Video Arcade
"Where'd you get the money for this stuff, Taylor?," Stephanie asked.
"What difference does it make? I got it, didn't I?"
Taylor breathed out a large puff of smoke after using some marijuana. The smoke materialized into a spooky, transparent figure.
"Yeah, that's it, do it. Makes you forget about your brother and his stupid piggy bank."
"Yeah, this stuff's pretty good, but I got something even better," Heather smirked and held out her hand. There were small, white pills in her hand.
"Oh, now that's cool. Taylor! Taylor, you gotta try it!"
"It gives you a major high, like that!," Heather snapped her fingers.
"I'm in," Jo agreed.
"Ok," Stephanie agreed.
"I'll try it," Anne Maria agreed.
"You in, Taylor?," Heather asked.
"You don't wanna be left out, do ya?"
"Come on, what are you waiting for?," Anne Maria asked.
"Try it! Try it! You want them to like you, don't you?"
Suddenly, a loud police siren came from outside. Taylor's friends ran off while she stood frozen in place.
"Oh no, cops! Beat it!"
Taylor quickly ran out of the arcade.
She ran into an alleyway and thought she was safe, until she saw the shadow of a policeman walked towards her.
The smoke disappeared into the wall behind her.
"Hey!"
He came back out briefly.
"Sorry, girl. At times like this, you're on your own."
He disappeared.
"Great."
The shadow got closer.
Taylor panicked, "It was my first time! Honest! I'll never do it again!"
The shadow got closer...
"Hey there, Taylor."
It was just Noah wearing a police hat.
"Huh? You're not a cop!," Taylor yelled.
"Ok! You got me! I'm not a cop, I'm a kid!," Noah threw off the hat, "But just because I'm shorter doesn't mean my brain isn't smaller."
The smoke came back and laughed.
"You were running from him? He's just a nerd!"
"Look who's talking."
Noah stuffed him into a trash can.
"You know, kid, you don't look so good. What's this?," he picked something off of the ground, "A joint? So what's the big attraction? I mean, how'd you get started?"
"I started 'cause I wanted too! What do you care?," Taylor walked away.
Noah grabbed her shirt and pulled her back, "Call it curiosity, but if you're giving me that old, ' 'cause I wanted to routine,' maybe you need a little memory refresher."
He took a small box out of his pocket and pressed the button on the top of it.
It turned into a large machine.
"A time machine?," Taylor's eyes widened.
"I borrowed it from a couple of geniuses I know," Noah said as they walked in.
The smoke suddenly got out of the trash can.
"Hey, bring back Taylor! She's mine!"
He got into the time machine just before the door closed.
"Now, where's that instruction manual?," Noah looked around the machine. Then he found the manual underneath the button panel and started reading it.
Junior and Taylor's dad, Dwayne took a case of beer cans out of the fridge confused.
"That's funny, there's a couple of beers missing."
Kelly was washing dishes, "Oh, honey, you probably drank a few watching football last night. Who else would take them?"
Dwayne shrugged it off and put them back in the fridge, "Well, I'm gonna start cleaning out the garage. Call me for lunch."
After Dwayne left, Kelly brought Junior his breakfast.
"Junior, is your sister ok? She's been acting so strange lately. You know we love you both, and if there's something wrong, we'd like to help."
Junior shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, mom. I don't think so."
"Thanks, hon," Kelly went back to her dishes.
As Junior started eating, Owen climbed onto the table, "Excuse me, but why didn't you tell her?"
Junior looked up from his breakfast and his eyes widened, "Owen! You can talk?"
"Of course I can."
"But you never talked before."
"Hm, I guess you're right. But now I have something to ask, why didn't you say you were worried about Taylor too?"
"If I tell and she gets in trouble, she'll blame me."
"Maybe, but what will happen to her if you don't tell?"
Junior thought about it.
Noah finished the manual and put it back up.
"Fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride," Noah pushed a few buttons and pulled a lever, "Next stop, two years ago."
The machine started beeping and spinning around quickly.
~Two years ago~
Taylor and her friends were playing Frisbee in the schoolyard.
Taylor caught a high throw and the others cheered.
"Nice catch!"
"Hey, thanks!," Taylor threw it back.
"Why's it in italics?," Taylor asked from inside the time machine.
"This is the past, and the past is in italics. This is the part where your whole life flashes before your eyes."
Young Taylor ran by the time machine window.
Noah frowned, "Does that kid look familiar to you?"
Taylor's eyes widened, "It-It's me! When I was a kid."
"Do tell."
Young Taylor walked behind the school building and saw Heather, Stephanie and Anne Maria smoking.
"You girls cruising for lung cancer or what?"
Heather shook her head, "We're getting high. You know," she coughed, "Drugs. Marijuana."
Taylor crossed her arms, "Well, duh! I knew that."
Anne Maria held out a cigarette, "Wanna hit?"
"What's the matter? Ya scared?," Heather challenged.
"No!," Taylor looked nervous.
"So, still think it was your choice?," Noah crossed his arms.
"I didn't want them to think I was a wimp!"
"Better a wimp than an old day sucker!"
"Everybody's doing it," Anne Maria said.
"Come on, it's no big deal," the smoke told Taylor, "Do it!"
Noah's look softened, "It's like the old saying. If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you go to?"
He watched as young Taylor took the cigarette and started coughing.
"Hm, I guess you would. Not a smart move. Definitely not one the world's brightest minds."
"Hey! Lighten up on my girl, here. She was just experimenting with some friends."
"But they're my friends! They wouldn't do anything really wrong."
"Well, what makes you think they know any better than you?," Noah asked.
"Hey, she needed me. All of her cares went poof! No worries, no bothers," the Smoke laughed.
"Everyone's got problems, Taylor. Even us bookworms. The point is, nobody gets everything they want. What's important is what's in here," Noah pointed at Taylor's heart, "You know, what makes you you. You've gotta believe in yourself."
"But I make her feel good. I make her- -"
Noah took out an air pump and put the plug in the Smoke's mouth.
"Sure, drugs make you feel good, for a while."
Noah started pumping air.
"But that's only temporary. 'Cause sooner or later..."
BOOM!
The smoke exploded.
"Is that what you want, Taylor? Really?"