In Time

-Six-

5 April 2017, Wednesday

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"Morning Xave, wow you're up unusually early today."

"I couldn't sleep last night," I replied honestly. I didn't know anyone who could sleep after realising that they'd just travelled back two weeks in time.

"Xave, are you sure you're alright? You've been out of sorts since yesterday."

I guess Mums could really tell when their kids had something on their minds. I wished I could be honest with Mum and tell her that I was from the future but I couldn't. She would definitely send me straight to the psychiatry department at her hospital.

"It's probably just stress, I'm fine," I lied, unfolding the morning paper.

"Jeez, I didn't know you were a newspaper person; can't remember the last time you attempted to read any news articles. But it's alright, I'm glad that you're finally concerned with real world current affairs now, and not just with your gaming, that DOTA was it?" I couldn't tell if Mum was trying to compliment or mock me.

I obviously didn't become a changed person overnight. I was looking for something specific in the newspaper, an article stating that the mayor's daughter had been kidnapped, just like two weeks ago. If I had time travelled back into the past, surely the events would have remained the same.

"Thanks Mum. Say, have you heard of any major headlines currently?" I probed.

"Well, not much, just the same old. Donald Trump's still president and North Korea's still experimenting with their missiles. Surely nothing that you haven't heard of."

This was strange. I'd finished leafing through the papers and there wasn't any article on Cherlyn's kidnapping. Did it not happen? Did no one make a police report yet? Were the news correspondents too inefficient? Or did I change the outcome of events? Two weeks ago I was at family day. I saw Cherlyn at the lake, lost and crying, but I ignored her. I was grumpy and grouchy from being dragged to family day. I figured this was why she looked so familiar yesterday. Did I save her? Did I prevent her kidnapping indirectly?

"Mum, do you think that our actions and decisions matter? Do they make a difference?" I spoke my thoughts out aloud.

"Yes Xave, I think they sure do. This may sound cliché, but it's true. To the world you might just be one person, but to that one person, you might be their whole world. Xave, you can change lives in many ways. Of course, you can always do so by becoming a nurse..."

Yes, I could change the world, I could change a person's life, Diana's life! Diana should still be alive right now! And I had the power to change her decision!

"Thanks Mum, I know what to do now. Got to get going to school," I scrambled to my feet, overly eager at my sudden enlightenment.

"But Xave, your breakfast, you've hardly touched it..."

"It's okay Mum, I'm not hungry," I shut the door.

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I thought about what to do for longest time. Not that time was on my side either, I had only about eight days to convince Diana to not take her own life; time was running out fast. I contemplated coming clean with Jon, George and Aus, to tell them that I was from the future and ask them to work with me to help Diana. But that wouldn't work. Surely honour roll students Jon and George wouldn't believe the words of a mediocre student like me. Worse still, they could send me to the school counsellor and more time would then be wasted.