OMG, A CUL8R Time Travel Mystery

by Kat, Bob

  “She actually left me a bath towel last night.” Kelly realized Scott wouldn’t understand the full significance of that, but she saw it as a giant step forward.

  They stayed in the park and talked a little, but mostly listened to the music until Kelly had to go to work. Scott walked with her and sat at the table on the end, going through their notes. His plan was to go back to Wendy’s house and try to wait for her parents to get home. Then he could pose as a reporter for the school paper writing a story about Wendy.

  It didn’t take long for Kelly to realize that skating was a lot harder than it looked. Luckily, she had good balance, honed from hours on horseback because she spent the rest of the day slipping, sliding and catching herself before she fell. Her manager teased her that they would have to pay her extra for providing entertainment to the customers. She made delivering people’s orders look so dangerous and difficult that several times customers burst into spontaneous applause and rewarded her with a larger than average tip.

  Scott watched, trying to hide his amusement and trying not to wince when she banged into a table or grabbed onto a pole to keep upright. He reluctantly told her he was leaving and slipped away to Wendy’s house.

  Kelly was almost glad to see him go. It was humiliating to flaunt her clumsiness in so public a venue. She was actually very athletic, but having grown up in the country with a gravel driveway and roads, she had had no opportunity to learn how to skate. It was simply not an activity she had ever tried or become proficient at. Now she was taking a crash course, literally, in skating while carrying a loaded tray of food.

  When the same pickup truck as last night drove up and Wendy jumped out of the passenger’s side, Kelly could have kissed her. Wendy waved goodbye at the driver who had his window rolled down so Kelly got a good look at him. There were no farewell kisses or hugs, but Kelly sensed there was a high level of intimacy between the two even if they weren’t being public about it. He watched Wendy walk into the building, then he drove away.

  Several minutes later, Wendy skated out, her long straight hair billowing behind her. “I heard you’ve been pretty busy,” she said as she executed a perfect stop in front of Kelly.

  “We’ve been slammed. Of course, it didn’t help that I had to get a few of the orders redone because they fell off the tray.”

  “I thought you knew how to skate.”

  Kelly winced. “I thought I could fake it. Apparently, it’s a learned skill.”

  Wendy laughed. “And yet you’re still here. Shows persistence.”

  “Or stubbornness.” Kelly smiled. “I’m really glad to see you.” For more reasons than you know, she added to herself.

  They didn’t have a chance to talk for the next hour as kids getting out of school and practice started dropping by. When there was a lull in the action, Kelly took a break, delighted to get off her feet for a few minutes. Wendy skated up with two glasses of Tab and sat at the table with her.

  “Here, I thought you could use this.” She handed Kelly one of the glasses. “Mr. Bennet said you’ve put on quite a show today. I have to admit that I’ve never been applauded.”

  Kelly looked at her to see if she was upset, but Wendy was laughing. “It’s been interesting.”

  They sipped their drinks. It took Kelly a couple of minutes to get up the nerve to ask, “Was that your boyfriend who dropped you off?”

  “Oh no, not him. He’s just . . . a friend,” she protested, almost too vigorously.

  “You said something about not having a date for homecoming.”

  “Yeah, I’m currently between real boyfriends right now.”

  “So is Austin. I mean, he’s doesn’t have a girl to be his date to homecoming. Maybe you two . . .?” Kelly left it hanging, hoping Wendy would pick up on it.

  Wendy didn’t say anything for a few seconds as she weighed her options. A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “That might work out really well.” She looked at Kelly. “So how do you know Austin and Zoey?”

  “Oh, I’m a friend . . . of the family. Both of our dads got transferred here, so I’m staying with them until my parents find a place.”

  “You said you were home schooled. What is that exactly?”

  “It’s just like it sounds, I go to school at home. My mom was a teacher.”

  “That sounds rad. Sleep late, study when you want . . .”

  “Oh no, my mom would never let me get away with that. We have a regular schedule, and there are state-mandated tests to make sure I am learning on level.”

