Movie Time

Saturday:

I walk into my bedroom, carrying a couple of ice-cold beers from the fridge and some snacks. Finally, it's time to watch the movie, and I'm ecstatic. It was a real challenge to resist the urge to watch it before today!

I open my laptop to start a video call with Duncan, who I see is the only one online right now. My laptop rang for a couple of seconds before Duncan picks up. His messy room comes into view. Empty cans of energy drinks cover the floor under his bed, as a dirty mountain of clothes rest behind him. The only clean thing in sight is the posters showing his main in Myth Vertex. A man truly dedicated to his craft.

“Hey Max!” Duncan flashes a bright smile while he holds up a half empty beer bottle. A subtle message I understand well. Cracking open a fresh can of Succubus Blood, I down the whole can to signal I got his message.

“Phew, thank god! I thought I would be the only one pregaming.” He downs the rest of his beer and cracks open a new one. I enjoy drinking with Duncan. It's a great chance to unwind, especially when I get to watch horror movies. I’m always business with Ben, and I don’t tend to get drunk with Hannah. Cracking open a fresh can, I chug it to keep up with him.

“Your dad okay with you taking from his stash?”

A loud roar erupted from Duncan as he laughs at my question.

“This is my own beer that I bought! As long as it doesn't interfere with scrims with the team, my old man is fine with me buying and drinking my own stuff. In fact, he's out with my little brother right now getting some food, so I have no interference and can drink and watch the movie in peace!”

We both down an extra beer and continue our conversation

“You think you can make it on the main team before graduation?”

“Of course I can! I know I can fill in on the team as main AR but” He cracks open another beer. This time with no joy with it as it felt like he was washing something down. As the whistle of an empty bottle rang, as Duncan looks way from the camera.

“If only they just give me a shot.”

Duncan just stares off camera, tapping the empty beer bottle. The slow melancholic taping echoing as he raises the bottle up to eye level. A long sigh follows the chime of glass knocking against each other as Duncan replaces the empty bottle with a new one. Duncan turns back to the camera and shoots a dim smile.

“Enough about that, How's Dreadstiary coming along.”

Oh, no.

“Rough. There was a big bump in downloads a couple of months back and the numbers a dipping back to pre boost numbers.”

I down a fresh beer to keep myself from just dumping my frustrations. This atmosphere isn't one I expected to happen today. Need something besides beer to lighten then mood. The almost as if on cue a bleep sound cut through the heavy wave of emotions to show that Mia enters the call.

“Hey Max! Duncan.”

It is surprising to see Mia, not because she cut Duncan expressing himself. On the other hand, it's because the always fashionable Mia was in an old rundown tracksuit.

“Hey Mia. What's going on?”

“I finished editing a blog post about me picking up new books.”

She stretches a bit off camera and pulled out 2 books, both are volumes of a series called A Lament of Naves and Bosoms. Duncan shakes his head in surprise before exclaiming.

“You went out in the hand-me-downs? Has the world froze over?”

“No!” Mia returns the books off camera before continuing her explanation. “I just like to wear this tracksuit when I watch something scary.”

Mia tugs on the jacket sleeves a bit as she talks, but that was an odd statement from her.

“But you didn’t wear that when we watched horror movies together.”

A smile washes over Duncan’s face as he holds his tongue. He knocks back another beer while waiting for Mia’s response.

“Um well… That’s…”

Her eyes dart away from the camera as she thinks of a response. This was a fairly weird change from the normally bold Mia. Wait, when I give it a little more thought, there was a time when she was like this.

“That doesn’t matter!”

Mia’s words broke my chain of thought. She tugs at the zipper of her tracksuit jacket playfully as she changes the subject to something new.

“I’m wearing a cute camisole under this if you want to see.”

The playful words ring through my fuzzy head. Sure, Mia was attractive, but I feel like I drank one too many beers to make a clear judgment. I move my eyes toward Duncan for a sign of what to do. He nods his head slightly and points the top of is beer bottle towards me. The ball was in my court. I try to jumble a clear answer to give Mia.

“Sure, why not.”

I don’t know if my words were a genuine answer or the beer did the talking, but Mia seemingly accepts it. She unzips her tracksuit jacket, unleashing her black lace camisole as her breast jump out of the newly gained freedom. You forget how big Mia’s breast are, but in this state they were mesmerizing. Before I knew it, I finished my beer and was cracking open a new one. Duncan acts like he isn’t paying attention, but I could tell he is as we both swig from our beer. It’s almost as we were keeping a gentlemen agreement to not overreact to the sight before us.

Mia proud composure breaks as it seems, which is another out of character moment for her. Mia looks straight into the camera and begins to ask me something.

“Hey Max… Would you… ”

Duncan leans in to the camera as if he knows what she is going to ask me, but she is interrupted by Kat and Hannah joining the call.

