Chapter 1

"This is not how I wanted to start back from winter break," Laurie Ellis groaned to her best friend. They had been best friends since they found out they had the same name and lots of other things in common. They decided they were basically twins. Lori started at their school during the middle of the last year. She went by Missy.

"What's wrong, " Missy asked.

They were talking next to their lockers before the next class. Laurie checked her dark wavy brown hair quickly. The front half she'd put up in two buns. They were eighth graders now, the top class at their middle school and it was important to look the part. Missy's burgundy tipped jet black braids were styled similarly.

Laurie touched up her glittery eye shadow then put her stylish frames back on and started to explain. "Because of a few new students my schedule is completely messed up. My last class is the worst."

Missy was distracted. She spotted J.C. walking by. He had light blonde hair but the same dark blue eyes as Laurie. As usual he sported a checkered shirt and jeans. Sometimes he wore boots and said he rode horses. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"It's not funny," Laurie complained. She followed Missy's gaze. "Oh. I don't get what you girls see in him."

"That's because he's your cousin."

"And he's a dork."

"He is not... Not that I care."

Missy and J.C. didn't run in the same crowd but sometimes they hung out together with Laurie and others because they pretty much got along with everyone. Once in a while it was just the two of them talking and Missy found out that she thought J.C. was funny and nice and cute. It seemed like every school break he came back taller and cuter.

"I better go," Missy said, her cheeks feeling hot.

On the way to class she saw a little paper ball shoot past her. It hit a boy on the shoulder and he glanced around confused. Suddenly JC was laughing at her side.

"You want to try?" he asked. He showed her a little slingshot.

"No thanks, I have to get to class."

"Come on, it doesn't hurt. It's funny." JC was taking her all in as he talked. She had long jet black braids tipped in dark red. Pretty friendly eyes. She was over a head shorter than him now. Petite and doll-like with a funky sleek style from living in the city before moving to their little suburb. She was smart too. Missy had been in some of his classes until they put her in honors which he was not. She also played varsity volleyball. They both played soccer and basketball. That was how he'd really gotten to know her last year and started to like her a lot. The tips of her hair were always a different color. Dark red was his favorite. She said it was burgundy. Lately she had kept it that way. He wondered if that was because she liked him back.

"Okay," she gave in, "how's it work?"

"Hold it like this and then pull this part back." He held it with her hand over hand and they took a shot. They laughed when it hit its mark, until they heard their names called in the deep, grave voice of their 8th grade science teacher. Mr. B was tall and intimidating and he was holding out his hand. They went to him and JC handed over the slingshot.

"Miss Summers, I'm surprised at you. Mr. Wells does not seem to be a good influence."

"Sorry," Missy said looking down.

"It was just a joke," JC protested.

Mr. B glared at him. "You should both be sorry. You can think of 3,000 words to explain how sorry you are in detention."

During study hall Thierry Kim and Amit "Marty" Singh got permission to go to the science lab to complete their project. Thierry knew all the science behind it and Amit was the mechanical mastermind.

"Please set up the test subject," Thierry told Amit as he pulled up their program on his laptop.

Amit handled the mechanics of their experiments from set to shut down. He set down the backpack that had their device next to their table and pulled up the antennas.

"Good, good," Thierry said as the device warmed up. "You have the fish?"

"Haan," Amit said in Hindi. He put the baggie with the fish in a square made of tape on their table. It was a favorite game of theirs to teach each other words in different languages. Their idea of fun was very different from the other kids'. They were fortunate to have found each other.

Thierry was at a desk facing their table with his computer. "Targeting," Thierry said.

The backpack began to make a roaring sound. Are you sure you checked the stats?" mechanically minded Amit asked. "We don't want a repeat of your garage experiment."

Thierry's experiments tended to cause damage before they started working together. "I think it's totally safe." Amit stood next to him behind the monitor. "Nothing yet." Thierry commented. Then code started filling the screen and scrolling up fast. "Uh-oh."

Amit grabbed the fire extinguisher. "What's going on?"

"It's overheating." Electric current lit up a line between the two antennas. Then electricity shot out from it hitting the teacher's desktop which caught on fire. Amit put it out as more flares shot out from their experiment. Before Thierry could shut it down the fire alarm went off. They exited the smoky room to come face to face with the seventh grade science teacher.

"Thierry, Marty, what's going on?" she asked, coughing. Mrs. Cooper had short gray hair and was getting close to retirement. She had known them both their whole time at the school. Amit wasn't in much trouble until Thierry joined the school two years ago.

"We'll fix it," Thierry promised. Amit didn't like to talk to teachers or anyone much.

"Yes you will," Mrs. Cooper said. "You can finish cleaning all this up during detention."

Laurie was often in detention and that Thursday was no exception. She and about five others were in the classroom when her cousin came in. He sat down a couple of rows in front of her. Missy came in and deliberately went silently past JC and sat at the desk next to Laurie. Missy's arms were crossed, and she looked irritated. Laurie raised an eyebrow behind her glasses.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a knowing tone.

"Nothing."

Laurie lowered her voice. "Then what's with the cold shoulder? I thought you kind of liked him?"

Missy's posture softened. "I did. I mean I do. It's just that I'm missing practice and I'll probably be benched for the next game."

"That sucks."

"If only guys had more than half a brain we wouldn't have to work so hard not to get in trouble hanging around them. So stupid –"

"Okay quiet!" One of the PE teachers was working detention that day. They called him Coach Lester. He was in his fifties and wore a baseball cap, shorts and his whistle constantly. He'd lived in the area his whole life and knew most of the kids' families well. He called their names then the kids there for tardiness were dismissed after a few minutes. He looked at the remaining three.

"Laurie you have a lot of work to make up," the coach noted. Cheerleading or anything else she could think of took precedence over doing homework and doing it correctly. Her teachers and parents had agreed to make her finish it at school until her grades and motivation received a boost. "JC and Missy, you better be working on your 500 words."

"I'm thinking," JC said.

Thierry and Marty came back in. "We finished cleaning what we could in the lab," Thierry reported. Marty yawned.

