Okay, so this chapter there's a lot of details and explanations. It was hard to explain everything in writing, so it might get a little confusing. If you don't understand something, please ask me questions.
Thanks, and please comment/vote/fan. It's really appreciated :)
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7. Big Problems
I woke up feeling refreshed yet crappy, what with the headache I felt forming. I thought that was weird. Usually sleeping for a few hours made my headaches go away, not form. But I just noted to myself to take a few aspirin before leaving for school and went about my morning ritual.
When I got to the kitchen, there was a note on the table. I picked it up and noticed it was from my parents. It basically said that they both had to leave early for work and was on my own for breakfast. It also mentioned that Daphne had called earlier to say she had to get gas on the way to school, so she would be late picking me up. With all that in mind, I threw out the note and began preparing measly cereal.
Then after I finished breakfast and was ready for school, I sat on my couch as I waited for Daphne to get to my house. I put in my iPod ear buds so I could pass the time more quickly. I pressed Play and the music started. But then the music stopped. Then it started again.
Stopped.
Started.
Stopped.
I stared at my iPod in utter confusion. I wasn't touching the buttons at all. I flicked the back of the iPod, not sure if it was just some sort of piece out of place. But that didn't work. Finally I turned the thing off and put it away in the kitchen. Then I heard a car horn sound out front. I grabbed my backpack and headed outside, closing and locking the door behind me.
For some reason, the car engine seemed to be turning on and off too. Like, one second I heard the roar of it, and the next...nothing. On and off, on and off. That was so weird.
I got into the car and put my backpack on the floor. "Hey," I greeted, hiding my confusion.
"Hey, Lex," Daphne replied. She put the car in drive and started moving.
I watched the road, and as we moved forward, it seemed like we would stop moving, then start again. Start and stop. Just like the iPod and the engine.
What was going on?
I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them again to see that it continued on-it wasn't my imagination.
We still got to school on time, but my headache-crap, I had forgotten to grab some medicine-had almost increased to a migraine. Daphne didn't notice anything strange with me and got out of the car. I sat there for a few extra seconds before stepping out and standing beside the car.
The students were doing it too. They would be walking, but then they would stop abruptly. Then they walked again-
Hold up. What was that?
I looked closer, squinting to see-which caused me to flinch because of my headache. I took note to go to the nurse's office for some medicine, then watched my classmates harder. They would walk for about a second, then they would stop. Then they would walk again-
Yes! Just as I thought.
The kids would be walking forward one second, stop the next, then they would walk again-a few paces ahead of where they stopped.
I stared in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on. But then Daphne interrupted me.
"Hey, Lex," she said. "Are you-?"
Her sentence stopped abruptly when she froze-
Froze? But how was that possible? I wasn't doing this.
Crap.
What the hell was going on here?
When she unfroze, she just stared at me questioningly, as though she were waiting for me to answer her question. But I hadn't even heard the whole thing. Had she stopped or...what else could've happened?
"What did you ask?" I asked, but time froze before I finished the question.
After Daphne was unfrozen, we stood there for a second. "What?" she asked.
"Never mind," I replied quickly, before time could stop again.
Who was doing this if I wasn't?
"Let's just..." I paused as everything froze. "Get to class," I finished.
Daphne shrugged and walked towards the school. I made sure not to watch as she froze and unfroze randomly-in a different place.
I don't know how, but I made it to my first class without watching anyone else in the halls freeze and unfreeze without my doing. I rushed to my seat in the back of the class-without getting assaulted by Trisha-and sat down. I quickly flicked my hood up so I wouldn't see anymore. The darkness my hood provided relaxed my head a tiny bit. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything about the noise, but I tried to zone it out as best I could.
To get my mind off the noise around me, I tried to think of how this could be happening. But...nothing came to mind. It was just so weird and...impossible. No one else had the power-that I knew of anyway-to freeze time. I knew Cam could manipulate time, he couldn't the same way as me, and even if he could, how would that affect my life at home? We could only see what was going on if we were with each other.
