“Sorry, it’s just that I find this whole process sofascinating, I don’t like to miss a single thing that happens,” replied theangel. “Don’t worry about it. Just go back and enjoy your day.”
“And can I talk to Richard about it afterwards?” she asked.
“Well, I can’t see in this instance it will matter much,”said the angel. “But like I said before, no one else.”
“I’m hardly likely to,” said Kay. “I don’t want to getcarted off to the loony bin. Forget coachloads of time travel tourists and theLoch Ness Monster. I’m more likely to end up in a mental institution if I goaround telling people I’m a time traveller who talks to an angel in a mirror.”
“But you people watch enough movies and films with similarlypreposterous premises,” said the angel.
“But that’s just fantasy,” replied Kay. “People watchingknow it’s only a fantasy. If you ask me, the characters in these films are fartoo accepting of the situation when someone claims to be a time traveller. Inreal life, if anyone went around claiming to be a time traveller, 99% of peoplewould think they were insane. And the 1% who did believe them would probably beinsane themselves. The only reason I believe in it now is because I’ve seen itwith my own eyes. Now can we please have less talk and more action? I’ve got aball to go to!”
“Your wish is my command,” replied the angel, clicking herfingers in the mirror to bring the conversation to an end.
The next thing she knew, Kay was waking up in her teenagebedroom.
Chapter Nine
July 1994
The sun was pouring through the window and the room waswarm. She had travelled back once again to a day in the summer. It was a hotJuly morning and just like before she felt the energy of youth coursing throughher veins.
She sat up and looked around, images of her teenage life allaround her. Her duvet cover was bright red and covered in white hearts. Thewalls were adorned with posters of the indie bands that she had loved in heryouth: Saint Etienne, Blur and The Charlatans.
The poster of Saint Etienne’s Foxbase Alpha albumcover triggered some happy memories. They had been the first band she had evergone to see, a gig at the Equinox Club in Leicester Square in 1993. It had beenan amazing night, travelling down with three girl friends on the train fromOxford. It was one of the most fondly remembered nights of her youth and oneshe would certainly consider revisiting. She had been at that age when freshand new experiences were happening all the time.
It was the first and only time she had got to see SaintEtienne live. Years later she found out the band were doing a special 25thanniversary tour celebrating the release of Foxbase Alpha. She hadreally wanted to go, but it hadn’t happened. She hadn’t kept in touch withthose two friends. They were long lost in the past.
When she had tentatively mentioned going to one of thereunion concerts to Alan, he dismissed the suggestion as ridiculous. She wasfar too old to be running around going to gigs, he had said.
That had been pretty much the sort of response she got tomost suggestions throughout their relationship. Even when they were younger, hewasn’t interested in going anywhere or doing anything remotely exciting.
One year, when her daughter was still a toddler, she had hadthe chance to go to Glastonbury, but he had put a stop to that, too. He said itwas inappropriate for her to go off to a pop festival like that when she hadthe responsibility of looking after a child, and besides, his golf society wereaway on one of their trips that weekend. That was the sort of selfish bastardhe was.
She needed to forget about Alan for the moment. There wouldbe plenty of time to think up a way for him to get his come-uppance later on.Today was all about her and Kent.
The clock told her it was nearly 8.30am. She wandered acrossthe room to her Sanyo stereo system. It was black ash, and had four layers toit. There was a turntable on the top, with a radio on the second layer. Thethird deck was a CD player and finally a twin cassette deck. She pressed ejecton the CD to see what popped out – unsurprisingly, it was Foxbase Alpha.Resisting the temptation to listen, instead she flicked on the radio, keen toimmerse herself in the day at hand.
She was greeted by the familiar voice of Steve Wrightpresenting the breakfast show on Radio 1, along with his posse. It cut to thenews which she listened to with interest. The lead story was about O.J. Simpsonbeing tried for murder. She had forgotten all about that, but it had been hugeat the time.
The weather forecast said it was going to be hot and sunnywith a maximum temperature of 29 °C. She didn’t need the radio to tell herthat, she could see it was a glorious day just from looking out of the window.In her memories, the ball had taken place on a lovely warm summer’s evening.Clearly those memories hadn’t lied.
She couldn’t have asked for better weather. What a tonicafter struggling through the cold, dark December days of 2018.
It was time to think more about the day ahead. What were herobjectives and how was she going to accomplish them? What did she want to getout of this day?
She was pretty clear what her objectives were. It was howshe was going to go about it that was less clear. She needed to bin Glen offand ensure Kent took her to the ball instead. That was the first part, but shewanted more. Kent had told her to seize the moment and that was exactly whatshe intended to do.
This had been the night she had lost her virginity. She hadevery intention of seeing that part of history fulfilled, albeit with a differentpartner. She had to accept that Kent didn’t want her in 2018, so this was goingto be her one and only chance to sleep with him. It was vital she didn’t wasteit.
She
