THREE

Professor never questioned me about that Christmas morning outburst. I don?t think I could have explained it, and to be honest, I didn?t care what had happened. I was alive, that?s all that mattered. I was getting what everyone wanted, a chance to do it all over.

And, Dear Diary, I really and truly believed that my second chance might make a difference in the world. I knew I'd never be able to remember EVERYTHING I did or saw during my first shot at life, but I was sure about the big stuff. I mean, we had fought so many two-bit crooks and monsters; when we went out on those calls, I trusted my training and instinct instead of my memory. But, there were things, with my knowledge of what was to come, that I knew I could have an effect on. I tried to change for the better what I could, knowing there would be other things that were controlled by fate, destiny, whatever. I won't bother with all of it, just the ones that seemed most important.

The Rowdyruffs were still created, but I knew exactly what to do. Mojo couldn't believe how easily we beat them, and he wasn't the same after that. I think he just kind of gave up. Bubbles getting bonked on the head, thinking she was him; Mojo giving superpowers to our classmates and Princess, showing up at our slumber party-none of it ever happened.

I talked Buttercup into bringing her pea-shooter and some pins to Bonsai Gardens Park. She thought I was nuts, but when that fish-balloon showed up, she knew just what to do. Professor never made that stupid battle robot.

That Friday after school, when we raced so fast we ended up in that horrible future, facing Him? I couldn't remember what day that happened, but that morning, when Professor told us about the trip, I knew that was it. When school was over, as soon as Buttercup started bragging about how fast she could fly, I held Bubbles back, and pretty soon Buttercup lost interest. We went to the Bahamas that weekend, like we should have the first time, and guess what? Townsville was still there when we got back.

Not long after that, our lives had changed so much that I no longer knew what was going to happen. Lots of stuff that happened in my first life never did. My sisters didn?t butcher my hair. When Bubbles had trouble with her eyes, instead of laughing at her, I asked Professor to see if laser surgery wouldn?t be better for her than glasses. We never set foot in Citysville. I had changed the course of history, at least our little slice of it in Townsville. Life became nearly perfect. I know I was changed. I quit trying to be a dictator with Buttercup and Bubbles and treated them as equals. It was unreal, the transformation in them. Either of them could design and execute a battle plan as well as I could, in fact, Buttercup was downright brilliant at times, improving on some of my ideas in ways I never dreamed of.

But the biggest change in our lives happened in late spring of '99. We talked about it for awhile, and finally got up the nerve to go see Professor about it. It went something like this:

Bubbles: Professor, don't you ever want to get married?

Professor: Well, um, er...gee, Girls, it's almost time for Puppet Pals!

Buttercup: Forget them! Look, Professor, we know you've had problems with girls before, but we hate seeing you so lonely all the time!

Me: We know someone who's lonely too. You should ask her out!

Professor (not too crazy about the idea): Who, Blossom?

All of us: Our teacher, Ms. Keane!

Professor: Uh, she seems nice, but she'd never go out with me.

Buttercup: Baloney! Quit being so down on yourself all the time!

Bubbles: Yeah, Professor. She's nice, so she hasta? like you, cause if she didn't she wouldn't be nice and she is, so she's gonna like you!

Buttercup: Thanks, Bubbles. I miss Mojo too, sort of.

Me: Professor, all you gotta do is call her and say you want to meet with her to discuss our schoolwork. Say you want all five of us to sit down together and ask her to come over for dinner. Then, when she gets here, we'll have to leave *wink wink* to go fight crime or something!

Buttercup: Great idea, Blossom! Hey, we can goof off in school, that way she'll WANT to talk to ya'!

Professor: No, Buttercup, there will be no 'goofing off' in school. All right, Girls, I'll call her. What harm could it do?