"Have a seat," Coach Lester instructed. "The damage you caused was very serious. You can start working on your homework, you're going to be here a while. And remember I'm monitoring." He patted his laptop. It had an app that showed all of their screens and would allow him to control or lock their school netbooks. "JC what are you doing?" he asked.

JC was whispering into his computer. "I'm using voice to text. I have dyslexia. They always let me."

The coach checked something on his computer. "Alright, that's fine."

The other two boys had sat down and set up in the back. Amit set the backpack on the floor a bit out of sight and raised the antenna. Then he got to work trying to fix the bugs in their science experiment.

Coach Lester checked his computer again. "No games!" he barked at the boys.

"It's not a game," Thierry explained "that's how our program looks. I created it."

" Work on homework, not your personal projects." The teacher took control of his screen and Started to move the arrow attempting to close the program.

"I wouldn't click on that," Thierry warned.

He did. He hit the enter key and disappeared.

" Whoa!" Everyone was in quiet shock for a fraction of a second then they freaked out. "Shh." Thierry stood up "I can explain.

"We're going to be in so much trouble," Laurie said.

"Good grief," Missy added. "Even the smart ones are trouble."

Amit checked the hallway. "No one is coming. Just be quiet. Can you get him back?" he asked Thierry.

Thierry shrugged. He explained while he worked "We were building something that could transport matter through air waves. Like tv but instead of an image you get the real thing."

"Is that even possible?" Missy asked.

He shrugged again. "Even if it doesn't work it could win the science fair for trying. And get attention from real labs which means scholarships and internships."

"Wow," Laurie said, popping in a piece of gum. She'd take advantage of any moment without teachers. "Knew you guys were smart."

"If they were that smart what are they doing here?" JC asked.

"I heard they blew up the 7th grade science class," Missy told him.

"Uh, my projects tend to be volatile," Thierry admitted.

"What?" JC asked.

"They go boom!" Missy explained

"Until I met Marty."

Laurie eyed Marty at the door. His dark hair looked like it was just overdue for a cut. The bangs always hung down over his hazel eyes. He pretty much always wore a dark hoodie and jeans. Nothing fancy and nothing that looked new. He was average height and had a good build, but it was hard to tell because he slouched and looked down a lot. He closed the door. "I just like to build stuff," he muttered and sat beside Thierry.

"But why build with him?" Laurie asked. "Got a death wish?"

Amit glanced at her and shook his head. He really wasn't used to talking to girls. "He said it can get me out of here one day," he said softly.

"He's better than anyone I met at those private prep schools." Thierry said as he continued to type. He'd been typing nonstop. "This is just incredible. Got it!"

Amit got up and grabbed the fire extinguisher.

The coach popped back up in his chair. He was knocked out.

"Act normal." Thierry whispered. They all went back to their chairs.

"Is he alive?" JC asked.

Thierry shrugged.

"Of course you don't know," Laurie snorted.

JC tossed a pencil at him. It hit his chest and he woke up.

Slowly, Missy raised her hand. "Umm Coach ... I think it's time to go."

He shook his head. "S-sorry must have dozed off." He was shaky. "What a weird dream

"What was it?" Laurie asked.

"It's foggy, but I was me and I was back in school."

"In detention with us?" JC joked.

He shook his head again. "At this school but...I don't remember now."

"Must have been a boring dream," JC said.

"Yes," agreed Thierry. "I wouldn't think any more about it."

"But it felt so real." They all stared at him. He returned their stares with an irritated look. "You can all go," he said finally.

Once outside and a safe distance from anyone who might overhear they huddled together on the sidewalk across from the school.

"So what happened?" Missy asked Thierry. "He didn't go anywhere."

"I didn't know it was supposed to transport him."

"Had you set a destination point?" Amit asked.

"It was the default from our last attempt. The school lab."

"But he just had a dream," JC said feeling bored.

"I'll have to test more tonight."

"Well I've got to go. See you tomorrow." JC said, stepping away.

"Yeah, I've got homework to finish and detention again tomorrow too," Laurie added.

They all did. They started to head home when JC had a great thought.

"Hey," he said, "think you can make him disappear every detention?"

Chapter 2

J.C. and Missy were talking in the hall. No teachers were in sight. That was when the trouble started. A little way down the hall three eighth grade girls were glaring at Thierry and Marty. Thierry had been engrossed in talking to Marty and bumped into the girl in the center.  She angrily slapped Thierry's books out of his hands.

"Watch where you’re going, loser," she said as his things tumbled to the floor.

“Oops sorry,” Thierry said, “I didn’t see you.” 

Marty  started to help him pick things up. She kicked a  book out of his reach and her friends snickered. “Oops sorry” she mockingly repeated.

“Uh oh,” Missy said, nodding toward what was happening. “Smarty and Marty could use some help,” she commented. The girls were not letting up. 

"I'll take care of it," JC said confidently.

“What losers,” the lead girl was saying to her friends as J.C. strolled over.

“Hey Carole,” JC said. He draped an arm over her shoulder. 

She immediately broke out into a smile. "Hi."

"I liked that video you put up yesterday,” he continued.

"Thanks, we're going to do a new dance this weekend."

“Nice,” he said as she gazed dreamily at him. He chatted her up while walking her to their next class and away from the other two boys. Her two friends followed along whispering to each other as they eavesdropped. 

Missy had found Laurie and they helped the boys finish picking up their things and walked them to their class on the seventh grade hall.

"She really did that?" Laurie asked since she missed the scene.

"They do stuff like that all the time," Thierry said with a shrug.

"That sucks,” Laurie said.

“Some people are just jerks," Missy added. 

“Stinking idiots,” Laurie fumed. “I don’t hang out with them much. They always seemed a bit stuck up.”

"Yeah, I can't really say I’m surprised she would pick on 7th graders,” Missy agreed as they reached the boy's class. “We’ve got to go now.”

"See you in detention," Laurie said. She caught Marty’s eye and winked. Missy waved bye to them.

The boys took their seats and exchanged a glance. They were thinking the same thing. Could they actually have friends?

J.C. got in the 8th grade lunch line behind Missy and tapped her shoulder.

“I hope you appreciated what I did earlier,” he said.

“What ?” she asked while wrinkling her nose at the fried lunch options. “You mean stopping that girl from bullying Smarty and Marty. Walking three girls to class only helps your rep. It’s like I did you a favor.” She grinned and he smiled back. “But seriously it was nice of you.” 

