Time trael is now simply an engineering problem."
- Michio Kaku
Chapter 4
The Magical Capabilities of the Cardboard Box
Once again, the cardboard box was in the center of the front lawn when Nick arrived at Mimi's. He climbed out of the car and it beeped when it locked again. He stared at the box once more, but this time, instead of walking past it, he knelt down in front of it.
Thump, thump.
"Hey Max, it's me, Nick," he called. He crossed his legs and settled into the grass.
Max peeked out of the crack, his eyes analyzing Nick suspiciously.
He looked around, "Can I come in?"
Come in? Max had never had an adult ask to come in before. He hesitated. He wasn't sure why Nick could see through the invisibility shield, but he could. That would explain why Nick had seen him so well the night before. Max backed away from the door and pulled the flap back, squashing himself against the wall.
Nick crawled in.
It was a tight squeeze, but hunched up and hugging his knees to his chest, Nick made it inside and Max pulled the flaps to the box closed. Nick picked at a loose thread on the arm of his t-shirt.
"This is a nice box you have here, Max," Nick said, looking around. "You decorate it yourself?"
Max looked around, too. The inside of the box was very plain, just a normal box except for the markered button that was supposed to control the invisibility shield. He tried to remember if he'd hit it when he climbed inside.
Nick smiled. "You remember me, right? Nick? From yesterday? We have the same shoes?" he wiggled his feet against the floor.
Max nodded.
"Oh good," Nick said, and pretended to swipe sweat from his brow, "I'm really, really glad you didn't forget me. I didn't forget you," he added.
Max stared up at Nick with wide, watery eyes.
"Actually I thought about you a lot last night," Nick confessed. In fact, he was supposed to have been doing his midterm studying and had instead been thinking about Max and his box.
Max looked surprised.
"Yeah, about you," Nick supplied. "It was really fun because you make me smile."
Max wasn't sure what response to have so he stared at Nick's sneakers. He shifted so that his sneakers lined up with Nick's. Nick tucked his chin over his knees and they both sat, staring at the two pairs of red Converse sneakers.
"Do you wanna be my friend, Max?" Nick asked.
Max looked up. He'd never had a friend before, he thought, studying Nick.
"Cos, you know, I wouldn't mind being friends with you," Nick added.
Max nodded.
"Yeah?" Nick asked, "Yeah what? You wanna be my friend?"
Max nodded again.
Nick smiled. "Well," he said, "That's settled then. Max, you're my new best friend. Is that okay?"
Max nodded. Not only was he a friend, but a best friend. This seemed important. He shivered with excitement.
Nick looked around the box. "So, Max," he said, "What's this box do?"
Max blinked in confusion.
"Yeah, you know," Nick said. "What kind of magica capabilities does it have? Does it fly, float, drive?"
Max shook his head.
"Does it tunnel underground?"
He shook his head no again.
"Oh!" Nick's eyes widened, "Is it a time machine?"
"It's just a box."
The words hung in the air between them, ringing. Max could almost see them, that's how funny they seemed. Nick hugged his knees to his chest still and nodded slowly as they words sank between them.
"Just a box," he mumbled, "Huh."
Max looked away from Nick. He felt somehow... defeated. Nick had managed to make him speak. He stared at the wall of the box.
"It's really easy to make it a time machine, you know," Nick said.
Max looked back at Nick. This was a really funny grown up, he thought. If he'd spoken to Mimi, she would've gone crazy. She would've tried to make him talk again, would've been excited and going all mental.
Nick acted like Max spoke everyday.
Like Max talking was normal.
Max didn't wanna talk again, but he did wanna know how the box could be a time machine.
"Want me to show you how?" Nick asked.
Max nodded.
Nick took off his watch. Max watched as he unbuckled the leather band. He bent back the little spike that held it in place and stuck the watch into the wall of the box so the watch face hung next to the markered button on the wall. Nick gestured to this new addition. "Press the button," he said.
Max hesitated.
"Go on," Nick said. "Press it."
Max reached over and pressed the button.
"WOAH!" Nick cried out. He rocked and shook the box, "Oh my goodness! Hold on tight, Max!" he yelled. "Where are we going?!!"
Max stared at Nick blankly. This guy, he thought, was crazy.
After a couple seconds of shaking and rocking, Nick stopped and went, "Wow, that was scary, huh?"
Max shrugged.
Nick ignored Max's lack of enthusiasm. "C'mere," he whispered. He moved and gazed through the crack, "Oh wow," he said, "No wonder the ride was so bumpy. We've landed in the time of dinosaurs!"
Max couldn't help but be curious. He scrambled to look.
They were still sitting in the yard.
He looked at Nick.
"Use your imagination, Max," Nick whispered. "Do you see the T-Rex over there by the garage?" Nick pointed to a tree. "He's about to eat that tricera tops!" he pointed at his car. "Run tricera tops!"
Max glanced at Nick.
Nick smiled at Max. "This was how I used to hide," he explained, "When I was your age. I didn't have a box, so to get away from my life I used to imagine I was somewhere else instead." Quickly, Nick scrambled out of the box and stumbled to his feet. "Come on, Max!" he called, running across the yard, "Come explore with me!"
Max watched from the crack in the box.
Nick was halfway across the yard. "Wow!" he yelled, "Max! Max, you gotta come see this!" He waved his arms for Max to come.
Max leaned back and hugged his knees. He wanted to go. He really did. Max watched through the crack at Nick as he dropped to the grass in the sunlight and lay on his back.
"This is so incredible, Max," he called, "I wish I could share it with you."
But Max was too afraid, so he stayed where he was.
After a little time had passed and it was obvious Max wasn't going to join him, Nick got up and returned to the box. He crawled back inside and said, "You can hit the button again, Max. Send us home."
Max just stared at Nick. They'd never left, what was the point of trying to return? he wondered.
Nick reached over and hit the button next to his watch and started to rock himself, though less enthusiastically this time, and the trip was much shorter this time. He sighed when he stopped. "Too bad," he muttered, "You missed all those cool dinosaurs." He shook his head.
Max felt like telling him they didn't exist.
Nick crawled out of the box. "I'll see you tomorrow, Max," he said quietly.
Max peeked out. Max watched as Nick crossed the lawn and climbed into his car. Just like last time, Max wanted to go after him... but he stayed inside his box instead.
After Nick had gone, Max looked at the watch, curious. He reaced out and touched the magic markered button and waited. After a long moment, he peeked out the crack in the door and watched.
