Chapter Seven:

"I remember the first time Pat told me she parked with you," Jenny told me the next day. We were at the mall again, looking for extra things and presents that we didn't buy the day before. Patricia had walked in a different direction, but we decided we'd find her later.

I didn't say anything to her, because by now I knew she was trying to annoy me. She said it, right out of the blue, with nothing around her but me to remind her of it. "I remember saying, 'please, Pat, you must have had too much to drink.'" she laughed a little to herself. "I never imagined that you two would last thirty years."

"We didn't really last thirty years," I said, reminding her that our marriage actually fell apart a while ago.

She just shrugged. For a moment she was silent. "Biff?"

"What now?"

"Why... well... When do you think... When do you think you actually fell in love with my best friend?" she seemed serious this time, not her usual playful self.

"I don't know," I said. "Dmnit, I don't know anything anymore."

"Watch your language," she teased me, but I didn't laugh. In a matter of seconds, I noticed, she became serious again. "Did you really like her back in 1955?"

"I was drunk, Jenny."

"She was too, you know." she said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"Remember when you spiked the punch bowl?" she glanced at me for a second. "And Strickland went after you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. That Butthead-" she cut me off before I could say another word.

"She had a few cups before he got ride of it," she paused and looked off to the side, looking thoughtful. "I didn't see her until after you two took that joy ride. It's a wonder you two didn't crash."

I thought about that while we continued walking through the mall. I didn't remember some of it, but we did go driving together after the dance. We almost crashed into a truck going by once. I don't remember if it was a manure truck or not, but I remember Patricia mentioning it a few times.

"It's funny how some couples meet..." I heard Jenny say to herself. By that time we were finally in the store. I didn't go to the mall that often, so I didn't know my way around that well. I looked over at Jenny, waiting for her to lead me somewhere. She smirked over at me and said, "Ready for Step Two?"

(later)

"Mom? Mom?" I heard my daughter's voice come from the door. I waited for her to come into the kitchen and see me, not bothering to hide the presents I was wrapping. "Mom? DAD?" she stopped dead in the kitchen, looking extremely surprised. I was alone, for Jenny had taken a break to go to the bathroom and Patricia hadn't been in the same room with me all afternoon.

"Yep. That's me." I said to her, but not much else.

"What... what are you doing here?" she asked me.

"Jenny and I are working on something. Care to join us?"

"Oh... all right." she smiled at me for once and took a seat across of me, looking a little nervous at first. We sat in silence for a few minutes, but then she started to nod her head. "We don't get to do things like this often." I knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah... I bet you think your old man is a loser, right?" I said, and she didn't look startled at all. "Loser with a capital L?"

"No," she said calmly, shaking her head. "I had a feeling that one of these days you'd change." We both knew exactly what she meant, but Patricia, who was standing on the other side of the wall, listening, probably didn't. Unlike her husband and her son, Patricia's daughter was a person who was a generally nice person, like her mother, getting into trouble only every once in a while. She also had, like Patricia, faith that people could change, but I had a feeling Patricia didn't have that faith anymore.

"What are all the bags for?" I finally asked after a while, noticing she had entered the room with a lot of bags.

"Some of my friends and I decided to go shopping," she said, and for a moment she looked down at her bags, but then she started to look left and right, as if checking to make sure no one was around to listen. Then she leaned forward and whispered, "How are mom and you doing?"

I shrugged. "She hasn't been in the same room with me all afternoon." She slumped back in her seat, but I noticed she didn't look disappointed.

"Oh, look who's here! The To-Be-Sweet-Sixteen!" Jenny had entered the room again, and came around the table to give my daughter a big hug. That was when I finally realized that my daughter's surprise party was going to be tomorrow night. I already knew that, but it didn't really hit me until just then. I watched the two girls hug, giggle, and finally turned back to me. "Soon you're little girl is going to be driving!" Jenny said.

We talked a little more, and I was relieved that I could put the presents under the table without anyone noticing. No one mentioned the wrapping paper either, which was a good thing. I was heading out the door when something unexpected happened. Everything that happened during these few months of living by myself were unexpected. Who would have thought that I, Biff Tannen, the guy who has had a thing for Lorraine since we were kids, would miss the girl I only married to make Lorraine jealous? Who would have thought I would fall in love with her? Who would have thought I'd help with this party?

Anyway, Patricia finally walked into the hallway where I was standing, and for a second I thought she was going to kick me out. Instead, she forced a smile and said, "You can stay for dinner, if you'd like. We still have more to do afterwards."

It was strange, having dinner with the whole family (and Jenny) again, and this time I paid more attention. Biff Jr. came home in the middle of it, also carrying several bags with him. He ran up the stairs with his bags without saying a word, just joined us a few minutes later. He didn't seem too surprised to see me there, but throughout the meal he acted as if I wasn't there.

After dinner I was wondering what we'd be able to get done with the kids home, but I quickly found out from Jenny that there had been a change of plans. We all met in the kitchen, and I could tell that Patricia was upset by this change.

"What the hll is wrong now?" I asked loudly. Jenny shushed me, but I shrugged it off.

"I'm going to be busy late tomorrow, because of work," Patricia answered me anyway. "So I think we'll have to do the party the day after tomorrow."

"The day after tomorrow? The day AFTER tomorrow?" I said, my voice raising louder and louder as I spoke. "No, no. We're not changing the date just because some Buttheads won't let you off work."

"But we need three people to decorate so it's done in time!" Patricia argued. For a minute it sounded as if we were back to before the divorce, when we argued. I think she noticed it too, because she stopped yelling after that.

"I'll get Biff Jr. to help." I offered quickly, not really thinking about it at all. She shook her head. "He won't be home by then."

"I'll make him come home." I surprised myself. I didn't think I'd care this much about my daughter's birthday party. My wife seemed surprised as well. She took a step back, as if she was trying to examine me from a distance, but then she shook her head.

"All right, Biff. You win. I'll try to get home as fast as possible."

Jenny broke out in a sudden smile. She must have wanted it to stay the same, too.

The next day was a hassle as I had to get Biff Jr. to come home early to help. He finally gave in, but didn't look so happy about it. He said he had other plans with his friends, but over all I think he was really going to do something that would greatly upset Patricia.

Jenny and I went to pick up some of the food we wanted and I tried to cook. I wasn't too good at it, so I leaned against the counter and watched Jenny cook, while drinking a beer. Patricia didn't need to head off to work until eleven, and she was able to help for another hour. She was trying to make sure the music stage was set up right, and all the plugs were plugged in right. In the end she persuaded Marty and his band to play at the party, because she knew that she liked that kind of music. Marty didn't mind- he liked her side of the family. I don't think he'd think Biff Jr, or I would be there long anyway.

When Patricia finally left as a nervous wreck, the three of us got to the really hard work.