Electric Love - R. Meeks

{ 𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 }

"Wᴏɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ sᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ? Lᴇᴛ's ғᴏᴄᴜs ᴏɴ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪɴɢ, ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ. Sᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ʟᴇᴛ's ғɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʙʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴs. I ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴇʟsᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜ."
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Belle had managed to get off of work about 5 hours early, so around 5 pm. She needed to go home and pack for Tatum's house. She knew that Tatum wouldn't be home until around 6 or 7 (Belle couldn't remember which, but she was sure Tatum would call).

Belle climbed in to her car and started driving. She knew she'd pass the video store on the way home and couldn't help but want to stop. She felt bad for blowing Randy off earlier because he started talking about Casey and Steve. They were close, but he could by no means read her mind. Randy couldn't have known Stu had woken her up like he had.

She pulled to a stop outside of the video store and climbed out of the car. She pulled the door to the store open and started searching for Randy's face immediately. There were some of his co-workers she didn't know and Belle didn't feel like having to talk to them.

Belle didn't have to look very hard to find her geek.

"Bella!" he yelled, causing her to jump at least a foot in to the air.

"Jesus Christ, Randy." She breathed out. "Sorry," he apologized, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in to a hug. She pulled back slightly and kissed his cheek, causing Randy to smile slightly.

"What kind of movie are you looking for?" Randy asked, knowing that if Belle was looking for a video, she wouldn't want to have to deal with Karen Kolchak or any other employees.

"Let's see," Belle paused, thinking, "The one where the girl feels really bad because she was accidently mean to her geeky boyfriend. She really didn't mean to, but her brother had woken her up talking about murder and that was the first topic the love interest brought up. He couldn't have possibly known, but she was mean about it anyway.

"And even though it happened hours ago and he's totally over it and honestly probably forgotten about it by now, she still feels bad and so she showed up to his work to apologize. You know that one?" Belle concluded.

"I think I do," Randy paused, "I do actually. I always thought that the girl was overreacting. The geek was totally over it by lunch that day when the brother wouldn't shut up about the murders. Even if he still cared, he completely understood then,"

"Really?" Belle asked.

"Really." Randy assured her, "Although I'm a little offended that this is only a pity visit."

"It is far from just a pity visit!" Belle said, feeling worse now than she had when she'd walked in.

"I'm kidding," Randy quickly added, apparently realizing it was probably bad-timing. By this point, the couple had walked their way to the back of the store. Randy grabbed a rolling cart of movies and slowly looked at his partner.

"Although," he said slowly, "Say I wasn't. Would you maybe possibly consider helping me put these up? You don't have to stay super long, I know you're going to Tatum's."

"Sure. Tatum won't be home until like 7 anyway," Belle shrugged.

"Bella, you're a life-saver,"

"I appreciate that," She smiled slightly. She wasn't exactly smiling at the fact that Randy had called her a life saver. She was smiling at the fact that the movie-loving geek (and she meant that in the most endearing way possible) was hers, and probably always would be.

When her and Randy had first met, they'd been two idiotic fifth graders. Belle and Stu had long lived in the town of Woodsboro, but their mother had refused to send them to Woodsboro Elementary (she had a bad memory there or something). When their older sister Leslie had insisted she go to a public school, Mrs. Macher had reluctantly agreed.

Upon seeing how well Leslie had done, she had sent her youngest children to WES.

It was Belle's very first day there and she had just walked in to her homeroom class. Stu and her were in different classes. Belle was terrified. Stu was her closest friend and she didn't have the outgoing personality he did.

She'd put her butterfly backpack in her cubby and looked around nervously. Randy had come out of nowhere (as he did so well, even to this day) and scared her half to death. He'd asked if she knew anyone in the class before he'd even asked her name.

Belle had, of course, responded that she did not. Randy introduced himself and then asked her name. She introduced herself and Randy asked her to sit next to him when class started if the teacher would let her.

The teacher allowed Belle to join the table that Randy sat at with Steven Orth and Tatum Riley.

Belle sat with Randy at lunch that day too.

The two quickly grew to be close friends. Randy had taken to calling Belle by Bella instead. He claimed that he liked the extra syllable and that Bella was much more fun to say. Not to mention, who wanted to be named after the metal jingly thing?

It would take two years for Randy to ask her out. They were in the seventh grade. The first three years of their relationship were about as serious as that of middle schoolers and freshmen can be.

Now the two were seniors in high school. At this point, Belle and Randy were glad to still be stuck with the other and knew that probably wasn't going to change.

Belle refocused on the then and there. Randy was putting up a copy of the 1995 film with Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects.

"Randy," Belle said, her tone very serious to how it had been.

"Yeah?" Randy replied, turning his attention from the movies in front of him to her serious expression.

"Promise me you'll be careful," she responded, looking him dead in the eyes.

"What, are you worried about me?" Randy joked.

"Randy," Belle said, voice still serious, eye-contact unbroken.

"I promise, but you've gotta do the same, Belle. Watch out for yourself," He said, matching her tone and returning the stare.

"I can do that," She said softly.

"Now," Randy started, picking up a movie from the cart, "let's get to work," he smiled, placing the movie in Belle's hands.

Belle's serious expression broke and she too started smiling.

-

The clock read 6:24 pm when Belle pulled Randy in for a good-bye kiss.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled.

"See you," Randy smiled in return, pulling her in for a hug and kissing her forehead as he did so.

Belle walked from the video store and slid in to the driver seat of her car, putting it in drive, catching one last glance of Randy through the window, and pulling off.

Word Count : 1179