In which Gortimer, Ranger, and Mel dig up the time capsule.

It was perfect outside. The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing.

It was, Mel reflected, the perfect time to dig up the time capsule they had buried in ninth grade.

Gortimer and Ranger were both in her living room. She had invited Gortimer over the summer, who had accepted readily, needing a change of scenery for inspiration for his book. Ranger, of course, had to come.

She leaned on the door frame. Gortimer and Ranger both looked up at her instantly. She smiled, nothing had changed in the years they were apart.

"So, Gortimer, Ranger . . ." she started, waiting for the inevitable.

"Yes?" they both said together, and Mel had to stop herself from laughing.

"The time capsule we buried. I think it's time to dig it up."

Ranger, Gortimer, and Mel shared a smile, remembering the capsule they had dug up a second time. It didn't seem that long ago to Mel. They hadn't changed as much as she'd thought.

"What did we put inside?" Ranger asked Mel as they headed outside, spades in hand.

"I have everything here." Mel said, gesturing to the bag at her side.

"How did you - never mind." Gortimer shook his head. "Of course you remembered."

Mel smiled. They reached the site, and without another word started to dig.

"Do you think it's there?" Ranger asked, panting. "It might have gone back in time again."

"I hit something!" Gortimer called, and Ranger shook his head.

"Guess not."

Together, they yanked up the box and put it on even ground.

It hadn't changed a bit. Mel felt a rush of deja vu - it was almost like they were opening it for the second time, back when they were still in ninth grade. Gortimer and Ranger, judging by the looks on their faces, were experiencing the same feeling.

They all put a hand on the lid. "Ready?" Mel asked.

At Gortimer's nod, and Ranger's, "Affirmative." they all pulled as one.

And there everything was.

They spent what was probably hours reminiscing about every single item.

"The fork of destiny! That was an adventure . . ."

"Remember when we gave this to you, Gortimer?"

"Don't touch that! We don't want to turn into Yes Zombies again!"

"Wasn't this our first adventure?"

Finally, everything was laid out in front of the box.

Gortimer was looking at everything with a fond smile on his face. Ranger, however, was looking at Mel. "Mel? The stuff?"

"Yes! Here." She poured everything from the bag straight into the box. Gortimer jumped at the noise, then crawled over to the box and stuck his head in.

"I remember seeing this!" His voice drifted out of the box. "And this, and this . . . Wait, what's this?"

Mel bit her lip and looked away, then looked back at Gortimer's questioning glance.

Ranger had snatched what Gortimer had seen - a note. "I don't remember reading a note."

"I thought I'd add a note - nothing about the future, but, I thought I'd just give us something . . ." Mel trailed off and looked down at her hands.

"That's a good idea!" Gortimer said, smiling. Mel grinned back, knowing he was probably trying to lighten her mood, and it was working.

Ranger placed it back in the box, and closed the lid. "Do you think we'll ever open this again?" he said. "In the future?"

"I don't know," Gortimer said, looking back at the box. "But not knowing is half of the adventure, isn't it?"

And the note? Mel, Ranger, and Gortimer never saw the note.

Mel said she didn't need to see anything else.

She didn't.

I don't know about this. Doesn't seem too good to me. :\ I don't know if I kept everyone in character, if I ended it well . . . Well, hopefully it'll get better as I go on.

I don't know if anyone will read this, but hey, to those of you that do, why don't you show me that you've read by reviewing? How else am I going to know you actually read this monstrosity? *Glares suspiciously*