Whitney: #gasp# I LIVE
Priscilla: FINALLY!
Whitney: my excuse is soccer. Believe it if you want.
Erk: If you were smart, you wouldn't.
Whitney: Disclaimer I don't own FE, the movies, or anything else copyrighted in this.
Nino: we would like to also mention there is a slight spoiler in the middle of the movie scene. It's not too big though.
Karla: but don't say we didn't warn you.
Whitney: I would also like to warn people that the beginning might be kind of boring, if you aren't into description. I'm thinking about drawing the outfits I described - just to make it easier to understand what I mean - and if you think you'd like that, tell me and I'll draw them in time for my next update!
Erk: which means our next update will be three years from now.
Whitney:...Thanks EVER so much.
Erk: You're welcome
Mornings and afternoons always had a way of lingering on and on during the school week. First and second period – history and Spanish, respectively – seemed to go on for a day each. It didn't help things that both classes were exceedingly boring.
"¿Dónde está la tienda?" the smiling teacher asked the class in a hard accent. She was a Hispanic – someone who spoke Spanish naturally – and it was hard to get what she was saying sometimes. These forced repetitions, however, were very easy. Especially since this was the fifth time she'd asked that question: "where is the store?" Seriously. Who would ask that?
"La tienda está junto al paseo, señora," the class intoned. Most of them were half asleep, and Hector couldn't really blame them. Spanish was boring. Math was worse, but he wouldn't think about that right now.
"¡Clase muy buena! Ahora –" the teacher began but what cut off as Nils went running by the open classroom door, deafening the people sitting near the hallway. The teacher sighed. "Bien, usted es despedido." She turned her back so she wouldn't have to see the gleeful looks on her students faces as they fled the classroom.
"¡Finalmente! ¡Yo lo pensé nunca terminaría!" Hector grinned as he put on the worst accent he could. His friends laughed at him.
"That's what you say about EVERY class!" Eliwood grinned at him. "But yeah, it's about time. I thought the bell was never going to ring!"
"He was late again," Lyn said, making a face. "Which means recess is going to be about three minutes today... again."
"Ninian, you're going to have to have a talk with that brother of yours," Matthew said as he walked up to them. "Do you realize he was seven minutes late with that bell of his?"
"Actually, we were just talking about that Matthew," Eliwood said calmly.
"Good. Are you going to do anything about it?"
"I'll see. Maybe he'll listen to me," Ninian shrugged slightly. "I can't make a promise though."
"Is there any way you could maybe convince him to ring the bell seven minutes late?" Lyn asked, looking hopeful. Ninian shook her head.
"No. There are two bell ringers – one of the beginning of class, and one for the end of class. Nils rings for the end, and I have no influence over the other kid."
"Haven't I seen Nils ringing to start class too, though?" Hector asked, frowning.
"Sometimes. When the other kid is sick. But he's here today." Ninian's comment was greeted with groans from the group.
"Well, that's that then, isn't it?" Matthew asked with a sigh. "Maybe the school will catch fire or something and we'll all get to go home."
"Do you still believe in the tooth fairy too, Matthew?" Lyn asked him, arching an eyebrow.
"If it gets me money," Matthew said with a grin. Lyn just rolled her eyes.
The bell just then chose to ring.
"You CAN'T be serious!" Lyn cried, her green eyes wide. "We've only been here for two minutes!" All over the hall people were swivelling to look at the nearest clock.
"I think it's a conspiracy," Hector grumbled looking at him own watch. "Anyone want to skip class with me?"
"You will not!" Lyn glared at him. "You do and I'll never talk to you again! Got it?"
Hector groaned. "Yes, 'dear'..." Lyn glared at him for a few more seconds then turned on her heel and stalked towards her locker, viciously tearing it open and grabbing the things she needed for English. "Great..." he sighed.
"Tough luck Hector," Eliwood grinned at him, his arm smugly around Ninian.
"Keep it up and I'll punch you're face in," Hector growled. "Things are already going downhill – I don't need you to help me."
"What else has gone wrong?" Ninian asked.
"Well, nothing yet... but we have Karel doing costumes. I'll let you draw your own conclusions." Ninian and Eliwood exchanged alarmed looks.
"I'd forgotten about that," Eliwood admitted.
"Seriously, that guy has it out for me," Hector groaned. "I think he hates me."
"GET TO CLASS!" One of the more short-tempered teachers was screeching down the hall, trying to round up his errant students. Hector sighed.
"Guess it's time to go, huh? You coming with us, Lyn?" Hector asked.
"...Fiiiiine," Lyn whined, joining up with them. Hector sighed. This wasn't going to be a good day.
The gym was already crowded with students when Hector and his group arrived. The girls were grinning, pretending they were already wearing their costumes with long skirts and veils. Most of the boys were lounging around with slightly pained looks on their faces. They weren't looking forward to it very much.
