Tomorrow Will Be Better

CHAPTER 2 ROCHELLE

CHAPTER 2ROCHELLE

February 21, 2090

Hands in my pockets, I strolled through a world of glittering snowflakes. I had spent the last two hours sitting next to the heater in Max’s garage workshop where Keppler and Max were using all of their mechanical knowledge to fix an old lawn mower. Although I wanted to stay, Kinley would be home for lunch any minute and she wouldn’t approve of me spending time with that boy, as she called Keppler. Two weeks had passed since we woke up to find he had vanished from the library, but I still couldn’t tell whether she was annoyed he’d disobeyed her or relieved she didn’t have to figure out what to do with him.

“Hey . . . Rochelle.” I turned, recognizing Todd Tatem’s voice, and slowed so he could catch up. We had been best friends since the days when friendship meant sharing juice boxes and saving the nearest swing. He jogged toward me, winter coat flapping open, sandy brown hair fluttering in the wind where it was longer on top. His hazel eyes met mine as he stopped to catch his breath. “What are you doing outside? It’s freezing.”

“Says the guy with his coat unzipped.” I raised my eyebrows, and he fumbled with his zipper. “I was at Max’s. He’s still trying to fix that lawn mower Mr. Mayhew gave him so it can somehow power his time travel machine.”

“So he’s told me.” Todd flipped my hood over my head. “You just recovered from the fever. We shouldn’t take any risks.”

In October, most of the people in town had gotten sick, and I was no exception. Unfortunately, I also developed a secondary infection that kept me in bed for months. It had taken until Christmas for me to finally get my strength and energy back.

“Speaking of risks, I’m running late for lunch.” I adjusted my hood and started walking. “You know how Kinley is when I’m not home on time.”

“In that case, we’d better hurry.” Todd linked his arm through mine and propelled me forward.

I laughed and quickened my pace to keep up with his long strides. “Are you going to my house too?”

The Tatems had always been like family. Todd’s older sister Emma had been friends with Kinley since kindergarten and his younger sister Lily often tagged along when they came over.

“Emma has my gloves, those really warm ones you made me, at your house. I have to load lumber this afternoon.” Todd’s dad owned the local hardware store and Todd had joined the family business when he turned sixteen in September.

“I’m glad you’re not making her walk all the way to the store in this weather.” I stuck out my tongue to catch a snowflake.

“I owe her that and much more.” Emma had practically raised him after their mom took off when he was eight. “But I also hoped I would get to talk to you. We live a block apart, but it feels like a hundred miles as much as I see you.”

I gave a weak smile. Ever since I had been sick, he looked at me like I would break right in front of him. Everyone worried about me, questioned my decisions, and wanted me to stay inside where I would be safe. It didn’t surprise me coming from Kinley, but I needed reassurance from my best friend that I could reclaim my life.

“I’m just getting used to our new schedules. Without school and you busy at work . . .” I watched my feet skipping over sidewalk cracks. “Life is different now.”

“Different? Our lives are falling apart before they even got started. Nothing will ever be the same.” The hopelessness in his voice made me wonder if there was something he wasn’t telling me.

Of course, it was hard to feel hope in our new normal. The school had closed in October due to the fever and never reopened. In a matter of months, the fever had taken my grandma, aunt, uncle, and half the adults in town. It had taken two months of my life while I recovered and everyone’s confidence in my ability to take care of myself. But, despite all that, I couldn’t let myself believe there was no hope.

I put one arm around Todd and leaned my head toward his shoulder. “Maybe things won’t be exactly the way they were before, but life is on its way to being good again.”

We walked in silence until my house came into view through a screen of thick snow. It stood two stories tall with gray siding, a porch swing, and a front path that would be lined with flowers in the summer.

“Rochelle . . .” Todd’s voice sounded unsure, cautious even. “Max said you’ve been spending a lot of time with that guy you found on the road . . .”

“A few hours a day. I’m trying to help him.” After he disappeared from my house, Max and I went searching and found him digging through trash cans behind the grocery store. Despite our best efforts to convince him to come back, he assured us he had found shelter and could take care of himself. “I don’t think he has anyone to turn to.”

