"Evie, can I talk to you for a moment?" Hiyori Inoue asked, drawing her aside after physics class.
"Sure, ma'am," Evanna said, taken by surprise.
Inoue sat down, her suit almost the same shade as the charcoal grey chair. "I just wanted to ask you how your week has been so far."
Wait, does she know I'm seeing Mrs. Marsh? She lowered her voice as the noise dissipated with the fleeing students. "It's been good. All good."
"Alright." The teacher leaned back and adjusted her glasses. "If there's anything, you can come talk to me."
"Okay, thanks." Evanna managed an awkward smile, grateful that Inoue wasn't badgering her.
A minute later, she was out traversing the corridor. Her next class was math.
As she passed one Tsunokory painting after another, the icy desolation they depicted resonated with her mood that morning. Monday's too late! Maybe I should call Ed Morken today. No, Ev! He wouldn't even bother answering your questions if you do that!
The need for answers burned with renewed intensity. On an impulse, she turned on her heels and headed back to her homeroom.
When she entered 12-E, there was no one there except Inoue, who looked up with raised eyebrows.
"Ma'am," Evanna said as she approached the table, arms behind her back, "I actually would like to talk about something."
"Oh, you have a class now, yes?" the teacher asked. "How about you meet me in the staff room during lunch break?"
"This won't take long, if it's okay."
"Alright."
"Um...how would parallel universes work?"
A silence stretched out. Inoue just watched her, eyebrows rising another millimeter.
Evanna shifted her weight. "It's there in movies and books, so I'm just curious. Sorry if it's a stupid question. I just saw online it might be possible scientifically..."
"No, it's not a stupid question," the teacher said with a hint of a smile. "I like it when my students are curious and start asking questions."
Hope soared valiantly in her heart while she waited for the answer.
"If you want to know if parallel universes exist, the answer is—we don't know." Inoue leaned back in her seat. "Can they exist? Yes."
Evanna's eyes widened. "So, there are copies of us in other universes?"
"There is a thought experiment called the Schrödinger's cat. You put a cat inside a sealed box with something that has a fifty percent chance of killing the cat. How would you find out if the cat is alive or dead?"
"Just...open the box and look?"
"Yes. You look inside, and you know which state the cat had been in. But subatomic particles, which we are all made of, don't meet our expectations of reality."
"Okay..."
The teacher picked up a pen, scrawled a wave on a piece of paper and peppered it with dots, the sharp staccato beat carrying in the quiet. "Subatomic particles are in all possible states—multiple places. It's called superposition. So, it's like the cat is both alive and dead inside the box—at the same time."
"But that's impossible," Evanna murmured, brain struggling to process the information.
"However, when you observe the particle, it assumes one state—like rolling dice coming to rest, governed by probability. Going back to our cat analogy, the cat assumes one state only when you open the box and look at it."
"What!" She blinked. "That's insane."
"An apt way to describe the subatomic world," Inoue said, her eyes twinkling. "What's even more fascinating is that superposition has been tested and observed in large molecules as well. Now, according to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, all the possible states diverge into different universes. So it's like in one universe, the cat's alive and in the other, it's dead. Similarly, there might be one universe where you didn't come to school today or another where you never left Nuara. There can be infinite possibilities."
"What about time? Can you travel in time?"
The teacher gave her a matter-of-fact nod. "Yes, you can, and it has been done."
"Huh?" Evanna gaped, her pulse racing while she yet again experienced an upheaval of everything she knew.
"In our day-to-day lives, with our limited experience, we feel as if time is rigid...that it ticks the same for everyone. You feel like the time that elapses for you is the same as that for a student who walks out in the corridor as we speak. It's not. Time ticks slower for the person in motion. Imagine that you ride your bike close to the speed of light for a couple of hours. Years would have passed for the rest of us. You've essentially traveled into the future."
Evanna stood stock-still. The brightness in the room dimmed as her unwavering stare focused on the teacher. The earth seemed to wobble, making her grip the edge of the table.
"Then there's gravity," Inoue went on. "Many people think of gravity as a force that pulls things. Gravity is not a force—it's a distortion of space-time caused by objects with mass. It's noticeable around planets and stars, since they have great mass. Higher the gravity, the slower time ticks. Time is slower for someone on the ground floor of a skyscraper than for someone living in the penthouse, because gravity is stronger the closer you are to Earth. The effects are more drastic if, for instance, you spend an hour or so near a black hole—where gravity is very high. Once you get back, you could've traveled fifty years into the Earth's future."