Right?
My headache pounded in my brain as I heard a loud noise in the hallway, silence, then the loud noise again. I covered my ears, but even the hum that I heard from that stopped and started.
Giving up, I folded my hands in my lap and stared at them, trying to study my veins, my nails, anything that would keep my focus away from this problem that was going on around me.
But then something pulled my hood back. I looked up, startled, and saw Cam standing over me.
"Hey, are-" He froze too.
No! How? What? He was the one person immune to the freezing! He couldn't freeze too!
When he unfroze, he stared at me, waiting for an answer.
"Cam," I breathed, frightened. My heart pounded hard in my chest. This couldn't be happening.
What was happening to me?
He stared at me, first with concern-then he froze-and then his expression turned to full out worry.
"What's wrong?" Thankfully he said it fast enough that the time didn't freeze before he finished.
I waited until the time unfroze again, then I said, "Something's wrong."
He sat down in the seat beside my desk, but the time froze, so he was bent halfway in the freeze. When everything unfroze again, he was already sitting in the seat, staring at me again. I blinked a few times, as though it would rid me of my headache.
"What's going-?" he asked.
I waited for time to start again, but then I flinched as my headache pounded again.
"Tell me," Cam urged.
It dawned on me then. Usually, people would take a second before answering, and that's what I thought it was like. Time would freeze, unfreeze, and then I could gather myself for a second before saying anything in return. I saw today that people were a little ahead when time unfroze, but I didn't realize that it still felt like time had passed for them.
So that meant, even though I saw that everything had frozen, it really hadn't. To other people-unless I was careful-it would seem like I was the one that was freezing. I already had the popping out of nowhere problem, now I had this? Or because of this new problem, was my old one no longer a problem?
Seriously, what was going on?
"Lexie?" Cam asked.
I glanced at him. "Umm..." I knew I couldn't talk during the freeze, but it would still feel like I was hesitating. "I'm going through..." I had to stop again. "A power-related problem."
"Why do-" he froze, "pausing?"
It wasn't too hard to figure out what he was asking. "Because of my problem." I blurted it out fast so I could get it all out at once.
"Can you explain?"
"I'll try." I opened my mouth to speak, but that would take a while, so I rummaged through my backpack and grabbed a notebook. I looked at Cam when I put it down. I knew time had frozen a few times there, so he must've seen my hand twitching or something like that.
His face was a mask of confusion.
"Exactly." I didn't know what I was really proving, but it felt good to say that word. But then I ignored Cam completely and began writing like mad in one of the blank pages of my notebook. I wrote what I wanted to explain to him. For one, he would see proof before he even knew what was going on, which would help my argument. He would watch as my hand went across the page and then my hand would be way further a moment later. And if he read it and still didn't believe, I could figure out another way to convince him to believe me.
Cam looked up at me when he finished reading my note. He was studying my face very closely, as though that would help him figure it all out.
I felt a crick in my neck at that moment, and realized that if I kept spinning my head around and time froze and unfroze, it was possible that it would look like I had shifted it from one side to the other in under a millisecond. If that didn't convince him, I didn't know what will.
But before I could try out my weird experiment, Cam spoke.
"Would you like..." time froze, "every now and then?"
I blinked. "Repeat?"
He smiled, as though he found my dilemma funny. That bugged me because it really wasn't. But then he grabbed my pencil-I watched as his arm froze halfway to my desk, then unfreeze with his hand gripping my pencil-and began scribbling something in the notebook. I looked away so my headache wouldn't pound harder at the sight of his arm twitching over the paper.
A few moments later, the notebook was placed in front of me and I looked down at it. The note asked if I wanted him to pause while talking so I could catch everything he said.
I waited until time started and replied, "Yes. Thanks.... I would appreciate that."
"I'm sorry...I can't help...during your...other classes," he said, beginning his new way of talking, which actually sounded normal to me.
I shrugged, then I realized that what he said meant that he would translate the class for me since I would only hear half of it. "Whatever," I said. "It's not your fault.... You can just help out in the few we have together and I'll try to deal with the rest on my own."
