"Quantum travel," Cat said. "It's my number one theory after staying up all night researching."

"Quantum what?" Hugo frowned. "Quack 'n travel? What's that got to do with ducks?"

"Will you shut up and eat your breakfast? We all know you're even dumber than usual on an empty stomach."

Ever the clown, Hugo lifted half of his chicken sandwich like a hat, tipping it in greeting before finally taking a bite.

"Quantum travel," Cat continued. "You know, one of those ridiculously complicated science theories. From what I read, it has something to do with being in several places at once. It all depends on the observer."

"Isn't that Schrödinger's Cat?" Mica asked. "The one that's dead... or not... until someone opens the box. Are you saying Sarah's basement works like a Schrödinger's box?"

"No, no. Not that. The observer is the important part." She waved her hands. "Don't ask me to explain it because I don't really understand it myself, but... imagine you're looking at this sandwich."

She took the other half of Hugo's sandwich. He protested, but nobody paid him any attention.

"Right now you're seeing it here, in front of Hugo." She turned him around until he was facing the opposite direction. "Now turn back." He did. "And now you're seeing it here!" She held the sandwich in front of herself.

"I don't get it," Mica admitted. "Doesn't that just mean the sandwich moved?"

"It means that, from your point of view, it used to be over here," Hugo said through a mouthful of food. "And when you looked again, it had been transported over there. But for her..." He pointed at Cat. "For her it never moved."

Mica and Cat stared at him in obvious surprise.

"Wow. I honestly didn't expect you to be the first one to get it, Hugo. Let's give him a round of applause."

"What can I say?" Hugo puffed out his chest, reclaiming the other half of his breakfast. "I'm a genius. Specially after a chicken sandwich."

"So you're saying Sarah's moving us around like some giant hand?"

"Well..." Cat hesitated. "...maybe."

"I still don't get it," Mica said. "So you really think she's teleporting us? That sounds way too fantastical. What if she's actually using some kind of drug?"

"And somehow making all of us experience the exact same hallucination?" Cat countered. "That sounds even more fantastical."

"Not exactly the same. Hugo doesn't remember seeing James."

"So you think James was the hallucination? Our brains just playing tricks on us?"

"I mean..."

"No, Mica. I think he was real." She paused. "I just can't explain why. Besides, how do you explain the injuries if it was all a hallucination? What, do you think Sarah secretly broke Hugo's leg while we were all hallucinating?"

"Not broke it, but... maybe he fell or hit himself somehow, and we all imagined that he broke it."

"I've got another theory," Hugo cut in. "Have you guys seen that anime everyone's obsessed with right now? The one about the video game where everyone wears those helmets and gets trapped inside the virtual world. What if the bar is actually a virtual reality room?"

"And Sarah somehow has access to technology that doesn't even exist for the general public," Mica replied, "installed it in some run-down bar, and picked us as beta testers?"

"Well, I don't know what you're complaining about." Hugo shrugged. "You two are talking about quackum physics and drugs. Forgive me for coming up with something more reasonable."

"It doesn't matter," Cat said, cutting the discussion short. "We're not going to get anywhere making theories when we can just ask the person responsible." She pointed at Hugo's sandwich. "Hugo, finish your breakfast. We're going to find Sarah."

The tone sounded so commanding that both boys stared at her in surprise.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"She didn't come today." Jacob answered before they had even finished asking.

"What do you mean she didn't come?" Hugo said. "Is she sick, or—"

"What am I, her secretary?" Jacob cut him off. "She didn't come. That's it."

"Sorry about Jacob," Tomás apologized. "He's probably still hurting. We had to take him to a clinic last night and..."

"Did I ask you to answer for me?" Jacob glared at him. "You're all so annoying outside the sessions. You know what? I'm leaving before someone sees me hanging around with weirdos."

He quickened his pace and disappeared into the crowd filling the hallway.

"Is he always like that?" Cat asked, stunned.

"Not always," Tomás replied. "Almost always."

"Kind of strange that Sarah picked someone like him to join the group, don't you think?" Hugo commented.

"And why do you say that?" Tomás's tone changed completely. "She didn't even pick you." A second later, he blinked. "...Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's just... it's not good to judge people."