"What about traveling into the past?" Evanna managed to croak.
"That...is a bit tricky. We are delving into pure speculation. If a future technology involving, say, wormholes, enables us to create a checkpoint in time. You can return to that point whenever you want. But will your future be the same? Let's think of what is known as the Grandfather Paradox. You can go and kill your grandfather before he had your parent, but that means you would not be born. Are you with me?"
"Yeah..."
"The universe would either prevent you from creating such paradoxes or...it would be a different universe once you've traveled back, so there would be no paradox no matter what you do."
Evanna resisted the impulse to sit down. "What if you don't travel physically, but you sort of wake up as yourself in another universe, in the past?"
A beat of silence elapsed.
Inoue chuckled. "Then you better wish that life is good for you in your new universe. You should run along to your class now. You're already late."
When Evanna burst into Math class, the teacher Manasie Mori finished taking attendance.
"I'm sorry I'm a bit late, Miss Mori!" Evanna panted, avoiding all eye contact.
"Just take your seat," Mori said in a dismissive tone. "And remind me later to mark you present."
Math was now her least favorite class—not just due to the presence of those whom she wanted to avoid, but also because of Mori's teaching style with her solemn demeanor.
Surprisingly, Alcina wasn't sitting with Sara or Oleanda. It occurred to her that she hadn't actually seen them together. As for Anukie, she was in a corner beside another girl.
Evanna's head churned with the knowledge that Inoue imparted to her while the teacher droned on about functions and graphs. She was no different than a cloistered ant, unaware of the greater universe and how it worked. It was so overwhelming that she excused herself to go to the restroom. Then it was time for lunch break.
Before heading to the cafeteria, she stopped by a water fountain in the corridor to fill up her water bottle. The atmosphere was markedly light, with clusters of students loitering around to chat, while others ambled towards the elevators.
She was almost done when she noticed the drama unfolding in her peripheral vision. Conversation ebbed away, and people slowed to a halt.
Genelle was standing with a steely look on her face while Sara peered up at her. Oleanda and two other girls surrounded them.
"Are you okay, Gen?" Sara asked, her pretty face a picture of concern.
"Leave me alone," Genelle hissed back, giving her a push.
Sara looked pained. "I'm only trying to help!"
Oleanda gave her a comforting pat and shot Genelle an accusatory glare. "What's wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" Genelle swiped at her eyes that brimmed with tears. "Why did you share that online?"
As Evanna watched on, her hands tightened on the water bottle. A sense of déjà vu kindled within.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Oleanda shrugged and turned to the other girls. "Do you?"
They shook their heads, their faces suitably blank.
"Do you want us to escort you to the restroom?" Sara asked, lips widening into a serene smile.
"No!" Genelle tried to brush past them, but tripped and ended up on the floor in an unflattering heap.
Suppressed laughter erupted from some of the onlookers.
"Oh, no, are you hurt?" Sara extended a hand to help her up, but Genelle swatted it away with a sob.
Evanna didn't know what came over her the next second. She glowered and strode purposefully up to the girls, who turned to look.
Then she swung her bottle in Oleanda's direction.
Cold water flew out in an arc and splashed Oleanda full in the face, making her step back, spluttering. Evanna observed the substantial amount of water still left in the bottle. She stepped up to Sara, who stood frozen in shock, and emptied it all onto her head. Sara gasped as water sloshed over her hair and clothes before splattering on the floor.
"Leave. Her. Alone."
Evanna's emphatic words rang out in the corridor. Drops of water plopped down into the rapidly spreading puddles on the floor. No one moved.
She screwed her bottle shut and took a deep breath. Her temper, which had ballooned as dramatically as a pufferfish, slowly deflated. She was aware of students spilling out of nearby classrooms. All four members of Obsidian had stopped in their tracks to witness the spectacle. For a nanosecond, Evanna's eyes lingered over Shane, and a prickle of irritation morphed her face into a scowl.
"Evie Zeller!" Manasie Mori pushed past the students, looking aghast. "What in the world do you think you're doing?"
Then Inoue materialized. She surveyed the scene with her mouth ajar before she reverted to her usual unruffled manner.
Mori crossed her arms. "This has to be reported to—"
"I'll handle this, Masie," Inoue said in a calm, controlled voice. "After all, I'm her class teacher, and she's in my house."
"Of course she is," the math teacher muttered, shaking her head.
Inoue turned to go. "Evie, come with me."
