The major players of Maisy’s story, talked about from her perspective! Consider these early impression notes, in that their “timing” matches up to her writing about everyone shortly after they’ve met. In other words, there’s a little bit of story progression here, but it’ll be kept spoiler-free.

The Rock Stars

Maisy Wilkins

Second chances. Everyone wants them, and somehow, I actually got one. Or rather, maybe unlimited chances. In 2045, I was still living in Royal Valley, playing gigs with a band that were determined by algorithms that decided what was currently popular. Next thing I know, my boyfriend’s breaking up with me over text, and I track him down to a time machine of all things, buried under the old amusement park! Crazy as all that was, I had no choice but to go in after him, for my own reasons. I found myself able to move through time mentally all throughout the 1990s, the decade in which we both went from turning from kids to teens. In order to right a wrong, I will change myself, make more friends than I ever had before, and create a rock band. But I won’t explain why in words just yet. I’m not ready to write such things. I’ll keep moving instead, one step at a time, into daylight.

 

Olive Wilkins

My big sister, older than me by twelve years. Every other three months, she’d take care of us and the apartment while our folks were out suckering people into timeshares in Australia and New Zealand. She grew up in the 80s in Chicago, our home city that I have few memories of. Made friends, went to school, lived out entire stories I’ll never know. She came with us to California when we moved, and always felt like she was more parent than sibling. Kind and protective, with her own encyclopedic music knowledge, she still has a strict side and will refuse to back down once she’s made her mind up, for better or worse. I’ve always looked up to her, but she and my brother River, despite only being a little closer in age, had a truly special bond that I always wished I could feel with someone else. Her tambourine and drum-playing days behind her, her first job in RV was at a music store.

 

River Wilkins

My big brother, only two years and five days older than I am who always felt a little closer to a slightly more mature twin than an older sibling. We were pretty close as kids, though he was the least musically inclined member of the family. His interests were more about baseball, with a side of video games—which I was never hugely into, but did enjoy watching while providing advice from guides and encouragement. Gentle, reserved, and kind, he’s slow to make friends, and in fact is closer with two kids his age who play on his Little League team, the Sun Dogs, but don’t even go to our school. He’s just as sensitive as I remember, too, but inside that soft exterior is someone who would do anything to keep his family free from worry. Having more memories of Chicago than I did and friends he left behind, he’s the one of us that had the roughest move given his age, but he’ll pull through.

 

Liesel Ottaker

My bestie! We became fast friends in second grade, without really having to try at all. Funny thing is, I can’t even really pinpoint why we got along or what specific thing we bonded over, but that’s okay; maybe we were just destined to be a good match. I stayed over at her townhouse more times than I can count, which was so much bigger than our apartment. Her parents have their issues and her wayward dad doesn’t live with her and can’t be relied on, but otherwise she’s fun, carefree, loves piano and keyboards, and supportive. But she can also be a little bossy and thinks she knows what’s best for everyone. In the band, she’ll definitely be playing keyboard, though she has some songwriting chops, too. She and Edmond can squabble like siblings, but that’s okay since she probably shouldn’t be having arguments with her actual one: baby brother Theo. 

 

Edmond Palmer

Edmond had always been on my radar, and maybe in my distant orbit, during my original life. He was never quite an acquaintance, but could’ve been, and we knew each other a little by the time we graduated. A natural grouch who needs his alone time, he’s slow to admit he enjoys having friends around. Liesel teasingly calls him a “prickly desert cactus,” and it’s fitting, but Eddie does have a reason for being standoffish and even hesitant to befriend other boys. I’ve realized he has some kind of past trauma that may have contributed to his nature. But I’d never push it out of him; I learned to give people the time they need long ago as an adult. Because of Liesel, we made a pal out of him earlier than I expected, which I hope is okay. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’ll eventually get a killer singing voice that the band will need. He’s secretly an avid Dungeons and Dragons player.

