Chapter 15 - the final thought

Although he had only met her once, a very long time ago, Michael recognised Heather immediately; the dark-haired and sinister-acting girl he had unexpectedly done a deal with exactly ten years ago.

Heather spotted him straight away too; heading over. “Where’s my money?” she asked, almost breathless with need.

Michael could tell, just from her manner that no time had passed at all for her; she had effortlessly slipped from one time stream to the next. Seconds for her, had been ten years for him.

“It’s all there,” Michael explained, leading her out and opening the trunk of his huge, expensive car, to reveal a large suitcase that was all prepared.

In a rush, Heather grabbed the handle and dragged the bulky suitcase out, not even unzipping to check. “Nice doing business with you,” she threw out, already making her exit and rolling the suitcase away.

Michael couldn’t make out where the girl was going. She didn’t appear to have a car parked here; she was simply walking away. For ten years he had thought about the questions he had wanted to ask her; the things he longed to know! However, her tone had been so serious and her manner so unnerving, that he had decided to keep quiet. His one chance of ever finding out how she had done it, was simply walking away from him, and he sighed in disappointment at the anti-climax of it all.

Heather stopped in her tracks, turning back to him, as if realising how rude she had been. She looked and regarded Michael. “Did it make you happier?” she asked, suddenly thoughtful and interested.

“Having my ten years back?” Michael asked, surprised by the question. “Not the money, no,” he stated firmly, suddenly feeling a little ridiculous in his fine, expensive, tailored suit; like he was wearing some pompous costume. “I mean, being rich is nice and everything, but…”

He stopped talking, seeing the large-bellied Lori emerge through the entrance and beckon him back in to meet someone; yelling something about Jackson’s wife. The woman’s gut was so much fuller and rounder than it had even been the last time she had attended this reunion; not that she knew it. Michael had considered telling her about the time shift on many occasions. It was so ridiculous and insane, that she would never have believed him. And so, with a heavy heart, he knew that this was a secret he would have to carry with him to the grave.

He’d been so proud to stand there by Lori's side this afternoon; seeing everyone again. But Michael had also held on to so many more high school friends this time around. Lots of them had even attended his wedding last summer. Even so, many of them still looked surprised at how much larger Lori was since then; with a broad, wide butt that made her heavier underfoot, stomping away and getting looks from others with how much space she needed just to get by. The former cheerleader, turned into an incredibly big, beautiful woman; living a life of pure luxury with a guy she had had almost nothing to do with in her high school days.

In Michael's eyes, he was quite simply the luckiest man in the world.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” he stated firmly to the mysterious girl, walking away from her and back into the party. “I’m very, very happy!”