Evanna's stomach lurched as the bravado went down, and the threat of repercussions loomed in her mind. Still, she folded her arms across her chest in one defiant motion, fixed her eyes on the floor and followed the teacher.
The crowd parted to let them through, and she passed by a familiar willowy figure. She glanced up to be met with a sneer. Screw you, Alcina. She wondered where Anukie was. Probably gloating somewhere too.
It was the first time Evanna entered the staff room. Frosted glass partitions divided the large area. Paintings, potted plants and sculptures stood out amidst a soothing expanse of whites and greys. Book shelves and plush seating occupied the center.
The teacher walked to her desk, pumps clip-clopping on the floor, and sank into a swivel chair. Evanna came to a halt and waited, her posture stiff.
"Sit," Inoue said in a neutral tone, though it carried enough weight to enforce compliance.
Evanna lowered herself into the chair in front of her.
"Explain yourself."
She hesitated. "They were being bullies."
"So you became one yourself?" Inoue asked, her no-nonsense look firmly in place.
"They're mean!" Her lips inched into a pout. "They were picking on Gen."
"Sara Diasele, in particular, has a reputation for good behavior. In my knowledge, she was almost granted prefectship."
Evanna stifled her snort.
"You made your assumptions based on what you saw and took it upon yourself to mete out justice as you saw fit?"
She said nothing.
Inoue's voice was stern as she continued, "If you believe a student is being bullied, you report it to a teacher. You need to learn self-control and to think before you act—you can't just fling whatever is in your hand like a wild thing."
Evanna twiddled with her fingers and still didn't say a word.
"You will apologize to those two girls, and I want you to stay back after school next week—on the days you don't have classes. I will let you know what you need to do."
"But Miss Inoue—"
"Don't argue. And there will be no negotiation."
The rest of the day dragged on with stares, mutters and the occasional grin following Evanna wherever she went.
During lunch break, Marilda got her to recount what happened in her own words.
"That was so nice of you to stand up for Gen." Marilda flashed her a beaming smile. "And, like, daring!"
Taken aback, Evanna muttered, "Well, most people don't seem to think so..."
Marilda shook her head vigorously. "Okay, Sara has won over many with her goody two shoes act, and Oleanda is popular 'cause she's all cool, but there are still some of us who know how rotten they are. I wish I was there when it happened! I'd have loved to see their faces."
Evanna couldn't help grinning. At least, I'm gonna get along with the people that matter. Her idle gaze rested on Genelle, who still looked shaken as she sat eating with two other girls.
When their eyes met, a hesitant smile appeared on Genelle's face, and Evanna knew she had made another friend.
When Friday dawned, Evanna was a jittery mess, overcome with a sense of nervous anticipation. Icy tendrils writhed inside, and it was hard to concentrate on anything. This was the day she was transported to this universe.
She expected the anomaly to fix itself. Then she would suddenly wake up back in her world.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened.
To her consternation, the day turned out to be particularly uneventful. It was so normal that it could be described as mundane. In fact, the hectic pace of her life slowed down for the first time since she fell down the rabbit hole—almost as if she was being lulled into docility for her new reality to swallow her up faster.
After physics class in the morning, Inoue held her back and made her apologize to Sara and Oleanda. The former put on a show of forgiveness while the other girl merely nodded.
"Well, talk and make up, girls," Inoue said as she departed the room.
The moment she was gone, Oleanda shoved Evanna with a sneer. "You're paying for yesterday, Zeller. Just you wait."
Sara breezed past with a smile, "Now, Ollie, let's not waste too much effort on it—she's just a little provincial hick from that backwater town."
Oleanda chortled and followed her out with loping strides.
Evanna glared after them. The taunt did sting, and anger jetted up at Sara's disdain of her hometown. Nuara wasn't a fancy place like Komoreby, but she had fond memories of it. She quelled a sudden urge to just pack up and go back there—as if she could escape all that had happened if she did.
She was delighted to find two "library" periods on her timetable, which improved her mood. According to Marilda, they existed to serve multiple purposes, such as finishing up homework, chilling with a friend or just napping.
After lunch, there were two more odd periods dedicated for outdoorsy activities. She could join a gym class or go swimming for one, while the other was dedicated for gardening. Swimming was better than sweating around, but she decided that Alter-Ev's swimsuit was too hideous to wear.
Mustering up her brightest smile, she went up to the coach, a heavyset man with a ruddy face. "Mr. Artav, I got my swimsuit, like, at the last minute, 'cause I couldn't find one that was good enough. I guess I should go hunt for a proper one after school today or something. Anyways, I just found out that the one I have is too small, and it won't fit at all! Plus, I have this massive tummy ache, and I don't think I can swim today anyways—"
"It's awright—just come next week," the coach said in a gruff voice.
