Quantum Kisses

Introduction

Quantum Kisses--what in the world does this title mean? Kisses, of course, are self-explanatory. Quantum, as in Quantum Physics however, is another matter entirely.

Frankly, an explanation of Quantum Physics is beyond the scope of this novel. After all, Quantum Kisses is a contemporary romance, not a scientific textbook explaining the intricacies of how everything in the universe works!

However, the mysteries of Quantum Entanglement do play a part in this romance novel of random possibilities. In Quantum Entanglement, for some unknown reason, two particles of matter can become connected. The two particles--photons or electrons--are inexorably linked no matter the physical distance and no matter the time--past, present, or future. If one particle leaps from one subatomic state to another, the other one does as well, and at the same time.

So what does Quantum Entanglement have to do with Quantum Kisses? Well, it all started one day when Annabelle Wilcott found a pretty stone...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter One

Annabelle Wilcott, Age 14

9th Grade, Junior High School

This Friday morning is turning out to be a disaster, and it’s only eight fifteen. First, so far the month of March hasn’t come in like a lion, or lamb for that matter, but instead it’s one huge rain-fest. Yeah, my long hair frizzes with discontent... again. To compensate, I have to wrap my curls into a makeshift bun, change my blouse to a turtleneck to cover more of my exposed neck since it’s chilly out, and put on rubber-soled shoes for the long slippery trek up to my junior high.

All of these last minute changes wreak havoc with my schedule. Talk about being time-crunched.

Then, when I dash out of my bedroom carrying my heavy satchel of books, my mother looks up from her cup of coffee. Annabelle, your bangs. They’re hanging in your eyes.

She gets up from the kitchen table and smoothes her hand over my forehead, brushing the bangs to the sides. You have such a pretty face. Why do you want to hide behind those bangs? I’ll cut them when you get home.

I roll my gaze. Holy smokes, I just managed to grow my hair to the length I want. My mother, well, she’s fond of baby fringes for bangs. Instead of looking like I’m at least sixteen, with baby fringes I look like twelve... or less.

Yuck.

Fortunately I know that by the time my mother gets home from work she’ll be too tired to notice my bangs. And, just to be sure, I’ll make myself scarce until dinnertime.

She looks at the overhead clock and wrinkles her nose. Sweetie, aren’t you going to be late?

Ooh, it’s almost eight thirty. Heart pounding, I give her perfumed and powdered cheek a quick kiss. Gotta run, Mom. See you later.

After slamming the door to the apartment, I fly down the stairs. Two flights. It’s only when I reach the apartment building’s exit door that I stop. As I suspected: it is raining--of the cats and dogs variety.

Lifting up the hood on my jacket, I’m now prepared for the deluge. I jump down the stoop’s steps to then head up the sidewalk toward my destination. If I walk superhumanly fast, I can make it in time for my rendezvous with my best friend Helen Chames. We both have a thing about not arriving at the schoolyard by ourselves. Girls like to travel in pairs, and Helen and I are almost connected at the hip.

After two traffic lights holding me up, I decide to take a shortcut through the nearby park. Normally I stick to walking the city sidewalks, passing the same stores, the same outside vendors everyday, but time is of the essence here. I can’t risk missing Helen.

One foot after another, I pass by the mighty oak and maple trees newly budding in time for the official arrival of Spring in but ten days. This past Winter has been a hard one; these beautiful trees are probably more than ready to lose their skeleton-like appearance to burst full with branches upon branches of lush, forest-green leaves.

I look up ahead and see the impressive façade of the junior high school. On the corner Helen will be waiting for me, and then together--

Whoa! Ow!

The Earth moves... or maybe it’s me, and now I find myself lying on my back and staring up through those bare tree branches and up at the stormy grey sky.

Of all the rotten luck. I see that I’ve slipped on a patch of mud, and a gob of it remains on my sturdy shoe.

As I tentatively feel the back of my head, I blink. I might’ve lost consciousness for a moment or two. Thankfully, my head doesn’t hurt; my jacket hood must’ve absorbed some of the impact with the ground. But my shoulders and hips are sore. I can tell there’ll be a hot bath in my future.

Through the rainy mist, I hear the school’s warning bell. I’ve got just three minutes to get my butt over to the schoolyard.

So I do what any almost fifteen-year-old would do to avoid being late; I scramble to my feet. But then I look down and see something odd in the dirt. Something colorful.

It’s a small oval stone, rough on one of its edges. Greenish, grayish, bluish, in color, it seems to wink at me with a kaleidoscope of flashing colors.

For a moment, I feel something strange. Joy? Excitement? Anticipation?

And then I wise up. If I don’t hurry, then it’ll be a late slip for me, destroying my perfect attendance record.

