Chapter 4
“Do you believe in the paranormal?”
Lily blinked at Darcy owlishly before setting down her coffee. “You mean like ghosts?”
Darcy gave a weak shrug. Lily was probably her favorite person in the whole world and had been since tenth grade when they both ditched PE for a book run. The fact that they both ended up at Culver was a blessing to Darcy for stressful situations like this. Though, she already knew what Lily was going to say.
“Sure, ghosts.” Darcy held back a sigh. “But also other things like superpowers and mindreading stuff.”
Lily grimaced. “You know that I don’t. And superpowers, really Darcy?”
“You know what I mean.”
“What’s with the sudden interest?” Lily asked. “This is the first I ever heard of it.”
“Maybe I’m looking into the science aspect of it.” Darcy avoided her eyes.
“You’re a political science major, Darce.”
“Not by choice really.” Darcy groaned. “I just think I’m going crazy.”
“Why? What’s been going on?”
Darcy opened her mouth, ready to tell her best friend the truth behind this whole situation. The thing was, Darcy knew she wasn’t crazy, but it didn’t mean that other people wouldn’t think the same way.
Darcy forced a weak smile. “I just think the semester is getting to me.”
Lily’s expression softened. “I told you that job was going to stress you out.”
“Yeah, that’s it. Extra stress with weird dreams is all.”
“Can you talk?”
Darcy stilled her motions of putting her laundry in the washing machine. She looked around the laundry room and waited for the other girl to leave the room.
“Sure,” Darcy let out a breath. She felt Steve’s chuckle.
“Used to this yet?”
She focused ahead of her, seeing him walking around his tiny apartment. “Not really, you?”
“No,” he admitted. “I thought about telling Bucky last night but I knew he would think that I was even more sick.”
“Even more?” Darcy asked, concerned.
Steve hesitated. “Yeah I just have a few things…”
“Anything serious?”
“No,” Steve lied. “I’ll live.”
“Good!” Darcy smiled. “By the way, I’ve been wanting to ask what’s going on in your time?”
“Well, uh…”
“I mean,” Darcy continued. “I’ve had history classes so I’m pretty sure I can figure out everything if you give me the gist.”
“We’re fighting Germany right now.”
Darcy stilled with her laundry basket on her hip. “The Nazis?”
“Yeah, you know…never mind, of course you do.”
“Are you going off to fight?”
Steve paused. “I hope so, yeah.”
“Holy crap,” Darcy breathed.
“Not a good outcome, huh?”
Darcy mentally debated the answer in her head. “I want to tell you what happens but I’m terrified on what that will mean for the future.”
“We should probably limit on the information we share with each other.”
“Which means you can’t tell anyone about anything you see through me.” She reminded him.
“Right,” he sighed. “I stayed awake most of the night wondering why this could be happening to us.”
“Yeah,” Darcy snorted. “Not only am I talking to another person in my head but he’s also from another time. Did you come up with any answers?”
“Not a single one.”
“Great,” Darcy kicked her dorm door shut. She looked around the room to make sure Diane was gone before continuing the conversation. “You know this is going to get pretty difficult.”
“I guessed that a while back ago.” He paused. “I have something to tell you?”
“Let me guess, you’re talking to another girl in your head? I knew it!” She teasted.
“Yeah, well she’s not as beautiful as you.”
Darcy blushed with happiness. “You’re damn right. Now, what is it you need to tell me?”
“When I was a kid, I had this…I don’t know what to call it, but I think it was the first time I saw you. Except I was seeing a screen full of stars but when it changed you started crying and it made me upset. Scared my Ma half to death.”
Darcy gasped. “I couldn’t have been more than two. I had this obsession with a television show that talked about the stars and space. When anyone would change the channel I would start crying.”
“This thing goes way back, Darcy.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to see that.” She muttered, lying back on her bed.
“Do you still like stuff like that?”
She gave a small smile. “Yeah, I wanted to go into astronomy, but I learned early on that as much as I love science it just doesn’t stick with me. So, now I’m a political science major.”
“And what does Miss Lewis want to do with political science?”
“She’s not sure anymore.” Darcy sighed. “I spent my freshman year trying out all these different classes to see what would stick and politics just did for some reason. Part of me feels like I should just forget about school and go on a roadtrip.”
“Where would you go?”
“Everywhere, probably even Canada.”
“You should come to Brooklyn.” He tried to be nonchalant but failed.
“Is that where you live? I’ve never been to New York.”
“I love it here,” he sighed. “Been here my whole life.”
“Now you’re ready to go off to war.” She replied lowly. “Steve, do you think my time your…”
He cleared his throat. “One of the things that makes this so complicated.”
“If you are…in my time, you would probably be in your nineties.” Darcy shook her head, hating the tone this conversation was taking. “Too bad, I would love to get coffee with you.”
“Coffee?” He asked confusedly.
“Yeah, you know…” Darcy motioned with her hands, embarrassed to admit more.
“Oh! You mean like a, uh, a date?”
“Yes, like a date.” She teased.
“Coffee isn’t a date,” he scoffed.
“Oh? What’s a date to you? Let me guess, dancing.” She snarked.
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Too bad, I don’t dance. Well I do, but never in public.”
“Neither do I, at all I mean.” Steve ran a hand through his hair.
“You live in the time of dancing and you don’t know how to dance?” She asked unbelievably.
“Girls aren’t exactly lining up to dance with a guy they’re afraid they might step on.” Steve grimaced as he realized what he just said.
“I would dance with you.” She admitted softly. “Steve, you know it doesn’t matter to me what you look like.”
“Yeah, we’ll you’re kind of stuck with me no matter what.”
“Even if I wasn’t, it wouldn’t matter.” She insisted. “Let me see you, Steven.”
He let out a rough sigh. “Okay.”
Steve had a rusted mirror hanging lonely on his wall. He kept his gaze focused on his floor until he reached it. Part of him wished she would never have to see him, knowing it would be a let down. Might as well get it over with, he told himself. He slowly lifted his eyes until he met his own gaze in the mirror.
“Well, hello there handsome stranger.” Darcy said softly. “Why were you so afraid to let me see you?”
“Darcy, you don’t have to…”
“Shut up, you’re totally cute.” She teased. “I would dance for you.”
With that statement Steve wondered what trick Fate was trying to play on him.