Zelgadis sat up, the morning sun shining light into his room where the curtains allowed and his alarm clock blaring:
High, higher than the sun
You shoot me from a gun
I need you to elevate me here
It's the corner of your lips
It's the orbit of your hips
Eclipse
You elevate my…*
Zelgadis slammed down on the snooze bar, "Why did I set my alarm?" The cold air hit him, and he snuggled back into his covers, "It's the first day of vacation, so why do I need to get up early?"
"Zelgadis, get up!"
Zelgadis groaned, "Let me sleep."
He heard Rezo open the door, "No Zelgadis, I want you to get up. I don't want you to throw your sleeping pattern off."
"One day won't throw a wrench in it, okay?"
Rezo grabbed the covers and gave them a hard yank, "Get up, I have a job for you."
"At 9:30 in the damn morning?" Zelgadis sat up, knowing that without the covers he would never get back to sleep. He silently cursed to himself and scooted to the side of the bed and sat staring at the floor.
"Yes, we do," Rezo said as he opened Zelgadis' top drawer and tossed him socks and underwear, then proceeded to the next drawer, "I want to see the Inverses off, give them their presents."
"What," Zelgadis mumbled, then nodded as he remembered the Inverses were going overseas for Winter Break, "Oh yeah, they're headed overseas."
"That's right Zelgadis, and I want to get them their presents before they leave," Rezo tossed him a pair of pants and a sweater, "Now hurry, I want to get there with plenty of time."
"Yeah, yeah, you and your damn early-bird stuff," Zelgadis grumbled as he slipped out of his boxers and into the fresh clothes he'd failed to catch, reaching sluggishly about.
As he worked to pull his boots on, he thought back on the past few months, and how rapidly things were changing: Lord of Nightmares had gained a lot of popularity since Lina's little "dom" act, and seemed to be drawing a small amount of attention from the local radio stations. The band had finished construction on the studio in Lina's basement, save for the actual equipment, and had actually traveled together to go see touring bands.
Xellos hadn't kissed him since the Halloween party, and was now dating Filia, one of the world's mostly unlikely matches. Now he was south of here, on vacation where it was warm year round, and snow was considered mostly myth. How he envied Xellos at that moment; the snow had fallen in record depths this year, and was already two feet thick.
Valgarv and Martina were actually going out, an even stranger combination than Xellos and Filia. Luckily, this newly forming relationship seemed to be keeping the two of them occupied, and that made it easier for Lina and he to avoid taking flak for a while.
Otherwise, not much had changed.
"Ready to go, Zelgadis?"
"Breakfast?" He knew that Rezo wanted to be going as fast as they could, and that he'd make him skip breakfast if he felt the need to move.
"I'll buy you some breakfast on the way back, get your shoes and let's go."
Zelgadis leapt half-heartedly from the bed and tied his boots securely, then followed Rezo to the garage, grabbing his cap and gloves on his way out. They climbed into the car, which Rezo had obviously started earlier as Zelgadis found himself roasting slightly as the car pulled out of the driveway.
"So, do you know where the Inverses said they were going?" Rezo asked as they drove. Zelgadis yawned, feeling his eyes hurt as they tried to adjust to the sunlight reflecting off the snow. He leaned his head against the window.
"No, all I know is that it is overseas." He responded sleepily, yawning one more time; why couldn't Rezo have just let him sleep? His mind drifted to images of fine sand beaches and beautiful ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. He wished he could go with the Inverses, where it would be warmer.
He was just about asleep again when Rezo gave him a hard tap, "We're here."
"Perfect," Zelgadis grumbled, opening the door and letting the chill air reawaken him as he made his way toward the Inverse household, Rezo handing him two presents.
The Inverse home was a simple and attractive two-story home with a balcony and two porches. Red siding helped it to stand out in all seasons, and was a popular spot for guys to drive by in the summer, seeing as Lina's older sister Luna had a tendency to sunbathe on the roof or the lawn, something most young men couldn't pass up: Luna was a college girl, sorority sweetheart, and the only person alive known to seriously frighten Lina. Both she and her parents lived on the second floor, while Lina lived in the basement.