"Hurry and sit down Hector." Hector jumped as Ms. Spencer spoke from behind him. Shooting a look over his shoulder he saw a wickedly grinning Karel standing just behind Ms. Spencer. Oh, this was NOT going to be pretty. Nope. Not a bit.
"Alright class! Are we ready? It's time for costumes!" Hector gave Ms. Spencer a look. She was actually smiling! Was it possible she was enjoying watching her students go through the equivalent of the torture chamber? Karel was striding through the gym with Isadora and Raven staggering behind him, loaded with packages. Farina and Lucius were just behind them, each burdened with many small packages. It seems the grade 12s were working with costumes as well. That or they had just been recruited at the spur of the moment. Either way, it didn't look like they were enjoying it much. Isadora and Raven practically slammed their packages down at the front of the class with great gasps of breath while Lucius and Farina gently placed their packages down on top. When the grade 12s tottered off to one side, Ms. Spencer pulled out a list and gave the class an excited smile.
"We'll start with the cast list, going down in order, OK? First one... Heath!"
The first one called, Heath looked slightly apprehensive as he rose to receive his costume from the multitude of boxes. Karel handed one box to him and pointed him off to the storage closet that doubled as the change room for the play.
"While we wait for him, we'll use that covered corner – "Ms. Spencer pointed to a corner of the gym that had been covered with a curtain. "For someone else so this goes faster. Lyn, you're next!"
Lyn took a deep breath as she went up to get her outfit. Karel gave her hers without a word – in fact he looked almost kind. Hector wasn't pleased with that. Lyn gave him a half-frightened look as she disappeared behind the curtain. Hector glanced over his shoulder and shot Sain a withering look – it was obvious he was already starting to go sneak a peek of Lyn. "Hands of, Sain!" He growled. Sain shoot him an innocent smile, but sat down.
It didn't take very long before Heath stuck his head out of the storage closet. "Um, Ms. Spencer? Do we have to come out in costume, or do we change back?"
"We'll be doing the rest of the scenes in costume, Heath – keep it on. That way we can also see if it fits well."
Heath's face contorted a little and he stepped out. His costume was a white, high-collared shirt with a grey-green tunic that had a wide V down the front. His sleeves were a red-purple criss-crossed with the same grey-green as the rest of his tunic. The pants were black and tight fitting and a few girls giggled [very] girlishly when he came out. Karel was rummaging through the small boxes and handed him a small hat that had a feather in it. When Heath just stared at it Karel jammed it on his head.
"Hey! You'll mess up my hair!" Heath cried, slightly outraged. Hector saw Priscilla was almost as red as her hair, staring coyly at Heath while at the same time trying not too.
"Then take what I give you boy!" Karel shot back. Heath just glared.
The attention was soon diverted from Heath and Karel as Lyn stepped out. Her dress was all black, as in accordance with the "mourning" her character was going through. There was a black corset that was skin-tight at the top, covering a black skirt that flared wildly and dragged slightly on the ground. There was also a black petticoat with puffed-up shoulders and tight arms, and long white collar. Hector whistled softly and Lyn blushed. Karel handed her a pert black cap with a veil attached, and she quietly lowered it over her face. A sudden flash lit up the gym and Hector spun around in his chair to see Sain hastily trying to hide his camera.
"Sain!"
Sain then tried to run for his life as Hector pushed his chair – and Eliwood's – over in his dash to grab the camera. Ms. Spencer yelled at them to stop, but they still managed to complete two laps around the gym before either of them listened. Hector returned to his seat glowering, and Sain sat down red and out of breath.
"So?" Lyn asked him shyly as she sat down in her black costume. "What do you think?"
"You look... striking," He said, looking at her close up, noticing the lacy designs in the black cloth.
"Hector and... Eliwood. You two are next!" Ms. Spencer called them to the front of the class. Hector was first. Karel gave him a grin as he passed him his package. It was heavy for such a small-looking package. He headed for the storage closet and closed the door behind him.
He opened the box and looked at it dubiously. It was a rich blue colour, and most of the fabric – with the exception of the pants and the chest area of the vest – was crossed with diagonally square gold thread. The vest had a Chinese-style collar, and the vest was tight across his wide chest. The sleeves were loose until the cuffs, which closed to keep the sleeve from interfering with his hands. The pants were blue with one gold stripe down the sides, and they came with a pair of large, light brown boots. He felt like an ass in the costume, but there wasn't much he could do. With hesitation he eased the door open and stepped out.
"Marry me Hector!" Matthew laughed at him, and Hector glared at him before subtly flipping him the bird.
"Hmm... your hat is in here somewhere..." Karel muttered as he rummage through the umpteen million boxes. "Ah! Here it is..." He held up a large poofy hat. It was slightly uncomfortable, especially since Hector didn't really like hats.
