t w e n t y : what happens in the past stays in the past

Lacey's POV:

I'm the president. I'm the president. I keep repeating this in my head. I'm convincing myself--no I'm convincing them.

I don't need to convince them. I'm assertive, agressive, and I get shit done.

Right?

That's how I should act.

That's how it needs to be.

There's no alternative.

I look through the large windows of the oval office and I see my great big city. I see the place I've transformed from a crime capital to a respectable society.

I did it.

Certain contributors helped, but essentially I created this world. Terra, my she rest in peace, was my best friend. Ever since I met her, I think I've been a better person, really.

She convinced me not to blame myself for what happened that night so long ago; she helped me gain the courage to build this society we live in now. Mental note: I need to call Harold to check up on him and Jack.

I remember the first time I met Harry--my knight in shining armor, or so I saw him as back then. He became something else after that.

"President Carrington, President Carrington", my secretary calls. He walks in with a phone.

"What's this for?", I ask, not turning from the window.

"Senator Garcia", he sighs, "She wants to talk with you about gun control".

Not again. Why do they want to carry guns so damn bad?

"Tell her I'm busy", I settle.

"But you're not", he replies flatly.

I swiftly turn around, "You tell her what I say to tell her or I can choose from a long list of qualified people who'd love your job", he quivers at that, "Understand", I finish.

"Yes ma'am", he replies without hesitation.

"It's President Carrington", I reaffirm.

He nods.

I widen my eyes at him.

"President Carrington", he says.

Then I gesture to the door for him to leave.

Fucking secretaries. Can't get anything right. I might as well do it myself.

I've never gotten married. Never found that forever person, nor have I gotten the hype.

I'm 41, and I've barely been in a functioning relationship.

But, I'm the President... so that counts for something?

Who the hell knows? But I've invested myself into this thing for the last 23 years. And I've gotten all this: a big mansion, security, good food, and loneliness. I never knew it'd be like this in the start. It was innocent, I swear. It always starts out innocent.

February 10th, 2017

"So what we're proposing", I start.

"Is a complete reversal of society", Terra finishes, "Just change everything".

"Right. We'll definitely get backlash--I mean my Tweet alone frustrated all the incels", I say.

"But, some people will definitely get behind this", she pats my shoulder, "We just have to believe. I mean the amount of people that I rounded up--your supporters--they believe", she emphasizes.

I don't even know if I believe myself.

We're in her dorm room now. But this time her boyfriend isn't in a towel. I feel dirty for even thinking about him the way I did. My perception of men is just so screwed up that I thought an act of chivalry was a romantic gesture, I-I feel fucking--

Terra cuts off my thought, "Sorry to end this meeting short, but my boyfriend is taking me out for some early Valentine's Day thing", she smiles.

I fucking abhor her.

I can't help but envy her. She has a nice guy. Some of us are not fortunate enough to have a nice guy like him.

"Knock knock", he says in a singsong voice. Harold, aka. Harry. The door is open--there's no need to say "knock knock".

"Hey", I wave. He returns a curt wave back. So cold. Like those frosty blue eyes. Ugh, I'm thinking about him like that again.

"Ter, we need to get going. Bye, Lacey", he says. As they exit, I feel my heart sink. I'm literally going between hating myself and hating her.

I need to think positive. Hey, there's food in the fridge. As I'm walking over to the fridge, her phone rings. She forgot it.

I've only known Terra for a few days, and I know by now she's very forgetful.

Mark is calling, it says. We've talked a lot in the pass few days and I also know nothing about a Mark. Hmm.

I answer the phone--not because I'm nosey, persay--but because I'm bored and the call would most likely be nobody.

"Hello", a deep voice answers.

"Hi", I reply, "Um Terra's not here. Can I leave a message or something?", I ask.

"Tell her I miss her. And ask if she's still coming over tonight", he says before hanging up.

I-

Huh?

I can't jump to conclusions--especially because it's none of my business. I'm just gonna rely the message.

A few hours later, Terra and Harry return. I'm eating popcorn and staring at the TV screen while overanalyzing a situation I should not have been a part of in the first place.

As the door opens, I almost jump.

"We're baaack", Terra says in a singsong voice.

"Oh, I almost forgot", I start (I didn't forget), "Some guy... a Mark? He left a message for you".

"You left your phone", I point.

Immediately, Terra grabs the phone and goes to the bathroom. "I gotta take this".

Harry just looks disappointed. Maybe it's not innocent?

"So was it fun?", I ask in a higher tone. He looks disheartened.

"Yeah, steak, lobster, entertainment. Good stuff", he shrugs. I can't help but stare at his shiny black locks.

I guess he notices because he looks panicked, "Is there something on my head?", he starts swatting, "a spider?!", he's in full-on panic mode now.

"No!", I laugh. "Calm down, there's nothing on your head. I was just admiring your hair", I admit. "It looks really moisturized", I smile.

"Thanks", he chuckles. Then, "Be honest with me. Is she fucking that guy?", he finishes.

Did not expect that.

"I-", I stutter.

"I know she's fooling around with somebody", he says.

"I don't know, Harry", I shrug. "She seems pretty loyal to you".

"Why did she go into the bathroom to answer a call from another guy?", he crosses his arms.