They both chose a cold lunch option and supplemented the sandwich and fruit with chips. “I didn’t mind,” he said. “The only pain was making up stuff to say to her.” They headed into the lunchroom and he thought he might keep walking with her to her table. It’d be nice and natural as they talked. Before he could go on another friend practically tackled him from behind as they entered the lunchroom. J.C.’s tray shook, and his milk slipped over its edge.  The large redheaded boy laughed as J.C. caught his chocolate milk with one hand.
Missy had cautiously stepped to the side. She raised her eyebrows at J.C.’s friend but he was oblivious. 

“See you later,” she said, ending their conversation. She took her usual seat next to Laurie and three other girls. Two boys were sitting with a couple of the girls.

“Want to come over after school?” the husky boy asked him.

“Nah I can’t.”

“You still have detention?”

“Yes.”

“On Friday?

“I said yes.” His friend snickered. “Hey, you want to sit over there?” J.C. asked.  He motioned to where his cousin and Missy were seated. 

“No way!” He didn’t like the boys that were over there. “Can’t believe those lame brains have girlfriends. You still trying to get with Missy?”

“What—I’m not. I’m not allowed to date, and neither is she.”

“Okay so you’re not trying to date. Just trying to hang out as much as possible,” he snickered and headed to their table. “Come on, I'm starving.”

They crowded in at a round table that was fully seated with other rowdy boys. J.C. kind of forgot everything else but jokes and dares for the next half hour. Anyway, he’d see her later at detention.

At 7th  grade lunch Smarty and Marty sat at a table by themselves and talked it over.

“Do you think they'd want to help us with the project?” Thierry asked.

“I don't know… they seemed interested,” Marty answered.

“So we should tell them about the tests we did yesterday,” Thierry said. “I'm dying to tell someone aren't you? And we could use more test subjects.”

“But it has to be a secret,” Marty reminded him. “What if they tell?”

“They won't,” he said, shaking his head. “Who would believe them? I hope they believe us and try it out.”

Marty nodded. “Okay after detention we'll let them know what the experiment does.” He grinned, “It's going to blow their mind."

Just then there was a loud pop. They looked around the lunch room startled. A teacher was going over to the boy who had busted his chip bag. They'd see him later too, in detention.

Chapter 3

Friday afternoon they were finally released for the weekend. Thierry and Marty 

huddled together again with the others across the street from the school.  

“I have some big news,” Thierry said. “I figured out what the project does.” 

“We tested it on him last night,” Marty added. 

“So what is it ?” Missy asked. “Where’s it send things?”

“Maybe you should sit down for this,” Thierry suggested.

Laurie looked around. “Where? On the sidewalk?”

“Well it's really surprising,” Thierry insisted. “Are you ready?”

“Just tell us already Smarty,” J.C. said impatiently.

“Huh?” Thierry asked, confused.

“Um it’s a nickname,” Missy explained. “Smarty and Marty get it? It rhymes. But we don’t have to call you that if you don’t like it.”

“Huh,” Thierry repeated but this time reflectively. He’d never had a nickname before. That seemed like something cool friends would do. “I guess I don’t mind.”

“Marty, will you tell us what happened?” Lori asked. She was getting bored and annoyed.

He looked down shyly but started to explain, “Smarty disappeared.”

“But it didn’t send me through space,” Smarty cut in. “It sends you,” he glanced around and couldn’t contain his excitement “through time !”

Laurie’s reflex was to roll her eyes. The three 8th graders looked at each other. J.C. spoke up first.

  “Are you nuts?” He asked. He was shaking his head. “A time machine? There’s no such thing.”

Laurie bit a glossy nail. Missy was thinking silently.

“Seriously,” Thierry aka Smarty said. “I believe I have inadvertently built a time machine. Some scientists think time is like a different sort of space. We can travel from one country to another in a lot of different ways. Why not time?”

“Even if there was,” J.C. went on. “You two happened to invent it accidentally?  Great, can you go back in time and give us back the last five minutes of our lives?”

“Like I said, maybe there are different ways to travel through time and yes we accidentally found one of them.”

“Something strange did happen,” Missy said slowly.

“We all saw Coach disappear. It was pretty weird,” Laurie added.

“Tell us the truth,” J.C. demanded. “Is this some optical illusion prank?”

“We'll prove it!” Smarty said. “Can everyone meet tomorrow night?” He made eye contact with Missy. He knew if she joined J.C. would want to come too and Laurie as her best friend would have to agree. “Missy what do you say?
Missy was intrigued. She’d just discovered she liked reading H.G. Wells and adventure stories. She thought about it and shrugged. How often did real-life adventures come up? “Alright whatever it does it was definitely weird. Want to check it out?” she asked J.C.  and Laurie. They all nodded.

        Chapter 4

They met that night at Marty's dad's garage. His dad used to own a garage. Now he ran a garage and a junkyard. He worked all day, all week. As soon as he got home he had several drinks and passed out reclined in his armchair. Marty got his mechanical mind from his mom and dad. They both had worked as mechanics and both liked to party too much even after getting married and having a child. The way his mom died made his dad’s drinking seem mild in comparison. He was out for the night and Marty got his keys.

It was easiest for Laurie to get away. She had an older sister already away at college. Her mother had remarried another workaholic. She never seemed to remember which parent Laurie was visiting. There was a tapping on the sliding glass door of the living room. She hopped up and let Missy in. They planned to go over to the junkyard together. For Missy it had been a little more complicated. 

Missy was an only child which meant her Aunt wanted to know where she was at all times. She of course felt overcautious in her responsibility to look after her brother’s daughter so she could finish up the year at the same school. Once she started middles-school Missy had finally worked up the nerve to ask her dad if she could stop moving during the school year, if possible-- no pressure. To her surprise he arranged everything to give her more “stability”. Fortunately, her aunt had a date. She planned to head to the restaurant right after work and was trusting Missy to take care of herself for one evening. Missy had set up her room to make it appear she was sleeping in case her aunt got back home first. 

“I hope it works,” she said, talking about her sleeping prop dummy to Laurie. 

