Rock Around the Clock

::8::

"George, buddy," Marty said as he sat down next to his young father. Rosie walked over to sit with Lorraine and her friends, including Robby and Nancy. "Remember that girl I introduced you to? Lorraine?" As he heard the name, George perked up. They both looked at the girls' table, and Marty's eyes softened at the sight of Rosie laughing. He then focused his attention back on George. "What are you writing?"

"Uh, stories. Science fiction stories about visitors coming down to Earth from other planets," George responded with enthusiasm, moving his arms as he spoke. Marty nodded. Even as a teenager, his father was an enormous dork. But still, it was intriguing that his dad had once had an imagination.

"Get outta town! I didn't know you did anything creative," Marty said, now interested. This was a side of his father that he had never seen, and he knew that this could be his only chance to see and understand it. "Let me read some."

   "Oh no no no no," George said as he pulled his papers away from Marty. "I never- I never let anybody read my stories."

   "Why not?"

   "Well, what if they didn't like them?" What if they told me I was no good? I guess that would be pretty hard for somebody to understand," George told Marty, second guessing himself. His son now began to see the reasons the George from his timeline was so insecure. Marty understood what George was saying a little more then he would care to admit, and he knew Rosie would as well.

   "Uh, no. No, not hard at all," he replied, biting his lip. "So anyway, George, about Lorraine, she really likes you," he said as he hit the table, once again getting a reaction from George. "She told me to tell you that she wants you to ask her to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance."

   "Really?" George asked, hope bubbling up inside of him.

   "Oh yeah. All you gotta do is go over there and ask her."

   "What, right here, right now in the cafeteria? What if she says no? I don't know if I could take that kind of a rejection." Once again, Marty related to something George McFly had said at this lunch table. "Besides, I think she'd rather go with somebody else."

   "Uh, who?" Marty asked, nervous that he would hear the answer he expected. George's hand shook as he pointed at the other table.

"Biff," he replied a Marty turned around and saw Biff bent down behind Lorraine as she tried to push him off. He wouldn't let go, and it made Marty uncomfortable to watch his mother be in such a tough position. He quickly turned away to look back at George. He couldn't get caught in drama. It was drawing to much attention to himself. He decided to focus on George and George only.

"Come on. Leave," Lorraine begged.

"Just a little kiss, come on," Biff replied. "You want it. You know you want it."

"Let her go Biff," Rosie said bravely, standing up. Biff stood up as well, walking the step towards her. He set his hand on her waist and she slapped it, but he only pulled harder, causing her to shoot forward into his body. He winked at her as she fell into him, and she tried to squirm out. This only caused Biff to hold harder.

"Hey," Robby said, standing up, but before he could do anything, Lorraine slapped Biff. He let go of Rosie and he grabbed Lorraine's arms.

"You know you want me to give it to you," Biff told her.

"Shut your mouth. I'm not that kind of girl. And neither is Rosie," Lorraine defended. One of Biff's goons ooed behind them.

"Maybe you are and you just don't know it yet," Biff said, grabbing Lorraine tightly, but looking at Rosie as he said it.

   "Get your meat hooks off of me," Lorraine said. Biff let go, setting his hands in the air, before grabbing Rosie's hand forcefully.

   "Uh Marty," George said. Marty nodded as George pointed. He turned around and saw Rosie trying to pull away from Biff.

   "Go away!" Rosie tried.

   "You heard her," Marty said, before grabbing Biff by the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards him. "Get your hands... off."

   "So what's it to you, butthead," Biff said, shoving him. Nancy went and sat next to Rosie, putting a comforting hand around her shoulders as Robby walked to stand behind Marty incase he needed help.

   "You know you been lookin' for a-,' Marty said, before firing back and shoving Biff. Students chanted 'fight fight fight' behind them, and Marty prepared to throw fists with Biff's hand grabbing his collar, before everything stopped. Marty looked behind him and saw none other then Mr. Strickland. Biff tried to cover it up by throwing an arm around Marty.

   "Since you're new here, Uh, I'm gonna cut you a break... today. So why don't you make like a tree and get outta here," Biff said. He and his posse walked away. Marty went and quickly sat at the other table.

   "Are you girls okay?" He asked Rosie and Lorraine. They both nodded and he gave them small smiles. He clasped Rosie's hand in his briefly, giving her a silent message, before making his way back to George McFly.
___
   "George!" Marty exclaimed as he followed him outside. He had sent Rosie with Lorraine once more, trying to hint that George McFly would be a swell date to the dance. George tried to backtrack when he saw Marty walking after him.

   "Why do you keep following me around?" George asked. Marty ran after him, catching up quickly.

   "Look, George," he said, grabbing his shoulders and walking by his pace. "I'm telling you, George, if you do not ask Lorraine to that dance, I'm gonna regret it for the rest of my life."

   "I can't go to the dance. I'll miss my favorite television program science fiction theater," George replied, and Marty internally facepalmed himself.

   "Yeah but George, Lorraine wants to go with you," he nearly begged. "Give her a break."

   "Look, I'm just not ready to ask Lorraine out to the dance. And not you, or anybody else on this planet is gonna make me change my mind," he said, walking backwards. Marty took out the picture of his family and began to see his brother disappearing.

   "Science fiction theater." He said to himself. Oh brother.

Meanwhile, Rosie was trying to talk Lorraine into going out with George. Nancy and Robby sat with them outside of the school.

"I'm just saying. George is a very kind boy," Rosie tried.

"I'm sure he his. But isn't Calvin just a cutie," Lorraine said dreamily. Rosie started at the floor. Yeah, he was. But he couldn't know that she thought so.

"Well maybe you should give George a chance," Nancy said, seeing the way a slight blush crept onto Rosie's face.

"Why does everyone keep trying to set me up with this George fellow?" Lorraine asked curiously. Rosie looked at her, and saw a glimpse of what the future would hold for her. But maybe that could change? Maybe she and Marty could change something for the better. "By the way, thanks for standing up for me today."

   "Anytime," Rosie replied, still feeling Biff's gross hands on her arms.

   As the group split up, Rosie walking her way, Lorraine walking hers, and Robby and Nancy walking theirs, Nancy grabbed her boyfriend's hand.

"Are you sure they like each other?" Robby asked Nancy.

"I'm sure of it. You know how I know?" She asked him. "Because Marty and Rosie look at each other the way we do."

"I think you're right sweetheart," he said, leaning down to kiss her head tenderly. "Does something about Rosie remind you of someone?"

"I just can't put my finger on it."