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November 26th, 1984. 2:16 PM. Hill Valley High School.
The final hour of school. Marty McFly's biggest relief. It meant freedom from his tormentor... Needles.
"Um- 'Scuse me, uh, sorry, just coming through."
*Whack!*
Marty's skateboard smacks up against someone, and before he can even apologize, the person he'd hit speaks up.
"Hey!"
"Sorry-"
He turns in the direction of the voice, and he immediately spots a familiar face.
"Oh, uh- Jennifer! From, uh..."
Marty pauses awkwardly, expression falling.
"Fifth grade... Am I remembering that right?"
He'd certainly seen her around. Though, she looked a lot different then he remembered. Different enough that he hadn't connected the dots. First things first, he remembered her being blonde!
"And a few other grades."
The raven-haired Jennifer Parker puts her hands on her hips. He certainly remembers those eyes, but the way she dressed was different to what he remembered- No brainer. After all, it'd been how many years since they last spoke...?
Right... Five years. Five years since that day.
"Uh, yeah! But I mean, you and me were... I mean, I was just-"
Marty's hand touches the back of his neck, a slightly awkward chuckle coming from his lips as he glances down, trying to hide the most mild of blushes.
"Walking? I noticed. And I remember-"
"Hey, baby!"
Marty cusses under his breath. That bright red F-150... Speak of the Devil.
"Fuck off, Needles. Now's really not the time."
He completely ignores Marty, bothering Jennifer instead. He knew damn well that bastard wasn't interested in her at all. He just wanted to piss Marty off.
"No time like the present, right, Jenny?"
"Jennifer. And I'm trying to talk to Mar-"
"I know. That's why I'm tryna save ya. What, you'd rather a loser like McFly over me?"
That tone made Marty want to puke, but he's too busy looking at both Jennifer and his surroundings to scowl at him.
"Real funny, Doug."
She rolls her grey eyes. Does he ever leave Marty alone!? Is he gonna start bothering her again!?
"A girl like you deserves somebody special, not a pathetic little wimp like McFly."
Marty's paying zero attention to Needles. He's too busy processing how Jennifer's dressed. Still very pink, but much darker. She's got rosy eyeshadow and pink nail polish on. She'd gone punk, too! They even had a similar dress sense- Subtlety over flashiness.
The way Needles is behaving has got his girlfriend (that he somehow has) livid.
"What's that weirdo even gonna do? Take you out on his dumb little skateboard? C'mon Jenny, hop on in..."
He's rubbing salt in the wound. Marty didn't even have his license yet- And even if he did? He wouldn't let himself get caught dead driving the family's Nova to school.
Marty's attention is shifting back to Needles. And he's clearly noticed.
"I'll treat you better than he ever coul-"
Needles is interrupted by a slap to the face by said girlfriend.
"Ow! Relax, there's plenty'a me to-"
"No thanks, Doug."
She's doing her best to look as disinterested as possible- But that's not going to make him leave her alone.
"It's Needles. We'll paint the-"
"She told you no, Needles."
Needles leans over the window of that truck of his, smirking as he slowly turns his gaze over to Marty, making his stomach turn into a pit.
"Ironic, coming from the pervert who's been ogling her for a few minutes now."
"What!? Hell're you even-"
The sound of Needles' truck revving up cuts his plea of innocence off.
"Your loss, Jenny! See ya later! You too, chicken!"
He finally drives off, but as he does so...
He throws something in Marty's direction. He's so pissed about Needles calling him that word that he doesn't move out of the way, or duck...
*Splash*
... And it hits him square in the face. Cold and wet. Water. How merciful.
It'd soaked his hair and dripped down onto his ripped up red t-shirt and denim bomber jacket. It was further dribbling down onto his boots and ripped up jeans. He shakes in anger, pushing his bangs back- His thick, shoulder-length hair had lost all it's shape.
Jennifer attempts to speak up, only to be cut off.
"Sorry, Jennifer!"
He runs as fast as he can, easily getting out of the parking lot now that the crowd had mostly dispersed. It's a 40 minute walk from school to Doc's, and he's not going home like this.
