My head hurts Ow! What the hell was that anyway? Uh. I wonder if I can even get my eyes open. I open my eyes. I feel a hard body beneath me. My arm outstretched over him. I look up at his green eyes and see that it is Jake. I see a smile tugged at his face.
"Jake!" I yell.
"Ow!" He whines. Putting his right arm over his ear. Suddenly I realize I'm still on top of him. Immediately I scramble to my feet and when I rise I notice that we are still in that room. Only this room is slightly different. There is no huge machine lying in the middle of the room. Instead a dozen or two mops and cleaning supplies.
Jake gets to his feet now and is facing me.
"What happened?" he asks.
"I don't know all I remember is a bright light and silence," I say.
"Yeah.." he says.
"Okay well lets just get out of here and go home."
"Agreed," he says.
When we step out of the closet. Something weird is happening. The hallway is flooded with students. Wearing clothes that went out of date fifteen years ago. Girls in micro mini skirts I've seen in mom's old photos. Boys wearing jeans that slag way too down to the floor. Completely unlike what we wear now. Just then it hit me, it's a hallway flooded with students. Students aren't at school this late at night? Could it be possible that we just fell asleep and woke up late?
With Jake at my side we look at the students hoping to find someone we know. "Jake, Do you know any of these people?"
"No, but then again. I'm not so familiar with rest of our school."
"Okay well let's just find someone to ask what's going on." I look around trying to find someone to ask. Alas I see a blond girl with medium length hair. "Excuse me, Hi. I was wondering is there some sort of retro fashion show going on right now?"
"Retro fashion show? What are you talking about? What the heck are you guys wearing? That is like so
not acceptable."
"Uh.. what we're wearing is unacceptable. Who do you think you are anyway?"
"I'm Kendra Mason. The most popular girl in school, duh." She sneered and turned around.
I looked at Jake, "Do you know anyone with that name?"
"Uh.. no. Let's try someone else." Maybe this time I ought not to be so rude.
I turn to a guy this time with short brown hair. "Excuse me. This is Thompson High right?"
He turns to me and smiles, "Yeah this is Thompson High. Class of '09 baby! Chya! Now if you have any more questions. Don't be afraid to ask!" Then he waved with his fingers and was on his way.
I noticed Jake started to twinge and then-Class of '09!
"Did he just say class of '09?"
"Yeah, what a skeeze?"
"No Jake. He said 'Class of '09' . You know what that means right?"
"Yes!" He said with the look of realization on his face
"We're in..." I started.
"The PAST!" We both yelled at the same time.
"But...But.. How did this happen?"
"The time machine! When that guy came in and scared us you fell backward and I think we accidentally hit the button which made us travel back in time."
"Are you sure this is isn't just a dream or something... Ow!" He exclaimed at my pinch. "Okay, he said. Obviously not a dream. So how do we get back?"
"I have no idea but that guy that made it. Maybe we can find him, maybe he has the answers. I mean maybe he can get us home."
"It's worth a shot. So how do we find him?"
"Well the name on that door was Tomlin. All we have to do is find someone with the last name of Tomlin. It's not a very common name so that's a good sign."
"Yeah.."
A tall guy comes running past us. The figure looked kinda familiar I rush to follow him.
"Lily, wait up!" yells Jake.
I come to a stop. When the boy makes a stop over at his locker. Now that the boy is stable. I can see his more prominent features. He's tall with messy brown hair. He's rather skinny but not freakishly thin. He's wearing a green hoodie. He looks familiar but for some reason I can't place him. Just then a girl comes around the corner. She's wearing a cheer leading outfit. Her hair in brown waves. She too looks familiar but once again I cannot place her. The boy looks sadly at her and turns back to his locker.
Curious, I walk toward him. "Um hi," I say.
"Hi," he says casually. His voice is deep and familiar.
"This may sound like a weird question but uh. Do you know that girl that just walked by here?"
"Uh what girl. Oh her, well I used to. We um were in this musical together awhile back. I haven't heard from her lately though."
I don't what came over me to ask this question. "What's her name?"