“Yeah. I hope this time machine works. How awesome would that be?”

“I don’t know. Part of me is excited. But it also sounds scary.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hello, a time machine built by a kid, by accident.”

“Uh, two kids.” She laughed. “Thierry thinks he’s such a genius, but his projects weren’t it before Marty.”

“Uh huh, true,” she said, wondering if the time was right to ask Laurie what she thought—no, what she felt about Marty. “And they are two very smart kids but what if something goes wrong with the machine? It just not working is like the least stressful thing I can imagine.”

“Hmm,” Laurie smirked the way she usually did before she asked Missy to get into trouble and then leaned forward as if sharing a secret. “But just imagine if it works perfectly.” She leaned back once Missy started smiling too. “Besides, you get to hang out with J.C. again.” Missy’s mouth dropped open, but Laurie kept talking, “Not that you care.”

J.C. was going to be late. He had two parents in the house. They were determined to spend quality time with him and his 2 older siblings that weekend, starting that evening. After dinner and a backyard game they settled in for a movie and J.C. finally convinced them that he’d better go to his room and start studying for a test (which didn’t exist). He was already pretty tired so he’d just go to sleep afterward if they could please not wake him up after the movie. Finally, he was out his second story window and headed to the junkyard.

Thierry or “Smarty” as they liked to call him, also had a challenging  escape, but he was used to sneaking off to work on experiments with Marty. His parents encouraged his mental exploration and friendship with the other boy. However, as the oldest of six he usually helped with the younger ones. The rest of his siblings were seven, six, four and two years old, with two sets of twins being the youngest. His parents were pretty good about giving him free time when he needed it. After dinner they were busy with the little ones and would be through bed time. Any child they didn’t have to tuck in wasn’t missed by that point. He excused himself and knew they wouldn’t worry about his location for the rest of the evening. He had his own room for now. If his parents had the energy after bedtime they tried to chat, just the adults, but a full work day and nighttime routine with toddlers usually meant they were exhausted and going to sleep shortly after their children. It wasn’t hard to leave the house or sneak back in when it was convenient for him.

Smarty and Marty were waiting outside the junkyard’s side entrance when the girls and then J.C. showed up. 

“How did you get the keys?” Laurie asked Marty.

He shrugged. “My dad’s passed out drunk.”

Laurie shook her head. “Sorry. I’m never touching the stuff.” She said nothing more but thought about the uncle who couldn’t wait for a drink and couldn't control himself when he did. J.C. knew him too. It was embarrassing to have him at family weddings, graduations and dinners.

“Me neither,” Smarty said. “Many a brilliant mind has been seriously wasted that way.” 

They stood in the growing darkness thinking sad thoughts.

“Okay,” Missy broke in. “We’re all here and sober. Where are we going?”

Smarty and Marty lead them past sleeping machines to the garage. Marty entered a code at the door. “It’s not really connected to anything,’ he explained. “Just to frighten trespassers.”

“Yeah, who would steal junk?” J.C. commented.

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” Smarty said. 

J.C. thought he had read something like that before, but even inside the garage the place really looked like only junk to him. There was an old car up on blocks that they would use for seating.    

Smarty started explaining. “So we think Coach went back in time. Since he went to our school his dream was really his past.”

“I should go back to see my mom again.” Marty mumbled. 

Thierry put a hand on his shoulder. “We may be able to. But we should run more tests. Besides, the future is what’s really valuable.”

“Why not change something bad in the past?” Missy asked.

“Because we have no idea what the effect would be. It’s the butterfly effect. You could try to improve one little thing and make ten other things ten times worse. Going to the future should be safer. At least visiting the future won't change who we are right now. But even in the future we have to be super careful to just be observers. Laurie!”

“Huh,” she was looking past him, clearly not paying attention.

“This is important. If it works and you go to the future, try not to change anything, just observe.”

“Roger,” she said. Marty smiled.

They got into the car. Outside it looked bad but the inside was much better and comfortable. Marty took the driver’s seat  and waited for Smarty to hand him the computer.

“Just let me finish setting up one more thing,” Smarty said.  Missy slid in the back. I call shotgun!” Laurie said. 

“Come on,” J.C. said about to argue but Laurie glared at him and then titled her head toward the back door. He realized he’d be in the back with Missy. “Fine, ladies first.” He said getting in behind the passenger side.

Marty and Laurie in front. “See a comfy seat for everyone,” Laurie declared from the front with Marty. Smarty handed the computer over and got in the back behind Marty, putting Missy in the middle.

“So how will it work?” she asked.

“It’s up  to you. We can do the first trip one by one or a couple. I think we just always want to leave me or Marty to monitor the equipment,” Smarty suggested.

“So you can send a group? How does that work?”

“Haven’t tried yet since we haven’t had a group. But in theory we connect it to the car battery to pull power and generate a field over the whole vehicle. Then we should be able to send whoever is in the car.”

“You mean we could go together. Safely?” Missy asked. 

“Yes, but I’d like to test it first on two and not go too far in the future.”

“I’m ready,” Marty said, “ just give the antennae to the test subjects.”

Laurie shuddered at the phrase ‘test subjects’ and then  had an idea. “Alright let's do it.” Laurie said. “I vote on sending JC and Missy.” She smiled deviously at them.

“Oh sure you’re ready to send us into the unknown,” Missy said, not surprised. She looked at JC. “What do you think?”

He nodded. “Let’s do it.” 

Smarty gave JC one antenna and Missy the other. “JC, hold it  in your right and Missy in your left. You two in the middle will be sent forward. Marty, let's do two years.

“Roger,” he said. Laurie grinned. 

“That‘ll make them sophomores in high school,” Laurie said.

“Starting,” Marty said. 

Light became visible from the top of each antenna arching over their heads. They both passed out and disappeared.

           Chapter 5

JC and Missy

 “Are you alright?” Missy woke up on the basketball court, it was dim, music was playing, the gym was decorated for a dance.

“Give her some air.” A boy said.

“I’m fine, what happened?” Missy asked, sitting up. Next to her was JC. 

“You passed out,” her friend and teammate said. “You both did.”

“That must have been some kiss,” the boy added.

They helped them stand as one of the chaperones spotted them and came over. 

“You feel okay?” J.C. asked Missy.