Eliwood had emerged while Hector was being examined, and Hector got a look at him now. Eliwood's was almost the same as his, except it was red and gold, and his vest was a low V-neck with a white shirt that went underneath. He was handed a hat almost identical to Hector's and they both sat down as Nino and Rebecca went up.
"So?" Hector asked Lyn. "What do you think?" Lyn laughed at him.
"Can't you even think up a different way of asking?" She teased.
"I can, but I'm hoping for an identical answer."
"You look great Hector. Blue works for you."
"Thanks, Lyn." Hector smiled at his girlfriend.
"Hey, Eliwood, what do you – "Hector turned to ask his friend what he thought only to find him and his girlfriend in lip-lock. "O-oookay. Never mind." Lyn giggled. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing..." Lyn looked the other way until Hector leaned over and kissed her cheek. She started slightly but he only grinned impishly at her while she tried to pretend to be angry.
"Whoo! Rebecca!" Sain cried. "My eyes are blinded by you're beauty!"
Rebecca had come out ahead of Nino, who seemed to be having trouble with her costume. Since she was a serving girl, her costume was simple. She had an opened square collar, with a white shirt underneath that left her shoulders bare, but gave her arms half-sleeves. Her skirt was long but not as wide as Lyn's, with a white apron tucked in on one side. Her hair was pulled up under a white maids cap that hide everything but her bangs.
"Umm... can I have a little help, Ms. Spencer?" Nino asked, peeking out the storage room door. "I can't get the zipper up..."
"Certainly Nino, hang on..." Ms. Spencer answered. "Wil, you come get your costume now."
"Sure thing Ms. Spencer!" Wil said, bounding up and disappearing behind the screen.
Nino soon emerged from the storage room closet wearing a boy's costume. A blue-grey vest sat over long white sleeves, and a black half-cape hung off her shoulders. Her pants were white and loose, going only to three-quarters down her leg. She had grey-blue boots to match the vest.
"Hey! Where did my camera go?" Sain yelled. Hector turned and saw Jaffar quietly ripping the film out of Sain's now-missing camera and he grinned. Served Sain right.
Wil came out right about then. His costume was simple, since he was a more minor figure. A simple vest with large sleeves and tights with soft, small, slipper-like shoes, in a brown colour. Rath, who went in next, came out with a similar costume, only his was green, and the sleeves were criss-crossed with red and brown thread.
Sain got a few laughs with his costume. He wore a large green overcoat that covered everything. A large white shirt was buckled with an over-large black belt, and there were black pants with the same small shoes as Wil and Rath.
Erk was a bright red when he showed off his costume. His purple tunic went to his claves, and his pants were red, as well as his sleeves. He had a brown belt that hung down on one side, and a fake sword hung from it. He was also handed a cap with a huge feather in it ( A/N – think Will from Pirates of the Caribbean if you've seen it. Feather only.) that seemed to enjoy falling continually in his face.
When Jaffar came out there were a few hastily covered giggles. Jaffar, who preferred black and red, was decked out in a bright, ugly yellow cross-gartered stocking. A few girls whistled and Hector was pretty sure Matthew did too. Maybe he should check into Matthew's background and make sure he wasn't gay. Not that it would matter if he were, but still. The rest of his costume was black, a large tunic with sleeves sewn on. Even his shoes were black. Only the stockings were yellow.
Matthew was next, and several people cheered his energetic entrance. His vest was striped, coloured green, purple and yellow. His sleeves were large and red, and his pants were striped even as his vest was. He also had a hat, a simple cap without a feather. He was also handed a small guitar – maybe a lute? – by Karel, who was over-seeing everything.
Kent's costume was a stiff vest that somehow suit him perfectly, with edges that jutted over his shoulders. Beige sleeves, loose-fitting and slit at the sides, hung down from under the vest, and red pants were coupled with the same small shoes.
The rest of the costumes were more or less average. Guy wore a black and white suit ensemble with a lacy collar that looked slightly tattered, as if he had been in a shipwreck. Serra and Priscilla wore pink and green dresses that were a mix of Rebecca and Lyn: tight-fitting upper parts, with the same bare-shouldered sleeves as Rebecca, and wide flaring skirts. Florina's outfit as an attendant was a simple white two-piece vest and shirt, with light blue pants that covered most of her blue boots. Lowen and Karla wore identical brown and white (respectively) police-type uniforms, with the large hats of London police. Hector had to try not to laugh when he first saw the hats. They were worse than his. Last was Ninian, in a long white priests robe.
"Well, is that everyone?" Ms. Spencer looked around at the class that had suddenly been transported into the middle ages. "Good. Now, if the people in the first scene of act three could come up – "
She was interrupted by squeals coming from outside in the hall. Swearing from the school janitor could also be heard, albeit somewhat muffled. Several of the students laughed at the words he was using. He even seemed to be making up a few NEW swearwords to go along with the old ones.
