Lost in time G.D E.D

65

"Come on, I'll go with you to get your schedule," Tyler said, slamming his door closed.

I still sat in the passenger seat of his '89 black Honda Accord, staring at the kids in the parking lot, getting out of their cars and meeting up with their friends, laughing and exchanging greetings.

This was real.

I couldn't breathe, and I felt like my heart was about to beat right out of my chest.

"Liv?" I involuntarily jumped a little bit, startling myself back to the impossible which had now become my reality.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming," I said quickly, grabbing my backpack and getting out of the car.

I followed him toward the school's front entrance, watching as he was greeted and high-fived by multiple students during our walk there, mainly those wearing similar white baseball caps and a few girls with them.

"Yo man, what's up?" My dad asked with a packet of fun-dip in his hand asked, stepping out of his car and exchanging some kind of 'bro' handshake with Tyler.

Fun-dip in the morning made my stomach churn, but to this guy I'm sure it was the breakfast of champions.

"Hey, not much dawg, how you been?" Tyler asked, slamming him on the back.

"You ready for Sammy's party tonight? It's gonna be bangin'. You know people will be blazed."

"Damn skippy," the other guy replied, high-fiving Tyler.

"What is happening," I muttered in confusion to myself. I had mentally begun screaming.

There were entirely too many nineties phrases in that exchange.

My mom came over in a cheerleading outfit

"I heard my name," she smirked. I gaped at her bare legs, wondering how she wasn't frozen solid or dead yet from the below zero temperature.

Did she see the snow this morning?

"Party's still on, right?" My dad asked her with a wink.

My mom gave a playful eye roll.

"Duh," she said, elbowing my dad in the ribs lightly.

"But no going postal tonight, okay? Last time, two glass vases and a wine glass broke."

"You got it," he said, rubbing his ribs. Just when I was hoping to remain invisible, Tyler threw me into the spotlight.

"Hey, this is my friend, Liv," he said, gesturing his arm out for me to step forward, which I did awkwardly.

"Hey," I said, giving a slight wave.

"I'm the friend, apparently," I said, nodding my head, putting on a false smile. God, I sucked at fitting in, even in the 90s.

"Super rad, am I right?" I tried, knowing very little about the slang of the decade, even though it wasn't that old.

They stared at me, and my face felt hot.

I hadn't even had a full conversation with anyone, and I already looked like a complete loser.

"Yeah, she's been...not feeling well," Tyler added, giving me a weird look.

"Anyway, is it cool if she tags along?"

Tagged along?

Wait to make me feel like I was imposing.

"No that's okay," I said quickly, trying to laugh it off.

"I mean, I'll probably have a lot of work to catch up on with my classes anyway, so...I'm just gonna sit this one out." Tyler raised his eyebrows.