“Now would be a really, really good time to have a spasm,” Tristan thought to himself. “C’mon… anywhere but here. C’mon, teleport already! C’mon!”
Just as the boys’ head appeared at the top of the ladder, Tristan’s power kicked in and teleported the four away.
It was dark, and they were at the edge of a lake. The lake surface flickered yellow and red from the lights of the nearby buildings, one of which was clearly holding a large celebration of some sort.
“Well done Tristan!” Taylor congratulated him. “A very well timed teleport.”
“Yeah, I didn’t really want the first row seats of ‘A Roll in the Hay’,” Zac half-joked.
“That was pretty good, huh?” Tristan said smugly. “Best of all, I was trying to teleport at the time.”
“Awesome,” Zac said. “Hey, try teleporting again. Maybe get us home?”
“Okay,” Tristan agreed.
The boys moved close together. Tristan closed his eyes and concentrated.
“Backstage of the concert, just after the show. I’ve just picked you up, so the room should be empty. Ten seconds after we left…” Tristan said aloud, trying to visualise the room.
Silence.
“We appear to still be here,” Isaac said quietly.
“True,” Taylor added.
“Shh,” Tristan said, still trying to concentrate.
More silence. Zac coughed.
At last Tristan sighed.
“Guess I still don’t have it yet.”
“Why don’t you try your home?” Taylor suggested. “You might have better luck with somewhere you’re more familiar with.”
“Okay,” Tristan agreed.
He pictured home: the kitchen with sunshine coming in through the windows and his mum cooking her latest culinary masterpiece. The scraggly yard that was what passed for a garden. The…
In that moment, they reappeared. Tristan’s face lit up with joy as he saw his home.
“This is it!” he exclaimed. “I’m home!”
“That’s awesome Tristan,” Taylor applauded him.
Zac looked appraisingly at the house that was apparently his home in this alternate dimension. Quaint. Lawn could use a mow, though.
Tristan wasted no time: he ran up the stairs and tried to open the door. Finding it locked, he bashed on the door. It was soon answered by a portly woman, who frowned a little at the sight of the young man in front of her.
“Yes?”
Tristan blinked. Who was this woman?
“Umm… is this the Hanson home?” he asked tentatively, his excitement already starting to disintegrate.
“Who’s asking?” she asked suspiciously.
“Tristan Hanson.”
“Never heard of you.”