Page 16 of Time Loops & Meet Cutes
I believe this suggestion has merit, and it has the added benefit of giving me a reason not to talk to Cam tomorrow.
“I’ll do that,” I say.
She takes out her phone. “What’s your number?”
“You’ll have to memorize it. Your phone won’t remember it tomorrow, and even if you write it in pen on your hand, it’ll be gone.”
“Good call.”
We tell each other our numbers and practice reciting them. It reminds me of when I was little and my mom taught me our home number. I’m not used to memorizing phone numbers anymore.
Then we leave the patio and head to the TTC. We’re going in different directions, and I wave to her as my train arrives.
I can’t help smiling as I step inside. I made a new friend! I can’t remember the last time I made one… and it only took getting stuck in a time loop for that to happen.
But what if I actually get out of the loop thanks to the dumplings I ate earlier?
Well, I can still text Avery. I know her number, and hopefully she’ll be able to receive my texts from the future, and I can tell her how to get out of the loop.
For once, I’m actually looking forward to tomorrow, whatever that happens to be.
8Noelle
June 20, Version 14
The next morning, I add Avery’s number to my contacts.
ME: I assume you’re still stuck on June 20?
AVERY: I am. Wordle is still happy.
AVERY: And that terrible take on what’s wrong with women these days is still going viral, as is the bizarre baby squirrel video.
It’s nice to have someone who actuallyremembers, and once again, I wonder if there are others like us. I’ve already tried a little internet research on time loops, but I need to expand my efforts.
I create a new anonymous Reddit account and post about our issue in some subreddits. I try a few different social media platforms as well, but the fact that I don’t have a big following anywhere makes me worry that my reach is limited. I also comment on an article about the night market. When I see that I’ve gotten a response to my first post, I tell myself not to get excited.
boba247x:The mods should delete this. What a stupid hoax.
It’s in a Toronto subreddit, so I respond by predicting the specific TTC delays that will happen later today, as well as the power outage caused by the Canada goose. I add that a certain celebrity known for being a “wife guy” will be exposed as a cheater.
Then I force myself to put aside my phone and dedicate my time to watching movies.
I figure I’ll start my research with Julia Roberts. She has lots of films to choose from. I watchPretty Woman, which, unfortunately, doesn’t translate very well to my life. Then I move on toRunaway Bride, and it crosses my mind that Cam could be a journalist. It seems marginally more likely than a billionaire, doesn’t it? And if he’s a journalist, he could write a story about me, the woman stuck in a time loop.
That seems far-fetched, but I’ll give it a try.
While eating a late dinner, I pull out my phone and look at the responses I’ve gotten to the posts I made earlier.
piedpiper16:Holy shit. She was right about the power outage and all the TTC delays.
discogirl_:There are delays every day.
piedpiper16:But she predicted the exact times and locations.
The thread becomes a discussion of whether or not people believe I’m trapped in a time loop. Sadly, no one has any advice or personal experience to offer, and before long, it will all vanish anyway.
“Have we met before?” Cam asks when I see him the next day.
