Rating: PG (just to be safe)
Disclaimer: The characters are not mine, except when they are. The settings and locations are not mine, except when they are. The plots, conflicts, and resolutions ARE mine, except when they're not.
Reviews/Feedback: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcome. Any suggestions you may have on how to make my story better will be greatly appreciated.
It was supposed to be a relaxing evening out, just the two of them, away from the responsibilities of the school and the students. What it turned into was an epic struggle against the forces of Murphy's Law. If it could go wrong, it did.
Scott Summers and Jean Grey arrived at the local multiplex with time to spare, only to find that the place was packed. Locating a parking spot was nearly impossible. This should have been expected. The film that Scott and Jean intended to purchase tickets for had only just opened, and was one of those highly anticipated, heavily promoted studio offerings that was more than just a movie; it was an event. Scott had mistakenly believed that the crowds would be more manageable once the film's opening day had passed. Apparently, he and Jean had not waited long enough.
Scott pulled into one of the few remaining parking spaces, which was situated rather far from the entrance. He and Jean had just gotten out of the car when the heavens opened up and they were caught in the midst of a torrential downpour. Light rain had been predicted for the evening, emphasis on light. However, the sky was clear when Scott and Jean had left the school. It was only after they were already on their way to the theater that the heavy cloud cover rolled in, surpassing all meteorological predictions. On top of that, Scott, the eternal boy scout who was always prepared for anything, had forgotten to put the emergency umbrella back in the car after the last time he had used it.
Scott and Jean raced into the multiplex but still managed to get soaking wet. The lady at the ticket window informed them that the movie that they had come to see was sold out. Not wanting to have wasted the trip, and having time to kill before their dinner reservations later in the evening, Scott and Jean selected another film. Thinking they could both use a good laugh right about now, they chose a comedy. As it turned out, the joke was on them. The movie they picked was geared towards families with young children, and it seemed to have been made with the kids in mind. The filmmakers had neglected to include any of the nods and winks to the adults in the audience that films of this type tended to incorporate into the screenplay. As a result, Scott and Jean couldn't really appreciate the film, and they didn't find it to be all that funny. There was also a young boy seated directly behind Scott who kept kicking the back of the seat at random intervals.
It was sill raining when Scott and Jean left the theater. They headed towards the restaurant, trying to salvage what was left of the evening. Unfortunately, someone had caused an accident on the road, most likely by driving too fast in the rain. No one was badly hurt, but the traffic was held up for a good while. Scott and Jean reached the restaurant too late to make good on their dinner reservations, which explained why they were now occupying a booth at one of those family style, sit down places.
The meal itself was blessedly uneventful. However, Jean had a slight problem. About five minutes after the waitress had shown them to their booth, Jean had somehow gotten a song stuck in her head. It was one of those songs that could best be described as infuriatingly catchy, and Jean hated it. So did a lot of other people, come to think of it. Don't get me wrong; the song had been quite popular at one time, until nearly everyone got sick of it. Jean tried to banish the song from her mind. Unfortunately, the only surefire way to unstick a song from your head was to get another song stuck in your head to replace it, and Jean didn't want to resort to that option. So she just sat there, trying to listen to what Scott was saying, while THAT song played on a loop inside her head.
Scott didn't notice that anything was wrong at first, but he gradually became aware of the fact that Jean was becoming increasingly distracted. "Are you alright?" Scott asked her. Rather than admit to something as embarrassing as being driven crazy because she had a song stuck in her head, Jean told him dismissively that she was fine. Scott seemed to accept this, but he did not start talking again. Several moments passed in silence before the waitress came to take their desert orders.
While Scott was talking to the waitress, inquiring whether something that was listed on the menu as 'seasonal' was available or not, Jean casually scanned the room. A group of teenagers was crammed into a booth at the far end of the room. There were also several families with children, as one would expect. The table directly across from Scott and Jean was occupied by an elderly woman, flanked by several young children who addressed her as grandma, and two adults, a man and a woman, who Jean assumed were the children's parents. Jean didn't realize that she was quietly humming THAT song until Scott commented on it. Jean fell silent immediately, embarrassed.
Just then, the group of teenagers squeezed out of their booth and headed for the exit. They passed Scott and Jean's booth on the way out, and Jean couldn't help but notice that one of the boys in the group was whistling THAT SONG. It couldn't be a coincidence. The boy must have the same song stuck in his head, and Jean's telepathic powers had accidentally picked up on it when she and Scott walked into the restaurant. Maybe now that the boy was leaving, Jean would be able to clear her mind. She was attempting to do just that when a group of waiters and waitresses circled around the grandmother who was seated at the table across from Scott and Jean and started singing 'Happy Birthday'. The woman's grandchildren joined in, their voices somewhat off-key. Jean's nerves were already shot, and this proved to be the last straw. She stormed out of the restaurant, leaving behind a very surprised Scott. He got up and was about to hurry after her, to find out what was wrong, when he suddenly remembered that they hadn't gotten the check yet. By the time Scott had paid the bill and caught up with Jean, she was halfway down the street.
Scott grabbed hold of Jean's arm and asked her what was wrong, but Jean snapped at him to let go, pulling her arm out of his grasp. Somehow, Scott still wasn't sure how, he convinced Jean to go back with him for the car. Scott and Jean didn't speak at all during the car ride home. Scott knew better than to try to talk to Jean when he knew she was in a bad mood. Once they reached the school Jean hurried towards the kitchen, and her secret stash of emergency chocolate. Logan was sitting in the TV room reading a newspaper, his feet propped up on the coffee table, when Jean breezed past. "Hey Jean." Logan called after her. Jean muttered something under her breath that caused Logan to raise an eyebrow. Scott was following closely behind Jean and Logan called after him, "Is she always like this after a date with you?"