Hmmm...new chapter. Got very few revies on the last one. Not sure if it was bad, or you just didn't like it, or no one read it, or you just didn't review...oops, obsessing again! Anyway, here's the newest chapter, and ....REVIEW IT! :P
***
"Okay, guys, poll!" Lily said, leaning back in her chair in the RFR studio. "Friday night. The week's over, but the weekend's not quite here."
"How's that a poll?" Ray asked, looking up from the paper he was scribbling on.
"If you'd let me finish," Lily said jovially. "The poll: What are we doing tonight?"
"Movie?" Robbie suggested, shrugging.
"Anything good out?" Lily started. "And before you answer, I mean something worth seeing."
Ray, who had been about to say something, shut his mouth.
"Mickey's?" Robbie tried again.
He was met with "nah's" from both Lily and Ray.
"Fine, geez," Robbie said with a laugh. "Picky, picky. Travis?"
From the tech booth, he looked up. "Hmm?"
"Any ideas?" Robbie repeated.
"On..?" came the reply.
"Us. Doing things. Tonight," Ray briefed him. He'd made up with Travis, and though things were still tense, it was getting back to normal.
"Oh. I dunno," he replied.
The last song of the show was nearing an end.
"Bowling?" Ray suggested, making a face.
"Nah," Lily said. "Robbie?"
"I agree," he laughed.
As the song ended, and as Travis shut down the equipment, they still could not come up with a decision.
"I guess we could always just hang at my place until we figure out what to do," Lily said. "Maybe we could order in pizza and get some movies off the TV or something."
"Hey, yeah," Ray said. "We haven't done that forever."
"I'm in," Robbie said. "I'll even bring the sugary goodness that is Coke."
"No, Pepsi," Lily amended with a shake of her head.
"Vanilla," Ray added.
"Cherry," Lily followed, making a face. "Ugh."
"Right," Robbie broke in. "So, one Vanilla, one Cherry. Travis, anything you want?"
Exiting the tech booth, Travis shook his head. "I'm not really a fan of soda."
"Freaaaak," Ray sing songed.
"That's me," Travis said with a wink.
"Man. Are we gonna have to argue over toppings, too?" Lily moaned exaggeratedly.
"Pepperoni!" Robbie chimed in.
"Isn't there a rule against Buddhists eating meat?" Ray directed towards Travis.
"Some," he replied, shoving things in his bag. "Not all."
"You?" Robbie inquired.
"Pepperoni's fine," he chuckled.
"Lily?" Ray said. "You gonna make this easy, or we takin' the hard way?"
"Pepperoni's good," she echoed Travis, cringing. "Just don't hurt me!"
"Good deal," he grinned.
"Okay, what say we meet at...seven?" Lily asked. "That good for everyone?"
A chorus of affirmative answers met her ears.
"Good. In that case, I gotta get home and try to shoe my mom out for the night," Lily laughed, grabbing her bag. "See ya!"
They said their goodbyes in return.
"So, are you two an item yet?" Robbie asked once she was gone.
Travis's eyes immediately went to Ray, who held up his hands in defense.
"Hey, I'm cool...I guess," he said. "But hurt her, and you're dead meat."
Travis half-smiled. "Thanks, I think. But no, we're not an...item."
"You should ask her out," Robbie said, winking.
Travis laughed at that.
"What?" he wanted to know.
"Nothin'," Travis replied, still chuckling.
"Hey, word of advice," Ray offered as he moved to the door. "Don't wait too long...she might move on."
He pulled the door open to leave, but Travis stopped him, saying, "Ray."
His friend looked back, eyebrows raised.
"You sure you're okay with this?" Travis asked.
"Not quite yet," Ray said in a moment of seriousness. "I'm getting there."
With that, he was gone, leaving Robbie and Travis alone.
"Well...that's good, right?" Robbie laughed.
Travis shook his head, smirking.
***
Four hours later, in the plush basement of the Randall house, the four teens were crammed together on the leather couch, seated in front of the TV, two half eaten pizzas and several bottles of soda spread out on the coffee table beside them. Ray and Robbie were whispering lines for the characters and laughing at the funnier ones, while Lily and Travis watched silently. Lily's head rested against his shoulder in a friendly manner, and he appeared not to notice.
Breaking the silence suddenly, a cell phone began to ring.
The others looked around while Travis jumped up.
"Be right back."
He disappeared up the stairs, muttering, "Hello?"
"I'm going to put the pizza away, want anything?" Lily said, standing and gathering the boxes.
"No," Robbie replied, laughing at something Ray had just said.
"Oookay," Lily said, taking the pizza with her upstairs.
She headed for the kitchen, noticing Travis standing in the hallway, and grabbed the aluminum foil to wrap the food in. As she stacked pizza, she tried to tell herself she wasn't eavesdropping. It was just that Travis had seemed so anxious at that call...
"No...I know I told you I'd be there by now!" she heard Travis say, sounding frustrated.
"I know...I know...dammit, I said I know that already!"