"Oh, okay," Evanna chirped, pleasantly surprised at how easily she managed to get out of class. "Thank you!"
Mr. Artav emitted a grunt of acknowledgement while he waited by the side of the pool for the other girls to emerge from the changing rooms.
Evanna lost herself in the library before heading off for gardening. She envisioned a glorious afternoon plucking tomatoes and watering plants.
The garden met her expectations, but the work did not. Soon, clods of earth crusted her forearm, despite the oversized gloves she had on. It didn't help that the sun felt hotter than ever as she huffed and puffed.
What followed afterwards were three boring periods of math. Then school was finally over.
As she shuffled to the bus stop outside, the dead weight of her worries and frustrations dragged her down. The sense of unreality she experienced four days ago also surfaced with renewed force. Am I stuck here for good then?
Fear clutched her heart. All of her hopes rode on the call with Morken now.
A group of students rushed to board a school minibus. Everyone was obviously wrapped up in their routine this lazy Friday.
It was jarring and unfair. She wanted to scream at them.
Then doubts crept up, and a jolt quaked her to the bone. Am I having a delusion about a parallel universe when this is where I've always been? Holy shit, am I schizophrenic? Wait, no, of course not. Alcina went through the same thing!
She watched the minibus speeding away into the distance, where the silver-white cityscape of Komoreby jutted into the sky. A sudden whim came upon her.
A while later, Evanna sat in one of Komoreby's silver-glazed buses, heading to a mall near the city center. Excitement simmered within, nudging aside her problems for the time being.
Hunched next to the window, she stared at eco-centric skyscrapers that towered on either side. Vegetation spilled down from elevated gardens, which broke the monotony of steel and glass geometry. A monorail whizzed overhead, and she decided it would be her mode of transportation next time.
She suddenly felt small, like a stray ant in a vast alien mound. She clutched her phone tighter, as if it were a protective talisman. In the worst case scenario, you can grab an Uber and get back home, Ev—or maybe one of those self-driving vehicles!
The bus sped along an overpass flanked with eco towers that spiraled into the sky. They were equipped with patchworks of solar panels and wind turbines. Further away, a vertical hydroponic farm grabbed her attention—an odd structure with levels of crops sticking out of its central body like bracket mushrooms around tree trunks.
Then her mouth dropped open when she spotted a sleek car with pulsing lights that seemed to be straight from the far future. Its interior had no steering wheel, and it could actually move sideways. Wow, I want to drive that someday! She made a mental note to look it up later.
Evanna hugged herself, grateful for the welcome distraction this trip was providing her. It was also her opportunity to reclaim herself. She was not going to her first weekend class in Alter-Ev's pink monstrosities. She latched on to this goal with reckless abandon—a shining beacon in the fog.
It occurred to her that she would have to inform her mom where she was.
Mary called her soon after she sent the message. "Eva, I'm happy you're out. You were so excited to explore, and I thought with this sudden strangeness of yours, you're no longer interested. But who are you going with? Have you made up with Anukie?"
She must be thinking it's the counselor working her magic on me. Evanna modulated her voice to rise just above the city noise. "I'm going alone."
"Why are you going alone?"
"Mom, I want to. I like alone."
Mary paused. "You're just going to this...Dendron Square place?"
"Yeah, it's a mixed development complex I think. I'm just going to the mall there—I wanna get some stuff."
"Alright, Janet and I will meet you there for dinner after work."
"Oh, okay then." Evanna's spirits lifted at the prospect of trying out a new restaurant and then immediately plunged when she realized that it might not be enjoyable anymore.
"Do you have enough cash?"
She remembered the amount in her bank account, which was substantially more than she expected. "Um, yeah."
"Weren't you saving up for a camera?"
She gulped in cold air while her mind mulled over this newly acquired titbit of information. "It's fine. I have other plans for it now."
Her mom obviously didn't expect that answer, since another silence elapsed. "You can go ahead and use the credit card I gave you last month."
Wow, that's nice of you. Evanna found the credit card in her wallet. "Thanks."
"I'll see you in the evening then. Be careful. Call me if you get lost or—"
"Mom, I'm going to be fine!" She facepalmed.
Undeterred, Mary gave her a string of advice before hanging up.
