(Author's Note: Just thought this might go a bit differently than the other branch. A text isn't like a voice call, you don't know who is at the other end. I also figured that, if magic was distracting Linda and Mikey from mutual odd behaviors...that should be more notable.)
Mikey trudged upstairs sulking. As he entered his room, something in his pocket buzzed. Mikey reached in and pulled it out.
It was an iPhone in a pink case. It wasn't his. Mikey wasn't allowed to get a smartphone till he was older. He had a special phone for kids that was only allowed to call specific numbers.
"How did I get this?" Mikey said. He looked at the screen to try and figure out who it belonged to.
It showed that he had a text from someone named Biff. "Hey babe," the message read. "Are you still on for tonight?"
Mikey had no idea who Biff was. He typed in, "I just found this phone. Who does it belong to?"
The message came back from 'Biff'. "Mikey Gibson. Who is this?"
Mikey was puzzled. But he barely had time to think about it when there was a knock on the door.
Linda popped her head in. "Hey kiddo," she noticed the look of confusion on Mikey's face and came into the room. "Are you OK?"
"Dad," Mikey said. "Something's wrong. I found this phone, and someone named Biff texted it...and I asked who it belonged to, and he said it was mine."
"Dad?" Linda said, shocked for a moment. Well, Roger was Mrs. Gibson, so...honestly, this was getting to be too much. "That's the phone that we got you for your birthday." Linda remembered Mikey being a tremendous pain about getting a phone at all, and wanting the pink case.
"But..." Mikey started to protest.
"And as for Biff...you hang out with him all the time." Linda paused. "Mikey...if you notice anything else..." Linda's voice fell a few octaves and she trailed off. "I mean..." She was almost afraid to speak, the rest of her sentence forgotten.
"What, Dad?" Mikey said.
Linda blinked. "Umm...oh, what?" she said, distractedly. Her own voice was starting to scare her.
