Chapter 1
I let out a yawn as l leaned back in my chair and stretched. "Hey Mini Mouse, what are you still doing here?" Hardy har har. How original. Still leaning back I turned my head to the office door behind me to see Mike leaning against the door frame.
"I have to scrub through the rest of the footage. Still have 4 folders to go through." I sat back to the computer monitor and opened up with next folder. I heard him laugh a bit before walking in. "No. I mean't why are you still here? It's 8 o'clock. I sent everyone home over an hour ago." He let himself drop in the rolling chair next to me and began to swivel side to side. I rolled my eyes and cracked a smile at him with a side glance before I resumed my work. "I just thought I could get this done so we could start editing this week."
"Ah." He folded his hands on his stomach as he slouched in the chair. Why can't he just leave? "Anyways, why are you still here?" He chuckled and reached in his back pocket to pull out his cell phone.
"I forgot my phone." Mouthing a silent 'ah' and a slow nod, I returned my attention to the monitor. I had just opened a video clip when I heard
Mike moaned loudly. "Oh my god. Will you just stop working?" Suddenly his hand was on my shoulder. My body tensed up at the touch, immediately I forced away the instinct to fight and tried to relax my body. "Seriously, go home. You've been working overtime every night since you got here 2 months ago. It's great you love your work, but you don't have to push yourself so much. You look exhausted."
I looked down, I knew he was just concerned but I still felt like a child being scolded. "So as your boss, I am telling you to go home and take tomorrow off." I didn't try to say anything else, his stern tone told me he wouldn't listen anyways. I clicked my tongue before finally nodding.
"Good." With a curt nod, he sat up. "Now let's get hurry up and get out of here."
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By the time I got to my apartment it was 9:40. Looking around, I couldn't help but frown. It wasn't much. A small one bedroom apartment, with barely any furniture, aside from the square black coffee table with floor pillows in the center of the living room, my 22-inch tv and laptop on a smaller coffee table in the corner across from the kitchen doorway. It was home, my home. Even after moving, I felt empty. Like a part of me was missing.
Laying down my backpack next to the door, I removed my shoes and walked over to the kitchen to grab a water bottle. I leaned against the counter as I tipped my head back to drink. I could still feel Mike's hand on my shoulder. I rolled my neck and tried to shake off the feeling of discomfort and fear. He was a nice guy, great supervisor but I hated people touching me. Have hated it, since I was 10. I had hoped moving away would helped me heal. But it didn't. I shuddered at the memory and tried to think of something else. The kitchen was small, with just enough room on one side to fit the sink counter and oven, the other side gave just enough space between for the fridge and walking space. Placing my bottle on the counter I noticed the fortune cookie from last night. I picked it up, opened the wrapper and split the cookie down the folded middle. I began nibbling on the first half of the cookie, pulling out the fortune and walked back into the living room holding the fortune folded in one hand, the cookie halves in the other.
I turned on my laptop and tv monitor. Waiting for it to load, I reached for one of the four floor pillows before I paused. I don't know what possessed my to buy four. Maybe symmetry? I knew no one here, and I never go out really. Shaking the thought from my head, I stuffed the rest of the first half in my mouth and pulled the closest pillow over to me to sit on. I placed down the second half and fortune on the table before plugging the HDMI cable adaptor into my laptop and opened up Netflix.
A quick glance at the recommended section, I sighed. There was nothing there that caught my eye, instead the sense of boredom became more apparent. I signed on to Facebook and check the status updates of old friends who I hadn't spoken to in years. A few had just gotten into a relationship, some posted about random videos they loved.
"Huh. Pam just got married." I couldn't help but smile as I looked over her wedding photos. She was one of the few people I considered a good friend in high school. She looked so happy with her husband. Seeing others happy always warmed my heart and made me feel that the world wasn't so bad. At the same time, I couldn't help feeling envious of them. Looking at Pam's face as she looked up at her husband's face. "I wish I had that." Looking down at the left over fortune cookie, I grimaced. I had no appetite to eat it.
