My Friend That Time Forgot

The Story of a Teenage Timelord.

Timelord! That's it! It had to be it! I've made up my mind. I quickly became a Doctor Who fan and gathered data about time-travel. How uncanny and fantastic was my discovery, and the thing I was about to do! I was seriously about to become the youngest timelord in the entire world (Stella was a few months older than me)! Maybe universe! It took amazing self-control not to pick some random date from 5,000 years B.C, and visit the progressive Egyptian nation, see the Great Pyramids being built, get a real, golden Ankh.

Stealing the seemingly plain copybook was easy, turns out Stella took it to school. There was just one little, teeny, tiny, teechy wittle detail. How in tarnation did this wacky, simple yet ingenious treasure of mankind work? Yeah. I guess I got a little over-excited here. I'm holding it in my hands, and I admit being a little shaky. Disappointment stabs at me in a most shuttering way, but I'm determined, I want to fix whatever was messed up all those years ago. I touch 2008, but nothing happens except a tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers. Duh, dumb me, I realize the highlighter must be the key to this device. Dammit, it would be super hard to steal Stella's highlighter, she's rather fond of it and keeps it near her.

She's been super edgy with her possessions, and me, since the time machine or copy or whatever went missing. I try for days, but either she was holding it, or a teacher is on lookout. Finally, I have the perfect chance. Stella and Michelle are snickering at some rude images on their phones, and the highlighter is totally forgotten. I make for it and grab it just as Stella spins around, and the mad, no, insane look on her face is not good.

I run for dear life, run as fast as I can, faster than I ever did. The two meanies curse me as I bump into Dad, who gives them a don't-mess-with-my-kid glare and tells me to avoid trouble. Thanks for saving me, Dad. We grimly walk home, and finally, I'm home alone. Parent are out on a walk with my bro, and I'm pretending to do some super difficult maths in the Time Copy. I wonder how it'll work, will I be gone for as long as I spend in the past, or will I not be gone at all? I decide to only stay in 2008 for a few minutes, experimentally.

I highlight the year, and wait. I'm not sure what's happening, I seem to be in some pitch black space. I feel nothing, no cold, no warmth, it seems to be both blinding bright and opaque dark here. I finally close my eyes and let the space time continuum absorb me. I land with a small thump. I'm in a yard full of playing, small kids, they apparently don't notice a sixth year girl materialize in front of them. Smooth. I can't do anything to fix Michelle's friendship with me, I'm still not sure how time-travel works and how long I can stay here, but I can at least check how bad things are.

I see (or saw? I'm in the past after all) my small-self  playing tag with seven-year-old Michelle, watched greedily by none other than Stella. Turns out she really knows how to ruin a friendship, she keeps lying that Michelle caught me when she didn't and tells me a friend doesn't lie or cheat. Michelle says I'm no fun, and nobody listens when I explain Stella must be seeing things. Then Stella says that she has a younger sister out age, and that she can play with Michelle instead of that cheat, namely me. I watch the seven-year-old Stella come out of the crowd and steal Michelle away from me. We're still friends from the looks of it, but soon I'll be totally rejected.

I touch the date 2014 in my copy and see the bright darkness again. I land square in my room and check my watch first thing. Not a second has passed. I smile, and make up my mind. I'll return to the past tomorrow, with a plan, and if Stella is using herself as a minion, I'll have to tell myself too. I sound weird and crazy, but I'll do it. The day passes normally, and I use the Time Copy again. I have a plan, and a rainbow starburst rainbow loom, with pretty white edges. It was the one we made one summer, our friendship bracelet. I had a matching one too, white with a rainbow border.

I went to the exact same time as before and watched the little Stella take over my BFF. I walk over to them, and as soon as the big Stella sees me, a very mad look paints on her face. 'YOU!' she screamed and half the yard turned to see what the deal was. I wanted to run, but I had an idea. Let her beat me up, a teacher will sure give her detention, and no more of her for the rest of lunch. As Stella charges at me, resembling a rhino, I catch a stray thought in my head. It says: that girl is me! Just older!. I have understood why I'm here.

Good, the plan is going okay, and as I'm ready for a big punch from Stella, I concentrate on one thought. It think: I'm here to fix my friendship with Michelle, act like I'm your older sis and be super mad that Stella beat me up. Her 'little sister' will be laughing for sure, say it's not funny and say it's cruel. My small self nods and screams. 'Leave my sister alone you weirdo!' as a fist lands in my stomach. The breath is knocked out of me, and I feel like falling down. A teacher is shouting already, but I'm too dizzy to notice her take Stella to the principals office.

'Okay' I catch my breath. 'Mind if I talk to my sister for a sec?' I ask. 'No! Don't leave me with her!' Michelle screams and points at young Stella. 'Her sister nearly killed you! And you're my friend's sister!' she adds and looks at me pleadingly. 'We'll be just a sec' I assure and drag me away. 'I'm from the future' I say. 'I know' I reply. 'That's good' I remark and sigh. 'I know I think it's sorta wrong but I totally gotta save Michelle' I say after a second. 'Um, hey, mind to get her dragged into Gravity Falls before she watches SSS Warrior Cats?' I add awkwardly.

I obviously don't understand anything, but I nod. At least. 'So, hey, wanna run along now...?' The smaller I suggest. 'Yeah, I just wanna give ya, as in, me a prep talk. Play along, Stella wants to break the special bond between me and Michelle, so I gotta keep it cool. Kay?' I explain and nod again. 'So I gotta stop complaining it ain't fair, I'll try to mildly point out that whatever Stella said didn't happen, but your, as in my job is to admit the mistake that never happened and apologize' I conclude and walk back to my BFF and Stella. The seven-year-old me is on my heels, and I start to play tag again.

So far it's working, but the other girls have questions, like why didn't I say I had a sis before. I keep telling them stuff about 'having so much fun with ya I forgot' and 'does it matter as long as we're friends?' and that kind of poop. Stella keeps nagging that I did something wrong, but I have total control over her naive young mind, and keep proving her wrong in mathematical and scientific ways she cannot begin to comprehend. Okay, maybe I did get carried away here, I ain't no Bill Cipher after all, but to all you older sisters or bros out there, it's not that hard to manipulate a kid when you're a timelord.

I enjoy the fact I've seemed to gain some space knowledge while time-traveling, when lunch ends with a shrill bell. The girls say goodbye, except for Stella who looks like she'd rather kick the Queen than say 'Bye bye!' to me. I easily blend in the chattering crowd and return home, to my own times.