May 23, 1986
6:00 PM PST

As Marty stepped into the roller rink, a mixture of feelings actually crept over him. On one hand, he was strongly familiar with this place. After all, he sure did spend a lot of time here. Still, on the other hand, it quite felt as if it really was his first time here. He glanced around the building, in wonder. The feeling seemed to be a little... nostalgic?

"You act as if you've never been here before, Marty," Jennifer pointed out, laughing. "C'mon, let's go put on our skates. I sure think we should do a few rounds, before we order pizza. I'm glad that you don't harbour any feel any bad feelings towards Doc."

"He's still a great guy," commented Marty, as he sat at one of the tables. "I must say, this is great music. It feels so nice, Jenn, to be here. The food smells rather nice, too. I think, a little later, we should also play some arcade games. It'll just be a lot of fun!"

"You sure seem a little nervous, Marty," Jennifer replied, gently. Marty Jr blushed, as he felt quite embarrassed. He felt very amazed, though, by the ease of being able to call his mother by her first name. "You act a little as if... as if you're seeing this plane, for the very first time. I guess I like your enthusiasm, but I still feel very concerned."

"Concerned about what?" asked Zoe, as she and Zach walked up. "Hey Jenn, let's go on another double date. How about making a tradition of this? For every concert, we show up - and then, afterward, the four of us eat out. Do you guys like the idea?"

"That sounds totally awesome!" gushed Jennifer. Marty Jr felt very nervous. Not only would he have to date Jennifer, tomorrow - but he quite knew that Zach wouldn't end up with Zoe. This was a surreal feeling. "We could go out for ice cream. That'd be..."

"I'd love to go!" gushed Marty, with sudden enthusiasm. Marty Sr sure couldn't figure out why he kept thinking of Jennifer as his mother. Granted, a few people have quite commented on Jennifer sharing Lorraine's physical build. Still, it didn't make that much sense. "There's really nothing like ice cream, y'know, when your throat feels so raw."

"Yeah, I'll bet," replied Zach, nodding. "It sort of makes me quite glad that I'm not the lead singer. I can't imagine singing so much, for two or three hours. It's simply a good thing, though, that they let you bring water on the stage. I'm sure that water helps."

"It sure does," Marty replied, flashing a lopsided smile. "I always be real sure to bring my own water bottle, though. Otherwise, I feel scared that someone is going to be a prankster - and fill the bottle up with lemon juice, which would make things worse!"

"Oh, goodness!" gasped Zach, as everyone burst out laughing. "That would be about the very last thing you need. Of course, I sure can imagine Needles pulling something like that. In that case, we should quite make it a point to not do any performances on April Fool's Day! I never was too fond of that holiday, to be honest. I just think it..."

"I do see what you mean," agreed Zoe. "It gives people an excuse to do nasty things to one another. If I sure could add another holiday to the calendar, it would be a day where people do random acts of kindness for one another. Would you guys agree?"

"It sure is a nice principle," Marty replied, nodding. "However, it's just something that people should do, all year round! After all, I really don't believe people should need a holiday for doing that. Then again, I suppose some people could use the reminder."

"I'd really like it, though," put in Zach, "if it was a federal holiday!" As the group burst out laughing, he added, "I do see what you both mean, though. Still, just seeing how some of the cynical types can be, it might be better if we don't. The cynics would just insist that it's simply a day of being phony. I suppose I would see their point, a little."

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that," Zoe replied, shrugging. "Still, it would just beat April Fool's Day. Now, I understand that many people really do consider it to be a day of harmless pranks. Still, maybe some people just don't like pranks. It really isn't fair."

"I agree with you, Zoe," Jennifer replied, softly. "People simply should be a little more sensitive to those who really don't care for pranks, period. For instance, when I went to camp, some of the other kids short-sheeted my bed. For me, that was annoying."

As the quartet headed to the skating rink, Marty just had mixed feelings. There were times, actually, when Marty Jr would short-sheet his sister's bed. He quite found it to be harmless. Marty Sr, on the other hand, didn't see any humour in that. He felt that it was so cruel, if a person was feeling dead tired - and simply wanted to fall asleep.

oooooooooo

"This is sure great pizza," gushed Joey Landvatter. "So, are you guys feeling excited about tomorrow? It's so strange to think of how, just last fall, it actually seemed as if the opportunity would never come. It's does seem like just yesterday, in fact. I quite feel that the Huey Lewis look-alike who rejected us didn't understand rock and roll."

