1:00 PM PST
"Whoa! That was so embarrassing!" muttered Marty, as he and Calvin had finally left the OfficeMAX. "It's amazing how travelling to the future can make you feel so old."
"Yeah, you certainly can say that again," Calvin agreed, shaking his head. "I'm sure that, when we reach this year through the natural course of time, we'll be way more informed of the technology of computers. I wonder what Doc will use with these."
"I really have no idea," Marty replied, "but why don't we head over to the internet cafe. I sure could go for a coffee right now, and I am pretty curious as to how the internet works. I guess it would sure be like having the library at your fingertips."
"I'm pretty curious myself," Calvin replied, as the two of them headed over to Lou's Interner Cafe and Coffee Shoppe. "So this would become the Cafe '80s by the year 2015? Life in the '80s is wonderful, in this universe! This is such a nice world."
"Shhhh, Calvin," Marty warned, "Let's not talk about this anymore. We'll be around other people, and we don't want anybody else to think we're very crazy." After the boys stepped inside, Marty whispered, "Whoa! Take a look at this! There really are plenty of computers over there. Now these we really need to check out."
"Yeah, I'm pretty curious, myself," Calvin agreed. "Well, let's see what they have to eat. I am feeling very hungry, and I want something more than a coffee. You know, this building seems to be even better than the aerobics studio. This is so exciting!"
"Would you gentleman love something to drink?" a familiar looking man asked. "We have a special on glazed chocolate doughnut holes for today. It only costs $40 for a pint - and with coffee, that would bring it up to $80. How does that sound?"
Marty was so stunned by how much the inflation went up. It wasn't quite as bad as it would be by the year 2015, though - when a bottle of Pepsi would even cost $45. He recalled how he used his thumb to purchase the sports almanac. He wondered if this transaction may have any affect on his older self in the new and improved timeline.
"Sure, that sounds like a good deal," Marty replied, a little nervously. He then felt a little guilty, almost as though he was stealing from his older self. He then dismissed the thought as being silly, as there is really no way you can steal from yourself.
"Say, you both look familar to me," the man continued. "Would you, by any chance, happen to be Marty and Calvin McFly? We heard you just decided to end your music career last year, so you could spend more time with your families. Is that right?"
Marty was so stunned, as he could barely believe what he was hearing. According to what Jennifer told him, he hurt his hand and gave up on his music - this first time he went to 2015. He was so pleased to discover that he actually ended up with a career in music. He wondered if he and Calvin would end up performing as a duo.
"To be honest, I can't exactly say that I'm a fan," the man added, "but that's simply because I was never into rock music. I always preferred classical music. As I was a teenager, many of my peers would be asking me how I could not enjoy rock music. You know, they would even go as far as to equate it with not liking ice cream."
"Actually, I do know some people who don't care for ice cream," Calvin commented, smiling. "Anyhow, I sure agree that we are all entitled to our own likes and dislikes - and some people really do find rock music to be too noisy. We understand."
"It's so nice to hear a rock star actually acknowledge that," the man replied. "It can be rather tiring for other people to think that I'm a freak, because I really don't like what other people like. I guess my parents raised me to have cultured tastes."
Marty could barely believe what this man was saying. He was so stunned to find out how he would end up becoming a rock star. This was very much like a dream come true for him, and certainly a far cry from the future he had seen earlier.
"Say, do you any kids?" Calvin asked, with curiosity. "If so, what kind of music do they listen to? Would you let them listen to rock music, or do you only let them..."
"I don't have any kids," the man said, shaking his head. "My wife is sterile, so she is unable to have any kids. Sadly, this sure means that the Curruthers' business would end with me. We also don't have any money to be able to adopt anyone."
"So you're Lou Carruthers III?" Marty asked, stunned. "Oh, yes, I do remember you from school. You were two grades below us, and you were in the chess club. I never really knew you that well, but I always thought you were a pretty nice boy."
