~~~~~~~~~oOOOo~~~~~~~~~~
The week flew by fast enough without any more "attempts" from Elie. Haru had been harping his horn at the success of his own predictions and to celebrate his so-called "perceptive powers," the guy was unbelievably willing to spring for two movie tickets and popcorn to boot. It was a Wednesday and mid-week respites such as a good movie are always welcome changes to two brain-dead teens like yours truly. Anyway, Haru and I piled into my mother's tiny Spider and headed for the mall. The mall has this big theater called The Silver Screen where they show fifteen separate movies, so there's always something to see even during mid-week. When we arrived, there was a really long line at the ticket counter so we both decided to browse around for a while and pick the flick to watch.
"Pirates of the Carribean sounds good," Haru remarked casually, perusing the glossy movie ad. "What do you think loverboy?"
"Would you stop calling me that? You make me sound like some sicko." I glared at him. I seem to be glaring a lot at people these days. "Pirates of the Carribean is rated R you dope. They'd never let us in."
"You don't think we can pass for eighteen?"
"Have you taken a good look in the mirror lately pal? I doubt those soft wads of cotton you call biceps could pass you off as an adult. Besides, there are fourteen other films to choose from," I pointed out.
"Two Disney movies, one opera, three rated R's, a cowboy western, an icky romantic foreign film, a---- well, well, well! Look what we have here!"
"Look where? What?" I demanded, my head spinning around like a top it nearly snapped off my neck.
"Mmm," Haru rumbled, glancing near the popcorn stand. "I think we're in for a very interesting mid-week night, ne Musica?"
I followed his glance and it landed on a denim-clad figure hovering in the counter of the popcorn stand. It was Reina Rosette in living daylight-well, theater lights, to be precise about it.
"Wooohooo," Haru whooped. "Boy, I'd like to hear what my esteemed colleague has to say about this development. So what's the next move loverboy?"
"I told you to quit calling me that! And shut up ok? Don't embarrass me."
"Embarrass you? Hardly! You can do that well enough yourself, " Haru retorted. He shoved me into the ticket window a bit too forcefully that I hit the railing. My eyes watered over with pain and just as I was about to strangle my friend, who should come up behind us that very moment but the Vision of Magnificence herself.
"Hi Musica," Reina chirped in that melodic voice of hers as she got behind us in line. "Going to the movies?"
I could hear Haru force back a laugh. Ok, so it's fairly true that Reina Rosette is not one of your typical straight-A students and first-class intellects. Sure, she's a little dense but who cares if her I.Q. is in single digits when her bust line certainly isn't! I couldn't keep my eyes off her, even if she was flanked on both sides by her dippy friends who kept popping gum in absolute boredom.
Haru turned around to face her. "Why no, Reina angel, we're actually here for the Seaweed Convention. They're gonna have a Miss International Seaweed contest and everything. Aren't you one of the contestants? You certainly have the hair for it. Oh…but maybe not. Miss Seaweed also needs to have pukey-green complexion."
Reina giggled. I could see Haru's little smile creeping up his face. Obviously, Reina couldn't distinguish a joke from an insult, but her friends Remi and Nagi surely can. Both girls shot daggers at Haru.
"Cut it out," I said under my breath. "Stop needling her."
"She seems to be enjoying it. Why? Want me to ignore her?"
"I just want you to---"
"What movie are you going to see, Musica?" Reina directed the question at me, her full lips curved in that famous seductive smile. I could feel my hormones race up and down in as complete roller-coaster fashion.
"Well, we we're going to see Pirates of the Carribean---" Haru answered.
"But decided not to," I cut in. "What movie are you going to see?"
"La Dolce Vita, " Reina said. That was the "icky romantic foreign film."
"Great! We we're planning to see the VERY SAME movie. Why don't we go together?"
Haru let out a screeching sound, very unlike a man's. He grabbed my neck in an armlock and pulled me forward as the line inched toward the ticket window.
"Are you out of your crazy, lovestruck mind?" He growled in a low voice. "I AM NOT going to be caught dead watching that mushy romance slop! You'd better be kidding or I'll twang your neck like a guitar right now!"
"Forget the movie," I rushed, "just think. We can sit next to the three hottest babes in the freshman class…probably three of the hottest babes in the entire school! It can't get any better than this. You can have Remi and Nagi, I'll take Reina."
"I don't want Remi and Nagi! I don't want to have anything to do with those snobs or their stupid movie!" Haru exploded.
"Keep your voice down!"
I turned to see if the girls had heard Haru's outburst but I should have known it wasn't really necessary. Suddenly, the three of them began talking in loud, animated voices, giggling and whispering madly. Reina had this flushed look about her making her all the more gorgeous and I noticed she kept tossing her hair back like she always did in class when she's primping. I then saw Remi mouthing something to Reina while trying hard to contain herself from giggling. I tried to read the words and it sounded like she's saying "heart" or something like that.
