When Jon bent down to grab his backpack, an older teenage girl emerged from a hallway and almost collided with him. Jon found himself looking up at a new big sister, who ignored him on the way to the kitchen to help Mallory make dinner. Jon assumed he was going to eat dinner at the Kims' place.
Jon was amazed by how he could still recognize Stephanie even though she was Asian now. He didn't need the app to identify her.
His new big sister, OTOH, was a mystery until he overheard Mallory refer to her as ... "Melissa"!
Jon finished his drink from McDonald's and went to the kitchen to dispose of it - and to get a better look at Melissa. She had short hair, fashionable glasses, and sedate and mature clothing remaining from her Wednesday transformation, though she was no longer blonde or even White.
When Jon had last seen Melissa, she wasn't his girlfriend anymore and didn't even know who he was anymore. But Melissa Nguyen certainly knew who he was now. She knew Jon Nguyen better that he himself did!
Jon realized that as changes accumulated, he'd be less able to guess who anyone was without Palimpsest. If he hadn't briefly seen Melissa's Wednesday self by his locker, he might have thought she was some other Melissa whom he didn't know.
"Sarah's waiting for you," teased Mallory.
"Don't remind me," said Jon as he tossed his cup into a bin.
"JON!!" barked Stephanie.
"Coming!" Jon couldn't bring himself to call Stephanie "Mom."
An eight-year-old girl walked past him and headed for the kitchen. She had changed out of her Youth Soccer League uniform, so Jon had no way of guessing that she had just played a game on Lake Point High's field while her mother had been on campus in a PTA fundraising meeting.
How many more siblings do I now have? Jon asked himself as he put on his backpack.
"WE'RE LATE!!" shouted Stephanie.
Jon finally got out the door and joined Stephanie in her car.
Stephanie started the engine. "What is wrong with you today, Jon!?"
"I can't even begin to explain ..."
