Wanna Go See a Movie With Me?
"Wanna Go See a Movie With Me?"
by Fen
"Wanna go see a movie with me?"
At first when I heard him say that, I thought for a moment that I had misheard him. Surely he wasn't asking me. I mean, this is Thespian club, there's a bunch of attractive girls around. Whereas me, I'm not the most attractive male raccoon... although I have been told that I'm very polite. I'm basically average, truthfully, if a bit over weight from lack of doing any sort of physical activities at all; yeah I'm a bit of a reclusive nerd cause I loved reading by myself. I never seemed to make many close friends and even in my junior year at Shallowleaf High School I didn't feel like I belong.
But this little coyote in front of me was a completely different story, easily two inches taller than me with these laughing brown eyes and with a posture brimming with pent up enthusiasm. Confidently standing in front of me he's waiting for my answer and obviously doesn't care what anyone else thinks. I could already feel myself start to get red from all the attention of the other students in earshot. Why, he was practically just standing there with some lame grin on his face watching me get uncomfortable.
"Uh. No. I don't think so." So I told him off and decide to ignore him by getting back to reading my book.
But just as I was turning away he grabbed my arm. "No wait! I mean... um, are you sure? It'll be a blast, I promise."
Even now I can't really say what made me change my mind. Maybe it was the way he asked, or maybe it was how he looked so hurt when I said no, ...or maybe I just wanted to see a movie, I don't know. The only thing that I do know is that when I opened my mouth to say no, what came out was a rather weak and hesitant yes.
"I'll go to the movies with you. But you're paying. And I want popcorn." I just added that on for spite kinda hoping he would just give up and disappear.
But even with my little ultimatum he started to glow and practically started to bounce around. "Ok! Sure, that sounds great! When do you wanna go? What movie do you wanna watch? I've heard that Agent X is amazing, so let's go see that. Is Thursday good for you? Ok? Great!" He was really wagging his tail now and almost knocked some stuff over...
Seriously, this all came out in less time than I could blink and by then it was too late. I was trapped.
"So, uhm.... what's you name?" I asked, because although I recognized him from a couple times around school, I had never actually talked to him.
For a couple seconds he seemed a bit surprised but he quickly recovered, "Oh, silly me, I'm Terry, Terry Mayfield."
"Christopher, but everyone calls me Chris. Nice to meet you." Then I gave him a weak smile.
Trying to fill the awkward silence I started to make small talk. "So... Terry, what are you doing here? I don't think I've ever seen you here before."
"I was thinking of transferring over to drama class and wanted to see who might be in it." Terry answered quickly. "Also, I heard that there might be auditions for the Winter play soon, are you gonna be in it?"
When he said that I almost laughed, I mean the thought of me doing any sort of acting in front of a large group of people is sorta funny. "Heh, no. I'm actually here because my friend Amy is such an active member and they appreciate my help." After that I pointed her out as the rather passionate looking tiger in the middle of a group of girls.
Terry looked rather surprised by the news. "Really? You and her? She looks really nice. ...Is she your girlfriend?"
Now, when he said girlfriend I felt really weird, almost as if he was asking me something entirely different, but I passed it off as nothing and told him how me and Amy became friends. "No no no, she's not my girlfriend. We met about two years ago right after she started to date Marc, one of my other friends. Actually, Marc sorta introduced us and we got along really well; we have a bunch of the same interests like our love for classical works. One day she asked if I could help around with the sets or read lines and stuff at Thespian club, and that's pretty much it." Then I gave a little shrug.
"Ooooh! K, that explains a lot I guess. But that doesn't explain why you aren't going to be in the play Chris." Then he slightly tilted his head and his tail slowed it's wagging to a more moderate sweep.
For a brief moment I considered lying to him, but decided if he does join then Amy would probably blab about it anyway, she's a notorious gossip. "Actually the reason why is a little..... embarrassing." I didn't blush this time, but my ears went way down as I told him what happened when I first joined the club.