"I totally agree with you," replied Billy Landvatter, nodding. "I'm sure that Huey Lewis himself would feel very ashamed to share that audition judge's looks. At any rate, we can now laugh at him! It's a reprieve, y'know, to prove people like him wrong!"

"Yeah, we've really shown him!" agreed Marty, as he raised his right fist in the air. "In a way, I now feel kind of silly. I mean, about the way that I was so discouraged - and I was even starting to question whether I really was cut out for music. I was so silly!"

Marty still remembered that event, quite well. It was right on the eve of his very first time travel trip. So much seemed to have changed, since then. Still, he really couldn't recall the details of his first time travel trip - other than fact that, apparently, he was in 1955. Then again, Marty Jr never took that trip. It really was his father's trip.

"Hey, buddy, I understand how you felt," replied Zach, cheerfully. "I quite remember feeling the same way. I really couldn't understand how someone who looked a lot like Huey Lewis would dislike our music. That sure was very disheartening, to be honest."

"Yeah, especially when he resembles my favourite singer," Marty replied, sighing. "I'm certainly very grateful, though, that it really wasn't him. I wonder if he might even be related. If they are, I can't imagine that the two of them would actually get along."

"I sure can't imagine that they would," replied Zoe. "Still, he maybe does get plenty of Huey Lewis fangirls running up to him - and asking for his autograph. It must get quite tiresome. Perhaps, as he heard you guys playing The Power of Love, it sure reminded him of his much hated look-alike. That might just be a part of why you were rejected."

"Yeah, I suppose," Marty replied, shrugging. "I guess, if I just didn't like Michael J Fox so much, I might also feel the same. Still, I actually feel flattered. I rather do wonder, though, how that might affect our career. I do want to be appreciated for who I am."

"Well, of course," replied Billy. "At any rate, that's simply all in the past. It'd be totally awesome, though, if Huey Lewis was to ever notice us. It really would be interesting, y'know, if he became as much of a fan of us - as we are of him. How's that sound?"

"I'd really enjoy that," agreed Zach. "It'd also be very cool, if we could also get Jimmy Page or Robert Plant to notice us. I've always just enjoyed the music of Led Zeppelin. Hell, even Paul McCartney or George Harrison. It'd just be so awesome, if we had the pioneers of today's rock and roll notice us. It really would be like a dream come true."

"Yeah, I really see what you mean," Marty replied, nodding. Marty Jr realized that his father did get a chance to meet many of the rock musicians, who were already rather famous in 1986. "Still, it doesn't exactly mean that we'd become as famous as them."

"Well, no, of course not," replied Zach, laughing. "Still, it's rather enough to make one feel special. It's certainly enough to make one feel validated. It's simply an interesting thought, when you really think about it. Two musicians, mutually fans of each other."

"I never really thought about that," commented Joey, softly. "Do rock stars even get starstruck, though? I mean, when you yourself are famous, is it even still possible for you to regard other famous people as... as regular people regard famous people. I'm not sure if I can imagine it. I mean, it does seem as if... as if it's really not possible."

"It really does happen, believe me!" insisted Marty. "After all, your feelings don't exactly change, when you become famous. You still are a human being, like everyone else. Besides, there are varying degrees of fame. It's not all simply black and white."

"Yeah, Marty's right," agreed Jennifer. "Take, for instance, Michael J Fox and Justine Bateman. They're both famous people. Justine isn't as famous as Michael, though. At least, Justine isn't as much of a recognizable name or face. Before Mind Warped..."

"... Michael wasn't as famous," finished Zoe. "Yeah, I can see what you're saying. I'm quite sure that Michael doesn't actually act superior to Justine, though. As far as he's concerned, they're equals. At any rate, I think it's still possible for even Michael J Fox to be starstruck. He's really still the same person... from before he became famous."

"All right," replied Joey, quietly. "I guess you guys convinced me. It would feel weird, though, if some more famous than we are was a huge fans of us. In the end, I guess fame isn't everything. That are also many drawbacks, in fact, that come with fame."

Marty Jr thought of how true that was. His father sure had his share of problems with the paparazzi, as well as certain reporters. There were even several rumours, in fact, that were spread around. Still, the perks of fame simply outnumbered the drawbacks.