EVERYONE GASPED TO SEE PAUL walking in the classroom, during Math class – bruised in the lips, and 2 dots of bloodstains in his light-yellow uniform shirt. No-one was laughing and EVERYONE ASSUMED THAT – Albert Wang had punched him, for the ‘crime’ he did to his daughter.

Paul saw in the corner of his eyes, that Alicia wasn’t making any eye contact – and pretended to take notes of Ms Bloom’s calculation on the whiteboard. Except for her bestie, Charlotte, who was sniggering to herself.

Jane at the rear was shocked to see his face. Paul sat behind Terry’s desk, and put away his Geography textbook, and took out his Math-book from his backpack. Jane whispered…

“Pauly, what happened?”

“Later…” Paul murmured back, with a sigh.

Paul had no focus to follow the rest of the lesson in class, even though it was his weakest subject, in his own world. He ‘recalled’ just now seeing how the Dicksons was shifting-in-their seats when Mrs Burnell was accounting what HE HAD ‘DONE,’ with Caroline flushing in shame.

At least he was satisfied, that Albert and Robin had WITNESSED ‘HOW’ THEIR daughter Alicia had ‘behaved,’ and was a spoilt-sports… when it came to apologies.

Then the PA announcement came on with Mrs Burnell’s excited voice…

“ATTENTION TO ALL STUDENTS – LORD STAMFORD’S GREAT-GRAND NIECE, MS JEZEBEL CROWLEY IS COMING TODAY, ON AN UNOFFICIAL VISIT HERE…”

Jane and Paul heard everyone cheering that cut-off the principal’s speech – the entire classes of Stamford High were in the stated of euphoria, and after 15 seconds the PA systems came alive-again…

“I WANT ALL STUDENTS TO REMAIN IN CLASS, AND DON’T LEAVE THE CLASSROOM, AS THERE WILL BE SOME SECURITY DETAILS WHO WOULD BE ESCORTING MS CROWLEY, PLEASE DON’T GET IN THEIR WAY. REMAIN IN YOUR CLASSROOM, AND FOLLOW YOUR LESSON – AND OUR PROMINENT VISITOR WILL VISIT YOU IN YOUR CLASSROOM… THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT – JUST STAY THERE IN YOUR-OWN CLASS, WITH YOUR TEACHER AND WAIT FOR YOUR-TURN.

“PLEASE BE IN YOUR BEST BEHAVIOUR AND BE HOSPITABLE AND MAKE OUR GUEST FEEL WELCOMED – IN THE SCHOOL…

… THAT HER GRAND-UNCLE, OUR FOUNDING FATHER, LORD STAMFORD ‘WHO’ HAD BUILT FOR US, MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO … THANK YOU ALL.”

Paul reacted with a funny-face of astonished, and he saw Jane was also surprised, and he whispered to her…

“How is this logically possible? How old is he?”

Jane chuckled-back, and remembered that ‘this’ universe was also following the laws-of-the Underworld, which according to SIMY…

… made NO SENSE…

… where she-herself discovered for the past 2 days, that the ageing-process was in the-reverse…

… judging-by her 2-year-old baby-brother was ‘now’ a tween.

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THE DELOREAN HAD TO MAKE A STOP-OVER at a florist-shop, as Mr Romantic-Terry Donovan had decided to BUY FLOWERS FOR HIS DREAM-GIRL – but Peter felt it was waste-of-effort and good-money…

… just-like, he did once tried-to talk-out his own twin, who wanted to impress the Wilsons – when they invited the Walkers to a night-dinner at their residence… maybe buying flowers was a ‘curse,’ where the same evening…

… Queensland’s Great Barrier Reefs were hit by earthquakes and tsunamis… and that was the night-too, was when…

… Janey’s dog escaped from its cage…

… and the mutt caused havoc later-by, BEING MORE-FAMOUS than his PFC brand.

Peter had a look of ‘disgust,’ when Terry bought a score of roses – 10 red and 10 white stalks that amounted to more than 100-Aussie moolah… regrettably, this was-what he-got, when he was dependant on a ‘minion,’ who-was in ‘control’ of the expense, of his-own financial woes …

… the cash-register rang its amount – which could have been well-spent on smack-snacks-and booze for the day… where they would have comfortably played truant in somewhere fun, far-away from time-wasting school…

… regrettably-now, they have to go back.