I let myself fall on to my back and stared at the ceiling. I tried dating, but when things became intimate, that's when things went down hill.
I let out a moan as Jason slowly kissed my collar bone. I couldn't believe we were finally doing this and I was fine. Jason's lips returned to mine as he rolled us over on his bed. Even with him on top of me, I felt ok. My confidence grew as our kiss became more intense and I ran my fingers through his cropped hair. In between breaths, he would whisper sweet nothings to me, his hands running over and exploring my body. The intense intimacy and feelings of ecstasy were so overwhelming I hadn't noticed his hands moving upwards until I felt his fingers on the back of my neck.
My eyes snap open and body stiffens. I tried to push him away but he doesn't move. "No! Get off me!" Jason backs off startled at my cries. I can't breathe, I push myself against the wall, the feeling of invisible hands around my throat. I'm silently crying and my body shaking, Jason just stares on in fear.
"Minori! What's wrong!? What happened?!" He's reaching out unsure if he should touch me or not.
I opened my eyes to the ceiling, I didn't know when I had closed them. I sit up and run a hand through my hair, pushing it out of my face. Since that night I hadn't had a decent night sleep. The event from so long ago had become a constant replay in my dreams. Taking a deep breath I slowly exhaled and rolled my neck before letting my head hang to my chest.
The folded fortune caught my eyes, I didn't believe these were real fortunes. I had seen how fortune cookies and the fortunes were made when I was 13 in San Francisco, but it was still fun to read them. I laughed to myself as I remembered my dad one time got a fortune that said "It is a nice day." Smiling I picked up the fortune. Maybe I'll get "It was a nice day."
My eyes squinted in confusion as I read the fortune. "Attractive visitors will bring joy to your home." Never saw that coming. I didn't know what was more confusing then, the fact that I have never in the 24 years of my life, remember reading or getting a fortune like that. Or if it was the fact that a large part of me wished that were true. I frowned at the thought. Crumpling up the fortune as I walked over to the kitchen and threw it in the trash.
A buzzing noise broke me out of my thoughts and I looked around to find the source. My phone. I walked over to my backpack and opened the front pouch to get out my cell.
"Mike? Why is he calling?" I cocked an eyebrow before answering. "Hello?"
"Hey. I hope you got home okay." Okay….weird.
"Yeah, I did." I walked back over to where I was sitting and lay down.
"Cool. Look me and a few others were planning on going to see The Hobbit at the ArcLight tonight. I remembered that you lived near by and wondered if you wanted to join us." What?! Seriously...
"Uh. Well, it's kind of late and there's work tomo-"
His laughter on the other end caused me to pause. "Noo. I have to work tomorrow, you have tomorrow off. Don't think I forgot so easily."
I hung my head and sighed. Oh yea. I forgot. "I wasn't trying to-"
"The movie starts in about 30 min. Lisa just bought you a ticket, so get over here." With that he hung up. Guess I don't have a choice now. I shook my head and stood up to stretch. Quickly I went to touch up my make up, got my shoes on and headed over to ArcLight.
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Since moving here, I had been to this theater about 6 times by myself. But now I was with 4 of my co-workers and our boss. I felt so out of place. I wasn't anti-social. It's just after spending 4 years of college as kind of a loner, you get used to being on your own.
"I wish we just saw the IMAX version. I heard that this version makes people dizzy." I leaned forward to look at Lisa. The usually happy go-lucky blond now looked nervous. "I don't want to get dizzy through this whole movie."
"Why did you want to see it here then?" I chuckled a bit at Mike's question but mostly because Lisa was pointing at Mike. The two always flirted with each other but I found it funny because they were the only ones who thought they were being subtle.
"You'll be fine. My friends say it just feels like it's more real in the high frame rate." Brad said and he grabbed a handful of popcorn from Lisa's cup. Erin and Tawny laughed as Lisa protested. Brad was known as the office goofball and we all knew that he mean't no harm. "Do you think you'll get dizzy?" Brad's voice caught me off guard and I realized he was looking at me, his mouth still full of popcorn. I shook my head. "No."
