“Bye!” Oliver called, waving.
Hopefully, that would be the last he’d ever see of Christopher Blue.
He slammed the doors shut and turned on his heel.
Head held high, Oliver picked his way through the messy lunch hall and strolled confidently through the corridors of Campbell Junior High. He’d never felt better. Nothing could top this feeling.
When he reached the exit, he pushed the double main doors open with both hands. A gust of clean, cold air hit him. He took a deep breath in, feeling rejuvenated.
And that’s when he saw her.
Standing at the bottom of the steps looking up, stood a solitary figure. Black hair. Emerald green eyes.
Oliver couldn’t believe it. His heart leapt, suddenly beating a mile a minute in his chest. His brain began to spin as it desperately tried to work out how… why…
His palms became clammy. His throat turned dry. A shiver of excitement ran up his spine.
Because standing there before him was a vision of beauty.
It was none other than Esther Valentini.
CHAPTER SIX
“Esther?” Oliver exclaimed.
He held her by the shoulders, drinking in the sight of every bit of her. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Oliver.” Esther’s face broke into a smile. She threw her arms around him. “I found you.”
Her voice was so sweet, like honey. It sang into his ear. Oliver held her close. It felt so wonderful to wrap his arms around her. He’d thought he’d never see her again.
But then he moved out of her embrace, suddenly alarmed. “Why are you here?”
Esther flashed him a mischievous smile. “There’s a time machine at the school. Hidden within the kapoc tree. I noticed a small X carved into it and since there’s an X on every entrance that only teachers are allowed to use, I figured that must mean there was an entrance within it. So I did a bit of snooping, saw a few teachers disappear, and realized there must be a time machine inside. Strictly forbidden for students to use, of course.”
Oliver shook his head. Of course the brilliantly talented Esther Valentini would find a hidden time machine. But no one would travel through one without a very good reason, especially not into a timeline in which one did not belong! From what Oliver had learned at the School for Seers, spending any significant amount of time in the wrong timeline put a real strain on the body. Indeed, he’d felt rather odd just traveling back to his own.
And that’s not even mentioning the sacrifice. There was no guarantee of ever returning. Leaving the School for Seers had broken Oliver’s heart and he’d only done so to save Armando’s life. So something must have driven Esther to come here. A quest, perhaps. A mission. Maybe the school was in danger again?
“Not how?” Oliver said. “Why?”
To his great surprise, Esther smirked. “You promised me a second date.”
Oliver paused, frowning. “You mean you came here for me?”
He couldn’t understand it. Esther might never get back. She may be trapped in the wrong timeline forever. And she’d done it for him?
Her cheeks went pink. She tried to shrug it off, becoming suddenly shy. “I figured you’d need some help.”
Though he couldn’t understand it, Oliver was grateful for the sacrifice Esther had made. She may well be trapped in the wrong timeline forever and she’d done it for him. He wondered if that meant she loved him. He couldn’t think of another reason why someone would put themselves through that.
The thought made him feel warm all over. He quickly changed the subject, feeling suddenly shy and bashful.
“How was the journey through time?” he asked. “Did you get here unharmed?”
Esther tapped her stomach. “I was a little sick. And it gave me a terrible headache. But that’s all.”
Just then, Oliver remembered the amulet. He pulled it out from beneath his overalls. “Professor Amethyst gave me this before I left.”
Esther touched the amulet with her fingers. “A portal detector! They go warm when you’re near a wormhole, right?” She smiled breezily. “That might just guide us back to the School for Seers one day.”
“But it’s been ice cold ever since I got here,” Oliver said glumly.
“Don’t worry,” she told him. “We’re hardly in a rush. We have all the time we want.” She smirked at her own joke.
Oliver laughed as well.
“I have a new quest,” Oliver told her.
Esther’s eyes widened with excitement. “You do?”
He nodded and showed her the compass. Esther gazed at it in wonder.
“It’s beautiful. What does it mean?”
Oliver pointed to the dials and the strange hieroglyphic symbols. “It’s leading me to my parents. These symbols represent certain places or people. See, those are my parents.” He pointed to the dial that had never moved, the one that remained fixed on the image of a man and woman holding hands. “These other dials seem to move depending on where I need to go next.”
“Oh, Oliver, how exciting! You have a mission! Where is it leading you next?”
He pointed at the oak leaf. “Boston.”
“Why Boston?”
“I’m not sure,” Oliver replied, sliding the compass into the pocket of his overalls. “But it’s related to finding my parents.”
Esther slipped her hand inside his and smiled. “Then let’s go.”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Yes.” She smiled shyly. “If you’ll have me.”
“Of course.”
Oliver grinned. Though he couldn’t quite fathom how Esther was so calm about the fact she may be trapped in the wrong timeline forever, her presence did lift his spirits. Suddenly, everything seemed much more hopeful, much more like the universe was guiding him. His quest to find his parents would be much more enjoyable with Esther by his side.
They headed down the steps, leaving Campbell Junior High behind them, and went in the direction of the train station, walking side by side. Esther’s hand in Oliver’s felt smooth. It was so comforting.
Though it was a chilly October day, Oliver couldn’t feel the cold at all. Just being with Esther kept him warm. It was so good to see her. He’d thought he never would again. But he couldn’t help worrying she was a mirage that might disappear at any second. So as they walked, he kept glancing at her just to make sure she was real. Every time, she’d give him her sweet, shy smile, and he’d feel another burst of warmth in his chest.
They reached the train station and headed to the platform. Oliver had never actually bought a train ticket before, and the ticket machine looked very intimidating. But then he reminded himself he’d defused a bomb so he could certainly figure out how to work a ticket machine.
He bought two tickets to Cambridge in Boston, selecting the one-way option since he had no idea whether he’d ever return to New Jersey or not. The thought worried him.
The train to Cambridge was to take just over four hours. They watched it pull into the platform and then boarded it, finding a quiet carriage where they could settle in for the long journey.
“How is everyone at school?” Oliver asked. “Ralph? Hazel? Walter? Simon?”
Esther smiled. “They’re fine. We all miss you, of course. Walter a lot, actually. He says switchit just isn’t the same without you.”
Oliver