The starstruck Terry came back into the cabin, with his bouquet – and the DeLorean took-off.

-O-

The niggled Peter was ‘tolerating’ Terry, who was fanaticizing himself of ‘the’ conversation he would having, with the his-dream girl, once he handed the flowers to her… and he was-also ‘practising’ in front of his bestie, and was asking for his-feedbacks…

… but Peter gave-none, and accelerated his foot-on the pedal – so that he would hear less-of the ‘nonsense,’ if they arrived-fast…

So-much-so, the DeLorean overtook a convoy of luxury cars – and was the first-car to-be at the close-main gate-of Stamford High… they both were halted by school-security guards, Police and Secret-Service members – who questioned the 2 uniformed senior students, for THEIR ID AND THE REASONS, why they were ‘not’ earlier-in school, during school hours?

“Car problems!” Peter replied to the copper, with his gull-wing door opened.

The limousine and other cars of the convoy, were behind the DeLorean, when the staff were interrogating the boys further. Todd Sweeney, who Head of Security of Lord Stamford, who was chaperoning his grand-niece to the vicinity – was on his walkie-talkie, in the limousine – and-was asking the staff at the closed-gate, of ‘what’ the delay was?

… Jezebel Crowley lowered her tinted-glassed window, and she saw a feisty teenager in school uniform, in his old-sportscar defying authorities… PETER INTRIGUED HER.

Sweeney instructed to give the DeLorean to pass, as it was holding-up the UK visitor and her envoy of the mayor’s wife and other wives of dignitaries…

… and one, was a wife of a multi-millionaire – Martha Zimmerman.

The main-gate then opened – and DeLorean sped into the parking lot with some guards meandering about, in their duties in the-lot, to protect the heiress from UK. They were pointing-away and diverted Peter towards the public carpark, as they had ‘reserved’ some space allocation for the VVIP visitors’ vehicles, in front…

… of the ‘welcoming committee’ where Principal Burnell, VP Tom Harris and others were.

Peter freaked-out, when he saw Joe Dickson’s Holden-Commodore, in the public carpark. He parked the DeLorean away from it. He got off with Terry, with his-bouquet…

… and they sneaked into the side-entrance to get into the building, as the main corridor was where, they would be ‘caught.’

In the building, they both separated…

… as Peter ‘decided’ to wait-it-out – for Joe Dickson to ‘leave.’

-O-

The visitor and the dignitaries were visiting middle-schoolers, in the lower ground-floor classes. Jezebel who also had brought her dog along from the UK. She was shaking hands of the excited students, taking photographs and signing autographs.

The popular celebrity socialite was moving class by class with her dog and her envoy – and in the foyer staircase, Jezebel caught Peter sneaking-up to his classrooms of the seniors. She wanted to go upstairs, and ‘CHECK’ HIM-OUT, after completing another-couple of junior classrooms-below.

-O-

Terry with his flowers sneaked into his classroom, via the backdoor. Paul and Jane looked at him coming, into the ending-of the 3rd lesson period, with a bouquet of roses. He saw Paul seated behind his desk, and was stunned a-moment – Paul wanted to ‘vacate’ the seat, but Jane intervened by whispering…

“Terry, can you exchange places with Paul?”

… Terry nodded and sat at the far corner, beside the backdoor.

-O-

Peter was on the 2nd floor, looking out at the school’s parking lot, from a blind-spot. He was relieved when he saw Joe and Caroline were leaving the building and walking-up to Joe’s Holden Commodore. Then he heard a voice behind him, calling-out in a Brit-accent – instantly, he knew it was one of the visitor’s personal bodyguards.

“Oii-you there! What you doing?”

Peter was pissed, when the big-man blocked him…

“What-Oii? THIS IS MY-SCHOOL – I can go wherever I wish, Pommy – you step aside…”

Peter swaggered past him.

-O-

After completing her tour of the classroom on the lower floor, she wanted to proceed to meet the seniors. The moment, she went up the stairs to Peter’s classroom, with the dignitaries – the bell rang for recess time…

… Principle Burnell suggested the visitors to-follow her, for catered food reception the school had ordered from fine-restaurants – BUT JEZEBEL DECLINED and told them, that she was going to eat along with the fellow students, at the school canteen.

