"Look, Percy. I'm not trying to sound rude, but you...you really need a lot of work."

I held in a sigh of exasperation, deciding it would be best to remain quiet. Callie and I were currently on our way from the Caldwell's, back to her own residence. Riding in her infernal contraption wasn't quite as nerve-wracking as before, but I still felt rather queasy. When Nora Caldwell announced that food had been prepared for us to eat, she most certainly had not been saying this in jest. Nothing looked remotely recognizable on the table Mrs. Caldwell had displayed her feast.

Callie had become exasperated after a moment of my staring at what I presumed to be food and quickly compiled a plate for me. I proceeded to eat what Callie called a hot dog, potato salad, and these crisps she called Lays. Needless to say, my stomach was not at all pleased.

It was nearing eight o'clock in the evening, and the sun had already begun to set. Mrs. Caldwell insisted that we were welcome to stay as long as we liked, but after three or so hours of attempted conversation with strangers from another century, Callie decided that was enough. I privately agreed with her, and tried not to make it so obvious that I was eager to escape.

If there was one thing I garnered from my rather unwanted evening with Callie and the Caldwell family, it was that blending in, as Callie called it, was going to be no simple task. I had no desire to learn, and it was fairly obvious Callie had no desire to teach me.

"Say, Callie."

She spared me a cursory glance as she maneuvered the automobile onto a different street far too quickly for my liking. "Yeah?"

I grit my teeth, bracing myself against the door to try and keep some semblance of balance. "Is it your intention to have me stay with you during the...duration of my time here?"

As troublesome as the thought of staying with Callie for the foreseeable future was, I would rather not find an alternate residence unless absolutely necessary. It had been difficult enough convincing Callie that I was telling the gospel truth, that I really had been thrown into the future. Even then I wasn't entirely sure she believed me. Ian and his younger brother certainly did not.

I heard Callie mutter something under her breath, and then she sighed heavily. "Honestly, Percy, this isn't the most ideal situation."

"Yes, I'm well aware."

"But...yes. It makes the most sense for you to stay with me."

I waited for her to continue speaking, but she remained decidedly tight-lipped, keeping her gaze fixed forward.

"Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?" I inquired after an expanse of uneasy silence.

Callie sighed again. "Both my brothers moved out a few years ago and my dad is an airline pilot. He's usually only home two or three times a week. It's pretty much just me most of the time."

"Ah. Of course." I did not find this so agreeable, Callie being alone most of the time. A young lady such as herself frequently left alone? Surely that was unacceptable. "But...what is an airline pilot?"

I did not see why my question would've amused Callie so, but she laughed loudly. "Sorry, I forgot. Of course you wouldn't know about airplanes."

"Airplanes?"

"We've got a lot of more Googling to do, Percy."

Callie lived in what she called an apartment, in a complex called Royalwood Pines. She informed me that their residence was on the third floor, and rather than taking me in an elevator, she opted for the stairs.

"It's not much," Callie said as she led me down a comfortably lit hallway with dark carpeting, "but it's home."

"I'm sure your dwelling is perfectly adequate."

I saw her roll her eyes as she rummaged around in her bag. She held a set of keys in her hand as she approached a door marked 3B. When she opened the door, she reached around, fumbling with something, and the entry way immediately became illuminated.

Callie's residence was awfully...bare. What I presumed to be an open drawing room only contained one sofa, a few afghans, and a piece of dark wooden furniture that supported what Callie had mentioned was a television. I didn't know what a television was supposed to be, but I must admit I was rather curious as to its functions. The kitchen was much smaller than the Caldwell's, but with the same sparkling metal appliances and marble countertops.

"Rooms are that way," Callie told me, pointing to a dark hallway to the right of the drawing room. "Only one bathroom down there, too. And that's about it."

"It's lovely," I said, attempting what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

Callie scoffed loudly, dumping her bag onto the sofa. "Yeah, right. Look. Sit down and don't move. I'm going to go get the groceries from my car."

I sat on the sofa as instructed, keeping my hands clasped tightly in my lap. The exhaustion I'd felt previously was returning full force, and the urge to grab one of the pillows beside me and sleep for an indeterminable amount of time was overpowering. I must have drifted off for a few moments, as I was shocked to my feet when there was a loud bang. Callie had kicked open the front door and was struggling her way into the apartment, laden down with numerous grocery bags.

"Here, let me help you," I said, quickly coming to her aid.

"Thanks," Callie said distractedly as she handed off a few grocery bags to me. "Not happy they were left in the car, but I didn't have too many perishables. Should be okay. Would you give me a hand putting these away? That way you can see where all of the food is."

I bit my tongue to keep from telling her that I highly doubted I would be able to stomach the food she'd bought and that she needn't worry about my consuming any of it. "Yes, of course."

Callie dumped the bags of groceries on the counter, then used a tie from around her wrist to pull her long blonde hair back into a knot. Once I'd stopped reeling and had time to digest the fact that I was now stuck in the twenty-first century, I had become somewhat distracted by the color of Callie's hair. It was blonde, yes, but the tendrils of hair she'd missed when she'd been pulling it back where a dark brown, curled at her neck. It was quite a pretty color, actually.

"Percy."

I gave a start when Callie snapped two fingers in front of my face, attempting to catch my attention. "You wanna give me a hand?"

"Yes, of course. Sorry."

Without a doubt, it was going to be interesting staying with Callie. I had no siblings, only my parents and grandmother. As expected, our household staff tended to be seen and not heard. The closest relationship I supposed I had was with my valet, James. I had even less interaction with the opposite sex. And to be perfectly honest, Callie made me nervous. Her legs made me nervous, as improper as the thought was.