"What in the WORLD is going on?" Ms. Spencer demanded, walking to the gym doors. As she opened them, Hector saw exactly what was going on. Water from the ceiling above and from the bathrooms was running down the hall, turning it into a man-made river. Several of the girls issued muffled shrieks and clambered up on top of their chairs.
"Er... Ms. Spencer!"
From down the hall Isadora was wading, and not looking like she was enjoying it much. The water wasn't very high, but high enough to cover half her sneakers, giving her a very uncomfortable soaker. She looked up at the water coming down through the ceiling and wisely chose to hug the wall trying to get around it.
"What's going on, Isadora?" Ms. Spencer demanded, also eyeing all the water.
"Well, some of the water," She pointed above her head, "is coming from a leak in the roof. This amazing rainstorm moved in, and one of the classrooms with a skylight sprung a leak. The other half of the water," she pointed up the hall towards the bathroom, "Is partially a prank and partially a plugged toilet."
"EEEW!" Serra almost shrieked, trying to climb higher on her chair. Hector rolled his eyes. There wasn't a drop of water near her, and she was acting like she was about to drown. He almost laughed, though, when she decided to sit on Erk's shoulder, almost causing him and fall over.
"In any case..." Isadora cast the ceiling another uneasy glance, "The Principal's ordered the school closed – no one's going to pay any attention today."
Ms. Spencer sighed. "Probably. Alright..." She turned towards the class. "You heard her. You're dismissed for the day."
"And I would suggest changing," Karel added in an icy voice. "I'm not fixing those costumes if you get them wet and ripped."
"Why would we want to wander through the halls with them on anyway?" Hector muttered. "It's not like it's something I want to show off." Karel glared at him.
Priscilla's POV
It took a long time for everyone to change their costumes, and it took even longer to find enough bags to store them all in. It was pouring outside, and no one wanted to risk getting their new costumes wet, especially the girls, all of whom were quite proud of their medieval costumes. All the girls, at the moment, were crowded into the storage closet, changing as best they could in the cramped room. Karla and Lyn had clambered on top of stacked mattresses and were doing their best, although Lyn had needed help to climb out of her huge dress. The rest of the girls were meshed together, laughing and giggling, trying to struggle out of elaborate dresses, or, in Nino's case, tunics. No one was sure why there was a zipper in the back of Nino's costume that she couldn't reach.
About 45 minutes later the girls drifted out. The gym was more or less empty except for Matthew, Hector, Eliwood and Erk, all of them talking together, looking bored.
"Sorry, did we keep you waiting?" Lyn asked sweetly to her boyfriend.
"Nope, not at all. By the way, while you were gone, I made a date with Farina. You don't have a problem with that, right?"
All the girls watched Lyn and Hector, wondering if it really was a joke. Finally Hector grinned and Lyn swung her bag, stuffed with the dress, at his head. The impromptu fight finally broke up and everyone drifted for the exit.
"Ew! They expect us to WALK through this?" Serra exclaimed, staring at the water on the floor.
"Well, y'know, if you'd been ready half an hour ago, when this all started, it might not be so bad," Hector told her pointedly. She glared at him, but he simply raised an eyebrow. She glared at him again, then turned and started complaining to Erk – very loudly. Everyone simply ignored her.
Lyn had a slightly disgusted look on her face as she led the group to the stairs. Priscilla sighed as she emptied most of her locker into her book bag. It was always depressing to her that she never had a boyfriend. She watched the other girls from the corner of her eye, envying them for their boyfriends. She was pretty sure that the reason she didn't have a boyfriend yet was because of Raven – wasn't it? Raven was very protective for an older brother. Nice, yes, but annoying too, because he frightened away every guy who had ever even looked in her direction. Erk early on, the Guy – and probably Heath, if she ever managed to get his eye. Which wasn't very likely, since he never really looked at anybody. There were rumors going around, too, that he was going out with a guy named Legault who was some ten years older. Priscilla liked Heath, and hoped it wasn't true.
"What are you doing this afternoon Priscilla?" Lyn asked her. Priscilla jumped a little, and hoped she didn't look too nervous.
"Oh... I don't know. There's really not a lot for me to do, you know?"
"Do you want to go to a movie or something?" Lyn asked, "we're going together – why don't you come?"
"What – go with you two while you're on a date?" Priscilla asked, surprised. Lyn made a face.
"Date? This isn't a date – it's a time killer. Hector won't take me to movies on dates."
"Why not?"
"Because I can think of better things to do with Lyn than sit in a movie for a date, that's why," Hector said, frowning over Lyn's shoulder. Lyn blushed a little bit, and Priscilla swallowed.
"Er..."
"Oh come ON," Serra pushed herself into the group, keeping a firm grip on Erk's arm. "We're all going – come with us!"