The car in the driveway was running, and one figure sat behind the wheel, Lina's father, wearing a hooded parka and waiting impatiently in the cold.
"Hey you two," called a surprised Lina, and Zelgadis turned his attention. Lina was still dressed in her pajamas, with a parka and gloves on and her boots tightly tied, "Why are you two here?"
"Hello Lina," Rezo said, smiling, "We just wanted to drop off your presents before you and your family went on vacation."
"Oh, I'm not going, but I'll take them to my dad," She said, then yawned as she reached for them.
Rezo handed them to her, "You're not going with them?" Lina shook her head, and walked to Zelgadis to get the other presents.
"So, you're spending Winter Break by yourself," Zelgadis asked, "don't you think it will get lonely?" Lina looked at him, her eyes registering a small sadness, before she turned away.
"Eh, I don't really want to go overseas for Winter Break, which is where everyone else is going, I'd rather just stay here."
"Well, this is really something," Rezo said, his look thoughtful, then, as is struck by sudden inspiration, "Lina, would you like to spend Winter Break with us? We're not going anywhere, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind the company. I know we'd love to have you."
Zelgadis felt a blush come to his face. Could Rezo really be serious about this? "Rezo, are you on something?"
"Only the spirit of the season," Rezo smiled, "Well, Miss Inverse, what do you say to my offer?" Zelgadis looked to Lina, who seemed frozen between a look of surprise and a blush. She looked at the ground for several moments, and then smiled as she looked back up.
"Sure, it sounds great. Let me tell my parents," She turned to walk away, but shouted over her shoulder, "Thank you."
"It's no problem, Miss Inverse," Rezo said, smiling broadly, "Isn't this great Zelgadis, your girlfriend staying with us for Break?"
Zelgadis looked at his uncle cautiously, "Are you sure you didn't hit your head, Rezo?" He turned and walked back toward the car, then turned, "And she not my girlfriend."
A minute later, Lina called them into the house, while the Inverses' car backed down the driveway and drove out of sight.
"Sorry I kept you outside, but I was changing clothes," Lina explained, "If you two want to wait for me to pack, I'll be ready in about 20 minutes. With that, she vanished down the basement stairs and left the two of them to sit down in the dining room.
"Rezo, why are you doing this?" Zelgadis asked, curious as to what had sparked this sudden generosity.
"Do you not want Lina staying with us? I thought the two of you got along well."
Rezo slapped his forehead, "It's not that, we get along just fine. I was only wondering why you're being so nice and generous so suddenly."
Rezo sighed, "With the holidays coming up Zelgadis, I try my best to make everyone happy, as well as be sure that everyone is taken care of," Rezo looked at the clock on the far wall, his smile fading, "besides, no one needs to be alone during the holidays."
"So this is your 'getting into the spirit'?"
Rezo looked up at him and smiled, "That, and it lets you be closer to your girlfriend."
"Rezo, she is not my girlfriend."
"Come on now, Zelgadis. I know the way you look at her, how the two of you fit together. You can't fool me."
"Who's to fool," Zelgadis countered, "We're not dating, and there is no relationship between us, other than a strong friendship."
"You're the fool; I've seen the way she looks at you, too. She may be good at hiding behind her tough girl image, but I know she has feelings for you. There is a gentle side there, I know it."
"Can't you just drop it?"
Rezo chuckled, "Okay, I'll let it go for now. Just remember what I said."
The next few minutes were spent in silence, Zelgadis thinking of how things would change while Lina was a guest in the house.
"Let me guess; I'm to be a perfect gentleman while she's staying with us?"
Rezo nodded, "That is correct. Women need to be treated with courtesy by young men like yourself."
Zelgadis chuckled, "She is a woman, I'll agree to that, but she's not like most others."
