Читать книгу A Crossed Reality - Gerald Pruett - Страница 9

Chapter Three

Minutes after Alex and Doug’s plane landed they were walking into Lambert Airport. Melissa, Avery’s sister and a worker at the airport saw them and briskly walked towards them.

When Melissa was a short distance away, she called out, “Alex! Doug!”

Alex and Doug stopped and turned around. As Melissa walked up to them, they gazed at Melissa as if she was a stranger.

Alex read her name tag before saying, “Hi… Melissa Hartman.”

Melissa gave Alex a curious look while asking, “Are you okay?”

“Of course, Melissa. Why would you ask me if I’m okay?”

Melissa continued to give Alex a curious look while asking, “Since when have I become Melissa and not Aunt Melissa?”

Alex thought for a second before saying, “Oh that. I figured since I’m twenty-one now and was legally an adult, it would be okay to call you Melissa. But now as I say it, it really doesn’t sound right, so I’ll go back to Aunt Melissa.”

“I prefer that you call me Aunt Melissa anyway. So why are you two here and not at Harvard where you two belong?”

Alex was trying to think of an answer when Doug said, “A friend of ours is turning twenty-one today and he really wants us here for his party. He even bought our plane tickets.”

“Do your parents know that you two are here?” Melissa asked.

“It was really a last minute thing, so we didn’t get the chance to say anything to them,” Alex said.

“Our tickets are round trip, so we were only going to stay long enough to make an appearance; stay for a short time and then catch the next flight back to Boston,” Doug added. “So I was thinking that telling our parents would be a waste of time anyway.”

“Your parents are going to want to know that you two are in town.”

“Since we aren’t going to be here long enough to visit them, could you turn a blind eye to our visit?” Doug asked.

“No, sir!” Melissa quickly told him. “I want you or Alex to call your parents right this instant and let them know that you two are in town.”

Alex pulled out her phone from her purse and said, “I’ll call mom.”

“Good,” Melissa told her.

After calling her mom’s cell phone, the phone went to voicemail. Alex left the message, “Mom, call me after you get this message. Doug and I are in St. Louis. We just got off the plane. We came home to wish a friend ‘Happy Birthday’, and then we’re returning to Harvard. Bye.” Alex hung up before facing Melissa again. “Mom’s phone went straight to voicemail, and as you witnessed, I left a message explaining everything.”

Melissa gave Alex a skeptical look before saying, “Just to be safe, call your dad.”

“Fine,” Alex said before dialing Avery’s office. Within a few rings Tiffany answered the phone. “Tiffany, is my dad busy?”

“He’s again with a patient,” Tiffany said.

“Well, tell my dad that Doug and I are in St. Louis. We just got off the plane. We came home to wish a friend ‘Happy Birthday’, and then we’re returning to Harvard.”

“Okay, I’ll give him the message, but he’s going to flip when he gets it,” Tiffany said.

“Okay thanks,” Alex said.

“Is there anything else?” Tiffany asked.

“That’s it for… ” Alex was able to get out.

“Alex, I want to talk to Tiffany,” Melissa interrupted with.

“Tiffany, Aunt Melissa is with me and she wants to talk to you.” Alex then held out the phone for Melissa to take.

After taking the phone Melissa asked, “Tiffany, are you there?”

“I’m here. What’s going on?”

“I’m not quite sure myself, but make sure my brother gets Alex’s message,” Melissa said.

“I will,” Tiffany said.

“Bye.” After Melissa hung up the phone she handed the phone back to Alex.

As Alex was putting her phone away, Doug asked, “So are we free to go and wish our friend ‘Happy Birthday’?”

“Go,” Melissa said.

Alex and Doug waved bye to Melissa before walking away. Melissa returned the wave and then skeptically watched as Alex and Doug walked away.

Alex and Doug walked up to the cab stop and stepped up to the first available cab. After getting in they told the cab driver the address.

Minutes later, the cab driver was pulling up in front of a house on Victoria Place. Once Doug paid the cab driver he and Alex got out.

As the cab driver was driving away Alex watched for a moment before saying, “Maybe we should have told him to wait.”

Doug looked towards the cab before saying, “It’s too late now.” He and Alex then turned and walked towards the house.

Once Doug and Alex stepped up to the door, Doug pressed the doorbell.

After Randy’s mother, Phyllis, opened the door, she saw Doug first and then Alex. As she looked at Doug again she asked, “Yes? May I help you?”

“Hi, Ms. Miller, you may not remember me, but my sister Alex and I are friends of Randy’s.”

