The Curtis's invited Johnny and a few other of their greaser pals to spend the night, camped out in the living room.

As I crawled into bed that night, I thought how lucky I was to be able to be apart of this, this majestic thing that seemed bigger than myself somehow; that one thought carried me swiftly of to sleep- through I still had to makeup my mid one thing was for sure, I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

When I awoke, however, I was surprised to find myself back home in my original bed.No, no, no!I thought to myself, fuelled by panic.It couldn't have been just a dream, could it?I looked around the room at my surroundings.Please, let the Tea-Cup Time Machine be realI thought desperately.

My breaths of panic quickly changed to sighs of relief when, from out of the corner of my eye I spotted it sitting perfectly on my bedside table. "Phew" I breathed a sigh of relief. "It must have somehow gotten activated or activated itself during the night". I smiled to myself, happy that it wasn't just a dream.

Just then, I heard my mom's footstep inch closer and closer to my room untilbamb!The door hit the wall.

"Sydney, phew, thank goodness you're up..."

"How long was I out?"

"A few years." She shrugged as if it was no big deal.

I gulped, "What? How can this be?"

"I don't know, don't worry about that now... hurry up, get dressed—I have a surprise for you"

I blinked. "Wh- what is it?"

"Well, you know your favorite book/movie The Outsiders"

"Yes," I grinned, a grin that I could've sworn could break my face in two. My mom exclaimed multiple times about how it made me look like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland.

"Well... it's being made into a Broadway musical"

"No way!"

"Yes way!" She paused, "... and it gets better"

"Better?"

"Yes, it's coming to Texas"

"Really!?" I squealed.

"Yes, it's happening in Austin tonight"

"Tonight!" I shrieked.

She giggled, "Yes"

"Wow...!"

"Yes. I know, it's cool. Now hurry up or we'll be late"

"Okay" I replied cooly yet secretly I was ecstatic. "...Just out of curiosity, how long have I been out for...? ... and what year is it?"

"Why, it's October 22, 2025" she smiled warmly. "Now hurry up, get dressed, we're gonna be late"

I watched her exit the room, closing the door behind her.