"I know Zelgadis," Rezo argued, "I've seen the way she acts. She's a tomboy, and that's her decision to be that way," Rezo turned and looked at Zelgadis, his face kind but serious, "But, under all that, she is still a woman, and needs to be treated as such."
Zelgadis noticed Lina tromping up the stairs with a duffle bag, and he leapt from his chair, "Alright, ready to go Lina?"
"Yep; let me lock up the house, and we'll be on our way."
Zelgadis looked back to Rezo, who rose slowly from his chair and shook his head at Zelgadis, "I'll go warm up the car while you two close this place up."
Lina and Zelgadis closed the house in silence, and walked out to the car.
"Nervous?" Zelgadis asked, the silence finally getting to him.
"Hardly. Why are you so nervous?"
"I'm not nervous, just cold."
Lina raised an eyebrow, the hoop shining in the morning sun, and shook her head as she opened the rear door and threw her bag inside, "Yeah, it must be the cold." She smiled at him, and for a moment he felt uncomfortable, his stomach tightening in response. He smiled back and got into the car, feeling relief as the hot air hit him in the face.
"So Miss Inverse, where are your parents and sister headed?" Rezo asked as he pulled away from the house.
"Zephillia, where my relatives live. And you can call me Lina, sir."
"Please, call me Rezo. If there's anything you need Lina, do not hesitate to let me know what it is."
"You might want to go grocery shopping," Zelgadis said, "Between Lina and I, we'll burn through the food supply quickly."
"Are you saying I eat a lot?" Lina asked, her voice rising dangerously.
"To be perfectly honest, yes," Zelgadis smirked, "I wouldn't mention it if it weren't true."
"Zelgadis," Rezo said in disbelief, "Apologize to our guest."
"No Rezo, it's okay," Lina leaned forward between the seats, "He is telling the truth."
"Lina, seatbelt please," Rezo warned.
"Oh, right," she chuckled, sat back, and clapped the seatbelt shut, "Hey Zel, you know what we should do over break?"
"What?"
"Write some new songs. I think we should try to have a new program for the spring."
"Sounds good. You wouldn't mind, would you Rezo?"
"No, as long as you two keep it to a dull roar during the late hours, I don't mind," Rezo said as he took a left turn, "By the way, I'll be going to the school during break. Not for long, mind you, but I'll be gone from about noon to early evening every day."
"Alright. Does anyone mind if I turn the radio on?" Zelgadis looked to Lina, who shook her head, and then to Rezo, who smiled and nodded. He turned the radio on, and the volume careful not to go too loud; Lina might like music like that, and he knew he could deal with it, but Rezo was into the whole average low volume listening, and would not stand it being too loud.
The song came in clearly, and he nodded as he recognized the tune:
She don't care about my car
And she don't care about my money
That's real good cause I don't got a lot to spend
And if I did it wouldn't mean nothing…
"She likes me for me, not because I look like Tyson Bedford, with the charm of Robert Redford oozing out my ears," Lina sang along. Zelgadis looked at her in surprise, then added his own voice to the mix.
"And what she sees, are my thoughts and indecisions, my insecure conditions, and the tears upon the pillow that I shed."
"She don't care about my big screen," Lina started the second verse.
"Or my collection of DVDs," Zelgadis followed, feeling a warmth rise in his chest.
"Things like that just never mattered much to her," Lina responded.
"Plus she don't watch too much TV," Zelgadis looked to her, and she nodded as they started the next set of lines.
"And she don't care that I could fly her, to places she aint never been. If she really wants to go, I think deep down she knows that, all she has to say is when." *2
The two of them continued to sing until they reached the house, Zelgadis caught somewhere between a manic state of bliss and a heated stage of embarrassment.
Rezo parked the car and turned it off, shutting up the radio, "Hey, you two sound good together."
"Eh, we're okay together," Zelgadis shrugged.
"Not bad as casual singers," Lina said as she stepped out of the vehicle.
The three of them entered the house quietly.