“Yes, just a little wobbly.”

“Alright, Sarah, escort them to the infirmary,” the dance chaperone said once they explained what happened. She was a strong looking middle-aged woman.

“Yes, coach,” Sarah said automatically. She and her date left the gym with JC and Missy.

Sarah, Missy’s good friend and Volleyball teammate, who Missy had never met yet, talked about stuff they had done before coming to the dance, as they walked down the hallway. It was so weird. Missy had no clue who she was or what she was talking about. But the girl didn’t seem to notice and chatted on like they were best buddies.

“Hey, um, Sarah,” Missy broke in. “I’m fine, really. We can make it on our own.” She smiled reassuringly.

“Ok, text me.” She gave Missy a hug and the guys slapped hands. Once the other couple was gone. JC grinned at her. “What do you think we’re doing here?”

“This is the highschool where you guys would go. I’m supposed to go to private school. I shouldn’t be here…”

“Unless you're my date,” Missy said. SHe smiled shyly then remembered something. “But I’m moving.”

JC’s face dropped the grin. “You are?”

After this year. I mean 8th grade year. Wow,” she said looking around at the hall. A trophy case caught her gaze and she checked out the dates. “Wow, we’re really in the future.

He looked at her in her dress. I think you look a little older.

He glanced away feeling his cheeks warm up. She guessed she felt a little more mature. He looked a little different, two years older as well. She hadn’t seen a mirror yet.

 “ Check this out  ,” he said pointing to a photo of the champion girls’ volleyball team, “It’s you. And I think that’s that girl, Sarah.”

“So I have been going here. We’re basketball team champs too.” She grinned, she loved her sports. “But what happened? Why didn't I move with my dad?”

“JC shrugged. “Guess we could find out. And see what Marty and Smarty are like. They should go here.

“And Laurie. What do you want to do, find a yearbook? Ooh I bet we use the same code on our cell phones,” she thought aloud.

They heard some kids laughing  down the hall and headed toward them.

JC took Missy’s hand and pulled her into a classroom. They hid close together by the wall. “Hope we didn’t change anything.” JC said.

“This is tough. It's the future, how are we supposed to know what to do? I mean what if we would have talked to them if we were really our future selves and that’s a change?” She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“This is tough. Weird and tough,” JC agreed. “Okay he’s gone.” He caught her hand as she went for the light switch. “Probably shouldn’t.”

“Right, that would draw attention.” she nodded.

They looked at each other in the dim light from the classroom's windows. “Your eyes are still the same.”

She smiled. “Of course, some things won’t change. Yours too. So… we kept in touch.”

“Yeah, that's great. Hey, maybe there’s a yearbook here.

They looked up Thierry in the index and flipped to the page. “There’s Smarty.” 

They stifled laughter. “Awe, he does not take a good picture,” Missy said sympathetically. 

“I wonder when his skin starts breaking out?” JC asked, trying not to make fun of his new friend.

“Let’s find Marty.” Missy said, flipping back to the index. She ran her finger down the names. “He’s not listed.”

“Maybe he moved.” 

“See if there’s an older one,” Missy suggested. “And I want to see Laurie too. She took out her phone. I hope we still hang out with Laurie.”

“Found it!” JC happily declared. 

“Whoa me too. JC look,” she said, showing him a photo on her phone.

He looked at the photo of her and Laurie at a park bench.  “she… she puts on some weight,” he commented.

“Yeah,” Missy said cautiously. She frowned at the belly of the flowy top Laurie wore. “Does she look-” 

They passed out before she could complete the question. 

“So what’d you think?” Thierry asked anxiously.

“It works!” JC exclaimed. He gave him a friendly punch in the arm.

“Awesome,” he said, rubbing his upper arm.  “Any concerns?" he asked Missy. He didn’t expect JC to have thought too deeply about it.

“Well, we wake up from passing out. What if we pass out driving a car or something?”

JC nodded. “Yeah, I already drive.”

Smarty made a note. “I think I can handle that.”

“We can set an algorithm to match sleep brain wave patterns,” Marty suggested.

“Right,” he agreed. “Then you'll only go to a time when you're already sleeping. Marty, can you build a connection to the seat or some way to ensure they come back in a safe position?” 

“Sure.”

Laurie was excited. “So it works, let's go further than a couple years. That’s boring.We already know we'll be in  highschool.”

Missy was reminded of how Marty wasn’t there and how different Laurie looked. “Can’t be sure,”she mumbled.

“So when we’re adults?” Marty asked. “Like 40?

Laurie shuddered. “Not that old.”

Missy laughed. “You'll probably be just like your mom.”

“Shut up.” She turned to Missy and stuck out her tongue.

“Hey, she’s fun.”

 “Okay so…30?” Marty added.

Laurie thought about it. “Ok yeah. I'll go 1st. Do…16 years in the future. Then I’ll be-30!” Her eyes got wide. “This was crazy!”

Laurie: 

“I don’t want to!” She woke up to the sounds of two kids fighting. She groaned and sat up on the couch. She had a bit of a headache. Missy and JC hadn’t mentioned that. She put a hand to her head and squinted at the two kids.

“Mooom!” The younger, a curly haired boy, whined coming over to her.

“Hey,” a teenage girl poked her head out from a bedroom, “Mom can you tell them to keep it down? I’m on the phone.”

 “Wait, are you all my kids?”

The second oldest girl who had been fighting with the boy frowned at her. “That’s not funny, mommy.”

Laurie got up. She had to get some air. She pulled away from the children and went outside. It was a warm beautiful day but she couldn’t appreciate it. She took big gulps of fresh air as she bent over like she was sick.

“What the?” She stood and felt her belly. Something pressed back. “Ahh,” she yelped.

“30 years old, 3 kids and  one on the way.” She didn’t believe it. She turned around to look at her home, a trailer. What a dump. She closed her eyes and shook her head. No way, no way. This was some kinda nightmare. Their machine messed up.” She sat on the steps. Soon the

teen came out. 

“We need groceries.”

“What?” Laurie responded in daze.

 “The eggs were too expensive last time. Did you get another check yet? Mom? Hellooo?” The teen girl waved her hand in front of Laurie’s face. She was staring into nowhere. 

