Chapter 4: Standing Outside the Fire

Medway High School, Arva, Ontario

12:31pm, Wednesday, February 14, 1979

... A picture of my topless, Kaleigh smiling at me. I teased it gingerly out of the plastic slot and held it gently in my fingertips.

Cathy sitting beside me saw it first and said in surprise, “Damn, Mike, you can get suspended for having a picture like that on you here at school!”

Even with that school punishment hanging over my head, Cathy reached over to touch my picture of Kaleigh, with her beautiful smile and naked breasts thrust out as she appeared on that DVD image. Cathy carefully took it from my hands, studied it for a couple of seconds, and then asked, “So who is this beautiful creature, and why do you have this picture of her in your wallet?”

That is what I liked about Cathy; even though our secret relationship ended this past summer, she didn’t have a jealous bone in her body when it came to talking about any of the girls in my life. I sat up straight in my chair and calmly said, “Her name is Kaleigh Plyer, and she WILL be my future student, then my wife and mother of my children. And just so you’ll think I’ve really gone off the deep end with this story, Kaleigh will be born exactly one year from today, February 14, 1980, in Birmingham, Alabama.”

Both Paul and Brad were craning their necks to see the picture that Cathy held in her fingers. When Paul heard those last words, he snapped his head back to me and incredulously said, “What? This girl is not even born, yet. You’ve really lost me now, dude.”

Brad also had a skeptical look on his face as he processed my last statement.

Cathy though sat quietly and stared at the picture for several more moments before she happened to turn it over in her hands and saw the hand written note on the back. “What does this mean, Mike?” she asked while pointing to the inscription, which read, ‘Call up my essence.’

I smiled and silently asked the Energists to allow what I knew would convince my friends to occur here at this cafeteria table. I took a deep breath and signaled that I wanted the picture of Kaleigh back in my hands. When I stared into Kaleigh’s sparkling turquoise eyes, I simply said, “Come and help them understand this, Kaleigh.”

In a moment’s time, I felt an energy bubble isolated us at our table from everyone else in the busy cafeteria. Then, the love of my future life materialized above my hands in one of her red and black Fitness for Boomers‘ track suits.

Kaleigh smiled at me and my three friends. She then said, “Hello, my Love. I see you are back in your high school with some of your friends.” She turned her head to the right and saw Paul’s disbelieving look. “Hello, Paul. We’ve met or will meet actually sometime in 2003, at our wedding.” Both Brad and Paul were almost white with fear as the 3 foot tall image of Kaleigh turned to address them.

Cathy just clutched my leg tighter under the table as Kaleigh spoke to Paul and Brad. Cathy did smile back at Kaleigh when she spun around towards her. “And you are Cathy. Mike told me a little bit about you as well, but I’ll keep what he said, as our secret.” Kaleigh winked at her, which caused Cathy to grin and mouth, ‘Thanks,’ back to miniature Kaleigh.

Kaleigh, then even surprised me by leaning down between Cathy and me to whisper in Cathy’s ear, “If you want some advice from a satisfied future lover of this guy, here, you really should get back together with him a few more times on this, his second pass through high school.” Both Cathy and my eyes bugged out wide, and for the first time in a long time, I found Cathy McGregory at a loss for words.

When Kaleigh stood back up again, I said, “Hello, Star. Thank you for coming to help me explain my little adventure to my friends, here.”

“I am glad to help, my Love,” she softly said. “And I get to see you as a high school student, now, instead of just imagining what you looked and acted like from a few pictures in your yearbooks. Now Cathy, Paul and...”

“Brad, Brad MacGee. I told you about him when we talked about my football games. He is going to be a PE teacher and football coach, here at Medway, around the time I’m with you,” I softly said to Kaleigh.