"Lina, you have the option of the couch in the living room or the guest room across from Zelgadis. I would recommend the guest room, seeing as the bed is far more comfortable than the couch."
"Thank you Rezo, I think I will take the guest room," Lina hoisted the duffle over her shoulder and looked about for the right direction.
"Zelgadis, show her where she's going."
Zelgadis only nodded, "Right, this way Lina."
He led her through the dining room, which was more of a converted workroom, with the dining table covered in piles of Rezo's work papers and a computer on a desk on the far wall.
"Hey, you guys have a back patio? I never noticed that before."
"Yep, as you can see, the sliding door going out is to your left," Zelgadis confirmed, "Hang right into this hall. This is where the bedrooms and bathroom are."
The passed a door on the left, Rezo's room, and a door on the right, the bathroom, and walked to the end of the hall, with a door on either side.
"The guest room is the left door here. My room is on the other side." He opened the guest room door for her, and stepped aside to let her through. He watched her toss her duffle onto the bed and open it up, pulling out assorted articles of clothing and bathing materials.
She pulled out a pair of panties and looked over her shoulder. When she noticed Zelgadis still standing there, she quickly tucked them back into the bag.
"Is there a lights out time here?" Lina asked, looking into the bag so that Zelgadis wouldn't see her blush.
"Usually Rezo turns in around midnight during the school year, otherwise it's 10:00 for him. As long as we aren't too loud, we can stay up as long as we want." Zelgadis responded, his own blush hot on his face, "I usually stay up until early morning, have a hard time sleeping most of the time."
"Insomnia?" she asked.
"Kind of," Zelgadis admitted, "Just have a hard time settling down. Listen, I'm going to lie down for a little while. If there's anything you want, let me know or Rezo, and we'll get it for you, okay?"
Lina turned and smiled, her eyes strong and caring, "Thanks Zel, to both you and your uncle. Rest well."
Zelgadis smiled back and nodded, "Thanks." He opened the door to his room and wandered inside, falling down onto his bed and kicking his shoes off. He immediately pulled off the sweater, threw the hat and gloves onto the floor, and slipped back under the covers, sleep coming to him quickly as his body returned itself to resting.
Lina looked at him, guiding his hand along her leg. Zelgadis felt himself growing hot with each inch that his hand touched, as she guided his fingers up her side.
"Zelgadis?"
"Yes?"
"I want to see your pussy, show it to me!"
Zelgadis' eyes shot open, "What?" The heaviness of sleep still hung on his eyes as he looked around. The sun was still out, and as he swung himself around he noticed that it was 2:40 in the afternoon.
It was then he heard music softly humming from the hall. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and slid out of the bed, slowly staggering toward the door. He couldn't make out the words; either the door was obscuring the lyrics, the music was instrumental, or he just wasn't awake enough to understand.
He opened the door, and the music came more clearly now, the floor vibrating and the music shaking the guest room door. He eyed the door for a moment, and then crossed and slowly turned the knob to let the door open slowly and silently.
Once it was opened halfway, Zelgadis could clearly hear the lyrics, and he saw Lina, rocking her hips in time and swaying as if entranced to by the music, and she sang along with the other female singers in a strange kind of harmony.
I wanna bet your pussy aint as pretty as mine
I don't hide my pussy like you do all the time
My pussy's just the sweetest thing that you've ever seen
Compared to mine your pussy's really ugly and mean
I bring my pussy everywhere I go
To watch my little pussy is a show
You say your pussy's clever and so slick
But I think that your pussy's really thick *3
"I wanna see your pussy, show it to me!"
At this, Zelgadis laughed out loud, "Like this song?"
Lina whipped around, surprise and blush washed over her face, "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to learn about your pussy." Zelgadis walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"It's a cat, Zel," Lina turned down the stereo, "The song is about a cat." She came over and sat down next to him. Remembering his dream, Zelgadis squirmed a little.
"Hey, where did Rezo go?"
