Chapter 5 - Popcorn Trouble

Chapter Five: Popcorn Trouble

Valerie waited anxiously in her Literature class as Dr. Monet called his students one by one to collect their first test grade. She hadn''t been doing well on the quizzes and needed a good score to balance it out. Her leg shook up and down under the table as her fake nails taped rhythmically on top of it. She then heard a snap like sound and groaned as she realized she broke a nail. When Valerie had first started ghost hunting, she never had time to get her nails done like she used to and now that she finally had the time she was breaking them off. It was the second nail that day. She whined to herself as she wondered how much it would cause to have them fixed.

“Gray, Valerie,” her instructor called and she wasted no time slinging her bookbag over her shoulder and walking to the front of the class to receive her grade.

As she made her way to him, she said a silent pray, which consisted of, Big Bucks, Big Bucks, Big Bucks, No Whammies! She shook her head from side to side and concluded she had to stop watching the Game Show Network.

Finally she reached Dr. Monet, with his emotionless like stare that he had. Valerie held her breath as he passed her the single sheet of paper. A small smile then crept onto the fifty year old man''s face. “I''m impressed, Miss Gray,” he told her honestly.

Valerie reached for the paper and blinked at her grade, a ninety-six. She clung the paper to her chest like it was her own life as she looked at her instructor. “I love you,” she told him.

He laughed as he put his hand on her shoulder. “I''m sure you do, but it was your own effort that got you the grade.” He then released her. “Now get out,” he told her and reached for the next paper in his bundle. “Green, Alfred.”

Valerie left the room quietly, but stayed in the hall near the classroom as she waited to tell Nathan what she had made. It had been a little over two weeks since they had started studying together in the library. He literally would allow her to leave, until it appear that she knew everything they had that day. Valerie knew she knew the material, but she was one of those people whose mind often went blank when the test was actually in front of them. “Nathan!” she called and waved as she spotted him among the crowd of people who where either going or leaving class.

“Well, don''t leave me hanging,” he told her as he reached her and pointed to the piece of paper in her hand. “How did you do?” he asked, though by the huge grin on her face he already knew she had gotten the grade she wanted, but he didn''t want to ruin her moment.

“I made an ''A'',” she squealed excitedly before she threw an arm around his neck to hug him. Nathan laughed at her happy mood. “Thank you,” she told him softly.

“No problem,” replied as she pulled away. “So,” he clapped his hands together and rubbed together, “how about tonight, in celebration, we uh catch a movie, maybe do a little dinner?” he asked her.

“Ooh,” the smile fell from Valerie''s face. “Well actually, because you had mentioned not having a study session after the test, I told my boss to put me on work schedule tonight.” She looked at him apologetically.

Nathan shook his head waved it off. “It''s alright, no big deal.” He then looked at the clock the hall. “I should head inside. Catch you Monday though?” he asked as he started walking backwards towards the classroom. Valerie nodded her head before saying goodbye.

Nathan frowned once his back was too her and he was inside Dr. Monet''s Literature class. He told himself to stay calm and that he couldn''t rush things. She would be his, there was no doubt about it, he just had to be patient. “Yo, Nate!” he heard a voice behind him as he sat down. He looked over and saw Valerie in the doorway of the class.

“I get off at nine,” she stated with a smile. “How about we forget the dinner, but catch a late show?” she asked. Nathan only looked at her and blinked, he never expected that of her. “Uh- Nathan?” she looked a little confused.

His classmate next to him shook his head as he leaned over. “The girl is hella fine,” he whispered to him. “Just say yes,” he told him.

“Yeah,” Nathan finally spoke, leaning on his desk. “Pick you up at work?”

