3TS: The Chances of Starting Again

1 Hour Later

Feb. 18 The Name that spreads fear: Juan.

I was late. It was 8:10 am. The tricycle woman didn't help me get on time. I guess, she couldn't change my present time by going into the past a little bit and just drop me there. But no, I had to run. As soon as the girl driver stopped her tricycle near the entrance of my real school I jumped off and tossed her ten pesos.

I started to run. Even if I wanted to think more about what had just happened, I had school to focus on. School did that to you. When you want to do something else, or think about something else, you usually can't because your too busy trying to listen to the teacher above the noise of other students and hoping that the teacher won't give you hard assignments when the other students weren't listening. Because when a few students in the class misbehave, everyone in the class gets sucked down into punishment also.

"Hey, gorgeous!" The woman's voice made me blink twice, pause, and turn around. I wasn't used to being called that, only my dad had called me that. But he was gone.

I turned. The girl driver was talking to me. "My name is Krissa."

The girl driver tossed me my ten pesos back. "Well, Krissa, Call me Ria, even if it's not my real name. You don't have to pay." She started up her tricycle again and looked at me from above her sunglasses. "Besides, this is a 'personal' service." She smiled slyly and tapped her sunglasses as she drove away.

I remember, at that time, I was so confused. Why was a woman driving a tricy? Why was the service free? Why did she wear shades when it was raining? Why was Ria not her real name?

But as I raced up the stairs, the big question that was running up with me was:

"Had I really went back in time?"

I don't know if I was watching where I was going. Because just as soon as I climbed to the top of the stairs, and turned the corner, I fell over my own foot and grabbed at someone's backpack as I did.

I heard a sickening rip. As I looked up, I saw the backpack I was holding start to RIP. I felt my stomach sicken as I stood up and saw the owner of the backpack.

Juan.