Time Stops with You - Matthew Patrick

Prolouge

"This story is written in 3rd person"

Alex woke up to her phone ringing. She groaned and reached over to her bedside table and answered, taking note of the time, 00:00.

"Happy Birthday! I know it's really early, and you hate the words happy birthday, but do you have your timer?" It was Lynn, they had been her friend for years, about 5 years at that. Lynn had bugged Alex every day for the last month about the fact that her timer is gonna appear, Lynn had already gotten their timer last year, and met their soulmate a month after they got it. And they were already friends. Today, January 9th, 2022, was her 18th birthday. Alex felt a shock of adrenaline in her body as she realized it was her 18th birthday. She sat up and dropped her phone. She dashed to her light switch and turned it on, she sat in front of her mirror.

Looking at her wrist, she saw a black and white changing tattoo, the first number was for years, 2. '2 years?' She thought, 'can I really wait that long?' The next number was for months. 3, 2 years and 3 months? April 9th, in 2024? The next number was hours, 15. April 9th, 2020, at 3 pm. The next number was 35. The last number was interchanging. 'On the 9th of April of 2021, at 3:35 pm, I would meet my soulmate? That's so long from now. Can I really wait? I guess I have to.'

After the excitement of her timer, she remembered that she still had Lynn on the phone. She looked around for her phone, it was on the ground, almost under her bed. "Sorry, Lynn. I forgot you were on the phone." Alex said, to get their attention. "Well? Did you get it?" Lynn asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I did," Alex replied happily, looking at her wrist. "How long do you have to wait?" They asked curiously.

"2 Years, 3 months, and 15 hours," Alex replied sadly. "Oh, it's okay. It'll go by really fast. Trust me. When Grey got hers, do you remember what hers said?" Alex nodded. Although Lynn couldn't see her.

"4 years, 5 months, and 2 hours," Alex replied, sorrow in her voice. "She wasn't upset. She was glad that she had gotten one. Some people don't. They're the outcasts, the ones with the birth defect. Be glad you weren't one of them." Lynn replied. Alex was glad. She didn't want to be known as one of the 'Old timers' in the school. The 'old-timers', are the group of kids that didn't get a timer. Alex felt bad for them. Though, they get to pick their own soulmate.

"Alex? You still there? Hello?" Lynn asked, getting Alex's attention. "What? Sorry."

"Anyway, just get some sleep. Everyone is gonna want to know about your timer. Night, Sister." Lynn replied. "Night, Sister."