“That’s close to Seattle, which is where Jason moved, if I remember right,” Sadie said, and Laurie sighed in relief. “So, just wondering… what kind of music do you like?”

           “Uh-oh,” Ash said. “Depending on your tastes, she may request a rap battle.”

           “Rap battle?” Laurie said with a surprised laugh. “Sadie—you did… er, do those?”

           Sadie blushed a little. “It’s been a while. Kids at Cookton just listen to such mean music. Any battle I’d want to have would be filled with so many swear words that, win or lose, we would both go to detention. And I got enough of those from Mr. Garcia.”

           “Hm… My music preferences change all the time. Lo-fi chill is always a go-to.”

           “Don’t think I’ve heard of that. I only ask because I was curious if you were one of those emo kids? Don’t take that the wrong way. I’m not even really sure what it is yet myself, but we got a few students who listen to stuff like The Cure, or Deftones, or Nine Inch Nails—which just sounds painful. They’re kind of goth, but… not all the way?”

           Laurie self-consciously pushed back the hair on her face. “Oh, no—I’ve just been experimenting with my look recently. Yeah, I know how to handle my emotions.”

           “Maaan…” Wes whined when another match came to an end. “Not fair, Colin. You and Zach ganged up on me so much that you even got Jason in on it. Normally on Facility… I get on an unstoppable run. I know the spawn points and everything.”

           “We know,” Colin replied. “But Jason’s the one on a roll tonight. Who’s next?”

           “All right, time to show you how it’s done,” Celeste said, giving her knuckles a crack as she came over with her black controller. “Pistols in Bunker sound good?”

           “Fine with me,” Arthur said, taking Zach’s place. “Z, work on your aim, dude.”

           As a firefight erupted in a sheltered compound beneath Siberian tundra, Wessy grabbed a slice on his way to the couch, plopped down between Sadie and Ash where Celeste had been, then took a few bites and commented, “I love this system, and what video games are becoming. I still hook up my SNES sometimes, but launch weekend for the 64 was craaazy. Me and the guys all got to Target at dawn as it opened, left with our consoles, and then played on Zach’s, right in this room, until four in the morning!”

           “You’re still as nutty as you were in elementary school,” Sadie jokingly semi-scolded him. “It had, what, only two launch games? I just waited ‘til Christmas.”

           “I mean, sure, but Super Mario 64 and Pilotwings were so shiny, and all we needed.”

           “Wes, I get that vibe,” Celeste said over the noise while she pulled off headshots. “My karate sensei once spent an entire class talking about Mario 64 with everyone.”

           “Maybe stuff is changing a little too fast, though,” Sadie worried and stared at the digital violence. “We had lots of fun with our water and laser guns outside, and now…”

           “We’re changing faster, and video games won’t replace the memories,” Ash said.

           Laurie took in the sight of the crowded room and remarked, “It’s a little amazing that you’ve all stuck together this long. I try hard to keep my own friend circle glued together, but I definitely saw other ones break apart right away in middle school.”

           “Ah, yeah…” Wes murmured. “We’re all buddies, even if we fight about stupid stuff sometimes. Well… there was this one kid named Charlie, way back, who we don’t really hang out with anymore. Or talk about. He got too intense for us, anyway.”

           Though attention was already divided among the room’s seven-member audience who were doing their own things on the side, it seemed that the game faded even further into the background as those not playing got deep into sharing interpersonal stories and feelings as only young teenagers could do, regardless of the current generation.

           Gaming time became a blur as it always did, players shifted, matches became less serious, and towards the end of the night, it was Celeste, Millie, Sadie, and Ash who got to play the final round. As rambunctious as the boys could be, it was the girls who made a rule set that put them in the small Archives level with just explosive weaponry, used to blow up boxes and the glass windows of offices—bringing the frame rate to a crawl.

           “This is what our get-togethers eventually turn into,” Colin said over Zach’s hi-fi stereo system. “Game devolves into chaos, Zach plays Backstreet Boys ironically, and all that’s left of the pizza are grease stains.” He got up to stretch. “Okay, guys. I’m out.”

           “Get home in one piece, C-dawg,” Jared replied with a yawn. “We still got some more hanging out to do with Jason tomorrow. Maybe we’ll hit a movie or something?”

           “We’ll see what happens. See ya. Can’t wait to meet your other cousins, Jason.”