“How, how old are you?” Laurie was almost afraid to ask. The girl rolled her eyes. Picked up a can on the step full of cigarettes. 

“Really? 15, duh. You’re not smoking again are you?”

Laurie didn’t answer. 

“It’s the middle of the afternoon, couldn't you even dress the little kids?”

Laurie got up and went back inside. The other kids were watching something on a cheap tablet in the living room area. She went to the kitchen and her oldest trailed her. 

“Mom, are you ok?”

“How can I have a teen?” she muttered. 

“Momma, what’s wrong?”

“Everything! Where’s your dad? Did I even finish high school?”

Her daughter gazed at her with worried eyes just like her own. Then she blacked out.

When Laurie returned she was quiet. The others tried joking but could tell she was upset.

“Did it work?” Thierry asked.

“Yeah,” she said softly.

“...How was it?” Missy asked, putting a hand on Laurie’s shoulder. Laurie shook her head. “What happened?”

She couldn’t tell them. She couldn’t let that happen.

Thierry aka “Smarty”, cleared his throat during the awkward silence. 

“It’s okay," he said after a moment. “You don't have to tell us anything personal.”  He got a folder from the glove box. I made up these questionnaires to see if general details match. As proof we went to the future.”

“Really?” Jc rolled his eyes. “You’re giving us homework?”

“It is a science experiment.” 

Missy read the form quickly, then tried to keep the peace. “So next time we need to get  a few facts, like details from the news or something.”

“Right. But try not to look up anything too personal about the five of us. It could be dangerous.”

Laurie thought about her own life. It shocked her and made her sad but what was dangerous about it?

“Dangerous, how?” JC asked.

“Well, we shouldn’t change anything. It would have unknown consequences.

“Are you kidding?” Laurie said “Maybe that’s the whole point. The reason this happened, ‘by accident’. We’re not changing the past but what’s the point of knowing our own future if we don’t make it better. Why not use it to help us make better decisions?” She asked heatedly

JC thought about their trip.“I mean it’s a good point. Some of us are pretty stupid right now.”

“Shut up JC!” she said, actually angry this time. “ Just wait til you go when you're 30.”

“I’m not chicken. I’ll go right now.” 

“By yourself.”

“Fine. Set it up,” Jc demanded.

“Hey,” Marty said worried. “I’ll go. You already had a turn.”

“He’s right.” Missy agreed. They both wanted the fighting to stop. “We should all go. We’ll all do 16 years old, solo.” 

“And we don’t have to share anything we don’t want to,” Marty added.

Missy nodded “But we,” she said indicating herself and JC, “should go last since we already had a turn.” 

“Do I get a say?” Smarty jumped in. “It is my invention, after all.”

“Our invention.” Marty corrected him.

“Right, right but it’s my concept.” Marty glared at him and Thierry shrugged. “But we’re a team now. so majority rules I guess. Ok Marty, get ready,” he said, taking over the controls.

Marty closed his eyes and tried to stay calm, “Ready.”

Smarty hit enter but the computer just beeped. He tried again. Another beep.

  Marty opened his eyes. “What's a matter?

“Sixteen years won't enter,” Smarty explained.

“What’s wrong?” Marty asked again, leaning over to see the computer screen. “Try this year. A month,” he said.

Smarty tried. Soon he was shaking his head again. “No go. It could be a natural rule we just discovered,  like any particle of matter in the universe attracts any other with a force varying directly as the product of the masses and inversely as the square of the distance between them.”

“...What?” JC questioned him.

“It’s Newton's law of gravitation,” Missy said. “Like on earth everything that goes up must come down because the planet’s gravity pulls everything toward its center,” Missy explained, simplifying the phrase. 

“Or maybe traveling to the same year is not possible. Or maybe we can only do 3 trips at a time,” Smarty continued running through possibilities.

Marty shrugged, “Let's just try another year.”

Smarty shook his head. “It’s not working. It’s getting late. Let's troubleshoot tomorrow.”

  Chapter 6

The cafeteria was a cacophony of clattering trays and adolescent chatter. Thierry and Marty, however, were an island of quiet amidst the chaos. Their heads were bent close, their voices hushed as they made plans about their science project. They wanted to finish it. Unfortunately, their meeting was abruptly interrupted by the unwelcome presence of Tom, a round boy with a childish sense of humor.

He plopped himself down beside Marty, Thierry rolled his eyes, a silent plea for the intrusion to end. But Tom was oblivious. 

"Hey, Marty," Tom said smiling, his grin as wide as the pizza slice he was devouring.

Marty smiled back, but Thierry rolled his eyes.  Tom was always trying to be funny.Thierry didn't like him much.

"Hey, do you like seafood?" Tom asked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He opened his mouth, revealing a half-chewed burger. "See food! Get it?"

A few scattered chuckles rippled through the nearby tables. Marty forced out a laugh, but Thierry didn't. Thierry resisted the urge to groan. The joke was old. Tom had been Marty’s shadow since their ill-fated history project. Thierry had endured countless bad jokes and forced camaraderie ever since.

The lunch bell finally rang. Thierry breathed a sigh of relief as they escaped the cafeteria. It was time for a break outside. Marty headed towards the basketball court with a group of boys, but Thierry opted for the quiet sanctuary of the library. He preferred the company of books to the non-stop chaos of the playground.

As they were returning to class after recess, Tom intercepted them. "Hey Marty, wanna hang out after school?" he asked.

Marty hesitated, glancing at Thierry. Thierry shook his head subtly.

"Uh, not today, Tom," Marty said. "Maybe another time."

Tom's smile faltered slightly, but he nodded. "Cool."

As they walked away, Thierry couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.He didn't want to hang out with Tom. He knew that the delay was a temporary solution, but for now, it was enough. They had enough to focus on with another round of tests planned for that night.

Thierry’s 1st trip

Smarty woke up disoriented. The sterile white walls of his workplace surrounded him. Apparently he’d fallen asleep at his desk. He looked around his small, sad-looking designated workstation. His heart sank. He’d dreamed of accolades, fame, and wealth. Instead, he was a cog in the corporate machine.

