One Week Till Prom

Holy Diver Part 3

Beanie frowned as he sighed and started driving. "Alright, Dennis is gone," he took a moment. "I don't feel sad." Beanie mumbled. "Erica, who did you see!?" He said turning to Erica in the back of his van. He turned his head as he continued driving before stopping at a red light. "Erica? Please?"

"I saw," Erica paused.

"Grief comes in waves, little one, at first they are so strong you feel so swept away. They come at such random moments, replacing a feeling of normalcy with those familiar tears. Yet in time those waves lessen and let the good memories flood in instead, they allow for waves of smiles and warmth, those funny or sweet things that were said. So, ride that wave, little one, ride it in that boat called love. For heaven loves you always and heaven loves them too." She remembered Heather telling her this when she lost her dog. The person she trusted the most did this to Chrissy, Henry, and now Dennis. Tears came as if, at long last, her accumulated ocean of brine was trickling through.

Beanie took notice of this and tilted his head. "Was it someone close to you?" Beanie asked before frowning. "It's okay to cry ya' know," he suddenly said. "I'll cry over a sad movie, or in empathy for another, but for myself, there's not a drop. I don't express my own pain that way. I'm not sure why. It is as if there is a blockage. Perhaps it's functional. I've been through a lot and crying was never going to do me any good. Even Now, I lost someone close to me, but I can't bring myself to cry. I can't bring myself to make myself feel bad."

Erica took a moment. "You can't cry even now?" She asked. "Did you like Dennis?" She asked wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, she was the shit," He replied before starting to drive again. "Besides Amaris and Emma, she was the one I'm the closest to." He sighed. "Oh yeah, I'm Beanie, I don't think you ever bought from me,"

Erica took a moment. "Before I tell you. I wanna take my mind off things," She calmly said. "Theres a theatre on 3rd street. I wanna show you something,"

"Is now the best time for this?"

"I'm Coping, Weedman." Erica replied before gagging. "I'm in a van with a drug dealer."

"The Drug-dealer!" He replied. "And it's not a drug, you clown, God made it a plant for a reason," He replied. "It's not like coke where it's a whole process, You plant it and roll it," He said before passing her a joint. "You need this one more than me,"

Erica rolled her eyes only for Beanie to sigh. "If you're taking me to a movie, You're gonna relax for the car ride there," he then picked up his Walkie. "Yo, we're going to the movies to let Erica calm down, then she's gonna tell us everything," Beanie said as he saw Erica take a long drag from the Joint out of the mirror.

"You're going on a date at a time like this! You stupid fucking Stoner!" Amaris spoke through the walkie.

"It's not by my own choice, man," He replied before sighing. "See you in two hours, alright?"

"Fine, fucking idiot," Amaris growled out. "He and Erica are going to the movies!" She shouted loud enough to be picked up on the Walkie. She turned her head. "Emma, what the hell are you doing?"

"The movie theatre is where my brain is operated on through music, words and actions. It is where I gain new fantastical role models for my world and imagination. I swear I learned more in those velvet plush seats, popcorn in lap, than I ever did in school. I realize I could do all this at home, but being here, looking up at the big screen, I love it so much more. It's the difference between being watered from a can and being immersed in a rain storm." Erica gushed as the doors opened and they stepped in. "Are you paying?"

".....You're kiddin, right?" Beanie frowned. "What movie are we going to see?"

"This place only shows classics," Erica said happily before slamming her hand against the counter. "Two tickets for Videodrome."

"Dude....I have Videodrome in the Van...What is the point of th-"

"It's a film you dumbass! You can't watch it on any tv." She walked to the theatre after seeing Beanie pay. "In the theatre I feel the brain of screenwriter reaching out to the brains in the audience; her words and emotions are asking us questions in the way dreams do, always seeking a pathway to greater love and societal peace. I can't get this experience watching from some grimy tv. And let me tell you. You work at a movie place, but not at a theatre." She said. "Something about this movie brings me to peace,"

"You see peace in Videodrome? Are you okay?" Beanie asked. "Isn't this a flick about Violence? I didn't expect that from such a Jesus Freak."

"I- What are you some sort of Satanic worshipper!? You and your Devils lettuce," She growled out as Beanie took his beanie off and a ziploc bag of joints fell into his hand. "You didn't!"

"Relax, I need to get high to properly enjoy a good film," He said walking to the showing. "There's a reason Robocop is my fave flick," He lit up and took a drag. "I love a good movie," he chuckled before walking in and sitting in the middle next to Erica.