Black to the Past

Chapter 21

All five kids turned to stare at the stranger who had so very obviously been attuned to their conversation and had been for some time.
"Who are you?" Halle was the first to ask.
"And why are you listening to our conversation," Meredith asked next.
"Sounds like you kids got a big project on your hands and I can help you make it the best project your school has ever seen," the old man told them.
"Man, whatever," Wilson said dismissively.
"This was your idea, young man. I'd think you'd be the most interested in hearing what I have to say to make your idea come true," the man suggested.
"It's hypothetical. I want to build a model car and make it look like a time machine like in the movie Back to the Future," Wilson tried explaining slowly.
Though the old man looked harmless, there were so many weirdos in the world that he either read about or listened to stories on YouTube he didn't want to take a chance getting caught up listening to some old man with a crazy idea in his head.
"What if it's not hypothetical? What if you can travel back in time? Would you?"
The kids all looked from one to the other. Jalen and Michael stared at each other. In their Engineering class they talked about it often. In Robotics, they dreamed of how to make a time machine and what it would take. They were SciFi freaks and they often contemplated the what ifs in life. It was the one thing they would always have in common.
"Okay, I'll bite," Jalen was the first to express interest. "What if we could? Then what?"
"Then I'd wonder if you'd have the guts to do it," the old man taunted. "Guts," Meredith said, swallowing hard. "Come on, guys. Let's go, this guy sounds crazy."
"It's not crazy. Just because you've never heard of the possibility, little girl. You go on. I'll talk to the rest of the kids," the old man said as he slowly walked away in hopes that the kids would follow.
"Don't go, Wilson," Meredith begged.
"He's harmless, Mare, don't worry," Wilson said quietly. "Let's just hear what he has to say."
"This is silly," Halle said with a nervous chuckle.
"If it's silly, there's no harm in listening to his idea. At the very least it'll give us a good addition to our story," Jalen reasoned.
"Yeah, plus, maybe he was a scientist or someone who once contemplated time travel. You can learn a lot from old people," Michael said as he started to follow behind the old guy. Wilson and Jalen turned to follow too. Halle's interest was piqued and Meredith had the chills so she didn't want to be left behind, although she didn't want to go.
"Something bad could happen," Meredith whispered to Halle.
"There's no such thing as time travel, Meredith. Let's just hear his idea, use it as our own, I've got a five page essay to write, I need all the ideas I can get."
"You guys, suck," Meredith said angrily. She'd only listen for a few minutes, then beg away. She'd still have to wait on Halle for a ride home but she could get a new book to read while she waited.