  “But how about clubs? You don’t get to take drama or art or cheerleading.”

  “No, I had to take private lessons on certain things, and I didn’t get to participate in some of the group activities you do. I actually think you’re the lucky one.” She saw an opportunity, and she took it. “So, how is it in high school? Is it hard?”

  “No, not really. I actually like school. I graduate in May, and I took all my tough courses already, so this year is cake.”

  “Are you under a lot of pressure? I mean about college and all.”

  “I’ve been saving for college, and I’m up for several scholarships. My only pressure is which college to choose, and that’s not a bad dilemma to have. Actually, it’s kind of fun.” She shrugged. “My life is pretty boss right now.”

  “Boss?”

  “Yeah . . . you know, fab . . . cool.”

  “Ah, cool.” Kelly nodded. Finally, a word she understood.

  Several cars pulled in, and it was back to work. Kelly struggled to move from pole to pole before getting her skating legs back. By the time Scott, Austin and Zoey returned, she was managing to keep most of the food on the trays.

  “Hey gang,” she said happy to see them. “What’s happening?”

  “Just another day at school,” Austin said. “Man, I’m loving the attention. I’ve never been the new kid in school before.”

  “Yeah, well, you can give me some pointers in the fall,” Kelly told him. “Can I get you guys anything? I get a 10% discount.”

  They all placed their orders, and Kelly stumbled to her feet and skated in jerky half-strides to the kitchen.

  “She’s a good sport, isn’t she?” Scott said as he watched her. “You should have seen her earlier. I thought she would kill herself. She’s gotten a lot better.” He turned back to Zoey and Austin. “So what’d you guys do all day?”

  “Went to class and played football . . . and had an interesting two minutes with Coach Decker.”

  “How so?” Scott asked.

  “He really has eyes for you Zoey. He was staring you down like you were made of gold.”

  “All the men do, except for you Austin.” She gave him a puzzled frown. “Really, I’m beginning to think there’s something wrong with you.”

  “Did I tell you how weird it is at school?” Austin asked, smoothly changing the subject. “There are no locks or intercoms on the doors. People just come and go. The teachers all wear suits and dresses, and none of the kids wear shorts or torn-up jeans. It’s like everyone is dressed for Sunday school.”

  “Most of the girls wear high heels and pantyhose,” Zoey exclaimed, successfully distracted. “Pantyhose! And they measure your skirt length. It can’t be any shorter than an inch above the crease in the back of your knee. And the girls can’t wear slacks or jeans at all. It’s cray-cray.”

  “And they’re really strict in the classroom. I almost got detention today for chewing gum in class,” Austin said. “And they say the Pledge of Allegiance first thing each day.”

  “Oh, did I mention that they don’t have air conditioning?” Zoey shook her head in disbelief. “Even though it’s October, it’s really hot. They just leave the windows open and have a couple of fans to stir up all the stuffy air. The whole place smells like a gymnasium.”

  “Guys, guys, as interesting as it is to hear about the evolution of our dress code, we’ve got just a little more than 24 hours to find out what’s going on with Wendy,” Scott reminde
d them. “Did either of you find out anything new today . . . about her?”

  “I really like her,” Zoey said. “She’s smart and pretty . . . and really nice. Everyone adores her.”

  “Then why?” Scott didn’t finish the sentence because Kelly skated up with their order.

  “Burger, fries and a Coke for Austin.” She placed the orders in front of them as she called them out. “Burger, well-done rings and a Coke for Scott. And a hamburger with just lettuce and a glass of lemonade for Zoey. I told the cook you wanted just the meat and lettuce, but he thought I was crazy.” Kelly had also brought a hamburger and fries for herself, and she collapsed onto the empty chair at their table. “I need a break.”

  “Thanks. It looks good. And you managed not to spill anything,” Scott commented with true admiration.

  “Well, I found out something. Wendy loves her life and everything about it except that she doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Kelly added. “Oh, and Austin, you might have a date for homecoming.”

  “But I thought we . . .?” Zoey didn’t try to hide her disappointment.