Jennifer, meanwhile- She can't help but be extremely curious about Marty. He's so different from the boy she used to share a lunch table with.
She'd seen Needles shoving him around. Everyone in school has. It's hard to believe that just getting slammed up against a row of lockers every couple of days and getting called a "chicken" would change him so much.
She knows that fifth grade was the year where he'd found himself becoming the weird loner kid. Needles picked a fight during lunch.
And out of nowhere, too.
After that, he never talked to anyone besides his bandmates again. And nobody else talked to him. The most she saw Needles do was jostle him with his shoulder, and the recent trend of locker slams.
Should she satiate this curiosity?
...
Sure, why the hell not?
And with that decided, she runs after him, being extra sure that he doesn't notice her.
2:26 PM.
"Pervert... That asshole called me a fuckin' pervert."
Marty's leaving a trail of water behind him as he rather angrily clutches onto his skateboard. Jennifer's not far behind. She can see he's still absolutely shaking with anger... Until he breathes out. Marty ends up placing his skateboard down.
"Should I- Nah."
He just skates off. No skitching for him today.
Past Oak Park...
"I made a damn fool of myself in front of Jennifer..."
Past Courthouse Square...
"She's never gonna fuckin' talk to me again..."
Past the library...
"Maybe Doc could give me some advice..."
He skids to a stop, and turns around onto JFK Drive.
"Doc...? He can't be talking about-"
She continues following, and the further down the street he goes, the closer she gets to confirming her suspicions are correct. Marty unlocks the front gate of the very fence she and her classmates have often passed many a time.
Jennifer watches on with interest and disbelief. So those weren't just rumors- Marty really is friends with Doctor Brown!
After he's finally out of sight, Jennifer goes up and peeks through the fence. That garage looked relatively... Normal.
Couldn't be housing something like a death ray, surely.
2:48 PM
Marty creaks the side door of the garage open, plopping the key down under the entrance rug.
"You home, Doc?"
"Er, one moment, Marty!"
Doc rushes to pull a green tarp over what appears to be an automobile. Just in the nick of time, as Marty, still dripping wet, walks in.
Einstein barks and rushes up to Marty, who almost reaches down to pet him... But he's- Y'know, sopping wet. He throws his skateboard to the side haphazardly, and it hits into... Is that glass!? Just what is Doc working on?
"Marty! You didn't get into an alter-"
"Yes, Doc. I did- I need to go change."
Einstein whimpers as Marty heads for the bathroom.
"That... Needles... Who would even name their kid that...?"
Doc never had quite understood why Marty, seemingly, just let that delinquent push him around. Marty takes his time drying off, mostly staring at himself in the mirror. His shoulders are bruised, color currently a dark purple... He's glad Needles only pulls this once a week or so- Otherwise, they'd never heal.
"If only you truly knew, Doc..."
Good thing he always carries around a change of clothes... For different reasons. A much more simple set- White t-shirt, purple button up with a rather unique plaid pattern, and suspenders.
His 'normal' clothes.
He knows Mom'd freak if came home dressed like that.
"Um- What do y'know about women, Doc?"
That's the first thing on his mind as he walks back in, sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, jacket tied around his waist and backpack in his hand. It'd been hurting his shoulders and back- Bruises. Like always.
"What? Women? They defy all scientific logic."
Marty picks his skateboard back up from where it'd landed, flips it right-side up, and puts his backpack on top of it. Giving it a light nudge with his foot, it rolls over right next to the door. He leans down to finally pet Einstein.
"You said a mouthful... There's this girl at school."
"Of course there is..."
Doc never quite understood the throes of love, especially that of teenage love. But, if it's something Marty's going through- The best he could do is try to.
"We were just talking, but then..."
Marty's face scrunches up in anger.
"That as- That jerk Needles came up- Saying he was trying to 'save her' from talking to me."
Doc knew by now that Marty was persistently bothered by that boy. With the way Marty had described him, he fit the word "delinquent" to a T. Marty leans up against a piece of equipment.
"Kept hounding her to go along with... Whatever the heck he gets up to when he's off driving around in that truck of his."
"Marty, why do you-"
"He even had the gall to call me a pervert just for lookin' at her! I let him roll right over me."
