Lucas And The Time-Traveling Fog Party Animals
Chapter 20 Promises, Promises

After that, things started to finally look up for me. Originally, I thought it was cool that I finally get to see my parents get together and see their relationship blossom. But after I glanced at them awkwardly talking and those two at a table laughing, a part of me wished I had what they had and hoped that would happen to me someday.

Once Liz´s college class was over for the day, I decided to take a nice drive around the city to clear my head, which I usually do when I get stressed about life and stuff. Just as I was getting out of campus, the green fog somehow found me again. As soon as I was covered in the fog, I exclaimed, “There you are! It’s about time you showed up. So, what are you waiting for to take me back home!” But each time I continued to drive through the fog, the fog kept on spitting me out by turning me back to campus, and the more I did it, the more frustrated I became.

So, when I drove back into the fog for the last time, I had enough and said to the fog, “I did everything I was supposed to do...I helped my parents get together, her friends and family to stick by her side again...what else is there?! Suddenly, it just occurred to me that I did miss something and that something was that stupid promise I made to Liz a while back while at her brother’s birthday party.

I said, “Seriously, I can’t go home because of a stupid promise I made while I was tired? You know how big of a gamble that is. I don’t even know how to fall in love with a girl, let alone some guy, but if it will get me home faster, I’ll do it.”

The next thing I knew, I was on the road again, but somehow, I ended up near the Christopher Columbus Statue in Grant Park and still saw the girl as I looked at the rearview mirror.

I don’t know how or why the fog dropped me off here, but I gotta head back to the dorm and solve this mystery of getting someone to fall in love with Liz once and for all, and I think I know the guy just to do it, and that is Robbie Shelton. He has some kind of a crush on me, at least that’s what John told me, and now that he mentioned it, I do remember him flirting with me at the mall and...I was totally falling for it. But I don’t know why I snapped at him, though, and that probably ruined my chances with him. I got to replace him and apologize right away.

With this revelation in mind, I drove back to campus and tried to talk to him, but whenever I did talk to him or even give him a friendly wave, he would just ignore me and walk away like I never even existed before I got a word out.

Is he still upset with me over that thing I said about him, or is this what it’s like to be on the other end of playing hard to get? Either way, it looks like this may take a while. And it did take a while, but I was expecting for it to be like a day or two, and he would come crawling back to me, not three whole weeks!

It’s OCTOBER already, and I don’t want to spend Halloween or Thanksgiving with her family. ONE birthday was enough. I didn’t know at the time if Robbie would ever talk to me again, but fate had a funny way of showing it. It all started on October 8th, 1985. Margaret got all jumpy one morning and told me that she’d explain why to the whole group. It was that important to her. So, when we all sat at the table, she told us that her boyfriend John is having a party at his house this weekend and all of us are invited, there will be booze, snacks, and watching movies. It’ll be fun. Did she say booze? Oh, now we’re talking! I’m so in.

Margaret then went around asking the group one by one. All of them made up some lame excuse or chickened out, but not me. So, when she finally lost all hope when she got to me and asked If I would be able to come to the party, I told her, “Yeah, I’ll come over. I got nothing else better to do other than homework, but it can wait.”

Her eyes widened like a kid in a candy store, and she said, “Really, you’ll come with me? Sweet, I’ll tell Johnny the news. Stay here. I will be right back.”

When she left, all the girls turned to face me and gave me the stink eye, and I knew I must’ve done something wrong, but what?

Melissa then asked me, “Uhh, Liz, can you please explain yourself to the group? I think I need to get my ears checked because correct me if I am wrong, but I swear we all heard you say yes to going to John’s party. I don’t know if you heard, but the last party John had was a total bust. Some girls even called it the worst party of the century! I’m totally down for any party that involves me getting my hands on a wine bottle, but if it’s at John’s, no way!”

I answered, “Oh my... can you just take a chill pill...all of you. Geez, you think I don’t know that? I’m counting on it. But when there’s a party, there’s bound to be boys, and who knows, I might actually replace someone there.”

Tiff said, “Whatever floats your boat, Lizzie, but I’ll believe it when I see that boy for myself, but you and Marge have a good time, though, and you better not go all animal at the party...you don’t want to get kicked out.”