 

Adelina Esparto

There’s a “second trio” I’d like our own to merge with ASAP, and that’d be the group Adelina might sort of “lead.” A talented violin player (I’m planning to put that to use in a song or two on our first album), what I really need is a good second guitar, and I think she’d make a good player. After all, her dad and some of her sisters (she has five!) already play, so it’s in her blood. Like Liesel, Adelina is both friendly and a little headstrong, though she’s more prone to crack jokes and I feel like she’s even more in-sync with her friends than I am. Being around them, you really get the sense that they’ve been buddies for a long time. Which makes sense, given that four of their six parents are in the local indie rock band Live Wire. She’s pretty, witty, and open to trying new things, so I think she’d make for the “lighter heart” of the group. All those sisters, though… How will sleepovers work?

 

Hayden Nicolson

The drummer is the arguably the second most position in a rock band (if your guitarist is also doing vocals), and Hayden’s already following in his dad’s footsteps, so he may need even less convincing when it comes to joining than everyone else aside from Leese. A cool guy who takes no guff, he has an annoying younger sister, Lily, and lives in another townhouse. Without him around to wake up Quincy and moderate “Sleepy Kid’s” sometimes contentious relationship with Ady, who is a borderline overachiever, I’m not sure their group would hold together. Word is, his dad has this really awesome custom-made drum set, and I would love to have something like that on stage one day. Until then, I think I can trust Hayden to be a steady rock in the band who won’t need much guidance. Keep us in harmony when we’re tearing it up later, buddy!

 

Quincy Chambers

Tell Quince to look up “unassuming” in the dictionary, and he’ll probably get distracted or so bored doing so that he’ll take a nap first. I don’t think he’s narcoleptic, but he certainly does get a few winks whenever the chance presents itself, just to pass the time or pay a quick visit to dreamland. In the real world, however, the kid remarkably has potential as a guitarist. Now, I’d never put him on lead, but a bass guitar and its slower, deeper chords seems to vibe with his style—and luckily for us, assuming we ever get access to them, his older brother Devin already has a small collection from his days in a metal band! That guy is a burnout (yet still Quincy’s hero, for now), and I’m worried this easy-going sleepy fellow may be prone to the same fate. Hopefully all he needs is a little motivating drive, right? At least he won’t be the guy throwing TVs in hotels when we’re on tour, I think.

 

The Boy

Name withdrawn. Why? Just in case some kind of authority group discovers me (I hesitate to say “time cops” but what if…), he might be the only person who could save me should the worst happen; no sense in bringing him down, too. That, and I try not to think about him as much as possible. Again: together for years, dumps me through text! And then it turns out he was secretly building a weird time machine so he could relive his youth?! You think you know a guy! Still, he’s the only link I have to the future, and the only person I can talk to about all this. I plan to keep some distance, but that’s why I tracked him down at his school and try to schedule little “chats” when the stars align. What I’m worried about, though, is what he’s doing with his powers. The guy was never one to worry much when it came to consequences. If he gets too wild, or even dangerous, I’ll sever contact completely.

 

Opening Acts

Vanni Patile

My biggest problem in my old future band had to do with playing in proper time with the others; I often played a little too fast, and on a good night I wasn’t always quite in sync throughout most songs. Did the audience notice? Not usually. But we did. It was never bad enough to get my kicked out or something, but, man did it embarrass me! Luckily, I might’ve found a coach or mentor in a cool local teenage girl who lives in Desert Tree! If she sees some potential in my craft (that I’m carrying over, at least a little bit), she might even agree to teach me how to play along with others better. She’s starting up a high school band herself, and just seems so confident. Apparently, she even rocks at the arcade and her initials are plastered all over the local cabinets. So cool! Not every session can go unintterupted though, since she also has a younger stepbrother in…

 

Gavin Patile

I never knew any step siblings before, but I’ve always been curious what that’s like when you’re growing up. I’d imagine the dynamic would change heavily depending on the age difference, and how old one is when their parent marries someone with a kid. In Gavin’s case, he was five and Vanni was nine when they were forced to adopt the same last name, and while he’s different in a lot of ways, I can tell how they’re close in others. The way I heard it, she even taught him how to play arcade games pretty well, and his name is on almost as many high score lists as her own. A little into music himself, he’s more of a gamer overall, and one of the first things he wanted to do when he met me was to… destroy me in multiplayer games! No wonder they say chivalry is dead. He seems a little annoying, but like a good kid overall. He’s got me wondering what things are like at Sherman Miller!