When Evanna alighted, she couldn't help staring at the monolithic structure of Komoreby Tower. It was shockingly large, dwarfing all other buildings in the vicinity. The pinnacle tapered into the heavens. Imagine doing a leap of faith from there...
Then she maneuvered her way to her destination, following the helpful signposts.
Dendron Square consisted of expansive outdoor areas and interconnected buildings, which incorporated courtyards bedecked with evergreens. It took a while for her to find the entrance to the mall.
It was bustling with activity due to hordes bigger than normal Komoreby standards. Evanna had chosen it after a search revealed shops on higher floors that were both affordable and quirky enough for her tastes.
She came across a circular indoor plaza, where a colorful promotional event unfolded. People stopped to watch—some gazing down from upper floors. This mall was apparently a popular haunt for teens, judging by the number of people in school uniforms, including that of Komoreby High.
First things first, Ev! She made a beeline for the restroom.
Evanna emerged ten minutes later, eyes smeared with eyeshadow—albeit lightly, in case it looked too outlandish with her school uniform. Alter-Ev happened to possess black eye makeup, which she had smuggled to school in a bunched up tissue just for an occasion like this. Her earphones were also hidden under her water bottle.
Now, she let out a satisfied sigh and played her favorite anime songs. As the upbeat music lifted her spirits, she embarked on a thorough exploration of the mall, starting from the ground floor.
On the first floor, she came upon the first bookshop. An hour flew by as she bounced down the aisles, eyes scanning the shelves. Focus, Ev! You're not here to do book shopping! She tore her gaze away from the attractive cover of Down a Rabbit Hole—a quirky retelling of Alice in Wonderland.
"You're not going to buy it?" asked the sales assistant, his lips tweaking into a smile.
"Um, no, maybe another time," Evanna muttered wistfully and drifted out of the shop.
A few minutes later, amusement flickered across the guy's face when she trotted back in and grabbed the book. She pushed aside the protests forming in her mind and bought it. The deed is done now, Ev. No point in crying over spilled soy milk.
Then she wandered around, humming under her breath. Big, swirly lollipops tempted her, but the young guy at the stall looked blank when she asked whether it contained animal products. She opted for candied nuts from another stall instead.
The next store that drew her in was a quaint little plushy store. She ran her hand on the ultra soft plush animals. She missed her old plush bunny that she had since childhood. Maybe Alter-Ev gave him away.
Suddenly, her gaze landed on a chubby panda. Her eyes widened.
Five minutes later, she was out, clutching her newly acquired plush panda. She plopped down on a bench and named him Debu-chan, after seeking inspiration online. The plastic wrapping crinkled annoyingly under her touch, but she didn't want to take it off, lest Debu-chan got dirty even before he arrived at his new home.
She held the panda close and walked along, feeling rather embarrassed at the amused looks thrown her way. Her next stop, again unintended, was on the floor above.
It was a small store tucked away in a corner, with neon lights spelling "Kawaii Kawaii". The glass facade showcased anime merch and manga.
When she rushed inside, a girl greeted her with a grin. She appeared the same age and the same size as her. Bushy hair sprouted around her head like a chocolate brown halo, a shade darker than her complexion.
"Looking for anything specific?" the girl asked, jogging around the counter.
"No," Evanna said, eyes skimming over the many items on display. "I just came in to have a look."
"Do you want me to keep your panda here till you're done?"
"Yeah, okay, thanks." Evanna grinned and handed Debu-chan over.
The store had everything from sharingan contact lenses to full cosplay outfits. She was drawn to a fluffy, black keychain hanging from a hook.
"Ooh, I want this," Evanna said, flicking the metal that dangled from the trinket, engraved with the Uchiha symbol.
"Sure." The girl brought it to the cluttered counter. "Anything else?"
"No, that's it for today."
"So, you like Sasuke Uchiha?"
"Mhmm."
"Me too! He's hot."
Evanna laughed. "What's your name?"
"People call me Jinxy."
She exited the store soon after, leaving Debu-chan with Jinxy for safekeeping. Determined not to get sidetracked again, she went for the clothing stores.
Clothes that suited her specific tastes were hard to come by, but hunting for them was immensely enjoyable. She also found an outlet of Natty Nymph, her beauty store of choice. She purchased personal care products, the floral body mist she used to have, a red lipstick and a bottle of black nail polish.
Darkness fell outside by the time she had covered the shops on that floor. Then Janet called her to meet them at the food court.
Happy with her new things that now dangled from the crook of her arm, she hurried back to Kawaii Kawaii to pick up Debu-chan.