Chapter 7

Friday, September 2nd, 1938

Hill Valley

6:34 P.M.

"My only B in educational history! B plus, actually, but still. . . ."

"You're lucky, my 'educational history' is filled with Bs. I only pull As in stuff like music and science -- and only because I have my inventor friend to help me with the science."

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with Bs, it just looked odd on my record. I know I'm rather different from the rest of the population. There's been days where I wanted to have a school record filled with Bs, just so I'd be more like a normal person."

Marty gave Emmett a sideways look. "It's funny. I think most people would kill to get the grades you've gotten."

"Yes, well, it comes at a very high price. Not only do most of the students hate me, a lot of the teachers do as well. I had a nasty tendency to point out the mistakes in their work. Once I even got up and corrected my math teacher in front of the entire class. I was never a favored student by any means. I think that, if they had been less fair, a lot of my teachers would have gone the Strickland route and given me lower grades." Emmett snorted. "How ironic. They would have given me what I wanted -- more normality."

Marty sighed and shook his head. "Your life sounds like one big trip down the crapper -- er, the toilet," he clarified as Emmett gave him a strange look.

"Well, it hasn't been the easiest road, I admit, but it hasn't been all bad either. I'm not always depressed or anything like that. I've got a wonderful big sister, a kindly mother, an interesting and loveable best friend, a lovely girlfriend, and a passion for science that makes me feel alive." Emmett grinned. "I love inventing. It gets me up in the morning. It's what makes my world go around."

Marty grinned back, remembering all the times he'd seen Doc in the lab, as happy as a kid on Christmas. "Yeah. I feel the same way with my music."

Emmett nodded. "It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it? I just wish Lucy was more interested in it. If I had a girlfriend who was as interested in the sciences as I am, I could die a happy man." He looked at Marty. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah -- she's not as interested in music as I am, but she's always supported me," Marty said, fondly thinking of Jennifer. Boy, am I going to have a story to tell her when I get home. "Too bad Lucy can't do the same for you."

"It's all right," Emmett said, waving it off. "Her heart's in the right place. You know, I met her at Christmas last year. She was flirting with me the entire time, saying how cute I looked in my clothes, how lucky I was to have such nice things for such a nice boy. . . ."

Marty bit his lip to keep from saying how materialistic it all sounded. Emmett noticed. "All right, so she's a little obsessed with class. And I know she can be rather hung up on what sort of things a person has. She's almost always complimenting me on my clothes and possessions, rather than any accomplishments. But she's dating me, and I'm basically the town outcast, so she can't be all bad."

"True," Marty said with a slight nod. "But doesn't it bug you that she likes stuff so much?"

"That's just the way she is. What's important is that she loves me."

Marty nodded again. Yeah. He's definitely making himself ignore all the warning signs. This is not going to end well.

They finally arrived at the Childs's residence. Like the Brown mansion, it was a big, ostentatious place, painted an almost glowing white. Emmett walked straight to the front door and rang the bell. Marty hung back a few paces, gawking as he took it all in. Wow. Lucy's family must be as rich as Doc's.

A man in a crisp black suit answered the door. "Hello, Mr. Von Braun. How can I help you?"

"Hello Benjamin. Is Lucy in?"

"Yes she is. One moment and I'll fetch her." The man walked off stiffly.

"You're on a first-name basis with her father?" Marty noted.

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't her father, that was her butler."

"Butler! You're kidding. That had to be the best-dressed guy in the house. How can you give orders to someone who's dressed better than you are?"

Emmett snickered. "It's surprisingly easy. Mother wanted to employ a butler, but Elias overruled her. He barely trusts the maids as it is."

Lucy appeared in the doorway. "Oh, hello Emmett," she said cheerfully, pointedly ignoring Marty. "I wasn't expecting to see you this late. We just finished my piano recital and our supper."

"I know it's late, Lucy, but we need some help. My father's just kicked me out of the house, and we need a place to stay for the night. Is it all right if we stay here?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you mean, your father's kicked you out?"

"There was an incident at dinner. It was the last straw for both of us, Lucy. He's disowned me."

Lucy's mouth tightened into a thin line. "So you're not rich anymore."

"No. But I don't care. Frankly, life with my father had become un-bear-able. . . ."

Emmett trailed off. Lucy was glaring at him with a look of utter contempt on her face. She stepped forward and poked him in the chest. "I do care, Emmett. How stupid could you be to go and get yourself disowned! Without your money, you're nothing, Emmett. Do you hear me? Nothing."

Marty winced. He had really hoped it wouldn't end like this. Damn, how much more shit can Doc take?

"Lucy, what -- what do you mean? I -- My father wanted me to give up my dream. I couldn't stay there."

"Of course you could have. You could have stayed in that lovely mansion, and inherited a nice fortune, and we'd both have been happy. But no, you had to stick with your silly dream. Now look at you. You're out on the street like a common tramp." She stepped back. "I don't date tramps."

There was a definite quiver in Emmett's voice now. "Lu-Lucy, I thought -- I thought you loved me," he said quietly.

There was a long moment of silence. Then Lucy threw her head back and laughed. "Love you! What a joke! How could anyone in their right mind love you! You're the freak of nature who's always trying to blow up his garage! Who could possibly even like you? The only reason I was with you was because of your money. I have a social standing to keep up, you know. As yours is one of the few rich families that survived the Depression, you were the only viable choice -- the only family richer than us." She smiled cruelly. "But I'll tell you a secret, Emmett -- once I had my share of the money, I was going to run off into the night with my real love. Well, I guess it doesn't matter now. Rex Steenburgen is pretty rich too, and much more good-looking." She mock-curtsied. "Well then, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to get off my porch. Please don't make me call the police at this late hour."

With that, Lucy slammed the door in their faces. Emmett stood there for a moment, staring blankly. "Jesus, Emmett, I don't know--" Marty began, hoping to offer some comfort.

With no warning, Emmett suddenly turned and raced off. "Emmett!" Marty yelled. "Emmett, wait!"

Emmett didn't respond, but just kept running pell-mell for the woods that bordered the neighborhood. "Emmett! Shit, Doc. . . ." Marty started to follow him, but then remembered Emmett's suitcase was still on the front porch. He went back and grabbed it.

The door suddenly opened again. "I thought I told you riff-raff to leave?" Lucy demanded, eyes narrowed.

"Go to hell, bitch," Marty replied, grabbing the suitcase.

Lucy's mouth dropped open. "You can't talk to a lady like that!" she gasped, grabbing at her blouse.

"Yeah, I can't. But you're definitely not a lady." Marty stormed down the steps. "And by the way, I really hope Rex Steenburgen is as shallow as you and ends up running away with your money." Before Lucy could respond, he was off, following Emmett into the woods.