As I walk inside, I notice a girl with short blonde hair sitting in the park and recognise her as Noon. She’s wearing beige-cream two-tone shoes with a strap across the middle and heels shaped like an hourglass. She has all-the-better-to-see-you-with-eyes and I wait for a second or two to see if she’s going to projectile vomit. If she does, I’ll ask Season to give her a sweet. She stands up and I see that she’s quite tall, taller than me in her shoes. She picks up her suitcase and walks slowly towards the entrance, looking down at the ground the whole time.

I follow Noon into the centre. Noon could become my friend instead of Ama. I don’t know why I made Ama sad. I’m scared she won’t ever want to be my friend. I wish I hadn’t spoken to her now. Did I do or say something wrong? Maybe she doesn’t like athletics. Maybe she wishes she was a Leapling. She said, ‘I’m not a Leapling but my brother WAS.’

Maybe her brother is dead.

Chapter 07:00: Names

Chapter 07:00

NAMES

‘Welcome to Leap 2048! ‘Happy 3rd leap birthday to the Intercalary International pupils who’ve joined us from 2020. You have come of age.

‘Happy 4th leap birthday to my colleague, MC2. May you enjoy the privileges and responsibilities the age bestows upon you.

‘Happy birthday to all bissextiles from other years.

‘Welcome to the Annual pupils from Music, Maths and Movement, and E-College-E, who’ve joined us from the CURRENT year.’

Millennia, the centre director, is giving her welcome address. She looks taller and older than in the film, but maybe she’s wearing platform shoes under her purple hooded gown and the film was made a while ago. She may have time-travelled for years between making the film and now. Who knows? Her hair, white and spiky, still looks like an electric shock. And though her face is lined like a cracked vase, she sounds lively when she speaks. Her voice is decades younger than her body.

‘Today is the 29th of February 2048.

‘This is the present.

‘Whether you’ve travelled here from the present, the past or the future, enjoy the present moment, seize the day. Carpe diem.’

Millennia’s like me. She likes words and the spaces between words. She speaks slowly and clearly like some teachers do so we can all follow everything she’s saying. But when she got to the Latin words, she said them too loudly and I jumped. I don’t trust people who make me jump. I don’t listen to it all because she’s talking for a very long time and I’m constantly distracted. Ama’s sitting next to me and keeps whispering things like:

‘She set up this centre in 2000 to fight time-crime,’

and

‘No one knows how old she is. Def over 100!’