Disclaimer

The following is one of many installments for a story designed specifically for my blog.  While it does step out of my usual genre, there are some things still not suitable for a younger audience.  Violent/Graphic descriptions, strong language and sexual situations may be found through different sections.  Each entry will tell a small portion of the story during different times and may not directly follow the one prior to it.  

This story follows the direct interactions, as well as the deteriorating thoughts of a young man who is struggling not only with the relationships he has with those around him, but with the relationship he has with himself as well.

Finally, all work is strictly fiction and does not reflect the views of the author.  Any resemblance to actual person(s) is only a coincidence.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, then avoid these excerpts and hopefully I’ll see you around my other posts!

Scott sat on the end of his bed, staring blankly at the phone in his hands.  It had only been a couple of hours since Megan had returned from the  mall, but she seemed to think that it might be a good idea if he gave her a call.

It was still a bit weird to him; their new-found friendship, but it was also comforting.  Since opening up to her on the porch, he had heard less and less from his unwelcome guest, the side of him that whispered to him the things he wanted to hear.

A large sigh passed over his lips as he began to dial the numbers.

“Here we go,” he muttered to nobody in particular.

The phone rang twice before she answered.  He recognized her almost immediately, her voice was nearly as heavy as she, and his nerves began to tighten their grip around his throat.

“Hello?” she said for the second time.  There was a hint of irritation in her voice, and if he didn’t say something soon, she would most likely hang up.

“Uh, Lucy?”

“Yeah…  Who am I speaking to?”

“Scott Vali?  I sit beside you in science class.”

There were a few moments of silence as she processed the information.

“Oh.  Hi Scott.  I didn’t recognize your voice.  You’re usually so quiet.”

“Y-yeah, I guess so.”

He didn’t know what else to say, and the silence seemed to stretch out between them.  He could hear the static on the line.  It also sounded like he had called in the middle of her dinner time.  There was the rhythmic sound of silverware clinking onto a plate, followed by the same sound, only closer to the phone.

“Did I call at a bad time?”

“No,” she answered, “I was just having a bowl of ice-cream while watching Drop Dead Diva.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Have you seen it,” she asked.  She must have just taken another bite of her desert, when she spoke, her words were muffled and hard to understand.

“Um, no.  I don’t really watch much TV,” he admitted lamely.

He was beginning to have doubts about what he was doing.  What exactly WAS he doing anyway?

“So…  Is there any reason you called,” she asked coyly.

He heard something that sounded like dishes being set down in the background and surmised that she was finished.  Of course she was, her full attention was now on the person at the other end of the line.

“Actually, there is,” he started slowly.  “I was wondering if, maybe, you’d like to go see a movie with me sometime?”

The line was quiet for several minutes and he was beginning to wonder if she had dropped the phone when she answered.

“…really?”

She spoke very quietly, as if very surprised, and if he hadn’t been straining to hear her he could have easily missed it.

“You want to go to a movie, with me?”

For the briefest of moments, he struggled with how he wanted to answer her.  Should he play ‘Calm and Cool’?  Or should he go with ‘Quick and Witty’.  Before giving her enough time to wonder if he was the one to drop the phone, he chose the latter.

“Gee, I don’t know…  That seems a little fast for me, but if you really want to, alright,” he bantered playfully.  It caught her off guard, but most importantly, it worked.  For the next few seconds that she spent giggling, he found that his nerves were beginning to come down as well.

“Scott!” she protested playfully.

He could almost see her smiling and it was then that he realized something he never would have thought of in a million years.  Tommy was right, and he wished that he could see the smile on her face.

“Yeah, I do,” he finally confessed.  “Why don’t you pick one out and I can meet you there,” he suggested.  He had told the truth when he said he didn’t watch very much TV and he hadn’t the foggiest as to what was popular at the theaters.

“Well, how about we go see the one called ‘Now You See Me’?  It’s playing at seven tomorrow?”

“What’s it about?”

“Oh, I think you’ll like it.  It’s about stage magicians that use their talents to rob banks as a part of their act.  It has Woody Harrelson in it,” she added, as if that was something that should matter to him.  She must have forgotten what he had told her about him and television.

“Okay, great.  So I’ll see you there a little before it starts?”

“Mm-hmm,” she answered.  “Oh, and Scott?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not playing a trick on me or anything, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“The last time someone called to invite me out somewhere, it was because they wanted to put me in a position that was extremely embarrassing to me.  You’re not doing anything like that, are you?”

“Uh, no?”

“Good!  I’ll see you a little before seven!”

The line disconnected and he was left as he was before dialing her number; staring at the phone.  He didn’t know how to feel about what he had just done.  It had been at the advice of his sister, whom, until a few nights ago, he had vehemently hated.  It had been set into motion by Misty, the hottest girl of his class, and nudged along by her boyfriend only moments after he had hit Scott with his truck.

He set the phone on the bed beside him and ran his hands through his hair.

“Lucy Winters…” he thought out loud.  “What am I getting myself into?