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The Magic of Movies
Chapter Ten: Exciting Action Sequence

They celebrated at Big Momma's. Mack and Seacat sat at a table for two watching everyone sing and dance around them.

"What can I getcha?" Big Momma asked with a joyous smile.

"Two vanilla shakes," Seacat ordered, grinning at Mack.

I wanted chocolate…

But Mack didn't protest, she was just happy to be going home. Across the room she saw Tanner leaning on the jukebox.

"Excuse me, Seacat." She made her way across the room and smiled at him.

"Hey," he smiled back.

"Hey there, Hero," Mack patted his shoulder. "How does it feel to save the day AND get the girl?"

"I couldn't have done it without them."

Mack followed his gaze to the dance floor where the Lela and Butchy were dancing.

"And why aren't you out there with your girl?" Mack crossed her arms and nudged Tanner with her elbow.

"She's not my girl," Tanner stared at his feet.

"You mean she's not your girl…Yet," Mack nudged him again.

"Lela and I…," he paused. "I tried…but I think she's looking for something different."

"Wait a minute," Mack said in astonishment. "The girl you were telling me about was…Lela?"

Did not see that one coming!

"I took my dad's 'vette out for a joyride and blew the engine," Tanner cringed at the memory. "She helped me fix it."

"And…," Mack was almost ready to strangle Tanner for withholding such critical information.

"And, we talked a lot. A LOT," he emphasized. "I thought things were going somewhere. She said she wrote a song, so I came to Big Momma's to hear her but it took me so long to find something to wear that I was late and then…,"

"Then she fell off the stage and …" Mack groaned and clawed at her hairline. She glanced over at Lela, but she was heading into the bathroom.

"Be right back," Mack told Tanner as she darted over to the ladies room.

Inside Lela was applying another coat of lipstick.

Because she's not wearing enough already.

"Lela, can I talk to you for a minute?" Mack prepared to eat a giant slice of humble pie. The blue eyes turned her way but Lela didn't say a word.

"I'm sorry," Mack began. "I shouldn't have said what I said, about hating you."

Lela put the cap back on her lipstick.

"It's just…," Mack debated on whether or not to tell the truth.

I'm leaving so what the hell…

"…maybe Brady is over me but I'm not even close to being over him. Breaking up with him was a big mistake. And seeing you suck his face off every five seconds – it made me want to punch you both in the face."

Lela's eyes widened and she took a step back.

"No, No, No, I wouldn't actually hit anyone," Mack tried to reassure her. "What I'm trying to say is: I saw the way you and Tanner looked at each other today and…I think you would make a great couple."

Lela's brow narrowed.

"But if you want to stay with Brady – that's fine too. I just think that you'd be missing out if you didn't at least give Tanner a chance."

Both girls stood there for a minute.

Neither of them spoke.

"Okay," Mack rocked back forth on her feet. "Guess we're done here. Take care, Lela. It was very nice meeting you." She turned to leave when Lela called her name softly.

"Mack."

Mack turned around looking at Lela questioningly.

"I accept your apology." Then Lela bit her lip for a second. "I understand how you must have felt," she admitted. "Brady talked about you all the time. All the time. And sometimes the only way I could get him to stop was to kiss him."

"What?" Mack was shocked.

"I don't want to break up with him," Lela told Mack. "You're leaving and I feel like I'd be kicking him while he's down."

"But…,"

"Tanner."

Lela swooned as she said his name. A full body swoon, where her eyes half-lidded as her lashes batted. Her lips pouted like a sex kitten. Even her left foot came off the ground about six inches.

"Follow your heart, Lela."

"What about Brady?"

"I'll talk to him."

"I think he would like that very much."

I hope so…. Mack smiled.

"Thank you," Lela's arms wrapped around Mack's shoulders and squeezed.

As Mack rejoined Seacat at the table. Big Momma set down the shakes in the middle of their table. "Now, you let Big Momma know if there is anything else you need."

"Thanks Big Momma," Mack and Seacat said in unison. They sipped their shakes and watched the reality show happening before them.

Struts and CheeChee had found a new makeover victim in Giggles. They both looked as Giggles entered the room, wearing a tight, red dress and the red heels of death.

"Whoa," Rascal placed his hands over his heart.

Giggles batted her eyes then looked away.

Rascal smiled and grabbed her by the hand leading her out to the dance floor.

