending that you don’t remember who I am.” Her eyes sparkled, “Did I get it right?”

       Georgia nodded uncertainly. She had better play along with the game, but she needed time to think. “I’m going to the bathroom.” She ran out, with the girl close on her heel.

       Once in the bathroom, Georgia pushed open the door to the nearest toilet, glanced behind her and entered. She had seen the girl’s name. It was Jessica Blythe.

       Georgia tried to think of everything that had happened that day: the young version of Miss Acornly; the fading wallpaper; the weird photos; the old fashioned furniture and blackboard; her new “name” and the name of the girl. It was so confusing and all Georgia wanted to do was go home and chat to her mum. Her mum. Jessica. Jessica… Georgia searched for her maiden name… Blythe. Her eyes widened. She did a few calculations and it all finally fell into place.