He thought about his fights with Biff, and things that had worked back in 1955.
Back in 1955?
Marty was desperate.
‘Hey, look!’ he shouted, pointing past the Reagans. Amazingly enough, this time Griff fell for it - just like his grandfather had so many years ago. He jerked his head in the direction Marty pointed.
Marty threw a punch. Griff twisted his shoulder into it, blocking Marty's fist with his arm. So, Griff hadn’t fallen for it after all - or not as much as Marty had hoped he would.
Griff reached for Marty with two hands that were much too large. Marty realised it was time for emergency tactics.
He kneed Griff in the groin.
Griff groaned deep in his throat as he fell to his knees.
Marty jumped around the fallen leader, shoving against the future hacker as he pushed his way through.
The rest of Griff’s gang fell like dominoes. Marty ran from the restaurant, narrowly avoiding Biff as the oldster leaned into his wax job.
In a second or two. Marty knew. Griff and the boys would be after him. He ran across the street, straight for the hedge that bordered Courthouse Square. Maybe he could hide behind it. He had to do something!
There were two young girls on the other side of the hedge. Both of them were drinking from straws attached to clear plastic cups. Marty was tempted for an instant to ask them how they got the darned things open.
Then he saw that each girl stood on her own streamlined skateboard-scooter, sort of a skateboard with a long handle attached to the front. Both skateboards were painted electric pink, and were a bit better aerodynamically designed than things he was used to in the past, but - really - they were not all that different from the scooter he had borrowed from a kid back in 1955.
And he could borrow one of these again. Griff and the others wouldn't have a chance. Once Marty got himself on a skateboard, nobody could catch him!
Marty jumped the hedge. He reached out for one of the scooters.
‘Hey, kid, I need your -'
He stopped short when he realised the scooter had no wheels.
The girl took a step back as Marty picked up the scooter - or whatever it was. The handle was detachable. Marty took it off. He brought the plastic skateboard shape closer. It had a loop strap to put your foot in. and a brand name in large red letters:
MATTEL HOVERBOARD!
‘Hoverboard?’ he wondered aloud.
He dropped the hoverboard to the ground. It hummed softly, hovering a few inches above the ground.
‘All right!’ Marty shouted. This was a skateboard and more. Hey! So there were some worthwhile things in the future, after all!
He slipped his foot into the strap and kicked it up to speed. Yep. it was just like a skateboard, only - with no friction to slow down the wheels - it was faster!
He headed toward the courthouse. Let’s see Griff and the others catch him now!
‘There he is!’ he heard Griff yell from the doorway of the Café 80’s. ‘Hey McFly! You’re a dead file'.’
Marty glanced back at them. Griff shook his baseball bat. Marty smiled at them and skated away. Griff and his three sidekicks ran after him.
Marty needed to gain a little more distance. He grabbed onto the bumper of a passing hovercar, swooping past Griff’s three sidekicks, who couldn’t stop and turn in time. But where was Griff?
The car turned the corner. There was Griff, waiting for Marty with his baseball bat!
Marty saw the swing coming. He let go of the car, swerving away from the flailing bat, straight towards an oncoming car!
There was no time to get out of the way. The car braked, the driver blasting his horn.