“Uh, no, I got my car today,” she confirmed before giving him a small wave goodbye and leaving before Dr. Monet called her out.
OoOoO

The night air was cool as Valerie parked her car under one of the street lights in the parking lot of the movie theater. After putting her keys in her purse she rose her hand and brought down her visor to check her hair, though she didn''t know why considering she was going to put on her hood as soon as she stepped out the car. She then checked her watch, it was it was almost half pass the hour she noted as she placed her hand on the handle and opened the door, but only had one foot out before crying softly, “Ow,” as her free hand went immediately to her stomach.

Valerie frowned as she thought why it could be hurting. She shook her head as she tried to convince her it wasn''t because of the chill dogs she had had for breakfast, or the extra cheese pizza for lunch, or the two root beer floats she had after that. Her hand then went to her mouth as she let out a large belch. She looked around, a bit a embarrassed, but when she saw no one else around she laughed at herself and finally got out the car, muttering something about ''stupid cravings''.

As Valerie walked through the parking lot towards the theater and a waiting Nathan, she couldn''t help the smile that came to her face. Already she was glad she had changed her mind about going out tonight, that and she knew it would get her dad off her back. It bothered him that she didn''t hang out with her friends anymore and other than school and work she was at home all the time.

At the mention of her friends, Valerie had thought of several people. First there was Star, who she had always been cool with, even after her dip in popularity back in high school, but she had moved out of state along with her boyfriend Kwan, who had gotten a football scholarship at some school Valerie couldn''t remember. Next on Valerie''s short list was Sam and Tucker, but she wasn''t really sure if she could qualify them as her friends, they came with Danny, a packet deal, she knew when she lost, she lost them too.

Valerie shook herself from her thoughts as she saw Nathan smiling at her from the over sized sidewalk. “Thought maybe you were going to stand me up,” he told her as she finally reached him.

“Yeah, I kind of got hung up at work,” she explained as they waited in line to purchase their tickets. “So what do you want to see?” she asked as she looked at the movie listing above theticket booth.

“Hmm,” he thought it over as he too looked at the listing. A wicked smile than invaded his features as he looked down at Valerie. “Up for a good scare?” he asked in a eerily deep, but playful voice.

A huge grin then spread across her face. “I don''t scare easily,” she informed him.

“Oh really?” Nathan cocked an eyebrow curiously as he took a step closer to her, his voice still the same, but no longer was his face evident of a smile. “I''ll have to remember that for the future.”

Valerie put her hand on his chest and let out a small laugh. “Yeah, you do that,” she responded before they finally came to the front the line, paid for their ticket and head inside.

Nathan bought a thing of popcorn for them, well Valerie bought a couple of sodas before they went to go find a seat, hoping it wouldn''t be too packed, considering they had gotten there a little late. “I said, my bad,” whispered Valerie to the complaining Nathan, who was saying something about how the previews were the best part of the movie as they had just missed them. They were able to settle in the very back row as the beginning credits began.

About half an hour into the movie, Valerie had both of her hands covering her eyes. “Is it over yet,” her voice shook slightly as she asked.

Nathan chuckled as he mocked her. “I don''t scare that easily.” Valerie turned to him before smacking his leg. “Ow!” he cried out, causing several people to turn in their direction and shh them. “What?” he looked at them curiously. “I''m being abused back here,” he told them.

“Don''t tell them that!” She smacked him again.

“See?” He pointed her out, forcing her to grab his hand and bring it back down.

“Just be quiet,” some dude said out in the crowd before everyone turned back to the movie.

“Don''t embarrass me,” she told him softly.

“I''m not,” he replied. “It''s dark, no one can see you.” He grabbed a hand full of popcorn. “Watch,” he said before eating a few kernels and then throwing the rest at the guy who had told them to be quiet, who was sitting a few rows up. Valerie gasped in horror as the guy turned around, she then looked to Nathan who was looking at the screen as if he hadn''t done anything. His eyes than slid over to Valerie and winked at her as the guy turned back around.

“You''re going to get us kicked out of here,” she tired to sound serious, but couldn''t.