Marty crosses his arms.
"Ugh... That stupid skateboard's all I got. Maybe if I-"
No- That wouldn't help.
"What's a girl like Jennifer gonna see in a loser like me?"
Marty's arms move so one supports his body, and the other's probably about to get placed up against his head. His back had been starting to hurt again.
"I'm sure she sees a fully functioning epidermis, and if you want to keep it that way-"
Before Marty knows it, Doc's adjusted him out of his leaning position- One hand having been placed on his shoulder, making him wince and bite his lip.
"Don't lean. I've upgraded my security system. Very sensitive. And I'm quite certain she doesn't see a loser, either."
Marty quickly glances over to notice that Doc hasn't changed his methods. Dominoes. Hey- If it works, it works.
"I'm sure you recall the domino effect."
Marty awkwardly shuffles over, now closer to the tarp covered... Something.
"Maybe if I acted more like Needles- I mean, not like Needles, but confident like Needles- She'd see how, y'know, I can be cool, too..."
He ruffles around his hair.
He's nothing like Needles, and he never will be.
"... I do cool stuff, right, Doc?"
Doc looks over at Marty as he goes to adjust a part of said security system. His young assistant is quite clearly getting more and more frustrated.
"'Cool.' What's temperature got to do with anything?"
"No, It means-"
"I know what 'cool' means, Marty."
Marty sighs, hand now glued to his forehead.
"I was employing a metaphor. What I mean is, 'cool' hasn't got anything to do with anything."
His hands are now on Marty's shoulders, very lightly squeezing. He hides the pain he's in. It's all the same by now.
"Never care what other people think of you, Marty. That's no way to live your life."
"It's worked out for you?"
"I've got Einstein and my inventions. What else is there, Marty?"
"Yeah..."
Marty notices something peeking out from under the tarp as he looks down, avoiding eye contact. A car's wheel.
"... Good point, Doc."
4:17 PM
Jennifer had been hovering around the area. She would have left by now, but... Well, her curiosity continues to have the better of her.
"It's almost dark out."
"Jennifer!?"
"Marty!"
Marty's putting his bag back over his shoulders, and unrolling his sleeves.
"Y'didn't follow me here, did you...?"
Jennifer holds her hands up.
"N-No! Not at all."
"Alrighty then... Um- See 'ya at school tomorrow."
Marty gets a running start on his skateboard, and he's gone before she knows it.
And Needles had the gall to call that skateboard stupid? Sounds like he's jealous, to her. She starts making her own way home, with a lot on her mind. And so does Marty.
"Marty's so... Different."
"Jennifer's so... Different."
"I don't remember him being so... Angry."
"I remember her being so- Um... Different."
"I think I still like him. I should've- No."
"I still like her. Why do- Why should I care what Needles says? He doesn't even like her anyways... He just wants to get in my way."
"Oh man- Mom's gonna fuckin' kill me if she finds out..."
"Oh, man- Dad's gonna freak if he finds out..."
"That I'm chasing after a girl."
"That Needles is back on his bullshit again."
November 27th, 1984. 3:31 PM. The local 7-11, not too far from Doc's Lab.
Marty had been avoiding Jennifer all day. Needles didn't bother him either. Suspicious, but something he's grateful for all the same. He's still steaming over yesterday.
Needles was right. He is a chicken. He ran away- But, he was also soaking wet...
What better thing to do when he's all down in the dumps?
Wild Gunman, of course! And two handed. If Marty takes pride in at least one thing, it's his good aim.
"Take that!"
One down.
"And that!"
Two down.
"Not so fast, hombre!"
And that's three! Just one more away from a crack shot!
"Nice shooting, Clint."
Marty points one of the machine's guns towards the source of the voice.
"You got the wrong guy. My name's-"
Marty turns his head slightly, a stiff, awkward smile forming on his face as he quickly flicks his wrist upward, then flips the bright orange gun around in his hand.
"Oh! Jennifer!"
Jennifer holds her hands up, a bit of a cocky smile on her face.
"What a coincidence- Um- You can just call me Jenn, by the way..."
Marty still has his suspicions about last night.
