Читать книгу A Crossed Reality - Gerald Pruett - Страница 11

Chapter Five

In Brandy’s dorm, Brandy was talking on the phone and inquiring about charter planes to Mexico City. Alex, Doug, Kenny, Cindy and Ben were listening to Brandy’s side of the conversation.

When Brandy hung up, Cindy asked, “So how much for a round-trip charter plane to Mexico City?”

“It cost six times more money than what I have in the bank,” Brandy said.

“Where are we going to get the rest of the money?” Cindy asked.

“All of us will have to get jobs,” Kenny said. “Also the time it takes to earn the money will give Randy the time to come to Harvard; if he’s coming that is.”

“We don’t even know who’s hiring,” Cindy said.

“I saw a ‘help wanted’ sign for a waiter or a waitress at Little Bucks,” Alex said. “I can apply for that position.”

“Do you know anything about waiting tables?” Kenny asked.

“Actually I do,” Alex said. “I worked as a waiter for four years back in St. Louis.”

“You can’t put that down on your job application though,” Doug pointed out.

“I can still fill out the job application,” Alex said.

“Alex, before you fill out any job applications and go on any interviews, you need to put on some makeup,” Brandy strongly suggested.

“Fine,” Alex agreed. “I’ll go back to my dorm, see what Alexandra has for nice clothes, put an outfit on and then come back here for you to help me with my makeup.”

“Alex, put on a dress, and not slacks and a blouse,” Cindy said.

“I’ll see what Alexandra has,” Alex said. She then turned and walked out.

Minutes later, as Alex walked into her dorm room, Trudy and Miles got up from their seats and gave her a serious stare.

Alex, with a confused expression across her face, looked back and forth from Trudy to Miles just before Trudy said, “Good, you’re here.”

Alex continued to give Trudy a confused look while asking, “What’s going on?”

“This is an intervention,” Trudy said.

Alex continued to give Trudy a confused look while asking, “Excuse me?”

“Alex, you have a memory problem and I’m not going to let you leave this dorm until you admit to it,” Trudy said.

“Trudy; Miles, I appreciate your concern over my welfare, but there’s nothing wrong with me,” Alex insisted. “And I really don’t have time for this. I’m going to my room, change clothes and leave.”

“You’re not leaving this dorm, and when you do leave it, it will be to see a doctor about your memory loss,” Trudy said.

“You think you’ll be able to stop me from leaving?” Alex asked.

Trudy crossed her arms while saying, “There’s no way that you’ll be able to get passed Miles and me, so you might as well start admitting that you have a problem so you can get help.”

“I can let out a bloodcurdling scream and when people come to investigate, I’ll leave then.”

“You would scream?” Miles asked.

Alex nodded as Trudy said in a convincing tone, “Scream as much and as loud as you want. No one will pay any attention to it. They’ll just think it’s paranoid Betty seeing her shadow again.”

Alex thought for a brief moment before saying, “I doubt that my scream would sound anything like paranoid Betty.”

“Alex, paranoid Betty is a forty-year-old woman who is presently living next door to my parents, and if you weren’t having memory problems like you claim then you would have remembered that,” Trudy pointed out.

“How can I convince you and Miles that I don’t have memory problems along with getting you to stop testing me like you are?”

“Actually, I’m the only one who thinks that you have memory problems. Miles thinks that you are an imposter.”

Alex slightly chuckled before questioning, “Me, an imposter? You two can check my DNA and run my fingerprints. I’m Alex. Now if you two will excuse me, I’m going to my room, change my clothes and then I’m going to go to Little Bucks Bar and Grill to apply for a job.”

“You’re going to apply for a job at where Stephen Keith works?” Trudy asked.

“Nice try,” Alex quickly said. “But I’m not falling for your memory test this time.”

“Alex, Trudy wasn’t testing you this time,” Miles said. “Stephen is a cook there.”

“So far, you’re zero for three,” Trudy said. “So is Miles right or am I right? Are you having memory problems?”

Alex stared at Trudy as if she was scared to even say anything else. After a long pause she sighed before she finally said, “I swear that I don’t have any memory problems, and I’m not an imposter… exactly.”

“What do you mean by ‘exactly’?” Miles asked.

