Free Summer of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

just call him sugar ?
    â€œThanks.”
    Hmm, I think Marsha was right about the swooning girls at every turn.
    We stride along the dark wood floors to a table next to a window, where we sit down. In the back, there’re a bunch of arcade games, with several kids waiting at each one, not being ignored like they would in the future. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, something called Centipede, others called Donkey Kong, Frogger, and Galaga. How would I know to dream about these games if I’ve never seen some of them before?
    I look at Jason.
    He looks at me.
    This could get very awkward. Or he could be my liaison to navigating this world if I play my cards right. “So . . . ,” I begin.
    â€œSo, I guess you met Marsha.”
    â€œMarsha? Oh, the girl in the red bikini? Yeah. She’s nice.”
    â€œShe’s my brother’s girlfriend. At least he sees her that way.”
    Whoa. “Wait, you mean she’s not with that other guy back there?” My dad. I know it’s not true, but I throw it out there just to see what he says.
    â€œOscar?” He smiles, shaking his head. “Nah. The dude’s cool, but he doesn’t have a clue. She’s not into him at all. She has the hots for my brother. We all hang out during summers here, though.”
    The hots . I guess he means she thinks his brother is hot. Aww, poor Dad! Wait . . . we? So Jason and my dad used to hang? An older waitress saunters over. Jason orders a large pepperoni pizza and a pitcher of Coke. He folds his hands in front of him. He smiles his cute, crooked smile. “So, Haley, Haley, Haley.”
    â€œJason, Jason, Jason.” I fold my hands like him. I know that whatever is coming is going to focus largely on me.
    â€œI’m a bit baffled. Was hoping maybe you could help me out,” he says, his blue eyes darker now by the window shade.
    I knew it. He wants to conduct an interrogation, not get to know me better. Well, I did appear out of nowhere. I guess I’m just as strange to him as his world is to me. “You’re wondering where I came from,” I say.
    â€œThat . . . is the understatement of the year.” He nods, smirking. “Try looking at it my way. A teenage girl is dragged out of the water semiconscious. She’s in regular clothes instead of a bathing suit, which, I must admit, was . . . quite disappointing.” He turns up a mischievous grin.
    I smile and glance down at the table.
    â€œShe wakes up, confused about where she is. I can accept that. But then she can’t find anyone she knows, has this little machine she calls an ‘eye-phone,’ and she says weird things that make no sense.” He laughs and sits back. “So far, I’m thinking you fell out of an episode of Star Trek .”
    I sigh. “It’s a phone. The little machine is called a cell phone. Here, look.” I pull it out of my pocket and place it in front of him. I press the button to wake it up, but nothing happens. “Wait, sometimes it does this. Maybe it’s wet.”
    Damn it, don’t tell me. . . . I press the button harder. Nothing. Ack! My phone’s battery sucks!
    â€œSo you mean to tell me that you have a telephone you carry around with you everywhere. How does it work without a cord? Where would you even get something like that? Your old man’s Double-O-Seven?”
    â€œNo,” I say. My dad is that clueless kid trying to pick up your brother’s girlfriend out there. I smack my phone a few times. “It’s dead. I can’t show you. The battery must have run out.” I can’t believe this. Now I’m without my charger in a time where chargers don’t exist. Fabulous. Tell me, exactly how am I supposed to survive?
    â€œThat’s not thick enough for batteries.” I look up, and he’s staring at me pretty hard. He’s really trying to work this all out in his head but could never, ever imagine the whole truth.
    I