Work Text:
There were no curtains on the window. The room was way too bright for my liking. Now, my room has curtains that I keep half closed. Such a miniscule change. On the right, the bed was unmade. I smiled, that didn’t change at all. She was sitting on the bed, back to the door I was standing in. Another change, mine would’ve been closed. My eyes roamed the room, taking everything in. The little bird was still on the shelf. I have to admit, not much changed, but enough did. Enough to be noticeable.
I stepped into the room, grabbing her attention. She turned around, confused at first. She had her phone in hands. I left mine at home. She has the same hair length as me. And similar glasses. Not the same, though. I smiled. She dropped her legs and stood up. She’s not that smaller than me. It’s been so long since I’ve seen her face, yet I still see a version of it every day.
I walked closer, sat on the bed, careful not to sit on the edge as that part could be opened. A lot of people fell in the past. Now, my bed is double the size of this one. She watched me like a hawk before sitting next to me.
“I know you,” I forgot how her voice sounded.
“Yes.”
She stared at the ground before grabbing her phone. She handed it to me and I checked the time. Today, ten years ago. An orange app was opened on the screen. I recognized the logo. She already made an account. I returned the phone and waited for her to ask.
“Why are you here?”
I swallowed: “It’s been a decade already. I’m celebrating.”
“What happened to us?”
I dread that question. What am I supposed to tell her?
“A lot of things, bad, but also good,” I can’t change what happens to her, “but we’re happy.”
She stayed silent, tapping the back of her phone. I watched her. Some days, I wish to change the past, but not today. Today, I’m content with how things turned out. I’m happy with how I turned out.
“What can you tell me?”
“Well, we went to an art school, but now we’re at university, studying to become a teacher,” I can tell her some things, “we went through a lot, met and lost a lot of people, but we’re happy now. We have a few amazing friends and we’re almost done with therapy as well. We’re okay.”
She won’t understand, she hasn’t experienced any of those things. She will, now that she created that cursed account. I wonder where I would’ve been if none of them happened.
“Do we still write?”
“Even right now.”
She thought about her next question: “What do we write?”
“Still about turtles, but now in English,” I had to laugh at the irony, “and we also write original works. And we won first place in one contest, actually.”
Her mouth fell open and I could feel the joy cursing through her body. I felt the same on that day. I knew she would be proud if she knew.
We sat there in silence for a while. Then, she showed me the first chapter of her story. She knew I already knew what it was about, but she doesn’t have anyone to talk to about this. Well, she’ll have some friends in the future. And fans. Should I even call them that if I take them as equal? I never felt above the people who read my stories. Yeah, let’s just stick with readers.
“You didn’t seem happy when you stood in the doorway.”
“I was feeling a bit nostalgic,” I admitted, “I haven’t been in this room for over eight years.”
“So we moved?”
“Yes, but you will like it. And we also got a dog.”
“A dog?”
“German Sheppard. She’s been with us since we moved.”
The happiness radiating off of her was even stronger now. Then, her smile fell.
“So I only have two more years?”
“It will feel longer than that, I also just realized it’s only been two years.”
“Anything else happens?”
“You will stop playing the piano and switch to art club.”
“Do you still draw?”
“And still ponies.”
“You’re so cringe.”
“Hey! You don’t know that word yet!”
“I also don’t speak English, yet you chose to write this in English,” she shrugged.
I rolled my eyes: “Because I don’t write fanfics in our language anymore, only English.”
“How old are you again?”
“Shut up.”
“I’m not talking.”
I exhaled: “I feel like a schizophrenic right now.”
I stood up and she mirrored me: “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“But I have so many questions! You can’t leave yet!”
“Listen, all you need to know is – we survived and we’re okay. Don’t worry about anything else, you are more capable than you think.”
I walked towards the door, turning around one more time. She stood there, expecting me to stay. I understand her, but I have to go.
“You will be okay. Everything will work out in the end.”
As I turned towards the door, I realized I wasn’t in my old room anymore. The curtains were halfway closed and my laptop was sitting open on my table. I looked around, taking in all the things that stayed the same. The bookshelves, some of the decorations. The little bird my grandma gave me. It was above her bed. My bed, back in the days.
I sat on the chair and turned the laptop on, opening a Word document and started typing. After half an hour, I checked the text a few times before I saved it. I opened the browser and clicked on the website. After creating a new work, I pasted the text into it and before hitting post, I paused.
I took a deep breath. I checked the time. 2026. Ten years later and I’m still here, still writing fanfics. And I’m okay.