6GS: Woot! Second chapter! Popcorn anyone?
JP: Oh man, the battle … it is ON! Like Donkey Kong!
Chapter Two: Concessions
Edgeworth and Maya were already at the box office by the time Phoenix was able to extricate himself from the car and hobble across the parking lot. His legs had fallen asleep. He met the two of them at the door.
The cravat-wearer smirked at him and held it open for his date.
"Tickets please," the usher said.
Edgeworth handed him two passes. "She's with me."
Phoenix's shoulders drooped.
"Uh, what about... Did you get me a ticket?"
Edgeworth shot him a look of mock surprise.
"I'm sorry, Wright, I hadn't expected you to join us, you see, so I didn't—"
Sure. You just bought those tickets and I was in the car on the ride over...
"Okay," Phoenix dragged himself to the back of the line. "Save me a seat, Maya!"
"Will do, Nick!" She wrapped her arm around Edgeworth's and the blue attorney could feel the bile rise in his throat.
Seriously, I just threw up a little...
"There's time for the concession stand," Edgeworth was saying as he and Maya disappeared into the crowd of moviegoers.
Yeah, good luck with that Edgeworth...
Phoenix craned his neck from the back of the line trying and failing to catch a glimpse of the two of them.
Why does it bother me so much, anyway?
When he got to the box office window he beamed congenially at the cashier and she smiled back.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Yeah—uh—I... One for the um... Baby Samurai metal movie thingy..."
"What?"
"The one about the Samurai people..."
"Japalifornia? The Steel Samurai and Pink Princess crossover?"
"That's the one!" Phoenix awkwardly scratched at the back of his head.
"Twelve dollars," the cashier said.
"Oh no." He pulled out his wallet and smiled at her. "I only want one ticket."
"I see that." The cashier was now giving him a full-on neck-twitch stance. "That'll be twelve dollars."
Phoenix drooped and fumbled in his wallet. Burger receipt. Three one-dollar bills. A business card — crap! A moth flew out of his poor empty wallet and he nearly dropped it. He slid out his credit card, unable to hide the pained expression on his face as he handed it over.
Miss Attitude smirked as she handed him back his card, then his ticket and receipt.
"Enjoy the show!"
Phoenix shot her a sidelong glare and ran a hand through his spikes before entering the theatre lobby. It was crammed with people. He stared at the line for the concession stand with much scrutiny and maybe a little bit of desperation too.
Ah! There you are!
Maya was giggling up at the barrister. Even from where he was standing, he could see the twin inverted crescents of her eyes and the wide toothy grin. He frowned.
Oh, so you think you're charming, do you? Make her laugh why don't you?
He gritted his teeth and skirted the edge of the crowd hoping to catch their attention. He watched Edgeworth's stupid hair bob as he leaned in to say something to Maya. Her tinkling laugh rose above the cacophony of mingled conversations. The spiky-haired man could feel his ears grow warm.
Why I oughta...
Phoenix planted his feet and glared daggers in their direction. An evil little voice in his mind enacted their conversation.
" Oh, Mister Edgeworth! You're the biggest dork I ever met! I thought no one liked this samurai crap more than me! Tee hee!"
" Why Maya, I am totally awkward and boring. When I'm not working on a case, I geek out on this stuff!"
" Oh really? I do that too—whenever I'm not asking Nick to buy me hamburgers! Haha!"
" I like hamburgers too! I can't get enough! That's why my head is so big!"
" Oh, tee hee! We should get burgers if you're still awake after this stupid movie!"
" Oh, look it's our turn! I'm super rich so you can have whatever you want!"
" Oh, I want candy! I have an extra stomach just for candy!"
" What about popcorn? I love popcorn because I'm so... corny!"
" Haha! Mister Edgeworth, you're so weird!"
"Can I help you, sir?"
Phoenix spun so fast he almost fell. He glowered at the pimply-faced movie theatre worker kid.
"Oh, hey!" He grinned sheepishly. "I'm good! I was just waiting on my buddies – they're in the food line."
"Huh, yeah," Pizza Face said. "You're kind of blocking the path here."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Oh, okay. So sorry!"