No way she didn't follow him.
"Don't shoot, Mr. Eastwood. I'm unarmed."
Marty smiles rather awkwardly.
"Yeah... Hey, Jenn. Sorry."
Though that smile quickly becomes genuine, with the right corner of his mouth pointing upward a little bit.
"Whoa, so you like Clint Eastwood?"
"I think he's cool."
As Marty turns around a bit more, he notices she's walked a lot closer. He's trying very hard to keep himself from blushing just from looking at her.
"Well, yeah! Me, too!"
"I didn't see you at school."
She'd been rather avoidant herself.
No way in hell was Marty not suspicious of her.
"Uh- Busy day, y'know? With... Schoolwork. Classes. Those things."
She laughs rather awkwardly, putting a hand to the back of her neck.
"Uh- Yeaaaah... I can see that... Um- Your guy died."
She points at the screen. Game over. Marty laughs a bit. He's not at all like the off-putting, weird kid she's heard about.
"Life was cheap in the wild west."
He puts the guns down. He's completely and totally focused on Jenn, hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"Hey- Uh. I was thinking-"
"I tried that once."
"Ha! Yeah. What I mean is..."
The door opens, and Marty's gaze drifts away from Jenn, smile slowly faltering and turning into an expression of mild annoyance.
"Well, well, well... Lookee what we got here."
"Fuck..."
The ruler of Marty's personal hell.
Needles.
Before the clerk can even say anything, Needles throws a bag of chips in his direction.
"Yadda, yadda, I know the drill. Ring these up while I browse."
Marty rolls his eyes, but Needles doesn't notice. Thank God.
"McFly!"
Next thing Marty and Jenn know, Needles is all up in their space, arms over both of their shoulders with a smirk on his face. One that once sent a chill up Marty's spine.
"Needles."
While he's simply laying his arm across Jenn's shoulders, his other hand is right on Marty's shoulder.
"You asked out Jenny? Real classy date spot, huh?"
"It's not a date, jackass."
When Needles walked in, it was like a switch went off in his head. Deadpan and stoic, but the tone of voice that Jenn can only describe as dripping with distain, resentment, and sheer anger. And she can't blame him- She's pretty pissed off, too.
"Fuck off, Needles."
He, however, ignores her, instead moving in even closer to Marty, now mere inches away from his face. His stoicism is unwavering as Needles jabs a finger into his chest, allowing Jenn to quickly duck out from his grip.
Marty's tone is starting to get angrier.
"You get your fuckin' hands-"
Needles squeezes Marty's shoulder as hard as he can to silence him. The pain flares up and he winces and bites his lip.
"I know it's not a date, McFly."
Poke.
"Dates are at places that don't suck, with guys who aren't creeps."
Poke.
Marty's no pervert! Sounds like projection, considering Needles' relentless harassment of Jenn.
"Anyways... I'm gonna go pick up my girlfriend and drive somewhere cool."
Poke.
"In my car. Chicks-"
Marty's face goes from a discontent look, to a scowl.
"How many times I gotta tell you, Needles?"
He smacks Needles' arm, making him finally let go.
"Don't fuckin' touch me."
Needles rolls his eyes and feigns disappointment.
"Tsk. Yer no fun, McFly."
He finally walks off, but not before trying to flirt with Jennifer again.
"Offer's still on the table, Jenny!"
She doesn't even dignify that with a response, crossing her arms and looking down. He's got her feeling livid. Is this is how Needles treats him off school grounds!?
Needles throws the chips back as he goes to exit.
"I changed my mind. Cholesterol."
When Jenn turns to Marty again, he's shaking in anger.
"Marty? Are you-"
"Listen, Jenn..."
Bag in hand, Marty stomps off.
"... I gotta go."
The moment he's out the door, he makes a run for it. Jenn dashes out behind him.
"Marty!"
Jenn looks around frantically.
"Marty!?"
He's gone- And he's got other plans, anyways.
3:54 PM
Marty vaults the chain-link fence outside Doc's garage, quickly hiding amongst the trashcans out front. As it finally gets dark, He finally sees that Doc's about to leave with Einstein. For what? No clue.