"Speak for yourself, Serra," Karla told her. "I'm going to work."
"And meeting that ape afterwards, I'll bet," Serra sniffed.
"Hey!" Karla looked very dangerous at that moment. It probably wasn't a good idea to have said that about her boyfriend. The danger apparently hadn't occurred to Serra, because she suddenly looked very nervous and pulled Erk in front of her to serve as a buffer between the two of them.
"Ah... sure, I guess I'll go with you," Priscilla said, trying to defuse the situation that had suddenly arisen between the two.
"Oh good!" Lyn grinned. "More of the guys will be meeting us there. In fact," she frowned a little, "It's almost like a class meeting. Who would have thought?"
"What are we seeing, and when?" Priscilla asked.
"Well... most of us want to change, so we're all going to meet there at... what time is it now?"
"It's almost 1:30," Hector told her.
"How about we meet at 2:30?" Nino suggested. "That will give me enough time to try and get Jaffar to come along!"
"Sounds good to me. I need a shower and it takes forEVER to dry my hair!" Serra exclaimed. Erk rolled his eyes.
"Alright, 2:30 at the theater. Anyone need a ride?" Eliwood asked.
"I do," Priscilla said.
"We do too," Erk said with a slightly pained expression, trying to pull away from Serra. "My cars on the fritz, and – "
"And my parents are out of town with my car, so we're stuck!" Serra said with indignation.
"Alright, Hector and Lyn can pick you guys up – "
"WHAT?" both Lyn and Hector exclaimed at the same time.
"Since they live closer to you two than I do. We'll pick up Priscilla, okay?"
"Sure," Lyn said with a slightly uneasy glance at Erk and Serra. Hector's mouth was moving soundlessly, and Priscilla had a feeling he was making up new words.
Everyone moved out at that point, and made a mad dash for their various modes of transportation. Priscilla was soaked to the bone by the time she reached the bus shelter, and her clothing was plastered to her body. The road looked like a miniature river with cars and buses serving as odd-looking fish. She sighed and looked at the sky. It was almost black, and the clouds were threateningly low. It was nighttime and noon, and thunder rumbled in the distance. It was a good thing she had plans – she didn't like the thought of being home alone with thunder and lightning dancing around outside.
The bus arrived some fifteen minutes later, and she gladly climbed on, getting soaked again the .2 seconds she had to dash from the shelter to the door. She sighed and pushed her wet hair out of her eyes. It seemed she was destined to be wet today. She would have to remember to bring an umbrella with her, or a coat with a hood. She didn't want her hair plastered to her head forever.
"Hey Priscilla!" she started as someone called her name. Looking down, she saw Heath seated with an older man near the back of the bus. With an empty seat beside him! Nodding slightly, she worked her way to the empty seat and sat down.
"Hi Heath," She greeted him – lamely, she thought.
"It's wet out there, isn't it?" Heath pointed out the window making a face. "I thought I was going to drown trying to get on the bus." She grinned.
"I don't think I'll ever be dry again," she complained making a wide gesture at her wet clothes and hair.
"Is that a bad thing?" the man beside Heath asked eyeing her. "Being wet doesn't look so bad on you." She blushed.
"Oh yeah, this is Legault, Priscilla," he said, introducing them. Legault offered Priscilla a hand that she shook tentatively, her face flaming.
"You look almost as red as your hair," Legault grinned. "Why's that?"
"Stop it, Legault!" Heath told him. Priscilla eyed the two of them nervously. Legault saw the look, and grinned harmlessly at her. She returned it weakly.
The rest of the trip passed by rather uneventfully except for the flash of lightening that scared her near to death. Legault had laughed at her for that and Heath had knocked him upside the head.
"By the way, Heath," she asked as they neared her stop. "Are you going to the "class" movie?"
"Class movie?" Heath frowned for a moment. "Oh, you mean the thing the guys were talking about. I dunno. When is it?"
"Ah... it's today... at 2:30."
"I dunno. What's the point in going?" Priscilla's face fell. "I don't really like going alone, even with friends..."
"Aw, you won't be alone," Legault grinned, putting his arm around Heath's shoulders. "I'll go with you. We can make out in the back row." Priscilla's eyes went as big as saucers, and Heath made a face.
"Get off me, Legault, or I'll hit you again."
"I'll let you hit me as much as you want if you give me one kiss!" Legault had a huge grin on his face now, and Priscilla knew he was kidding – at least, she hoped he was. He was defiantly odd.
"Ah... I'll see you later Heath. ...And... maybe I'll see you again, Legault?" She asked tentatively.
"Most likely," Legault grinned. Then he winked at her, and for some reason she felt better.
"See ya, Priscilla," Heath yelled as she pushed her way off the over-crowded bus.
