now.”
Adam did as he was told. He trained the videocamera on Lianna’s front porch. “The yard is full of snow,” he reported. “There’s a snow creature in front—looks like a dinosaur. Let’s see…a car’s pulling up the driveway, a dark blue Chevy, license plate 908-EZN. An old lady’s getting out…I think it’s your grandmother…and Jazz is running out the front door to greet her.”
Jazz.
Adam smiled sadly. Jazz had died around the same time as Edgar did. Adam never knew how it happened. At the time, other things were on his mind.
Lianna’s face was drawn. “I remember that visit. It was the last time Grandma drove a car. As she was leaving, she put the car in the wrong gear and ran over Jazz.”
“I didn’t know…”
“I was so upset, I didn’t tell anyone. And Edgar’s accident happened the next day. It was the worst week of my life. Grandma was so freaked about what happened to Jazz, she gave up driving.”
And eventually she died, too.
A train accident. About two years ago. Adam remembered it vaguely.
“That’s why she started visiting us by train…” Lianna’s voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry.” He put an arm tentatively around Lianna’s shoulder.
She leaned into him and said softly, “I believe you, Adam. About the camera.”
Finally.
Adam smiled. “Lianna…I’m going to use this thing…to save Edgar.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure. I can move things in the past. I can make myself be felt. Maybe I can warn him. Or push him away”
“But that’s impossible. You can’t change the past.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. No one’s ever tried it.”
“Wait a minute.” Lianna shook her head. “Edgar died, Adam. It’s a fact. He’s not here. So even if you go to the lake on Saturday and do all you can, it won’t work. It can’t. Because if it could, he’d be with us today.”
“Just because Edgar’s not around, it doesn’t mean I never saved him. I just haven’t saved him yet. Saturday hasn’t come.”
Lianna sighed. “Look, Adam. Maybe you do see the past. Maybe you even travel into it, in some form. But don’t delude yourself. What’s done is done. Try this, and you’ll just end up watching the accident all over again.”
“Maybe. But that’s all right, too. At least I’ll finally know exactly what happened.”
“You already do. How is it going to feel to stand there and watch your best friend die—again? Do you really want that?”
No. I don’t.
Just being in Edgar’s room was painful enough.
This might be too much to bear.
But if I don’t, I’ll lose my chance forever. I’ll never know.
And that would be worse.
“I’m not sure,” Adam said. “Maybe you could come with me.”
Lianna looked horrified. “ Are you out of your mind? I will not go through that again.”
“But you won’t see it. Only I will.”
“I’ll be experiencing it through you. And I’ll have to pick up the pieces when you totally freak out.”
“I guess I never thought of it that way.”
“Well, think for a change, Adam. It’s a stupid idea. Totally stupid. Take my advice. Forget you even thought of it.”
With that, she turned and rode up her driveway.
This is what I feared.
9
“F OR HOMEWORK, YOU MAY begin the unit on secants…”
Adam had no idea what his math teacher was saying. He was exhausted. He hadn’t slept at all last night.
He looked at the wall clock. Almost 3:00.
Twenty-six more hours.
He fingered a crumpled-up note, opening it inside his math textbook.
All night long, he’d thought about what Lianna said. Bounced it back and forth.
He hadn’t seen that look in her eye since…
The accident.
When the bell rang, Adam was the first out of the class.
The hallways were a jumble of noise and light. His head hurt. The backpack was weighing him down. He couldn’t concentrate.
“Hey, cutie.”
Adam had to do a double take. It was Lianna, but it didn’t sound like her.
“Don’t take it too personally,” she said with