I'm not sure.

"I don't know", I shrug. Then my eyes light up, as if I've gotten a new idea, "Ooh maybe she went into the bathroom for her basic human right to privacy", I say sarcastically.

That was a bad idea.

He's fuming now. "I don't need sarcasm right now. My relationship might be falling apart and I technically don't even know it", he grabs the sides of his head in frustration.

"Hey, calm down", I console him, "You can't jump to conclusions because that will only hurt her and you".

He nods, but then she giggles, and he's disappointed all over again.

"Thanks for making me feel better", he leans in and wraps his arms around me.

I allow him to pull me into a warm embrace. He smells like the beach. I'm not even kidding--the beach. I forget that I hate men for a second while I'm in his arms.

Holy shit.

This is worse: thinking about being with someone else's man. You know what--I'm not a sneaky bitch. I'm not making any suspect moves with her man. We're gonna keep this professional. We develop our proposal and we change the world. We gather supporters and we change for the better. We do not make moves on each other's boyfriends.

And this remains true for the next millisecond until he bends down and plants his lips on mine.

Why?

Just a few days ago he'd pretended he didn't recognize me. Maybe this has nothing to do with that.

He just wants to get back at her for... I don't even know. She's probably innocent for all we know.

I break off the short-lived kiss.

"Stop", I push away from him with my palm on his chest. "You don't mean any of this", I look down, "You're just hurt, and you want to get back at her for something you don't even know she did", I frown.

He just sighs and rubs his forehead.

"You should go to her. Sweep her off her feet in some way that romantic people do", I make a disgusted look after saying romantic.

"I remember that night", he says bluntly.

"I-", I start. Then a door slams shut.

"Ooh, look at you two getting cozy", Terra says with a smile.

"Yeah, we were just talking", I smile back, "Want to go over the proposal again?".

"Nah, let's watch a movie", she beams. "You two", she points, "on the couch", she says as she pats the seats on either side of her.

We sit down awkwardly and let Terra choose the movie. He looks uncomfortable.

When he said "that night", did he mean that night?

I look over to him and he's staring down at his hands. I wonder what he's thinking.

May 2040

Jack's POV:

Dad's fucking crazy. I support him in most of his business ventures--and the state of the New World, but this is too far.

Kara's been spotted? What the hell?

Has he been spying on her?

She cannot be against the New World--physically, mentally, emotionally--there's no way. I don't believe it.

Her mom works for President Carrington. My dad does, too. There's no way that people like us think about joining anti-New World factions.

I know of a few groups from the beginning of the Reversal that were sussed out and "eliminated". If Kara's actually in a group, I need to help her--not report to dad. He'll understand. He was in love before.

I made a mistake with Jaden, but she doesn't know about that. We can still fix things.

February 11th, 2040

Lacey's POV:

We agreed to meet.

He's sitting in Starbucks with some iced coffee drink. And I'm standing outside, lurking.

I'm literally shaking. Has he told Terra about that night? Is that why she gathered those supporters?

The only way to know is to go head first.

I walk in and order a Venti Pink Drink.

It takes only a few minutes for them to call me.

Moment of truth.

I scoot into the seat across from him.

"Hi", I murmur.

"Hey", he looks down at his phone.

"So when you said "that night", you meant what?", I say, "I mean we probably didn't have to have a--"

"That guy--who tried to rape you", he says.

...

I never thought of it outright like that.

He tried to rape me. There. All out.

Somehow I feel more broken thinking about it like that--putting it into a readable sentence.

My terror is a sentence.

"I-I", I stutter, looking down at my drink. I start slurping it so that I'm unable to speak.

"He was my friend, and he had a girlfriend. I saw him walking upstairs with you--so I followed you two", he shrugs. "Little did I know what was really going on", he says earnestly.

"And so when you found--", I trail off.

"Yeah, I had to take action", he looks into my eyes. "I'm glad you're okay--physically, I mean. I know that situation must have left you mentally scarred in some way", he finishes.

He did remember me. Who would forget?

Maybe he pretended to forget because Terra was there. Or he didn't expect me--whatever the reason, why acknowledge it now?

"Why now?", I raise my voice a little.

He looks confused.

"I mean", I emphasize, "Why acknowledge it now?", I finish.

"I didn't want it to seem suspicious if I admitted I knew you in some way. And if I did, I'd have to say how exactly I knew you, and I didn't want to embarrass you".

"I thought you just didn't--"

"No, I remember that night--vividly. I tried to check on you after I dragged him out, but you were gone. I never thought I'd see you again, let alone that you go to our school", he sounds genuine.

"And you're my friend and future partner's boyfriend", I state bluntly. "What happened last night cannot happen again".

"I know, but honestly I don't see a future with Terra", he admits.

"I'm not fooling around with you", I say, "Our way of meeting was weird enough--we don't have to make it weirder". With that, I get up and throw away my empty cup. This meeting's over.

As I head back to my car, I step back to check for human traffickers with knives--because that's the kind of stuff women have to look for.

But I back into someone. There's that fear all over again. I forgot to look behind me.

When I turn around, it's him again. And to my surprise, he slams his lips on mine.

May 2040

I take a swig of my top tier bourbon in my oval office.

Like I said, it always starts off innocent.