I leaned back in my seat, I didn't know if I should tell them that this would be the 3rd time watching the movie. It had only been out a month in theaters, but after seeing the opening weekend of it, I fell in love with it. I had loved the book and this just made the world seem more real to me. It fascinated me that one man could create this world that was so beautiful and so different from our own.
The moment the lights went down, I put on my glasses as I bit my lower lip to hold back my smile.
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I watched as the Thrush flew over Mirkwood and towards the Lonely Mountain. I sat up waiting. The knocking of the snail against the walls of the castle echoed as the camera panned inside, down to the pile of gold that once belonged to the Dwarves. Three, two, one. At that instant, Smaug snorted, the coins shooting away from his nose and I couldn't help but laugh to myself as I hear several women in the theater gasp in surprise. From the corner of my eye, I could see Mike and Brad jump a bit as well.
I loved and hated this scene, for it was the first time we really get a good look at Smaug's face (despite that all you see if the eye) but also because it meant that it was the end of the first movie.
"What? That's it?" Looking over at Erin who's sitting next to me, I smile. "Yeah. They're making it into three parts."
"Ugh, why are they going to make it so long?" I smile but don't respond. For someone who claims to be the person who knows about all the latest films, it's surprising she didn't know that. I can hear Mike explain to her as I return my attention to the screen. The credits are rolling and listened to Neil Finn sing "Song of the Lonely Mountain". It was a good song, but I honestly loved Thorin singing it better.
"Ok. Everyone ready to go?" I looked up at Mike who was now standing. Everyone slowly followed suit and began making their way down the isle to leave. I was hesitant to leave, I had never stayed for the whole credits and a part of me really wanted to this time. But looking back at everyone, I decided against staying and got up to leave.
On the way out of the theater, everyone was talking about their opinions of it.
"I just don't get why they have to make it three parts." I heard Erin's voice above the groans of the others. I had taken my time walking out and kept my distance. I saw Mike and Tawny look behind and wait for me. I gave a tight smile at them as we began walking together.
"So what did you think Mini?" Looking at Tawny, I smiled. "I loved it." She smiled back before calling out to Erin. "Erin who was the sexiest?" We all had to laugh now. Immediately Erin went off.
"Thorin! He can save me any day. The man is gorgeous!" The other girls nodded in agreement as we stopped outside the theater doors in a circle. "What about you Mini? You don't agree?" I looked at Brad and smiled. "Uh. No, he's good looking."
"She probably prefers Fili or Kili." I blushed at Mike's comment. I was so happy that I was tan, despite the bright lights from the theater, my skin still hid my blush. It was true, Fili and Kili were the most attractive to me, but that didn't mean I wanted everyone to know that. "Well it's late. We should head home. Gotta get up early." I smiled as they all groaned but agreed with Mike.
Saying our good byes and waving, I watched as Brad, Erin and Tawny walk over to the parking garage. Mike, Lisa and I stood there in silence till they were out of site. I smiled at Lisa.
"I'm just glad that you were able to come out with us. Mike's been telling us how hard you've been working." I bowed my head a bit and smiled. "I'm just doing my job."
"Well keep it up, but don't push yourself too hard. Don't want you waring out on us too soon." I gave a half smile and looked back to where my car was parked.
"Thanks for the invite again and for the ticket." Lisa smiled again before looking up at Mike. They were standing so close to each other, anyone passing by would assume they were a couple. They were cute together. Suddenly feeling like a third wheel, I felt the need to leave.
"Well it's really late. I should go home." My words seemed to snap them out of their own little world and back to reality.
"Right. Well uh…drive back safe." I smiled and waved good bye to a very flustered Mike and Lisa then headed across the street to my car.
This is my first ever Alternate Universe fic. I hope that you all enjoy reading it. Don't worry, the guys will turn up in Chapter 2.