Phyllis leaned against the doorjamb before asking, “You two know Randy?”

“We do,” Doug said. “Is he here by any chance?”

“How is it that you two know him?” Phyllis asked.

Doug gestured towards Alex while saying, “Alex and I met Randy in first grade. All three of us had several classes together since then too.”

“And what are your names again?”

“I’m Douglas Larson and this is my sister, Alexandra. Ms. Miller, it’s very important that we talk to Randy.”

“Well, I’m afraid you are three years too late,” Phyllis said.

“What do you mean?” Alex quickly asked.

“A day after his high school graduation, he packed a bag with a few days worth of clean clothes and left. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Did he say where he was going?” Doug asked.

“He never told me that he was leaving, but the last discussion Randy and I had before he disappeared was about him finding his dad. I thought I’d talked him out of it, but I’m sure that is what he left to do.”

“Do you know where Randy’s dad is?” Doug asked.

“No, I don’t. I haven’t seen or heard of Randy’s dad since I told him that I was pregnant,” Phyllis said.

Before Doug was able to ask another question, Alex said, “Thanks for the information, Ms. Miller. Doug and I should be on our way. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Phyllis said before re-entering the house and shutting the door.

As Alex and Doug were slowly walking away, Doug said, “If you allowed me to ask a few more questions, I might’ve been able to get a clue to where he’s at.”

“Doug, I have a clue to where he’s at.”

“Where?” Doug quickly asked.

While the two were leisurely walking away from Phyllis’s house, Alex said, “Two weeks before graduation, Randy told me that he had met someone who knew his father. Randy was told that his father lived in Mexico City, Mexico. I was the one who talked him out of going to Mexico. Chances are we never met in this reality, so I wasn’t here to talk him out of it. In fact, the day I talked him out of going to Mexico was the same day he started doing research on alternate realities.”

An amused grin came across Doug’s face before he accused jokingly, “Oh, so our predicament is actually all your fault for talking Randy out of going to Mexico to find his dad.”

Alex gave Doug a smirk before saying, “I’m so glad that you are enjoying this.” Before anything else was said, Alex’s phone rang. She glanced at the number before nervously answering the phone with, “Mom, hi. What’s up?”

“Alex, where are you and your brother right now?” Beverly angrily asked.

“We are on a street named Victoria Place. I was about ready to call for a cab…”

“I’ll come and get you two, so what is the address to the closest house to you?”

“Mom, we could be arrested for stalking if we wait here for you,” Alex said while looking at Doug. “So why don’t Doug and I wait for you at a restaurant?”

“What restaurant?!” Once Alex told Beverly the name of the closest fast food restaurant Beverly replied, “Okay, you two wait there and I’ll be there as soon as I can. Bye.”

“Bye,” Alex said before cringing.

As Alex went to put her phone away, Doug said, “From what I heard from your side of the conversation that went better than I thought it would.”

“I think she’s saving it for when she sees us in person.” Alex then gestured in the direction of the restaurant. “Well, we better get there before mom does.”

While walking to the restaurant, Doug asked, “So how do we find Randy if he is in Mexico?”

“I think we’ll have to go there,” Alex answered.

“I was scared that you were going to suggest that.”

“Well, we have to find Randy, and the possibility of him being in Mexico City is the only lead we have.”

“Well, before we do something drastic, like going to Mexico, I want to discuss it with Kenny, Brandy, Cindy and Ben first.”

“Doug, this is not our reality and we need to do what is necessary to find Randy.”

“We don’t know for certain that Randy is even in Mexico City, and that is why I want to discuss it with the others.”

“Fine, we can discuss it with the others and after we discuss it, I’m going to Mexico with or without you.”

Doug sighed before asking, “And how are you going to get to Mexico? You certainly don’t have the gas money to drive there.”

“I’ll figure something out,” Alex assured him. Doug just shook his head in disbelief.

After getting to the restaurant, Alex and Doug each bought a soda. They sat at a table for fifteen minutes before Beverly walked in. Alex’s back was to the entrance and when Doug saw Beverly, he gestured and said, “Mom’s here.”

When Alex and Doug walked up to Beverly, Beverly told them in an unhappy tone, “Let’s go.”

Before taking a step, Doug said, “Mom, I can…”

“Save it until we get home,” Beverly sternly told him.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Doug said before he, Alex and Beverly walked towards the exit.

No one talked during the ride home and they continued to remain quiet as everyone entered a two-story house. Alex walked in first followed by Doug and then Beverly. As they walked into the living room Alex and Doug saw Avery and Michelle watching TV. Michelle was Alex and Doug’s sixteen-year-old sister and when they saw Michelle, they gazed at her as if they were seeing her for the first time.

