A/N: Tonight's episode introduces four new characters. Two permanent, one a special guest star, so to speak, and an old-school returner. As well as some new scenes that are again possibly not permanent.

Checkers is the old-school returner. He's friendly and has a bright smile. He does this little dance that makes everyone, even Ken at times, laugh. He'll definitely hang around all summer and can be caught doing usher work. He chills out with Bryant and Tyrone a lot and likes making people laugh. Though he is ticklish at the ribs and could inhale an entire tray of pretzel bites if you let him.

There's Delilah, who's the newbie gal at the register. She's tall and lanky, glasses and straight brown hair. She'll fit in eventually, once she stops worrying that she's in everyone's way. For the most part, she's quiet but that's because she's new.

And D. J. he's cousins with the manager Bob Kelly. Anyway, he's quiet, but again it's most likely because he's new. Thin face, brown hair and skinny body, he works at concession and will fill your sodas, popcorn, get you ice, sweep for you, you name it he'll do it. Though he is seriously disturbed in the head in thinking that cheerleading is not a sport. Son of a military officer, he's got a girlfriend, eighteen and just graduated, he's level headed and not like the other men at the theater, in the sense that he's a bit more down to earth.

Finally, the guest star is a friend of Feather's. His name is Robbie. He's just a bit taller than Feather, with a baldhead and a really nice sports car, if the back is a bit crowded with junk. He hangs around with her at the movies a lot and drives people places.

The new settings include the parking lot, specifically near Robbie Elliot and Feather's cars. It's a great place to just hang and chill, and hope that mall security doesn't come over and ticket you for loitering.

As well as "the witch house" which is a haunted old crumbled down remains, in the woods near Alana's school. In the middle of the woods, there is god only knows what to spook you out.

That being said, here is next episode of… "General Theater."

General Theater

Part III: Dinner and Work Aside

Crash sat up on the counter kicking his shoes on the cabinet below. He laughed suddenly and looked to Alana who was sitting beside him, peering over his shoulder. She donned a tee shirt and jeans while he his work uniform. "Broken heart, broken ass?" he asked a large smirk on his face.

"Hey!" she cried, slapping him playfully across the shoulder. "It's not supposed to be funny."

Again he laughed. "Well sorry it just is." She shrugged as he continued to read on when the door to the office opened. Anthony strolled out and did a double take in Alana's direction.

"Alana!" he shouted. "Get your but down off my counter!" immediately as if his words had been on fire, she slid down from it, standing on the general side of the counter.

"Geez…" she sighed. "What's gotten into him lately?"

Crash shrugged as he flipped the page over, to read the back of the poem. "Dunno. Ken I guess. And that is totally not cool beans." He handed her the paper back. "Though that poem is." She nodded her thanks and left quickly, wondering just what could have been up with Anthony.

~*~

Feather and Crash stood filling concessions as Alana walked in. "Hey there you guys!" both waved to her, as did a third girl from behind concession. The nametag clearly said Delilah, yet Alana had never seen her before. Coming into the concession, she gazed around "Holy crap is that the line?"

"Yeah and the showing for Nemo doesn't even start for another fifteen minutes!" laughed Crash as he handed a woman three kid's packs.

"This is insane!" she nodded, coming through the back room and into the concession, finding the floor's to be soaked already. "Elliot, where do you want me?"

He pointed his finger and smirked. "Register One." She groaned. Register one was so old and out-dated that it belonged in the Stone Age. It was all the way down at the far end of the concession far away from the popcorn trays, a candy bin, but most importantly, the nacho cheese.

"Urgh…" she growled opening up her register and finding a twenty a ten and a roll of quarters. "How am I supposed to work with this? Elliot!" she shouted, waving the money. "I can't open a register with this!"

Confusion upon his face, Elliot took her money and frowned. "Well that's not right…uh…go put soda heads on your sodas and by then I'll be back with some money." She nodded and trudged off into the back room in search of soda heads.

~*~

Melissa giggled into the receiver of the telephone. "What time are you coming in tonight?" Her eyes darted quickly from her nails to the door as keys were inserted and the lock clicked. "I've got to go!" and she slammed the phone down as Elliot walked into the office.

