Hi Phil Fans. I took the weekend off from writing. It's just been too cold. But today's an ice day, so I finally got chapter 5 written. No idea how long this thing will be. Probably just a few more chaps. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 5

The rest of the day was, for Phil, the worst he he'd had in the twenty-first century. He was becoming increasingly angry over his ruined birthday plans. During math class, he lost his temper and threw his pen at the wall. Vice Principal Hackett nearly sent Phil to detention, but at the last minute had become distracted by a group of chocolate-pudding-covered girls running through the hallway.

It is my birthday, after all, he thought, ramming his math book into his locker so hard it left a dent. Keely should want to spend time with me today. She should sacrifice Reporterama for me. I'd do it for her. But as always, Phil's conscience got the better of him. Diffy, remember when you thought the time machine was fixed and you'd had to break dates with Keely? Does the Ladies' Choice dance ring any bells? And that wasn't for some school meeting—that was going back to the future. Remember how sad she had been and how you had to convince her to trust you and live for the precious time you had together? She had understood.

"But that was when we were just friends! Now we're . . . whatever we are . . . something else. And it's different," Phil answered, out loud this time, startling a couple of students nearby who stared at him.

"What are you looking at?" she shouted at them, irritated, before stomping off to his next class, hoping to avoid Keely in the hallway.

Keely sat in study hall feeling miserable. I always have such bad luck with guys, she thought. First the Tanner fiasco, then that terrible football banquet with Bruno, the Ladies' Choice mess with Owen, then the future mall thing with Robby the robot . . . . It's just too much. But her mind kept coming back to Phil. Phil was the only boy she had ever felt 100 percent comfortable with, but it had never progressed into anything but regular friendliness. Pals. Buddies. Chums. If Phil put his arm around her shoulders, she never shook it off—but now how would that work? Maybe Reporterama is for the best, she thought. Maybe dating Phil isn't such a good idea. If it feels weird, we could never go back to best friends. I would miss him so much. Then her conscience took over. Keely, Keely, Keely—my conscience sounds just like Phil, she thought—Don't deny it. You're crazy about the boy, but what you're afraid of is Phil someday having to leave. You don't want to have to deal with that inevitability. You don't want to have to go through the heartbreak. Keely, remember that it's better to love for a little while than to never love at all.

She knew this was true, but she still didn't know what to do about Hackett's Reporterama team. Is it really that important? She asked herself. Worth potentially ruining this "thing" with Phil? Keely knew deep down that maybe she was using the Reporterama meeting to hide from Phil. Keely, face it, do you want this boy? This absolutely amazing, wonderful, adorable boy who's do anything for you? Even if it's only for a little while? Or do you want to live the rest of your life always wondering about what could have been?

After school, Phil went straight home and to his room to suffer privately. Eventually, his mother went upstairs to check on him.

"Phil?" Barb asked. "Is everything all right?"

"I'm fine, Mom," he said from underneath his pillow. Barb, however, wasn't convinced. She opened the door and saw her son huddled in his bed.

"Don't you have special plans with Keely tonight?" she asked.

"No. I don't. And how did you know about that anyway?" he asked.

"Well, your sister might have mentioned it," Barb said. "What happened between you and Keely, sweetheart?"

Phil sat up. "Mom, I just don't get girls. If you think one likes you, you know, more than a firned, and you ask her to do something, you know, in a 'just us' way, and she says that would be nice, then gets invited to join an elite reporting team at school and can't do the 'just us' activity anymore, is it okay to be angry? I mean, I should want her to do Reporterama, right? I should want her to take this opportunity."

"Well, sweetie, I think that you do want Keely to do what makes her happy because you feel so strongly for her. But it's only natural to be disappointed. Imagine how terrible Keely must feel. She had to cancel 'just us' Nirday plans with her best friend. Have you ever thought, Phil, how difficult this must be for her? She has no idea when you miught pack up and leave her. Maybe she's just trying to look out for herself. You know, son, timing is everything. Just because today is your Nirday doesn't mean something can't happen between you two tomorrow. Give her time. I think she'll come around."

Barb hugged him then went back downstairs. Phil just sat there, considering what his mom had said. After a few minutes, Lloyd came upstairs.

"Phil? Your mom and Pim and I are going to try to have ourselves an old-fashioned twenty-first-century barbecue out in the backyard," said Phil's dad. "You in?"

"Pim agreed to something family friendly?" Phil asked.

"Well only because I told her it involved fire and promised she could light the matches," Lloyd said, nervously. "I'm starting to think I will come to regret that promise."

"I'll be down in a minute, Dad," Phil said. He was beginning to feel better. At least he didn't feel like pounding the wall anymore. Whatever happened, he was lucky to have his family, he figured, even Pim. By any century's standards, the Diffys were all right. Now he had to focus on Keely.

"Keely," Phil whispered after Lloyd left, "Don't give up on us now. Maybe I'll never have to leave. Please take a chance on me. On us."