“You are,” I assured him with a smile.
“So why do you think it started? What’s the purpose of it?”
“When I was leaving Grad Nite the first time, when I walked through the doors, I made a wish—to get the chance to do things over.”
“Why did you want to do things over? Because you were having such a great time?”
I laughed shortly, then shook my head. “Very much not. No, it’s…” I hesitated, then took a breath and told him the stripped-down version of what had happened, that first time—running into everyone from my past I never thought I’d see again. Getting into a fight with Bryony. Having to leave tomorrow to go to Oregon.
By the time I’d finished, we’d reached the restaurant. Right on cue, I felt my stomach growl, which was one more piece of evidence that everything reset when I went through the doors. Having just had a burger and ice cream not that long ago, I shouldn’t really be starving again—but I was. We both ordered—chicken fingers for Freddie and a chicken sandwich for me, sodas for both of us—and took our food to the chairs outside.
“So, if this is happening because you made a wish, how do you make it stop? Just un-wish it?” Freddie asked, once we were sitting across from each other.
“I’m not sure I want to stop it just yet,” I said, taking a bite of my chicken sandwich and nodding approvingly. It was even better than the burger had been. “I think it might be happening so I can help you.”
“Me?” His eyebrows flew up, and when he smiled, the dimple appeared, just as cute as it had been before. “What do I need help with?”
“Well.” I wasn’t sure how to put this delicately, so I ?set my sandwich down and decided to just jump in. “The show tonight—the one the music manager is coming to—”
“You know about that?” he asked, then shook his head the second the words had left his mouth. “I mean, of course you know about that. Never mind. Carry on.”
“The show doesn’t go all that well. The red?headed guitar player…”
“Alfie?”
“Gets sick all over the stage. And then you must have eaten some vegetables accidentally, because you start breaking out in hives, your face gets puffy, and the show ends without anyone playing any music.”
“And the manager?” Freddie’s voice was hoarse, and he looked like he was afraid to hear the answer.
“She leaves.” I winced, remembering her appalled expression as she stormed away.
“Oh my god.” Freddie sat back in his seat, looking shell-shocked. “So, my big break doesn’t actually happen tonight.”
“But maybe that’s why this is all happening. I’m going through the loops so I can make sure that the show goes well? and we can avoid these problems!”
Freddie frowned. “I’m not sure time-loop magic is really going to be used to get me a record contract.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Maybe this is aBill & Tedthing, and you go on to record some really important song and we have to make sure that happens.”
“But thenI’dbe in the time loop,” he pointed out. “It would be happening to me, and I wouldn’t just be a…I don’t know. What am I here? A supporting character?”
“Or love interest.” The second I said it, I felt my face get hot.
“Ohreally?” Freddie raised an eyebrow at me. He was blushing slightly, but also gave me a grin. “So do we…”
“No!” I said quickly, staring down at my chicken sandwich. “We kind of have, like, a moment? We’re over by the pier looking at the lights on the water. But we don’t even kiss or anything.” I heard the palpable disappointment in my voice even as I was saying the words, and when Freddie laughed, I did, too.
“Well, it’s still good to know.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, looking away and willing my blush to subside. “So, we need to focus. We have to make sure the performance goes well tonight.”
Freddie nodded, his expression growing more serious. “Yeah. Otherwise, it sounds like it’s going to be an absolute disaster.”
I didn’t want to agree with him too emphatically, but that was the only way to describe what had happened. “Well, not anymore. We’ll fix it, right?”
“Right,” Freddie said. “So let’s figure out what happened—I must eat some raw fruit or veg at some point, right?”
“Yeah. I’m no expert, but you told me your allergy symptoms, and that’s what it looked like.”
