The Time Bubble Box Set 2, стр. 264
It could be that this other self of mine might be able tostart a relationship with this man. Had I made life different and better forthat other me by doing what I had done? I don’t know, but if it was apossibility, then by agreeing to see him again I was giving her every chance. Whetheror not she’d be so pleased when the credit card bill arrived was anothermatter, but still, if she got the man of her dreams out of it, then it was alla solid investment, wasn’t it?
I was hypothesising. I didn’t really know how all thisworked. Maybe I never would, so perhaps I ought to tread carefully. I had beenpretty sure that I wouldn’t have the guts to do anything really bad likekilling Rob, which was probably a good thing. With the punishment of analternate version of me a possibility, I couldn’t risk it. I didn’t want tocondemn that possible other self to a lifetime in prison.
As far as this man went, if there was to be a relationshipin this timeline, then it had started very promisingly, judging by his reply tomy response suggesting meeting up at the weekend.
“I’d love that,” he said, adding, “By the way, I really loveyour Liverpool accent.” He sounded like he genuinely meant it, which Iappreciated. This man was so amazing it almost made up for all those timesbeing teased about my Scouse origins at school.
I was almost tempted to ask him for another date tonightwhile I had the chance but I held back. I could quite easily fall head overheels for Carl and that would only bring me heartbreak when we were forced topart and then that would be another New Year of woe. I needed to quit while Iwas ahead and besides, I had other plans.
After I showed him out, enjoying a final snog at the door, Iwent back into the flat and thought about what was to come. Lily and Phoebewere still in bed and I continued to mull over things as I put the coffee poton.
It was my final day here. Not only would I not see Carlagain, but also I wouldn’t see this flat or Phoebe and Lily again. That made mesad. The fun I had just enjoyed was well and truly tinged with a melancholyedge.
Tomorrow I would be back in my old house with Rob. It wasn’tsomething I was looking forward to, but I was going to make the most of theopportunity to make him pay for what he had done – hopefully in a way thatwouldn’t land me in trouble with the police. He had no idea what was coming hisway.
In the meantime it was high time I did something abouttrying to find a way out of my situation, in the unlikely event that a way outexisted. If it did, I had to give myself every chance to find it.
I turned on my phone, noting that there were several missedcalls from the hospital. I don’t know what that was all about. Tessa shouldhave told them that I had phoned in sick, unless she was so busy scoffing mincepies she had forgotten.
Ignoring the calls, I went to Google and tried looking upDoctor Gardner and time travel. No luck there. Then I tried time travel andJohn Radcliffe Hospital which came up similarly fruitless.
I played around with a few more search terms until finally“Time Travel Oxford” produced an interesting result. It threw up the followingmagazine article.
Time travel is possible, claims Oxford Professor.
I went on to read about Professor Antony Hamilton and hisexperiments into time travel at Oxford University. The article was dated threeyears previously, so I had plenty of time to track him down. I decided to makehis college my first port of call on my next trip back through time.
I was interrupted by my phone ringing. It was the hospitalagain. Really, this was getting irksome. What was so important it couldn’twait? Well, it would have to. I rejected the call and went back into the flatwhere Phoebe and Lily were now up and about.
“Ooh, here she is,” cooed Phoebe. “We were wondering whenyou were going to surface, you mucky cow.”
“Sounds like you enjoyed yourself last night,” said Lilyknowingly.
I blushed, replying, “Sorry, did you hear me?”
“I think the whole building did, pet,” she replied. “I’m notused to hearing it through that wall. It’s normally coming from the otherside.”
She nodded towards Phoebe as she spoke.
“Not last night,” said Phoebe. “I can’t believe you pulledand I didn’t.”
“Sorry,” I said. “Am I that hideous, then?”
“Of course not,” she said. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Shelooked worried that she might have offended me.
“It’s cool, I’m just kidding,” I replied, to set her mind atrest.
“I don’t want to worry you,” said Lily. “But Sister Mary’sbeen trying to get hold of you. Something about pictures of you on the internetpartying last night while you were supposed to be off sick. She’s been sendingme messages asking me where you are.”
“Oh shit,” I said, “I forgot about that.”
We had been posting selfies all night on Facebook which wasprobably not the smartest thing to do when pulling a sickie. Never mind – itwasn’t going to be my problem.
Sorry, other Amy, I thought to myself. But atleast you got a new boyfriend out of it.
“Don’t worry about it now, Amy, it’s your birthday,” saidPhoebe. “Close your eyes and count to thirty. We’ve got something for you.”
I complied, and when I opened them I was presented withanother cake, thankfully not in the shape of a penis this time.
“Sorry it’s only a Peppa Pig one,” said Phoebe, “but youdidn’t tell us it was your birthday until yesterday so I didn’t have time tomake one. This was all they had left in the shop.”
“It’s lovely,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Make a wish,” said Lily, as I blew out the single candle onmy cake. In a few weeks’ time, would