"An Echo In Time"

Doris sits alone in one of the music booths. She’d felt totally overwhelmed by the realisation that she, a 46 year old Mother of two, was back in High School, but not just any old High School, it Was New York’s High School for the Performing Arts. On top of that it looked like she’d gone back in time to 1982 and everyone she knew looked exactly the same as they did back then. Everyone except Doris who was now a middle aged, woman who’s hair had started to show signs of grey.

In front of her sat a synthesiser, which was probably the latest technology back in 1982 but now looked a little dated. Doris couldn’t help but smile as she remembered all the times that she and Bruno had sat in one of these music rooms rehearsing their latest songs. She slowly places a finger on one of the synthesiser’s keys and presses down. The machine emits a loud noise which makes Doris jump and brings her out of her day dream and back to her current situation.

It was nice to reminisce about old times but this was something else. Doris rubbed her forehead, she felt like she had the beginnings of a headache coming. Not that she was really surprised as the whole situation left her feeling very confused and also a little scared. She started to ask her self questions out loud:

“What Am I Doing Here?”

“How Did I Get Here?”

“How Do I Get Home?”

Only silence met each of her questions and she sighed.

Doris contemplated what to do next and whether it was a good idea to talk to someone. Although quickly she dismissed that idea for fear of people thinking she was a middle aged mad woman!

She thought of the movie “Back To The Future” and how Marty Mcfly started to disappear when he meddled with events in the past. She stretched out her hand in front of her and took a good look at it and to her relief it all looked normal.

Then she started to think about the Butterfly effect, where changing one small thing in the past could have huge consequences and change events in the future. For a moment she considered some of the mistakes that she felt she’d made with her life, like her marriages and giving up performing to start a family and thought that maybe changing the future wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. It could be like a second chance at life. She shakes her head “No” and comments to herself:

“Maybe changing things here might make things worse in the future.”

She gives a shudder at the thought of her current life being worse. That’s certainly something she didn’t want to happen.

She thinks maybe she should get out of the school and reduce the risk of her changing things if she wasn’t around people that she knew. She wonders what would happen if she went home to her current address and if that might offer any clues to what has happened to her. As she’s about to move suddenly she becomes alarmed:

“What happen if I meet myself on the way out?”

She remembers back to a low budget science fiction movie she made not long after graduating. She’d only had a small part but she remembered that part of the story was that the lead actor couldn’t meet himself in the past because that would have some dire consequences on Time itself. Doris hadn’t really understood the logic of it all back then and still didn’t grasp things now. She decides that if she can possibly help it she would avoid meeting herself and that way nothing bad could happen.

As she plans on which route to take to get her out of the School as quickly and as easily as possible she wishes she had one of her friends with her for support. She wonders what Bruno would do in such a situation.

An idea suddenly comes to mind and as she rummages through her bag, she thinks she’ll pretend it’s a part in a movie that she’d auditioning for and ask Bruno how he suggests she handle things. She eventually finds what she’s looking for and pulls out her cell phone. However, her excitement quickly turns to disappointment when she looks at the phone display which is flashing a message “no signal!”

Doris returns her phone to her bag, grabs her coat and heads out of the door into the corridor. As she walks she can’t help but marvel at how the things around her, which yesterday were all such distant memories, now are all so real again. Students swarm around her and she is happy to see so many familiar faces, many of which she hasn’t seen since leaving school. Doris smiles and has to stop herself from greeting her old school friends. She wonders if anyone recognises her but soon dismisses that. “Why would they? No one is expecting Doris Schwartz to suddenly be 30 years older!”

As she heads down the main corridor the cafeteria door is open and she hears music and the unmistakeable voice of Coco belting out a song:

“Take Me,

Take Me Baby

And Never let Me Go…”

Excited students are rushing into the room to join the action. Doris realises that it’s probably not a wise move but she can’t help but take a look at what is happening inside. She moves closer and steps through the open door and into the room, which is alive with students dancing and singing.

A familiar smell greets her nose from the cafeteria food. It was never anything that anyone could ever recognise, more a mixture of different foods that together never smelt very appealing.

Doris feels the same excited feeling now that she always did back then when someone would start an impromptu performance in the cafeteria or the lobby or wherever there was a space. A smile crosses her face as she watches Coco singing with great gusto. She sees Bruno, Leroy, Montgomery and Julie all there too enjoying the music; well everyone except Bruno is anyway who has just walked out of the room. Doris looks around the room for her younger self but can’t see herself and she thinks to herself

“I remember this, I have to be here!”

Doris suddenly becomes concerned that the events that have brought her back in time have already done something to teenage Doris. She frantically scans the room, Leroy is now dancing around the room with great energy and for a moment Doris becomes a little distracted watching him perform.

Then she notices a young woman with red hair sat on one of the tables against a pillar not taking part in the singing and dancing. The woman turns and Doris realises it’s her younger self. Doris had completely forgotten about having red hair although now all she can think about is how young she looks.