Thierry checked his wallet for an identification card. Maybe something at his apartment would add some clarity to his situation. He made his way through the sterile corridors, down the stairs  and got a ride to his address. The door to his apartment slid open, revealing a space that felt more like a capsule than a home. His lab coat hung on a hook, untouched for years. 

The walls of his home were pristine white, devoid of any personal touches. A single holographic plant floated near the window, its leaves pixelated. Smarty’s bed was neatly made, as if no one had ever slept in it.

He sank onto the couch, staring at the blank screen on the wall—the “entertainment center” that played algorithm-generated shows and news. He didn’t see any evidence that he and Marty were working on anything together. In his bedroom he always had a few things he was too tired to put away for his experiments. It didn’t seem like he had any projects in the works. His stomach growled. Well he needed to check all the rooms.

The kitchenette held a stack of nutrient bars, their flavors labeled with numbers. He bit into one to calm his gut. It was bearable.  Nothing like his grandmother’s cookies or the warmth of a home-cooked meal with his family. Here, everything was efficient but soulless.

Behind another sliding door, he found what looked like an office. His research notes lay scattered on the desk. What had happened? The breakthrough that had propelled him into the future somehow didn’t lead to any fame on fortune?

Thierry sat by the window, staring out at the neon-lit cityscape. The streets buzzed with bizarre  automobiles and commuters lost in their augmented reality feeds delivered by  the latest tech. He wasn’t paying attention, his mind was racing. The future held secrets—data, trends, and innovations that could rewrite his destiny. If  success didn't find him; he’d have to seize it.

He returned to his office to get started. His terminal hummed to life, displaying stock market indices and cryptocurrency tickers. Thierry’s fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up historical data from the future. Quantum stocks, nano-mining ventures, and meme-driven currencies—all ripe for exploitation.

He studied the graphs, algorithms churning in his mind. His lab coat lay discarded. For a moment he paused and thought about the ethics of  no longer being a scientist first; he was a gambler. On his 18th birthday, he’d bet on the future, leveraging information from a time he didn’t belong to.

As the neon-lit city buzzed outside, Thierry wondered if he was rewriting history or merely following a script. He’d be successful and rich, yes, but at what cost? He had to collect more personal  information.

The neighborhood coffee shop hummed with the low murmur of conversations. Thierry had so many cups from the place he reasoned that half his week there. He sat by the window, nursing a lukewarm latte and watching the neon-lit city outside seemed both familiar and alien.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. “Thierry?” He turned. A man stood there, gray at the temples but with eyes that held recognition. “ It’s Ethan.”

Ethan’s smile warmly. “It is you! I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Why,” Thioerry asked.

“You know, you  disappeared,” Ethan said, taking a seat by Thierry  . “After the accident.”

Thierry’s heart caught in his throat. Was that why his life had gotten so off track.. “What accident do you mean?”

Ethan frowned and lowered his voice. “The Sierra project. Our breakthrough. You remember, right?”

Thierry nodded, “Of course. But it worked, didn’t it?”

Ethan’s expression darkened. “You know we can’t talk about it. I’m not ending up like the others,” he said standing. “Nice seeing you.” he finished hurriedly, rushing out.

Thierry checked his watch. He’d have to be going soon, more confused than ever.

  Chapter 7

Marty: 2nd attempt

Thierry woke with a start, finding himself and his four friends still in the broken-down car. The portable time machine, resembling a laptop, lay on Marty’s lap, with two antenna-like devices in his hands. The air was thick with anticipation and the faint smell of old leather seats. Lauren was beside him, her eyes wide with curiosity, as she leaned in closer.

“How was it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Marty, unable to contain his excitement, blurted out, “Was it what you expected?”

Thierry shook his head, still trying to process the whirlwind of sensations and images that had bombarded him during the journey. “No,” he said slowly, “it was incredible, but it gave me more questions than answers.” His mind raced with the sights and sounds of a future he could barely comprehend. He described the city, the technology, the people, the changes—it was all so overwhelming.

Back in the present, Laurie was still grappling with the implications of her future life. “Of course it worked out for you,” she muttered, her voice filled with a mix of envy and determination.

Marty squeezed her hand. “Even if it's the future, it’s just one possibility,” he said gently. “We can change it. We just have to figure out how to do it safely.”

Hope flickered in Laurie’s eyes. She turned to Marty, her voice soft. “Really think so?”

Marty nodded, his gaze steady. He took the antenna back, his hands trembling slightly, but he grinned reassuringly at Laurie.

“I want to take a turn!” he declared, his eyes sparkling with excitement. The group exchanged nervous glances, the thrill of discovery mingling with the fear of the unknown. The adventure was just beginning, and they all knew that each journey would bring them closer to understanding the mysteries of time travel, but one mystery was why it hadn’t worked with Marty.

He noticed their hesitation. “It’s worked fine the last three tries,” Marty said. He handed the laptop over to his best friend.

Smarty set up the trip and then looked up from the keyboard, nervous. “Are you sure you want to do this, Marty?”

“Yes, you can monitor everything from here,” Marty replied confidently. “I’ll go to age… 31, so it’s the same year.”

Smarty nodded, still a bit hesitant. “Alright, just be careful.”

Marty took the antennae, got comfortable, and when he was ready, gave a final thumbs-up to his friends. Smarty activated it. The car filled with a bright light from the device, and Marty passed out. Seconds later, the machine’s alarms blared. Marty’s vitals plummeted on the screen and his body began to shake. The group watched in horror as Thierry struggled to shut down the machine.

Marty was unconscious. They shouted his name in a panic.

“Marty!” Laurie said, shaking his shoulder. “Wake up!”

Marty finally responded, gasping for breath. His friends rushed to his side, their faces pale with fear.

“Are you okay?” Smarty asked, his voice trembling.

“I… I don’t know,” Marty replied, his voice weak.

“What happened?” another friend asked, the pitch of panic still lingering in their voice.

“Nothing,” Marty insisted, though his eyes told a different story. “Uh, I think I should be getting home anyway. Got to wake up early.”

The group watched as Marty stumbled out of the vehicle, leaving them with more questions than answers. The excitement of the experiment had turned into a chilling show of the dangers of experimenting with time travel.

“Should we all go home?” Missy asked.

Smarty was thinking as they decided to call it a night. He pulled JC aside before they all left.