The rain was coming down heavier now, and thunder was rumbling again. She ran through the streets, hoping to get home as quickly as possible.
Ten minutes later she arrived, gasping about out of breath. Glancing at her watch, she groaned. It was 2:00 – she wasn't going to have a lot of time. She needed to get her license soon, and get home earlier. The bus was not a good thing if you wanted to get somewhere fast.
The inside of her house was dark, since no one was home. She switched on as many lights as she could, since she didn't feel like being in the dark. It wasn't that she was afraid – there was just some feeling in her that didn't feel like being alone in the dark. Upstairs she had a quick shower of about five minutes – a new record for her. Usually she was in there for some 15-20 minutes. She changed as quickly as she could, putting on jeans and a t-shirt, covered by a thin fuzzy-seeming green sweater. Downstairs, she riffled through the coat closet looking for a jacket with a hood on it. It wasn't cold, per se, but she didn't feel like being drenched again. But even so, she wasn't about to wear a winter jacket, which was about all she could find. Giving up she grabbed a white windbreaker, and started searching for an umbrella. She was interrupted by a knock on the door, and opened it to find Eliwood there, waiting for her.
"Ready?" He asked.
"No... I can't find an umbrella," she fretted, looking over her shoulder and the mess in the hallway, comprised of jackets, shoes, overcoats and the odd hat and shoe.
"That's ok, I think we have an extra," he smiled. "We'd better hurry – they won't like it if we're late."
"OK, hang on while I grab my key," she said, already running for the kitchen where she'd dumped her bad. Hurriedly, she ripped open her bag, grabbing her wallet and key, before running back to the front door. "Alright... let's go!"
In the car Ninian was waiting patiently as Eliwood practically jumped in the car, Priscilla right behind him. He shook his head, which was wet from the moment in the rain.
"Eliwood! You're getting me wet!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry Ninian," Eliwood replied as he pulled out of the driveway and made his way towards the theater.
They arrived five minutes late and had to make a mad dash for the door just as the sky opened up another, harder, deluge that pounded down on them. Even with the extra umbrella she and Ninian shared – Eliwood was wearing his hood up – Priscilla was half-wet when the reached the doors. Inside the theater lobby it was packed with people milling around, buying tickets and popcorn, or playing games while they waited. The group was standing by the games room, examining the possibilities. Or rather, the girls were. With the exception of Jaffar and Erk, the guys were otherwise occupied playing games.
"Lyn!" Eliwood yelled as they moved in.
"There you are!" She yelled back, a slightly accusing tone in her voice. "We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show.
"Ninian got stuck in the shower," Eliwood said with a grin.
"I did not! You couldn't get the car to start!" Ninian shot back.
Lyn laughed. "Well, whatever. Now, what do we want to see?" She said, returning to the examination of the board above.
"What are our options?"
"Ah... Fahrenheit 9/11, Anchorman, The Notebook, Shrek 2, Spider-Man 2, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, The Village, The Manchurian Candidate, Little Black Book, Collateral, I, Robot, The Bourne Supremacy, and Catwoman. Any of those appeal to you? 'Cause the rest of the guys aren't paying much attention..." Lyn said with a scathing glance over her shoulder when most of the guys were watching Matthew beat Wil at air hockey.
"Why don't we all pick a movie the guys will hate?" Rebecca suggested. "That way they won't ignore us again."
"That's not a bad idea," Serra grinned.
"Is anyone else coming?" Lyn asked, looking around. "I called some of the grade 12's, but none of them could give me a definite answer."
"Who did you call?" Nino asked.
"Isadora, Farina, and Lucius. Isadora said she thought she had a date, Farina said she was didn't feel like spending the money, and Lucius said he was doing something with Raven, who I couldn't find."
"...Heath might be coming," Priscilla said quietly. "I saw him on the bus and told him."
"Ok, so that gives us between three and four people who are potentially coming. Great." Lyn said with a sigh. "We may as well pick now. They can expect it or not."
"The Notebook," Serra stated. Lyn shook her head.
"Saw it, don't want to see it again. Um...I want to see Fahrenheit 9/11."
"What IS it about people and 9/11?" Rebecca asked with a face. "I saw I, Robot."
"How about the Bourne Supremacy?" Eliwood suggested. "I want to see that."
"Not all of us saw the first one though," Rebecca pointed out. "I don't feel like getting lost. How about Shrek 2?"
"I like that idea!" Nino piped up. Jaffar got a pained look on his face, but didn't say anything.
"I think we should see Anchorman, or Harold and Kumar go to White Castle," Matthew said coming up to them, stuffing money into his back pocket as he did so.
"Sorry," Rebecca said stiffly, "But I don't feel in the mood for stupidity today."
"What movie's winning so far?" Hector asked. Apparently the boys had decided to re-join the girls when they saw they were starting to pick the movie.