"Back when I joined I was really excited and really wanted to get a part for the play regardless of whether I could actually play the part. A lot of people didn't think I could pull it off, but my enthusiasm and spirit eventually won most of them; Amy never doubted me though, she believed in me. I thought I was going to be amazing because I had memorized all the lines and had everything down, I thought I was ready. I wasn't. The moment I stepped on stage everything turned into chaos. I forgot all my lines, I was in the wrong spot... to put it bluntly, I choked. I made a complete fool of myself and deserved it when the entire audience laughed at me. That was the worst night of my life."
When I looked at Terry he looked so serious without his perpetual smile and wagging tail. Then suddenly he was hugging me and told me how sorry he was. "Oh Chris, they shouldn't have done that. I'm so so very sorry that happened. I'm sorry I brought it up. Please don't hate me." And then he started to cry.
Now, I have never had some guy hug me and then start to cry. It felt odd, and just a bit awkward. I could feel him in my arms as he tightly held onto me. I realized that for a coyote he actually wasn't that big, and he even seemed to look in shape, probably weighing less than me despite his additional height. With him so close I could smell him, he smelled lightly of some earthy undertones and a couple other things I couldn't identify.
We really got some stares from people. I tried to tell Terry that I was fine, and that we were causing a scene, but I don't think he heard me. Fortunately it didn't last that long.
"Chris, who is that, and why are you hugging him?"
"Oh....well uh, hi Amy.. Uhm..."
While I was sputtering out some excuse to Amy, Terry really pulled himself together and came to my rescue.
"It was my fault, he was telling me what happened when he was performing , and I thought he could use a hug. And I'm Terry, and I'm thinking of joining Thespian club." Then he just smiled at her like nothing's wrong.
"You're thinking of joining? Why that's wonderful, we could use some more guys in here." With that she forgot all about me and started her little drill to recruit him.
As president of Thespian club, Amy always had the final say on who does what, and some times she got a bit passionate about making sure the people fit just right. "You look like just the sort of guy we could use. Do you have any prior involvement with large groups of people or any acting experience?"
"Not any large groups of people no, but people have told me I'm great at public speaking. Also I've taken classes and I can sing tenor, well sorta. I've always wanted to try acting and this seems like lots of fun."
Amy seemed to reach the conclusion that he's a nice guy, and got to showing him around. "I'm sure you'll fit right in, come on and let me introduce you to the rest of the group." Then she dragged him over to everyone and gave little introductions to everyone; he made everyone smile and they seemed to warm to him pretty fast.
I went back to reading my book, it was really getting interesting too, with the main character finally giving into his desires and forsaking his beautiful but shallow wife and finally running away with his kindhearted mistress. Not that I only read lame love stories or anything, but they made me feel better when I thought about how lonely I was sometimes. I thought that if I was as as romantic as this guy I could surely get the nerve to ask a girl out. I let out a small sigh but couldn't get back to reading as I thought about Terry and how suddenly he appeared in my life.
I just couldn't stop thinking about him and how animated he was. He seemed like a hyper little fox or something bouncing around the room. With all his walking I couldn't help but watch the way he moved. Terry moved so gracefully as if he was already on stage performing. I'll admit, I was staring at him. Everyone in the room was staring at him.
And then it hit me, I was staring at him. Really, obviously and blatantly staring at him, and at certain parts of him. With that little epiphany, I realized something. And that was that I had to get outside, fast. I felt terrible, I couldn't think, and I needed to be alone with my thoughts.
So I jammed my book into my little blue bag and got up to go. Unfortunately Amy noticed I was trying to sneak off, this being the one time I didn't blend into the surroundings.
"Hey Chris, where you going in such a hurry?" She called out from about halfway across the room, and then casually walked over while I waited for her.
"Oh, well, it's getting kinda... loud in here. So I was thinking of going somewhere else for a bit. Maybe, er.... the giant oak tree, you know with all the shade and stuff."
Now, I knew I was lying. Amy knew I was lying. But we've been friends for a while and she understood that although I appreciate her friendship, sometimes I just needed to be by myself. So instead of calling out my bluff she gave me one of her looks and then rolled her eyes a bit. "Fine, whatever. Have fun at your little tree."
"Tree? What tree?" Yeah, apparently as me and Amy were talking, Terry somehow snuck up and overheard the end of our conversation.