At this outburst, Lily's eyes widened. Travis hardly ever cursed. Come to think of it, she didn't think she had ever heard him utter a profanity.
After a moments pause, Travis replied in a much calmer voice, "I'm sorry. No, I didn't mean it...yeah. Sorry.."
Who was he talking to?
"I'm at a friend's house," he continued with a sigh. "No, it's not a girl, it's a bunch of us."
Hmmm..
"Look, I gotta go," he said. "No, I'm gonna go. No! God, I'll call you later," he said bitterly, and from the beep she guessed he's hung up.
He walked past and spotted her in the kitchen.
"Hey," he said, standing on the other side of the island where she wrapped the rest of the pizza. "Was I being loud?"
From his look she shook her head, "You mean was I listening?"
"How could you not have been?" he scoffed. "Sorry about that."
"Who was it?" she asked curiously. "I mean, not that I was listening."
Travis cracked a smile. "Uh, my Dad. I kinda told him I'd be home earlier. Also that I was studying. I don't think I'm so good at lying."
"What, doesn't he want you hanging out with me?" she joked,
"No," he said quickly. "He thinks you're 'charming'. He's just upset because I brought home my first F on that math quiz."
"YOU got an F?" she cried.
"Hey, tell the whole world," he laughed. "Yeah. I forgot to study. It's only one test."
Lily shook it off. "You're right. It's just...unlike you."
"Yeah..." he was cut off as the phone rang again. "Ugh. Hello?"
Lily turned away, putting the pizza in the fridge.
"Fine! God," Travis said angrily, hanging up.
"Lily, I gotta go," he said. "He's freaking out."
"Oh, that's okay," she said, disappointedly.
"I don't want to," he assured her.
"I get it," she said. "Parents are...parents."
"Yeah..." he agreed. Then, "Hey, Lily?"
"That's me."
"You wanna go out with me tomorrow?" he said in a rush.
"Like...a real date?" she asked.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"I'd love to," she grinned.
"Good," he smiled back. "I'll call you in the afternoon so we can set something up, okay?"
"Sure," she said.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Until then," he said, walking toward the door.
"Yeah..." she said, watching him, blushing.
He disappeared, and a moment later, she realized he had left his cell-phone sitting on the counter where he'd angrily dropped it.
She grabbed it up and ran for the front door, stepping into the street. There, at the end of the block, was Travis.
She was about to call out when a car stopped next to him. He opened the door and got in, shutting it behind him.
Lily froze.
In the driver's seat, a girl with long, light colored hair. She reached over to give him a hug, and he returned it. A split second later, the car took off again.
***
"Okay, guys, poll!" Lily said, leaning back in her chair in the RFR studio. "Friday night. The week's over, but the weekend's not quite here."
"How's that a poll?" Ray asked, looking up from the paper he was scribbling on.
"If you'd let me finish," Lily said jovially. "The poll: What are we doing tonight?"
"Movie?" Robbie suggested, shrugging.
"Anything good out?" Lily started. "And before you answer, I mean something worth seeing."
Ray, who had been about to say something, shut his mouth.
"Mickey's?" Robbie tried again.
He was met with "nah's" from both Lily and Ray.
"Fine, geez," Robbie said with a laugh. "Picky, picky. Travis?"
From the tech booth, he looked up. "Hmm?"
"Any ideas?" Robbie repeated.
"On..?" came the reply.
"Us. Doing things. Tonight," Ray briefed him. He'd made up with Travis, and though things were still tense, it was getting back to normal.
"Oh. I dunno," he replied.
The last song of the show was nearing an end.
"Bowling?" Ray suggested, making a face.
"Nah," Lily said. "Robbie?"
"I agree," he laughed.
As the song ended, and as Travis shut down the equipment, they still could not come up with a decision.
"I guess we could always just hang at my place until we figure out what to do," Lily said. "Maybe we could order in pizza and get some movies off the TV or something."
"Hey, yeah," Ray said. "We haven't done that forever."
"I'm in," Robbie said. "I'll even bring the sugary goodness that is Coke."
"No, Pepsi," Lily amended with a shake of her head.
"Vanilla," Ray added.
"Cherry," Lily followed, making a face. "Ugh."
"Right," Robbie broke in. "So, one Vanilla, one Cherry. Travis, anything you want?"
Exiting the tech booth, Travis shook his head. "I'm not really a fan of soda."
"Freaaaak," Ray sing songed.
"That's me," Travis said with a wink.
"Man. Are we gonna have to argue over toppings, too?" Lily moaned exaggeratedly.
"Pepperoni!" Robbie chimed in.
"Isn't there a rule against Buddhists eating meat?" Ray directed towards Travis.
"Some," he replied, shoving things in his bag. "Not all."
"You?" Robbie inquired.
"Pepperoni's fine," he chuckled.
"Lily?" Ray said. "You gonna make this easy, or we takin' the hard way?"
"Pepperoni's good," she echoed Travis, cringing. "Just don't hurt me!"