"Melissa, who set up the banks in the registers this morning?" he asked waving the two bills and quarters around.

"Uh…Jackson…" she lied quickly dangling her keys around her neck.

"Oh…" he said, going to get money. "Who were you talking to?"

"Me?" her voice suddenly pinched and she seemed to get very nervous. "I was talking to…. uh…myself."

"Right…the day a monkey flies out of my butt is the day that statement will be true…" Her eyes flashed teasingly as she stood up. "Don't look at me like that…"

"That can be arranged you know…" she whispered, placing both hands on his shoulders and pushing him back into an office chair. Her legs came over his as she straddled his lap. He leaned back into the chair, half-scared, half turned on.

"Melissa you shouldn't-"

"Shh…" she put her finger to his lips. "Not a word Elliot…" she leaned forward as a loud knock on the office sounded from outside. "Damn it." she growled and climbed up off him walking to open the door.

Berry stood there, "Uh we need a manager in box…"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "I'm coming." And she trooped out, Elliot heading back over to the concession with Alana's money.

~*~

"Urgh!" soda splashed everywhere as Alana filled a large coke. "Why does everything hate me today?" she cried as coke dripped down her arms and face. A quick step and she walked over to fill the cup at Crash's soda fountain.

"What's the matter now?"

"Those stupid soda things just squirted all over me!"

"Well let me go take a look at them!"

Handing the drink to the customer, Crash came over and unscrewed the soda head. "Well no wonder! You've got them in upside down." Alana turned bright pink. "Sheesh how silly."

"I've never opened before I had no clue."

"Eh. No biggie." He shrugged turning back to his register and filled here a cup of coke. "Cool beans."

"I need more kids packs!" cried Feather randomly, running past Crash as he turned back to his own line and knocked right into him. He spilt the bucket of popcorn he had been holding, all over the floor. "Sorry Crash!" she slip-slid via the buttered floor back to her register.

"Here…" D.J. tapped Alana on the shoulder. "I can help you fill your drinks. Was it two small sprites a medium diet and a large root beer?" he asked the customer at her register and the stout little woman nodded. "See…" and he filled them rather quickly.

"Thanks D.J." she took another order and reached for popcorn, only to find her bin empty.

"I need more ice!" cried Jezebel as Crash slipped by her again. "This floor is soaked!"

"Ah! Alana slipped on a wet spot and slid over to the popper. "Urgh! Could this day get any worse?"

"Why? What's happened so far?" asked Crash over the noisy commotion of angry tots wanting candy that their parents refused to buy.

"Well, I woke up late, got called out of my bathroom in the middle of the coldest shower I've ever taken since the hot water wasn't working for whatever reason, only to hear Feather practically begging me to get my butt down to work early since there was no one there with her. So I had to cut my shower early and get dressed-"

"You've got a phone in your bathroom?" asked Feather, sliding past her to the nacho cheese machine.

"Yes." Alana looked back to Crash. "Anyway, so as my cousin is bringing me to work, because she stayed at my house last night, Louis rings me up on my cell and tells me that he's canceling our dinner plans because 'something came up.' He and I were going to go to Rocky Run after work since Ken gave me all of those gift certificates. And then my cell phone died, and now I'm stuck here for four hours after I get off." She groaned.

"Why's that?" asked Feather, standing around since the first rush was beginning to ebb away.

"Because my parents are at a benefit in Columbia and won't be back until well after midnight and I have no way home. Louis was going to drop me off after dinner, so now I'm stuck here. With no ride home and no date for dinner. I guess I'll just go and sit alone!"

"Alana sweetie, where do you live? Maybe I can take you home after work."

"Thanks anyway Feather but I guess I'll just wait here, I'll sit in Rocky Run and look pathetic and maybe they'll give me some free food."

"Wow, sounds like you've had a shitty day."

"Yeah and to top that all off, on my way in, my purse broke, all of my clothes for my date fell everywhere and now I'm holding it together with a scrunchi!"