Thinking she’s been there long enough Doris turns to leave, concerned that she might create some kind of disaster in time if there are two Doris Schwartz in the same room for too long. As she turns to leave she catches a glimpse of another Familiar face and things fall into place as to why she had red hair; Michael Harrison. Doris blushes at the thought of him, she’d had such a crush on him and thought changing her hair colour would attract his attention but sadly she’d been wrong and he’d never really paid any attention to her. Still watching him now he looked so hot and she thinks for a moment if he’d be interested in an older more experienced woman?

Even more embarrassed by the thoughts going through her head at that moment she decides that before she gets too carried away that she really must leave. She turns and hurries out of the room back to the main corridor.

She takes one last look back at the cafeteria and starts to head towards the exit. However not looking where she’s going she crashes slap bang into another person going in the opposite direction.

Sheepishly Doris takes a step back and slowly raises her head to see who she has walked into. Inside she chastises herself for not being more careful and is worried that she maybe found out.

As her eyes meet the face of the person she has bumped into Doris feels awkward and embarrassed and quickly apologises:

“Oh, Miss Sherwood, I’m really sorry I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

Elizabeth Sherwood looks at the middle aged woman and is puzzled.

Sherwood: “I’m Sorry, you do look familiar but do I know you?”

Doris is silent for a moment not sure what to say. Then as she becomes more aware of the silence feels she has to say something to compensate and stop Miss Sherwood becoming suspicious. Doris starts to talk quickly:

Doris: “Yes! I mean No! I mean you don’t know me, but Mr Morloch gave me

permission to be here and he described you perfectly and told me what a

wonderful teacher you are.”

Miss Sherwood looks even more puzzled and slowly shakes her head.

Sherwood: “Mr Morloch? I’m sorry I don’t know anyone of that name!”

Inside Doris feels even more alarmed and hopes her face isn’t giving her true feelings away. Of Course Miss Sherwood doesn’t know Mr Morloch he doesn’t come to the school for another couple of years. She can’t help but think being in the past is going to be harder than she originally thought knowing events and things about people that haven’t yet happened for them. Again becoming aware of an awkward silence Doris racks her brains for something else to say to explain this situation.

Doris: “Oh I though you did know him, he’s from the board of education. He’s

obviously aware of you and speaks very highly of you. I’m a parent by the

way, of one of your students. I Can only say how terribly sorry I am for not

looking where I was going and I hope I’ve not done any damage at all?”

Miss Sherwood smiles and Doris feels relieved that the English teacher has obviously accepted her explanation.

Sherwood: “That’s okay there’s no harm done and I should have been looking where I

was going, too. It’s the first week back and as you can see things can get

a little crazy around here.”

Doris is now smiling as she thinks to herself “You have no idea just how crazy things are right now!” Then Miss Sherwood continues:

Sherwood: “What’s their name?”

It’s now Doris who is confused as she doesn’t understand the teacher’s question.

Doris: “Erm, whose name?”

Miss Sherwood continues: “Your child, my student, what’s their name?”

Doris laughs nervously as again she is put on the spot.

Doris: “Oh silly me, of course you meant my child’s name.”

Doris quickly tries to think of a name who could she be? It needed to be someone that Miss Sherwood wouldn’t have met at a parent teacher meeting.

Doris: “It’s Dwight, my son’s name is Dwight. Dwight Mandenhall. I’m Mrs

Mandenhall.”

Sherwood shakes her head: “I’m sorry I don’t think know him.”

Doris continues: “He’s new, he’s just started here so maybe you haven’t met him yet”.

Sherwood: “Oh I thought I’d met all the new students now, what is his major?”

Doris: “Music, he plays the tuba, I mean Sousaphone. He doesn’t like it when people

mix the two up, but he’s been sick. So that’s why you haven’t met him. He’ll

be back next week.”

Miss Sherwood smiles again: “Well it was nice to meet you and I look forward to

meeting your son but I really must be going I have a

class to prepare for.”

Doris: “Oh nice meeting you too and don’t let me keep you, goodbye”.

As Miss Sherwood says “goodbye” and turns to walk in the opposite direction Doris breathes a huge sigh of relief. She feels like a naughty school girl who nearly got caught out for doing something wrong. She also feels a little proud that her acting skills, although not used for so long now hadn’t completely deserted her.

She turns and sees the exit sign at the end of the corridor and quickly heads towards it wanting to get out of the school as soon as possible before anything else happens.

As Doris walks the familiar face of Mrs Berg appears coming towards her. Doris feels the older woman staring at her. Feeling awkward Doris tries to avoid eye contact. Quickly walking past Doris looks back over her shoulder and sees the older woman watching her.

Noticing Doris looking back at her Mrs Berg calls out, which sends a shiver down Doris’ spine:

“Doris?”

For a moment the two women exchange confused puzzled looks. Doris feels frozen to the spot as she watches the school secretary who appears to know who she is walking closer towards her.

To be continued….