Struts and CheeChee oooooh'd and high fived each other.

"Your turn," Chee Chee said to Struts pushing her toward Butchy. Struts shook her head in protest, but her friend gave her a final shove that landed her right on Butchy's lap. He captured her in his arms.

"You were so brave today," she swooned.

"Yeah, I was, wasn't I?" he smiled.

Struts kissed his cheek. "For my hero," she told him.

He looked at her.

She looked back at him.

The magic of movies had struck again.

But there was one person who didn't look very happy.

Brady sat alone in a chair pushed into the corner. Holding a bottle of soda in his hand he watched the action on the dance floor but made no attempt to join the musical number.

"Want to dance?" Seacat asked.

"Uhhhh," Mack looked at him, then back at Brady.

"Go ahead," Seacat smiled.

"Thanks," Mack replied as she took her shake and wandered across the restaurant until she ended up by Brady's side.

Glancing out at the crowd, a new couple had taken the dance floor: Lela and Tanner.

Surfers and bikers fanned out in a circle leaving the hero and heroine in the center.

"I think I remember this scene," Mack remarked to Brady. He ignored her comment. "You want to dance," Mack bumped his chair with her hip to entice him.

But she hit too hard causing Brady's soda to spill a little in his lap.

"Great!" he exclaimed. Switching hands he shook the soda off and then walked over to a table and grabbed a handful of napkins.

"Brady, are you okay?" Mack offered him another handful of napkins she'd swiped from a nearby dispenser.

"No. I'm not okay," Brady sighed piling up the used napkins. "I've been dumped twice in three days. Got punched in the face. And I have a rash from the stupid leather pants!"

Mack tried not to laugh. She really did.

"I'm glad my suffering amuses you."

"Brady, wait." Mack slipped a hand through his arm. "I think I know the perfect cure."

"Mack," Brady barked.

"Let's go home," Mack replied squeezing his hand.

Brady sighed and brushed the blonde hair out of his eyes. "Lead the way."

They left Big Momma's and headed out to the beach.

The sky was clear and blue with no sign of change anytime soon.

"Where's the storm?" Mack asked.

"Something's wrong," Brady looked up and down the coastline.

"Brady," Mack squeezed his hand. "How can there be something wrong? Tanner and Lela are in love. The surfers and bikers are united. We destroyed the weather machine. WHY ISN'T THERE A STORM?"

"I don't know," Brady sank deep into thought. "The only thing I can think of is that Les Camembert and Dr. Fusion weren't in the movie."

"What?" Mack's eyes bulged.

"You can't have a movie without a villain."

"What?" Mack repeated.

"There's a formula," Brady explained.

"A formula?"

Mack collapsed to her knees in the sand, covering her face.

Why is this happening to me? I just want to go home.

"Don't worry, Mack." Brady knelt beside her. "I'll figure it out."

Brady was still trying to 'figure it out' at midnight. They were sitting on the steps of Big Momma's waiting for the storm that was never coming.

The crescent moon hung high in the sky. Stars twinkled overhead. The warm ocean air blew up from the water.

"We're never getting home are we?" Mack asked the boy beside her.

When he didn't answer, Mack began to cry.

Brady put and arm around her shoulder and Mack leaned into him. They sat there together until the sun's rays began to peek from behind the cottony clouds.

Mack awoke first and slipped out from Brady lowering his sleeping form to the sand below. She wandered down the water's edge.

It was still 1962.

They were trapped.

Mack walked past sleeping Brady back into Big Momma's. The restaurant wasn't opened yet, but Big Momma was inside sitting at a table.

"What can I getcha," she smiled at Mack.

Mack sat in the chair across from her.

"Can you get me an order of 2013?" Mack said sadly.

"Homesick, huh?" Big Momma smiled at her.

Mack nodded her head.

"Mack," Big Momma said as she reached out for her hands. "All you have to do to get home is follow your heart."

"But I did," Mack explained. "Brady and I…."

"Follow your heart and find your destiny," Big Momma patted her on the arm. "Now scoot, we're closed."

Dazed, Mack wandered out of Big Momma's. When she got to the bottom of the steps she froze.

There was her surfboard. The one she'd rode in on – the one she hadn't seen since she got here.

Suddenly she knew exactly what she needed to do.

"Brady. Brady." She shook him awake.

"Five more minutes," Brady mumbled.

Mack grabbed his arms and pulled him into a sitting position.

