Ch. 38: Movie Night

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT:
The next day after school Sean helped me out to his car again. I kept asking him what exactly he had planned and he of course wouldn’t tell me. I asked again anyway.
“Your questioning hasn’t gotten me to budge all day and it’s not going to start now,” he teased me.
He booped my nose. “Did you just boop me?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“Maybe, but if I did you had it coming,” he laughed and buckled in his seatbelt.
He drove us to the highway but this time we went south.
“Are we going to a beach?” I asked, he shook his head.
“Are we… going to a restaurant?” I asked.
He just laughed and replied, “That’s it, I’m saying ‘no’ to everything you guess. I’m not letting you ruin your surprise.”
“Alright, alright,” I said, hands up in defeat. “Be like that.”
He continued to drive down the highway and turned up his music, skipping a few songs until he got to one he knew I couldn’t help but sing to and I side-eyed him for it. But after a few bars I sang along anyway.
After a few songs he signaled to get off the highway, and I looked around at any sign around trying to pull clues together.
“A farm?” I asked, “You know I already went pumpkin hunting with Meg...”
Sean laughed again, “La-la-la, I’m not listening.”
He drove down a few streets and I was now convinced we were going to some farm. But when he pulled offroad into a field I wasn’t expecting it.
“Okay,” I said, voice jumping from the car’s suspension bumping up and down through the dirt and little holes in the ground. There was a giant sheet ahead and an empty booth. “Can you tell me now?” My voice vibrated through the bumps as he brought the car closer to the big white sheet. The car rolled to a stop and turned off.
“Any updated guesses?” he asked me, smiling with a glint in his eye.
I looked around at the white sheet and booth. It sort of resembled an empty..
“Drive-in?” I asked.
“Winner, winner, winner!” he yelled, stepping out of the car. He came around to help me out and opened my door.
“How and why is there a drive-in movie theater out here?” I asked him as he helped me to stand. He handed me my crutches.
“Well, this place belongs to - someone in my family and they agreed to help me out. I’ve got a popcorn maker over in that booth and I’ve got a cooler with a few sodas. But we’ve got to wait a little bit longer before it gets dark enough to watch the movie,” he explained.
Sean led me to an outdoor seating area on the other side of the booth and helped me to sit down before running off to the booth to get us something to drink. I watched him go and pulled out my phone, feeling like I was forgetting something. I opened my phone and scrolled through social media a bit before closing the app and putting my phone down on the table. Looking out I could see a sliver of the ocean and to the opposite end, the surrounding mountains. Melancholy creeped into my chest. I opened my phone again and opened my texts. Still nothing from Jake, Nick, or Evan. I haven't talked to them now in just about a week. And no one I asked knew where they were or anything about it. I thought about Halloween in Melbourne and couldn’t believe just last week Jake and I were making plans to trick-or-treat as a big group. The guys weren’t going to be well received on their own being teenagers, but with us tagging along I was sure we wouldn’t be turned away from anywhere.
Sean jogged out with two cokes and we sat at the bench and chatted until the sun started to go down. Sean selected something a little more serious than I would’ve picked but I was just happy to be outside and to snack on some popcorn. He headed back to the booth to get popping the popcorn as the sun lowered and I asked him to point out the bathroom. After escorting me there he headed back to get started.
I was glad to have a second to myself. I didn’t know why but I didn’t feel quite right. Maybe I was socially drained? I wished for a second that I hadn’t agreed to this and felt like going home. But I didn’t want to disappoint Sean, especially after he put so much energy into this objectively great date. I used some water to refresh my face and made my way back to the bench to wait for Sean. I could smell something heating up, probably oil, and he poked his head out to give me a thumbs up which I returned, plastering a smile on. I looked away and spent some time letting my brain go free while looking on to the sliver of ocean again.
After a few minutes I snapped back to reality and just felt overwhelmed with sadness. Why was I feeling like this? I refocused behind me to the mountains, and I could feel a thought bubble up. I missed Jake. Where was he?

Evan ~
Jake was really going through it. It had really helped him earlier this week when Nick pushed him to let loose his emotions on us in the ring, but he still seemed so off. I didn’t feel quite right either though. Xander would whine now and then, clearly upset at Rachel not being around, or at Rachel not being with Jake? I didn’t know. I don’t think they were separate ideas though.
We had been spending today trying to cheer him up. Nick was making progress in his research but he insisted that we needed to do something different for our mental health. Guy would be a psychologist if he weren’t a werewolf destined to be Gamma, I swear. After pestering him some with different ideas, Jake had finally come out of left field with a suggestion - a movie night. Not something we normally did. It was usually something physical we chose to relax, but whatever he thought could help, we were game for.
Nick went through a few ideas and we ended up all agreeing on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we were in the mood for an easy laugh. Knowing this movie almost entirely by heart, Xavier was convinced this would give us all some comfort. Who knew my wolf could be so thoughtful?
Jake wanted to stay outside so we all pitched in to move our projector and some seats out to the side of the garages, to a blank beige wall. Perfect for the screen on such short notice. Nick set up some speakers to enhance the sound, and while Jake helped him I focused on the most important piece, the snacks. I raided the kitchen and while there ran into Mitchell.
“Hey, what’s up man?” he asked me in greeting.
“Mitch - hey! You want to join us? We’re setting up for a movie outside. Been a minute,” I invited him cheerfully. “Didn’t know you would be around or I would’ve invited you sooner. Rob and them around too?”
We’d been pretty much alone all da*n week. It would be great to add more company to help lighten things up - and it would keep Nick and Jake from going on and on about research again.
“Sure man, yeah. My mom’s just here checking on some warriors. Haven’t seen anyone else besides you though,” he said, grabbing a few things from my arms to help out. “Anything else you are taking out?”
“Just - these,” I said, snatching a 12 pack of sodas from one of the fridges. “Follow me.”
We made it to the spot and Mithcell and I dumped our goodies on the empty seat by the projector. Jake and Nick greeted Mitchell.
“Let me go get two more chairs!” Nick decided enthusiastically, running to the side of the garage where we stored camping gear.
“Have you guys been here all week?” Mitchell asked us. “It’s been weird without you guys, especially on the bus. Rob doesn’t know what to do with himself,” he laughed.
“Yeah, just taking a break,” Jake said, smile fading.
“How are things in the real world?” I asked Mitchell, trying to distract Jake.
“Oh the same,” Mitchell answered.
“Isn’t it always?” Jake said wistfully, leaning back in his seat. “Nothing ever changes in Melbourne or Druer City, or Belmar, really. No one goes anywhere or does anything. Although that can get boring for wolves…”
Mitchell made a sound of agreement, then added, “Oh well you guys did miss something - Rachel’s on crutches now!”
“WHAT?” Jake turned to us, a wave of… Alpha energy coming from him. Alpha energy, from a werewolf that hadn’t turned yet?
“WHAT HAPPENED?” he demanded, a harsh tone making Mitchell bow his head low.
What in the fk was this?
“NICK?!” I yelled into the dusk, charging at Jake as he started to charge Mitchell.