When he sees that Doc's gone... He gets up onto the cans, and shimmies in through the window. He paces around for a while, absorbed inside his own thoughts.
"Is this really a good idea...?"
"I'm goin' to get caught eventually..."
He nears the automobile, just about to pull that bright green tarp off.
"Needles is right... Girls only like guys who-"
Marty smacks himself on the forehead.
"Who the fuck am I even kidding?"
He's always telling himself he's nothing like Needles. And he never will be. Needles is wrong about Jenn.
He doesn't need to be cool to impress her- She likes him as he is. And he's an idiot for not realizing it.
"I'm bein' a fuckin' jackass..."
Marty turns around to leave, sighing loudly.
"I'm sorry, Doc... I gotta get outta here."
The front garage door creaks open, and he freezes.
Jenn, meanwhile, resigned to just walk home. She just stood there and watched as Needles bugged Marty. No better than her peers. It's gotten dark out, and she's... Well, clearly she's not having a great day.
"I let Needles walk all over him."
She hears laughter- Laughter she knows all too well by now.
"Too bad Jenny won't give me the time of day!"
Speak of the Devil. Needles and his cronies. Far away enough for them not to hear or see her.
"Jeez, Needles! You never shut up about her. Pam's gonna kill you."
That's... She can't even be bothered to remember their names. What she does remember is that it's last name basis, and they sound as stupid as Needles'.
"Whatever, Chris. Let's see what that old nutjob has lying around in his lab."
He's gotta be talking about Doctor Brown! That's probably where Marty went! If Needles finds him there... He's screwed. Not only that, Needles is clearly pissed off.
Enough to call that little gang of his by their first names.
Without even thinking, Jenn turns around and dashes back in the direction she came. As she reaches that very garage, she sees the "Dr. E. Brown Enterprises" van drive off. She quickly vaults over the fence, and hides among the trash cans- Just like Marty did. She can hear him pacing around inside.
"Is this really a good idea?"
More footsteps. Before she even knows it, she hears Needles and his gang approaching. She peeks out from the side of the garage, eyes wide. One of them grabs the lock, and tries pulling it open.
"It's locked, Needles. Let's just-"
"Shut the fuck up, Jeff. I'll just break it."
"I'm goin' to get caught eventually..."
A long silence. Jenn watches as Needles smashes it with a rock, with a smirk she can just barely make out plastered on his face.
"So, the cavemen learned to use tools... Perfect... Juuuuust perfect."
She watches them just swing the gate open, letting it barely shut behind them.
"Well... Chicken's here. Just as I expected."
Needles chuckles, that smirk of his now much more easier to make out. One that tells her that Marty is absolutely screwed.
"Let's jump him."
"Whatever you say, Needles."
Even they're tired of Needles targeting Marty? That's a surprise.
"Needles is right... Girls only like guys who-"
*Smack*
"Who the fuck am I even kidding?"
"I'm bein' a fuckin' jackass."
Marty lets out a loud sigh. Jenn decides to quietly step up onto the trashcans, and watch through the window.
"I'm sorry, Doc... I gotta get outta here."
Needles creaks the door open, and just waltzes on in.
"Why, McFly..."
Marty freezes up, cussing under his breath. It's Needles. With Bolt, Irons, and Gage in tow.
"... When the night's still young?"
"... Oh, man."
Needles walks past Marty, attempting to lightly jostle him- Unfazed, he turns to dodge it.
"Yeah, a real man, McFly. I had a feeling you'd be here. You always run off when you're angry."
"Oh, be real- You had no clue that-"
Needles turns to Marty, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and pulling him way too close.
"I'm not stupid, McFly."
Needles practically throws Marty into the wall, making him put his arms out behind himself- He'd prefer not to have his pain flare up. Jenn furrows her brow as she lowers herself down from the window.
She can't sit idly by! Not this time.
"I played you like a guitar. Didn't even have to call you a 'chicken' this time."
Needles laughs.
"Well, not to your stupid face."
He starts to lift up the bright green tarp.
"So... What's the prize...?"
"Hey-"
"Hey!"
One of the garage doors is abruptly swung open. Marty turns his head to see one of many people he would never want to in a situation like this.
