That Moment I First Saw You (TFF Fanfic)

Chapter 17: 2000-1985

       Delilah did not stop to rest as she got off the plane and headed out towards the pick-up area. She wanted to be able to go on her phone and call for an Uber but she knew that that wasn't possible. Uber doesn't exist yet. She growled and then walked over to a pay phone where she dug a crusty quarter out of her pocket and payed for a call to a taxi.
       Once the taxi got there, Delilah was unhappy to have to sit in the back of a smelly cab but she resigned herself to the punishment. After what she did, she deserved it.
                                  ...
        Delilah told the driver to drop her off in the heart of Sacramento which is where she presumed the album store had been. Her guess had been close enough but still too far away to where she was forced to walk for two blocks until she found a somewhat familiar looking building. It was the same shape and size but the name was different and it looked almost brand new. Slightly hesitating before she entered, she wondered how she was going to do this. But she knew that she had to so she swallowed her uncertainty and entered the store.
       A tiny bell in the front of the store rang as she walked in, which was right on key to the song coming out of the speakers. Glancing around, she observed the shag orange carpet and multicolored, patterned walls which screamed 80s. She took in the sight. These were her last minutes in the 80s where Roland was, and she wasn't even with him. She fought back tears and was surprised to hear a chirpy voice from behind her.
       "Hey! Welcome to Retro Records! How may I-" the voice stopped abruptly as Delilah turned around to find the woman she had seen what felt like ages ago. To Delilah's surprise, she looked exactly the same. "Oh my goodness, it's you!" At her reaction Delilah was confused. Shouldn't she not know who she was since she would have first seen her years in the future? "What are you doing here?" The woman smiled at her like they were old friends. "Come to thank me?"
       "Ok, first question, how do you know who I am? And second question, why would I thank you?" The woman looked taken aback.
       "Well of course I know who you are. I sent you back to this time didn't I? And secondly, you should be thanking me because you said that you needed an escape from your life so...I gave you that."
       "By sending me back in time? Without my consent?" The woman laughed heartily as Delilah glared.
       "Who ever said you needed to get consent to send someone back in time?"
       "Um, probably everyone," Delilah snapped. "But anyways, I don't care about that, I don't care, I just need you to send me back to 2019. Right now." The woman cocked her head.
       "But why would you ever want to go back? The last I heard you were dating that famous singer...what's his name again?" Delilah winced at the reminder.
       "Well that's over now. So I want to go home. I need to go home. Can you please do that?" With a nervous shift from one leg to the other the woman suddenly became evasive.
       "Heh, um, I would but I don't think that's possible." Taking a step closer, Delilah crossed her arms. "You see, I have only perfected my time travel technology so far to where someone can only go back to a certain point in time that already exists, such as the past." Delilah felt her stomach begin to burn.
       "What are you saying?" she nearly whispered.
       "I'm saying that I can't send you back. I'm sorry." Delilah gripped the side of the front counter and held her stomach.
       "T-that c-can't be. You sent me here so you must be able to send me back!"
       "No, I can't. There's really nothing I can do." Trying to catch her breath, Delilah suddenly straightened up and pressed down her hair.
       "I got here somehow, so there must be a way for me to get back. And if you won't help me I'll help myself." Delilah then stormed out of the building leaving the woman to call after her as she keep walking without looking back. She had an idea and she planned on going through with it.
                                 ...    
       Due to their ability to take a private jet back to the States and its inherent ability to fly faster than a commercial plane, the band arrived an hour after Delilah. They wasted no time in calling a cab and piling in so that Ian take them to where he had saved Delilah. Throughout the whole ride, Roland was extremely impatient.
       "Come on!" he screamed halfway through the ride as they hit heavy traffic. "This is unbelieveable. Can't you go around this?" He pointed an accusing finger at the taxi driver who  held up his hands in defense.
       "I'm sorry but this is out of my control," the man answered. "I can't even turn around." At that, the side door opened and Roland got out in the middle of the street where all the cars sat in the traffic.
       "Roland!" cried Ian in surprise. "What are you doing? We're still ten minutes away!"
       "I know that but I can't wait any longer," Roland answered frantically. "I have to get to Delilah before she does anything that we both regret!" He then dodged the cars, leaving behind his screaming friends and took off down the street. He knew where to go but now. All he had to do was find the store.
                                  ...   
       Considerably slowing down in his pace, Roland was panting in exhaustion as he reached a familiar street corner. He knew this place. Album store, album store was all his mind kept saying. He whipped his head around in search of it almost giving himself whiplash as he soon spotted a record place by the name of Retro Records. That has to be the place he thought to himself recognizing the spot across the street where they had parked in order to nurse Delilah back to health. Not waiting one more second, he then bounded into the store.
       "Delilah? Delilah!" he yelled as he came through the door startling a woman who was on the phone behind the counter. "Where's Delilah?" The woman almost looked like she was going to ask who he was talking about but he quickly talked over her. "She's a tall blonde with blue eyes. She should have come in here this morning." Understanding flashed over the woman's face.
       "Yes, she was in here this morning but she just left five minutes ago." Roland nearly fell over.
       "Really? Where did she go? I need to find her. It's important."
       "I don't know where she was going but all I know is she was heading out that way in a hurry." She pointed out the window in the opposite direction of where Roland had just come from. To that, he gave her a quick thank you and bounded out the door.
                                 ...
     Delilah walked down the street about two minutes and had been standing at the corner for about three.  She was wondering if she should really go through with what she was planning. Painful fear tried to grip her heart but she pushed it away. She needed to do this. If this was how she got there, then this was how she'd get back home.
       Looking down at her feet dizzily, she tried to swallow but couldn't. This could kill me she thought. And then a bitter sounding voice entered her head.
       No it won't. You didn't die the first time so you'll be fine now. Its raspy loud sound then turned to a smooth whisper. Besides, if you did die who would care? Your parents wouldn't know the wiser and Roland said that he never wanted to see you again. Why not make that wish come true? Feeling a jolt of pain rocket through her heart, she then squeezed her eyes shut for the last time and stepped out into the street.
       Everything then went in slow motion. She looked up, saw a large bus coming towards her and closed her eyes bracing for impact. She then knew that she would die for sure that day. 2000-1985 is what my headstone will say was her last thought. And then she was hit.