Further Into The Future!

Chapter 17

A few hours later we were watching a video on the wall. Jack, Dan and I were on the couch and Susan was sitting cross-legged on a big white cushion on the floor. Tiberius stood behind the couch as if he were at attention in the army. We passed around a bowl of cinnamon-flavored popcorn. To my surprise, it was delicious, the first food I had encountered in the future that I liked.

Jack and Susan made occasional comments during the movie, which was called David's Mom. It was about a mother who struggled to protect her son from bullies at his school. Jack's comments were typically sarcastic and Susan's expressed sympathy for the characters.

In the current scene the mother was speaking with the principal in his office. The principal was not being cooperative; he was almost defending the bullies. The mother slammed the table with her fist. The principal sat up in his chair, frightened, abandoning his arrogant manner.

"If I were that principal I would beat up David myself," Jack said.

"Jack! I feel bad for the mother. Imagine being in that situation," Susan said. She shook her head.

"Feel bad for the mother? That kid's a nerd."

Despite the playful chatter, there was palpable tension in the room. The conversation and the laughter seemed forced. I noticed that the volume was lower than they usually kept it, so they could hear if someone was coming. Everyone kept sneaking looks at the door, especially Tiberius, who watched over us like a guard.

I hardly paid any attention to the plot of the stupid movie, and I certainly wasn't laughing at Jack's jokes. My mind was concentrated on what could be coming up the elevator. I could tell that the others were terrified of the legendary band, and I became so myself.

Before long the movie came to an end. David's mom waved at her son as he rode away in a yellow school bus much like the ones we use today, except shinier and more streamlined. David waved back happily, his shaggy red hair almost obscuring his eyes. Before the bus turned out of sight a boy sitting next to David put his arm around him and joined him in waving to his mother. The credits rolled.

Dan was asleep, his head leaning on the armrest, a single spot of drool staining the red fabric below his mouth. Jack must have been sleepy himself, for it had been at least a half hour since his last criticism of the melodramatic movie. It was even worse than Redd Rescue, although I couldn't compare them fairly until I had been forced to watch David's Mom six more times.

Only Susan appeared completely alert. She stood up to stretch her arms and slapped Jack's leg hard.

"Get up, lazy boys," she said, rustling Dan's hair.

Jack groaned. "That movie put me right out," he said. He got up from the couch slowly and walked to the bedroom crouched over like an old man. "I should record that so I can watch it when I have trouble sleeping."

"I could say the same thing about your stupid action movies," Susan said.

"We should wave goodbye to my mother from a bus window sometime," he said. Susan laughed.

"Be quiet, masters," said Tiberius.

Jack and Susan stopped laughing and turned around as one unit.

"What's wrong?" Susan said.

"Be quiet. I hear something."

Jack ordered the wall to mute itself. We stood completely still. The only sound was of the rain softly striking their giant window.