Page 35 of You've Found Oliver

“Only when we stop trying to pin it down does time begin to move in another direction.”

Professor Clarke’s words keep turning in my head.

I’m still not sure how this idea is supposed to help me right now.

Especially when I don’t really understand it.

What does it even mean for “time to move in another direction”?

All I want is for things to go back to the way they were.

To wake up in my dorm room again. To still be able to visit Ben whenever I wanted. I wish he was here with me now.

I wonder what Julie would think about everything. It’s annoying that I can’t talk with her about this. I don’t know why I’ve kept it a secret for so long. Probably because I wouldn’t believe it myself if someone else told me this story.

I stare at the phone for a moment. Maybe it’s time to finally tell her.

Julie

Where are you

It takes a minute for her to respond.

Home why?

Ok don’t go anywhere! I’m coming over

I turn around and make my way to Julie’s house.

She lives about twenty-five minutes from campus.

I take my usual shortcut through the neighborhood.

I remember the first time I visited her.

It was a few weeks after Sam died. We weren’t even friends at the time, but I really needed someone to talk to.

So I threw rocks at her window until she came outside.

I feel those nerves returning while I wait for her to open the front door.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hi. Can we chat?”

“Oh…sure.”

I go inside, and she closes the door behind me. It’s been a minute since I’ve been here. I used to pop in all the time, before she went abroad. Her hallway is filled with pictures of her growing up in Seattle. I take off my shoes and follow her into the living room.

“Don’t you have class today?” she asks.

“I’m not really thinking about school right now.”

“Oh. Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, sort of. Well, not exactly. It’s hard to explain—”

“Oliver, just spit it out.”

I realize I’m pacing around a little. So I collect myself and say, “You might want to sit down for this, okay?”

“Alright. But you’re scaring me a little.”

Julie takes a seat on the sofa and waits for me to continue.

I’m not really sure where to start. Maybe this isn’t even a good idea.

Then I remember one of our last phone calls.

When I asked her, “If I told you something crazy, would you believe me?” And her answer was, “You can tell me anything. No matter what it is.”

I hold on to that promise as I look at her and say, “Do you know how I’ve been acting a little ‘off’ lately?”

“That’s putting it mildly, but yes.”

“There’s a good reason for that, but you might not believe me when I tell you.” The next words come out slowly. “I don’t really know how to say this…but something strange happened to me recently…and now I’m living in the past.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know this sounds ridiculous, okay? But I really need you to believe me. Somehow I’ve entered a different timeline. It’s supposed to be six months from now for me. I have no idea how this happened.”

“I’m assuming this is some kind of prank,” she says.

“This isn’t a prank ,” I tell her. “Listen to me, okay? I’m supposed to be living in the spring. I’ve experienced all of this already.”

She gives me a look. “Oliver…that’s crazy.”

“I know it sounds crazy, alright? But I’m being completely serious.

” I take a breath and try not to sound exasperated.

“I’m telling you, it’s supposed to be spring .

I’ve already taken these classes. You already left to study abroad.

I helped you pack your things! I’m taking your mom’s class right now.

We’re reading this book called The Poetics of Space . ”

“Are you sure this wasn’t a dream—”

“ It wasn’t a dream . Ben believes me! He’s the only person I’ve told. We’ve known for weeks. I don’t know how else to convince you.”

“You’re sure this isn’t some prank?” she asks again.

I grasp her shoulders. “I swear on my life, my mom’s life, everything.”

Julie takes this in for a moment. “So what you’re saying is you’re actually from six months in the future?”

“Yes.”

A long silence passes between us. I’m not sure what else I can do to prove this. I hold my breath, waiting for her to throw a dozen questions at me, but Julie remains calm when she finally says, “Alright. So, what now?”

I blink at her. “So you actually believe me?”

“Yes.” She rises from the couch. “Unless this really is a prank—”

I sit her down again and say, “I promise, it’s not. I was just worried you wouldn’t believe me. That’s why I took so long to tell you.”

Julie sighs. “Oliver. Strange things happen all the time , okay? Now explain to me what exactly is going on. How did this happen?”

I feel some weight lifted off my shoulders. “It started a few weeks ago. I was going back and forth for a while, which I didn’t realize at first. But I think I’m stuck here now, so I’m sort of freaking out a little. I don’t know how to get back.”

“So it’s been weeks ?”

“ Yes , ever since I started seeing Ben.”

“Does he have something to do with this? I’m confused.”

I should start from the beginning. I take another deep breath. “This is embarrassing, but I was texting Sam’s old number for a while after he died. I didn’t realize it had already transferred to someone else. And one day, when I accidently called it, Ben picked up the phone.”

“So that’s how you guys actually know each other?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“You called Sam’s number…”

I explain the different timelines. Moving between them every time Ben and I met up. The moments we realized something was off: the bakery, the cherry blossoms, seeing her outside the library. “I probably should have noticed it sooner,” I admit.

