Beautiful Chapter, Crafty. Have not seen too many stories like this. Talking about the Keely we saw in the Pilot to the Keely we saw later on. Well done.

It's not often enough I'm left flabbergasted by a reader's review, potfpeep12. I considered it self-contained, yet you've seen elements and raised questions I never imagined while penning this little tale. I'll try to offer you some closure.

What exactly did Keely mean by "You know,"? And why did this, "You know," cause such a seemingly drastic change in her life? - The first time: there's more to life than playing Queen of the Mountain of Popularity in the eyes of people who are really strangers to you and don't matter. The second time Keely utters "You know," she's telling Candida that she found someone in her life who matters. There really is life after high school, Candida. No, I won't bite my tongue. Zombies - what are you going to do? They're obsessed with biting and the brains thing.

First thought? She's pregnant... But that's just my imagination going into a whole other story. - IDNSTOCAAP (I did not see that one coming at all, peep.) Pim! Pim! You're going to be - no, you'll still be a monster, but your parents - they could babysit. Barb, anyway (Lloyd, take that off your head, I know where it's been), Curtis could change dirty diapers (how and what he'll change them into, I don't want to think about after witnessing his forming a birdhouse from number 2 pencils), and Mr. Hackett could place bets on whether the critter that pops out is green with bulging dark eyes or not; Pim will take some of that action. Aw! Looks just like Pimmy's baby pictures. Count the toes, People, count the toes.

She's in love? Her materialistic lifestyle with Tia just wasn't as fulfilling as hearing Phil Diffy call her 'Keels' on a daily basis. And, of course, Tia couldn't take her to Paris on a whim, either. - Yeah, that's it. In actuality, Keels isn't that deep - she's in high school, and is considering a career as a pet psychologist, for goodness sakes. Phil's her first real boyfriend, and what she knows about love she learned from crushin' on Gaston on The Lost and the Lonely. So, Keely went from being materialistic with Tia and sittin' with the populars, to even more exclusively cliquish with Phil and his wizrd making every whim of hers a reality with future technology. Maybe Teslow didn't so much evolve as trade up to the next model? Giant cookie? ZAP! Fur coat and diamond necklace? ZAP! ZAP! Breakfast in the Forbidden City, brunch at the South Pole, and a little lunch in Red Square? ZAP! ZAP! ZAPPITY-ZAP! Phil's not so much a boyfriend as a fairy god mother with a battery-powered platinum wand, instead of Tia with a gold card.

And maybe I'm just not thinking straight... But why and how did Hackett's life become a little easier? That's to remain a question, since I can't think of a possible answer. - and I'm not going to tell you! Okay, I will. Reviewers are rare and those who leave thought provoking critiques such as you have deserve acknowledgement and to be seriously responded to. Candida will ever remain queen of the Fashion Zombies (Pim's label for them. What do the other students at Wells call them? Candida's Crew? Candida's Clique?), whereas Hackett picks up on clues that Candida-want-to-be Fiona has metamorphosed into a teenager who can glimpse days beyond high school to what is actually important and worth pursuing in life. Candida's character, on the other hand, persists to be as slow to make progress as the walking undead and remains blind to the answers Keely is offering. Candida is smart enough, but the zombie in her "needs more brains" to process that which Fiona got on the first go round. Fiona will be resigning from the Fashion Zombies, Hackett feels, and one less cliquish Candida clone will make his life a little easier. Not much, because zombies reproduce so easily, even easier than getting Keely Teslow pregnant. Oops! But that's another story. They never should have brought along that extra natal pod from the future. Spoilers!

Thank you for the publicity on WYKB! If I'd decided to catch up on the reading a little sooner I would've included a little CraftyNotepad action in my new story because you've been such a fantastic reviewer thus far! - 'Tis a priviledge to do both. I remain ever impressed by your writing, potfpeep12.

Best
CraftyNotepad

Interesting, CraftyNotepad. I feel as though you have ended this two-chapter installment to the imagination of the readers. I'm not totally sure...

What exactly did Keely mean by "You know,"? And why did this, "You know," cause such a seemingly drastic change in her life?

First thought? She's pregnant... But that's just my imagination going into a whole other story.