“You or Trudy won’t believe me, so it would be a waste of time to even say anything,” Alex told him.

“Let us be the judge of what we’ll believe,” Trudy said.

“Okay,” Alex said. “Have either of you ever heard of the multiple realities theory?”

“Of course, but what does that have to do with anything?” Miles asked.

“A friend of mine, Randy Miller, was obsessed with proving that theory, and yesterday he did; except there was one flaw in his thinking.”

“What was his flaw?” Miles asked.

“He thought that a wormhole would open up after he activated a remote that he designed, and whoever wanted to visit an alternate reality would jump in, but apparently it doesn’t work that way.”

“How does it work then?” Miles asked.

Alex cringed before saying, “I am Alex, but I’m not the Alex from this reality.” Trudy and Miles gave Alex a concerned look as Alex continued to say, “After Randy activated his remote to create a wormhole, I and the Alex of this reality switched bodies. Miles; Doug and the four who were with me earlier had also switched bodies, and they are friends of mine from my reality.”

“You can’t be serious,” Trudy said.

“I told you that you wouldn’t believe me, but I’m telling you the truth,” Alex said. “When Alex of this reality passed out yesterday that was when we switched bodies. I don’t have certain memories because in my reality my life took a totally different path.”

Trudy gave Alex a skeptical look as Miles said, “Trudy, I’m not sure why, but I believe her. So, Alex, which one of those two men is Randy?”

“Neither. We don’t know for sure where Randy is, but we do have a clue that he is in Mexico City, Mexico. And to correct this cross reality mix up, finding Randy is our only hope.”

“Why do you believe he’s in Mexico?” Miles asked.

“Three years ago in my reality Randy was told that his long lost dad was there and I talked him out of going there to look for him,” Alex said. “The Alex from this reality never met Randy, so I believe no one was around to talk him out of going.”

“Why did you go to St. Louis last night?” Miles asked.

“Randy is also from St. Louis. I went to his house and talked to his mom. His mom was the one who gave me the clue that Randy is in Mexico.”

“Alex, can I talk to you in private for a second?” Trudy asked.

“Let’s go to my bedroom,” Alex said. “You can help me pick out an outfit.”

“Okay,” Trudy said.

Alex stepped into her room followed by Trudy. Once the door was shut behind Trudy, Alex asked, “So what do you want to talk to me about?”

“I’m still partially skeptical of you being from an alternate reality…”

“Trudy, that’s actually understandable. I would be skeptical too if I was in your shoes.”

“Speaking of shoes that you are in; yesterday after you came to you practically went hysterical. You were actually shocked to be a woman.”

“Yeah,” Alex nervously said while fidgeting. “I was really hoping that you would have forgotten that part.”

“So in the other reality, were you a guy?”

“I was. In my reality my name is Alexander. Just put green eyes and red hair on Doug and that would be pretty close to what I had looked like.”

“Interesting.”

“Trudy, I’m no good about picking out women’s clothes to go look for a job, so I was wondering if you can help me.”

“Don’t you need to go to Mexico and look for Randy?”

“My friends and I don’t have any money to get to Mexico and the only way to get money is for us to get jobs. Besides, Randy could be on his way here to find us. The time that it will take for us to collect the money will actually give Randy the chance to get here.”

“Okay, I understand your reasoning for wanting a job, but the Alex from this reality and Stephen once dated.”

“I actually knew that part from reading the diaries.”

“And you still want to apply for a job there?”

“That’s the only place I know that’s hiring. Besides, I know who Stephen is, so I think I can handle it.”

“Okay; well let’s see what clothes you have.” Just as Alex and Trudy began browsing through the clothes, Trudy said, “Alex, you actually do look good without any makeup, but while applying for a job, you may want to put some on. I can help you.”

“I actually have someone who is going to help me with that, but thanks for the offer.”

“You’re welcome. Oh and in case you don’t know you do have a class in two hours.”

“I actually did know, but thanks for reminding me.”

“No problem.”

Alex and Trudy looked at a few dresses before Alex agreed to wear a blue one.

After Alex put on the dress, she saw Trudy holding up a pair of high-heeled shoes that matched the dress. Alex looked at Trudy as if she had lost her mind before saying, “I hope you don’t plan on me wearing those.”