The envoy followed the school-Head – while Jezebel parted-way, with her dog and 4 of her bodyguards, who were shooing any student, who went close… and-soon a throng of students followed Jezebel, chanting her name, like a rock star…

“Jezebel, we love you…

Jezebel, we love you…

Jezebel we love you…”

She reached the cafeteria and everyone was hysterical and in state of euphoria, as they left their food-trays and came up to greet and touch her. Paul and Jane were looking at the noisy students, all clamouring around Jezebel… and her bodyguards were working hard, to shield her. Then her dog barked and every other-person, backed off.

Jane was taken aback when the dog sounded similar…

“Is that Piper…?”

Paul stood up and he too was astonished…

“Yea, it looks a lot like an Alsatian… and its grey coated too, like your dog – what a coincidence of similarity.”

“Is it a security-dog, Pauly?”

“Don’t know… looks like it’s ‘hers’… it’s to protect ‘Her-Majesty,’ I guess.”

They both chuckled – then Jane told her-story from the past…

“When I first came to Stamford High 2 years ago, from the school-for-the-blind… where Piper was my guide dog. Over in Stamford I had my AI SIMY, and I thought as a-blind they would allow me to bring in Piper too – but the chairperson of teachers-and-parents’ association at that-time was Mrs Thompson… Charlotte’s mom – and she was dead-against it, that Piper looked fierce and might attack someone in school, and the school came-out a ‘no-dog-policy,’ even though I’m blind… that how I trained SIMY, to navigate me around… and my Piper ‘became’ a home-dog…

“Now-look at here… WHERE IS THE FAIRNESS, that our visitor has a dog, that is equally fierce in school?”

Jane scoffed – and Paul laughed until he felt his bruised lip sting, and he went on to say...

“Yea-Jane, that’s double-standard… that Mrs Thompson must-have been mean, like daughter… it probably runs in the family too.”

He despised Charlotte, even though he had been in this world for more than-a-day – that-she was as meanspirited, like the version-of-her in his world-too… and was ‘sad’ that ALICIA WAS NO-BETTER. When Alicia slapped him earlier, when he came back to the classroom, he saw Charlotte was happy-that justice HAD BEEN ‘SERVED’ – as she cursed him out earlier too, when he ‘left’ to Mrs Burnell’s office.

Jezebel behind her bodyguards, politely asked the crowd to back-off a little as she was hungry and want to grab something to eat in the canteen – and she would meet them in their classroom later.

As she turned her head, Jezebel saw PETER COMING into the premise, picking up a tray and getting into the food line, ‘totally’ ignoring her repute importance of her presence in-the-now. Jezebel-too picked up a tray, and went behind-him, to chat-up…

“Hi-there, I’m Jezebel… I saw you make a grand-entrance just now, at the school’s front gate.” She put out her hand…

“Okay-G’day… err… I’m Walker… Peter Walker.” He shook her hand.

“Just-like a James Bond introduction – how suave…” She teased.

Peter grinned back, and at the same time, was looking over Jezebel’s shoulder-for Terry – who had bought roses for his dream-girl… BUT HE WAS ‘NOT’ THERE… but-only a ‘familiar’ dog staring at him, from below…

“Is that your dog…? My ex-girlfriend had a similar breed.”

“Yes, this is my dog, Pepper – so you ‘had’ a girlfriend… tell me about her.”

“Oh-we broke-up… err, it’s for the best… to focus on our studies… but we’re still friends.”

“Oh-I see, I would like to meet her too… a fellow-dog-lover.”

“Aww, that’s-too bad… Janey’s dog ‘died.’”

The teenagers both were end of the food-line and loaded their trays – and, they got a private table, with 4 sharp-suit security bodyguards, who stood in 4 corners, observing the rest…

… astonishment and jealousy BREWED IN EVERY heart-and-mind of every student, who was present in the canteen – as they witness a high-profile, popular and affluent person who could SHARE A MOMENT, IN PRIVATE with a depraved-nature and loser-student, of their-school.

