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Chapters (61)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. Books by Emily Barr
  4. DEDICATION
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgements
  59. Read on for an extract from …
  60. 12 December
  61. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Troy and I have been best mates since we were four. We’re the classic old friends who met when we were cuter than we realized in reception class, and just never fell out. He’s taller than everyone, and very lanky, with bright red hair and olive skin. I only know that he gets stopped by scouts from modelling agencies because it’s happened when I’ve been with him. ‘You have such a strong look,’ they say. ‘So distinctive.’

Anyway. I realize I have nothing to lose.

‘Troy,’ I say. ‘You’ll think I’m batshit, but listen. Something terrible is going to happen to me today. I’m going to …’ I stop. I can’t do it. The words won’t come out.

I watch him trying to work out where I’m heading with this.

‘OK,’ he says in a guarded voice. ‘What are you going to do? Mate, you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid, are you?’

‘No! But. Oh God. It’ll sound mad.’

‘I can handle mad.’

I force the words out. ‘I’ve been living through this same day for twenty years. Every day after school, I meet a girl at Beachview. Except for when it’s Sunday for her. It’s never Sunday for me. She’s from 2019. The Y2K bug never happened, but some planes fly into the World Trade Center in 2001, and global warming … Anyway, I know I’m going to disappear tonight and twenty years from now no one will have any idea what happened to me, but Gus has a girlfriend and two daughters. Zara and Coco.’

I frown at the floor as I speak. When I do look up, I have to stop because I can see that he is mentally flipping through emergency procedures.

This might be the best thing that will ever happen to me. If he gets me taken away it could change the course of my life. I’ll stay alive, and meet my nieces and live my life. If that happens I will find Ariel in the future and do everything I can to make her life brilliant.

For a moment I’m elated.

‘Mate,’ Troy says, and I see him looking at me hard. ‘Shit. OK. I think we should go and talk to someone. I’ll call your dad.’

‘OK,’ I want to say, but it turns out I can’t speak any more, and then I fall apart quite dramatically, and when I come back to the surface I’m sitting in the head’s office and they’re calling my dad to come and get me.