Disclaimer: I'd go trick-or-treating as both halves of a two-headed hockey player if it meant I could own Phil of the Future.
Author's Note: Another PotF game discovered while searching for "Keely Star of the Future" online game. A "Keely-age" Alyson Michalka awaits patiently as you give her a make over for her next PotF scene. There's a link for it on my author's page. It's no "Lloyd and Curtis Do Midnight Inventory At Mantis Hardware," "Messerschmitt Judges the Pickford Fair's Ketchup Contest," or "Let's Give Roswell a Tick Bath," but it doesn't pretend to be.
52 Pick-Up
Phil was late. Now, while this was not an uncommon trait and one you (and I) may share, we're not Phil. More precisely, we're not Keely, and while tardiness was not something which appeared on her radar regarding anyone else she knew, when it came to her best friend - well, he was the exception. It was his own doing, his fault. So many false alarms regarding his returning to the future with his family. Over time, callouses had formed, sure, and Keely had almost become nonchalant about his announcements over Diffy family departures; however, she hadn't yet learned to appreciate and be comforted by how they were forever false. For his best friend, each homecoming announcement struck her in the pitt of her stomach.
And he was late. Say what you like about how the Diffys were still adapting to life in the early Twenty-first Century, but between their hyperspeed setting on their wizrds and a couple of greased lightning skyaks, well, while Pim might rack up tardies for her topiary class, it wasn't because she COULDN'T be there on time. Pim's brother only came late to class if he was the victim of a future disease, like the one that made his belly button issue wolf whistles whenever someone passed by - something which only Vice-Principal Hackett took as complimentary. Okay, or if he was cleaning up after another of his sister's shenanigans - printing your own fifty dollar bills is frowned upon in this century, Pim; yes, even if you recycle one dollar bills to do it with - that's not what "going green" really means! About the only other reason why Phil Diffy was ever late was if he had to deliver THE bad news about ... well, I'm not even going to say it. Keely's on the verge of tears and I'm not going to be the one to open those flood gates and make her feel any worse; are you?
Heavy heart, she gave up waiting for Phil to hook up with her (Not like that! This is Pickford, for ketchup's sake.) at the library (Now, don't you feel silly?) and rapidly headed in the Diffy direction.
The time machine was still in the driveway. WHEW! GOOD!
Barbara had long ago given Keely Teslow the "you're part of the family" speech over Pim's written objections, her hubby's disinterest, and her son's mixture of pride and blushing, so Keely grabbed the doorknob and went right inside, rather than knock. Nobody home? If she'd have been Curtis, she would have sniffed the air right about now.
Downstairs was eerily still and quiet. Their kitchen orderly, breakfast dishes already cleaned and put away for one of Barbara's next experiments. The family room tidy, just waiting its turn for the next family game night: Rock'em Sock'em Robots - with real robots; Barbara, of all the Diffys, seemed to be the most excited about the upcoming matches. This side of Phil's mom made Keely all the more curious over what would happen, but not as curious as she was about the scampering noises she could now make out coming from upstairs.
His door was open anyway, and it wasn't like she hadn't been in his bedroom before, so without a thought to "it could be a burglar, Teslow," Keely walked upstairs and entered Future Boy's room.
Yeah, it was Phil.
(Author's Query: End story here? Is that what Doug and Tim would do? No way. Read On!)