She rubs her temples, processing this. “I guess that part makes more sense looking back. I remember you showed up with Ben, saying how much you needed to talk. And the next day you didn’t remember that at all. I should have guessed something was up.”

I always wondered what happens after I leave. “It’s alright. Honestly, I didn’t really mind at first. But I think I’m stuck here now.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I always woke up to my own timeline,” I explain. “But it’s been over a week now. I don’t understand what I’m still doing here.”

“So you want to go back?”

“I’m not really sure, but I don’t want to regret not trying, you know?” My answer might have been different a few days ago. But it’s starting to feel like I’m living a different life. Like this one doesn’t truly belong to me.

“I’m still really confused,” she says, pressing her lips together. “This is all so…What do you think caused this?”

“I don’t know,” I say, exasperated. “I noticed that things were different when Ben and I were together. I would always slip into his timeline. The one we’re in now.

The first time we met up, I actually couldn’t find him at first, even though he said he was standing at the same spot.

Then I called him, and the next thing I knew, he was right there. ”

Julie looks at me. “So you think it’s Sam’s phone number?”

“It must have something to do with it.” After all, it’s what connected us from the beginning.

“What happens if you call it now?”

“My phone’s not working, so I can’t call anyone .” I take it out of my pocket to show her.

“Did you drop it or something? What if that’s the reason?”

“I don’t remember doing that,” I say, checking the edges. “It just started glitching on me recently. I’ve restarted it a hundred times.”

Julie checks the phone herself. Of course, it doesn’t work for her, either. She stares at it for a long moment. Then she rises from the couch and says, “I might have an idea. Hold on.”

I wait in the living room while she heads upstairs. A moment later, she comes back down, holding a small plastic bag close to her chest. She sits on the couch and hands it to me silently.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“Some of Sam’s things.”

I don’t know what to say at first. Then I open the bag slowly. There are a few things inside, including his old cell phone. I take it out, looking at it more closely. “Julie, where did you get this?”

“I might have broken into his house at one point. But we don’t need to talk about that now.”

It feels weird holding it in my hands again. “What are you giving it to me for?”

“Why don’t you try to use it,” she says.

“Really?”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. Just replace the SIM card.”

I stare at my reflection in the screen. Then I remove the SIM card from my phone and place it in Sam’s.

It takes a while for the phone to set up.

I try opening a few applications once it finishes, but it has the same problems as before.

“This isn’t working, either. Maybe it’s my SIM card or something. ”

“That’s weird. Let me see it.” Julie tries to call herself, but the screen glitches again. She tries a few times before handing it back to me. “Yeah, I don’t know why it’s not working.”

“Me neither.”

At least my messages are all there. I run my hand along the screen. I can’t believe I’m holding his phone again. I’m about to switch back to my own when I notice something…

The month on the screen is different.

“Wait a second. Look at the date—”

I hand the phone back to Julie.

She squints at the screen. “Why does it say April twenty-ninth?”

“That’s what day it’s supposed to be! For me!”

“So…what does that mean?”

“I don’t really know, to be honest. But it has to mean something , right?” Maybe the timelines are connected again. Does that mean I’ll be able to return to my own?

“It could be a good sign,” Julie says.

“I hope so.”

“How do you normally get back again?”

“It usually just happens after I fall asleep.”

Julie stares at the screen. Then she hands back the phone and says, “I guess you’ll find out later, then.”

“I hope it works this time.”

“If you wake up in the future tomorrow, will you ever return to this timeline again?”

I look at her. “I don’t know,” I admit.

I hadn’t really thought of that before. I stare at the date on my phone again. Does that mean this could be my last day here? Maybe I should think this through some more, but this might be my only chance to go back. What does it mean for me and Ben…

Will we ever be able to see each other again?

Eventually, I rise back up. “I have to go to Seattle…”

“For what?”

“I need to see Ben.”

“You mean, right now?”

Maybe I’m overthinking this. There’s a chance nothing will change at all.

But I don’t want to regret leaving without saying goodbye.

Who knows how long it will be before we see each other again.

If we see each other again. I pace the room for a second, wondering if I should take the bus.

Thankfully, Julie says I can borrow her mom’s car.

I just have to bring it back tonight. She hands me the keys and places my old phone in the bag of Sam’s things.

“There should be a car charger in there, too.”

We hug each other before I head out the door, and I remember something. I turn around and take her by the shoulders. “I forgot to mention this. Just in case I don’t see you again in this timeline. You need to go to the program in Copenhagen. Trust me, you’ll love it there. Promise me, okay?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she says.

“I’m serious, Julie.”

“Okay.”

I give her another hug, then head out to the car. As I’m about to drive off, Julie has come outside for some reason. I roll down the window.

“I wanted to say this really quick,” she starts. “No matter which timeline you end up in, there’s something important I want to tell you later. Just remember to ask me, okay?”

“What’s it about?”

“Don’t worry about that now. Just ask me later. I’ll know what you mean.”

“Okay.”

I wonder what she has to tell me, but I should really get going. I turn onto the street as Julie waves goodbye from the driveway.