After cooling down from the shock, I decide to investigate. I know I'm from 2017, but in my mind all these alternative memories keep flooding in.
I remember being young and living in America. I remember when I was five my father got me a record of Disney's Happiest Songs from the gas station, and I sat by the record player and sang The Bare Necessities all day.
I remember moving here when I was six. My parents decided to move back here to Basildon to be with our family. Their parents came to America and now my parents wanted to go back.
Basildon.
So now I live in Basildon in 1978.
When I lived in a little town in New Jersey in 2017 yesterday.
If this is the fulfillment of my wish, this is not what I was expecting.
But, some of the greatest music is already out and more is coming in the next few years.
I pick up what looks like a diary and begin to read.
Dear Diary, September 1st, 1977
Mom, or Mum should I say, because we've lived in England for almost 10 years now, got me this book to talk about school and life. I'm turning sixteen in June. School is starting tomorrow, and I'm not too thrilled. The work is getting harder, and I don't know what I'm going to do after school. We don't have enough money for me to attend a fancy university, that's for sure.
-Eve
September 2nd, 1977
I've decided to stop saying 'Dear Diary' because it's too cliche.
I walked to school with Teresa. She's graduating this year. I compared schedules with my friends. Lunch with Jules, science with Grace and Dave.
Got to go - dinner is ready
-Eve
The entries went on like that up until yesterday.
I decided to look back at it some more later. I went outside and sat on the stoop. Some people passed by. Worried mothers told me they were glad I was alright, some girls from school waved.
The weird part was I had memories from this new life in 1978.
A young boy walks down the street towards me. "Hey Eve!" He calls.
It's Dave.
2017 me is going crazy. 1978 me is casual.
"Hey Dave!" I call back. He walks over to my house and stands in front of me.
"There's a whole bunch of us heading over to the pub later, one last hurrah before the Sixth Form kids leave. Do you want to come?" He asks.
"I don't know, I've pretty much killed all the chances I have to stay out after falling asleep in the park," I joke.
He laughs. "What was that all about, anyway? I heard my mum talking about it."
"I was reading in the park and I fell asleep. The whole thing's quite stupid," I reply. "I'll think about the pub, though."
"Alright. I'll walk by later so we can walk together." He says.
We say goodbye and he heads back to his house.
Wow. I just spoke to one of my favorite singers. And we're apparently friends?
2017 me isn't in the "popular" crowd, and here I'm friends with a future celebrity.
I decide to go back into my house and head back up to my room. I sit on my bed and go over my diary some more.
"What are you reading?" Teresa says, coming into the bedroom. Unlike in 2017, we share a room, her bed is under the window. She goes and sits on her bed and peers out the window.
"I'm not reading anything. Anyway, what are you looking at?" I ask her, joining her on her bed and looking out the window.
"Nothing," she replies.
I stare out the window and do a double take. A young blonde boy is walking down the street outside.
"Is that Martin Gore?" I say in disbelief.
Teresa blushes and looks away momentarily. "I guess so," she says quietly.
"Teresa, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have feelings for him!" I say.
"Shut up Eve! Of course I don't, I'm a year older than him!" She responds, swatting me with a pillow.
A memory comes to me from 2017.
I was sitting in a chair in the living room, looking at the pictures on the Catching Up With Depeche Mode record. Teresa came up from behind me and pointed at a picture of Martin.
"He's quite odd, isn't he?" She asked me. I turned around and looked at her.
"He's a better dresser than you are," I responded casually.
Now, she has a crush on him?
"I wonder where he's going," Teresa says.
"What do you care? You don't even like him!" I chuckle.
"Alright. I don't like Gore, and you totally don't have a thing for Gahan." She says, turning away.
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, okay, sure. I'm sooo in love with him," I say sarcastically.
"There's a whole group of us going to the pub later, are you going?" Teresa asks me.
"Dave mentioned it to me this morning," I reply. "But I doubt Mom will trust me going out again."
"Hey! Do you think Martin's going to the pub?" She asks me, all happy.
"I don't know, I can't say I know him very well," I shrug. "Why, do you want to go see?"
"Sure! I mean, um, okay." She says. She gets up and grabs her purse. "Let's go!"
"Wait! I'm supposed to wait for Dave!" I call after her.
"Ugh, fine. I'll wait for you." She says, disappointed.
I turn back to the window and see him coming.
"He's here!" I say, and grab some money from a jar on my desk.
"Going out for a bit!" Teresa calls as we walk out the door.
"Keep Eve out of the park!" Mom calls, as a joke.
Dave hears this and laughs. The three of us walk down into the town. I see Martin coming out of the drug store and give Teresa a poke. He's carrying a magazine, and looks like he's about to head back to the estate.
"Should we invite him?" I ask Dave.
Dave looks over to Martin. "You mean Gore? He's probably heard about it, but if you want me to ask, I will." He walks over and talks to Martin.
Whatever Dave said worked, because Martin walked the rest of the way with us.
We talked for a little while, the four of us. Then, Martin excused himself to go chat with some school friends of his.
"Isn't it neat that he's in a band?" Teresa whispers to me. I nod.
Then Teresa sees some girlfriends of hers and runs off to join them.
Dave and I stay together and talk. I order a soda and Dave gets beer. The bartender doesn't care how old we are and serves practically anyone.
We talk about school and how we don't feel ready for Year 12.
"Hey," Dave says, "Can I ask you something?"
I feel my heart skip a beat. That phrase always makes me stressed. "Yes, what is it?" I respond, nervous.
"Does Teresa have a thing for Martin? I mean, I don't really know either of them that much, so I wouldn't be much help in getting them together."
I laugh. "Maybe she does, just don't say anything, okay?" I say.
He nods. "I won't,"
It's getting dark, so the three of us, being Teresa, Dave, and me, walk home. Once we're home, Teresa starts gushing about how amazing Martin is.
I listen to her as we get ready for bed. As she turns out the light, she turns to me and says "If you're not into Dave, that's a pity for him, because I'm pretty sure he likes you." With that, she turns out the light on her bedside table.
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A/N - so happy to see the positive feedback from ch. 1! Sorry the chapters are so long, it's just so easy to keep going on. Hope you are enjoying the story so far!