Leia's POV

It's been a few weeks since Mary and Britney kidnapped Annabelle, Clara, Isaac, and Rachel. They've been arrested. We've all told our stories. We're all pretty much past that point in our lives.

Now everyone's just waiting for Jude and Eva to finally explain what Britney was apparently talking about while I was outside the house. Something about an alternate universe? I can't wait to hear about this one.

My phone and a few other phones go off in the rose room where a lot of us are gathered and just talking music stuff. I pick up my phone and see a text from Eva.

-Meet us in Parker's office. Jude and I will explain everything-

I quickly get up off the stage and head to the office. 

I really can't wait to hear this ridiculous story.

Jude's POV

I hear a huge sigh come from somewhere in the room and I almost feel like it was me. I've been so out of my mind trying to find a way to tell everyone everything that subconscious sighing would not be surprising.

"It was me who sighed, not you," Eva calls out from across the room. I inwardly smile to myself. She already knew what I was thinking and answered.

"How'd you know-"

"You had this really confused look on your face when I sighed, almost like it jumpscared you. So I assumed," she says nonchalantly.

I look over at her and watch her read a magazine. I know that she's reading a makeup portion because of the mumbling sounds that come out of her mouth every few seconds.

Suddenly, a weird feeling shoots through me. A kind of feeling of missing someone. 

But what could that be about?

Eva slams the magazine down next to the couch and groans loudly, "Ugh! If I had all the money in the world, then I would be able to buy all this makeup."

I raise one eyebrow, "If you had all the money in the world, you would spend it on makeup?"

"Yeah because it's so dang expensive."

I look at the floor as I realize why I feel like I'm missing something. Eva once told me that if she had all the money in the world, she would use it to donate to charities and help people in need, no doubt about it. And now I'm hearing the same person say that she would use that money on makeup.

Sure, I liked Eva back in our world. I still like her here. I mean here, she's just a more confident version of herself. I should be thrilled I'm dating her but it doesn't feel the same. This Eva isn't the same Eva that I talked to about what it means to grow up, your first kiss, and her amazingly deep lyrics. I haven't experienced all the same things with this Eva that I did with the original Eva.

I guess all I can hope is that we end up going back to the other world.

"I just sent the text. Everyone should be coming soon," Eva says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Ok," I sit down in a chair.

Suddenly everyone starts arriving. We obviously decided to tell all of our friends: Maggie, Theo, Luke, Leia, Clara, Isaac, James, Riley, Michelle, Giselle, John, Annabelle, and Rachel. 

"Ok. I know you all know why we've gathered you here today. So-" I'm suddenly interrupted by the sound of laughing.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just trying to get all my laughs out before you tell this story," Leia pauses as she looks around the silent room. She looks surprised that no one else is laughing along with her, "Oh come on! You guys can't possibly be serious about this."

Luke rests a hand on her shoulder and looks at her with a dead serious face, "Let's hear them out first."

Leia rolls her eyes and finally shuts up.

"Anyway, I'll start at the very beginning," I start. After making sure no one else has anything to say, I continue.

"Last Christmas Eve, Mr. T had us tell ghost stories."

"Why?" Theo asks.

"It's something his family does. So, Theo, you volunteered to share a story-"

"And this all happened..." Maggie starts off her question.

"In our actual world, not this one. This one is a weird copy-off version. So Theo told a story. There once was a man who worked in this building. On Christmas Eve, which is also his birthday, he made a wish to go to a different dimension. A time warp of some sort. His wish actually came true and everyone associated with this building was transported to some weird alternate dimension where everything was changed up. Either their personalities or their relationship or both. 

"The world was torture for everyone without them even knowing it. They stayed there for a year before being transported back to the day they left. It was as if no time had passed at all. But instead of it being like no time had passed at all, they all remembered their year of anguish. Because of that year, the man lost his family and his job. 

"And so he wished on that day instead that that would happen every 50 years to the people associated with this building."

I finally finish telling that long story and I look up to see everyone's reactions. Some look confused, some look like they might laugh, but most of them have a blank face as if they're processing what I just told them.

Since no one says anything, I continue, "That Christmas Eve, we all hoped not to get transported to this dimension. We didn't want to have messed up lives like the guy in the story. So when I woke up the next day and saw that everything was functioning normally, I was relieved. Until I finally noticed some changes here and there.

"Luke and Maggie were dating. Leia, Annabelle, Eva, and Rachel were auditioning. John and Michelle were dating. I couldn't push down the suspicious feelings anymore. I had to figure everything out, but I needed to have Eva's help first."

Eva's POV

"I was walking around checking out the place since I was new. Jude stopped me and started rambling to me and asking why everyone was acting weird. I obviously had no idea what he was talking about. He then explained the whole time warp thing. I usually wouldn't have believed him but he's so cute there's no way I wouldn't believe every word that comes out of his mouth."

I pause and look up at him. I give him a smile and he gives me one back, but something about his smile seems off. 

"Okay and?!" Clara startles me with a very agressive wake up call.

"Yeah. So Jude and I decided that we should start putting things back into order before we go back. Any questions so far?"

The room falls into silence as people think about what they should ask. 

But the room falls into a more deafening silence once we all hear what Isaac says.

Isaac's POV

I haven't heard a word Eva's said since Clara had her little outburst. Why would she yell at them like that?

I probably know the answer to that, but I don't want to admit it.

She's probably still jealous about Jude and Eva. I thought she liked me now but she's made it clear that she still has very strong feelings for Jude. 

How could I have expected her to move on from him so fast? I mean-

"Clara did hijack a whole Ferris wheel car just to get rid of Eva."

I suddenly realize everyone's eyes are on me.

Oh God.

Did I just say that out loud?

"What?" Eva says in barely a whisper.

"I-i-i-" I stutter out, failing to at least make one coherent word.

"You know what? We'll talk about that later. With you," Jude sends a glare in Clara's direction. She falters under his gaze.

What have I done?

Jude's POV

I don't want to think about what Clara did to us for now. I'll deal with that later.

"Questions?"

Riley's head suddenly perks up, "Why did you do it?"

"It?" I ask back.

"Get everything back to 'normal'?"

I think for a second, "Well, I didn't want us to be like the old man. He ended up miserable because of this dimension. Like- think about this. If Tina T hadn't come in and broken up the wedding between Mr. T and Parker, they would've actually gotten married and stay married for half a year. Then, at Christmas, when we all get our memories back, what would Mr. T do? Would he go back with Tina T or stay with Parker?"

Riley nods her head.

"What differences are there between this world and the other one and what have you done to fix them?" Maggie asks.

"I think we'll save that for a different day. That's gonna take way longer," Eva responds for me.

"Oh and why do you and Britney remember everything?" Leia asks.

"I don't know. I guess Theo just forgot that part. Three people so far remember. Me, Britney, and Tina T. That's the reason why she crashed the wedding."

"Ohhh that's who she is."

"Ok that's it for today," Eva concludes.

This is gonna be exhausting.