He sighed, "Casey McDonald."
Oh my god, that was mom! I cannot believe it! She never told me she was a cheerleader. Wait does this mean this is...
"Yo! Noel! What's going on?" said a voice from behind.
DAD! No wonder they looked so familiar. I should have known they went to Thompson High together.
"Who's that girl?" The guy asked from behind.
"No idea, she just came up and started talking."
"Alright let's go to lunch." Then they were gone.
Just then a voice came up behind me. "Lily! Finally where did you go off to?"
I was stunned. "I.. I.. think I just saw my mom and dad."
"What?! You did?! What were they like?"
"Well mom was a cheerleader and dad he acted like he wasn't happy with her."
"Whoa does that mean you're destined to be a over peppy school spirit coffee addict?" He laughed.
I punched him, "Keep talking Jake and next time it'll be your face."
Jake and I decide that if we are ever going to get home we ought to start looking for "Tomlin." What better place to look then a school cafeteria. We split up and decide to start asking questions. I try to mix a few business with pleasure and find more about my parents. I decide to go with mom first since I already talked to dad.
I see mom seated with a bunch other cheerleaders and jocks. Casually I plop at the table next to them and take a listen.
I heard a loud voice ring out, "Today is the day we become city champs!" A few grunts followed.
Then I heard my mom (Casey) sneeze and then another voice. "Those allergies still bugging you?"
"Yeah, I feel kind of awful," Mom sighed.
"That's too bad but I think I can help."
"You can?" I looked back and the girl took a make up brush to mom's face.
"Yeah, we'll just put on some make up to hide your red runny nose."
"Oh, you're just going to cover it up, because I thought it was more important to get to the root of the problem."
"Casey, You can focus on your problems later. Right now we need to one hundred percent focused on the big game. Because the Bull Dogs are gonna win it all!" That was followed by a bunch of cheering from all corners of the cafeteria.
"Hey Casey, check it out," said the deep burly voice from before.
"Oh..good one," she said softly. After that I noticed mom made an excuse and left. Curious as I was, I followed her.
Down the hallway I saw someone lying on the ground.
"Useless.. " I thought I heard a familiar voice say. I got a bit closer and listened in as my mom approached what appeared to be my dad.
"Hey Noel, everything alright," I heard my mom say.
"Oh yeah, just writing something. Are you okay?" He said concerned.
"Yeah, just some allergy thing."
"What are you allergic to?"
"I don't know.. Maybe it's all in my head." Then she knelt down and sat next to my father. "What are you writing?"
"A spoken word piece for the poetry thing tonight. Hey do you know a word that rhymes with slurp?"
"Uh.. burp?"
"Other than burp."
"Okay uh.. how about usurp?"
"That's a fancy word for a cheerleader."
"Okay thanks. Drink at the fountain, I gargle and slurp, Don't stand there all day, or some kid will usurp." Just then they both laughed. Suddenly I was beginning to understand how they fell in love. They have such great chemistry together. "It's kinda weird," my dad said.
"Yeah but it rhymes. Hey I had a poetry column in the paper once. But it was on the back page and nobody read it, but-"
Just then they were cut off by that annoying guy from before. "Hey Noel, Hey Case," mom sneezed "Hey guess who's gonna be on the front page of the school paper."
"Who?"
"The quarterback and his girlfriend. So come on let's go. Oh and can you change into your cheer leading outfit." Wait, mom dated this guy? Why would she do that? He seems like such an airhead.
"Why?"
"That's the picture they want and you look great in that outfit. You don't mind right?" Uh yeah, you do mind. Mom you're not honestly going to let him tell you what to do. What a jerk?!
"Of course not. Go bulldogs," she said sadly. Mom looks miserable. Why would she even consider going out with a jerk like him?!
I saw mom toss a glance at my dad and my dad just sat there. Looking at her walking away from him. Dad, you've got to do something!
I don't know what came over me at that point. I came out from my hiding spot and marched forward towards my dad.
"Dad-er I mean Noel!"
"You're that girl from earlier today. What are you spying on me now?"
"No it's just well I can't help but notice you and that girl over there."