Elliot came through the stockroom door, carrying four cases of candy and stared at them as he placed them up on the counter, wondering why they were all just standing around. "Feather…I need you to do me a favor." He said with the utmost urgence and importance in his voice. "It's crucial. Could mean life or death for this theater." Her eyes went wide as she looked over the cartons of candy. Reese's Pieces, Sour Patch Kids, Hawaiian Punch Gummies and Kit Kat Bites. The moment of truth had come, the moment when she would get to take the big leap. "I need you to drive to Snowden and get more Cookie Dough Bites."

Her red hair shook as she nodded her head slowly, accepting the responsibility of the big task at hand. "I understand. I'll do it." She hurdled the counter, keys in hand like an action hero getting pumped up to fight the bad guy. "You can count on me!"

"Thank god." Exclaimed Elliot as she turned to go. "And Feather?" the girl turned around to face him, a knowing sense of pride and responsibility glowing on her face as she seemed to be moving in the hazy slow motion of a hero who'd just saved the planet. "We're counting on you."

"Hey Elliot! We're going to be counting on you in a minute! We're out of large cups again!" cried Crash, having nothing with which to fill his drink order of six large sprites. The rush had suddenly picked back up and was getting worse. Nemo was definitely the worst movie of the weekend, as far as chaos goes.

More little people began to fill the lobby as Ken put up the velvet ropes to start a queue for the show. Jackson passed through with a dustpan and broom, looking thoroughly depressed.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Alana.

"Oh yea…" said Elliot. "It's Jackson's birthday today. So don't forget to wish him a happy birthday."

"Aww! And no one remembered?" Alana reached into her pocket and pulled out five bucks. "Elliot, can I run and get him a birthday card? Please? We can all sign it."

His brown eyes scanned the lobby carefully, finding it to be full of people. "Ok. After this rush you can go."

She threw her arms around him. "Oh thank you! You're the best!"

He squeaked away from her quickly. "Alright alright I said you could go get the man a card, no go home for the night. Sheesh."

Rather then return to her own register, she bumped into Crash's hips on purpose. "May I help you-"

"- help you sir?" she asked cutting him off.

"Hey!"

She smirked at him. "You hush and fill drinks."

"Uh…I'll have a large popcorn and a large soda, extra butter." Said the customer. They both reached for the cup at the same time, Alana's hand being just a second faster and grasping it filling it with ice. "Make it the bucket and layer the butter please." She laughed, hating how much of a mess the butter made when she had to pump it, and even though she could pump it good, it's not like she had time to stop and clean it up every time it decided to just randomly come the way it did.

"I'll fill the drinks. You can go play with the pump." Another smirk played over her lips as she took the man's order. She continued to work his register with him and having two people at one register, made the line decrease much quicker, leaving but a few straggling mothers and tots in its wake.

"Elliot!" she cried again. "Look, rush is gone. Can I go now?"

Without looking up, he nodded, continuing to count the money in register three for a pull. "Yeah yea go ahead." And with that she took off, running through the mall over to Carlton cards in search of a birthday card for Jackson.

Meanwhile…

Ken sat in the office as Juan came running up to the door. He saw him in the security camera and groaned. Everytime someone came knocking on that door there was a problem and he was getting sick of dealing with them. Standing from his chair, Ken threw down the story he had been reading, it had been left behind concession and was rather interesting however he hadn't gotten five minutes to himself without another problem occurring. He opened the door and Juan came bursting in. "Nemo and Bruce Almighty just got out together!" he cried, "And the concession lines are going out towards J.C. Penny's!

"What?" he asked, looking startled, raising his eyebrow as only he could do, as a broom and dustpan were thrust into his hands. "Hang on, I'll get Jackson to help…" he took the broom and headed out of the office over to the closet, fighting his way through the midst of annoyed customers queued in the line for concessions. His eyes glanced up to the registers, but found only two cashiers plus Elliot, who had taken on a register of his own. "That's odd…"

"What's odd?" asked Jackson, appearing from out of the closet, "I just turned on the lights in Nemo and Bruce. What's odd?"

"Didn't Egg schedule five concessionists today?"

Jackson looked up to concession. "Yeah he did. But Feather's at Snowden, getting more Cookie Dough Bites."

