In the clear light of day everything seemed absurd, the product of an overactive imagination.
‘You look terrible,’ said Miranda, pouring milk on to her cornflakes.
‘The storm kept me up.’
Miranda nodded. ‘I was awake half the night myself. You should go back to bed and catch up on your sleep. Those bags under your eyes are huge.’
Miranda left for work at eight thirty. I waited ten minutes and then shoved The Journey to Eden into my backpack and headed down the lane to Ryan’s house.
The wind bent the trees horizontal. Rain began to fall, stinging my skin. In my rush, I hadn’t thought to grab a coat. The rain began to fall harder. I thought about heading back to get a coat, but I was halfway there. My tight black jeans were stuck to my legs and my white top was rapidly becoming transparent.
Three cars were parked in front of the large, detached double garage. Ryan’s silver car, Cassie’s red one and a metallic-blue one. Presumably Ryan, Cassie and their dad were all at home.
I knocked hard on the heavy front door, suddenly nervous. Yet I wasn’t the one with a huge secret. I exhaled slowly, trying to keep my nerve as I listened to someone on the other side of the door fiddling with a bolt.
It was Cassie.
‘Oh. It’s you,’ she said, her eyes running over me from head to toe and back again.
A raindrop ran down my forehead and into my eye. I wiped it away, conscious how I must seem to her with my rain-soaked hair and clothes.
Sheet lightning lit up the dark, shadowy sky and was quickly followed by a growl of thunder. The storm was back.
‘You’d better come in,’ she sighed.
I stood in the hallway, while water puddled around my feet.
‘I need to see Ryan,’ I said.
‘Don’t you own a coat?’
‘It wasn’t raining when I left the house.’
‘Ryan’s in the shower. Follow me.’
My heart lurched at the thought of Ryan in the shower, and for a moment I thought she was going to take me to him, but she took me into a large room on the left, a kitchen and dining room all in one with a massive farmhouse table in the middle. A man of about forty was sat at the table with a pile of newspapers and magazines in front of him. He appeared to be cutting articles from the papers.
‘You must be Eden,’ the man said, standing up and striding over to me with his hand outstretched.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ I said.
He pumped my hand vigorously. ‘I’m Ben. I’ve heard a great deal about you.’
His hand was warm, his smile friendly. ‘Cassie, get Eden a towel.’
Cassie flounced from the room.
‘Take a seat. Ryan will be down in a few minutes. I’ll make you a hot drink.’
I sat at the table and glanced at the articles Ben had cut from the newspaper. The headline on the topmost article read Most Earth-like exoplanet gets major demotion. The article had yesterday’s date.
‘What’s an exoplanet?’ I asked.
Ben carried two mugs of coffee across to the table. ‘A planet outside our solar system.’
My body tensed. ‘I didn’t think there were any planets outside our solar system.’
‘Careful, it’s hot,’ he said, passing me one of the mugs. ‘There are probably millions of planets out there. New planets are being discovered almost every day.’
‘Really? So why isn’t it headline news?’
‘They’re usually gas giants like Jupiter. Uninhabitable. I don’t think there will be headline news until we discover an Earth-like planet populated by little green men.’
I laughed. ‘Is that your job then? Looking for planets.’
‘Not exactly. I’m a science writer. I’m writing about the hunt for planets in our galaxy.’
Cassie flung the door open and threw me a white towel. I dabbed my face and squeezed the water out of my hair.
‘There’s fresh coffee in the pot,’ Ben told her.
It suddenly occurred to me that I had interrupted their breakfast.
‘I’m sorry to show up just like this,’ I said. ‘I just really need to speak to Ryan.’
‘There’s no need to apologise,’ said Ben. ‘It’s not a problem.’
I heard the sound of Ryan barrelling down the stairs and into the kitchen.
‘Hi,’ he said, a big smile spread across his face. ‘What happened? You missed me so much you couldn’t bear to wait until this afternoon?’
He was dressed in jeans and a white shirt, his hair wet from the shower. Despite everything, I could feel myself blushing. This wasn’t how I’d planned things at all. I’d run down the lane, hyped up and ready to confront him. Now, after all the waiting around, and Ben’s friendly chatter, I was beginning to lose my nerve.
‘I need to speak to you about something,’ I said. ‘It’s important.’
He nodded and poured himself a mug of coffee. ‘Let’s go up to my room.’
I had never seen a bedroom so sparsely furnished. There was no colour. No mess. Nothing out of place. No posters on the wall, no dirty clothes on the floor, no empty glasses or mugs. The room of someone who hadn’t been here long. And then I realised: the room of someone who didn’t plan to stay.
‘Take off your clothes,’ he said.
‘Excuse me?’ I said, certain that I must have misheard him.
‘Take off your clothes,’ Ryan said with a smile. ‘I’ll find something of Cassie’s for you to wear.’
‘I’ll be fine.’
Ryan insisted. ‘You’re drenched. Don’t be ridiculous.’
When he left the room, I stripped down to my underwear and quickly wrapped myself in the towel Cassie had given me. His room was cold. Looking round, I could see no heater. There was a soft knock at the door.
‘Is it OK to come in?’
‘It’s fine,’ I said.
Ryan gave me a pair of black trousers and a black jumper. He left the room while I dressed. Cassie’s trousers fitted OK, but her jumper clung very tightly to my body.
‘OK, I’m decent.’
He came back in and smiled. ‘What was so urgent you had to walk through a thunderstorm? I’m glad you did. I’m just wondering why.’
Watching him, I tried to sort out my feelings. Was he the same person? Did I still like him?
‘I’ve been up all night thinking,’ I began, sitting next to him on the bed.
‘About what?’
‘You,’ I said.
He raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure whether to be flattered or alarmed.’
‘When are you from, Ryan?’ I asked, my voice shaking as the absurd question left my mouth.
‘Wolfeboro,’ he said looking at me with a bemused smile. ‘I’ve told you before.’
‘Not where,’ I said, trying to keep my voice steady. ‘When? What year?’
The smile faltered, just for a nanosecond, and then lit up even brighter than before. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘I know you’re from the future. I just wondered how far in the future.’
Ryan laughed a short, hollow laugh. His pale skin went a shade whiter. ‘You’re not making sense.’
‘Fine,’ I said. ‘We’ll just pretend then. You’re from the future and I know you’re from the future and you know I know you’re from the future. But we can just make out that I’m insane if that makes you more comfortable.’
Ryan swore. He stood up, opened the door and scanned the landing, before shutting the door again and sitting back on the bed. He leant forward, his elbows on his knees, head in his hands. I stayed where I was, awkwardly, wondering if I should speak or reach out to touch him or just stay as I was.
After what felt like for ever, he looked up at me. ‘How do you know?’ he whispered.
I felt a jolt through my whole body. Ryan had, effectively, just admitted that I was right.