  “Good idea, Kelly. I’ll ask her the next time she’s out here,” Austin said enthusiastically. “Anything for the cause.”

  “Actually, I think her ex-boyfriend dropped her off today. He’s the one driving that old pickup truck.”

  “What did he look like?” Scott asked.

  “Sort of cute, but a little too old for my taste. Definitely not high school. Probably college.”

  “Did you ask her about him?”

  “She said he was just a friend and that right now she was between boyfriends. But I got the impression he’s not completely out of the picture romantically. I think they have some sort of history together, but they didn’t kiss or anything.”

  “She invited me over to her house tomorrow after school to get ready for homecoming.” Zoey flipped her French braid back over her shoulder. “She’s going to loan me a dress for the dance. Maybe there will be a photo or something in her room so I can ask her about him.”

  “Well, I was able to meet her parents and her brother today,” Scott told them. “Unless they’re incredibly good actors, they are a very close, loving family. Even her brother had nice things to say about her. It kind of made me feel bad about how I treat Lilly.”

  “That means it’s not a family issue or a bullying problem,” Austin said, going through their list. “That leaves boyfriend problems or drugs.”

  “I’ve seen no sign of drug or alcohol use,” Zoey spoke up.

  “Me either,” Kelly added.

  “That’s good. But there’s got to be something we’re just not seeing. We can’t leave her alone even for a minute tomorrow,” Scott reminded them.

  “I’ll be working. I volunteered to work for Wendy tomorrow night, so I’m stuck here,” Kelly said. “But I get off just before the football game is over, so I’ll meet y’all at the stadium.” She loaded the empty baskets and discarded wrappers back on the tray. “I’ve got to get back to work. I get off in a few minutes.” She returned to the kitchen, picking up a couple of other trays at cars along the way.

  A few minutes later, Wendy took her break at their table, and Austin took advantage of the opportunity to ask her to be his date for homecoming. Zoey got up and walked away to avoid spoiling the mood by giving them both the evil eye. She pretended interest in a bulletin board with all sorts of school events, lost dogs and other community news posted on it.

  A guy walked over to her and smiled. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

  Zoey smiled back and cocked her head in her most flirtatious pose, hoping Austin was watching. “Not at all.”

  “I couldn’t help but noticing your thongs. Where did you buy them?”

  Zoey’s eyes widened. “I don’t even have a thong on, you dirty old man,” she screamed, unintentionally attracting everyone’s attention. “What’s wrong with you . . . you’re like, twice my age!”

  The man backed away. “I don’t understand. They’re really cool. I wanted to get a pair for my wife . . . that’s all. Sorry.” The man turned and walked quickly to his car and left.

  “Do you believe that guy?” Zoey stalked back to the table and flopped down.

  Wendy looked around, concerned about her new friend. “What did he say?”

  “He told me he liked my thong and wanted to know where I got it. Pervert!”

  Wendy looked down at Zoey’s feet. “Yeah, I was going to ask where you got your thongs, too. I really like them.”

  Zoey looked down at her feet. “My flip-flops? You call these thongs?”

  “Yeah, what did you think he was talking about?”

  “Where I come from, a lot of girls wear these little panties that are more like a patch of cloth and a few pieces of elastic. We call them thongs.”

  Wendy frowned. “That doesn’t sound very comfortable.”

  “TMI, ladies,” Scott announced, waving his hands for them to stop.

  Wendy laughed and got up to finish her shift. “Kelly’s done great today. She took a load off me. Well, see you guys tomorrow at school.” She skated off, passing Kelly who was on her way out, wearing shoes and limping badly.

  “Thank God it’s eight o’clock. I couldn’t have made it another minute,” she declared.

  Scott smiled with excitement. “If we hurry back to the motel, we can catch the end of Star Trek.”

  Everyone gathered their belongings, and the four of them filed back into the motel as quickly as Kelly could hobble. They all stayed in the girls’ room and sat on the end of Zoey’s bed so they could see the 12” black and white screen.