 

Cass McCormish

Kids are underestimated, and given enough free time and interaction with others their age, they can form structured societies—even on the school playground, during our breaks from learning and hard work! Take Cass, for example, who actually ran (and now runs again) a recess store! I’ve heard stories about other schools running these illicit little operations, but Royal Valley Elementary’s shop is on another level. Run out of an old basement boiler room and supported by the shopkeepers in the higher grades, Cass has that entrepreneurial spirit and treats her customers like friends. She keeps in stock not only typical school supplies, but also “premium” goods and even “black market” items like a key to the playground gate! What a childhood we had, when we could buy slap bracelets at school. She’s in a family of Scottish immigrants and is always seen wearing her pink raincoat.

 

Luka Tsakonas

Social hierarchies are everywhere, and in our grade, Luka’s at the top of it; to the point where he’s one of those “why don’t you just go to an an expensive private school?” Kids. Far be it from me to speculate why, but he’s one of us, and while his social circle comprises the other “popular bros” that I can’t find myself associating with, at least he seems nice enough. His good looks certainly turn some heads, but I can’t tell if Claudia ever had a thing for him, or if their relationship was more one of mutual respect. The son of an up and coming Greek businessman who works in the old Torus Building, Luka can make friends out of those in “lower classes,” and has been pals with Enzo for a long time. It’s a shame they can’t show off that buddyhood in public, but I do get it. Societal pressure can be cruel, unforgiving, and absolute. With what I have planned, maybe he’ll notice even me.

 

Claudia Fitzgerald

Ugh! Where do I begin? You know, much has been said about the mean girls you find in high school, but when such behavior begins in second grade, you have to wonder if you aren’t just dealing with a straight up narcissistic sociopath! Okay, maybe Claudia doesn’t reach that level, but she makes you want to label her that way! Stylish and pretty? Sure. Knows how to get her way and manipulate other girls into worshipping her? Yeah, definitely that, too. Funny and scary thing here: in my original life, she ignored me; barely knew I was alive. But now, I get the feeling that she might have it out for me because I’m “making waves.” Just for having a goal in mind I intend to accomplish? Or just by existing and making friends? I swear, if it’s something shallow like us both having blond hair… I wouldn’t even be surprised. I blame her parents for treating her like a princess, whoever they are.

 

Penny McDermot

What to say about Penny? Wow, what a firecracker! I’d call her a classic tomboy, but she’d probably laugh in my face, snort, and brush it off because she doesn’t like labels. She’s a tough, self-assured kid, and to this day, I’m not sure how or why she became friends with Carlos and River. There must be more to it than the three of them just being on the same Little League team! Like Vanni and Gavin, she’s an arcade ace, too, but I think she lives out in the trailer parks on the edge of town, which would explain why she seldom has friends over and spends most of her time out and about. I’ve heard mentions that she has a pair of younger twin brothers she helps take care of that, I’m guessing, are even wilder than she is. I remember how River would talk about her sometimes, but can’t recall where she ended up. Some people do just disappear from our lives, after all.

