Outatime

Chapter Ten: Marty Versus Tiff

            "Where is she?! This whole thing was her idea!"

            George didn't feel any easier than Linda did, as they waited anxiously for Marty and her two friends to show up at Century Café. The joint was fuller than usual for a Saturday afternoon, thanks to George advertising the event for the entire school. Of course, Linda had not approved any promotion, and with Marty being a no-show, she was highly regretting it.

            "She'll be here," George tried to reassure her, even though he wasn't so convinced himself of that. "We worked our asses off for this gig. She wouldn't just bail at the last minute."

            Linda's nerves were shot. "Oh! Just forget it! Forget the whole thing!"

            She rushed for the exit, only to find herself face-to-face with Tiff Tannen and her weasel cronies. The entire café suddenly went silent in their presence, all eyes focused on them. "Whoa, Flynn! Where's the stampede?" Tiff asked.

            "Fire," George uttered. "Where's the fire."

            "Shut it, McFly!" Tiff thundered. "We ain't here for a grammar lesson! We're here for that redheaded floosy you two have been hangin' around with the past few days!"

            "Marty?" Linda figured. "We don't know where she is. Trust me on that."

            "Bullshit!" Tiff barked. "I got a hundred bucks tellin' me that you do – and nobody's leavin' here 'til we find out where she's hidin'!"

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            Marty was more than thankful Emma allowed her to borrow the Pacer Wagon for whenever she and the boys needed to go into town. It helped that particular day, driving to the Century Café. She tried to obey the speed limit, so as not to get a ticket in 1985. Thankfully, she and the boys made it there safely, albeit much later than they wanted. Marty just hoped Linda and George wouldn't be too upset with them being late.

            But that was the very least of their concerns, once they stopped at the café entrance and spotted Tiff and the weasels through the window. Luckily, none of them noticed Marty and the boys, considering their backs were facing them and the entrance that they obstructed. "I guess the show's kaput with them here," Phineas noted.

            "Why are they here?" Marty griped. "Don't they have a 7-Eleven to rob?" She noticed the extra threatening way Tiff addressed Linda and George. Curious to find out what this scene was all about, Marty and the boys snuck into the café unnoticed.

            "I got a hundred bucks tellin' me that you do – and nobody's leavin' here 'til we find out where she's hidin'!" They heard Tiff vehemently demand.

            "For the last time, we don't know where Marty is!" Linda told her.

            Knowing she was the reason for all this, Marty felt guilty. She didn't know why Tiff Tannen was looking for her or even how she knew about her; out of everyone she, Phineas, and Ferb knew from 2025 that they interacted with in 1985, Tiff was the only one they steered clear from.

            Regardless, Marty knew she had to do something.

            Acting fast, she snatched a full glass of chocolate milk from a nearby booth and hurled it at the back of Tiff's head, striking a direct hit. This took the entire café by surprise, with a collection of amused mutters emitting from the crowd. Infuriated, Tiff turned and faced Marty, who saw that someone had already gotten to Tiff's karate gi, with the large purple stain on its front.