"Yeap, that is me," Lou III said, smiling. "Well, I am going to go place in your order now. It's been really nice talking to you. I must say that it is quite a noble move, to put your family before your career. I always figured that family was important."
"Daddy!" called out some children's voices. "Uncle Calvin! It's real wonderful to see the two of you here!" Marty and Calvin turned around, to see a little boy and a little girl - who were accompanied by a very familiar-looking middle-aged woman.
"Hello, kids," Marty said, as he turned around. He figured that the children would be none other than Marty Jr and Marlene. He had never even seen Marlene before, but Marty Jr was in much better shape than he was the first time around. He was rather pleased to discover that his kids both looked very confident and cheerful.
"Mommy was going to take us to Wal-Mart," Marty Jr explained. "Would you like to come with us? We were planning to eat dinner at the SubWay inside the building. I would like to have a foot-long tuna sub. They make delicious tuna subs."
"I figured the two of you might still be working," Jennifer commented, confused. She took a closer look at the twins, then turned to her children and said, "Okay, you kids just wait right here. I have to go talk to your dad in private. We'll be right back!"
As the children nodded, Marty and Calvin followed the older Jennifer into the back of the building. They figured that Jennifer suspected that they were from the past.
"You two are not from the present, are you?" Jennifer asked, quietly. "What year did the two of you come here from? I can really tell from looking at your hands that you probably came here from at far back as the 1980s, is that right?"
"We're actually here from 1986," Marty explained, quietly. "Doc sent us here into the future to pick up some items from here at OfficeMAX. We were quite embarrassed to find out just how much out-of-touch we are with the computer technology of this era. It seems like computers became so advanced sometime in the next twenty years."
"A lot of the technology has become very advanced," Jennifer explained. "We came here so I might check my email. There is some new carpeting being installed at our house, and your older self sure decided to put in extra hours tonight - so he will not be home until after the kids have gone to bed, so the kids are a little restless."
"So you want us to join you at... Wal-Mart?" Marty asked, nervously. He heard about Wal-Mart before, but there weren't any in California by 1986. "I guess we may come along, if it will make the kids feel better. Are their names Marlene and Marty Jr?"
"That's correct," Jennifer replied, smiling. "Junior is seven now, and Marlene is eight. Anyway, I sure hate to impose - but, yeah, the kids have been very restless all day. They sure love spending time with you, and they don't like it when you work late."
"I don't make a habit out of this, do I?" Marty asked, horrified. "I mean, I was told that I quit my rock star career - so that I can spend more time with the family."
"No, you very seldom work overtime," Jennifer replied. "Your workplace is just very understaffed right now, so you just decided to help them out. I guess we need to go ge the kids now, and head off to Wal-Mart. The kids are getting very hungry now."
"Marty and I had just ordered some doughnut holes," Calvin explained, "but we can share them with the kids. Anyway, I'm a little curious to see what Wal-Mart is like."
As Jennifer led the twins to the front of the cafe, Marty felt nervous. He just couldn't believe that he'd be having dinner with his future family. Would he really remember today, when he would finally reach this date through the natural course of time?
"Hey, Marty and Calvin," called out Lou III, "here are your doughnut holes. Have a good afternoon, and I must say that your kids are so adorable. I just wish my wife and I could have kids of our own. Well, maybe I'll see you again real soon."
"Take care of yourself, Lou," Marty called out, as he grabbed the boxes of doughnut holes. Turning to the kids, he asked, "How are my precious little kids doing? Are the two of you behaving yourselves? You two can have this box of doughnut holes."
"Thank you, Daddy!" called out Marlene. "Mommy took us swimming at the YMCA for a little while. It's so fun being able to spend some time in the swimming pool."
Marty smiled, as he saw just how gorgeous the children were. Marty Jr really looked the same way as he did at seven - and Marlene looked a lot like her brother, except for the fact that her hair was the same shade of brown as that of Jennifer's.