 

Carlos Pérez

An early childhood friend of Penny’s, in contrast to her Carlos is good-natured, easy-going, and just gets along with everyone. Optimistic and willing to crack jokes, even during a tense baseball game, he’s all around just a stable anchor in River’s trio. I think his dad and Adelina’s dad are coworkers at their day jobs, too, so there’s already a small connection between our two friend groups. Growing up, me and Liesel hung out with the three quite often despite our age difference, just to be around more people. I didn’t quite expect that to keep happening this time around, but lo and behold, all nine of us are getting together often, especially for movies and birthday parties! Even though there isn’t really a place on a possible band for the three “big kids,” what they can offer is their support, which can be so important in the early days. Heck, maybe they can even tell high-schoolers about us later on…

 

Heather Bowers

She’s cute, but has a mischievous side, which definitely comes out when she’s having another spat with Pete, whom she’s known for a long time. A small girl with oversized glasses, Heather is often underestimated until someone first experiences her smarts, historical knowledge, and the breadth of her detailed memories in person. She knows world history, sure, but her real focus is honed in on Royal Valley’s, and our elementary school’s in particular. The legends, the rumors, the stories of classes who came before us, and the hidden places on the grounds and even tiny moments that would’ve otherwise been lost to time… It’s no wonder she was a shoo-in to become our grade’s little archivist and history keeper. What I did not remember myself from my first time around was just how well connected her school group of temporal scholars are! It’s actually a little scary, what they can dig up. Her job means she carries around photo albums and scrapbooks she can share with the curious.

 

Brady Joseph

A Kenyan adoptee, Brady has one parent that’s a therapist, and another who is a psychologist, so needless to say, he’s pretty well-adjusted—to the point where he even gives advice on living a happy, stable life to other kids on the playground! Is there potential for dangerously bad advice? Maybe, but I’d trust him over Lucy’s nickel-sessions whenever Charlie Brown came around looking for help with his miserable existence. I never had a meeting with him originally (I didn’t even use my first “free visit” ticket), but maybe I should’ve, just to have experienced what words of wisdom someone his age can give to someone else who has barely experienced life at all. He runs his “office” in the shaded box under the main playground fort, and his services are so trusted by others that they continue to let him use that valuable real estate out of the sun. Might I actually need his help this time around?

 

Vera Lawson

It’s a shame about Vera. Even with time travel, there’s no saving her. She doesn’t die or anything, but she might as well be dead to the kids she was formerly, briefly nice to—until Claudia got her claws in her; poached her right from a kid career of being friendly and giving nonjudgmental fashion advice. Pretty, sociable, and well-dressed, Vera was doomed from the start to be absorbed into Claudia’s clique of mean girls, but I could never tell if she genuinely found a friend, or just felt like a hostage obligated to go along with the routine. To be fair, Vera will at least remain the kindest of the bunch,  tempers Claudia’s personality at times, and when the others aren’t looking, she’ll even apologize for their behavior. I’m not one who wants to shake the boat too much with time travel with those outside my inner circle, but I do wonder who Vera could become if Claudia were even taken down a peg.

 

Wren Lombardi

I’ve heard that Wren has a cousin her age over in Desert Tree who is kind of a brutish girl; not quite a bully, but definitely irritable and ready to dish out a fight or an insult. I just find that so hard to believe! Wren, who is also a tetherball champ, is protective and watchful—which is easy to be when you’re the tallest kid in the grade. I don’t know if Wren is single-handedly the reason why we don’t have much bullying around, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Supportive of all her peers, she’ll rush in to defend someone being picked on or who may be having a bad day faster and better than our monitor, Mrs. Sundren, ever would. Unsurprisingly, she and Claudia don’t get along, but there’s only so much Wren can do given the power her group is perceived to wield. Even so, she can “pluck” someone away to safety if they’re being victimized by her gang, or unfairly flash-mobbed for a surprise style judgment.

 

Enzo Deloria

Eventually, most kids become “known” for the little bit of unique spice they bring to a grade. The top dogs are shopkeepers and history-sharers. Some love fashion or are guardian angels. For Enzo… Well, I have doubts that anyone brought his “service” to RVE before he came along, or will again. How lucky we are! As his parents currently run the famous Cosmo’s pizzeria downtown, he spreads its joy (or a complex, weird marketing scheme) to school by bringing the scent of baked sauce and cheese that’s absorbed into his jacket. Classrooms get a hint of it, or you can get really close and sniff the fabric to feel like you’re about to eat pizza. For lovers of the food, I guess that’s appreciated? Outside of this “superpower,” Enzo is mostly just a happy-go-lucky kid, and he’s secret best friends with Luka, being more “genuine” a character than those in Luka’s obligate elite buddy circle.