"I'm heading to Shady, it's this big oak tree near the field, and it's got, well, shade." Then I shrugged a bit because, that's pretty much it.
I was more than a tad caught off guard with what Terry then said, "That sounds fun, can I come?"
That blithe statement cut into me. I mean, seriously. Here he was with an entire room of people wanting to meet and be friends, and yet he still wanted to be near me. And really, a tree, seriously? I made not one remark to even suggest that Shady was remotely special, and he wanted to drop everything and go with me to see it. I was dumbstruck.
I think my mouth hung open a bit from the shock, not that Terry would have noticed. He must have took my silence as a confirmation, and hurried off to get his pack wherever it is he put it.
When I tried looking at Amy for some help she just got this huge clown grin and practically purred out how glad she was to see me making new friends. "Oh, and by the way, if you see Marc could you tell him to come over and to bring the blue one, the purple will simply just not do, thanks."
"But... I don't know where Marc is...."
"He should be practicing near the field, there's a game this Saturday remember?"
"Oh yeah." See, Marc is on the baseball team and although I don't really like watching or anything, I still occasionally go with Amy to sort of cheer the team or something. This week they're facing North State, and they've always been a bit competitive once we started to beat them a couple years ago.
"And you wanted me to remind him to bring the.... blue one right?"
"Yes."
I wanted to ask her why she couldn't just call him on his phone, but at that moment Terry came rushing back with a rather heavy looking backpack and then insisted that we head off immediately.
So then we headed to the practice field where Marc and Shady were. It was about a five minute walk nearly half way across campus and my feet where starting to get tired. I really thought Terry would get tired way sooner with such a huge backpack, but he kept going with a cheerful smile while talking.
Boy did he talk, it seemed like he never shut up the entire trip; he talked so much it was like hearing a complete Bronte novel in ten minutes. Not that I wasn't listening, some of what he said was very interesting, but he kept rambling on tangents until I forgot what he was originally saying. What was odd was, he wasn't saying stupid things. There were actually some very good intellectual thoughts strewn randomly about. It conflicted with my own mental image that I'd been making of Terry and put him in a much more favorable light.
In no time at all we made it to the field. It's a cool field really, there's bunches of trees all around and so there is all kinds of shade even at noon. Autumn had not touched any of the trees and they stood straight and stalwart against the harsh sun's rays. As we walked around I didn't see Marc or any of the team anywhere in sight.
Marc is a pretty easy guy to spot. With his huge fennec ears and sandy fur he's hard to miss in a crowd. I was about to give up looking for him when just in my peripheral vision I saw the tip of an ear sticking out behind Shady. I wasn't that surprised to see him there because we like to sit underneath Shady whenever we feel like doing anything outside.
"Hi Marc."
He slowly turned his head to see me and we did our little greetings "Hey Chris. What ya doing out here in the sun?"
"I needed some peace and quiet. So I thought I'd come out here and admire the finer beauty of nature."
That got a laugh out of Marc simply cause I am not a nature coon. "Right, so what's the real reason you came out here anyway?"
"Actually I was surprisingly enough already heading this way, but then Amy told me to remind you to 'bring the blue one' whatever that means.... what does it mean?"
"Ah, I knew she'd choose the blue one, and don't worry about it. Soon, you'll know exactly what we're talking about. Don't worry, it's awesome; you couldn't possibly get hurt. Much. If it were about you. Which it might not be. Maybe."
His words didn't seem to help much, nor his toothy grin and swishing tail.
"Sure. Anyway I also came out here to show Shady to Terry, the coyote behind me." Then I vaguely gestured behind me.
Then Marc got this funny face "Uhm Chris, there's no one behind you...."
I whipped my head around so fast I felt whiplash, but I didn't see Terry either. "But..... what...... he was right here..." Then I noticed Terry's backpack on the ground so he had to be around, but I still didn't see him anywhere under Shady or in the field. But then I heard some faint laughter from above me.
"Hi! Check it out, I'm up here!" And there he was, on a branch a couple feet up. I'm not sure how he got up there without any low branches to grab or anything.
Marc then made a rather obvious and redundant statement "I take it that he's Terry, right?" I kinda looked at him with a duh and ignored him.
