The DeLorean Diaries

The Car

 March 12, 1984

Another long day. Mrs. Garland kept me after class again. She doesn't get it. Keeps telling me I'm "better than this" and "could do great things" if I'd just apply myself. What does she even mean by that? It's not like the world's waiting for me to step in and save it. I just want to make it through this last year and get out.

Dad came through today, though. Big time. He pulled into the driveway after work and said, "Guess what I got for us?" And there it was—a brand-new DeLorean DMC-12. I think I stood there, speechless, for a good minute. It wasn't some dream car from the magazine or something I'd see in a movie—it was real, parked right there in our driveway.

I've watched Back to the Future like a hundred times. Hell, I could probably quote the entire movie by heart. Marty McFly's DeLorean was, like, the car of the century, right? But this? This is mine. Sure, I wasn't expecting some time machine or anything, but still—how many people get their hands on one of these? It's like something out of the future.

Dad was super proud of himself—said he worked extra shifts at the plant to save up for it. He even made some comment about how it's "my ticket to freedom." I didn't really get it at the time. Freedom from what, exactly? But I didn't question him. I just kept staring at the car.

There's something weird about it though. I've been sitting in it for hours, just admiring the sleek lines, the interior, the whole thing. It's like it was made for me. It feels right. And, okay, this might sound a little crazy, but when I got in and tried to start it up, the engine roared to life without me even turning the key. I swear, the thing started all on its own, like it was waiting for me to get in.

Maybe I'm just imagining things—getting too caught up in the whole "Back to the Future" thing, you know? I've seen all the movies, the first one, the second one, and the part where Doc Brown comes back to 1985. It's kinda crazy that, in a way, I'm driving the same car that could've been the real time machine. I thought about it for a second, like maybe, just maybe, it could be more than just a car.

But no, that's ridiculous. Cars don't travel through time. That's just a movie. Still, it felt like I could do something with this car—something big, something that could actually get me out of here. It's not like my life is terrible, but I feel stuck. And it's not just the car; it's something about the way she looks at me. Yeah, sounds weird, but it's like she knows what I need.

Anyway, enough of that. I've gotta take her down to the lot tomorrow and show Danny. He's gonna lose it when he sees her. I told him a million times that DeLoreans are the coolest cars, but now I actually have one. I wonder if he'll notice the weird feeling I get whenever I sit in it. Like she's alive.

Oh, and one more thing—she doesn't even need keys to drive. I'm not kidding. I swear she moved on her own when I was sitting in the driver's seat. I didn't even press the accelerator. It's like the car... wants to go. At least I think so

Maybe it's just me. I don't know.

I'm gonna crash. I'll take her out tomorrow after school. I think I'll head down Route 7, that old stretch of road. No one goes out there anymore. Maybe I'll find out what this thing can really do.

Also, I'm thinking of calling her Dee. It just feels right. Like she's a part of me. Maybe I'm crazy, but for once, I feel like I'm driving something that understands me.