Jackson Jones, Book 1_ The Tale of a Boy, an Elf, and a Very Stinky Fish - Jenn L. Kelly [24]
Wait. Was this real?
Was this really Jackson’s story?
“Jackson! Let’s go! I thought you wanted a tour!”
“But Meeka look! Look at me!”
She looked into the mirror. “I don’t see anything.”
Jackson looked back. “But it’s me! Don’t you see? It’s me! Look, I’ll show you!” And he dragged her down to the first mirror.
“Look, here’s me right now. Plain, old, boring ten-and-a-half-year-old Jackson. Now look at the next one!” Jackson dragged her down the hall.
“This is me later on. Look at me! I’ve got a beard! Well, kind of.”
“Um,” said Meeka.
“And look!” cried Jackson, ignoring her. “I’m captain of the baseball team! And look at this one!” He pulled her farther down the hallway.
“Look! I’m a professor at the University! Look at me! And in this one down here…look at how OLD I am! But look what’s in my hands! I’ve won the Thompson Award! This is my story, Meeka!”
Meeka shook her head. “Jackson, I can’t see any of that.”
Jackson whipped around. “What do you mean? Why can’t you see my story?”
“Because it’s your future, not mine.”
“But…but this is real, right? These are mirrors of the future? This is going to happen, right?”
Meeka didn’t answer.
Jackson looked back at the mirrors. A flash of inspiration struck him: he was going to write down his story so he could remember it.
“Meeka! Have you got some paper or something I can write on?”
Meeka chewed on her bottom lip as she searched her tour guide bag. She pulled out the plain brown book and handed it to him.
“I took this from The Book Room. You left it behind.”
Jackson looked at the cover. How to Be Yourself. He had forgotten. His fingers trailed the smooth cover.
Jackson reached into his satchel and pulled out the pen. He opened the Book to the first page.
There was writing in it.
Chapter 33
In Which Jackson Wonders if He’s Losing His Mind
Jackson snapped the Book shut.
Was he going crazy?
Jackson read the front cover. Yup, same book.
He took a breath.
He opened the Book.
The first page had one sentence. You are strong.
Jackson’s heart pounded. Was that…about him?
It couldn’t be about him. He wasn’t strong at all! In fact, he was the smallest kid in his class. He…
Jackson closed the Book again and studied the cover. How to Be Yourself. Holding his breath, he opened it again and turned to the second page.
You are a good baseball player.
No he wasn’t!
Jackson looked up at the baseball picture. His twenty-year-old self smiled back.
Maybe he was.
Maybe he would be. He turned the page.
You are smart.
Was he smart? University professors had to be smart. And if he was going to win the Thompson Award? Jackson turned the page.
You are an amazing writer.
Next page. You have a good heart.
Next page. You are a good friend.
What if it was true? What if all of it was true?
Perfect. He would remember and treasure this. He didn’t have to write anything down. It was already written out for him. He wouldn’t forget.
Jackson tucked the Book into his leather satchel and followed Meeka down the hall.
Chapter 34
In Which Nothing Particularly Important Happens
They walked slowly down the hall. Jackson was lost in the loveliness of his thoughts. As for what Meeka was thinking, who knows? I had the opportunity to ask her once what she was thinking, and she replied, “The color red, if daisies would make a good bed, and how to make shoelaces out of molasses.”
I never bothered to ask again.
Meeka stopped in front of the ultramarine blue wall.
“Here we are!”
Chapter 35
In Which Something Small Happens
Jackson looked around. They were in the middle of the hallway. “Here we are, where?”
Meeka rolled her big brown eyes at him. “Here we are at Eleissa’s Reading Room, of course!”
Chapter 36
In Which There