"Aw, c'mon Seig, do we really have to watch this movie?" I shifted my gaze. It landed on an obscenely tall, blond-haired guy carrying an oversized popcorn bag. Next to him was an equally tall guy clad in expensive chinos and matching loafers. Sieghart and Lucia. The jocks of Shinomori High School. I then realized what Remi had been trying to tell Reina---"Seighart" had gotten in line behind them.
"Yes you know very well we have a paper due on this tomorrow. You can back out if you like, I'm going in." Seighart's cool voice splashed over me like a bucket of ice water, jolting me back to cold reality. Obviously, the girls were showing off for the two jocks. Both guys were the top-rated campus crushes and superstars of the school's soccer team and under ordinary circumstances, would date only the girls from their junior class of the teen queens of the cheerleading squad. I figured Seighart and Lucia wouldn't even think of giving a second look at these freshmen gals, but then, Reina was no ordinary freshman. She was unreal.
Soon, the seven of us were all gathered at the ticket window. Haru didn't budge so I tried to wedge my way through to buy the tickets.
"Haru, let me through."
"I'm warning you Musica. Buy those tickets and you'll wind up in the infirmary," he hissed under his breath.
"Dammit Haru, are you my friend or not? Where's your sense of loyalty and support?"
"There's only so much "loyalty and support" I can give a crackpot like you."
"Move it!"
"Make me!"
I was getting really desperate. Visualizing Vash's favorite move, I grabbed Haru's arm, twisted it, and shoved him into the side railings.
"Two for 'La Dolce Vita'," I nearly screamed to the ticket vendor.
Haru leaped back and snatched the money from my hand.
"Give that back!"
"Today please?" the woman scowled at us holding out the tickets she had punched.
Suddenly, a large hand snaked into the front of the ticket window, grabbed the tickets and plunked down the exact amount at the counter. Without saying a word, Seighart eyed both of us coolly and headed towards the theater, Lucia chuckling behind him.
Haru made for the ticket window. "Two for Pirates of the Carribean."
The woman eyed Haru up and down, got his money and punched the tickets. He whooped in delight and crashed into a bulky figure behind him.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Minors eh?" It was the head of the mall security. "Let's see some ID kid."
"ID? Oh…ID! Well you see officer…I…ah…I forgot to bring it. Yeah that's right, I forgot to bring my ID, ne Musica? Musica, help me out here. Musica?!!"
I wasn't paying attention. I watched in crushed spirits as Reina and her friends bought their tickets and excitedly rushed inside theater Five where Sieghart and Lucia had disappeared. My mind was a complete blank and my gut felt like a block of ice. I could hear Haru screaming in the background but I didn't really care. My poor heart was shredded to pieces---like finely grated mozarrella.
The week flew by fast enough without any more "attempts" from Elie. Haru had been harping his horn at the success of his own predictions and to celebrate his so-called "perceptive powers," the guy was unbelievably willing to spring for two movie tickets and popcorn to boot. It was a Wednesday and mid-week respites such as a good movie are always welcome changes to two brain-dead teens like yours truly. Anyway, Haru and I piled into my mother's tiny Spider and headed for the mall. The mall has this big theater called The Silver Screen where they show fifteen separate movies, so there's always something to see even during mid-week. When we arrived, there was a really long line at the ticket counter so we both decided to browse around for a while and pick the flick to watch.
"Pirates of the Carribean sounds good," Haru remarked casually, perusing the glossy movie ad. "What do you think loverboy?"
"Would you stop calling me that? You make me sound like some sicko." I glared at him. I seem to be glaring a lot at people these days. "Pirates of the Carribean is rated R you dope. They'd never let us in."
"You don't think we can pass for eighteen?"
"Have you taken a good look in the mirror lately pal? I doubt those soft wads of cotton you call biceps could pass you off as an adult. Besides, there are fourteen other films to choose from," I pointed out.
"Two Disney movies, one opera, three rated R's, a cowboy western, an icky romantic foreign film, a---- well, well, well! Look what we have here!"
"Look where? What?" I demanded, my head spinning around like a top it nearly snapped off my neck.
"Mmm," Haru rumbled, glancing near the popcorn stand. "I think we're in for a very interesting mid-week night, ne Musica?"
I followed his glance and it landed on a denim-clad figure hovering in the counter of the popcorn stand. It was Reina Rosette in living daylight-well, theater lights, to be precise about it.
"Wooohooo," Haru whooped. "Boy, I'd like to hear what my esteemed colleague has to say about this development. So what's the next move loverboy?"
"I told you to quit calling me that! And shut up ok? Don't embarrass me."
"Embarrass you? Hardly! You can do that well enough yourself, " Haru retorted. He shoved me into the ticket window a bit too forcefully that I hit the railing. My eyes watered over with pain and just as I was about to strangle my friend, who should come up behind us that very moment but the Vision of Magnificence herself.
"Hi Musica," Reina chirped in that melodic voice of hers as she got behind us in line. "Going to the movies?"
I could hear Haru force back a laugh. Ok, so it's fairly true that Reina Rosette is not one of your typical straight-A students and first-class intellects. Sure, she's a little dense but who cares if her I.Q. is in single digits when her bust line certainly isn't! I couldn't keep my eyes off her, even if she was flanked on both sides by her dippy friends who kept popping gum in absolute boredom.