He moved so that his back was to the wall and he was out of the way. From his new vantage, he had to crane his neck to watch Edgeworth and his assistant. Maya was still beaming at him.
Stop smiling at him... He's only trying to steal your soul...
Edgeworth had his hands on the counter, staring in concern as the girl behind the counter added box after box of candy to their pile on the counter.
Ha-ha! That's what you get! I hope she remembered to get me some Raisinettes...
Edgeworth was staring at Maya in wide-eyed shock now. The cashier girl was gesturing at the petite brunette and pointing at the MEGA Bucket.
Phoenix was barely able to stifle a laugh. The 'what-did-I-get-myself-into' expression on Edgeworth's face was completely worth it!
The magenta-clad man was frowning as he counted out the bills.
Maya said something and cocked her head coquettishly at Edgeworth.
Noooooooooooooo!
Edgeworth flashed his pearly whites at her and bumped her nose with an index finger before gathering the copious amount of snacks Maya apparently needed to enjoy the movie.
Maya, why? Why you gotta flirt with Edgeworth?
Phoenix was fuming as they made their way slowly and awkwardly in his direction. He crossed his arms as they approached, shooting his rival with his best glare. Edgeworth caught his eye and smirked at him. Maya was at his elbow, chatting away about a bronze baby and how the Legacy of the Steel Samurai would blah blah blah...
"You thought you'd lose me, huh?" Phoenix tucked his chin and crossed his arms.
You wanna play dirty?
Edgeworth pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows in a 'who, me?' look.
Bring it, EDGEWORTH!
"Oh hello," the other man replied coolly. "I thought you'd changed your mind."
Ooh, I changed my mind... What? And leave you free to break Maya's heart?
Phoenix kept the bead of his stare fixed on Edgeworth's obnoxious face.
"You're not going to lose me that easily."
Like I'm going to give you the chance!
Edgeworth smirked at him.
"You're imagining things."
"Nick, what are you doing? Did you get a ticket?"
He didn't notice Maya glancing warily between the two of them.
"Guys," she said. "Um, what's going on?"
"Nothing at all!" Edgeworth gave a small sigh.
Nothing, my ass!
"Jeez, you two!" She brushed past them and started down the corridor to find their screen. "Would you stop staring longingly into each other's eyes and come find a seat? I want to see the previews, too!"
Edgeworth turned to look at the retreating girl, just as Phoenix reached out and flipped the popcorn bucket out of his hand.
"Wright! What—!"
I can play dirty too, EDGEWORTH!
Phoenix put a hand to his mouth in mock surprise.
"Whoops!"
"Miles!" Maya rounded on him, her hands balled into fists. "Did you just spill all the popcorn?!"
"I-I-I—he!" Edgeworth stammered.
Now it was Phoenix's turn to smirk.
Not so elegant now, are you?
Edgeworth shot daggers at him, gray eyes flashing. He grimaced menacingly and leaned into the other man.
"I know what you're trying to do."
Phoenix shrugged at him and gave him his puppy-dog expression.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Miles, Nick is broke. So you'll have to get more popcorn," Maya decreed. "We'll save you a seat."
"Fine!" Edgeworth responded, still glaring at Phoenix as the diviner took her friend by the sleeve and tugged him forward.
"Come on! Before all the good ones are taken!"
Phoenix let her pull him along and turned back to grin at his rival as he mouthed the words: "BRING IT!"
Edgeworth just scowled darkly.
Oh, it's on now, Wright…
A/N: I am in the process of re-uploading all my older works back onto the site, including this one which may look familiar to some of you, but also gives me a chance to edit my stuff to give it better polish and so far, get a new audience on my stories from days of yore! 😊
In the meantime, as I go through the painstaking task of ensuring my new version complies with regulations per the admin's advising, the full version of this COMPLETED story along with the full uncut version of Turnabout Everlasting, and Filling The Void (the other far too sexy for this site previous casualty, which I've started reposting in a less risqué format) plus all 100+ chapters of Singing In The Courtroom (apparently we aren't allowed to post public review replies, but I can reply to my wonderful readers on my own site), where all my uncut works can be found on THEJORDANPHOENIX DOT COM