Over-at the other-side, Jane and Paul were flabbergasted, on how Peter was getting ‘so-much’ attention on his 2nd day in this Perthland-world…

“Good-riddance, now he won’t bug me any-more…” Jane remarked…

… she regretted falling in love with Peter in the first place… after having a personal-crush on him – ever since she came ‘here,’ to a normal-school from the school-for-the-blind.

Now, thrown-into this alternate-Perthland, JANE FEARED-HIM-EVEN ‘MORE’… as he had powerful DARK-POWERS, IN THE DREAMWORLD – as an incubus.

As his twin, Paul had an odd-feeling that ‘something’ was ‘NOT’ ADDING-UP – but he did ‘not’ know ‘what’ it was… and that puzzled him further.

The Head of Sports, Coach Jonah abruptly approached them, finding for Jane Wilson – and telling her that she HAD TO ‘RETAKE’ the Top Sports-Girl of Stamford High-Award-trophy on-stage, in the evening of 131th anniversary-ceremony…

… where she had to re-receive the accolade, in her sportswear on the podium, that would be presented BY LORD STAMFORD-HIMSELF. That ceremony would be followed by the school anniversary cake-cutting, then-the talent shows and finally – the student-ball dance.

Jane agreed…

“Okay-Coach… err, as long I don’t get to make a speech… I get stage-fright…”

Coach Jonah left. Paul was delighted – and high-fived the reluctant Jane…

“Pauly, these were the EFFORTS OF THE ‘OTHER’ JANE… I’m just the conduit…”

The bell rang, denoting end of recess period – but the eager students were still gawking over Jezebel and Peter who were having a good time, laughing at jokes that Peter cracked.

Soon they both stood up, and the rest of the students too-did the same…

… as they followed them out of the canteen, as they-all were chanting again…

“JEZEBEL, WE LOVE YOU… JEZEBEL, WE LOVE YOU… JEZEBEL, WE LOVE YOU…!”

Jezebel and Peter were walking at the front, as the 4 bodyguards and the dog was a buffer, to the chanting crowd who followed. Occasionally, the enchanting-beauty Jezebel paused and turn-back to wave… blowing flying kisses…

From the opposite-side, Terry Donovan approached with his bouquet of flowers and saw security was tight, for him to pass to get Jezebel’s attention – he caught Peter’s attention instead, in the march…

“Peter, get me near to her… introduce me… and, I give her my-roses…”

“No-Terry, forget it – she is ‘not’ for you…”

“What you-mean… she is my dream-girl…”

“Not-any-more…” Peter grinned wicked…

“NO!!!”

Terry rushed at Jezebel, with his flowers, passing one of the closer bodyguards…

“OII!!!” Todd Sweeney voiced, his-warning…

… Jezebel turned to see Terry-coming from her-rear…

“Jezebel. I’m Terry… these are for you…”

Jezebel grabbed the flowers before the same bodyguard grabbed Terry-away to the side…

Jezebel acknowledged him. “Great, thank you, Terry.”

Jezebel ripped the ribbon-wrap… and threw the roses back at the students…

“I love you too!!!”

Over 100 students scuffled and scrambled on the ground, to get a hand of a flower stalk… red and white petals flew-about, like feathers from a pillow fight… the mad-rush had also overthrown the bodyguards, who-all fell knocked-out on the floor.

At the side, Terry in tears…

… saw the melee and the brawling, of getting ‘his’ scattered flowers. He turned his head to see Peter and Jezebel – laughing and holding-hands and running-up at the foyer stairs, heading to the upper-classrooms… with the dog following behind them…

-O-

Jane and Paul separated – as she wanted to use the Girl’s-room, while Paul headed upstairs to class. After washing her hands, Jane stepped out – she heard a voice calling her. Jane saw and cringed as it was…

… the ‘boyfriend’ of-the ‘other’ Jane – Dougie…

… he was walking fast towards her, and behind him, was an opulently dressed woman.

Jane recognized Martha Zimmerman from Dougie’s bragging of his-mom, winning the first Girl’s tennis district title in her-time in SHS, with a 20 years-vacancy-gap until her-version of Jane…

… who-had won the title this-year – Jane-herself had seen the framed-photo of ‘Martha Connors’ on the wall, in the west wing's Hall-of-Fame…

“Jane, this my-mom, Martha – she’s been-always wanting to meet you.”

