1- Field Trip
Olivia
This line was moving too slow. I hate that I felt compelled to sign up to go along with this collage trip with my best friend Ami. She begged me to go with her, mostly because some cute on the up science guy she idolized forever. It was only mildly interesting because it offered free shit at the end and a free food buffet. I shrugged my black backpack over my shoulder again as I tried to seem alert.
“Olivia look!” She pointed at another boring plaque stating facts I didn’t even know what half the words meant. I nodded and smiled a little and she shook her head and ignored me again. I laughed inside, who knew a girl like her all prim and proper would be my best friend? We grew up together and once the other girls noticed how pretty she was they took her under their wing and she was popular. But surprisingly she didn’t ditch me and they mildly tolerated my presence on occasion in their group. I stayed away I didn’t care to be a part of their girly nail polish sleepover club.
The science guy was about to give some presentation and I wanted to find the food buffet.
“After the presentation we will break for lunch.” An attendant said gesturing over her shoulder. Bingo.
“I’m going to find the girls room Ami.” She waved me away and I shimmed away from the crowd.
As soon as I was out of view I made for the food. It was already set up read for us and I saw it was unsupervised.
On the opposite side of our friendship I was the darker one who didn’t care to fit in. I wasn’t a rocker, I wasn’t a goth emo chick, I wore black jeans and a leather jacket. I brushed my hair on a good day and called it done. I had a neglectful upbringing and learned to do all my own shit.
Scooping up a few rolls I shoved them in my bag before getting an actual plate. Free food meant dinner later, score!
Putting in one earbud I sat in the corner so I could keep an eye on the crowd and the doors. Maybe no one would notice I was there until they all showed up.
Clearing my plate I hid the evidence and waited. Good time for a book.
I noticed it was taking longer than I expected and decided to stuff some food in the plastic bag I always kept in my backpack for food and I laughed, no one was around to see. I saw some mini water bottles and grinned. Relaxing I sat again and after fifthteen minutes I got worried and headed over to the group. Most of them were gone and my brow went up.
Where did they go?
“Ami?” I called out.
“She was probably selected to go see a surprise experiment.” A snotty attendant said studying me. “Look I don’t want to be here as much as you don’t want me to be. Tell me which way she went and I’ll be out of your hair lady.”
Stomping her foot she paused before pointing and turning to walk away. Whatever. I saw a door and pushed my way through it. When it closed I realized it was soundproof and I got a bad feeling as a chill ran down my spine. I put my backpack on properly to free up my hands and jogged down the long hallway.
“Ami!” I yelled. No one was around and I started to panic this was all weird even for some science tour.
I found the only unlocked door after trying a few others and burst through. Another soundproof door apparently. Because alarms blared, lights flashed and there was a crazy wind blowing through the room.
“Ami!” I called over the wind, people were yelling and trying to mess with the controls on the panels.
Ami was somehow past the safety of the room into some wind tunnel. The glass had blown in and she was clutching a railing for dear life.
A loud boom echoed down that wind tunnel and an electric bolt jolted around the room like some Tesla Coil.
I threw open the door leading down to the room and ran after her. I barely registered a man trying to stop me but this was my best friend, the only family I had, my person.
“Ami!” I screamed over the wind and she saw me and her eyes held the horror of seeing me in the room where there was only danger.
“No! Go back!” I saw her mouth move but she was too far in to hear.
The electricity grew more urgent and the wind blew harder as I finally reached her. Her high heeled shoes didn’t seem so pretty right now, but somehow she’d avoided the bolt of light that stoke out to the walls of the room. I looked at my feet realizing I had thick rubber combat boots and realized I’d have to get her under better cover or carry her out.
She wasn’t that heavy but battling against the wind with her over my shoulder didn’t seem possible right then.
Looking at the safety booth I realized the people up there were ditching us.
There was a new flashing light up there and I saw them yell sorry as our eyes met. Some auto lock feature engaged and I realized we were doomed.
I grabbed a hold of Ami and we locked arms.
“What is this thing?!” I screamed into her ear.
“Unstable, time machine.” Ami screamed back.
Looking to the powder substance quickly entering into the room I glanced back to her. “Does it work?”
“I don’t know!” She shook her head.
“Do you trust your science guy?” She nodded and I said a prayer to whatever creator hopefully existed and pulled her up and let go of the railing. “Don’t let go. I love you.” She saw the two options we were faced and she nodded. “I love you too.”
I picked her up and let the wind take us.