"Shrek 2, I guess," Lyn said dubiously, "Since it has two votes to everyone else's one."
Hector shrugged. "It's a good all-around movie, isn't it?" He examined the board. "I did want to see The Manchurian Candidate though." Lyn rolled her eyes.
"Harold and Kumar go to White Castle?" Matthew suggested again.
"Stow it Matthew!" Lyn almost yelled.
"OK, OK, sheeee,"
"Hey, are we still in time?" Someone yelled. Priscilla looked over her shoulder and saw Isadora with Legault and Heath running through the lobby with Farina and someone else right behind them. Farina and the boy seemed to be arguing over something.
"Isadora! You made it!" Eliwood smiled. "Who's this, and who's that?" he asked, pointing first at Legault and then at Farina's arguing partner.
"This is Legault," Isadora said, pointing at her date, "and that's Dark, I think. Farina wasn't really specific."
"It's DART!" the boy growled at Isadora before diving into the argument with Farina again.
"What are they fighting about?" Nino asked, slightly wide-eyed. Heath rolled his eyes.
"They're fighting over who has to pay for the tickets and food."
"And they're being very, very, loud about it," Legault said casually.
"So I noticed," Rebecca frowned, plugging her ears.
"Did we pick a movie yet?" Isadora asked, trying to ignore the two screaming teens begin her.
"Not really, but I think we're narrowing in on Shrek 2," Lyn said with a shrug. "Everyone wants to see a different movie, it seems."
"Well, if it's going to be Shrek 2, we'd better go quick – it's getting in in, like, ten minutes," Isadora pointed out.
"We may as well go see it," Legault said. "It's the only movie that's really convenient, you know. All the others got in half and hour ago and aren't going to start again for almost two hours."
"With the exception of – "Matthew started.
"Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, we KNOW!" everyone yelled at him.
"Give it a REST Matthew!" Rebecca said.
"...Anchorman, then?" Matthew asked hope hopefully. Everyone groaned.
"...Does it really matter?" Jaffar asked darkly. "Let's just go." Several people stared at him, and Nino smiled brightly.
"Ah... OK, whatever," Lyn said, shaking her head. "Here, give me the money, and me 'n' Hector'll go buy the tickets while everyone else goes to get food and stuff."
Eight minutes later everyone stood buy the entrance of the movie, waiting as Hector and Lyn came running up with their last-minute popcorn and drinks.
"Well? Go in!" Lyn chided. "There's no point in waiting for us!"
"I guess there's no chance of going to see Anchorman now, is there?" Matthew sighed.
"God, Matthew, give it a REST!" Rebecca almost yelled. "Go see it yourself!"
"I already have. Four times or so." Everyone just groaned.
In the theater, Priscilla found herself sitting in the very back row with Heath, Isadora and Legault. Farina and Dart were in the row in front of them, still squabbling about something. It wasn't money anymore, and no one was sure what the new topic was. Legault shook his head.
"If I'd known they were going to fight like that, I wouldn't have brought them along," He sighed.
"They were like this the whole way down?" Priscilla gasped.
"No, they were pretty good for the first three seconds, until Dart mentioned that Farina would have to pay for herself," Legault said in a somewhat innocent tone.
"I wonder how much that fight started with the comment of "So which of you are going to pay for us", huh Legault?" Heath asked with a raised eyebrow. Legault simply smiled at him and put his arm around Isadora.
The trailers seemed to last forever to Priscilla, and she didn't mind one bit. She was sitting next to Heath – who seemed to be paying strict attention to the screen – and she had the best seat for watching everyone else. Eliwood and Ninian were already making out in the second-last row, Hector and Lyn with Matthew watching them from the row below. Nino was sitting as close to Jaffar as she possibly could, and was just short of sitting on his lap. Serra really was sitting in Erk's lap, but he was protesting, and appeared to be on the verge of shoving her off. Priscilla doubted he would though. Sain was sitting next to Rebecca, who was stubbornly staring at the screen. Wil and Kent were sitting by Sain, and Kent had just started speaking severely to Sain. Priscilla sighed. She was here with most of her class – heck, half the school, it seemed – and she still felt alone. Maybe it was because she was sitting NEXT to Heath, and he wasn't even aware she was there.
Throughout the movie, she kept bring distracted by her schoolmates. Dart and Farina had stopped arguing verbally, and were now doing something resembling a thumb war. Legault was holding a whispered conversation with Isadora that turned into an imitation of Eliwood and Ninian. Jaffar was glaring around the theater, as if daring – or asking – someone to hit on Nino so he could beat them up, and Nino was, of course, oblivious. Sain was trying to kiss Rebecca on the cheek, and she was ignoring him because she wanted to watch the movie. Kent, on the other had, wasn't ignoring it and had Sain by the ear. Finally, he and Rebecca switched seats, and Rebecca switched again with Wil. Matthew was busy trying to steal popcorn from the people on either side and in front of him. The people she was here with were almost as good as, if not better than, the movie they were watching. She cast Heath a glance or two, then finally gave up and watched Puss in Boots trying to claw Shrek's eyes out. She briefly saw Legault talk to Heath from the corner of her eye, but ignored it.