“Are you sure he isn’t just using you to get free food?” Todd stuffed his hands into his pockets. “People are starting to talk about him being a nuisance. He’s always hanging around outside the grocery store like he’s casing the place.”

Turning to him, I blinked a snowflake off my eyelash. “Don’t tell me you believe that hardware store gossip?”

“No . . . I mean, not that he plans to rob the grocery store.” He laughed, and I did too, envisioning a masked burglar running with a bunch of overripe bananas. “I mean, why would he?”

“Well, if he planned to rob me, he probably would have done it while he was actually inside my house.” Keppler had never given me a reason to believe he intended to hurt anyone, and I wouldn’t let anyone make me question my instincts.

Todd swallowed and his dimples vanished. “But he could be dangerous. Maybe his family dumped him for a reason.”

I stopped in front of the back screen door and turned to face him. “Todd Tatem. That is a terrible thing to say. Just because we haven’t known Keppler our entire lives doesn’t make him a bad guy.”

He reached past me to open the door. “I’m just saying . . . he’s a stranger, not a lost kitten.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I pushed the heavy wooden door into the laundry room.

“Rochelle Irene Aumont, you’re ten minutes late,” Kinley’s voice scolded as I shed my winter gear and rushed into the kitchen.

“I’m sorry. I was helping Max . . .” My cousin’s scowl of disappointment pinned me in place. Even if I had been saving the world from imminent doom, my excuse would have fallen flat in her judgment.

Kat glanced over her shoulder, continuing to stir the pot on the stove. “Lunch isn’t even ready yet.”

Emma glanced at the clock from where she stood at the table, making sandwiches. “It’s just noon now.” Even when I was an annoying little kid, Emma had convinced Kinley to let me join their sleepovers. She had taken care of me when I was too sick with the fever to take care of myself and talked me through the anxiety I suffered afterward.

Kinley shook her head at her friend. “The point is, she shouldn’t have been out at all. I know she’s hanging around that boy, even though I told her not to.”

“I told her it’s not safe.” Todd spoke from behind me, and I shot him a glare.

“There’s the voice of reason.” Kinley pulled plates from the cupboard. “Listen to Todd more and Max less.”

“If I don’t help Keppler, no one else will.” Although he insisted his past wasn’t worth talking about, I figured he was just embarrassed about not having a family.

Kinley folded her arms across her chest. “He’s not your responsibility. We have enough to deal with taking care of each other.”

“At least we have each other.” I sank into the nearest chair. “What if I was in Keppler’s shoes and no one cared about me?”

“You’re not in his shoes.” Kinley shook her head, but her stern expression softened. “You’re my responsibility and I’ll keep my promise to take care of you.” That’s what she had started to say since she moved back home. Kat and I never heard I love you from her anymore, it was always, you’re my responsibility. “It’s sweet that you care about everyone, but if you keep thinking with your heart instead of your head, you’ll spend your whole life heartbroken.”

“I think we should give Rochelle a break.” Emma walked around the table. “Helping someone is never the wrong thing to do.” She put a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Plus, she’s never late to Saturday lessons, and she always has her homework done. That’s more than I can say for the rest of them.” When Emma and Kinley found out there were no immediate plans to reopen the high school, they took matters into their own hands. Every Saturday afternoon starting in December, Kinley taught math and science and Emma taught English and history. I loved their improvised school, Kat attended because Kinley made her, Todd because Emma made him, and Max came so he could stay for dinner.

My sister wiped her hands on a towel. “Speaking of responsibilities, Kinley is sending us to live with the Tatems for two weeks.”

“Wait, where are you going?” I turned back to my cousin.

Kinley sighed and gave Kat a warning glance. “When I started the program with Doctor Brooks, we knew I would have to go to Omaha a few times a year to take tests. Starting Monday, I’m scheduled for two weeks of testing, and I can’t leave you two home alone that long.”

Dr. Brooks, one of our local physicians, had started one of the new student doctor programs in the summer. The country had been dealing with a severe shortage of medical professionals for years, which had been exacerbated by the fever. Localized training programs had popped up across the country to provide handson training, shave a few years off the traditional medical school trajectory, and allow aspiring doctors to be close to their families. Kinley hadn’t been interested in returning to Maibe until the fever changed our lives forever.