Avery turned off the TV and as he was standing up, he said, “Michelle, your mom and I need to talk to Alex and Doug alone, so I need you to go to your room and do your homework.”

“My homework’s done.”

“Then listen to your music CD’s,” Avery quickly told her.

Michelle said while standing, “Fine.” As Michelle was walking towards the door, she looked at Alex and Doug. “I’m not sure if I want to hear this anyway.”

After Michelle left the room, Avery gestured towards the couch while saying, “Sit down you two.” Alex and Doug sat down. Alex placed her purse on the coffee table. “You two are going to blow any chances of graduating Harvard by skipping classes and taking plane trips to St. Louis.”

“Whose idea was it for Doug and I to go to Harvard?” Alex asked.

“I suggested it, and you and Doug jumped on the suggestion,” Avery shot back. “Any more smart remarks from either of you?”

Alex timidly said, “That wasn’t meant to be a smart remark.”

“Alex, you want to go to medical school like your mother and I did, but you’ll blow that by skipping classes,” Avery said. “So why are you here?”

“Didn’t you get the message that I left with Tiffany?” Alex nervously asked.

“Your mother and I both got the same message, but your Aunt Melissa had a hunch and ran a check on who paid for the tickets, so we all know that the message you left was bogus. Oh and speaking of a message, why were you asking about a man name Nicholas Christopher O’Brien?”

When Doug saw Alex searching her thoughts for an excuse, he blurted out, “Alex and I have our reasons to believe that Nicholas Christopher O’Brien is our real dad.”

“Who told you that?” Beverly demanded to know.

“Does it matter how we found out?” Doug questioned. “The fact is you two have been lying to us about who our father is.”

Avery proclaimed loud enough for Michelle to hear, “Hey! I’m your father! I was in the hospital delivery room the day you and Alex were born! I contributed greatly for your education and your care providing! And I…”

Alex quickly stood up and interrupted with, “Dad, I don’t think Doug meant for that to sound the way it did. We know you’re our dad, but if Nicholas O’Brien is our biological dad then we have the right to know that. That’s the reason why we’re in St. Louis. We came back to find the truth about Nicholas O’Brien and we didn’t ask either one of you because we didn’t think you would tell us.”

“Well, you two can stop looking for Nicholas O’Brien because you two will never find him,” Beverly told Alex and Doug.

“Why won’t we?” Alex quickly asked.

Beverly took a breath before saying, “Alex; Doug, Nicholas was your biological dad; however, a month before I found out that I was pregnant with you two, he died.”

“How did he die?” Doug asked.

“He was injured on the job and was taken to the hospital,” Beverly began. “Within minutes after getting to the hospital he was given an injection that he was severely allergic to. Complications set in and he died from his allergies. To my surprise he had taken out a will and a life insurance policy on himself two months before and named me the sole beneficiary. The money I received was enough to help me stay in medical school. I met Avery two days before I found out I was pregnant with you two.” Beverly looked at Avery with a heartfelt gaze. “Avery found out that I was pregnant at the same time when the doctor gave me the news, and he stuck by me without hesitation. Avery may not have been the one who got me pregnant with you two, but he is your dad.”

“Doug and I have the right to know this,” Alex said. “So why was this kept from us?”

Doug gave Alex a curious look as Beverly gestured towards Avery while saying, “This man is your dad. When you and Doug were born he and I agreed on that us being your parents was the only thing that mattered.”

“No offense, Mom, but that wasn’t your right or dad’s right to decide that,” Alex said.

“Alex, you know the truth now,” Avery said. “So tell me, does knowing the truth change anything? Does it change who you are? Does it change the way you feel about me?”

“It doesn’t change the way I feel about you, but it does change who I am. I mean, I have a heritage that I didn’t know about, and you and mom tried to keep it from Doug and me. That alone is wrong. A person needs to know where his or her ancestors came from.”

“Alex, perhaps what your mom and I did wasn’t the right thing to do,” Avery began. “Up until now I thought it was the right thing, but now you actually have me second guessing myself on what would’ve been the right thing. Anyway, regardless of what the right thing was, we did it to give you and Doug two living parents who love you.”

“Dad, even if you and mom had told Doug and me the truth ten years ago, we still would’ve had two living parents,” Alex said. “Dad, we love you.” Alex looked at Doug. “Right, Doug.”

Doug gave Alex a slightly skeptical look before saying, “Of course.” Doug then stood up. “Dad; Mom, since everything is out then perhaps Alex and I should be heading back to Boston.”