"Why? There's nothing to tell."
I looked at him like he was insane. "Are you crazy? You guys totally like each other!"
He laughed, "Me? Like her? She and I?"
"Hey I can tell when people have a connection. You two seemed awfully close to eachother."
"Do you know who that is? That's Casey McDonald. She's one of the most popular girls in school. Plus she's like a cheerleader and really shallow."
"She? A cheerleader? Do you not know about her past?"
"Her past? Hey you just got here. How do you know so much about her?"
"I've heard things from uh.. her stepbrother Derek."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. Did you know she ran for class president? That she had a long time reputation of being 'Klutzilla.' That she was hardly up until recently considered popular?"
"It doesn't matter who she used to be. This Casey isn't interested in a guy like me," he said sadly.
"A guy like you? Are you serious? That's all she ever wants is a guy like you. Her type has always been the sweet, smart, interesting, cute and funny guys."
"She's got a boyfriend."
"So what? I know chemistry when I see it. She looked at you like she'd rather be with you than that idiot of a boyfriend she has there. I know her and believe me cheer leading and popularity mean nothing to her."
"It doesn't matter."
I got up and looked at my dad, "Okay fine. If you honestly believe that then just give up!"
I got up and walked away. Anger and frustration filled inside of me. My dad is insane, if he doesn't realize what a great guy he is!
Just then I felt something jabbing at my neck, my locket. I took it off and opened it to make sure everything was okay. I opened it up and suddenly I saw something was off about it. The tiny family picture in it was weird. Was it just me or did I seem faded. The other day I looked at it and the picture was just so vibrant. It was as if I was somehow disappearing.
Behind me I heard some noises. I flipped around to see who it was. Jake and a red haired boy with curly hair came towards me.
"Hey Jake. What's up?"
"I think I found Tomlin."
Just then the red haired boy spoke up, "That's Tinker Tomlin."
"Tinker Tomlin?" That name sounds soo familiar. "Do you know my parents?"
"Your Parents? Probably not, I don't know many old folks."
"Their names are Noel and Casey Covington. Oh wait sorry uh. Casey McDonald and Noel Covington."
"Why of course I know them. Wait your parents? They don't look much older than you?"
"Okay. Well perhaps I should clue you in. Jake and I here are from the future."
"The future why that's- it's true then!"
"What's true?"
"My theory that there are some intervals in time that if you just find the right place and time. You can transport something to another dimension. I've been toying with the idea forever but it's just a theory."
"Well your theory is true. You built a time machine. In the future, you did it and Jake and I here accidentally got transported to the past."
"Fascinating."
"Yeah but we don't get home and more importantly than that I discovered that I'm disappearing."
"Disappearing?"
"Here look!" I pulled out my locket so they could see. "This picture used to be very vibrant. It was a picture of me and my parents!"
"I see..."
"Quit seeing and please tell me what's going on here?"
"Did you talk to your parents since you got here?"
"Well yeah I had a talk with my dad. I just got fed up because he wouldn't believe me that a girl like my mom like him. So I told him to just give up."
"To give up? Do you know what that means?"
"What does it mean?"
"It means that because you told him to give up. He actually did. That picture you got there. After enough time has passed you will disappear completely."
"Just from the picture right?"
"No from the world."
I gulped "The world?"
"Precisely."
"Well how do I stop it?"
"You've got to get your parents back together."
"Okay but what about the time machine. How are we supposed to get home."
"Well I haven't attempted it yet but it's possible I can quickly put the time machine together so you guys can get home."
"How long will that take?"
"About 24 hrs."
"So I have a 24 hours to get my parents back together. Great.." I grunted. "How am I supposed to get them together?" I looked around and alas I saw a poster for a spring dance. Wait, isn't that the dance where mom and dad...
"The spring dance! That's where mom and dad had their first real kiss! They told me about it. I just need to make it happen. Jake will you help me?"
"What are friends for?" Jake smiled.
"Great!" I exclaimed.
"Just make it happen before midnight, because I expect that's the best time to time travel."
"Okay let's rock!"