“What's up?” JC asked.

“I’d like to make sure it’s the time machine, not something with Marty.”

“So?”

“Would you be willing to try a test trip?”

“Right now? What if the same thing happens to me?”

“You’ll be fine, and I’ll be watching very closely.”

JC rolled his eyes. “Oh, that's comforting.”

“Okay, it’s scary, but I really suspect that it won't happen to you. If it does, I’ll shut it down right away.”

JC sighed, then shrugged. “I guess we need to know and not freak out the girls. Alright,” he agreed, and they went back to the junk car.

 JC: 2nd trip

A jolt of adrenaline propelled JC upright. His heart pounded a frantic rhythm against his ribs. It worked again. He was in the future.

His surroundings were familiar, yet different. This was his apartment, but it felt like a stranger’s. He was alone, sprawled across the couch in a single-bedroom space. The room was tidy, almost sterile. A glance around revealed a life of solitude, punctuated by bursts of activity. Photos on the fridge showcased a man who loved the outdoors: kayaking through crystalline waters, standing triumphant atop a waterfall.

“Cool,” he whispered, a shiver of disbelief running through him. He peeled a photo from the fridge, the image of the waterfall blurring at the edges. It was beautiful. A life less ordinary, perhaps, but a life undeniably lived.

The kitchen was sparse. A few takeout containers lined the fridge, a testament to his solitary dining habits. No groceries, no personal touches. A wave of loneliness washed over him. No kids. No partner. His eyes scanned the room, searching for signs of a life shared. There were none. not even a pet. It looked like he traveled a lot so maybe that was an excuse.

A tablet lay abandoned on the counter. He picked it up, and it came to life in his hands. The news popped up first. The headlines were a blur, a cacophony of unfamiliar names and events. He scrolled over to social media. More unfamiliar places and faces punctuated by ads for technology that didn’t exist yet retail.  Then, a name caught his eye: Missy.

His breath caught in his throat. There she was, a picture of carefree happiness. So they were still friends online at least. He went into her profile and scrolled through the pictures and short videos. There was a ping and he saw she had just posted something new on her feed. She was on a beach, laughing, with a man who looked like he stepped out of a romance novel. A pang of jealousy shot through him, but it was quickly replaced by a surge of determination. He noticed the absence of a wedding band on her finger.

JC's mind raced. Missy’s smile, her laughter—it all felt like a lifeline in this strange, sterile future. He had to find her. The absence of a wedding band on her finger fueled his resolve. Perhaps there was still a chance, a way to reconnect with her.

He quickly scanned the rest of her profile, piecing together her current life. She had posted pictures from various locations, hinting at a recent vacation. One picture in particular caught his eye: a selfie with a landmark he recognized.

They were in the same city.  He tapped on Missy's latest post, admiring the carefree happiness in her eyes. JC's mind raced. Missy’s smile, her laughter—it all felt like a lifeline in this strange, sterile future. He had to find her. The absence of a wedding band on her finger fueled his resolve. Perhaps there was still a chance, a way to reconnect with her. In his distraction, his thumb inadvertently pressed the video call button on her profile.

The ringing seemed louder than it should have been, echoing through the silent apartment. Panic gripped him as he tried to cancel the call, but it was too late. The screen flickered, and Missy's face appeared, live and surprised.

“Missy!” he called out, his voice catching. She turned, her eyes widening in surprise and recognition.

“JC? Wow, what an unexpected call,” she said, her voice a mixture of shock and curiosity. He felt frozen, unable to answer.  “JC?” She repeated, her voice crackling through the connection.

“Missy, I—uh—I didn’t mean to call. I was just...” he stammered, caught off guard.

“It’s okay,” she replied, her expression softening into a smile. “It’s good to see you. How’ve you been?”

He chuckled nervously, “A bit... disoriented, to be honest. But seeing you—well, it feels like a sign.”

They fell into conversation, the initial awkwardness fading as memories and laughter bridged the years. JC realized that despite the unfamiliar future, some connections remain timeless.

As the call continued, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe, just maybe, this accidental call was the start of something new, a chance to rekindle what they once had. The future, after all, was still being written.

Then Everything took a turn for the worst.

  Chapter 8

Smarty chewed his bottom lip anxiously while his math teacher lectured on, but his mind was elsewhere. He'd run a full diagnostic but still didn't know why Marty's turn had failed, again. The uncertainty gnawed at him, pulling his focus away from the lesson.

At the end of the day, the kid, Tom, tried again to hang out with Marty. When class ended, they came out of the door laughing and talking. Across the hallway, Smarty saw them and felt a pang of jealousy. He separated from the kid and met up with the others.

"Something wrong?" Marty asked, noticing his troubled expression.

Smarty shook his head silently. "Are we going to continue or what?" he asked when the full group was together.

Marty sighed. "Honestly, there’s not much point for me to go. Tommy invited me to hang with him. He’s got some pretty great game systems and other fun stuff at his house."

"That sounds awesome," JC said, grinning.

Smarty glared at him.  “It does? It sounds more awesome than the scientific breakthrough of a generation? Possibly, the breakthrough of any generation?"

Missy, who had just joined with Laurie, raised an eyebrow. "What does?"

Marty explained the situation, and Laurie nodded thoughtfully. "I have to stay for tutoring. Not that there's any point," she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.

Missy placed a comforting hand on Laurie's shoulder. "Just because it's not what you expected doesn't mean you weren't happy."

"I don't see how," Laurie replied, her eyes downcast.

Missy looked her friend in the eyes and sighed, then gave her a hug and whispered, "The future's not set. Like you said, knowledge is power. I believe you can do anything you set your mind to."

Laurie managed a small smile, feeling a bit better. She wouldn't have considered tutoring before her trip through time, so maybe things could change. She headed to the tutoring room, her steps a bit lighter.

"See you later," Marty said, also leaving the group. "But I need help to figure it out."

"Yeah, I'll work on it later," Smarty waved dismissively.

"So, what about you two?" Smarty asked, turning to JC and Missy.

"I'll go," Missy said, stepping forward.

JC's cheeks felt warm as he recalled the last time he used the machine. "Me too," he said quickly. "But Missy can go first."