A night at the movies
Hey! I suggest you read "Paintball Panic" before you continue to read this story, seeing as how this is a continuation of said story. All characters, ideas, places, and stuffs are not meant to be anyone in particular, just my imagination. Any relation to real people is purely coincidental and unintentional. Enjoy :)
"Yawn!" I woke up in a nice cozy bed for the first time since the shootout. The hospital beds really aren't that comfortable but I didn't have to stay too long. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock. It read a blinking: 12:00. "Ugh, another power failure." A few days ago, my entire block started suffering from small blackouts at night, returning all ac-powered clocks to they're original 12:00 setting and rendering my alarm clock useless.
I turned my cell phone on to see the real time; witch was 1:15. I had overslept again. Lucky for me I had been excused from school for that day because of my injury (witch has almost fully healed, but the school doesn't need to know that). I sleepily got out of bed and went to the bathroom to...well... do bathroom stuff. I looked in the mirror at myself and smiled, not because it's a beautiful day outside, or because I don't have to be at school, but because today is the day I take Amy out to the movies just like I promised her back at the hospital.
I put some clothes on and opened the door, causing my dad to knock on my head instead.
"Hehe sorry son, good morning!"
"Yea mornin' dad." It was good to see my dad back at the house again. Ever since I got shot, my parents have been paying more attention to me. Probably because they think that next time I might not have been so lucky.
"How's your arm?"
I flexed my arm and winced when I felt a small jolt of pain. "Meh, a little sore but I'm alright"
"Up for a game of pool? We haven't played in ages."
"Well maybe you haven't, but me and Nix play all the time. Lets see what you got."
CRACK! The balls are sent in all directions as I broke them from their racked position. I was disappointed to see that none went in though.
"So when are you and Amy gonna catch that movie? Need me to drive?"
"No thanks dad, Shaun's gonna drive us when they get out of school." He aimed his shot and sank the 3-ball, which decided that he would hit the low balls in and I would aim for the high ones.
"But when my permit becomes a real license, I'll the one to do the driving."
"Well that won't be too long. Nice shot."
"Huh, oh." Without realizing it, I had just hit 3 of my balls in with one shot. "Heh, its all luck."
"Sure. I got no hope of winning now" he smiled as he said it. I always liked his smile; it felt reassuring. Like everything would be ok, no matter how things went. "What are you gonna see?"
"Don't know. We'll figure it out when we get there."
After I had pocketed the 8-ball to win the game, I took a look at the clock. 2:10. The game took a lot longer than I thought it would and I went to the kitchen to get a little something to eat before I had to leave. Mmm toast. I loved toast, especially with butter and a sprinkle of garlic salt. But I left out the garlic for fear of rancid breath, something I didn't want on my first date. After I had eaten, I brushed my teeth, getting them all squeaky clean and when I put my hand down, it fell on a comb. I laughed: my head fur was way to stubborn to do anything with, so it always stayed messy, yet it still looked pretty good.
One last look at the clock and it was now 2:30; in about half an hour Shaun would come and take me to Amy's to pick her up for the movie. I couldn't wait much longer, ever since Amy had kissed me in that hospital bed, she's been all I could think of. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her smiling face. Finally after time had droned on for what seemed to be forever, Shaun honked his horn and called for me. He had already picked up Amy and we were ready to go.
"Hey Shaun, hey Amy!"
"Hey sweetie!" Amy ran up and hugged me. Ever since a few days ago, after the paintball incident, Amy and I have become kind of an item I guess. She planted a kiss on my cheek and we were on our way to the theaters.
"So how was school, guys?"
"Alright, I guess. I had to wake up early though, and you know how much I hate that." Although Shaun was older than us, he still had college to go to so school was a task we all had to endure.
"Lucky you, you had time off because of that little scratch." Amy reached over and poked my arm where the wound was.
"Oww! Hey!" Shaun and Amy laughed and I rubbed my arm. We didn't have much time for conversation because we were there already. We had decided on seeing "Kill Bill", a movie Shaun was interested in seeing so we all saw it together. Being the gentleman I am, I paid for everyone, but Shaun bought the popcorn and drinks.
During the movie, Amy and I had sat together while Shaun sat in a different row. He didn't want to bother us he said. While the movie played, Amy held my hand when we shared the same armrest. We both liked each other a lot and we both knew it. We also both liked the almost comical bloody and gory scenes of violence the movie had to offer, laughing when somebody met a very bloody demise.
"Hey Zack, ya know, before you asked me out in the hospital, I thought you hated me." She whispered to me to allow the people next to us to enjoy the movie without hearing us.
"What made you think that, Amy?"
"Well ever since I laughed at you when you slipped on that pizza, it seems like you were purposely avoiding talking to me, why?"
"Well to be honest, I couldn't bring myself to talk to you face to face, I kinda froze up when I saw you. You so beautiful and smart and just perfect its no wonder all those guys would kill to be in my place right now. And why did you choose me anyway, you could have had any of those other guys."
"I had my eye on someone," She surprised me by giving me a kiss on the lips "you"
I blushed, but she couldn't see in the darkness of the theater. We both tried to stifle our laughter during the fight scene with the "Crazy 88" as they were all hacked to pieces.