“Hey!” They both greet us as Duncan flies back in shock. He makes frantic movements to save his beer from spilling on his laptop.

“Hey babe! Kat.”

“Don’t tell me you almost spilled beer on your laptop?”

“Babe, you know this is a piece of junk anyway! Can’t run without being plugged into the charger.”

Duncan recomposes himself and Mia follows suit. I just chug the can of beer I have opened. The chilling fluid cleans the awkwardness I was feeling just a moment ago. You know, after 5 of these Succubus' Blood isn’t really that bad!

“Max, calm down. Don’t you need a clear head to write a review of this?”

Kat’s words stop me from opening a sixth can of beer. Well, it almost did. I try to muffle the sound of it opening so the laptop mic doesn’t pick it up.

Hannah stares at me, her eyes darting from me and I assume Duncan. I can tell she’s growing suspicious of what we were doing before the call. I quickly pull up the movie on my laptop.

“Kat it’s okay. All the salty snacks is going to clear…”

“My god! Who would pin a Woman up like this?”

Panic scatters through my back. I forgot to set the movie back to the beginning! I move fast to bring it to the beginning, but I can Hannah recognizing my fluster state.

“I KNEW IT! You couldn’t wait until today to watch it!”

“Um…well… I didn’t get that far into it. I’m still in the first act!”

Hannah bellows as disappointment shows itself on Kat’s and Mia’s face. Man, I really should have done this before today. But I guess it escaped my mind.

“Well,” I try to ignore the situation and get everyone ready to watch the movie. “On the count of 3?”

Everyone moves to make sure we are all sync up when we hit play.

“One, Two… Three!”

“That was… surprisingly good!”

Kat spoke first as the credits rolls.

“I agree. It had just the right amount of nudity in it.”

“Shut up Duncan.”

Hannah tells Duncan off as it looks like she is doing something else off-screen.

“Max, that was fun. Thanks for the invite.”

The words leave Mia with none the luster in her voice as usual. I wonder if she’s okay. I make a mental note to ask her after the call, as the bags of salty popcorn have cleared the fog in my head.

“That was fun, but it’s time to sleep. Bye Guys!”

Kat leaves the call first, then Duncan, Mia and finally Hannah. I close my laptop and make my way to my computer chair to type out the review. My phone buzzes multiple time as I dock it in the workstation dongle I have next to my keyboard. Turning the monitor on as the notifications pop on the screen as I move to open the Dreadstiary issue. Four Sunii messages from Mia and two from Hannah. I open the one from Hannah first since it was the least amount.

Hannah sent a mock-up sketch of the evil priestess of the film looming over an altar. Three goat skulls surrounded her as the blood of the alter flowed down forming into the Father Leo and Maria stand below looking shocked at a discovery.

Hannah:

Extra gift on the house.

Wow! That’s how you know She likes the movie, if she made a mock-up poster without me even asking. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I accept her offer and start to type out my review.

Mia let go of an immense breath she has been holding in.

He’ll definitely answer, right?

She perks herself up as she begins to undress to head into the shower. Looking in the mirror, she stares in disgust at the sight before her. Mia enters a boxing stance. Two quick jabs fly from her as she lifts her hand up as if she delivered a knockout to her opponent. She makes her way into the shower, turning it on. The hot water washes away her doubts as she embraces the warmth.

He’ll absolutely respond! It wouldn’t take that long for him to write a review.

Words of encouragements fills her thoughts as she cleans herself. Sometime passes until a loud buzz fills the empty space as Mia turns off the shower.

A response!

She opens her shower curtain ready to run to her phone, but in her way was a large figure. Its jagged silhouette loomed over her. It stands there, not making a sound or any move. Suddenly the cracking sound echos as its arm twitch. Adrenaline fills her body, drowning out the crippling fear that froze her. Mia jumps out the shower and dives through the creature’s leg. Her damp skin helps her gain a large distance away from it. She readies herself as she pushes against the wall. The speed propels her forward towards her PC. Mia grabs her phone while making her way towards the door of her room. She tries to unlock her phone when a heavy force pins her to the floor, inches away from her door. A pool of warmth covers her as she stares at her phone, prop up against the door.

Max

Wow, you look great!

Sure. I’ll be down for a double feature at the Nabromeki!

Just make sure this time you bring your tracksuit.

A smile slowly creeps on to Mia’s face. The words, Wow, you look great!, become blurry. It starts to fade away as she tries to move her hand to tell Max she’s in danger. Her hand stops halfway towards the phone. Pain spreads like wildfire as she feels her body freezing slowly. With no strength left, the darkness takes over her eyes. The only sounds in the room are her pc running and the rough creaking of the monster's arm. Completely in the dark, she lets go a small whimper.

“Help.”