He paused, time froze, then he asked, "What was that?"
I laughed. Now that he knew my problem, I was a little bit more relaxed and actually could find the will to laugh, but then I had to wait until time started again. "I said: you can...help out in...the other classes...we have together and...I'll try to deal...with the others." I looked at him.
Time unfroze-for about the zillionth time. "Okay. But if...you need me...to tutor you...in the other classes...I'll try to help...as much as I can."
I smiled at him. "Thanks." I really meant it. "That's really nice."
He grinned back at me.
The bell rang-as did my headache since it went on and off about three times-and Cam left to go to his seat, patting my hand as he left me.
It didn't occur to me until the teacher began the class that we hadn't tried to figure out why this had happened. We just discussed that it had and how we were going to work around it.
It seemed that Cam thought the same thing, because after class he passed my desk and dropped a note on it, making sharp eye contact with me before leaving the classroom. I unfolded his note as I walked out of the room-careful not to knock into anyone by accident-and skimmed over it.
Well, apparently I was getting a ride home from him after school.
I stuffed the note in my back pocket and headed to my second class, bracing myself for what was going to happen to my headache. It was starting to get unbearably painful.
By the end of the day I was flinching every time the time unfroze. I had even gone to the nurse's office-speaking in small sentences-for aspirin! The blasts of noise spread my headache all around my brain and all I wanted to do was crawl under my bed covers and cry.
Cry. I never cried. That's how bad this thing was.
"Oh crap," Cam commented when I reached his car. "You really look...like you're in pain."
"I am," I replied through clenched teeth, bearing the pain of the sound of my voice vibrating in my head. But at least his speaking in pauses did help it a little. It lessened the strain.
With a look of pity, he stepped closer to me. As my heart sped up at his closeness, he placed his hand on my forehead. It felt pretty cold-and good. I pressed my forehead harder against his hand.
"You're not checking...to see if...I have a fever...are you?"
"No. I just thought it...might feel good.... My seventh period was freezing...and the cold didn't...wear off last period."
"Thanks."
We stood there for a while, and I wondered what we looked like to the other students. They probably thought that Cam really was checking my temperature or something. Finally, to my disappointment, he removed his hand and placed it under my chin, forcing me to look at him.
"I have to...go to...practice," he said apologetically. "Do you think...you can just...wait here in...my car until it's over?"
"Can't I just go home?"
"Well...you could...but I want...to talk to you.... You know, about...all of this."
I sighed. "Okay. Can you call...my parents?"
"Why me?"
"Because you can...understand what people...are saying.... Just pretend to be...a teacher."
He nodded, and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket.
I entered my number in and pressed Send. Then I handed the phone back to Cam. When what sounded like my mom answered, Cam deepened his voice-believably-and spoke. I didn't listen-or tried not to-considering I wouldn't understand half of it.
I hadn't realized the conversation ended until I noticed in my peripheral vision that Cam was looking at me, no phone in hand. I turned to look back at him.
"All set?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yep. Your mom thinks...that you need...some help in English."
"Well, that was...actually a very good...subject to choose. I stink at understanding poems."
He grinned. "It's okay. Well, I guess..." He opened the passenger door to his truck. "Just sit in here.... Do some homework.... Whatever you want until I get back. I should be back in...maybe an hour or two. I'm sorry it will...take so long."
I shrugged. "It will actually...be nice to be...in the quiet and all alone. There will be no noises...to bother me."
He nodded again. "See you later."
I nodded back and stepped into his truck.
He closed the door behind me, then walked back towards the school.
I placed my backpack on the driver's side of the bench seat and opened it up. I searched through and took out all of the books and binders I needed for my homework, and set to work. I wasn't very happy with the load I had-and the amount of information-technically lack thereof-I had to do it all-but it was okay that I could do it all to pass the time until Cam got back from practice. I was in desperate need of a good distraction.