Nathan took her wrist and put her hand in the popcorn bucket. “Well, then if we do, we''re going down together,” he told her. “Go ahead, I dare you,” he encouraged her.

“No,” she took her hand out the bucket. “It''s childish.”

“What''s wrong?” He played on. “Chicken? Scared maybe?”

“Of course not. I just don''t want to,” she stated.

Nathan stared at her for a moment. He then sighed as he leaned back in his seat. “Fine,” he told her and went back to watching the movie.

“Good.” She nodded her head and she too went back to watching the movie, but every time she went for popcorn Nathan smiled at her.

“You know you want to.”

“No, I don''t.”

“Don''t deny yourself, Valerie,” he continued. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“Shut up!” she whispered harshly.

“Come on,” he begged.

She huffed loudly. “Will it get you to sit still?” she asked him and he nodded his head. “Fine.” She grabbed a handful of popcorn and tossed it at the same guy, who turned around swiftly with a ''What the hell?'' look on his face. Valerie didn''t have much of a poker face like Nathan and so had to pretend she was coughing to cover up her laughter.

A moment later, a bright light was shined into her face. “Hi, excuse me,” came the voice of an usher. “I''m sorry, but that kind of behavior is not permitted here. I''m going to have to ask you to leave,” she told her.

Valerie turned to Nathan as she stood. “See I told you, you were going to get us kicked out.”

“Us?” he looked at her curiously as he slouched in his seat and placed the bucket in his lap before taking a slip of soda.

Valerie then grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of his chair. “Get your @$$ up,” she told him.

“I was playing!” he told her grabbing his coat before the two were ushered out the door. Valerie frowned as she zipped up her coat. “You''re not angry,” Nathan told her.

“You don''t know what I am.”

“You had fun,” he said, zipping up his own coat as he saw Valerie purse her lips together. “Go ahead and admit it.”

Valerie thought it over. “Okay, maybe a little,” she confessed as Nathan offered to walk her to her car.

“I knew it.” He took in his small victory. “I''ll make it up to you. I''ll buy it when it comes out on DVD and we can finish watching it.” He then tilted his head. “Well, in your case, I guess you''d be seeing it for the first time.”

Valerie looked to him. “And what is that suppose to mean?” she asked.

“You know exactly what it means, Miss I-can''t-stand-the-sight-of-blood.”

Valerie blushed slightly. “Well, there was a lot of it,” she tired to defend herself. “That''s me,” she pointed out her car. They walked over to it and when she got in she rolled down her window. Nathan then bent over and rested his arms on the window still.

“This was fun,” he told her softly. “We should do this again sometime.” He then bobbed his head from side to side a little with a smile. “And maybe even see the end of the movie.”

“So not my fault,” she said as she looked for her keys.

“Hey, who got caught?” he asked.

“Hey, who was-” Valerie cut herself off as she looked to her beeping watch, that not only alerted her at the top of the hour, but when a ghost was near by. She looked around the seemingly empty parking lot with her hand fingering her ecto-ray gun in her purse, which she carried at all times, just in case.

Nathan looked at Valerie oddly, not able to explain why she was looking at everything, but him. “Val-” he began, but was cut off as Valerie crushed her lips against his. Whatever question he was going to ask was lost as he wasted no time returning her kiss.

Danny took a sharp intake of air as his eyes grew twice their size before he froze in midair. The ghost he had been chasing half across town took it as his opportunity to escape and was gone in an instant. Danny''s shock soon turned into anger as his bright green eyes burned intensely.

He couldn''t believe it, she was out dating, as if she wasn''t pregnant with his child. He wanted to go down there and rip that dude off of her, but he had to control his angry. It wasn''t like he and Valerie were together anymore, he didn''t have the right to be angry, he tried to tell himself. He had just thought she would have at least waited longer than a month before she started seeing someone else. Was it really that easy for her to get over me? he thought, finally forcing his eyes to leave the couple, before he turned around and sadly flew home.

To Be Continued. . .

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