Jane was surprised that Martha hugged her, and planted 2 kisses on-both cheeks…

“I got to go, Mom, be late for class – see you at home later…”

Dougie raced upstairs… THE SAME STAIRS – where Peter Sparta-kicked a version of him, in the ‘other’ Perth.

“So-Jane, we finally meet – my-Dougie had told me of so-much of good-things about you.”

“Yes-Mrs Zimmerman, I am grateful for the extra tennis coaching I get at the country-club – I was told, that you had suggested it… thank you again.”

“Call-me Martha – hope you can even my ‘record,’ by winning the title twice…”

Jane sighed…

“… maybe I can if I were to re-sit… I’m ‘not’ confident if I would graduate this year…”

Martha held both of Jane’s hands…

“No-worries, I too wasn’t good in school either – in-fact, I didn’t graduate at all… I want to let you know of my past-life that… when I was your age in this-same very-school years-ago, I was in love with a boy, named Solomon Walker… yes, PETER’S FATHER BACK-THEN, until I too eventually dropped-out and stopped schooling…

“… but Solomon went-on to college and became an architect-later…and Solomon had ‘forgotten’ me by-then, and left-me… I had to do 2 or 3 menial-jobs to support myself-since, and those were tough-times, for a couple of years – it was until I met Dougie’s father-Hans – and we fell in love, despite my low-self-esteem, I had tried to break-up with-Hans too because I was poor where-as, he was super-wealthy… but my fairy-tale live turned out-very well, when we got married…

… and we had our ‘only’ son-Douglas…

Jane saw tears welling in Martha’s eyes…

“… Jane, my decision of MARRYING INTO MONEY HAD BEEN THE BEST DECISION – now, look at me today – I’m now the wife of one of the richest men in Perthland… can I be ‘who’ I am today, if I had followed my-heart – and ‘only’ wanting Solomon Walker?

“My ‘point’ of me-telling you-this – that you are STILL YOUNG-JANE – and you don’t know ‘what’ true love is – and would make the wrong moves and take-on the wrong choices, at this point on and – the opportunities would-then BE GONE FOREVER.

“Lack of money, is the ROOT OF UNHAPPINESS in every relationship, in our lives… I have been there, I’m telling you…

“Now my-Dougie is truly-in deep in love with you – and-even had beaten the son-of-that Solomon in the tennis-court, to PROVE HIS LOVE FOR YOU. Please don’t further go-on breaking his heart… as I’m hearing you are now DATING THE ‘OTHER’ TWIN-PAUL… Solomon’s other son…

“What future can Paul give you? He is ‘not’ smart and-just like Peter, who isn’t smart either – and the twins won’t go to college and pursue something, as THEY BOTH ARE DOOMED TO FAIL, in their lives and in society in their future… where-else…

… my-Dougie would take-over his father’s multi-million-dollar businesses someday – and if he ‘promises’ the star-and-the-moon to you… he most likely-to succeed, to deliver it to you…

“Be wise Jane, when the time comes, MARRY INTO WEALTH AND MARRY MY SON, and get into the Zimmerman-family – both Hans and I will take care of you-for-life, as our son’s happiness is our main priority… we will love to have you, as our daughter-in-law…”

Martha hugged Jane tightly and was shaking all-over…

“Jane, please promise-me, you would MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION…”

Jane was tongue-tied by this trembling woman who held-on to her, who-was also wanting an ‘answer’ – Jane whispered…

“… yes…”

Martha was now-excited and planted more kisses on Jane’s cheeks and thanking her. She wiped her tears, and reached out into her Birkin handbag – and took out a black-velvet elegant-slim jewellery case-box…

“I bought this for you… open it.” The anticipating eyes of Martha, watched Jane opening it…

It was a necklace of white-gold – studded with tiny diamonds, emeralds and rubies…

“No-Martha, I can’t accept this…” Shaking her head, she was trembling-now…

… Jane closed the box and held it outwards – but Martha firmly pushed Jane’s hands-back towards her bosoms…

“Please accept it, Jane… wear it during the anniversary evening-ball, and go-dancing with my-Dougie – and do have a very good time…you HAVE EARNED IT, Champ…”

Jane whispered back…

“… okay… err, thank you, Martha… I have to go… now…”

Martha stood and saw Jane walking the stairs-up to her class, and once she was on the top floor, Jane turned to notice Martha was still waiting below – Jane grinned wide, and waved to Martha… and walked towards her classroom…

… it was a delicate situation that required a lot of thinking, to make the ‘right’ choices to the decisions, in a world that was ‘not’ her Perth…

‘… I have to play by the rules of this Perthland…’

… Douglas Zimmerman was HER TEEN-SELF’S BOYFRIEND, and her phone-selfies proved it – ‘who’ was she, to deny fulfilling the love-wishes of her ‘host’ body?