Ken silently put up a finger just like Arthur from thirteen ghosts as he counted the concessionists. "One."

"And Jezebel's on break…"

"Two…" he added another finger.

"And there's Delilah and Crash…"

"Three…four…" they both searched the counter as if expecting the fifth concessionist to magically appear before their eyes. "Wait…Where's Alana?" Jackson nodded but then shrugged. "Oh well I don't have time to worry about it. We've got to get down and help empty Nemo out as fast as possible before this mob turns ugly.

"Before?" Jackson asked. "If that isn't ugly…I'd hate to think what is." He sighed and hollered over to the security guard, motioning for him to put up the velvet ropes for the queue line into Nemo. Trotting off after Ken, he headed to theater five, poking his head into "Matrix Re-loaded" to grab Checkers and Alex L. "Come on, we've got a kids movie to clean."

~*~

Alana came running back over into the lobby from Carlton Cards. "Oh dear god!" she cried, fighting her way through a thicket of people. "Oh no…" she glanced over to concession and at how backed up they were.

"Alana!" cried Elliot as she came behind concession, sitting Jackson's card up on top of the microwave. "I could kill you!" he shook her shoulders. "The rush is over my ass! Look at all those people! They didn't just appear from out of my ass!"

She couldn't help but laugh, despite trying to check it, her words came out as a muffled stutter. "I'm sorry. They lobby was clear. I thought the rush was over!"

Taking her shoulder and turning her head to the box office and out into the mall he pointed again. "You see that line out to Taco Bell over there?" she nodded.

"Why's that a problem, it's Taco Bell."

"Exactly. Our line is trailing out to Taco Bell!" he rolled his eyes, pushing her back towards her register. "Where do people go once they come in past the box office?"

"The theaters?" she smirked and Elliot shook his head, pushing her further over, she laughing all the way.

"Well done Alana," Crash laughed. "Spoken like a true smart-ass."

Suddenly a stack of floating boxes came hovering towards the concession in slow motion. The happy victory music of a slow motion hero began to play. "Look!" cried Elliot, turning and pointing to the boxes. "It's Feather!"

"Quick! Take them from her!" Elliot grabbed the boxes of Cookie Dough Bites from her as she jumped back over the counter. "Ok, now Crash, Feather and Delilah all go on break. Alana I'm leaving you here by yourself."

"What?" she gasped watching them head to the back room.

"Chill out, they're all getting off at five. You're staying 'til eight. Besides, the rush is over, you'll live."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Great. I still don't know how I'm getting home. I'm just going to sit in Rocky Run for three hours-"

"Why don't you take somebody?" he asked.

"And who am I supposed to take? The next random punk who comes up to my register?"

"Why not? You got a better idea?"

"Well…" she sighed. "Well I don't hear you volunteering to go and take me home.

"Why don't you ask Crash to go with you?"

"What?" she turned away from his eyes and focused on the nacho trays she was making.

"I said why don't you ask Crash?" A fierce blush rose in her cheeks, making her look bright red, almost glowing like a sunburned tomato.

"Oh come on!" he laughed when she gave no reply. "You act like it isn't obvious. I know that you like him." Her eyes flashed dangerously from their corners as she stared harder at the small trays, crushing the chips into them with great force. "Well?"

"Well what?" her eyes finally met his. "even if I did like him, which I'm not saying I do, cause I don't, but even if I did it wouldn't matter if I were Pamela Anderson because he's got a girlfriend and I'm not his type. No that doesn't make me jealous or whatever, just defeated before I even got a chance to fight."

He laughed. "Well….that was a deep thought, I just wanted to know ig you were going to ask him to dinner."

"Oh." She sighed, feeling very stupid for saying so much. A quick recovery was necessary to save her image. "At any rate, he'd only be joining us. Feather already said that her and Robbie might join us. You should come too."

He shook his head. "Can't. Gotta go meet Jan."

"Ohh…" she teased. "Jan…Elliot's got a new girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"You want her to be." Alana smiled triumphantly, having turned the tables on him. It wasn't particularly kosher for a manager to date an employee, but it didn't bug her any, and if he were cool with that, that it was ok.