"Jenn!?"
"Oh! Jenny... Looks like you-"
Marty angrily turns his focus back to Needles, pointing at him with one hand, the other balling up into a fist.
"Get your fuckin' hands off that, Needles!"
Needles' smirk turns to a disturbingly wide grin. One that makes Jenn truly understand why Marty's absolutely terrified of him... And, now? She's in the same boat.
"Jesus Christ... He's fuckin' crazy."
Needles attempts to punch Marty in his right cheek, only for him to grab the other's fist in his left hand. He turns to look at Jenn, a mix of fear and anger on his face.
"Jenn, get out of here! Please!"
She stands still, eyes wide with shock. Marty loses his grip on Needles' fist, giving him an open.
"McFly..."
*Crack!*
He punches Marty in the left cheek instead, making him fall to his knees. He keeps himself from falling face first into the concrete with one hand, and holds his face tightly with the other. He's on the verge of crying.
"... Who do you think you are? Some kinda hero, McFly?"
Jenn tries to help him up as Needles and his cronies laugh, but Marty nudges her away.
"Jennifer... Please just go... I can handle myself..."
He can barely make out the scene in front of him- Save for a familiar white coat.
"He's my assistant."
"Woof!"
It's Doc and Einstein! But Marty barely acknowledges them, while Needles snaps at Doc.
"So what?"
Jenn notices the dominoes set up. Easily hidden, but a little conspicuous. She flicks one over.
"So this."
In doing so, she sets off an elaborate chain reaction, attracting the focus of Needles and his gang.
A volleyball is catapulted into the edge of a piece of cardboard...
"Good thinkin', Jenn..."
Marty's finally sat upwards, but he notices that there's a very large bucket at the end of the contraption as his vision finally focuses again. Splatters of red paint are scattered on the end of it. He and Jenn are in the splash zone!
"Watch out!"
A tire rolls down the makeshift ramp...
With no hesitation, he grabs her by the forearm and runs in Doc's direction.
A red balloon is the final step of the mechanism. It hits a switch, and the large bucket is nearing Needles.
*Shploot!*
"AAAIIGH!"
Needles has said large bucket of red paint land right onto him, and he stumbles over. Some of it had splashed out and hit the garage door, including the spot where Marty and Jenn had been. They aren't unscathed, though.
Some had splashed onto Marty's purple button up and Jenn's dark pink denim jacket.
Adding insult to injury- Einstein runs up and bites him on the leg, making him scream out again. His gang starts laughing at him now, taking their sweet time to help him up.
"Let's roll, Doug. I think the town painted you."
"Shut the fuck up, Ricky!"
Doc points at the quartet of delinquents.
"Get this trash out of my laboratory."
Marty's very taken aback. He's never heard Doc this angry before!
"He's gonna beat me up for that."
"Tomorrow's problem, Marty. Tonight's are-"
Doc's tone turns strict.
"First, what are you doing here?"
"I was bein' a jerk, Doc."
Marty's barely making eye contact.
"I was about to let you down, and big time."
He crosses his arms and hangs his head down.
"I understand if you want me gone."
Doc's tone changes again to concern.
"Marty... I know the travails of youth are no picnic."
Doc puts his hand on Marty's shoulder, but it's gently brushed away as he winces.
"I know you have thoughts and feelings when you're not here, but understand I need to keep secrets, too."
Marty rubs the back of his neck, an awkward smile on his face.
"It's... Not that I was snooping, Doc- I let Needles get under my skin again, and over impressing a girl... When I didn't need to worry about that at all..."
"Second... Is this the girl you were talking about yesterday?"
He points to Jenn, who's been quietly standing behind Marty and petting Einstein.
"Yea, she is, Doc."
"Jennifer. Jennifer Parker."
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Parker."
"Likewise."
"Third... Marty, why didn't you tell me all the things that he does to you?"
His head snaps upward.
"You worry about me enough because of what you do know. That, and I thought anyone wouldn't even believe me."
Jenn crosses her arms.
"I've never seen Needles do anything like that when in school. He quite enjoys slamming Marty up against the lockers, and that's about it..."