Avery looked at his watch before saying, “A plane back to Boston doesn’t leave for another five hours.”

“I had chicken out to thaw for dinner, but that obviously won’t be enough,” Beverly said. “So how about we order a pizza?”

“Pizza’s fine for me,” Alex said.

“Same here,” Doug added as Alex’s phone rang.

Alex gestured towards her purse and said, “I should get that.” Beverly just nodded. After Alex got the phone from her purse she looked at who was calling. “Trudy, hi. What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Trudy quickly asked.

“I’m actually at home and standing in my living room.”

“Your home is in St. Louis and you cannot be in St. Louis right now.”

“Why can’t I?”

“Because you have a date with my brother Miles in two hours, that’s why you can’t be.”

“Trudy, I completely forgot about that,” Alex said while trying to sound sincere.

“Alex, you have been asking me to fix you up with my brother since he and his girlfriend broke up three weeks ago, and when I do, you bail.”

“I wasn’t bailing I swear. Something personal and very important to me had come up.”

“Well, you are the one who is going to call and explain things to Miles.”

“Fine, I’ll call. What is his number?”

“Alex, his number is stored on your phone.”

“Yes, I forgot that too,” Alex said while trying to sound convincing. “I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

“Bye,” Alex heard Trudy saying just before she hung up.

As Alex was scrolling through her phone numbers, Beverly asked, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, uh, Trudy was just reminding me about a date I was supposed to have had tonight. Since I’m here, I have to reschedule my date.” Alex gestured towards the hallway before she continued to say, “Well, I’m going to make this call in… in my room.”

“Of course,” Beverly said.

As Alex was walking out of the living room, she mumbled, “If I can find my room that is.”

Alex walked upstairs and as she was looking around Michelle came out of her bedroom. She noticed right away that Alex was looking around as if she was lost and when Alex looked at her, Michelle asked, “Are you okay?”

“Don’t I look okay?” Alex nervously asked.

“You seem… confused,” Michelle answered as she stood by her door. “Even when you and Doug walked into the living room earlier, you acted as if you were seeing me for the first time.”

Alex thought for a moment before saying, “Actually, I am confused. When you saw me I was thinking about how I am twenty-one years old, and… and I’m confused about the direction of where my life is going.”

“What are you talking about?” Michelle quickly asked. “You had your life mapped out since you were seventeen. You’ll go to Harvard and then you’ll go to medical school to become a doctor like mom and dad.”

“Most likely that is what I’ll do, but I have been thinking, ‘Is being a doctor is what I really want to do with my life.’ What if my life was supposed to have been different?”

Michelle gave Alex a curious stare before asking, “Did you have a near-death experience or something? You’re acting a bit strange.”

“Not exactly a near-death experience, but very recently… in fact, it was this morning that I had this very vivid and intense dream. In this dream Mom was Mom. Doug was Doug, but someone else was Dad. Also in this dream, you weren’t born.”

“I now know why you gave me a strange look earlier.”

“This is going to sound a little bizarre, but I still feel as if I’m in some kind of dream. So can you point out my bedroom to me?”

Michelle gave Alex a curious look. She then slightly laughed before saying, “You had me going there for a second.”

Alex gestured to a bedroom door before saying as if only to make a joke out of it, “Oh, so my bedroom is still this one.” In the same joking manner she gestured towards another room. “Or is it this one like it was in my dream?” Alex pointed to even another door. “Or perhaps it’s this one?”

Michelle gestured towards a closet and said, “Try that one.”

Alex opened up the door and looked in before playfully saying, “This bedroom is very cramped. There’s not even enough room for a bed. You wouldn’t want to switch rooms with me, would you?”

Michelle grinned before gesturing towards Alex’s bedroom and saying, “That’s your bedroom.”

Alex cautiously walked up to the door before saying, “You tricked me into thinking that the closet was my bedroom. So how do I know that this isn’t a bathroom?”

“Well, I guess you’ll have to just look and see,” Michelle playfully said.

Alex opened the door and saw that it was a bedroom. The wall was painted in a rose color. She then jokingly said, “This isn’t my bedroom. I remember the walls being a different color.”

Alex was caught off guard when Michelle said, “Yeah, Dad painted your room a week after you went back to Harvard.”

“Okay, I guess this is my room then.”

Before Alex was able to walk into her bedroom, Michelle said, “Alex, thanks.”

Alex gave Michelle a curious look before asking, “For what?”

“For treating me like someone you can joke around with. You never did that with me before.”

