Free Consequences by Carla Jablonski Page A

Every dirty, poisoned rag of it.”

Chapter Seven
    T IM CONTINUED STARING AT Molly and Marya. “Okay, so far I’ve figured out this much,” he told the immobile girls. “It has something to do with time. Somehow time moves one way for you and another way for me—and everyone else.”
    He put his hands on his hips. Time is weighed down where they are, keeping them still. They’re sort of stuck in it. Funny, I’ve never thought of time as sticky before.
    Tim held out his hands, moving them closer and closer to Marya. There . He felt it. The air around her gave him some resistance—it tingled. In a sharp gesture, he plunged his fingers into the slower-moving molecules and yanked what felt like a heavy blanket off Marya.
    Marya stumbled forward with such force that she knocked them both over. “Ooof!” Tim grunted.
    â€œSorry!” Marya giggled and helped Tim to hisfeet. He set his glasses back on his nose. “It’s so good to see you,” she exclaimed. “I’ve been meaning to visit you but—”
    â€œMarya!” Tim needed her to stop talking. She was acting as if this were the most normal reunion in the world. That was part of the problem, though: They weren’t from the same world. Actually , Tim realized, technically we are. All the kids living in Free Country were originally from here, what they call the Bad World.
    Marya took a breath, then began again, words tumbling out of her. “What with exploring and dancing, I just haven’t found the time.”
    â€œMarya, slow down a minute,” Tim said. “I need to do something about Molly.”
    Marya turned and looked at Molly. “What is wrong with her?”
    Tim snorted. “Her boyfriend is a magician. And not a very smart one, I’m afraid.” He emphasized the b word, testing it out. It didn’t sound so bad. But shouldn’t he have been included in the discussion when that was decided? It seemed like he was the last to know, as usual.
    â€œDo you think you can catch her?” he asked Marya. “She’s bound to have some serious momentum going, like you did, and I don’t want her to fall over.”
    â€œSure thing.”
    Marya got into position next to Molly. “Ready.”
    Tim felt for the sticky sensation in the air that indicated that time had slowed in that spot. He wiggled his fingers and yanked. Molly lunged forward, and Marya grabbed her, as she nearly tipped over.
    â€œSteady now,” Marya said, helping Molly find her footing.
    Molly turned to stare at Tim, wide-eyed and openmouthed. The moment of truth had arrived.
    â€œMagic?” she said.
    â€œBoyfriend?” he countered.
    Molly blushed. For the first time in his life, Tim had one-upped her.
    She gazed down at her clunky boots. “Uh.”
    â€œBoyfriend,” he repeated. This time, though, it was more of a statement than a question.
    Molly laughed. “Well, you had to find out sooner or later. I was hoping that you would work it out yourself.”
    â€œWho, me?” Tim’s eyebrows rose. “You know me better than that. I don’t notice that it’s raining until my glasses fog up.”
    â€œHm.” Molly took a step closer to him. “Well, I see that you stopped running away, at least.”
    â€œI guess I have.” He took a step closer to her.
    â€œDoes that mean you…uh….” She trailedoff and gazed at her feet again.
    Astounding , Tim thought. Molly O’Reilly—speechless.
    He decided to not prolong her discomfort. “Yeah, I guess it does.” He smiled at her.
    Only now it was Molly who backed up. Had he already done something wrong?
    She studied his face. “Marya wasn’t joking, was she? You are a magician?”
    She didn’t seem afraid, just curious and amazed.
    â€œUh, yeah, that’s true,” he replied. This was going a lot better than he had