           He left with waves aplenty, and it wasn’t long until Wessy had gone as well. The match then came to a close, leaving the arena a smoldering ruin and some scores in the negative. Sadie shut things down, and once Celeste had done her version of limbering up—by punching into the air several times—she crossed her arms and smiled.

           “Zach, you’re always a good host. But I gotta get home and burn off the pie.”

           “You scare me a little, Cel, but you keep doing your thing,” he told her.

           “Z, are you still crushin’ on her?” Ash asked once Celeste had left the house.

           “N-no, Ash! Geez, I keep telling you and Sadie—I just admire her grit. We’re not going to be a… a thing. Besides, she’d make me go on runs all the time or whatever.”

           Arthur, who had been checking out Zach’s own collection of DVDs, turned and inquired, “Hey, isn’t Titanic out yet? It’s not downstairs, either. I’m, uh… just curious.”

           Sadie rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you guys see it enough times? For obvious reasons?”

           “Don’t know what you’re talking about, Said’.” Jared sprawled out on a couch and took out his Game Boy. “We just care about the story and special effects.”

           “Uh-huh,” Ash snidely replied. She then checked her watch. “Dad should be here in about ten minutes, if you still want a ride back with us, Jared. You good, Sadie?”

           “Yeah, I don’t mind a night walk.” Sadie put on her baseball cap and grabbed her keyring flashlight. “Z, I know you’re a ‘free spirit’ now and ‘here and there,’ but nights like this are still what being friends is all about. Don’t forget your roots, ya know?”

           “Aw, you’re so sentimental.” Zach smiled. “You guys are always on the guest list.”

           Within a few minutes, the former energy of the room had been replaced by Zach going around with a garbage bag and cleaning up the pizza boxes, paper plates, and soda bottles and plastic cups. Arthur was messing around as a birdman in the free exploration mode of Pilotwings, with the game’s soft jazzy tunes setting the ambience. Ash skimmed one of Zach’s trashy teen scene mags, Jared grumbled at his Game Boy game, Jace and Millie quietly caught up, and Laurie non-stressfully practiced her hacky-sacking.

           “Guess that marks the end of seventh grade…” Zach lamented as he worked on getting his lair back into top shape. “Ah, man. Years are starting to blend together.”

           “Top of the heap again in a couple months,” Arthur replied, his pilot’s bird wings flapping him into the sky. “Feels like a short journey compared to elementary school.”

           “Lara, you’re pretty good at that,” Zach casually commented. “My older cousin is a freshman in college, and she says everyone’s kicking those around. I… don’t get it.”

           “It reminds me how to focus,” Laurie explained. “Other times, it’s for fun.”

           Zach’s computer speakers let out the now-familiar sound of an America Online incoming message, and he checked his monitor. This time, he didn’t type out a simple response like he had the rest of the night whenever someone contacted him. Instead, he dropped the trash bag, leaned in to read something intensely, and exhaled sharply.

           “Uh, Jason? Could you come here a sec? Someone’s… asking for you.”

           Curious, he left Millie’s side to check it out—though she tagged right along, as expected. In a box was a perturbing message from a user named “xXDarkShadowXx.”

           “Zach, heard Jason was in town. Looking for him. I’m guessing you’re having your end of school party again, so if he’s anywhere, he’s there. Talk to me. Crucial.”

           “Is that…” Millie thought a moment. “That’s Charlie, isn’t it?”

           “Yeah…” Zach admitted. “We still chat every now and then, but this is the most he’s said, er… typed in weeks. What do you wanna do, Jason? I can deny you’re around.”

           Jace gulped and nervously replied, “Tell him… I’m here, and ask what he wants.”

           A fast typist, Zach pounded out the reply and got in return, “Good. Need to talk with him about something I found in my backpack today. Skate pLace. Now.”

           “What the heck, Jason?” Zach muttered. “Are you two scheming something?”

           Without hesitation, Millie took out her phone and declared, “You need a ride, don’t you? I’ll call my dad and tell him the change of plans. But I’m coming with.”

           As nearly two hours on the tick had gone by since the start of the pizza party, the elder Millie was already waiting outside at the end of Zach’s long driveway, no phone call necessary. When she saw her teenage punk self walking with Jace and Laurie into the glow of the street lights, her face dropped a little and she crossed her arms.

           “Okay, what’s this about?” she huffed. “I didn’t want to interact with… her.”

           “We might have a problem,” Jace reported. “Charlie wants to meet with us.”

