D. MacHale - The Reality Bug

“Uh-oh. Bad practice again?”

“I just got cut.”

“What!”

“Not really. I’ve been demoted to JV.” Mark didn’t know what to say. This was alien territory. He wasn’t used to boosting Courtney’s confidence.

“You know you’re better than that,” Mark said sincerely. “Am I?” she said softly.

Courtney had never admitted defeat before. Mark glanced around quickly to make sure he was the only one who heard it. “Don’t say that,” he chastised. “You just had a slow start.” Then a thought hit him and he added, “Besides, I’ve got more good news.”

He waited for her to react. A few moments went by, then Courtney looked at him and actually smiled.

“Are you serious?” she asked cautiously.

“It showed up last night,” Mark answered with a big smile. “I’ve got a confession to make, though. I think you’ll understand why it happened when you see the journal, but I already saw the beginning part.”

Courtney stopped walking and stared at Mark. Mark didn’t let the moment hang. He had to explain himself, fast.

“I didn’t mean to, but it’s not a regular journal. It’s a hologram.”

“Say what?”

“Bobby recorded the journal like a 3-D movie. I was so surprised that I didn’t turn it off right away. But I only heard the beginning. I stopped it before he got to anything really important. I didn’t want to hear it without you.”

That was the truth, mostly. Mark could only hope that Courtney would understand. A long moment went by. Mark wasn’t sure if Courtney was going to forgive him or kick him in the head.

After an eternity, Courtney said, “It’s cool. I get it. Can you come over tonight?”

“Right after dinner,” he said, totally relieved.

Courtney then continued on, jogging into the school. Mark nearly leaped into the air. This was an incredible day. Sci-Clops, then Courtney’s forgiveness. As he jogged around the school building to catch the late bus, Mark was elated. Things were turning out perfectly.

But still, he felt a little strange. He wasn’t used to taking the upper hand when it came to Courtney. He thought she would have at least made him feel a little guilty for what he had done. But she forgave him and let it go at that. It was like they had reached a new level in their friendship.

Mark wasn’t entirely sure he liked it.

A few hours later Mark and Courtney sat together on the big, dusty old couch in Courtney’s basement. They usually read Bobby’s journals there because it was a workshop full of rusty tools that Courtney’s father never used. She called it the “Tool Museum.” It was a perfectly private place for them to read and discuss the journals. Being private was even more important this time, because they weren’t going to be reading, they would be listening and watching.

“How does it work?” Courtney asked. She was all showered and feeling a little bit better. Time and a good dinner will do that. A new journal from Bobby didn’t hurt either.

Mark was in the same clothes he wore at school. He hadn’t eaten dinner. He was too excited. He reached into his pack and took out the small, silver device that contained Bobby’s journal.

“It’s like a CD player,” Mark explained. “I’ll rewind to the beginning.” He touched the orange button. There was no sound or feeling of movement.

“How much did you see?” Courtney asked.

“Just a little,” Mark fibbed. He figured since they would both see it from the beginning, he could get away with stretching the truth.

“Is he okay?” Courtney asked.

“Seems so,” Mark answered. “But you can see for yourself.” Mark put the silver device down on the table in front of the couch and pressed the green button. Instantly the beam of light shot out and projected Bobby’s life-size image in space.

“Hiya, Mark. Hey Courtney” Bobby’s image began.

“Wow!” shouted Courtney. “It’s like the hologram with the floating head.”

Mark let out a relieved breath. Up until that moment he wasn’t sure if the device had actually rewound all the way. Now he was totally off the hook with Courtney. He didn’t mind that he was going to have to rehear Bobby’s story from the beginning. All that mattered was that they were under way.

Together this time.

And they were about to learn about Lifelight.

(CONTINUED)

“Bobby! It’s getting-up time!” came a familiar, singsong voice.

I was still asleep. It was one of those perfect moments when no matter what position you roll into, it’s more comfortable than the last. No, I didn’t care what time it was, I was staying in bed.

“Big day today!” came the pleasant voice again.

I was too comfortable to care. I rolled over, determined to continue the bliss. But then I felt a huge weight land on me. I knew what was coming next. Any chance of staying in bed would soon dissolve because…

A slippery, sandy tongue started burrowing into my ear. I don’t know what was so tasty about my ear, but it was the spot that Marley would lick when she wanted me to get up.

“All right, all right!” I laughed and pushed my golden retriever away. I think she liked the whole ear-licking-while-I-was-trying-to-sleep thing because it was one of the few times she had complete control over me. That, and of course when I walked her and had to pick up her poop. She pretty much called the shots then, too.

A second later another weight landed on the bed. I knew what this was too. It was my little sister. Shannon.

“Breakfast is ready,” she informed me. “You have to eat or you won’t be strong enough to play.”

Shannon thought she pretty much knew everything about everything, and for an eight-year-old she wasn’t far from wrong. She was cute, too, with long dark brown hair that she always tied into two ponytails. She had these big brown eyes and a broad smile that lit up the room. People always told Mom that Shannon should be a model, but Mom wasn’t hot on the idea. I think she was afraid Shannon was already growing up too fast.

“Eat soon so you can digest,” she continued. “I don’t want to see you barfing on the court.” With that last little nugget of wisdom, she jumped off the bed and ran out of my bedroom. Marley bounded off the bed and scampered after her.

The smell of bacon found my nose. That was the last bit of convincing I needed. I loved bacon and we didn’t get it that often because Mom thought it was too fatty or something. But every so often when there was a special occasion, she would give in. I guess today’s basketball game counted as a big occasion. Fine with me. I threw my legs over the bed and stood up, now fully awake. I was wearing boxers, but pulled on a pair of sweats because sitting at the breakfast table in my underwear wasn’t cool. I then picked a T-shirt off the floor, sniffed it to make sure it wasn’t rank, and pulled it over my head. It was going to be a good day. Big breakfast, basketball game, maybe Courtney would come to watch and…

What the hell?

Reality struck. My knees went weak and I actually fell back down onto the bed. What was happening? I looked around my bedroom and it looked as familiar as always. My desk, my computer, my trophies, my stack of CDs, my New York Jets posters, even my clothes strewn on the floor. This was my bedroom. At home. In Stony Brook.

On… Second… Freakin’… Earth!

Nothing was out of the ordinary but everything was out of the ordinary. How could this be happening? I started to hyperventilate. Nothing made sense, even though it made perfect sense. Could everything that had happened since the night I left home with Uncle Press have been a dream? Denduron, Cloral, the Hindenburg, Saint Dane… everything. Had it all been a nightmare? I glanced at my window, half expecting Professor Marvel from The Wizard of Oz to poke his head in to see if I was okay.