Haru turned around to face her. "Why no, Reina angel, we're actually here for the Seaweed Convention. They're gonna have a Miss International Seaweed contest and everything. Aren't you one of the contestants? You certainly have the hair for it. Oh…but maybe not. Miss Seaweed also needs to have pukey-green complexion."
Reina giggled. I could see Haru's little smile creeping up his face. Obviously, Reina couldn't distinguish a joke from an insult, but her friends Remi and Nagi surely can. Both girls shot daggers at Haru.
"Cut it out," I said under my breath. "Stop needling her."
"She seems to be enjoying it. Why? Want me to ignore her?"
"I just want you to---"
"What movie are you going to see, Musica?" Reina directed the question at me, her full lips curved in that famous seductive smile. I could feel my hormones race up and down in as complete roller-coaster fashion.
"Well, we we're going to see Pirates of the Carribean---" Haru answered.
"But decided not to," I cut in. "What movie are you going to see?"
"La Dolce Vita, " Reina said. That was the "icky romantic foreign film."
"Great! We we're planning to see the VERY SAME movie. Why don't we go together?"
Haru let out a screeching sound, very unlike a man's. He grabbed my neck in an armlock and pulled me forward as the line inched toward the ticket window.
"Are you out of your crazy, lovestruck mind?" He growled in a low voice. "I AM NOT going to be caught dead watching that mushy romance slop! You'd better be kidding or I'll twang your neck like a guitar right now!"
"Forget the movie," I rushed, "just think. We can sit next to the three hottest babes in the freshman class…probably three of the hottest babes in the entire school! It can't get any better than this. You can have Remi and Nagi, I'll take Reina."
"I don't want Remi and Nagi! I don't want to have anything to do with those snobs or their stupid movie!" Haru exploded.
"Keep your voice down!"
I turned to see if the girls had heard Haru's outburst but I should have known it wasn't really necessary. Suddenly, the three of them began talking in loud, animated voices, giggling and whispering madly. Reina had this flushed look about her making her all the more gorgeous and I noticed she kept tossing her hair back like she always did in class when she's primping. I then saw Remi mouthing something to Reina while trying hard to contain herself from giggling. I tried to read the words and it sounded like she's saying "heart" or something like that.
"Aw, c'mon Seig, do we really have to watch this movie?" I shifted my gaze. It landed on an obscenely tall, blond-haired guy carrying an oversized popcorn bag. Next to him was an equally tall guy clad in expensive chinos and matching loafers. Sieghart and Lucia. The jocks of Shinomori High School. I then realized what Remi had been trying to tell Reina---"Seighart" had gotten in line behind them.
"Yes you know very well we have a paper due on this tomorrow. You can back out if you like, I'm going in." Seighart's cool voice splashed over me like a bucket of ice water, jolting me back to cold reality. Obviously, the girls were showing off for the two jocks. Both guys were the top-rated campus crushes and superstars of the school's soccer team and under ordinary circumstances, would date only the girls from their junior class of the teen queens of the cheerleading squad. I figured Seighart and Lucia wouldn't even think of giving a second look at these freshmen gals, but then, Reina was no ordinary freshman. She was unreal.
Soon, the seven of us were all gathered at the ticket window. Haru didn't budge so I tried to wedge my way through to buy the tickets.
"Haru, let me through."
"I'm warning you Musica. Buy those tickets and you'll wind up in the infirmary," he hissed under his breath.
"Dammit Haru, are you my friend or not? Where's your sense of loyalty and support?"
"There's only so much "loyalty and support" I can give a crackpot like you."
"Move it!"
"Make me!"
I was getting really desperate. Visualizing Vash's favorite move, I grabbed Haru's arm, twisted it, and shoved him into the side railings.
"Two for 'La Dolce Vita'," I nearly screamed to the ticket vendor.
Haru leaped back and snatched the money from my hand.
"Give that back!"
"Today please?" the woman scowled at us holding out the tickets she had punched.
Suddenly, a large hand snaked into the front of the ticket window, grabbed the tickets and plunked down the exact amount at the counter. Without saying a word, Seighart eyed both of us coolly and headed towards the theater, Lucia chuckling behind him.
Haru made for the ticket window. "Two for Pirates of the Carribean."
The woman eyed Haru up and down, got his money and punched the tickets. He whooped in delight and crashed into a bulky figure behind him.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Minors eh?" It was the head of the mall security. "Let's see some ID kid."
"ID? Oh…ID! Well you see officer…I…ah…I forgot to bring it. Yeah that's right, I forgot to bring my ID, ne Musica? Musica, help me out here. Musica?!!"
I wasn't paying attention. I watched in crushed spirits as Reina and her friends bought their tickets and excitedly rushed inside theater Five where Sieghart and Lucia had disappeared. My mind was a complete blank and my gut felt like a block of ice. I could hear Haru screaming in the background but I didn't really care. My poor heart was shredded to pieces---like finely grated mozarrella.