Alex grinned before saying, “You’re welcome.” Alex then held up her phone. “Well I actually need to make a phone call. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Michelle grinned and nodded. As Michelle was walking away, Alex walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She then looked over the room for a short time before she turned her attention to her phone and scrolled through the numbers for Miles’ number. When she found it she dialed it.

Miles answered his phone on the second ring. “Alex, you caught me just before I got into the shower. What’s up?”

“Miles, I’m afraid I’m going to have to postpone our date for another day.”

“Is there anything wrong?”

“It’s too long of a story to go into over the phone, but I’m actually in St. Louis right now and the first flight back to Boston doesn’t leave for another five hours. I know I should have called you sooner about this, but things around me got a little weird.”

“I was actually thinking that dating this soon after Maria and I had broken up was too soon anyway, so us canceling the date might be a good thing.”

“I wasn’t calling to cancel,” Alex quickly said. “I just want to postpone.”

“Alex, I wasn’t really ready for this date, so if it’s all the same to you, I’d just rather cancel.”

“If that’s what you want. Bye.” Once Alex ended the phone call she looked into the mirror. “I’m sorry, Alexandra. I didn’t mean to ruin things for you.” Alex was then slightly startled when someone knocked on the door. Alex rolled her eyes before facing the door. “Come in.”

Doug walked in and as he shut the door he asked, “How are things?”

“Things are a slight mess. I tried to postpone the date with Miles, but I think Miles took it as a sign to completely cancel the date.”

Doug gave Alex a concerned look before stepping up to her and saying, “Repeat after me. My name is Alexander O’Brien and not Alexandra Larson.”

“I know who I am,” Alex quickly said.

“Are you sure?” Doug skeptically questioned.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Alex insisted.

“I’m not as certain as you are. In fact, it seems to me that you’re confusing yourself with Alexandra.”

“I’m not confusing myself with anyone,” Alex quickly said. “Alex and Doug Larson are innocent bystanders and I just feel responsible for ruining their lives.”

“Randy is responsible and as soon as we can find him, the sooner we can straighten this mess out.”

“Randy being in Mexico is the only clue we have, but what if that clue doesn’t pan out? What are we going to do if we don’t find Randy?”

“Even if it takes us a while we’ll find him.”

“Well, until we do we need to learn who Alex and Doug Larson are, so we can minimize ruining their lives.”

“How are we supposed to do that?”

“Well, while we’re home… so to speak, I can get Alexandra’s diaries. I doubt Doug of this reality would have a diary or a journal, but you can search his room and his computer… if he has a computer that is.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get to know the person I’m supposed to be. I’ll go check out the room now.” When Alex just nodded Doug turned and walked out.

Alex stood looking over the room for a few seconds before she walked over to the closet and opened it. There were very few clothes hanging in the closet. A few pairs of high-heel shoes were in the floor. A medium size box was on the shelf.

When Alex saw the box, she said, “Okay, Alexandra, let’s see what you have here.”

Alex took the box and placed it on the bed. She then opened it and looked in.

Inside the box were trivial items such as pictures of her and a guy she didn’t recognize; three good size stuffed animals; several movie stubs and a few souvenirs from Disney Land and Six Flags.

“Okay, Alexandra, where are your diaries?” Alex’s attention was then drawn to the door again when someone knocked. “Come in.”

Beverly opened the door and walked in. When she saw that the box was on the bed and opened, she said, “There’s a sight I didn’t think I’d see for a while.”

Alex gave Beverly a confuse look before asking, “What do you mean?”

“You told me that you never wanted to see those items from Seth again. You even tried to throw that box away, but I talked you out of it. And now you’re looking at the items.”

Alex gazed into the box while saying, “I’m just trying to remember things. Memories that were once vivid to me are no longer as clear.” She then turned towards Beverly. “In fact, I want to get my diaries and re-read them.”

Beverly gave Alex a concerned look while saying, “You are a little too young to be having memory problems.”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Alex quickly said. “It’s just that memories like when I got these items from Seth just seem a bit distant. This may sound a bit strange, but I just want to remember things as if they had happened yesterday. That’s why I want to re-read my diaries.”

“Okay, before I drive you and Doug to the airport, we will pack up your diaries and you can take them with you.”

Alex gave Beverly a smile before saying, “Thanks for understanding.”

“Well, I’m going to leave you to your memories. The pizza should be here in about twenty minutes.”

Alex nodded while saying, “Okay.”

Beverly grinned before she turned and walked out.

Alex took out a movie stub and stuck it in her pocket. She then put the box back on the shelf and left the room.