"Back to the school, told me he'll be back around 8:00, and that we're on our own for dinner."
Zelgadis nodded, "So, how do you like the guest room?"
Lina shrugged, "It's not my basement, but it's comfy. Did the music wake you up?"
"Doesn't really matter anyway, I was getting up," he lied, "If I sleep too long, it will be impossible for me to sleep tonight."
"Yeah," Lina agreed, and the two of them fell silent. They didn't make eye contact, but cast quick looks to each other uncomfortably.
"So, you and your uncle live here alone?"
"Rezo's married to his work, so he has little time for dating. He's dated maybe two women since I've been living with him, and neither has come to more than a few dates." Zelgadis shifted again. Why was he so fidgety?
"Sounds like he'd be lonely without his work."
Zelgadis nodded, "Hey, don't your parents travel a lot?"
"Yes they do: Dad does claims for the overseas branch of Mos Varim Industries, and mom is a sales rep for Ly Briem Airways. My sister works too, so I'm left to fend for myself most of the time."
"What does your sister do?"
"Well, she's going back to college again this year, so she's been working as a waitress."
"Sounds like you spend a lot of time alone too."
Lina shrugged, "I do, but I can usually keep myself busy; there's always something to do around the house or in the basement."
"Of course, what with the studio we've been working on, plus those small-time construction projects."
"Right," Lina smirked.
"Right," Zelgadis sighed.
The air hung with tense silence for the next few minutes, Zelgadis suddenly aware of how warm the room was getting. He glanced at Lina, who was staring at the floor, and felt his heart jump. With her hair tossed about like it was and the quietly thoughtful expression on her face, she was, for a moment, not the same person he had seen a second earlier.
Lina seemed to notice his glance, and the right corner of her mouth raised as she looked to him, "So…"
"So what?"
"What is there to do around here Zel," Lina asked, "I usually watch an anime or play video games or read when I'm at home. What's fun around here?"
"Sorry to say it, but we have no video games or anime here," Zelgadis admitted, "The best we have are board games."
Lina turned and looked at him, eyebrows raised, "Really, which ones?"
"Oh, Candy Land, Trivial Pursuit, Chess, Checkers, Monopoly…"
A devilish smile crossed Lina's lips, "Monopoly? Oh, really?
Though he found himself laughing, he was flabbergasted, "How do you do that; we've played three games, and you still kick my ass every time?"
Lina chuckled, "It's easy," she took a bite of the pizza they'd cooked, then continued despite the food, "Hotels, all you need are strategically placed hotels."
Zelgadis shook his head, taking a sip from his soda can, "I don't know how or why, but it seems to work for you. I guess you just have a talent for this kind of thing."
"Board games?"
"No, money."
Lina threw a pretzel stick at him, laughing, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Zelgadis neatly snatched the stick in its flight and threw it in his mouth, chewing it up before speaking, "You seem to be a real stickler with money."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah," Zelgadis replied snidely, "Your purse is locked up tighter than a vacuum-sealed chamber."
She threw another pretzel stick at him, followed by a few more. Zelgadis raised his forearm to block the incoming pretzels, and retaliated by throwing a few back at her that were still on his plate.
Leaping from her seat, Lina threw another small handful of pretzels at Zelgadis, which Zelgadis dodged and ducked his way out of the kitchen.
"Oh, so you think you can escape me?" Lina called as she took a handful of pretzel sticks in her left hand and began stalking after him.
Zelgadis did his best to keep out of sight, attempting to maneuver around her so that he could reach the kitchen again. Once she had crossed the room and started to circle toward him, Zelgadis ducked low and slinked past her into the kitchen.
Wasting no time, Zelgadis rushed to the refrigerator and opened the freezer, snatching an ice cube from the bin and closing the door.
"I heard that," Lina called, "You can't get away from me now."
Zelgadis tucked the cube into his palm, holding it casually so as not to draw attention to his hand. He would get her good.