"So? And you like Crash."

"So?" she covered her mouth quickly, eyes going wide. "Shit."

"See?" he smirked. "At any rate…" he said, coining her phrase and changing the subject, noting how embarrassed she seemed by it. "I'll call Jan and find out if she wants to like meet early and we'll all join you for dinner since it's a group thing."

Elliot left the concession counter just as Andy came walking over. "Hey 'lana…" she hated how he shortened every word that he spoke. She couldn't understand if it was just too hard for him to complete words or if he was just flat out lazy. "Hows 'bout you 'n me go to dinner, I'll be your hot date, sinz I heard you were gonna be alone."

Alana's eyes went wide in digust. It was very likely that she would hurl right there into the popcorn bin she had started to fill. That would be an interesting ordeal, vomit coated popcorn, and the she wondered if they would charge extra for it. "Actually Andy, I think I'm going to ask Egg if I can just stay the extra four hours on the clock. I could use the money anyway."

"Andy!" cried Annie as she walked to the podium, getting ready to come on shift. "Get over here and watch the door!" Just as Andy left the counter, Delilah came back from her break, and over to the back room. Disappearing through the concession door, Alana smiled at her.

"How do you like it here? It's your first day isn't it?" The girl nodded. "Wow, I really haven't been here all that long. Seven weeks, almost two months and I was just starting out, just like you."

"Yeah…everyone seems to fit in real nice around here, you guys make me feel welcomed if nothing else. Though some of you are a little strange."

Alana laughed. "You know, come to think of it, I said the exact same thing on my first day here…especially working with Crash, you ain't seen nothing yet, not until you've pulled a weeknight shift on concession with him.

"Oh the boxes?" she asked, having heard stories about his passion for wearing empty cardboard boxes around his waist like a hula skirt.

"Yeah…" she smiled thinking about the singing habits and the bump~n~grind of the back room. "And to think that's a minor, one of many…"

"Is he gay?" she asked suddenly, and rather randomly at that.

"Crash?" Alana couldn't contain her sudden burst of laughter. "You're kidding right?" but Delilah shook her head no, looking gravely serious. "Lordy no. They don't make men straighter then Crash. One night when I was working concession with him, he gave me an hour speech about how he was against gay men and all that, assuring me that he wasn't gay, though wouldn't mind seeing two girls go at it."

"Oh." Was all Delilah said.

~*~

Alana had gone upstairs to fetch more paper towels for the back room. Leslie and Dana were in box and the only ones left at concession just a few minutes before eight were D. J. and Delilah, and she went into the back to fetch more ice.

Ken came out from the office, holding the white cashier's reports. "D.J. where's Alana? Her report's ready and apparently she's got a hot date with Crash and Elliot."

"Crash canceled." Said Alex L. coming up from behind him. "And I'm tagging along. Just me Elliot and Alana. Feather was too tired to go out and she was Crash's ride. She called a little while ago and left a message with Leslie and said they weren't coming."

"Oh…well Alana just came by the office to turn in her star money and said she spoke with Crash on the phone and he said he is coming."

"Oh…" Alex snickered. "Well then, Alana's the lucky lady tonight."

"I don't want to hear about any trouble…all you boys and poor innocent Alana…"

"Ah come off it Ken, you're just jealous that you can't go." He winked and his grin grew broader as Alana appeared from the closet, wearing a tight black tank top and a pair of deep frayed blue jeans. Ken did a double take.

"Alana are you off the clock?"

"Just as soon as I put these paper towels in the back room." She flashed him a smile and then vanished into the backroom. "Ok. I'm good, off the clock. Where's Elliot?"

Alex pointed to the box office door. "Talking with Leslie in box."

Ken patted her on the shoulder. "Have fun tonight Alana, no wild and crazy parties, try to bring my boys back in once piece and don't do anything I wouldn't do…" He winked and headed back into the office.

"Well that certainly gives you a lot of room…" snickered Alex as Elliot turned around from the box and smiled, striding over to join them, tugging at his tie.

"Are we ready?" he asked.