The movie ended and they all drifted out into the lobby. Or got dragged out in Farina and Dart's case. Kent was holding Farina, and Wil was talking animatedly to Dart.
"Do you need a ride home Priscilla?" Eliwood asked.
"Ye-"
"No, she doesn't," Legault interrupted. "We'll take her home." He winked at Eliwood, who nodded.
"'K. See you later."
"You ARE going to come with us, right?" Legault asked her.
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not unless you want to take the bus," Legault said cheerfully. Priscilla sighed.
"So you are coming Priscilla?" Isadora smiled. "Good, good, you can give Heath a seatmate."
"What about Dart and Farina?" Priscilla and Heath asked at the same time. They glanced at each other then looked at the ground.
"Oh..." Legault said with a sly glance over his shoulder. "They found a new ride home."
Looking in the same direction Priscilla saw Farina getting into the front seat of Kent's car, Dart and Wil getting in the back. "...Oh..."
"I'm not sure if they'll get home in one piece, but at least Kent will keep the damage to a minimum," Legault seemed very pleased with himself. "Now, what shall we do now? It's only around four – we could go out for early dinner or late lunch or something. Lunner, anyone?"
"Um... I... I don't have any money," Priscilla stammered, slightly red.
"That's OK," Legault dismissed it, "Heath can pay for you."
"Hey!" Heath protested.
"You aren't?" Legault raised his eyebrows. Heath shifted for a moment, then sighed.
"Well! Now that that's all settled, let's go to Pizza Hut. That's not too far away."
"All that grease is going to go straight to the place were it is least flattering, you know that?" Isadora grumbled.
"Yes, dear. Let's go."
Isadora rolled her eyes with a sigh, and jerked her head in an indication of "let's go".
Dinner – or "Lunner" as Legault insisted on calling it – was far more entertaining than Priscilla had thought it would be. Legault was more than a little strange – more than a lot strange, even, but he was fun to be around once you got use to him. He told her stories about Isadora and Heath, and they spent then entire meal either trying to get him to shut up or adding to the embarrassing story of the other. Priscilla couldn't remember laughing that much in a long time. She didn't even notice how much time Heath spent looking at her.
It was almost seven before they finally got home. By the time they finally did pull up in front of her house, she was out of breath from laughing. Isadora twisted around to look at her.
"Say "hi" to Raven for me, will you? He's not a bad guy, but we don't get to talk to him much." Priscilla nodded.
"Thanks for the drive Legault," she said politely.
"I can think of ways for you to pay me back, if you want," he suggested, a wicked grin on his face. Priscilla laughed.
"I'll see you tomorrow Heath, Isadora," She said, jumping out of the car and slamming the door.
She glanced over her shoulder once, when she got to the front door, and waved as they pulled out. Then she opened the front door and went in, only to trip over the mess she had made in the hall.
"... I guess I'll have to put all of this away first."
An hour later, Priscilla heard the door slam.
"Priscilla?" Raven called from the front hall. With a smile she scraped her chair back and ran to the top of the stairs.
"Where were you all day?" She asked.
"I was out. With Lucius," he said simply. Priscilla rolled her eyes.
"I think there's some TV dinners in the fridge," she told him.
"Haven't you had dinner yet?" She nodded.
"Yeah. I went out with some friends."
Raven's eyes narrowed a bit. "Who?"
"Isadora, Legault and Heath. Why? Oh, and by the way, Isadora and Legault say hi."
Raven nodded. "Fine. I'm going to go have dinner now."
"I'll be up here doing homework if you need me," she called as he disappeared into the kitchen.
With a sigh she re-seated herself in front of her textbooks. It seemed so wrong to be going homework after everything that had happened today, but what could she do about it? With a sigh, she flipped her math book to the assigned pages. As she did so a folded piece of paper caught her eye. She flipped back to the page and pulled it out. Opening it she saw her name at the top of what seemed to be a hastily written note. But who would write to her?
Priscilla,
Would you maybe like to go to a movie with me sometime? Like, maybe this weekend, or after the play or something? If you don't want to that's fine...
I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Heath
Whitney: Bwahah! Weak attempt at a cliffhanger!
Erk: joyness?
Priscilla: this had better be followed up on!
Whitney: I think every pair I mention will have a part in the story. Every pair gets one intermission, or shares an intermission, depending on how many I have.
Nino: R&R, be nice, tell us what you think, who should be with who, if our author should be an artist for you, etc.
Whitney: we are eagerly anticipate your feedback!