"What do you mean?"

August glanced over his shoulder, sticking a hand in his pocket and jingling loose change there. "It's empty."

June moved next to him and stood on her tip toes, peering over the edge of the window into the vacant kitchen. "But people were just there..."

"We didn't see anyone."

"But we heard them."

August gave a curt nod. "Well, let's check it out then."

Grabbing her hand, he led her out back. The doors swung closed behind them. The well lit kitchen was a short space with a large oven and gleaming stove top, freshly cleaned. All the pots and pans were hanging from their respective places on the walls. There was no grease in the fryer. 

August released June's hand and hovered his palm over the stove top, then pressed it to the surface.

"It's cool. This hasn't been used today."

June shivered despite the stifling air, hugging herself. "I don't like this. What's with this town?"

August slipped his hands in his pockets, dropping back a step, quarters still jingling. He studied the stove like it was a mystery, but not one that intimidated him. That crooked smile was still on his mouth. 

"This place is trippy. But it's all kind of cool."

June scoffed. "Can't say I agree with the last part of that sentence."

August snapped his fingers and turned to her, brown eyes widening with excitement. "Have you heard of the theory of the multiverse?"

"It sounds like something out of Star Trek."

"Yeah, it kind of is. It's the idea that we simultaneously exist within multiple realities all at once."

"... come again?"

August ambled over to the fridge and opened it, perusing the contents. "I read about it in a comic book when I was a kid. For every decision we make, there is another possible choice. Our other self lives out that other path while we take our own. There are stories about people stumbling into these other dimensions by accident, when these universes overlap."

June leaned against the stove and gave him an incredulous look as he brought over a cardboard carton of eggs. "You don't happen to have other interests than journalism, like organic ones?"

"No, I'm not high," he droned, turning towards her with a playful shrug. "Not that I haven't dabbled on occasion. I'm assuming you haven't."

"You assume correctly."

He motioned her to move. "Go turn on the radio. This silence is overwhelming. I'm going to make us a couple omelettes. If my theory is wrong and we get chewed out by the staff here for commandeering the kitchen, let me do the talking."

June gave him a concerned glance then walked to the radio over the fridge. She had only fiddled with something that old school at her grandmother's, who still insisted on only using cassette tapes even though it was 2009. After plugging it in, she twisted the tuning knob. At first, it was only static, then the familiar melody of Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' echoed through the fuzzy speakers.

"Stevie Nicks fan, huh?" August asked over his shoulder as he scattered cheese over their omelettes.

"Till the day I die. You want some coffee?"

"Do you need to ask?"

June chuckled, her shoulders loosening up. If his theory was correct, that they had somehow slipped between dimensions and were now hovering somewhere around the late '70s, then what could they do, but wait? Perhaps this place was like an elevator. They were in between floors, merely anticipating the doors to open again. Which they would, hopefully, at some point.

"Cream or sugar?"

"Neither."

June handed August a white mug, cradling her own. "I take mine black too."

"You've got good taste in music. Between Alice in Chains and Fleetwood Mac. Better than Britney Spears."

"Oh, come on. Don't do Britney like that, the poor girl." 

June had religiously monitored the former pop princess's downfall the previous year. She'd been a big fan back in elementary school when Britney had first debuted in the '90s.

"I'd hardly call her poor, but I'll be nice. If only for your sake." He handed her a plate with a two egg omelette and motioned towards the doors. "Let's go sit at our booth, so we can keep an eye on the depot. See if anything changes."

They ate in silence, too hungry for conversation. August finished first and dug into the duffel bag by his water stained Doc Martens. He pulled out another smaller case and revealed a nice camera.

"My mom's boyfriend got me this for my birthday," he explained proudly, twisting on the lens. "He's a pretty cool guy."

"I don't know anything about photography."

Lifting it to his eye, he clicked the button and took her picture before she could protest. June set down her coffee cup. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

He fiddled with the lens. "Those make the best pictures. Anyway, you have the kind of face that is always ready for a camera."

"How do you know that? You just met me."

"Call it a gift," he replied with a wink, setting down the camera. "Your face has character."

June rolled her eyes while biting back a grin. "Bet you tell that to all the girls."

"I've said it a couple times before, but I always mean it. I'm a horrible liar."

"Me too."