But it turned out that there wasn't as much as I had thought there was, and I finished with about forty-five minutes to spare. I packed up my books and such into my bag again and put it down between my feet. Then I decided to close my eyes for a moment of rest. I laid down across the seat and relaxed.
I was in motion when I opened my eyes. I processed what was around me, and found that it wasn't me exactly that was moving, but the car I was in. I looked up from where my head rested and saw myself staring up at Cam.
He glanced down at me. "Hey," he said, quickly looking back up at the road.
I cringed as my headache returned in full force, from the on and off noise of the truck's engine.
"Is the engine...bothering you?"
"Yeah," I replied.
"We'll be at the lake...in a few minutes.... Just hang in there...a little longer."
"I will." I wondered why he was taking us to the lake. It wasn't a bad place, but it wasn't like it had great memories either, you know?
I just shut my eyes again, and then-somehow this came to me slowly-I realized my head was resting on Cam's thigh. It excited me a bit that Cam didn't care that that was the situation. I was thinking about if I should move my head, so it wouldn't look like I was enjoying it too much, but I was wondering that if I did, maybe he would take it the wrong way and think that I was uncomfortable with the position.
Knowing it didn't really matter, I just left my head there, so it looked like I was just trying to relax again-my eyes were closed after all. But it turned out when Cam said "a few minutes", it was more like one. The car came to a stop very soon.
"We're here," Cam whispered after he turned off the engine.
I slowly sat up and then I looked out the windshield.
"How...do you...feel?" he asked, placing a hesitant hand on my shoulder.
I rested my elbows on the dash and pressed my forehead to my hands, massaging my temples. "Worse than ever."
"I'm sorry.... I wish I could-to help."
I glanced at him under my arm. "Slowly?"
He blushed involuntarily-I think anyway. "Sorry...I said I...wish I could...do something to...help."
I shrugged under his hand. "It doesn't matter. Maybe I just...have some sort...of sickness...and once it passes...I'll be back...to normal...normal for me anyway."
He chuckled. "That's a thought." He said it with an edge of disbelief.
I leaned back in the seat, resting my head on his shoulder-for pain purposes only-and hoping he didn't think it odd. He removed his hand from my shoulder and placed it on my wrist instead.
"Do you...have another...theory?" I asked.
"Yes, actually.... Maybe it's the...you know...toxic crap."
"The waste?" I shifted my forehead in thought.
"Yeah, it's...unhealthy stuff, you know."
I laughed. "Thanks for...clearing that up for me."
He squeezed my wrist. "Don't be...sarcastic with me."
"I need something...to keep me...in a good mood."
"I'll give you that."
"So...what else do...we need...to discuss?"
"Well, I'd like...to know...what exactly happens."
"I told you...everything in...the note."
"Well, you talked...about people.... What about cars...and stuff...like that?"
"It goes for everything," I said sadly. "Cars stop and start...movies too"-I figured that out in Science-"and you." My voice cracked on the last word.
Cam noticed, and shifted me up so he could look at my face. I averted my eyes every time he froze. "Don't worry, Lexie...we'll solve this.... Yes, it's weird how...this affected me too...after both of us...knowing that I'm immune...to your power...but we can...get you better."
"How?" My voice cracked again, and I held back tears. I couldn't help but be emotional after this huge headache and the fact that there was something more wrong with me than there always was. I was immune to regular lifestyle.
"I don't know...but we...can solve this.... Don't cry."
"I'm not."
"You seem...like you are...going to."
I half smiled. "Just what girls...love to hear."
He mimicked my smile. "Sorry, but...it's true."
I nodded. "I know.... Anyway, is there...anything else...we have to...talk about?"
"Good question." He paused to think, and so I couldn't see his frozen form, I buried my face in his shoulder again. "Hmm...well...we know what...it does...possibly why it happened...we just don't...have a clue...as to how to...stop it.... Other than that...I think...we're good.... I should...bring you...home."
I nodded again. "I'd like that."
"Lay down then."