"What are you doing up there?" It looked dangerous up there, and if Terry fell he could have gotten really hurt.
"I'm climbing silly. Come on up you can really see far, and if you can't get up I can help. Just get right over there and I'm sure I could almost hoist you up. It'll be fun, come on."
"I'm not going up there, it's way to high up. Could you please come down before you hurt yourself?"
"Why, are you afraid of heights?"
"No, I can handle heights fine, but you should come down here because it might not be very safe up there, and.... Marc would like to meet you." I finished my last statement a bit hesitantly, but I motioned for Marc to back me up.
"What? Oh, no can do, I've gotta go see Amy, remember? Anyway it was nice meeting you Terry, see-ya later Chris, bye." With that and a friendly wave he started off back to Thespian club leaving me and Terry alone.
"Aww, is your friend leaving already? Oh well, I'm sure we can still have some fun, that is if you can get up here." Now that last bit was definitely a challenge.
"Fine, I'll get up there, without any of your help."
So I chucked my little pack near Terry's and started looking for a way up the tree. Unfortunately there was nothing to grab, I had no clue how Terry even gotten off the ground.
Letting out a sigh I admit defeat "I give up, how did you get up there?"
"I jumped." It wasn't a brag or anything, I could tell that he was just making a statement and thought nothing of it. "Come on, if you head over to this side I still think think I can pull you up."
I was feeling a bit reluctant about this whole thing with each minute, but I didn't want to seem like a loser in front of Terry. So I went over to where he was pointing and he helped me up. It actually wasn't that difficult too with him pulling me, and besides for one moment when I almost lost my glasses, it was fine.
"Well, I'm up here. So now what?"
"Oh, let's talk for a bit. Come on, I bet if you stick your foot over this limb here we can go sit down on that branch, it looks big enough to support us, what do you think? I think it will, let's go."
So I crept after him watching my feet until I sat down right next to Terry and got next to him letting my feet dangle down almost parallel to the ground holding my tail curled around my waist. Then we talked for a bit and got comfortable.
"So Terry... why don't you tell me a little about yourself a bit?
"Like what?"
"Like, er, what do you think of your classes so far?"
"What, classes? Oh they're fine, well except for my English class, but I'm doing ok. I still really like my math class, Mr. Lysander says that I've got a lot of potential for a Sophomore."
That surprised me, he looked so tall I naturally assumed he was older. "Wait, you're a Sophomore? I'm a Junior."
"Yup, I'm a Sophomore, and I know you're a Junior. Yeah, I don't know why but a lot of people actually do mistake me for someone way older, personally I blame my height or something. I'm like the second tallest person in all my classes. I was on the basketball team a while ago and did really well, but I had to stop because they said I wasn't aggressive enough. Being tall doesn't really bug me, after all it's pretty fun, but it is kinda awkward at times, some people find it a bit off putting. But tell me, what do you think about me? Honestly." Then he stared down into my eyes waiting for my answer.
"Huh? Oh, well... you seem very nice."
However that didn't seem to satisfy him and he continued to patiently wait for me to continue.
"Well, I don't care that you're taller than me, if that's what you're asking. I mean Amy is taller than me, and we're still friends. And I really like your fur color, it's tawny color really matches your eyes."
That seemed to put him at ease and then he smiled and once again began furiously swishing his tail around. "Thanks! It's my natural color. I like your color too, and your patterns look fun."
"Huh, but I'm all brown and greyish, and all raccoons have these fur patterns. I'd try and dye my fur a different color but with my mask and rings I'd just look silly."
"No no, I do like your color, and especially your tail rings." Then he flicked my tail with an impish grin.
"Hey!"
"Heh, sorry, but it does look cute."
I started to blush when he touched my tail, but when he said the word cute, I really turned scarlet.
It was odd how comfortable it felt to be sitting in a tree talking to Terry. He still was a nice guy but I still couldn't deal with everything revolving around him, and talking with him was not solving my problem. "Oh hey, it's getting kinda late isn't it, I should start heading to History class. Yeah..... so um..... how do we get down?"
"Down? I don't know. Maybe we could jump... hmm. I've got it." Then without any hesitation he lowered himself off one of the lower branches with his lithe arms and let go falling the last couple feet harmlessly. "Cool, I'm down. Need any help?"
