24
“What are you doing?” Lydia asked.
It was Tuesday back in my world, three days and several time zones behind the universe where I was currently staying, and it was Halli’s first full day of school. When the bell rang for what she knew was my lunchtime, she didn’t head for the cafeteria, the way I always did, but instead found a quiet spot on the grass to eat her peanut butter sandwich and keep going through the algebra worksheets Albert had sent her.
Halli looked up and shielded my eyes from the sun. “Heya!” she greeted Lydia. “Have a seat.”
Lydia looked around. This was highly irregular. We always sat at the same table inside and always ate the exact same things every day: yogurt, an apple, and a miniature candy cane for Lydia, a bag of chips or some other junk food for me.
“It’s