… Dougie’s mother loved him a lot and wanted what was best for her son – even though his decision to madly falling IN LOVE WITH A ‘DAMAGED-GOOD,’ who was suffering from depression…

… but yet, Martha gave her approval to ‘this’ relationship, out of her clucky-love… as Martha-too got her-redemption in life when she GOT HER 2ND CHANCE – when Hans Zimmerman married her.

… as for Solomon Walker walking out of Martha Conner’s life, and abandoning her in the past – DID IT HAPPENED IN ‘BOTH’ UNIVERSE? – that-she doesn’t know…

-O-

Jane saw the Mayor’s wife and her delegate who accompanied the visitor were congregating, at the corridor outside her classroom. Jezebel informed Mrs Burnell that she would be spending the rest of the visit of-the-day, in ‘this’ particular class – and thanked ‘Mrs Mayor’ for her time and effort, to show her around, at the school that her grand-uncle had established – and the ladies-too could return-back to-their homes.

Jane tried to enter the rear door, to the backbenchers… but was stopped by a bodyguard.

“Is this your classroom?”

She nodded and had access. Jane saw Paul sitting at Terry’s, while Peter stood in the middle of the class, and Jane joined her bestie. The authoritative History teacher was mousy today – as Mr Hull was seeing Jezebel and her dog, taking-over the sitting arrangement of his class.

Jezebel wanted to sit at the centre of the class, and Paul saw a ‘musical chair’ situation, of the commanding visitor with her… ‘I-want-this/ I-want-that nature, where it had Zoe Williams to sit with the backbenchers for the rest of the day, while Peter sat at her desk… beside Jezebel.

After the quick-reshuffle, Alexzander Hull started his History class on the topic of ‘The Colonial Experiences.’

… Jezebel was a brilliant student – a beauty with brains and had put their ‘own class’ top students – Charlotte and Alicia to shame as they-both could ‘not’ answer some-certain questions. Even the teacher-Hull had learned a thing-or-two that morning, when Jezebel revised some latest historical findings, and even quoting its sources… and that made Peter chuckling to himself.

While further teaching, Mr Hull posed a question, and Jezebel while petting her-dog-Pepper, on her-side – she told Peter to answer it…

… Peter cringed, in his seat, when he was put into the hot-seat…

“… err… huh… don’t know…”

Everyone in the class laughed, and Mr Hull then said…

“History proves Peter Walker doesn’t know anything at all in the topic of ‘The Colonial Experiences,’ because he is ‘not’ bothered to learn.”

Everyone laughed again – but Jezebel defended Peter…

“This proves that you have FAILED IN YOUR JOB, Mr Hull – and you-have ‘not’ instilled your knowledge into students-like Peter, but ONLY DETER HIM FURTHER, by ridiculing him…”

Everyone gasped when Jezebel firmly-remarked that… and even, the teacher was speechless and nervous, of the influential position, the young-visitor possessed…

“Yea, his teaching sucks-eggs – ask the school board TO REPLACE HIM – he’s history now!”

Peter cried out – as he and Mr Hull had hated each other – since, he stepped into the classroom in SHS… in ‘both’ worlds…

“No-Peter, you buck-up too – and know your ‘country’s history’ topics.”

At the backbenchers, both Jane and Paul were impressed too of the UK visitor’s knowledge and wisdom… but Jane was still ‘not’ satisfied, that Jezebel had a ‘free pass’ to the school’s ‘no-dog-policy.’

… while the quiet-Terry was in tears, and was deeply suffering and agonizing internally – and jealousy too – that Peter had betrayed him, and had ‘STOLEN’ HIS DREAM-GIRL…