"Help? No I'm fine. Besides how could you help, catch me as I fall and then lower me daintily to my feet?" Then I followed Terry's move and eased my way down. "There, I'm down without your help, but thanks anyway."
Terry, while I had been on my hazardous journey down, had gotten our backpacks and handed me mine with a grin. "Well Chris this was a lot of fun. I'm so glad that you decided to see a movie with me, and I promise you'll have a great time." Then his ears went down a bit and he looked a little sad. "well, I guess the next time I'll see you is Thursday, right?"
"No. The next time I see you won't be Thursday. The next time I see you should be tomorrow. We should spend some more time together, let's meet next lunch break."
With that his eyes and smile filled up and for the second time I was hugged. "Really? That'd be great! So you'll be over at the club tomorrow right, can't wait. Bye!" With a little extra squeeze he let go of my spine and went to his next class.
Leaving me finally alone with my thoughts. As I slowly walked to class they kept assaulting me, nagging at me, driving me insane with their conflicting rages. I couldn't understand half of them, but by Thursday night one voice finally broke through and I understood everything.
Not that the week passed by quickly, far from it, but none it seemed as vibrant except for the few hours spent with Terry. I kept learning so much about him, and who he was. All the things he did made me smile, and it wasn't because he was funny or anything but in how he saw life. He lived each moment unafraid of what was coming and finding joy where I had ceased looking. As the week went on I grew more and more excited about our little get together, and couldn't wait for Thursday.
And then it was Thursday, school, our usual meeting at lunch, and waiting to meet up at his house. But I couldn't wait. So I walked over at least half an hour early. Luckily both of us live pretty close to a movie theater, which is good because neither of us can legally drive without our parents and it would have been awkward asking one of my parents for a lift.
Anyway, there I was at Terry's house early, uncertain what I should do when a pretty nice looking blue car pulled up to his house. Out of the car stepped a professional looking coyote who looked to be in her late thirties, who walked right up to me and hands on her hips looked me right in the eyes.
"Well, what do we have here, a shy little coon at my doorstep? I take it that you're Christopher, yes you look just how I imagined you'd look. Terry's been saying so many good things about you. Come on in."
I turned away a bit embarrassed by the attention, but followed her inside the house making light conversation. "Thank you Ms. Mayfield, you have a really nice home." It seemed like a nice place, with a warm feeling that bellied against how new and almost empty it was.
"Oh thank you dear, that's sweet of you to say, but don't call me Ms. Mayfield, I'm not that old. Anyway, it's so wonderful to see Terry finally having such a considerate friend, you must come over for a dinner some time."
Dinner sounded kinda odd, but I nodded. "Thank you, that sounds nice. But really I haven't known Terry that long..."
"Yes, but he tells me so much of what a dashing young fellow you are, and I can tell you two get along just fine. Now, not to be a mother hen or nothing, but I'd ask that tonight you be a perfect gentleman. Terry's enjoyed someone who puts up with him and can cope with how he is, especially how honest you've been with him; he hates it when people lie to him. Don't worry if he fastens onto your arm, he's just a little physical, he got that from his father, heh, though I'm sure you've noticed by now. And please remember that even through I trust Terry out late, I still expect him to get home safe and sound, so I would appreciate it if you watch out for him." She followed this up with a long stare, as if measuring me.
Everything all at once was really staggering but I did agree. "Well... Yes, of course."
"Excellent, why don't you wait here a bit while I go find Terry, ok, he probably hasn't even realized you're here yet." With that and a little chuckle she went upstairs leaving me in the living room looking around.
There was a huge bookshelf filled with all sorts of different novels, some which actually looked interesting, although more than a few looked like documentaries and law related references. Near a healthy looking potted plant there was a pretty big TV too, but I didn't see any video games, and in the corner I saw a record player. As I was beginning to settle into the side couch Terry came rushing down the stairs and decided to show me around. It seemed like a nice enough house, though I prefer mine mess and all.
