I just saw this movie, Minutemen, because my niece is in love with Jason Dolley. This is the type of movie I would have loved as a kid, and still do. I thought it needed a sequel though. Here is my take.
I don't own anything, including a car, so don't sue. AU in part.
Given a Glimpse
A lot of people consider life to be linear, you can't go back and forth between two points, you can't change it and most of all you don't get to see what it would have been like if you had chosen a different path. For Virgil, that wasn't quite true. He did get to jump back and forth and change things. He did find that it was better to stick with the life you were in because changing the hand you had been dealt was almost like cheating. Yourself, that is.
Of course that didn't stop curiosity. Once you've been given that first taste of something you like it's hard not to think about it from time to time and wonder what may have been. Everyone feels, at one point, the desire to see how life would have been. Everyone.
Of course there are very few people who actually get that chance and something major has to occur in order for that alternate timeline to merge with our own. Something like a black hole…maybe.
/GG/
"Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!"
The shout sounded distant at first; then became clearer and clearer as Virgil was roused from a deep sleep. He sat up quickly as his eyes attempted to adjust to the bright light that was now shooting pain through his eyes.
"Nice Amy." Virgil said looking at his alarm clock. It was just before eight; on a Saturday. "It's the weekend, what do you want?"
Virgil rolled his eyes at his little sister, trying to remember the dream he was woken from. Something about him and a couple of other kids from school using a time machine and changing peoples' lives. It would have been interesting to finish the dream, especially since he didn't really know the other two who were in the dream with him all that well. They were losers and outcasts. Virgil Fox was the popular, zany friend of the head cheerleader and star of the high school football team, not a nerd.
"Derek is here. He says you promised to help him with his calculus or something."
"Not at eight in the morning." Virgil said, raising his voice so his friend could most certainly hear his discourse.
"Not my fault." Amy said skipping out of the room. "By the way, I love your friends. Derek is a dreamboat."
Virgil jumped up and shut the door, hard. Then went searching for a pair of jeans and a shirt from the bottom of his closet. There would be no going back to sleep now, especially with Amy pestering Derek. Virgil looked in the mirror and studied his face. He popped a zit and walked to the bathroom to clean the puss off before going down stairs.
As he studied himself in the bathroom mirror he caught a flash of what he assumed was his dream. It was him, looking in the mirror, with slightly longer hair. He was looking for facial hair on his chin. Virgil shook his head and the 'memory' went away and it was he looking at himself, just as he was supposed to be doing.
"Man Virg, you've got to stop eating right before bed. Those dreams just keep getting weirder and weirder."
He left the bathroom and bounded down the stairs. Derek was playing guitar hero with Amy, who was clearly kicking his butt.
"I'm beating you! I'm beating you!" She said, jumping around like a spoiled brat.
"Enough Amy." Virgil said, grabbing her by the arm and pushing her back toward the stairs. "Go away. I mean it."
Amy walked up the stairs, pouting.
"Harsh man." Derek said, putting the guitar down and turning off the television. "You should be glad you have a little sister."
"Don't remind me. What are you doing over here at eight in the morning?" Virgil asked as he plopped himself down on the sofa and started to dig into a bag of chips he had left there just a few hours ago.
"Needed you help man. My dad is starting to come down on me hard and you're the smartest person I know."
Virgil rolled his eyes again, something he was getting good at.
"I already told you I would help you, but at eight in the morning? Come on. I'm not even up this early on school days."
Another vision flashed in front of Virgil's eyes as he saw himself showing up to school on time yesterday.
"Am I?" He asked in a wondering tone.
"Uh Virgil?" Derek asked while waving his hand in front of Virgil's blank stare.
Virgil looked at Derek for a moment. "Did I show up for school on time yesterday?"
"No, in fact you didn't show up at all. That's why you weren't allowed to come to the dance with Steph and me."
"Right." Virgil said nodding his head. He had cut school to go to the store. For something.
"Dude, you're creeping me out."
"Sorry. Something's bothering me. Like, this isn't how it's supposed to be." For a moment Virgil changed into the Virgil he was in his dream. The brazen stare disappeared and was replaced by the soft, almost lost eyes he'd seen in the mirror a little earlier.
"Whatever, are you going to come over and help me nor not?"
"Sure." Virgil popped back up and his demeanor changed back into that of which he was used to. Someone who everyone looked up on since he was popular and they were not.
/GG/
The ride to Derek's house was loud. Mainly because he had his music cranked up so much his giant truck bounced along the road as opposed to driving along. Virgil actually had a head ache when he stepped out and walked around the back of the truck, shaking it off. He saw Derek's neighbor hanging onto the branch of a tree, reaching for a cat.
For a moment his heart stood still as he watched the branch sway and Charlie fell a few feet and landed on his back; the cat jumped off and ran toward the house hissing his contempt.
"Nice move loser." Derek laughed.
"Charlie!" Virgil shouted, running toward him and landing on his knees next to the wide eyed youth. "Are you okay?" Virgil held out an arm for Charlie to take and stand up with.
"Um…yeah?" There was a moment of silence, uncomfortable silence. "Thanks…Virgil."
Charlie took the arm and sat up, then stood up and took a few steps back.
"Relax Charlie. It's…" Virgil stopped mid sentence and looked from Charlie to Derek who had stopped laughing and had gone silent too. "What just happened?"
Derek started to laugh again and walked toward Virgil and slapped him on the back. "You've moved into the realm of weird, or…you've decided to help one nerd a day. I'm touched. Let's go so we can get this over with." Derek said grabbing Virgil by the shoulder and leading him toward his house. "Joc is coming over for a quick make out session and then Steph and I have a date."
Virgil wasn't paying attention, he was looking at a very confused Charlie as he walked away.
