Chapter 8

Thomas was the first person to arrive at the North Plaza Cinemas. He didn't know what movie they were going to watch, but it was Friday evening, and it got him out of the house. He went off the side to practice tricks on his board while waiting. Eventually, Miranda walked up to the entrance and stood around waiting.

He rolled over to her, and she greeted him with a smile.

"Where's the others?" He asked.

She shrugged, "Normia bailed last minute said she had something real important to take care of. Couldn't even teleport me here to the theater I had to take the bus. And I have not heard from Kellen yet."

"We'll give him ten before we call. What movie are we seeing anyway?"

"Since it's my turn to choose... And pickens are slim for this theater. I chose Guardians of The Galaxy."

"What's that?"

Miranda gave him a doubting look, thinking he was being sarcastic or something. "Seriously?"

"I don’t' watch TV, like at all... Or have the internet at home."

She crossed her arms and shook her head, "Do you even have a computer?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yes I have a computer, it's old, but it gets the job done when I have homework that requires a computer. I just don't have the internet."

"What about when you're hanging with Kellen he has the internet doesn't he?"

"Yea but we're usually just playing video games when we're at his house. And he spends most his time on the internet watching anime or on those forums he's always raving about."

"Well, it looks good to me. And I have only seen the other Marvel movies on DVD. So I want to catch this one in theaters, you got money for your ticket right?"

"Yup, twenty dollars for chores this month. I can even buy my own soda."

"What you afraid of my cooties?" She teased.

He blushed. Then he cleared his throat and pulled out his phone, "I'm going to call Kellen see what’s taking him so long."

The phone rang for a while until Kellen’s mom picked it up. "Umm hi," Thomas said awkwardly. "Is Kellen there?"

"I'm sorry Thomas, Kellen is grounded for pulling pranks on his younger brother. He won't be able to join you at the movies tonight. Goodbye." She hung up after that.

Thomas put the phone away and said, "His mom had his cell phone, he's grounded for pranking his little brother."

"That sucks. Guess it's just us. Let's get in line before it grows any bigger."

The line was seven people long currently, but more and more cars were filling the parking lot. They got their tickets and went straight to the concessions stand line. "Hey since it's just us want to split a large soda and popcorn?" Miranda asked.

"Sure, but promise you don't have cooties."

Miranda giggled, "I promise, you dork."

After the movie, Thomas and Miranda hopped on the bus to get some food. They had to run to catch the bus from leaving, though. They were dropped off at the 9th street plaza where they went to a Burger King for dinner.

After getting their food and sitting down to eat, Thomas said, "I really like the soundtrack."

"Yea it was alright, I'm not huge on 80's music, though."

"My dad gave me his old cassette player when I asked for a CD player all I got are 70 to 80's music."

"Retro. You're a big comic book nerd too aren't you?"

"Hah, not really. I can't afford comics, so they're hardly worth my time really. Though I do have this one series that I got at a garage sale, it was pretty cool."

"Oh, yea what’s it about?"

"Well, it follows this mysterious red cape that falls into the hands of various people, passing from one person to the other."

"Sounds lame."

"It was like ten bucks for this huge stack so why not. But really, the cape gives the men and woman who wear it a set of super powers, but only like one guy uses it for good. The rest use it for trying to become rich or for revenge, almost like the power corrupts them."

"Power doesn't corrupt anyone it just brings out the person we want to be if we had that power. You know the weak people who thought they understood what strength was."

"Yea because you would know what it's like to be so weak," he said bitterly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, I'm just... I'm just used to being the weak one so I can understand where some of these characters come from. I can't deny I'd do the same if I got the same power they did."

"Thomas you're not weak, you stood up that jock on Valentine’s day."

"Yea for all the good it did, Lexi only saw me get my ass kicked. You were right that all I did was show I can take a hit."

Miranda didn't respond for a time after that. Eventually, she said, "You know Normia is right about that girl."

Thomas sighed, "Not you too."

"I'm just saying she pays you no attention, and you said you been in classes with her since middle school and talked to her numerous times before. But she never seems to remember you, she sees right through you."

"I'll change her perspective on me."

"Well maybe it's not her perspective you need to change, but your own."

"I love her."

"You don't know her."

"I don't care."

Miranda slammed her hands down on the table frustrated. "Damnit Thomas she threw away the rose you gave her as soon as she got near a trash can. And not cause Harold said so, he didn't even notice it she just tossed it."

That caught Thomas off guard; he cast his eyes down, "And you saw her do this?"

"Normia saw her toss it away; she didn’t' tell you because she didn't want to upset you further but you need to know."

"I know that this... Hang out or whatever it is, is over. I'll see you Monday, maybe." Thomas then stormed out of there and hopped on his board.

What the hell does she know anyway?

"She threw your rose out as soon as she could." Miranda's words haunted his thoughts.

She probably tossed it so Harold wouldn’t' get suspicious.

"Normia saw her toss it away."

...Why did you have to go and ruin tonight Miranda? We were having so much fun!

He turned his thoughts away from everything best he could. He focused on his skating, pushing himself hard, and going faster. Flying down the road, the light was red, but he kept going. The car passed through the intersection just as Thomas was coming right through.

He had to put on the breaks best he could then flip the board sideways, leaning back on it. The front of the board slammed down on the hood of the car, and the back wheels rolled as the car tires screeched when the brakes were slammed down. Thomas kept his focus and leaned back on the board as he was simply pushed back with the car, unharmed.

When the car finally stopped moving, he rolled back off the hood and planted his foot down to stop himself from rolling further. The driver got out and it was a female officer in uniform with dark hair, she seemed slightly familiar to Thomas.

"Jesus kid what the hell were you thinking you know you almost got run over." The officer yelled at him. "I know it's not easy to stop on a skateboard, but that light was red for a while now. You don't even have a helmet; I can't let this one slide what’s your name?"

Were it any other day Thomas may have been obliged to say, but tonight he was in no mood for trouble with the law. He lifted his foot off the ground and planted it back on the board. Shifting his weight to his back leg on the tip of the board, he turned away and started rolling away from the officer. Slow at first then he picked up speed as she tried to run after him.

He heard her get into the car and start the sirens. She caught up to him easily enough, but he didn't stop. He led her into a heavy flow of oncoming traffic, rolling between the cars while she had to slam on her brakes and try to pursue on foot. He lost her after that and was heading back home.

It was the most thrilling thing he'd done, and he never felt so alive.