Lina rounded the corner and looked at him, poised to throw more pretzels at him, "Are you giving up?"
Zelgadis sighed, "I guess so; I am unarmed, and you have more than enough pretzels to take me down."
Lina nodded confidently as she set the pretzels down on her plate, "Yeah, I guess I showed you who's the best." She returned to her seat and threw a pretzel stick in her mouth, crunching on it noisily, her back turned to him.
"Definitely," Zelgadis agreed, slowly walking back to his seat. When he got within Lina's reach, he sprang, dropping the cold and dripping ice cube down the back of Lina's t-shirt.
Lina screamed in surprise, inhaling sharply as she rose from her seat and tried to grab the rapidly melting ice cube, "Zelgadis, you ass!" When she couldn't reach the cube, she grabbed the waist of her shirt and pulled it up, one hand remaining to hold the fabric and one seeking out the cube.
Zelgadis stopped chuckling. He could see Lina's smooth white belly and the lower curves of her bra, the soft curve of her hip, and just the tiniest glimpse of some dark blue panties poking over the beltline of her jeans. It was exciting to see, and he found himself dumbstruck as he stared at her body; there was no way anyone could call it pathetic, particularly Martina.
Once the cube and been located, Lina pulled her shirt back down and looked to Zelgadis. She blushed when she saw his look, but lost the blush as she stepped forward to confront him.
"That was dirty Zelgadis," she cursed, "I would never have done that to you." With that comment however, she grabbed the front of Zelgadis' jeans and dropped what remained of the cube inside.
Zelgadis found himself dancing about as the ice played its frozen dance over his crotch and thighs, "You just did!"
"Payback," Lina asserted as she took her seat again, "Besides, I bet you did that just so you could see my body."
"Well, I didn't," Zelgadis countered as he fought to get at the ice cube, which only slipped deeper as he struggled. He finally unzipped his jeans and opened them up, finding the tiny slice of ice that remained and threw it onto his plate.
"Nice boxers," Lina commented, and Zelgadis zipped his pants quickly.
"Now I see why you decided to get me back."
"Hey, at least we're even now. Wouldn't you agree?"
Zelgadis started to speak, but stopped himself as he realized that she was right, "Okay, we're even." He thought about it for a moment, then added, "It was kind of fun though."
Lina blushed, "Well, yeah, it was. I do have to give you credit for that trick. Well played."
"At least I can win at something."
Lina smirked, "But not everything. Saddle up for another game of Monopoly, I feel a hot streak coming on."
"Alright, but this time the outcome will be different."
"And he was right too," Lina told Rezo as she stabbed another forkful of scrambled eggs, "I beat him with only houses on my properties. I didn't even need to go to hotels."
"I see," Rezo said, a gentle smile on his face, "Looks like you have a serious competitor, Zelgadis."
"Tell me about it: three days of playing board games, and I've only won about four times out of 15."
"Eighteen," Lina corrected.
"Whatever; you're just too good at this."
Lina shrugged, "I'm not that skilled, just lucky. Now, if you're talking music, that's where my skills are."
"Indeed," Rezo agreed, "And the two of you sound excellent together. You're both extremely talented."
Lina and Zelgadis looked at one another for a moment, then turned and told Rezo, "We're not too bad together."
"Well, what do I know, I'm just a silly old chemistry teacher?" Rezo looked to the clock, "Looks like its time for me to head back to the school today. Thank you, Zelgadis, for the wonderful brunch."
"Yeah, thanks Zel."
"I should be home tonight around seven or eight," Rezo said as he opened the door to the garage, "Call me if you need anything."
"Okay," the two of them replied.
"Bye Rezo," Lina called cheerfully as the door closed.
"Later," Zelgadis followed, grabbing the plates and silverware as he crossed to the dishwasher. He loaded it, filled in the reservoirs with dish soap, and closed the door, turning it on.
"So, what so you want to do tonight, Lina?"
Lina thought about it for a moment, and then looked up, "Hey, today is a Thursday, right?"