Now all three of them stared at him in surprise.

"So... Sorry?"

"Ignore Hugo," Mica said. "Sometimes he says the first thing that pops into his head without stopping to think whether it's a good idea."

"I'd say 'sometimes' is being generous," Cat added.

Tomás laughed.

"You guys are funny. You can tell you're really good friends. It's nice seeing friends who get along so well."

"And you?" Mica hesitated for a moment. "You and Jacob... are you friends?"

"Yeah." Tomás smiled. "Since we were little kids. Though lately he doesn't really like being seen with me. He's very protective of his reputation."

"His reputation as a thug, you mean?" Hugo muttered, as if he hadn't meant for anyone to hear.

Cat reached around from behind and pinched the back of his neck, silently telling him to shut up.

"No, not a thug." Tomás shook his head. "Maybe... alternative is a better word. You know, we used to watch anime together, read comics, talk about that kind of stuff. Not so much anymore. He's into different things now. Things I don't really share. But we're still good friends. What about you guys? Tell me about yourselves. So far, I only know you as the heroes from Sarah's world. I'd like to meet the normal students too."

"Well," Cat began, "Mica and I met a couple of years ago at an anime convention. And Hugo is an idiot Mica's unfortunately very fond of."

"Hey!" Both boys protested at the exact same time.

"It's not like I'm

that

fond of him."

"And I'm not an idiot."

Tomás burst out laughing.

"You guys are great."

"Tomás," Cat said, steering the conversation back, "what do you think about Sarah's sessions?"

"Well..." He thought for a moment. "I think they're fun. I'd always wanted to try tabletop role-playing, but I don't really have many friends. So I'm glad Sarah invited me. And she's incredible at creating stories. It's almost like..."

"...they're real?" Cat finished.

"Almost." He nodded slowly. "I guess you could say that. But..." He looked between the three of them. "You don't actually think that, do you? That'd be a pretty crazy idea."

"No." Cat smiled naturally. "Of course not. That would be crazy."

------------------------------------------------------------------

After classes, Cat wanted to go to Tavern and wait for Sarah.

Hugo, on the other hand, preferred grabbing milkshakes before spending the afternoon at the arcade. According to him, his "brain already hurt" from thinking about so many ridiculous conspiracy theories.

Mica couldn't go along with either plan. The night before, his mother had given him the scolding of a lifetime and threatened to take away his computer and game consoles for three months if he didn't come straight home after school as early as possible.

So, hoping Sarah would show up the next day, he said goodbye to his friends and headed home alone.

His mind was a tangled mess of thoughts about Sarah, James, and everything they'd discussed that day. He hadn't walked far before, at the very same intersection as yesterday it happened again.

"Is this going to become a habit?" the red-haired girl asked after Mica, blushing furiously, helped her back to her feet. "Not that I'd mind. You seem nice. But personally, I'd rather not end up on the ground every time we run into each other."

"I'm really sorry. I was thinking about..."

"Mica, right?" She smiled. "I'm Rose."

"I know."

"Oh." She giggled. "I just couldn't think of anything else to say. Besides... you're still holding my hand."

Realizing it two full seconds after she'd pointed it out, Mica let go so abruptly that he instinctively hid both hands behind his back and looked away, hoping she wouldn't notice that his face was now even redder than her hair.

"Sorry. You caught me a little distracted and..."

"You just got out of class, didn't you?"

"Uh..." Mica blinked. "Yeah."

"Well, I already finished everything I had to do today." Rose clasped her hands behind her back. "So... how about we let fate make this official? We've already bumped into each other twice. Why don't we go grab a coffee and some dessert?"

"W-What? A coffee? With... me?"

"No?" She tilted her head. "Would you rather wait until the third time you knock me over?"

"No! Of course not." He shook his head so quickly it almost hurt. "And... sorry about that. Yeah, a coffee sounds good."

"It's a date, then!" Rose exclaimed cheerfully as she turned and started walking in the opposite direction from where she'd come. "Come on. I know a nice place around here."

Without understanding how any of it had happened, Mica followed her.

He was nervous. Completely confused ...and undeniably excited.