Joe by Jacqueline Druga

thigh.
    She paused in the street watching the truck pull up.
    “Let’s go,” Ellen told her.
    “Yes,” Billy added from behind. “Let’s rush to get this astounding education.”
    “Billy.” Ellen scolded. “Alex, come on honey.”
    “I’m watching Uncle Henry. He went on a pick up run again this morning.”
    “How do you know?” Ellen asked.
    “He was arguing with Frank before you got up. He said he didn’t want to go. He gave me this book bag.”
    “And it’s very nice.”
    “Please do not lie to the child,” Billy added.
    Again, Ellen looked back at Billy.
    “It’s show and tell today Mommy,” Alex said.
    Ellen faced Billy. “Did you bring something to show and tell?”
    “Please. Anything I have is way over the head of the students.”
    Ellen rolled her eyes, and then smiled at Alex as they approached the steps to the school. “And you brought something right?”
    “Yep. I brought my new toy.”
    Ellen cringed. Visually, in her mind, all she could see was the twisted, broken wreckage of that Barbie. “Alex, sweetie, it might scare the kids.”
    “No, Mommy, they’ll love my toy.”
    “Ok.” Ellen crouched down beside her. “If it doesn’t go over very well, don’t be upset.”
    Alex shook her head. “I won’t. Promise.”
    “Good.” Ellen kissed her, stood, and then bent down to Billy. “You two have a great day.” She backed up, smiled once more and turned.
    Billy stood on the stairs with his sister. He gave an ‘up’ motion of his chin. “So what the heck did you bring? That broken Barbie doll?”
    “No.”
    “But you said your new toy”
    “Yes. Wanna see.”
    “Sure.” Billy shrugged.
    Alex lifted the flap on her book bag. Billy peeked inside. He nodded nonchalantly and spoke in nearly the same manner. “Hmm. That may be a good one. Make sure you give Miss Jenny a good look.”
    “Ok, I will.”
    “And I can’t wait to see her face.” Billy reached for the door. “This is gonna be a good day after all.”
    *****
    From the moment he had faked his death, Joe lived a different life. No longer was he ‘Joe’ the man everyone went to. He was Joe, deceased, in hiding. Living in that extra trailer wasn’t bad. Nor was walking around in the invisa suit. Joe actually enjoyed that. He could walk around Beginnings, eavesdrop when a door was open long enough, and be a part. He just couldn’t talk. He even figured a way to get a latte.
    Jenny Matoose went into the bakery every day at lunch time, always, always she held the door open to holler across the street, that was when Joe slipped in. Jenny also ordered her latte, and then peeked at the baked good, distracting Gemma, that was how Joe stole the latte.
    Typical mentality of Beginnings, they never questioning anything unusual.
    Of course that wasn’t the complete case.
    Joe was visiting History quite often until Danny changed the password.
    Locked out.
    He supposed he’d have that.
    But now things were different. Even though pretty much everyone believed he was dead, there were those who knew otherwise.
    Now Joe had company other than the clone.
    Not that the clone was bad company, he became enjoyable when Joe found out how gullible he was.
    But that only lasted so long then Joe got bored.
    The nights were the loneliest.
    He’d wander town in the suit, watching everyone at the Social Hall, going in and absorbing the atmosphere.
    Once and a while he’d find fun out of switching up the karaoke line up. But again, you could only have so much fun alone.
    Now he had Jason.
    He stayed at Jason’s place, it was safe, they drank all night like old times, and Joe didn’t have a single gripe about the hangover.
    He actually welcomed it.
    Now he was about to welcome something else.
    A time trip.
    Not that he needed any more convincing, but the drunken discussion about how time trips would pass time for Joe. He for an adventure.
    Jason told him to think about where he wanted to go and when.
    Joe just had to figure out the