"Good deal," he grinned.
"Okay, what say we meet at...seven?" Lily asked. "That good for everyone?"
A chorus of affirmative answers met her ears.
"Good. In that case, I gotta get home and try to shoe my mom out for the night," Lily laughed, grabbing her bag. "See ya!"
They said their goodbyes in return.
"So, are you two an item yet?" Robbie asked once she was gone.
Travis's eyes immediately went to Ray, who held up his hands in defense.
"Hey, I'm cool...I guess," he said. "But hurt her, and you're dead meat."
Travis half-smiled. "Thanks, I think. But no, we're not an...item."
"You should ask her out," Robbie said, winking.
Travis laughed at that.
"What?" he wanted to know.
"Nothin'," Travis replied, still chuckling.
"Hey, word of advice," Ray offered as he moved to the door. "Don't wait too long...she might move on."
He pulled the door open to leave, but Travis stopped him, saying, "Ray."
His friend looked back, eyebrows raised.
"You sure you're okay with this?" Travis asked.
"Not quite yet," Ray said in a moment of seriousness. "I'm getting there."
With that, he was gone, leaving Robbie and Travis alone.
"Well...that's good, right?" Robbie laughed.
Travis shook his head, smirking.
***
Four hours later, in the plush basement of the Randall house, the four teens were crammed together on the leather couch, seated in front of the TV, two half eaten pizzas and several bottles of soda spread out on the coffee table beside them. Ray and Robbie were whispering lines for the characters and laughing at the funnier ones, while Lily and Travis watched silently. Lily's head rested against his shoulder in a friendly manner, and he appeared not to notice.
Breaking the silence suddenly, a cell phone began to ring.
The others looked around while Travis jumped up.
"Be right back."
He disappeared up the stairs, muttering, "Hello?"
"I'm going to put the pizza away, want anything?" Lily said, standing and gathering the boxes.
"No," Robbie replied, laughing at something Ray had just said.
"Oookay," Lily said, taking the pizza with her upstairs.
She headed for the kitchen, noticing Travis standing in the hallway, and grabbed the aluminum foil to wrap the food in. As she stacked pizza, she tried to tell herself she wasn't eavesdropping. It was just that Travis had seemed so anxious at that call...
"No...I know I told you I'd be there by now!" she heard Travis say, sounding frustrated.
"I know...I know...dammit, I said I know that already!"
At this outburst, Lily's eyes widened. Travis hardly ever cursed. Come to think of it, she didn't think she had ever heard him utter a profanity.
After a moments pause, Travis replied in a much calmer voice, "I'm sorry. No, I didn't mean it...yeah. Sorry.."
Who was he talking to?
"I'm at a friend's house," he continued with a sigh. "No, it's not a girl, it's a bunch of us."
Hmmm..
"Look, I gotta go," he said. "No, I'm gonna go. No! God, I'll call you later," he said bitterly, and from the beep she guessed he's hung up.
He walked past and spotted her in the kitchen.
"Hey," he said, standing on the other side of the island where she wrapped the rest of the pizza. "Was I being loud?"
From his look she shook her head, "You mean was I listening?"
"How could you not have been?" he scoffed. "Sorry about that."
"Who was it?" she asked curiously. "I mean, not that I was listening."
Travis cracked a smile. "Uh, my Dad. I kinda told him I'd be home earlier. Also that I was studying. I don't think I'm so good at lying."
"What, doesn't he want you hanging out with me?" she joked,
"No," he said quickly. "He thinks you're 'charming'. He's just upset because I brought home my first F on that math quiz."
"YOU got an F?" she cried.
"Hey, tell the whole world," he laughed. "Yeah. I forgot to study. It's only one test."
Lily shook it off. "You're right. It's just...unlike you."
"Yeah..." he was cut off as the phone rang again. "Ugh. Hello?"
Lily turned away, putting the pizza in the fridge.
"Fine! God," Travis said angrily, hanging up.
"Lily, I gotta go," he said. "He's freaking out."
"Oh, that's okay," she said, disappointedly.
"I don't want to," he assured her.
"I get it," she said. "Parents are...parents."
"Yeah..." he agreed. Then, "Hey, Lily?"
"That's me."
"You wanna go out with me tomorrow?" he said in a rush.
"Like...a real date?" she asked.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"I'd love to," she grinned.
"Good," he smiled back. "I'll call you in the afternoon so we can set something up, okay?"
"Sure," she said.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Until then," he said, walking toward the door.
"Yeah..." she said, watching him, blushing.
He disappeared, and a moment later, she realized he had left his cell-phone sitting on the counter where he'd angrily dropped it.
She grabbed it up and ran for the front door, stepping into the street. There, at the end of the block, was Travis.
She was about to call out when a car stopped next to him. He opened the door and got in, shutting it behind him.
Lily froze.
In the driver's seat, a girl with long, light colored hair. She reached over to give him a hug, and he returned it. A split second later, the car took off again.