Chapter 42

Lorraine froze the moment she opened the drawer. It was crammed with all kinds of old-school game consoles. She picked up the one tucked all the way in the back. It was an older version, worn with age. Yet it seemed familiar to her somehow. A pang of recognition hit her. The buttons were faded, and the paint had rubbed off. She recognized it immediately—it was her own game console. Back in high school, she had been completely hooked on it, lost in hours of play. Frederick scolded her endlessly, insisting she not waste her time. She cried her eyes out and, in a fit of defiance, tossed the console out the window. That same day, Justin came over for a tutoring session with Frederick. She never imagined he was the one who picked it up. He had kept it in remarkably good condition. When she pressed the power button, it still turned on. All the games and files she had saved were still there, and the screen was paused exactly where time had left it years ago. "Wow… Justin, seriously?