“Oh, yes, nice to meet you, Brad.” Kaleigh’s words seemed to put him at ease somewhat. “Now, as I’m sure Mike has tried to explain to you, I was and will be born on February 14, 1980. Mike and I will eventually cross paths while he is teaching kinesiology at the University of Alabama. We’ll become a couple after I graduated in December, 2002, and we’ll get married sometime in June, 2003. I doubt he’s told you this, but we’re going to have twins; a boy and a girl we named Michael Jr., and Micheline. They will be born on October 7, 2003.”

I was somewhat amazed that Kaleigh told them all that because I still had my doubts about returning to that life as she just said to my friends. Then, I began to feel a strange but strong feeling about the veracity of Kaleigh’s words. I was about to ask her about it when it disappeared from my mind just as quick as I experienced it.

Kaleigh constantly turned around to look at all of us and continued, “I’ve never known Mike to lie to me, so please believe him when he explains everything that has happened to him and to me. I know it will sound unbelievable, but your friend here helped prepare a unique alien species to live and prosper in their new world. It is only with that alien species help now, that I’m able to come and communicate with you and to see my future love. Just remember, Mike is lucky to have good friends like you, and you are lucky to have him, as well. Help him as he completes this incredible adventure and make sure he gets back to the year 1999 safely, because that is when I first laid my eyes on this sexy beast.”

Paul and Brad just about fell off their chairs at Kaleigh’s last words, but Cathy rubbed her hand up and down my thigh as she processed Kaleigh’s statement. When Kaleigh stopped her story, I could tell Cathy was itching to ask Kaleigh something, so I nudged her and said, “Go on Cath.”

Cathy pulled her hand up off my leg and picked up the picture of Kaleigh, which showed her brilliant smile framed by her golden hair and her bare, full, firm breasts. “How in the world did Mike get this picture of you, looking so vibrant, so full of love and just so damn sexy?”

Kaleigh bent back down and whispered in Cathy’s ear, “That is from a striptease, I did for him on his 40^th birthday to ensure I’d have him hook, line and sinker.”

Cathy’s mouth dropped some and then she simply said, “No, you didn’t?” to which Kaleigh smiled that same smile in the picture, and nodded her head affirmative.

Kaleigh moved back a little and winked at both of us. “I recorded that striptease on a DVD ... a future recording system, and had this picture created from it, so Mike here could always see what he had waiting for him in 2003. I was scared to death prior doing it, but it was fun, and WELL worth the risk. Sometimes, we ladies just have to become a wild and crazy gal.”

Cathy and I burst out laughing at her Steve Martin reference. I remembered sitting with Kaleigh as we listened to that Steve Martin’s comedy album one night on the internet. When Cathy and I settled down, Kaleigh finished her description of that day with, “I just resolved to stop Standing Outside the Fire after I graduated. I, uh, basically jumped whole hog into the flames of love and decided to make my play for this guy, here. I was definitely scared, but I’ve got no regrets ... None at all.”

I had to wipe a tear from my eye as Kaleigh’s words really tugged on my heart strings. As I reminisced about our future, our previous life together as a couple was very short but neither of us would have changed a thing in our little dance.

Kaleigh stood back up over the center of the table after we settled down from our little outburst. “I have to go now, as my 2003 clients are waiting for me to get off the phone. It’s, uh, isn’t it cool how the Energists are able to take an everyday event like answering the phone and make it extraordinary for us?”

“Yes it is, Kaleigh,” I replied with small tears forming in my eyes. “I will love you always, and I’ll see you in 20ish years in my ‘Coaching Team Sports’ class, at Alabama.”

“I’m looking forward, or is it backwards ... to it. Regardless, have fun on your second journey through high school, Mike. Remember to learn and perfect those fun things you’ve already done with me!” Kaleigh then turned to each of my friends and said, “Good bye, Paul, Brad and Cathy.” Once again, she blew me a parting kiss and slowly faded from our sight.

