60 Seconds

By Roxi Chang

Alex didn't exactly blend in. At eleven years old, he was basically invisible unless the neighborhood bully, Chad, needed a target for his dodgeball or insults. Alex spent most weekends hiding in his room drawing comics, and wishing the world had a pause button: the exact reason why the dusty old watch he found at Mrs. Gable’s yard sale seemed perfect, except for the fact that it was a little ugly. It was made of heavy metal with a cracked leather band and only one hand, pointing permanently to the number 12. Mrs. Gable only charged him fifty cents. "It’s a broken old thing,” she said. “Maybe you can fix it.”

Alex took it home and fiddled with it on his desk. He traced the single hand. It didn’t tick, but there was a tiny, stiff button hidden where the "4" should be. He pressed it– and the world went completely silent.

It wasn't just quiet; the noise stopped completely. Alex looked up just as his mom was pouring orange juice into a glass in the kitchen. The stream of juice hung in the air, making a perfect, sparkling orange arc. The family dog– Sparky, was frozen mid-yawn, his tongue sticking out like a pink flag. Outside the window, a bird was motionless in the sky. Alex blinked. He waved his hand through the hanging juice. Nothing. He ran into the living room. Everything was a statue garden. It was as amazing as he wished, but just as terrifying.

. Tick. A single, loud TICK echoed through the silent room, andthe world rushed back in. The juice splashed into the glass, Sparky finished his yawn with a loud “Arf!”, and the bird flew away. Alex checked the watch. The second hand that he hadn’t noticed earlier was back at the top, but the tiny button at the '4' was now loose. He had pressed a pause button. Turns out, he had stopped time for exactly 60 seconds. For the next few days, Alex used his minute wisely. He used it to grab an extra cookie when his mom wasn't looking, to avoid running into Chad at the bus stop, and to once make his little sister’s remote control car appear on top of the fridge.

But then came Friday night. Alex was walking home from the community center as usual when he cut through the park and heard voices near the concession stand. It was Chad and his sidekick, Jack. They were whispering under the slight moonlight. “...tomorrow morning, right before the Mayor cuts the ribbon for the new playground,” Chad said, with a nasty grin on his face. “Wel’l fill the ribbon with silly string cans and switch the sound system microphone to the karaoke machine. It’s going to be chaotic.” Alex froze behind a bush. The new playground was a big deal for everyone. The whole town was excited. This was more than just a prank; it would ruin everything…

Alex knew exactly what he had to do. He waited until Chad and Jack disappeared. Then, his heart pounding like a drum, Alex slowly crept toward the stage area. He pressed the button: Silence. He had 60 seconds and he knew he had to use this time wisely. So he tossed the silly string into the woods and fixed the microphone wires. Tick. The loud, final sound rang in his ears. World back on. Alex dove behind the giant plastic slide between two pillars.

The next day, Alex stood in the crowd, watching the Mayor finally cut the ribbon. Nothing happened. The crowd cheered, and the normal music started playing. Alex smiled. He was still shy, but he wasn’t invisible anymore. He had a secret power, and he knew he would always use his 60 seconds to do the right thing.