“That’swhat you want to do? You find yourself in a dream where you can do literally anything in the world—”
“How do you know we can do anything in the world?”
“—and your first impulse is to go to Jason’s?” Marcus asks, disgusted.
“Okay, so what’s your brilliant plan?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.
Marcus points toward the arcade. “I’m going in. Mind-blowing, right?”
“Oh, yes,” I say, all sarcasm. “Dream big!”
But as he gets farther away from me, I start to panic. I don’t want to be left out here all alone. What if something happens?
Marcus is taking the steps up into the arcade when a car suddenly pulls up behind us. It’s loud and big, a black SUV like…
“Jason!” I yelp his name, so full of a million feelings that I’m not sure I can even tease them apart. On the one hand, it’s Jason. He’s climbing out of his car, looking like himself. Tall and strong and handsome as ever. He’s running over to the passenger’s side of the car.Running.As in, his leg isn’t broken.
“Holy shit, this is a dream,” I whisper.
I’m in a dream.
But I’m just so incredibly happy to see him that I don’t even care. Even if he was limping or looked totally different, if he wasn’t dressed in a polo shirt, his hair sleeked back like he wears it when he’s trying to make a good impression. I don’t care what it is or why he’s here orhowhe’s here. Or how any of us are here.
I rush him. Like a bull charging, I hurry around to the SUV passenger’s side and throw myself on him. And find my body…on the ground. Hugging air. Hugging nothing.
I’m so stunned, so confused I can’t process it.
I look to the stairs of the arcade where Marcus is standing, smirking at me.
“Jason!” I say again. I’m so pathetic, I know, grabbing for his pant leg to stop him turning away, but my hand goes right through his body. And not only does he appear not to hear or see or feel me, but he’s opening the car door for someone. He’s herewithsomeone.
Who?
I just have the presence of mind to realize that he’s wearing the dark blue polo he wore on our first date when she steps out.
“Holy shit,” Marcus and Jason say at the same time.
Jason is grinning from ear to ear.
Marcus looks horrified.
I can only stare as—the girl, Jason’s date—Istep out of his car.
Seven
The girl who looks like me is younger, with her hair in a bun the way I wore it all last year.
“Stop,” she says, giggling. She’s wearing a light blue dress I got from a vintage store in Portland when I was visiting my dad. It’s the dress I wore on my first date with Jason a year ago. Our first date to the arcade. Our first date ever.
Sheisme.
“Stop what? Telling you how incredible you look?” Jason asks, just like he did that night. “Don’t ask me to do impossible things, Zadie.” I watch as Jason puts a hand on her—my—lower back and leads her into the arcade. They disappear inside, chatting and laughing.
It takes a full five seconds for the shock to wear off. Five seconds in which Marcus has somehow made his way over to me. When he holds out his hand, I realize I’m still on the ground. I let him pull me up, surprised for a half second by how small my hand feels encased in his.
“Well, that was awkward,” Marcus says with a smirk.
I say nothing as I start toward the arcade again. In a couple of quick strides, Marcus is caught up to me.