Before anyone could say a word about Kaleigh’s appearance and disappearance, I felt the unique sensation of a multi-universe transportation conduit open up in front of us. If that magical communication with Kaleigh didn’t cause my friends to stroke out, I prayed that the sudden appearance of one of my Energist friends wouldn’t tip them over the edge, either. Once again, my two male friends sitting across from me were spellbound with awe as my alternate universe friend hovered several inches above our table.

Cathy, on the other hand, placed her hands on the table and leaned forward in amazement. She then asked, “Are you an energy being person, Mike helped in the future?”

The Energist turned slowly towards Cathy and me and softly said, “Yes. I am one of the Energists whom your friend here has invaluably helped,” He then backed up to see all of us and continued. “We are constantly monitoring Mike, now, and everything he has told you about how he returned to this 1979 years’ time, and the physical changes that have taken place to him are 100% true.”

Brad and Paul finally relaxed and breathed when they realized this strange looking being was not going to harm them. Brad then asked, “What are you really? You kinda look like us, but you’re not one of us like that Kaleigh lady appeared to be.”

“I am an Energist. We were a pure energy based species when we claimed or captured Mike in your 2003 calendar year. He helped us with our transition process into physical based beings on a new world, Energa. Our current bodies are somewhat similar to yours, but as you can see, we have a slightly larger head and a more translucent body because our new world does not have as much sun generated radiation as here on your Earth. As you can see, we are what you would call, ‘Humanoid’ in form, but we have maintained some of our previous ability to control energy and matter. Lastly, we have the ability to translocate from our world, our universe, into yours when a situation like this requires our presence.”

“Holy crap!” Paul exclaimed loudly, and then held his hand over his mouth in fear of being heard by the other students in the cafeteria. When he realized we were still isolated from everyone else, he dropped his hand back to the table and said, “This is for real, isn’t it? Good lord, my best friend sitting right there now, used to be a 40-year-old professor and taught physical education at the University of Alabama. And now, he’s back here in high school, again as a slightly changed version of his past 16-year-old self. This is just crazy, Mike. This is absolutely crazy, man!”

The Energist simply smiled and nodded his head at Paul’s long winded rant. When the pregnant pause became too much to bare, Brad finally chimed back in with, “Are there any other things that we need to know about this version of Mike?”

“I’m the same guy basically with just a few Energist provided enhancements. I have access to all 40ish years of my memories, and the Energists have allowed me to become a little bit taller and stronger compared to my previous body size.” I then paused to let Brad, Paul and Cathy mull those things in their overloaded minds.

During this brief respite, I silently communicated with my Energist friend to determine how much more I could tell them. He assured me I could tell them whatever I wanted to share with them. My high school friends would only recall this conversation or any of this information if I was around them and using any of my Energist provided enhancements or tools. The Energists would effectively block my friends’ memories of this beyond those just announced simplest of facts.

When Paul looked up at me again, I then continued, “I have been given enhanced physical abilities to perform skills and movements beyond what I could previously do, as well. Brad, you saw that in PE today, during my ‘rings’ routine, I believe.”

Brad smiled and nodded his head in agreement when he integrated my words with his PE memories.

“Some of these enhancements may surprise you, at first, but you’ll quickly come to incorporate them in your cognitive picture of me. Now, I want to share a few special things regarding my associations with y’all.”

Again, my use of that southern colloquialism raised a few eyebrows amongst my friends but then Cathy smiled at me and all was well.

“I have been given a minor ability to control or alter some mental aspects within people.” I could see some trepidation forming in Paul and Brad’s mind as I mentioned my ability to adjust other people’s minds. To lower their consternation some, I then said, “These changes will NEVER cause any pain or hurt to that person. They will only enhance an already viable characteristic within that person. Additionally, I can’t run around changing everyone as the Energists have asked me to limit this to a handful of carefully chosen people.”