"We have that in common at least. That and black coffee. And Alice In Chains. So what are you majoring in?"

June arched her eyebrows, chewing on her last bite of egg. "Undecided. But I'm leaning towards art history. Or business management."

"Those are very different."

"I know. Art history is something I'm interested in, but my dad isn't so sure how that will turn out for me career wise. He's worried about the economy. So I've been placating him by flirting with the idea of business school."

August leaned back on his side of the booth, stretching a long arm over the back. He scanned the empty street beyond, the sun still in the same place on the horizon. "The economy is always a mess. No matter the time in history. I mean, if we really have stepped into 1979, in a few years there is going to be a recession in the early '80s. My mom had a hell of a time finding a job back then. But she has a good one now."

The recent recession of 2007 had hit most of the people in her small town pretty hard. Many people were speculating that it would stunt her generation's growth into adulthood. She couldn't help, but agree with that theory.

June picked up her cup and stared into the bottom, like a fortune teller reading tea leaves. "I guess you have to make a simple decision for yourself. Are you okay with starving while doing what you love, or are you willing to set your passions aside to make a good living? Neither option is easy, but neither is wrong, in my opinion. It's all about what works for you."

"I think you've missed your calling, June. You should major in Itinerant Philosophy."

June smiled up at him. August was studying her, his head at an angle and gaze soft with amused contemplation. June couldn't hold his eyes for long.

"I have my moments, I guess."

August stirred, pushing back his sleeve and looking at his wristwatch. "Still broken."

"What did you expect?"

He grabbed his bag and stood. "You want to go exploring?"

June wet her lips, eyes darting around the restaurant. "Do you think that's wise?"

"We are currently living in a suspended universe. What else could go wrong?" August picked up her backpack for her and started towards the door. "C'mon, we'll leave our bags at the depot. There is no one else around here to swipe them anyway."

After leaving the disquieting atmosphere of the depot, they emerged into the persistent half-light. The clock in the depot was still reading 4:00 PM. August strapped his camera around his neck as he strolled to the middle of the road and stopped, peering down Main Street. June remained on the sidewalk.

"You still worried about those cars?" he chided with a light chuckle after taking a picture of the lonely landscape.

"Habit, I guess."

"Let's break that habit then, just for today." He took her hand and led her out into the middle of the road. "I promise I won't tell your folks on you."

He didn't let go of her hand as they walked down the street, the faded, double yellow lines running between them, hands suspended over it. They stopped in front of a movie theater. Lights blinked above a billboard with showtimes and films. Movie posters were framed on the brick walls beside the entrance.

"Check it out," June gasped, striding towards one of the posters. "It's from the Star Wars re-release!"

"Nerd," he scoffed.

June gave him a look of mock offense. "My dad was a huge fan back in the day!"

"Runs in the family then," he clipped back with a smirk before turning to the other poster. "Animal House."

"Are you going to join a fraternity?"

"That's a definite no. I'd end up punching someone and I'm a pretty easy going. Are you going to go Greek?"

June gave a brief smile. "I'm already signed up for Rush."

"Never would have pegged you as a sorority girl."

"My mom was one. That's hereditary too." June pursed her lips into a sly grin, strolling down the sidewalk away from the theater. 

He followed close behind. "Everything back then was so much simpler, don't you think? 1979? Imagine no internet."

"No cell phones."

"I don't even have one of those now."

June laughed over her shoulder. "Can't say I'm surprised. You're such a rebel."

She was flirting with him now, a pastime she'd rarely experimented with. Boys had always been friends. But this was to be expected now that she was in college. She liked boys, she knew that much, but had never met one quite like August.

"Hey, what's your last name?" she asked, realizing she hadn't caught it yet. 

"Kamenski."

"Haven't heard that one before."

"It's Polish. The 'ski' is a dead giveaway," August said, skipping forward a few steps and turning backwards to face her.

"August Kamenski," she repeated, making a mental note to Facebook stalk him if they ever got out of limbo circa 1979.

August lifted his camera and took a picture of the retreating movie theater facade behind them. "What's yours?"

"Wilde. As in Oscar."

"June Wilde, sounds like a heroine in a novel."

"My mom is a bit of a romantic."

"I can tell." 

August whipped around to face forward and put the camera to his eye once again. He skidded to a stop and squinted in the strange light. "Are those people down there?"