TIME & TIED: AWARENESS

ARC 1.4 - Of Herself

PART 19b: DANCE DANCE REDUX 2

"What?" Carrie and Frank chorused again, Carrie adding a "how DARE you imply such a thing!"

Luci sighed. “Oh my God, you two. Think about it, seriously. Who led the outcry against Corry all last week regarding the teddy bear? Carrie. Who had the most opportunity to record the Carrie/Laurie conversation we heard? Carrie. Who had words with Corry immediately following the incident? Carrie. Who is the most mean spirited cheerleader on the face of the Earth?”

“Luci!” Frank said.

“Nope, not me! I bet Carrie was even the one who suggested karaoke to Corry. Am I right?”

“Okay Luci, enough.”

It was Frank’s tone more than anything that caused Luci to purse her lips shut. He seemed to be troubled. Indeed, she could now see that Carrie’s face was also an interesting mix of emotions - ranging from anger to confusion. "I was equally incriminated on that recording,” the blonde finally managed.

Again, Luci couldn’t stop herself. “The school has no proof. Technically, the worst they can do is a slap on the wrists, maybe a phone call home. The only hitch in my reasoning is how I know for a fact that you aren't smart enough to pull something like this off.”

“Shut it, brainchild! I’ll have you know that I've been able to record incriminating information before. Remember, Frank?"

Frank winced. “Yeah, um, you mean that time with Julie in that chemistry lab affair?"

"I stand corrected then," Luci acknowledged. “You could have pulled it off. Corry will be pleased to learn that, I'm sure."

“OOoh! I said shut it, or I’ll shut it for you,” Carrie shouted, trying to reach around Frank to grab for the shirt of the younger girl.

“No, stop this,” Frank pleaded, putting his own arms out to block her. “Please! Luci, you stop baiting her, and Carrie... you HAVE to admit, insults aside, that what Luci says about Julie makes some sense! Julie may even suspect about our time machine.”

Carrie’s gaze snapped back to him. He lowered his arms slowly. “Oh. Yeah, uh, I’ve been watching her the past couple of weeks. She kinda worries me. I even talked to Clarke about her.”

Carrie worked through a few more choice facial features. “I tell you Julie wouldn't set me up like that. She doesn't treat her friends that way.”

Luci bit down on her tongue, and was glad when Frank spoke up instead to ask, “Are you one hundred percent sure?”

Carrie fumbled for a strand of hair, which she then started twirling about her finger. "Okay. Say it's Julie," she said, doing her best to sound nonchalant. She wasn’t successful - Luci could tell that Carrie was getting worried. “How did she pull it off? She wasn’t even in the room.”

"Well, er..." Frank turned helplessly back to the younger girl.

Luci decided to look back at Frank, rather than at Carrie, to keep her focus. “I don't know how Julie did it,” she admitted to him. "What I've told you has all been worked out in hindsight. Which I grant may be part of the reason why I want to go back there with you. I’m missing something.” Also, Chartreuse deserved an explanation.

Luci sensed Carrie glaring at her, but she kept staring at Frank. At his glasses, his jawline, his lips... she shifted her gaze to the ceiling.

“Fine," Carrie murmured at last. “Fine, Frank. Luci can come too, if she wants to. I mean, why should I care, right? I’ve already won at being the meanest cheerleader on the face of the Earth. Why continue to prove it?”

Okay, Luci couldn’t ignore that pitying tone. “A sympathy act? REALLY, Carrie?” she fired off.

As she turned back though, Luci was surprised to see genuine distress on Carrie’s face. Was Carrie upset because Luci had called out her act? Or, the younger girl wondered, had she actually managed to hurt Carrie’s feelings somehow?

“Okay! Well then, let's all travel now before anything else happens," Frank decided, clapping his hands together and smiling hopefully.

***

The previous Friday evening saw three figures materialize in a residential backyard. One of them collapsed immediately to the ground, while another slipped over to the fence nearby. The third set down the time machine and popped it open for a quick glance. "So far so good on the new circuits," Frank said.

“And the school is right over there," Carrie added, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. "Let's go. I figure, if I cut power to the whole stage early, the recording can’t play after Corry’s song. Good enough plan?”

So she had thought about it since they’d spoken on Saturday. “Actually, yeah. But hold on, Luci's fallen unconscious," Frank indicated.

Carrie sighed. "It's always something with her.”

