With each word Jon's heart sank. His phone was gone, and because his wish had changed Athena she may have stolen it. The day before he had more contact with people he hadn't known before his wish. He wondered why he was coming in contact with so many people he'd known before it all, and why things seemed to be working against him today.
He wanted to swear in frustration, but doing so on the phone at the Kims' house was not the place to do it. "Thanks ... Mom."
Jon couldn't get over how weird it was to call Stephanie "Mom." Stephanie Nguyen sounded just like Stephanie Sanders ... who sounded like Stephanie Wright. Changing age and race had no effect on Stephanie's voice. This Stephanie had been born in Vietnam but had spent almost all of her life in the States. More years than any of her previous incarnations, in fact. Jon didn't know who Stephanie had become on Tuesday, but he bet her voice had remained constant.
"Jon, who was that?" asked Sarah.
"My mom," replied Jon.
"Thanks." Sarah sighed with relief. She thought she had heard Jon say "Mom," but she wasn't sure. She had feared Jon was talking to some girl. She'd be better than whoever that girl might have been.
Coach Sarah Barry had healthy self-esteem but didn't think as highly of herself as Sarah Kim. Had the older Sarah's ego been reduced by years of experience that her younger Kim and McMillan selves lacked? Or had Sarah McMillan's sense of superiority somehow reasserted itself in her latest form? Could traits of older versions lie dormant, only to resurface several swaps later? Or was Sarah's ego actually a remnant of the original Kim girl whom she had replaced?
Would that earlier child have been so eager to play for her babysitter? "Can I play another song, Jon?"
"S-sure. Sorry my mom interrupted."
"No problem. I know it wasn't your fault."
Jon couldn't believe it was Sarah looking at him like ... that.
She focused on her performance. No glances at Jon this time. No mistakes. She had to be perfect for him. She was.
Jon applauded. Part of him was happy for Sarah. His wish had brought out her potential. Or was that the original Kim girl's potential? A blend of both? He'd created a new girl, neither Sarah McMillan nor fill-in-the-blank Kim, a girl who might not even exist anymore at 3:47 tomorrow ... or one of the three other days his accursed wish was in effect: Saturday, Sunday, Monday. On the other hand, she might be stuck like that forever, years of her life and the McMillan fortune stolen from her, and she'd never know ... unless Jon told her. He could see it now: she waited for him, they got married, and only then would he reveal the secret ... show her the stone.
Jon spent his remaining time at the Kims' alternating between mental replays of Sarah's performance and thoughts of the stone. It had destroyed Athena's life - turned her into the thief of his phone, apparently. Could he use it to get his phone back? No, he would do everything in his own power before resorting to that ... thing.
Jon looked at Sarah and Susan. A White daughter and mother turned into older and younger Korean sisters. By that rock. For the stupidest of reasons. For his pleasure. The Kims were nicer than the McMillans. But Athena had gone downhill, to put it mildly. And so had Zoe and Karyn. Where were they now? Who were they now? Jon hadn't seen that Zoe Brewer hadn't swapped. And he didn't know where Karyn had been at 3:47 this afternoon. Still at the cafeteria and subject to his wish, or out of range?
Jon had no answers when his new mother arrived. By then the Kims had gone to bed. Jon wondered if Sarah would have dreams of him. Of a life with him that might never be.
Stephanie's voice stopped his train of thought. "Jon, let's go. The Kims should be back any moment now."
"Okay." Jon stuffed his AP textbooks into his backpack. His attempts to make sense out of them had been a failure. He hoped he wouldn't be called on in class tomorrow.
"I'm sorry about your phone," said Stephanie. "I did try Googling for an Athena."
You wouldn't have to Google her if I hadn't fucked up, thought Jon as he got into his family's car. If I hadn't destroyed your life. She was your friend. Now she's a stranger you're trying to hunt down.
"I got her Facebook page." Stephanie settled into the driver's seat and started up her car. "It's public. Not bright enough to make it private."
I made her stupid, thought Jon. Athena was weird, but not stupid. But now ... Jon was haunted by the footage of Athena that he had seen on Palimpsest. How much of that ... behavior did Athena share on Facebook?
"She lives in the trailer park. Really trashy," said Stephanie.
Because of me, thought Jon. "I messed up. I'll face her somehow. I can go to the trailer park during my free period tomorrow. Try looking for her. Maybe we can print a photo of her from her Facebook when he get home."
"I don't know if you should go there by yourself. Maybe I should call the police."
"No, this is my fault. My responsibility."
Stephanie was impressed by how serious and mature Jon sounded. And yet ... "I don't want you to play detective, Jon. I know that phone was expensive and that you did a lot of babysitting and tutoring to earn it, but it's not worth your life."
Jon wondered if Cletus or some other guy in the trailer park would beat him up. "Yeah ..." Maybe he could bypass a confrontation with Athena and her fuckbuddy of the day by just wishing his phone back.
When Jon returned to the Nguyens' - he couldn't think of that place as home - not yet - he walked into a hallway, not knowing which room was his. He was relieved to see his Future of Gaming poster on a door. Must be mine, he thought. Jon Nguyen marked his territory the same way I marked mine. Jon opened the door to see his gaming console and PC. Even his furniture was the same, though positioned differently. Being Vietnamese didn't mean he had to have a different desk, chair, or bed.
He pulled open a familar drawer, hoping to find the stone.
In the realities up until this afternoon, Marie Strzelec had talked Jon's grandfather out of enlisting. Daniel Madison had remained in the US, married her, studied archaeology, and went on an expedition to South America where he found the stone shortly before he died.
But in the current reality, Rachel Stott (once Rachel Bush and before that Rachel Edwards) had replaced Marie Strzelec. Rachel Strzelec had talked Dan into joining the Army which sent him to Vietnam where he married a local Catholic woman and had a daughter, Stephanie. He pursued Vietnamology and became a college professor. Had he still gone to South America after he retired? Did he still find the stone and pass it on to Jon? Or had the stone relocated itself in Thursday's version of the world?