"Because he's smart enough to do it outside of school. He's punched me in the face or slammed me up against a wall more times than I can count."
Doc clears his throat.
"My point is, Marty... You don't have to be me. Don't keep anything this Needles does to you secret from me."
"I won't, Doc."
"Marty, Jennifer- You two should get home. The average curfew for teens your age is around 9 o'clock."
Marty peers at one of the clocks on the wall. It's 6:23. Did he spend that much time just pacing around?
"Ack! I missed dinner."
Both of them get ready to leave, but Doc's unintentionally piqued Marty's curiosity. He points at the tarp.
"Is that a flying car or some- Ah, right. The secrets thing. Sorry."
"... That's not a terrible idea actually, Marty."
"Well, that's my best guess. Bye, Doc!"
Marty waves goodbye, and as he does so, he grabs Jenn's hand without even realizing it. He quickly lets go, getting visibly flustered and rubbing the back of his neck. He quietly pushes the door open, and exits with Jenn.
"So- Uh... Jenn? I was thinking-"
"A date?"
"Ah- Yeah!"
"You wanna go see a movie, maybe?"
"Uh- Sure!"
"Saturday?"
"Sure! It's a date."
Jenn leans over and gives Marty a peck on the cheek, making him blush.
"See you at school tomorrow!"
Marty rubs the side of his face and smiles as Jenn walks off. He can't see it, but she's also a flustered mess.
December 1st, 1984. 4:32 PM. Just outside Courthouse Square.
Marty and Jenn are wrapping up their date. They'd seen that new Clint Eastwood movie, Tightrope- Then he got to show off a bit at Starbase Zero.
"I had a great day, Jenn. Really."
"See you on Monday?"
"Uh- Of course!"
Jenn places a kiss on his cheek, and starts walking home. Marty turns a bright red, putting a hand to his cheek and smiling.
"She's an absolute dream..."
He's even quietly giggling as he walks the opposite direction. But he doesn't get too far before he hears a very familiar yell.
"HEY!"
He's not the only one who hears though, as Jenn's attention is also grabbed. She ducks behind a car, watching.
"The fuck do you want, Needles?"
He doesn't even need to see him to know. He turns his head to glare at Needles, who's leaning against a street lamp a few feet away. This street tends to get very quiet before sunset...
"I hear you got yourself a little date, Big M."
"Uh, yeah? And why the fuck do you care?"
Marty turns his head back around, biting his lip. Needles also damn well knew it was Jenn.
"Well? Is it with who I think it is, McFly?"
"It's none of your business, Doug."
"It's Needles."
Marty starts walking off, rolling his eyes.
"I don't have time for this. Lay off for once, would ya?"
"What, you too chicken to say anything about it?"
Marty stops in his tracks and slowly turns to face Needles, who's making chicken noises.
"Nobody calls me chicken, Needles."
"And yet, it's true."
His hand balls up into a fist as he grits his teeth.
"Shut the fuck up."
"C'mon, McFly. Be a man. Don't be such a coward."
He starts approaching Needles, shaking in anger, but he decides to meet Marty right in the middle, getting all up in his face.
"Go on. Hit me."
He hesitates. His hand opens back up and he turns to leave.
"No way. I'm not like you."
Needles laughs as Marty walks away, grumbling.
"I hear Jenny quite likes you, McFly!"
"Yeah, and!?"
Marty turns right back around to face Needles.
Is he jealous or something? Doesn't he have a girlfriend?
As Marty's lost in his thoughts, Needles reaches over, grabs him by his jacket collar, and pulls him forward aggressively- Causing Marty to lose his footing.
"Why don't we see how much she'll like you now!?"
Needles punches him right in the middle of his face. Blood starts to trickle out of his right nostril. Jenn nearly runs out to give Needles a piece of her mind, but who's to say he's not willing to hit her, too...
She's gotta be smart about this.
She watches as he drags Marty- Who looks like he's barely able to even struggle- Into an alleyway. She can just barely hear Needles laugh as he...
She can't see what the hell he's doing!
"AAAAGGGGH!"
She covers her ears as Marty lets out a bloodcurdling scream.