"What?" Brady asked, rubbing tired eyes.

"How would you like to surf fifty foot waves?"

Brady looked out at the surf then back at Mack.

"Not here," she told him. "There's a place called The Cove."

"It's on the other side of the lighthouse," Brady offered.

"I thought it was supposed to be a big secret," Mack stared at him. "How do you know where it is?"

"The other day when I was out riding, I passed by a sign that read "The Cove" and it had a big arrow pointing that way." He demonstrated by pointing down the beach.

There's a sign? Some big secret….

"Let's go," Mack tucked her surfboard under her arm.

Brady followed suit and they left Big Momma's behind.

They stood at the top of a cliff, gazing down on a horseshoe-shaped cove – where monster waves were breaking onto the small beach.

"Awesome," Mack gasped.

"Awesome wishes it was this awesome," Brady awed.

The Cove was everything Seacat had said it was.

Excitedly they made their way down to the sand and watched the waves again.

"These are even bigger than the ones we left on," Mack shielded her eyes as she scoped out the surf.

"Yeah," Brady agreed.

"Ready?" Mack pulled at Brady's hand.

"I don't know Mack," he hesitated. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Are you kidding?"

"Look around. There's no one else here."

"Exactly," Mack tugged at his hand again. "We have the waves all to ourselves."

"Do you think maybe there's a reason no one else is here?"

"Because it's supposed to be a secret."

I can explain it to him, but I can't understand it for him…

Mack charged out into the surf. Lying on her board she paddled out into the surf. Big waves crashed on her, pushing her back to the shore. But Mack really wanted this, and despite the abuse from the unwelcoming ocean she pressed forward.

She swam harder.

Glancing back toward the shore she saw Brady had wandered into the surf – but hadn't made much progress.

Cupping his hands around his mouth he called out to her, "It's too rough" as he tried to wave her back to the beach.

But Mack was not about to give up on this.

Fighting harder she charged through breaking waves, clinging to her board as the sea threatened to take it from her.

She finally cleared the last hurdle and was in the ocean's belly – waiting for a new wave to be born. The yellow rash guard was a only a dot in the distance.

The water beneath her surged and Mack turned her board and paddled.

Feeling the wave lift below her; she got to her feet – working hard to keep herself steady over the choppy surf.

Without being centered she was in danger of losing her balance and wiping out. Stretching her arms sideways to steady herself – but she was still close to toppling off the board.

The wave curled, raising her high into the air.

Higher than she'd ever been.

She could almost see over the surrounding cliffs.

But the water was churning over her feet.

Pushing against them.

Mack curled her toes, trying to hold on for a few more seconds.

This feeling was addicting.

Adrenaline pulsed through her body.

More.

More.

More.

Her right foot started to slip out from under her. Mack crouched down, in attempt to lower her center of gravity, while she adjusted her feet.

But that slight movement cost her the ride of a lifetime.

Her feet slipped off the board.

Her body tumbled forward.

Mack held her breath as the warm surf swallowed her up.

Kicking hard, she resurfaced and looked for her board.

A wave crashed over her.

Then another.

And another.

When she surfaced, she couldn't see the shoreline.

Twisting her head in every direction all she saw was water.

The water swelled, lifting her for a moment.

She caught a brief glimpse of something yellow.

Brady!

She tried to swim in his direction.

But the current was pulling her in the opposite direction.

Mack struggled to swim but it was like treading water.

She was getting nowhere and her body was fatiguing quickly.

She relaxed and let the current take her.

Walking a mile or so back wouldn't be a big deal.

The current was strong; moving quickly across the small horse-shoe beach.

The side of the cliffs was upon her before she knew it.

She was nearing the rocks and saw Brady pointing her into the shore.

She tried to start swimming again but a wave broke over her head.

She felt the sting of the force and before she could surface; she was struck again on the head.

Mack felt dizzy but knew she had to come up for air.

But her arms didn't feel as strong anymore.

Her legs felt weak too.

In the distance she saw something yellow.

Brady!

Reaching out under the water she grabbed for him.

But he was too far away.

Her lungs were screaming for air.

She tried to swim.

But her head hurt so much.

The yellow came closer.

She reached out for it.

It brushed against her fingertips.

Then everything went black.

Uh-oh...Cliffhanger.

Don't worry I'll be updating very soon and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 'action sequence' as it's in a different style from the rest of the story.

-Gemma.