Chill Your Brain

Chapter 5: Michael Visits a 7-11 from the Past

"So, uh, JD, I don't mean to sound complainy or anything, but how much farther until we get there?" inquired Christine.

"Actually, not much farther at all. Right around this next corner, and then you'll see it." he answered.

They all turned the corner, and sure enough, there was a 7-11 right there. They entered, and headed straight for the slurpee machine. After purchasing a small slurpee with some money he found in his pocket, Jeremy drank it in a matter of seconds, because man, oh man, was he thirsty. Unfortunately, there wasn't any Mountain Dew Red in the store. As he headed out the door with Michael and Christine, he bumped right into a girl wearing blue. He tried to apologize, but the girl was already greeting JD. They apparently knew each other from school.

As they left the 7-11, Michael felt around in his pockets for the time machine. Nothing was there but the empty envelope.

"Ah shoot, I left the time machine on the counter, I'll just run back in and get it, be right back," Michael called to the rest of the group as he ran back towards 7-11. As he dashed toward the slurpee machine, Michael looked around for the time machine. But there was no sign of it. He turned around and saw JD and the girl-her name was apparently Veronica-talking. Veronica was holding something behind her back. After cleaning off his glasses, Michael could see that it was the time machine!

"Excuse me, but I think that's mine..." he told Veronica, gesturing at the time machine.

"It is? Oh, sorry, here yo-" she started to say, but then JD cut her off.

"What even is it?" he asked.

"Uh, just a pair of handcuffs. Nothing much," Michael answered, sweating nervously.

"What's with the number pad?"

"To lock or unlock it, it requires a code," lied Michael.

"Can you show me?"

"Show...show you?" Michael gulped.

"Yeah."

"Listen, uh, I'm not so sure I can do that, because it's...it's broken! And there's no reason to even try it, because it won't work, so could you, could you give it back, please?" Michael stammered.

"If it won't work, then why do you need it back so badly?" asked JD, who was getting suspicious.

"I just do!" said Michael desperately.

"You know...I'll give it back to you...in return for a favor." offered JD. By this point Jeremy and Christine had decided to go into the 7-11 to find Michael, because the awkward levels had risen to a point where Jeremy couldn't even speak a complete sentence to Christine.

"What...what favor?" Michael asked, as Jeremy and Christine approached him.

"See, there's this girl at school that's been...bothering Veronica and I, I guess you could say. If you were to do something about that, well, then we would give you your 'Handcuffs'. Sound like a deal?"

"So do you want me to, like, just go up to her and tell her to stop being a jerk or what," asked Michael.

"No, I do not. I don't think that would be...permanent enough of a solution."

Michael gulped. He had a bad feeling about what JD meant. But without the time machine, there would be no chance to get back to their time.

He held out his hand for a handshake. "I accept."

As they shook hands, JD grinned. "Perfect. We'll return your so-called 'Handcuffs' when you bring us the body of a certain Miss Heather Chandler," he assured Michael, while handing him a slip of paper with an address on it.