I quickly determined that a couple of relevant illustrations might help my friends with this new startling piece of information. I regained their attention, which had wandered back to the Energist being hovering above our table, and said, “Let me give you guys a couple of clear examples, which I think will help you grasp what I just said. I am now able to boost all of your abilities to perform either musically,” and I nodded to both Paul and Cathy, “or athletically within Brad here. If you chose to accept these physical enhancements, you would immediately be able to perform at a higher skill level. However, you will have to diligently practice those enhanced skills to maintain or make additional advances within your newfound abilities. How does that sound?”

“Scary ... scary, but somewhat of a good scariness,” I heard Cathy reply. I smiled at her to reassure and let her know I understood how she was currently feeling.

When I looked at Paul and Brad, I figured I better say something to help them get their brains around this bit of crazy information. “I know you are being overloaded with things here, and it’s hard to fathom all this craziness. I also felt overwhelmed when the Energists told me about these enhancements, and I was a 40-year-old professor.”

Both guys sitting across from me stared at me for several moments as they grappled with my words and their internal thoughts and emotions. I also could see my Energist friend soaking up this teenage angst driven moment, as he and all the Energists had no prior interactions with a group of highly functioning human teenagers.

“So, I might be able to run faster, catch a football better and avoid tacklers easier with your enhancements?” Brad fired off after processing my words about this possible physical improvement, I just mentioned. His question quickly refocused my mind away from the Energists back to my real life friends.

“No and yes, Brad,” I replied with a touch of my mother’s bite at Brad’s choice of words in his question. “There is NO – ‘I might be able to‘ involved with this enhancement. There is only a, ‘Yes, you will be able to‘ do all those things and more with this enhancement. Just remember, you’ll have to train and practice hard for any of these changes to remain in effect within you.”

I then smiled at him and reaffirmed his thoughts with, “Basically, what you just said there, Brad was correct.” A slow grin crept from ear to ear over Brad’s face as he processed the implications of what he had just heard.

“So, you’re telling me, that if Cathy and I keep practicing our musical skills, my bass guitar and trumpet, and her drumming and percussion instruments, we could become good enough to form a band and possibly make some dough playing for folks? ... No way!” Paul said with some disbelief in his voice.

Before I could reply to Paul, Cathy calmly chimed in, “I’d like to have you provide me with some of those enhancements, right now, if you would.” Cathy even acted like the Energist being was no longer in front of her. “I have music next period, and I’m tired of being looked down on for being the only female drummer/percussionist in my group. If you can boost my abilities to shut up a few of those snarky male mouths, I’m all for it. Plus, you know I love to practice my drums and percussion, so losing it won’t be a problem for me!”

“If you really want it, I can make it happen,” I said to Cathy, while looking at the Energist for confirmation. My alien friend just smiled at me when I told Cathy I would increase her drum/percussion skills. “Don’t you have music, too, next period?” I queried Paul. “Do you want to blow your horn a little or a lot better, and when you pick up your bass, be able to play some of those tricky bass riffs that you’ve had trouble playing?”

“I guess that sounds okay to me. Just as long as I don’t grow a set of Satan horns or something,” Paul chuckled back to me. His use of humor was a clear sign that he was loosening up and coming to believe in what I was saying to them.

“No ... no Satan’s horns included with these enhancements,” I laughingly replied back at him.

Brad grabbed Paul around the shoulders as he said, “That would be a real sight to see. Paulie McG with a real live set of AC/DC Satan’s horns growing from his forehead.” We all burst out laughing at Brad’s words and the mental imagery it generated in our minds.

With my small circle of friends finally relaxed and believing in this incredible story of being sent back to relive my teenage years, we hardly noticed that my Energist friend had slowly started to fade out of sight. When I felt both the transportation conduit signal and the energy bubble begin to dissipate, I quickly looked around and saw that the cafeteria was in the exact same state of student driven chaos as when I first asked the Energists to allow Kaleigh to appear here. I surmised that everything we just shared here, took all of a micro-second’s time to complete. When I looked at my watch, I saw it was 12:38pm, and the end of the 6^th period was close at hand.