I assisted her in putting away the groceries, only briefly examining each product before they were placed in the cupboards. Poptarts and Fruit Loops did not sound or look too particularly appealing. I had a brief moment of panic, wondering if this lack of suitable food would cause me to starve to death.

"Right," Callie said after she spent ten or so minutes putting the groceries away in various cupboards and the refrigerator. "You're welcome to anything in the kitchen. Just, if you make a mess, clean it up."

"I am a cleanly person, thank you," I said.

Callie seemed to be fond of rolling her eyes, because she did it again, and then marched over to the freezer to grab a carton of something called Ben and Jerry's.

"Ice cream," she said at my questioning glance, grabbing a spoon from a drawer. "You honestly make me want to drink, but I'm not twenty-one, so..."

She disappeared from the kitchen for a moment, and returned a minute later with this bulky looking, square device that she set on the counter. It made a loud noise as she pressed a button, and it lit up with a bright light. It was oddly reminiscent of the object that had been on Mikey's desk in his bedroom.

"Take a seat," Callie said, patting the stool beside the one she'd seated herself on. "Time for Googling."

I took a seat beside her, watching her with intense curiosity as she tapped around on the device. It would have captured my full attention had she not also been eating the ice cream; she'd bitten down on the spoon to keep it in place, and it was hanging out of her mouth. It was difficult to keep back my revulsion at such an improper display.

"So I'm really not sure how much I'm supposed to fill you in on," Callie said once she'd dug the spoon in the ice cream. "Up till 1914, I think."

I did not know the significance of that year, but I had already resigned myself to the fact that if I wanted to survive in this century, I would have to place at least some semblance of trust in Callie. She seemed intelligent enough.

However, the information Callie proceeded to throw at me made my head ache. It was far too much, even though she was only briefly explaining each subject. It was difficult to process each fact, and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it now that I knew. Two men by the name of the Wright brothers had invented the first airplane. A man called Henry Ford had helped pave the way to the modern-day automobile. Then there was the American Thomas Edison and the Serbian Nikola Tesla that had influenced the modernization of electricity. Women's suffrage in the United States, as well as England, became a heated subject for near decades before they had finally achieved the right to cast their vote in government proceedings. To this, I really had no opinion, though I feared I was not as informed on the subject as I should have been.

Callie began yawning when the small time stamp on what she called her laptop read that it was shortly after ten o'clock in the evening.

"I'm beat," she said, sighing heavily. "Time for bed."

"Oh, yes. Of course."

I was not sure whether or not I was supposed to bring up sleeping arrangements for myself.

"Gimme a second." She slid off the stool to walk over to the refrigerator to replace the ice cream before leaving the kitchen. She returned moments later, a pair of checkered pants that looked somewhat comfortable, and a gray t-shirt. "Here," she said, handing the clothes to me. "Pajamas. They're my dad's, but they should fit you. You're about the same height."

"Thank you," I said. "I am most thankful for your hospitality."

"Don't mention it." She gave me a stern look, her lips pressed together in a tight line. "I mean it. Like, seriously, do not mention it. I'm having a hard enough time dealing with this as it is."

I wanted to reply with and do you believe this is any easier for me? It took a herculean amount to bite back the bitter response.

"I'm going to put you up in the guest bedroom," Callie continued, motioning for me to follow her. "It's where my brothers usually stay when they come to visit, but it's nice enough."

I was growing tired of expressing thanks, so I merely nodded at this.

The room Callie led me to was bare of most everything, save for drapes covering the window, a bed with plain covers, and a nightstand with a lamp.

"Bathroom's down the hall," Callie informed me. "If you need anything during the night, don't bother me. I need at least a solid eight for me to function properly."

That was somewhat rude, I thought.

"Alright," I said.

Callie eyed me speculatively for a moment, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm going to lock my door when I go to bed. I don't wanna wake up in the middle of the night and see you hovering over me with a butcher knife or something."

"I beg your pardon," I snapped indignantly. How dare she even suggest such a thing? "I would never do something so horrific such as that."

"Well...good," Callie said. "Goodnight then."

She left the room, walking to the bathroom just down the short hallway, and slammed the door shut behind her.

I shut myself into the bedroom and proceeded to change into the clothes Callie had given me. As exhausted as I felt, I did not think I would be able to sleep, lest I be plagued with nightmares of being stuck in this century forever. That was the last thing in the world I wanted.

I slipped in underneath the bed covers and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible. The sheets began to irritate my skin the longer I lay there, and I had to resign myself to a night of staring up at the ceiling, wondering how everything could have gone so horribly wrong in such a short amount of time.

What had I done to deserve this?

________________________________________________________________________________

Hello, you lovely readers!

I promise you, I'm still alive, and I'm still writing!

I had a bit of a trying semester, as well as getting a new job, so I've been running around like a chicken without a head more often than not. On the bright side, this coming May I'll be graduating with my bachelor's degree in creative writing! How exciting is that?

And, of course, my other book IN 27 DAYS is being published as well, so that's a whole other fun experience in itself. You can head on over to Amazon.com right now to pre-order the book if that fancies you. :) 

Anyway, I know this was a bit of a shorter chapter than what I usually try to write, but a small update is better than no update, right? So drop a comment below with your thoughts and maybe a vote too - it's always much appreciated!

Happy Holidays you lot!

Lots of love,

Ally