Hello, 114 people who have viewed this story and Kaddie K and LittleHogwartsGirl – who wrote reviews! Much love :D
So… Here's Tony.
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Tony hated holidays. While the rest of his classmates went home, Tony usually had to stay at school, left to watch them trickle out slowly into freedom, while he sat on his bed, swim suit issue in hand, and pretended to be fully immersed and not at all angry that he was being left nearly alone at school by his father for the millionth time. The only thing worse was when his father made him come back home.
Which was where he was now. A week and a half for Christmas break in a neighborhood where he was rather a legend. In this part of town, most of the kids went to private school or where home schooled by tutors. But none of them went to boarding school. That was for remedial kids. The kids who have issues. Who make trouble. Who are bad.
Not that Tony minded that reputation. At fifteen, it was a good thing. Half the girls wanted a guy with the "bad boy" rep to tick off their parents. Not that they actually wanted a bad boy though. No, they had their dreams of Prince Charming. Tony snorted and shoved another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
This was a pretty awesome movie, he wasn't going to lie. He liked The Breakfast Club, but thought that Pretty in Pink was lame. But this Ferris Bueller movie –he put his feet on the chair in front of him and his hands behind his head – now this was awesome.
The girl he was with (Melisa? Melanie? Melody?) looked bored. Every few minutes she would yawn and stretch, glancing at Tony out of the side of her eyes. He ignored her fidgeting. Finally, when her moving and sighing got unbearable, he turned and asked in a loud, pointed voice, "Isn't this movie great?"
She smiled and stopped squirming, put a hand on his leg, and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his neck. Tony lifted his chin, trying to see the screen over her ponytail. "I know something a lot more interesting we could be doing," the girl whispered. She wriggled again, and Tony had to crane his neck uncomfortably.
"Mmm…" was all he could say. Ferris was singing 'Twist and Shout' on a float. Tony's jaw hit the girl's head as a smile spread across her face.
"Ouch!" she hissed, as her hand few up to the top of her head, accidentally smacking Tony's face on the way.
"Hey!" he cried, grabbing both her hands and pushing her back into her chair.
Now the three were talking, but Tony couldn't quite tell what. He felt his nose wrinkle in distaste. He hated people who talked during movies.
He felt a pressure against his shoulder, like something was rubbing against it, "Tonnnnyyy," the girls whined. Her voice was so annoying. He looked down in disgust to see it was her head rubbing against him. Jerking his shoulder, Tony looked around the theater. A couple of people were staring at them in amusement, a couple were glaring.
"What are you doing?" He said, punctuating each word with a shoulder jerk.
Something wet dragged across his cheek. My God, was he? She was licking him! Licking him! He pushed her away, "Listen, this is awful nice of you, but could we postpone this for later?" He asked her, giving what he hoped was begging eyes. "This is a good movie. Normally I wouldn't do this -" which was true "- but this is a really, really, really good movie."
She sighed and put her head on his shoulder. "Alright."
But not five minutes, she was fidgeting. Again. "Tonnny," she wined. "This movie is boring."
Tony stared at her. Finally he just shook his head, "Then why don't you leave?"
The girl's mouth formed a perfect 'o.' She glared at him, then sat up straight in her seat, arms crossed. "I thought this was a date," she hissed, "I thought that you were interested in me, not this stupid movie," her voice was getting louder and louder, making Tony glance around the theater again. A theater employee was talking to a couple sitting a few rows in front of them. They kept glancing back at Tony and the girl.
He elbowed her. "Listen," he whispered, "I'm sorry. Can't you just be quiet though, because – "
"Be quiet? Be quiet? This whole 'date' you have been – "
A sudden, bright light shone in Tony's face. He put a hand over his eyes, and turned to face the grim looking employee with a flashlight. "Excuse me," the man said, looking at the two of them, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
The girl let out an indignant "humph" but began to pick up her bags. Tony just sat up straight. "Listen, I wasn't talking, don't make me leave. It was all her really – "
The man motioned with his flashlight. "Out."
"But – "
"Now."
"I really wasn't doing anything though! Ask them…" He pointed to the people behind them. Suddenly, there was a breath on his shoulder, and he felt a face leaning in from behind him.
"The young man was just watching the movie," said a wheezy, old lady voice. Tony turned to see a thin face next to his, leaning over from behind. "The young woman now…" She made a disdainful noise.
The man with the flashlight thought for a moment. "Okay. But you," he shone the flashlight in the girl's face, and the blinked and swatted at the light, "out."
The girl gasped, but grabbed her bag and stood up, with as much dignity as she could muster. She stomped out of the aisle, turned to give Tony a final glare, and , as an after thought, a hearty slap on the face (which Tony was mildly impressed by – he might have to call later and ask for forgiveness…) and then she turned with a determined look on her face and stalked out of the theater. The man with the flashlight followed her.
Tony turned to the woman behind him. "Thank you."
"Anytime," she said with a smile, patting his shoulder and sitting back in her chair.
Tony turned and faced forward again, and with a content smile, leaned back in his chair, put his arms behind his neck and his feet on the chair in front of them.
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Amen, Ferris, Amen.
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