Carson Lueders' Love Story

Chapter 3: Take Over

"Good morning Brighton," greeted Carson. "Good morning Carson," Brighton greeted back. "Uhh, sunrise, so beautiful, just like you," said Carson as she smiled. Brighton kept silent for a few minutes and then she told Carson: "Thanks so much for this wonderful experience Cars, you're the best." "You're welcome Brighton, anything for you," smiled Carson as she smiled back.

"By the way, I have something to tell you," said Brighton. "You'll leave for New York?" asked Carson. "Yeah, it will be next week," replied Brighton. "Woah, this second chance is really a thoughtful one," Carson thought to himself. In the deleted timeline before they horribly separated, Brighton kept the fact that she'll leave that night after camping. Carson is so grateful that this second chance is somewhat like a package deal.

"Well, I have to apologise that I kept that fact from you when you deserved to know earlier," said Brighton. "It's ok Bri, I know your family is in New York, you already spent a few months here in LA," said Carson, "I won't be selfish to take you all along just for myself, I want you to be happy too." "Thank you Carson, you do make me very happy," replied Brighton.

Carson still wants to invite her to Spokane for his birthday a few weeks from now, just in case, if she can briefly return from New York, but he knows that it's not yet the right time. "It will happen someday," he thought to himself, "I'll always remember this summer, the times we enjoyed each other's company, the feeling of love for the first time."

They went out of the tent and enjoyed the morning view. After more than an hour, Greg and Jordyn came to them. They told them that Greg's mom prepared breakfast. So they carried the tent, walked to Carson's house and then unloaded it there. They went to Greg's house afterwards. Upon coming inside Greg's living room, Carson stared at the couch for a few minutes.

He remembered what happened in the deleted timeline. He thinks it's really creepy and at the same time a blessing. "Gosh, so this is how Logan felt like in "X Men - Days of Future Past,"" he thought to himself, "This is when I fell asleep so deep and I got taken back in time just as I pleaded!" "Bro, what's up, are you OK?" asked Greg noticing Carson staring at the couch. "Oh, uhh, um, it's nothing," replied Carson.

When they were eating breakfast, Jordyn asked Carson and Brighton about their overnight camping beside the Tree of Life. They simply described it as something beautiful. Jordyn said that she's very happy for both of them but deep inside her, it kinda hurts. This didn't change anything with Jordyn though, she always loved Carson as a best friend and deep inside, a crush.

-

A week passed by and Brighton was leaving LA for New York. She gave Carson a long and tight hug on the airport. "I will miss you so much Bri," said Carson. "I will miss you too so much baby boy," replied Brighton. And as the airplane took off, Carson stayed for a few minutes reminiscing his sweet moments with Brighton as well as the deleted past.

-

In the first few weeks since Brighton left LA, Carson was having recurring nightmares about the deleted past when Brighton left him crying beside the Tree of Life. He keeps on hearing Brighton say: "Goodbye Carson." "Brighton! Brighton! Don't leave me! Please! Please!!!" screams Carson as he wakes up in tears and sweat, "Brighton..." He looks at the time and it's past 3 am. "This has been more than a week of 3 am nightmares," Carson thought to himself.

Carson is suffering from the timeline deletion side effect. Since it's only him who has the memory of what happened in the deleted timeline, there won't be anyone who can explain to him what's going on.

At one Friday night, out of desperation for answers, he went alone to the Tree of Life wearing sweaters and jogging pants. He brought a folding rocking chair and then he took a nap. Once again, he has that same nightmare of Brighton leaving him, but he didn't wake up right away as he usually does in that intense vision. Instead, it continued and stimulated the scene of the deleted timeline where Jordyn found him crying while sitting on a rock.