Some people might not think much of it. Just a harmless dare, a throwaway joke.
But for Rachel, it wasn't a joke.
Singing had always been more than a hobby. It was the one thing that felt real when everything else didn't. Her safe place. Her anchor.
And the first time she ever tried to share it, with him in the room, she became a clown.
Seconds stretched between them like hours as they stared at each other, neither one speaking.
Then Rachel huffed and stepped past him, but as their shoulders brushed, Void instinctively reached out and caught her hand.
"Wait," he said.
She turned slowly, eyes narrowed. "What?"
He let go of her hand immediately, raising both palms slightly. "Sorry, just, look. I know I'm the last person you want to talk to, but… are you free tonight?"
She blinked. "You asking me out?"
Void scratched the back of his neck. "I'm not asking you out. Just... asking for a shot at making things right. Over food. Because I hear forgiveness pairs well with fries."
She stared at him for a long moment. Not blinking, Not smiling, Just thinking.
Then, finally, she exhaled. "Fine. One dinner. But you pay."
Void gave a faint nod, relieved. "That's fair."
Before he could say anything more, a voice cut in from the side.
"Yo, Void. Never know Rachel were your type."
He turned to see Daniel. Tall, wiry, with thick glasses and a smug grin plastered across his face. His hoodie hung half-zipped, and he held a half-finished Red Bull like it was a trophy.
"Also," Daniel continued, stepping in a little too close, "just so we're clear, Rachel's off-limits, bro. Even the first base. Just saying."
Rachel rolled her eyes, hard. "Gross! Daniel. Go away."
Void raised an eyebrow. "Off- Limit?"
Daniel didn't flinch, just shrugged and smiled wider. "Hey, hey, no harm. I'm just watching out for my friends and sister, you know?"
Rachel didn't say a word. She just started packing her things with tight, annoyed movements.
"I'll text you," Void said quietly to her.
"If you got my number," she replied without looking at him.
Daniel watched her leave, then looked back at Void. "Yikes. Good luck with that one."
Void didn't respond. But in the back of his mind, something itched again.
'So this is Daniel? Elisa said he's my close friend... but what is with the sister?'
"You're her brother?" he asked.
"Stepbrother," Daniel replied, shrugging. "We're not exactly close. But hey, just saying, you could do better than her."
Void narrowed his eyes. 'This guy feels like a total asshole. How the hell did I ever get close to him?'
Daniel leaned back slightly, his grin widening. "Wait a second… Aren't you the one who said 'sisters are off-limits'? So, does this mean I get a free pass to ask out yours?"
Void's jaw clenched. "Screw you. I'm not trying to date her, I'm just taking her out to make things even."
Daniel let out a short laugh. "Yeah? Good luck with that. She's not exactly famous for her forgiveness, man."
Void didn't answer. He didn't like how casually Daniel talked about Rachel, or Elisa.
Daniel didn't seem to notice, or care. He just pushed his glasses up with one knuckle and asked, "Anyway, what about the capstone? Got any ideas yet? We still need two more people."
Void gave him a long, unreadable look. "Still thinking."
In truth, he already had a few names in mind, none of them Daniel. And now, he was starting to wonder if they're the right choice.
What else was different in this world?
Void was certain, Rachel didn't have a brother in his old timeline. Not even a stepbrother.
Once she got famous, her personal life had been all over the internet, every breakup, every family detail chewed up by influencer drama. No mention of Daniel. Not once.
"I've got some people in mind," Daniel went on. "How about I invite them?"
Void was about to respond when his flip phone buzzed. He checked the screen, and grinned wide.
"What's up?" Daniel leaned over, trying to sneak a glance. "Something good happen?"
Void snapped the phone shut before he could see. "Yeah. Real good."
He stood up, still grinning. "Look, I gotta run. You figure out the other two for now and let me know. I'll work on the project concept."
Then he turned and walked off, not waiting for a reply.
[Scottrade] Executed: SELL 100x RIMM Oct $120 C @ $1.20.
This is the reason why he smiled, he just earned, a whopping $12.000 over night!
Last night, he dumped every last dollar he had saved, $1,056, into a single trade. Not stocks, but call options, dirt-cheap contracts that pay off big if a stock rises fast.
(Think of it like buying the rights to profit if a stock explodes. High risk, high reward.)
Each option had cost just ten cents. So he bought 100 of them. Ten thousand shares' worth, all in.
It was a move only a lunatic would make, unless you already knew the future. But even with this Void it's still a gamble, A big one.
This trade demanded a precision. If BlackBerry's stock (RIMM), which closed at $113.37, had slipped even two dollars at the open, those ten-cent tickets would've gone to zero. His entire saving would have vanished.
But now? His $0.10 options had just sold for $1.20 each. That wasn't 20% profit, or even double.
That was twelve times his money. $1,000 turned into $12,000. Even after fees, his account now showed a balance of around $11,900.
Ten minutes later, Void sat in front of the library's yellowing desktop monitor. His heart pounding.
In one night, he'd made more than he ever had in a year. All while the rest of the world was still waking up.
A few clicks through the Scottrade dashboard, and it was done:
Withdraw $6,900 ,ACH transfer to linked checking.
Estimated arrival: 1–3 business days.
He leaned back in the creaky chair, grinning to himself. 'This money is great, but I'm not doing that again.'
Meeting Daniel has confirmed him that some thing have changed in this world, and who knows when it will start impacting price movement.
This kind of trade that needs everything to be perfect is just too risky. But that doesn't mean he will stop trading.
'I'll aim for 5 to 20% gains. Small, sure, but it'll snowball fast..'
He logged out of the dashboard, cleared the browser history, then turned to the news to check if anything else had changed.
"Let's see… Interstate 35W bridge collapse still happened. iPhone announcement in January…"
His scrolling slowed, then stopped, his eyes widened.
BREAKING: President George W. Bush Shot, In Critical Condition
Vice President Damien Kastor Issues Statement: "Our thoughts are with the President and his family. In the meantime, we are prepared to maintain stability and continuity as needed."
Void stared at the screen, mouth wide open. 'What the hell is going on!? Bush was shot?'
That didn't happen. Not in his timeline, and Damien Kastor? He didn't even exist.