She's in love? Her materialistic lifestyle with Tia just wasn't as fulfilling as hearing Phil Diffy call her 'Keels' on a daily basis. And, of course, Tia couldn't take her to Paris on a whim, either.

And maybe I'm just not thinking straight... But why and how did Hackett's life become a little easier? That's to remain a question, since I can't think of a possible answer.

Anyway, I'd consider this a job well done! And, oh yes!
Thank you for the publicity on WYKB! If I'd decided to catch up on the reading a little sooner I would've included a little CraftyNotepad action in my new story because you've been such a fantastic reviewer thus far!

potfpeep

THANK YOU, DeservesAReview. You made my day. Appreciated your critique, as well as your pat on the back.

You're right, Doug and Tim crafted much more than a six-character sitcom; they created the land Pickford, its history and its multitude of slightly strange, but in a totally real life way inhabitants. Frankly, I never saw any chemistry between characters of Phil and Keely. All of the Diffys were bent on pursuing their own lone distractions while they were stranded in this backwater century. Mom attempted to learn how to cook. Dad freaked out over being discovered. "Uncle" Curtis ate without a fear of being on the menu himself. Pim acquired money and power, and Phil? He hung out with a blonde he felt was pretty, even though she was high maintenance and had no interests he shared. They're all just killing time while stuck here.

To help satisfy your appetite for Phil of the Future stories that don't have to focus on the cutest couple making out in the back of the time machine, you can't go wrong with BERWICK Vs TESLOW by Samantha J. Mulder, and Secret Identity's CURTIS vs GEICO considers caveman sensitivities in the 21st Century. Far too few readers have taken the time to show their appreciation for Sultan Peppershaker's Seth-Via one-shot HANDS DOWN.

You'll have to do some searching in the pre-2008 stories as that was before identifying up to two major characters in stories was added as a feature in FanFiction postings, so all those wonderful non-Pheely stories won't come up searching with this gizmo. There's a beautifully written story regarding Tia not thinking about herself for once and clumsily attempting comfort Seth upon the death of his favorite uncle. It's well worth searching for. In the meanwhile, here's a list of some Phil of the Future stories not focusing on P&K; to get started with. Happy Pheeliless reading!

BEEP - Various Pickfordites leave messages.
THAWING OUT - Owen has a summer job and plays Cupid.
GONE FISHING - Keely and Lloyd
FLOWERS AND CHOCOLATES - Li'l Danny Dawkins and Mrs. D
TRICK OR TREAT - Mrs. Diffy and Keely
NO MEANS NO - Via & Owen
I WISH I HAD MY OWN CAR - Keely is tortured by her mother and Mrs. Diffy
GOSSIP - Candida is out to destroy Keely Teslow
RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT - Curtis
RED GLARE - Pim and Mr. Hackett
VIA'S EMBARRASSING AFTERNOON WITH OWEN -yeah, the title gives it away
BACKYARD INTRUDER - Keely and Barb
PLAYING AROUND- various couples
POETRY PAPERS - see if you can recognize the characters in just a few lines
FATHER'S DAY - Lloyd
NAUGHTY OR NICE? - Pity Santa receiving these letters from picky Pickfordians
LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS OH, MY! - Keely's mother and Vice-Principal Hackett have a conference
PIM HAS KEELY FOR LUNCH - No, Pim's not cooking who you think

There's still plenty of non-Phil and Keely tales waiting to be written, hopefully you'll choose to write one or more.

What happened with Tia at Festapalooza with no Phil or Keely about?

What does Danny do when a girl other than Pim has a crush on him? More importantly, what will Pim do?

How well does the Pickford Poison Control Center know Barbara Diffy?

What is Mr. Messerschmitt like at a speed dating party? An IRS audit? Forced to attend a cub scout meeting with his nephew Nathan? Stuck in an elevator?

What is it like from the boy's perspective when Tia picks him as her squeeze of the week when he knows deep inside that he's now gone from "candidate" to "disposable"?

What is Mandy Teslow like when stuck in traffic?

Can Pim charge Debbie Berwick with stalking, and will she miss Berwick too much if she can?

What goes through the minds of Lloyd and Hackett while locked in a staring match?

At the military school, ...

Unusual pov characters. How refreshing.

There are too few non either Phil or Keely fics here (or anywhere),which I guess is understandable given the show's title but still frustrating.

Good on you CraftyNotepad.