"Uh no, we're still waiting on Crash…" she said looking uncertainly towards Alex, as if expecting confirmation of her statement. He nodded. "Yeah, well then just as soon as he gets here."

"Hey!" Alex pointed to Crash as he, Feather and Robbie strolled into the lobby. Alana gasped a bit, shocked, but still happy and smiled at seeing them.

"I thought you weren't coming Feather?"

"Well Crash here convinced us…"

Alana smiled. "Great. Let's go then?" The six of them headed down to Rocky Run for dinner. Crash took the middle seat between Elliot and Alana, across from Alex, who was pinned next to Feather and Robbie. The food was good and the discussion was great, including such topics as: How to kill Andy, Elliot's encounter with his ex-girlfriend's cat one night after sex, as well as who preferred what position in bed.

"Look! There's Jackson!" Alex pointed and jumped up. "Alana where's that card?" She too rose from the both and ran down the mall strip after him.

Elliot looked at Crash. "Let's go visit Hively, she's in the hospital."

Crash snickered. "Yeah…perhaps getting her boobs redone?"

Feather frowned. "Something with her feet I heard."

Again Crash laughed. "Either way, she's hot as shit."

"I didn't know shit was hot…" added Bobby looking at the Brownie Blaster that had just been placed in front of Crash by the waitress. "Are you gonna eat that?"

"Man shut up. And yes I am, just as soon as Alana gets back to help me finish it."

"I'm back!" she announced, arriving beside him and sitting down. "Wow. That looks good."

"Did he like it?" asked Feather.

"Jackson? Oh yeah…"

"He was happy and emotional and completely sober, a side of him we've never seen before." Laughed Alex. "Though he was touched by Alana's cute card."

"I guess it was kinda cute then wasn't it?" Alana smiled and took a spoonful of the dessert into her mouth. "Mmm…" she smiled. "That's good." Her eyes glanced over to Crash who was shoveling away at the ice creamy mess and decided it best to let him finish it. "Jesus Christ Elliot!" her eyes fell to him, noting that he was still eating his main course dinner. "I was gone for almost ten minutes! How can you still not be done?"

"Elliot's a slow eater…" Feather said staring at his food.

"Yeah, Bennie can atest to that," winked Alex.

Elliot glared with a smile and flushed cheeks. "I can't help I like to take my time and enjoy things rather then rush through them in thirty seconds like you Alex."

Everyone laughed as Alana tipped the waitress and stood. "Alright, now where to?"

"Back to work?" Elliot shrugged and they all headed out the door and back to the theater. It was pathetic really when you didn't have anything better to do, other then go to work, even when you weren't on the clock.

She sighed. "Ain't nothing better then the people who go to work when they don't have to."

"Well that's cause hangin' out at work is fun." Chris headed up the hall to the theater.

~*~

Egg and Ken sat alone in the office as Annie entered, holding a large bag of cash in hand. "Egg you ready to count this?" she raised a brow at him, walking over and putting one hand on his shoulder.

"Oh absolutely." He smiled up at her but caught the gleam of the security camera. "Hey look. There's Alana and the gang, they must be back from Rocky Run…already…" he frowned, feeling a little sad that he couldn't have just left and joined them.

"I'll take care of them." Ken said as he stood and went to the door, stepping out of the office. "Hey there," he addressed them. "How was dinner?"

"Oh it was great!" Alana smiled as she spoke. "You really don't know what you missed. And look, all your men, and woman, all back in one piece."

"Well that's a relief." He laughed, a very dry coarse laugh that made people cringe, almost as if it were forced nervous laughter. "So now where are you off to?" he asked, his eyes scanning from her to Crash, to Elliot and then to Feather and Robbie.

"Well we all wanna go see Wrong Turn, but pretty Miss Princess here has to be home by one, so says the orders of the prison guards she lives with."

Alana laughed. "Oh yes, my parents. Right." And then she rolled her eyes. "Like I actually want to go home?"

"Hey Ken, where's Egg?" asked Feather.

"He's in the office." He just looked at her as she continued to stare questioningly at him. "With Annie." Feather's ears perked up as if to ask 'doing what?' but he beat her to it. "They're counting money."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Elliot snickered.