“But don’t worry.” Emma pulled my sister into a one-armed hug. “Time is going to fly because I have a bunch of new recipes for us to try. And, Rochelle, I just read a book you’re going to love—”

“Actually, I have a better idea.” Kinley’s forehead wrinkled as it did when she worried, and she sat down next to me. “One more month and you’ll be sixteen . . .”

I waited for Kinley to talk about how irresponsible I was compared to her at my age. She had been accepted early into a medical training college in Omaha when she was sixteen. After she studied there for almost three years, the fever broke out across Nebraska. When she finally made it home after the fever’s chaos and found out every adult in our family had been lost, she moved back to Maibe to take care of Kat and me, all before her nineteenth birthday. I knew it had been tough to give up her dream of a prestigious education in the city to return to her little hometown so her cousins wouldn’t end up in a home for children. Fortunately, she was able to work out a plan with her college and start studying under Dr. Brooks.

“Why don’t you come with me?” She took a deep breath. “You have to start thinking about your future, and I can show you around the college. I’d love to have some company.”

I stared at her. “Now, uh, now isn’t such a good time.” I stumbled over my words. “I have a lot of sewing jobs lined up and . . .” I looked to Todd for some reason I couldn’t leave.

Kinley put a hand under my chin and turned my eyes back to her. “Please, Rochelle. I think it’ll be good for you to get away, and we can spend time together like we used to.”

A year ago, it would have been the greatest adventure of my life to go to college with Kinley. But now . . .

“Please, Rochelle.” She looked like she might cry. The last time I’d seen her cry was the day she told Kat and me that life would be different forever. It was unfair for her to have so many worries when she was barely an adult herself. “I promise it’ll be fun.”

Max would look out for Keppler, but who would look out for Kinley? “Okay. I’ll come with you.”

“What about me?” Kat’s voice held the same resentment as it did when we were kids playing doctor and she had to be the patient while I got to be Kinley’s assistant.

My cousin sighed. “I can’t take both of you. I’ll take you next time, I promise.”

“Fine.” She blinked hard like she was trying not to cry. “The soup’s ready. I’m not hungry anymore.” With quick steps, she left the room.

“I’ll talk to her.” Kinley smoothed my hair with both hands before standing to follow my sister. “You’re a mess. Get cleaned up and set the table, please.”

I leaned my head back and blinked up at Emma.

“Don’t look so worried, sweetie.” She cupped my cheek in her hand. “It’ll be good for you and Kinley to spend some time together, and I’ll take care of Kat.” My cousin’s shouting followed by a slamming door echoed above us. Emma looked up and cringed. “Todd, your gloves are on the counter. I’ll go talk to them and get them down here for lunch.”

Since Kinley had become our guardian, she and Kat found something to fight about at least once a day.

Alone with Todd, I shook my head and tried to comb my fingers through wind-knotted hair. “Well, if anyone’s going to get dumped off along the road, it’ll probably be me. How do I look?”

“Beautiful, like always.” Todd slid into the chair next to me. “And if Kinley’s afraid to leave you with us for two weeks, she won’t leave you alone on the road for a minute.”

“Very funny.” I smiled and let my hands drop to my lap.

“Don’t worry, Shelley.” When we were little kids he couldn’t pronounce my name, so my dad told him Shelley was short for Rochelle and it stuck. “It’ll be good to get Kinley and Kat apart for a while, and you talk about college all the time. It’ll be an adventure.”

Loud shouting sank through the ceiling and I shook my head. “I suppose you don’t have to deal with that at your house.” I’d never heard Emma raise her voice.

Todd nodded. “My sisters don’t really yell. But Emma does get that disappointed look that slices right through your chest. That’s even worse.” For the second time that day, Todd looked guilty, like there was more he wanted to say. “At least when Kinley yells it’s equal parts scary and entertaining.”

I leaned forward until my forehead rested against Todd’s shoulder. “As crazy as my family can be, I don’t know what I’d do without them. If I were in Keppler’s situation . . .”

Todd squeezed my hands in his. “They’re not going anywhere, Shelley, and neither am I.”