           “For the love of… This day is never going to end. He say anything specific?”

           “No,” Teen Millie replied. “But he asked for Jace, so he knew he was here, and I’m guessing it has something to do with why you’re here. Are you screwing with stuff?”

           “That’s really none of your business, but I had to give something to Charlie that won’t matter for decades. For all I know, Laurie did more damage than I’d ever cause.”

           “What?!” Laurie exclaimed, shocked she’d been singled out. “Hey, hold on, I’ve seen enough time travel movies; I get how this works. For the record, I had fun up there and didn’t say anything that would’ve been dangerous. It was like… I became a different person, separate from 2022. Here, I’m Lara, 90s girl, hanging out with Wes’ crew and playing it cool. In fact, I love this so far! Everything’s so bold and aggressive, the music’s in your face, and people say what they really mean and don’t keep you wondering.”

           “All right, settle down,” Adult Millie sighed. “It’s not personal; I was just making a point. I’d hoped that he’d have no one to ask before school starts again, but there’s still us.” She groaned. “If he’s suspicious, then we need to talk to him. Well, you guys do. It’s the only chance we have to get him to trust us, and his ‘present.’ Where’s the meetup?”

           “The old skating rink by the mall,” Teen Millie answered. “My… our dad can give us a ride, but not here—the twins’ dad will show up any minute. Bad idea to let anyone else see you, right? You should really let me in on the big secret, though, since it’s sort of my job to watch Charlie and keep him under control. We both know what’s up.”

           Big Millie took this into consideration, and replied, “Fine. It’s a data stick he can’t look at until later, with files for a time machine that will self-destruct and, hopefully, get him to move on from all this. I’ve made the blueprints look like they were authored by a future version of himself, so he should trust it enough to keep it around until then.”

           “Hm. That’s clever, I admit. And does sound like something I’d come up with.”

           “Uh-huh, we’re really cool. Now where’s Dad supposed to pick us up?”

           At 9:30 on a Friday night, two Millies, Laurie, and Jace waited under the glow of a Circle K’s signage, at the side of Kettle Road and by a turn into Desert Tree. Amid the sound of traffic and late evening city life, Laurie sipped a small coffee.

           “Lor, you’re thirteen. I can’t believe you’re drinking that stuff already,” Jace said.

           “Long day…” she murmured. “Also, lots of cream. Still getting used to it.”

           “The rest of the gang likes to hang out here,” the younger Millie said to her older counterpart. “I don’t, since I hate the smell of gas, but the place does stand out along the highway. Dad should be here in a minute…” She looked up at her. “Look, as long as we’re working together, one of us should go by, like, a nickname. Like Wes and Wessy.”

           “I don’t expect this partnership to last long,” Big Millie replied. “But, if we must, then I’ve got seniority and get to keep my name. So… for you, let’s just stick with Mill.”

           Mill shrugged. “I mean, you already know I’d say ‘whatever,’ or ‘fine,’ something like that. Hey, you seem… tense? Are you just another stressed adult, or…”

           Millie uncrossed her arms and left the convenience store’s wall as a pick-up truck approached and replied, “Looks like Dad’s ride. I’ve just been screwed over before and I want this to go right. That’s all. Anyway… Good pizza party? How’s everyone doing?”

           “You know. Same as usual. They like video games way too much, but they’re all so… genuine. Okay, you better hoodie-up and keep quiet. You know how Dad is.”

           With Mill up front by her eyepatch-wearing, mysterious survivalist-type pop, the streetlights of Kettle passed by but barely touched the face of Millie, sitting between Laurie and Jace with her hood over her eyes. And it only made her more suspicious.

           “You say you’re Jason’s new mom, eh?” her dad asked, looking into the rearview. “I swear I’ve seen you before, somewhere. What do you see in his dad, anyway? Don’t get me wrong, he can watch out for himself, but last time I saw him, I was helping him skip town. Figured he’d still have debts. You know… This is one of the weirder things I’ve said to a stranger, but you’re almost like my kid if she came back to 1998 as an adult.”

           “W-what?” Mill exclaimed. “Dad, come on, you’ll make even more people think you’re crazy.” She turned to the back. “Don’t believe a word he says, uh, Jason’s mom.”

           Millie said in a fake deep voice, “It’s all right. I’m used to his kind of… humor.”

           “Used to it, or… enjoy it?” her dad wondered. “It’d be nice if someone did.”