"The same thing happened to us the first few times we used the time machine, remember?" Frank pointed out, tapping Luci lightly on the cheek. "Besides, she adjusted her new circuitry for 9:30pm, so we should have over half an hour. The school’s right there, so what’s the rush?"

“Fine, fine.” There was a moment of silence. “Look, Frank, do you truly think I’m so mean as to...”

Carrie stopped as Luci groaned and began to stir. Then the young girl’s eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly, looking around. "Wow. What a rush,” Luci exclaimed.

Frank smiled. "I guess it can be, at that."

"Peachy,” Carrie interjected. “Let's get going.”

The three teenagers were soon over the fence and creeping towards the school. "Wait," Frank said. "With our past counterparts already inside, how are we going to walk in without drawing any attention? Particularly given how I now have the time machine and our backpack of provisions."

"I chose to wear the same clothing today as I did at the dance," Luci offered. “On the off chance I’d get to come back with you. I’m also not very noticeable, so I'll walk in and go around to the doors closer to the gym. I can let you in there."

"Well, haven't you thought of everything,” Carrie grumped.

“No, but I have actually THOUGHT,” Luci retorted, heading off to the main doors.

Once Luci was out of earshot, Frank turned back to Carrie. “Can’t you be a little nicer to her? She’s majorly helped us out.”

“Yeah, but... you know, Luci’s not a very nice person either. Given some of the things she says. And can she run the hundred metre dash in twelve seconds? I don’t think so.”

Frank wondered if he’d missed a segue. “What?"

“I’m just saying, nobody’s perfect,” Carrie said defensively. “At least I’m not trying to impress you the way she is."

"Impress me?"

"Yes, it's painfully obvious what her intentions are.”

"Why would Luci be trying to impress me?"

Carrie did a double take. "Are you serious?"

"Of course."

Carrie shook her head slowly. "Good grief, it's a wonder geeks ever reproduce," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Look, never mind, none of this is important. Let’s get over to the gym doors." She immediately jogged off, setting a quick pace.

Frank followed after, giving up on understanding. In short order, the three time travellers had reunited inside the school. "We have about ten minutes," Luci informed the others. "Apparently my time setting was also subject to some random variation, we must have arrived closer to 9:45."

"Or your stuff never worked and this is a fluke," Carrie observed. Frank opened his mouth to protest, only to have her add, "But, benefit of the doubt, good job and all that. I'll be off to the circuit breakers near the stage now."

"Try not to, you know, bump into yourself or cause too much trouble?" Frank pleaded.

Carrie grinned. “Tempting, but in this instance, why bother? I’ll rendezvous with you guys in that classroom there in twenty minutes."

“Okay. In the meantime, we’ll re-adjust the time circuits," Frank offered. Entering the abandoned room in question, he opened up the lid of the machine. “Still stable. You really knew what you were doing, Luci," he remarked as she came up behind him. "Ah, if you were trying to impress me, I’m impressed."

Luci opened and closed her mouth, then cleared her throat. “Yeah, so, while I have this opportunity, I'm going to go tail Julie."

Again, Frank was sure he was missing leaps of logic. "What?"

"She left the cafeteria before everything happened. I figure it was to set things in motion, because there was no way for her to know in advance what song Corry would sing. I have to know what she did."

"Luci, are you sure that's wise?"

“Unlike Carrie, I'll be careful. Be back ASAP,” With that, she slipped off towards the cafeteria.

***

As she walked, Luci reflected on the fact that there were two reasons why she felt she had to do this. The first being for the benefit of Chartreuse. The poor girl had seemed rather crushed by the defeat of their little group. Perhaps if Luci could show her that there was nothing they could have done, it would make Chartreuse feel better.

But the second reason was for the benefit of Frank. After all, if Julie WAS initiating some sort of war - Frank’s current ties to Carrie were liable to put him in the blast radius. Maybe. Luci wasn’t sure - she had to know more.

There were a few people milling about in the hallway outside the cafeteria when Luci unobtrusively took up a position there against the wall. About five minutes later, inside the cafeteria, she heard Corry get on the microphone. This was it. Her eyes turned to the exit, peering attentively for Julie.

There she was. Luci reflexively held her breath as Julie passed by, then inched after her along the wall, keeping the brunette in sight. Which was when she heard the familiar voice.

"Hey, short stuff! Sounds like Corry's up to something, want to come in with me and check it out?"