"This reminds me Zack, where did you learn to fight?"
"Huh, fight? Oh, you mean the guy with the gun I beat up."
"Yea."
"I was really into martial arts when I was young, so I took some lessons at a dojo. I was one of the more... enthusiastic students there."
"What do you mean?"
"Well when my master asked me to attempt to get free from one of his holds I was the only one to get out"
"How did you do it?"
"I dislocated my arm to get free."
"Eww"
"Hehe, I popped it back afterward but master told me not to do that anymore because it could cause permanent damage to my arm."
After the movie we had to take a minute to adjust to the light outside the theater. We all enjoyed the movie and the time spent together, me especially. Amy and I were getting along well and I could tell this was going to be a very good relationship. Well that was until I got back to school the next day.
At school everyone was talking about the shootout. Some were claiming to be there and have seen it in person. Neither Amy nor I had seen any of them there. Nobody really knew or cared why I was absent from school for a few days; they were too busy with the face that Amy and I were dating. I had gotten some evil looks from the guys who were turned down by her and a threat from a very tough looking one. I was starting to think this might not be such a good idea. But whenever I saw Amy, I was happy, so I wouldn't let others get to me. And besides I had Shaun and Nix to back me up. Well Nix more than Shaun because he really wasn't around all the time. Ya know with college and all.
"Hey Blue-Boy! I don't know how you did it but you had better stop being so chummy with Amy, that's MY girl!" a Doberman from the football team had told me after grabbing me by the neck and slamming me into a nearby row of lockers.
"H-Hey lemme go!" I tried to get free but no luck.
"You got one chance bub, stay away from my gal!" he threw my down on the floor and left. Nix came up to me and helped me up.
"Dude, you could have taken him, or at least gotten off the wall man."
"I didn't wanna start anything."
"Come on man, you already have. So what do you say, you and me can defiantly take him out. BAM, POW" he punched the air, pretending it was him.
"Nix, guys like him will always hunt in packs, we cant possibly take out him AND his posse."
"With Shaun we could."
"Hmm, I guess. But still I'd rather just avoid him."
"You can't run forever Zack, you know that. He'll find you and beat the crud atta' ya"
I looked at my watch and sighed. "Come on Nix, let's go the bells about to ring." Just as I said that the bell right next to us rang, signaling class would start.
After school, I offered to walk Amy home but I wish I hadn't because waiting for me at the exit of the school was that big Doberman and, yep, you guessed it, him and his friends were kinda mad.
"Amy! How nice to see you. Hey blue! I told you to get lost man" The Doberman nodded to his buddies and I guess that was the signal to hold me, cuz that's what they did, grab me and hold me while they took me to a back alley a little down the way, with Amy being pulled by the Doberman.
"Since you can't take a hint were just gonna have to beat it into you." Said the large tiger holding my right arm as a slightly smaller, but still pretty big, panther held my left.
"What are you doing Brett!? Zack never did anything to you!" Amy called to my defence, but I knew it was worthless. Even if she pleaded on her hands and knees they were still gonna pummel me.
"Shaddap!" He threw Amy to his other friend to keep her from running and approached me slowly, punching his palm. "I told you to stay away from my girl" his fist slammed into my stomach.
My eyes widened as the blow struck me but I didn't scream or yell or nuthin. This seemed to anger him because he looked at me a frowned just before he kicked me in the face. Amy was begging him to stop but the Dobermans bud silenced her. There were four of them: Two holding me, one holding Amy, and one beating the living crap out of me.
Blow after blow the Doberman seemed to be enjoying it. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I saw a familiar figure run towards me at full speed.
"Anything to say blue?" I did nothing but spit blood at him. He was about to slap me in the face when Nix hit him with a trashcan. I took that as a sign to get free, but they had me pretty caught. I did what I had to so I went with the hold all the way until my arm painfully popped out of its socket allowing me to bend it and free my good arm, witch I used to elbow one of my assailants in the face. He fell and the other guy let go.
"Nix what are you doing here?"
"Saving your ass that's what." I smiled at him, but the Brett was getting up and he was pretty ticked.
"Grr Get them!"
I grabbed my arm and pulled it hard trying to move it back to its original position so I could fight and to my luck it happened. And just in time to avoid the charging panther.
Nix and I had trained at the same dojo together so we were already accustomed to fighting side by side. It was fairly easy to beat down on the three slow but strong football players while one watched, still holding on to Amy. I grabbed the tiger's fist and using his own force to throw him over my shoulder and onto the ground, while Nix relentlessly pummeled the panther with his fists and speedy kicks. Brett had taken a beating and retreated, leaving his friends to fend for themselves. After a short while, the foes were beaten and Amy was saved.
"Amy are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
"N-No I'm okay" she held me close and was crying. "I thought you were gonna-"
"Amy look, I'm okay alright" I cleaned off a little of the blood that was still on my muzzle. "Besides, Nix was here to help so nothing would have ever happened to me."
"Yea no problem, now lets get out of here alright?"
"O *sniff* okay."
"Hey Zack, why didn't you defend yourself?"
"To be honest, I really didn't want to have to fight them, now its too late and they'll never leave me alone."
"Hmm well see."
We all got home a little late that day but it was nothing big. But all through the night I kept wondering what was next.