Take a Chance on Me

Twenty-six

When I open my eyes I'm blinded by the sun.

It's the middle of winter. There shouldn't be any sun. It should be grey and gloomy, the perfect weather to bundle up in my bed with my favorite blanket. I close my eyes, pretending that I'm cuddled up next to Alex, my head in the crook of his neck, his warm hand rubbing up and down my spine.

But the bright light interrupts my day dream, forcing me awake. I sit up and rub my eyes, taking in the view of the city skyline.

Wait. Not again.

I jump out of bed and run to the window. I look down and see a million tiny people running around like ants.

No no no no no. No way. This has to be a dream. I rub my eyes, hoping to see my bedroom when I open them.

Nope. This definitely isn't my bedroom. I run back to the bed and pull the covers over my head, willing myself to fall back asleep and escape this insanely realistic dream that I'm stuck in. I need my real life back. My life before any of this time travel ever happened.

"Leah! Hurry up! You don't want to miss your flight?"

Amy. I'm in her apartment again. There's only one way to be sure of what is going on. I sift through the sheets and find my phone, tapping on the screen to see the date.

June 21, 2018. Again.

This cannot be happening again.

"Be right out!" I yell back, quickly throwing on leggings and a t-shirt and packing up my suitcase.

How did this happen? I need to find the common denominator between my current and previous time travel situations. Think. Think.

Alex and I broke up. True, but I didn't go back in time right after we broke up the first time. It took weeks.

Think, Leah. Think.

Bingo. The letter. Every time I wrote him a letter and put it under my pillow, I found myself back in New York on the same day I met him.

I go to the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. My reflection doesn't look like my usual self. She looks tired, exhausted even. And her eyes are full of tears.

"Get it together, Leah. Get it together," I whisper to myself.

I can't control the situation I am in right now, so the only thing to do is to look on the bright side. Another chance with Alex.

-

"Promise you'll visit me soon," Amy says as I open the car door and grab my suitcase.

"I will, I promise." I give her a small smile as I close the door and head into the airport.

If things don't work out with him again for any reason, Amy will definitely be seeing me again.

After I go through security, I speed walk to my gate. I like to be early, but my conundrum this morning set me back about an hour so the plane has already began boarding when I arrive.

I squeeze through the tiny aisle and find my seat. Good old 23A is waiting for me. I sit down and pull out my all too familiar book, Normal People. Yes, I realize that my life is as far from normal as it can possibly get, so pulling this book out is extremely ironic. I can't help but laugh to myself.

When I look up I see them. Not just Alex, but Chase too. They are going back and fourth, arguing about something. I try to eavesdrop but the crying baby two rows behind me is making it difficult.

Chase shakes his head and puts his carry on in the overhead compartment above his seat and Alex begins to make his way towards 23B. I quickly look down so that I don't look like a complete psychopath just staring at him.

"Hmm, Normal People. I don't think I've ever heard of that one. Is it any good?" His blue eyes look from the cover and then up to mine. Just like last time we have our instant connection. I feel the all too familiar rush of being in his presence. His confidence is more than apparent and I'm ready for him to try all of his tricks on me. I'm lucky to be seated because my legs turn into jello and if I were standing I'd be on the floor, staring at the perfect being above me.

"It's pretty good so f-" I try to explain to him, but the screaming baby interrupts.

He flashes his smile in my direction and runs a hand through his beachy blonde hair. "Well this is going to be a long flight."

He doesn't look upset about it, and neither am I.