I slid down so my head was resting on his thigh again, and closed my eyes. I clutched at the knee of his jeans as he started the truck's engine and my headache pounded again. In response, I felt Cam place his hand on my hair and stroke it soothingly. The only problem was that his hand still felt as though it was twitching, and that wasn't soothing at all. Yet I didn't make him move his hand.
It was only a few minutes later that Cam warned me that we had appeared at my house, and he stopped the truck.
"I hope..." the pause he used wasn't because of the time, he was just thinking deeply about the right words to say, "I hope that...you have a...good night's sleep.... We'll figure this...all out soon."
I nodded. "I'll try."
He placed his hand on my forehead as he did in the school's parking lot earlier. "Take some pain meds...just in case."
"I will." I moved away from his hand and picked up my bag. Then I opened the truck door and was about to hop out. But then I turned back to him. "Oh, wait. Hey, Cam?"
"Yes?" He looked at me, waiting.
I hesitated, unsure if I really wanted to say what I had in mind. So for a moment, I just sat there, half out of the car, stuttering.
"Are you alright?"
I shook my head to clear it. "Yeah, yeah, I'm...I'm fine...fine. Um. I, uh...want to say, that...." I could still just say goodnight and leave... "I really appreciate...." Just say it, "your concern...your genuine concern...for me."
He smiled-a true, genuine smile. I was amazed at the effect it had on me. It was like a jolt of happiness or something along those lines. It was really nice and completely comforting.
"It's my pleasure...really." The sparkle in his eyes gave me the urge to kiss him like we had the night of the party-the night we had actually began talking to each other-but I didn't want him to get weirded out by me and go away, leaving me to deal with my problems on my own.
"Well, um, goodnight." I slipped out of the truck.
"See you tomorrow."
I waved to him as I walked up to my front porch. Then I heard Cam pull his truck away after I entered my house.
"Lexie," my mom called from the kitchen. "Where have-?"
I didn't have to hear her entire sentence to know what she was asking, to my relief.
"At the lake," I replied quickly before time froze. I started to worry about what I was going to do about the communication arrangements, not even considering telling my parents about what had happened to me.
Just try your best to understand them, I thought.
I took a deep breath as I stepped into the kitchen.
"Why were-lake?" Mom asked.
"I have...a headache.... It helped calm me."
Thankfully, neither of my parents noticed my pauses, and accepted my excuse, which was partially true. I did have a headache. The lake didn't calm me, but was that such a bad lie?
"Come eat," Mom said. From the looks of it, they were already half finished-I had been out with Cam a lot longer than I had thought.
I sat at the table quietly and began to eat. The time issues didn't increase my headache anymore, since it was fairly quiet as we all ate dinner. The trouble was when they started to ask me about my day, but I was lucky enough to get away with a few simple fine's after the questions.
"Are you al-?" Dad asked.
I assumed he asked, "Are you alright", so I replied, "Yeah...perfect."
"You sure? You seem-and not yourself."
I shrugged. "I'm okay. Nothing...aspirin can't take...care of." I pretended to swallow during my pauses, to make it look like I wasn't just sitting there. I was anxious not to look like an idiot. Or a mental patient.
"Alright," Dad still didn't seem convinced.
I finished my dinner quickly after that, grabbed some aspirin and water, and went straight up to my room. After taking the meds, I lay back on my bed and thought about, well, just stuff.
For example, the fact that Cam and I had kissed. Thinking about having thought about kissing him in the car reminded me that we actually had kissed before. At the party. Then that got me wondering why we never spoke of it ever after it happened. Was it possible that he regretted it? He had been the one who had wanted to kiss me in the first place.
If he regretted it, then why did he still hang out with me? I was starting to get the feeling that he was becoming a really close friend. Of course, it would be nice if we were more than friends, but I knew that was never going to happen. But if he didn't like the fact that we had kissed, he wouldn't be this close to me.
Or was it that he wanted to see if I would make a good companion? Nah, that was impossible. He had all the friends he needed: student council, baseball, and his former fellow basketball and hockey players. He didn't need me.