Zelgadis counted the days in his head, then nodded, "Yeah, today is Thursday."
"Oh my god," Lina almost squealed with delight, "Tonight is 'B-Movie Night'."
"It's what?"
"It's 'B-Movie Night'. You know about all those horrible horror movies that were made when our parents were young? Well, they're having a marathon of these tonight."
"Seems kind of strange for them to be showing B-movies in December. You would think they would do it around October."
"At any rate, I would like to stay up and watch those tonight. It starts at seven, and runs until three in the morning."
Zelgadis considered the idea, "Yeah, that actually sounds like it might be fun. At least I can't lose to a movie."
"Too true," Lina laughed, then hugged herself excitedly, "Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!"
"I think so too. So, what do we do until the movies start?"
Lina smiled wickedly, "How about some more games of Monopoly?"
Zelgadis shook his head. Why had he agreed to take her on again, particularly after losing so often to her powerful money-handling strategies? He shrugged to himself and pulled his t-shirt off. He saw a mirror, and stared at the scars that ran across his belly, crisscrossed on his left shoulder, ran deep along his shoulder, spread out like claws across his chest, and a lone line that slanted along his collarbone and took a sudden dive down his chest, just before the breastbone.
His stomach tightening, he stared at the scars in contempt, the pain of their memory starting to burn in his chest.
"Zelgadis, are you ready yet?"
He looked to the door, remembering what he had started doing, He looked for his oversized Shitenoe t-shirt, found it, and pulled it down quickly over his head. With the shirt in place, he felt better. Not seeing the scars made it easier to cope with them.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
He pulled on a pair of shorts that he wore to bed and crossed to his door. Remembering that he forgot to grab his pillow and blanket, he returned to his bed before turning back to his door.
As he opened it the smell of freshly popped and buttered popcorn permeated the air around him. Coming down the hall he cast his eyes to the back patio. Snow was still falling; it had started around 2:30 that afternoon, and showed no real signs of ceasing.
He took another whiff of the popcorn, and he called out, "Don't you think you may have overdone it?"
Lina emerged from around the corner, stepping out of the kitchen with a bowl she seemed to have difficulty with, popcorn piled dangerously high, "No way, this is just enough for the two of us. Now hurry up, it's starting in five minutes." She turned and rounded the corner again and disappeared. Since her regular pajamas were dirty and in the wash line, she had substituted by wearing a t-shirt that would have fit Gourry perfectly. She did look kind of cute like that.
"Come on, Zel."
"I'm coming," Zelgadis said impatiently as he walked to the kitchen. He hung a left at the corner and entered the den, where both he and Rezo entertained people. Taking a right, he walked through the doorway and into the living room. Lina had already staked out a spot on the couch, the best seat in the room, and was munching away at the popcorn.
"It's about time you got here. What's with the pillow and blanket?"
"In case I get tired."
"Oh," Lina said, "I'll feel free to steal it if I need it." Strange music started humming from the television set, "It's starting. Come on Zel, sit down." She slapped the cushion next to her, and he nodded.
"Alright, I'm getting there. Be patient." He crossed to the couch and plopped down, looking at the screen.
Across the screen flew movie names that immediately spoke of corniness: Killer Ants from Outer Space, The House on Haunted Hill, It Came from Outer Space, Invasion of the Space Spiders, and so many others. He only shook his head.
"This is going to be hilarious."
Lina nodded with an emphatic, "Uh-huh."
The narrator's voice came out over the music, "And now we bring you Invasion of the Space Spiders."
Suddenly, the power went out. The T.V. screen quickly faded into darkness, and the lights went out like candles in a hard breeze. Everything went quiet, and Zelgadis looked to Lina, who looked rather annoyed.
"Oh, shit!"
* Song is "Elevation" by U2
*2 Song is "Hey Leonardo [She Likes Me For Me]" by Blessed Union of Souls
*3 Song is "The Pussy Song" by Lords of Acid