  “It’s Mudd’s Women!” Scott exclaimed. “That’s one of my favorite episodes.”

  “Isn’t that the one about the three women being held captive?” Austin asked.

  “Yeah, and they were taking the Venus pill so they would stay beautiful. One of them, Eve, fell in love with Captain Kirk.”

  “Someone fell in love with him every episode,” Austin snorted.

  “Just look at him. William Shatner at his finest.” Scott was practically bouncing up and down, watching the episode as if he hadn’t already seen it a dozen times. But never like this.

  “Yeah, it’s all about being beautiful because of your own self-confidence because the pills were just placebos,” Zoey added. Both boys turned to look at her as if seeing her for the first time.

  “You’re a Trekkie?” Austin asked.

  “True fans are called Trekkers,” Scott corrected.

  Zoey shrugged. “I started watching my dad’s DVD collection one time when I was home sick and I got hooked. I’ve seen all the movies, too.”

  Austin nodded in appreciation. “I think I’ve misjudged you.”

  “Hey, keep it on the down-low.” Zoey was regretting that she had let her secret out. “It would ruin my reputation.”

  “There are so many things you’ve done this week that would ruin your reputation,” Scott reminded her.

  “Whatever,” she flashed back, but it had somehow lost its edge.

  The commercial was over, and the three teenagers focused back on the grainy picture. From the other bed where she had fallen on top of the disgusting bedspread and still fully dressed, Kelly slept through it all.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  FRIDAY

  “I have a biology test today,” Zoey grumbled the next morning at breakfast. “I hate biology and cutting animals and frogs up. Back home, it’s summer, and I’m out of school. How did I get stuck in that class? Since it doesn’t really count, why couldn’t I have taken fun stuff?”

  Austin tried to hide his smile without much success. “I signed you up for it. I checked the biology class when you handed me the form to give to Mrs. Carter.”

  Scott leaned over and gave Austin a high-five. “These grades won’t be on your permanent record I hope. There are still a few things I haven’t figured out yet.”

  “So what are you guys going to do today?” Austin asked Scott
and Kelly.

  “I’m going to the drugstore and spend my tip money on a box of Band-aids.” Kelly stretched her legs and moaned. “And some Advil or whatever the 1966 equivalent is.”

  “You have some pretty harsh bruises on your arms and legs,” Zoey confirmed. “It looks like someone worked you over with a baseball bat.”

  “It feels like it,” Kelly agreed. “I just spent a lot of time bumping into things and holding onto poles. By the time I get the hang of it, we’ll be gone.”

  “I hope.” Zoey picked up her books. “We’d better hurry. I don’t want to get detention. Either that or licks, and I don’t think that sounds good.”

  “Licks are hits with a paddle,” Austin explained. “A boy in my history class was sent to the principal’s office to get two licks because he threw a spit-wad at the teacher. Boy, they take their discipline seriously here.” Austin stood and he and Zoey left the coffee shop.

  Much later that day Austin bumped into Zoey in the hall. “Hey, how’d your test go?”

  “I owned it. Too bad I won’t know my grade. Where’re you off to?”

  “Coach wanted to see me about spending some chalk time with the team to teach them some new plays. It’s kind of cool knowing plays that they don’t. I’m sure Scott would consider it an infraction of the rules, but it’ll be fun. You know, I might like coaching someday. When do you go over to Wendy’s house?”

  “After our next class.”

  “Well, this is it. Our last day of school. Hopefully, all this will be worth it.”

  “I know. I’m really worried about her,” Zoey admitted. “I still don’t have a clue why she would kill herself . . . or why anyone else would.”

  “Tonight’s the night. I guess I’ll see you after the game.”

  ““I’ll call you . . . I mean if something happens.”

  “Cell phone?”

  “Oh my God . . . really? I forgot again. I’m having withdrawal.” Zoey slapped herself in the forehead. She shook her head and walked toward her last class.

  Austin headed down the hall toward the locker rooms. Ahead of him Coach Decker waited. “Hey Coach Decker. Ready to go?”