“I’ll help,” I said, bending down. I gathered up stray pens, a lip gloss that was rolling away, and a big pile of paper bound with a rubber band.Hurricane Madisonwas typed on the first page, with Ms. Mulaney’s name underneath it. But before I could see anything else, Ms. Mulaney scooped it up. “Here,” I said, holding out the pens and makeup. She put the papers back in her bag, and I couldn’t help asking?, “Was that—Are you writing a novel?”
“Wait, really?” Bryony asked, her voice going high and excited.
“Well,” Ms. Mulaney said, her cheeks turning pink. “It is. What I hope will be a novel, at any rate. I’ve been working on it for so long. I’m actually waiting to hear from an agent about it. They promised they’d let me know if they were interested by the end of the week, which is…now, basically.”
“Of course they’ll want it,” Bryony said.
“Absolutely,” I agreed.
Ms. Mulaney gave us a smile. “Thanks, girls. Well, go have fun. But take it easy, Cass, all right? Don’t push yourself.”
“I promise.”
“Okay, then.” She gave me a nod, then shouldered her bag and headed off, melting into the crowd of seniors and chaperones until, a moment later, I couldn’t pick her out anymore.
“You’resureyou’re okay?” Bryony asked.
I nodded emphatically. “I’m fine.” And then a wave of joy overtook me. “You know, I’m better than fine. I’m great! Because we’re best friends!”
Bryony laughed. “Well, that’s certainly true. So, what should we do first?”
“Bry!” I looked over to see—like before—the Emmas coming toward us. I made a mental note of it—that everything, truly everything, seemed to be happening the same way it had happened before. Somehow,Iknew what was going to happen and could make different choices. But everyone else seemed locked into doing the same things they’d done the first time around.
“Look!” Emma R. said as she reached into her plastic Disney bag and—just like I knew she would—pulled out the Mickey ears with the mortarboard. “Isn’t this so—”
“Cute, yes,” I finished for her. “But where did you get it? We looked everywhere.”
“Uh,” Emma R. said, looking taken aback. “You did?”
“When was this?” Bryony asked.
“I mean,” I said, trying to cover, feeling my heart beat harder, “I looked…online. Beforehand.”
“I might need that one,” Bryony said.
“Why don’t you show us where it is?” I asked. “You guys are going back that way, because you’re thinking about doing the Incredicoaster, right? Or Soarin’?”
The Emmas all exchanged a surprised look. “We are,” Emma J. said. “But…”
“Great!” I said. “Let’s all go!” In addition to wanting to track down these Mickey ears, I also didn’t want to hang around this area longer than I had to. This was where we would eventually run into Reagan and Zach, after all. But then a second later, I realized that this, my do-over, meant that I wouldn’t have to see Reagan or Zach tonight. Or Greta and Nora, either—andcertainlynot Bruce. I could press a reset button on all of it.
I realized, with a wave of relief, that this would be better for all of us. They’d be happier not to see me, I’d be happier not to have an awkward interaction, and Bryony wouldn’t start to ask the questions that would lead to our fight. This redo meant it was a chance foreveryoneto have a better version of tonight, not just me.
I felt a spring in my step as the five of us started walking together. Everything around me seemed better, and brighter, and shinier. I felt ?fond of everyone as I looked around at them, even all the Emmas. And I noticed that all the people surrounding us had that beginning-of-the-night energy—running past with their friends, laughing and excited about what tonight would bring. Everyone’s slates had been wiped clean, set back to the beginning again—even if I was the only one who seemed to realize it.
“So,” I said with a smile as I turned to Bryony. I was still beyond grateful that we could do this, that we didn’t have to sort through the wreckage and aftermath of the fight. “After we get the ears, want to go on Soarin’?”
Bryony raised an eyebrow at me. “Sure you can handle it?” Soarin’ wasn’t really a roller coaster, but there were some dips in it, to the point where the initial time we’d gone on it, I’d shrieked the first time we dropped down. Bryony had never let me forget it—especially since the very small child strapped in next to us had been completely fine.
“Yes,” I said a little defensively. “I mean, I got through the swinging cars on the Ferris wheel, remember?”
“Youdid? When was this?”
“Oh,” I said, trying to think fast. “It’s…um…”
“Chip!” Emma Z. yelped, pointing. And sure enough, I saw that once again, the chipmunk was walking toward us in his graduation robes. He waved at all of us as the cast member hurried him along, and everyone around us pointed or tried to get pictures before he passed out of view.
“It’s Dale,” I said. “You can tell because of his nose.”