Everything was very neatly arranged with a couple expensive looking things set at precarious places. It reminded me that Terry was an only child, and that his house was big for so few people. It really contrasted greatly from home, without my sister around to control the terrible two duo; they're always underfoot bringing dirt everywhere. It's so unlike this place, why a distinctive smell of flowers filled the air and it even looked like they just cleaned or something.
Terry looked really good today, he even changed his clothes since school into something more natural. "So Chris, are you ready to go, or do you wanna wait a little before going? I don't want to watch too many adds before the movie, but I do want to get nice seats near the front, plus I'm still getting you popcorn." At popcorn, he cocked his head and stuck his tongue out at me. "So, what do you want to do?"
Truthfully I had forgotten that I bullied him to buy me popcorn so I was confused for a second or so. "Uhm... I don't know." My original plan had ended by the time I made it to his house, so I didn't know what I wanted to do.
"Ok, let's go now so we'll get there with some time to spare. Just a moment while I get my jacket in case it gets cold." Then he quickly shuffled through a closet and emerged with a jacket. "Right, bye Mom! We're going now, see you later!"
Even from a couple rooms away, I could hear her quiet response. "Bye dear, have a good time, and don't tire your friend out too soon."
So off we walked to the movie theater without a care. A crisp wind made me regret not bringing a jacket, but I always enjoyed cool weather on my fur. Dusk was approaching sooner and sooner each day, and I could feel the turning seasons. We enjoyed on the way watching the clouds turn to roses in the sky, and were at peace.
It was wonderful to simply walk and breathe and be alive. Just by being there Terry made me feel happy.
Once at the movie theater Terry bought two tickets and then we stood in line for snacks. He got the largest bag of popcorn available and with a smile said we could share it. We actually did arrive a little early so we chatted quietly to ourselves, luckily there weren't too many people.
I don't even remember what we talked about, they were small things, but they were important. Soon, the movie started, and we quieted down and watched it. But every once in a while he would lean over and say some funny comment to me, and I'd fight to not burst laughing. Because I held the popcorn sometimes when he reached over our hands would accidentally meet. By the second half of the movie, Terry was practically resting against me, and that felt fine.
By the end of the movie I had my hand in his, and knew the end of the night would end perfectly. Terry was almost asleep and he looked so cute with with ears and tail curled right there, so I softly touched him up and we headed home.
When we stepped outside the sun had gone down completely leaving only the street lights and thin moon above to see by. The temperature had dropped by at least twenty degrees, but I decided to walk Terry home. I was still hungry even after all the popcorn, and felt bad about Terry paying for everything.
"Hey, wanna go get something to eat? I can pay for it. You know, because you paid for everything else and all.... and um, yeah."
"Sure, that'd be nice." Then he grabbed my arm, and held onto it as we walked to some burger place.
Thankfully there wasn't any line so we got our order in pretty fast. The cashier gave us a bit of a look when I paid for everything but we were getting it to go anyway. Then with him re-energized by his burger and me with a smoothie we continued back to his house.
By the time we reached his front door both of us were so uncertain and hesitant to say anything to each other. There was so much I wanted to say, but I couldn't get the words out. I felt myself on the edge of great chasm that literally wanted to see me fail and laugh at my tears. But Terry's voice broke through and the dark thoughts receded.
"I'm so glad that you came tonight, I was so afraid that you wouldn't come or that you didn't like me."
"What? But I do like you, and we've spent a lot of time together lately...don't you trust me?"
From his eyes I could tell that hurt him. "Oh no no no. I trust you, really I do, it's just that well... there are some things I don't want to tell you right now. I once trusted someone who was very important to me, and he's gone now. But now I have you here instead, and I know you'll never abandon me."
"No, I'll never leave you." And it was true, I didn't want to leave him.
With a wag and grin he composed himself and settled down. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean it like that. Anyway I heard about Marc's game on Saturday, I thought that might be a fun thing to go watch together, you game?"
"Sure, that sounds like fun, then if you want to we could go over to my house and play some video games or something."
"Great!"
So we wrapped everything up and got ready to go, but I had one last thing I had to do. "Thanks for tonight, I had a great time, and I'm really glad you asked me." And right before I left Terry gave me just the opening to end the night with the one thing I had waited for.
I gave him a gentle kiss right on his fuzzy muzzle.