Dropping the stone into my pocket, I then hightail it through the park, but yeah, I pay attention to where I step. Who needs to fall again?

It’s a miracle but somehow I get to the fenced-in schoolyard just as the final warning bell rings.

* * * *

As with the twenty-nine happy smiling kids I share Homeroom with, I hang up my jacket in the classroom closet. Before heading to my assigned seat, I remove that colorful stone and slip it into my jeans pocket. Later in the day I have Earth Science with Mrs. Gold. I’ll ask her if she knows what kind of stone it is.

Now the official school day begins. After attendance is taken, I get the news. Well, everyone in the class gets the news. A while back everyone who wanted to try out for New York City’s specialty high schools got a chance to be tested. I tried out for the nearby Bronx High School of Science and also the far away Music and Art, as did Helen. I haven’t heard anything about M&A yet, but yeah, one set of the results are in: I don’t make Science.

Oh well, that saves me a lot of decision. The powers-that-be are making a mistake but honestly, I don’t want to go, anyway. Who wants to be known as a Brain?

As it turns out five kids in Homeroom are accepted by Science. Jane Gilbert, one of my good friends, makes it. I’m happy for her. She really is a Brain. I can’t help but wonder if Helen made it, too.

Ah, well. The day marches on.

Finally, it’s time for Earth Science. In fact, I leave Study Hall early so I can see if Mrs. Gold is available before class starts. Turns out she is.

Mrs. Gold reminds me of a peacock. Poufy, dyed blonde hair; a rainbow assortment of clothes; and a neck that wobbles a bit. Sometimes I like her, sometimes I don’t. She’s inclined to take her foul moods out on her students.

Today I like her.

Annabelle! Just the girl I wanted to see. Mrs. Gold gestures for me to come into the empty classroom. Tell me, you made Science, didn’t you? She claps her manicured hands together. You’re going to do so well there.

Well, this is embarrassing. I bite my lower lip. Actually, no. I didn’t.

Her baby blue eyes almost pop. No? Gracious me, that’s so odd.

Truthfully, it’s cool to know that she thinks I’m bright. Or whatever.

I can’t waste anymore time so I dig into my pocket and remove the stone. I just found this in the park, Mrs. Gold. Can you tell me what kind of stone it is?

The teacher takes the stone and concentrates her eagle-eyes on it. How very special, Annabelle! Amazing, really. This gemstone is native to Labrador, Canada. It’s called labradorite, which is a crystalline type of feldspar. She pats at her ample chest. And not only is it beautiful with iridescent and vanishing colors, but it’s said that labradorite can bestow knowledge of the spiritual realms. It offers protection, provides energy, and improves intuition, among other things.

I’m not really into metaphysical stuff, or at least I don’t go overboard with it, but what Mrs. Gold tells me, ooh! I get goosebumps.

The classroom begins to fill up so my private time with Mrs. Gold is over. I grab my assigned seat and she closes the door. Now it’s business as usual.

After writing the weekend assignment on the blackboard, Mrs. Gold then passes out our test papers from Monday. A few students groan, obviously not happy. I’m not one of them.

I see I got a 100! Cool!

I sit back in my chair, thinking. Maybe I’m a bit sorry I didn’t make the science specialty high school after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Two

Sam Barnes, Age 18

12th Grade, High School

Heading for the junior high school, I slog my way on foot through the pouring rain. I have on a heavy enough jacket with a pronounced hood but unfortunately, my eyeglasses have a tendency to fog up. Every now and then I have to stop and wipe the lenses just to be able to see.

Damn. If only I could’ve driven to the school. But no, the Fates decide my trusty Mustang needs a new starter, so there it sits, in the mechanic shop. Hopefully I’ll be able to pick it up at the end of the day, in time for Saturday night.

I smile. Saturday night I have a date with the glorious... and willing Greta Goblanski.

But Saturday night is more than a day away, and here I am trudging through the elements to fulfill my recruiter assignment. As a senior at Science High School, I’m tasked by my instructor to swell the admittance numbers of the incoming group of sophomores.

True, everyone who passed the stringent admission test has already been notified, but there are a few additional students on the border line who still have a chance of entry into this prestigious school... if they agree to attend remedial summer school for certain subjects. Mostly mathematics and science.

Of the thirteen ninth grade classes in this junior high school, only six classes have students that qualify for the second chance at Science. At last count, it’s ten warm bodies that I’ll be facing. It’s my job to convince these few stragglers to agree to additional schooling. With all the opportunities that Science offers, these ninth graders would be incredibly stupid to say no.

My own future is assured. MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, went out of their way to specifically sign me up. With an interest in Physics, Astronomy, and Quantum Mechanics, and a 4.0 average, yep, I feel as solid as any eighteen-year-old can feel.

Up ahead is the junior high. Still walking in