 

Pete Dunlap

The “hardcore gamer” of the era, born too soon to talk smack about players’ moms in Call of Duty lobbies in his prime. Oh, who am I kidding; he was probably doing that past his teen years. What always stood out about Pete was how annoying he was, and I’m not normally one to call people that. Every single day at school with this guy, it was video game rumors, the new stuff he unlocked, the game he just beat, the level he can’t beat yet… Thing always was with him, though—he never really played many arcade games, where he could leave a score behind and compete with others. Did he just not care for spending quarters, or was it more than he couldn’t back up his game with actual gaming skills? I’ll never know for certain, as I have no desire to play a round with the kids. Luckily, I don’t bring a Game Boy to school. Him spectating is worse than Sundren taking a portable away!

 

Sarah Malone

Spunky Sarah is a young movie buff that puts her love of film on display each day through her collection of oversized shirts featuring custom-made movie poster prints. Her fondness for cinema mostly comes from her much older cousin Scott, who works at the Video Klub rental place in Kettlebrook. They must hang out often, or he babysits her or something, because she has seen a lot of films. Including R-rated ones, which don’t really seem to affect her. Is she desensitized, or does she just have an appreciation of film and story-telling that nothing on a screen bothers her, and she can see it objectively as nothing more than a record of actors getting together to play make believe? She seems well-adjusted enough, shares bits of movie trivia with her peers, and can often be seen on opening weekends at the theater. Just don’t get her started on critiques!

 

Morris Prescott

You usually don’t interact much with the kids in the grades under yours, but there was younger student who always stood out to me. Shy, reclusive, and cynical Morris, who I frequently saw in the mornings and as everyone was rushing towards the buses after the final bell, just wanted a shoulder to rant into. It’s like he came from another world and into our own, and never figured out how our society worked. Okay, it’s probably not that deep—I think he just liked to complain a lot. But I’d listen, because it was the nice thing to do. Kid’s got enough troubles for a folk or blues album! I saw him often every year of school growing up, aside from first, sixth, and ninth grade, where we were separated. I wonder who he shared with grievances with those years? Hopefully he knew happiness in college, where so many of us “find our place.” But, honestly… he makes a lot of good points.

 

Kent Jasper

He’s almost a parody of conspiracy theorists. Aliens, coverups, experiments done on the students at our very school… Kent believes it all, or maybe makes up his own stuff. The 90s was home to a lot of rumors, mostly about video games, but this kid is something else, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he got internet access really early on and started hanging around websites dedicated to supposed uncovered truths. At school, no one really believes a word he says, so no harm done, right? Even so, I am curious if a couple of his wild theories and urban legends didn’t latch onto something, stick around, morph, and persist in some form around RVE for years to come. Hey, at least he didn’t spread cruel gossip like Claudia and her crew. In some ways, I suppose he could represent when conspiracy theories were a little more fun and innocent, and I wouldn’t call him malicious; just foolish.

 

Teddy Clarkman

True to his name (would the world change if all guys were named Teddy?), he’s a big, sweet lad with boundless enthusiasm, so he and Wren made for a quick pair of friends! He’s also sensitive, though, so he’s not exactly a defender like she is, because seeing confrontation just makes him sad. He joined us starting in fourth grade following a move that kept him in the city, but in a new school district. My last go-around, we barely ever interacted, but since he came over from Desert Tree Elementary, I’m sure he might have some useful “deets” about Wes and his friends for me. But just thinking about what Claudia thinks about him and the jokes she must crack behind his back make me sad, too. Childhood can be a cruel landscape sometimes. But if he takes it all in stride, I’ll try to, as well. Still… maybe try easing up on the good stuff your parents make at their bakery?