Volleyball

Chapter Ten

  "What's up, Captain?"

  A familiar voice and a familiar nickname of my own that I had got used to it made me spin around to face the owner of the voice behind me.

  Valerie.

  "Hey," I said. I couldn't help but smile widely when I saw her. Looking as lovely as always she was, I couldn't help the urge to examine her from up to down. She was wearing a black leather jacket that wrapped around her body perfectly and skinny jeans. Oh, my God. She looked ravishing.

  "Thanks," she said, blushing. I must have said the last sentence.

  I half smiled. "Where were you?"

  She scratched the side of her head for nothing. "I was shopping with my mom. It was, hell, boring. I really hate shopping," she ranted long, rubbing her face with her both hands. "Sorry."

  I chuckled. "And what did you say to her?" 

  "I said that my friends are all here and want to meet me in the cinema," she said.

  I smirked. "Nice."

  "Yeah, I know. I'm a bad person to her sometimes, which is really teenagery."

  "It is," I said.

  She chuckled. "What are you doing here, Captain?"

  "Isn't that obvious?" I said, looking down to my own body.

  She followed my eyes, looking from toe to head, then back to my eyes. In the dim-lighted corridor I could see her eyes were so green. "You work here?" she asked.

  I nodded and her pink lips formed an 'O' for her response. "I want you to watch a movie with me," I said. "Now," I added.

  "Why?"

  "Because it's a Saturday night so it's a movie time."

  "That sounds cheesy," she said.

  "I know. Do not remind me," I said. "I can be cheesy sometimes." She bursted in laughter. I had no idea what she was laughing about but I joined her. Then we stopped. "Back to the real problem," I said. "Please?" I said begging.

  She sighed, scratching her head again (not for nothing but she was confused what to answer yes or no). "I don't know. I mean, I don't have any money," she said.

  When your brain says yes but your heart says no, 'I don't know' is what comes out of your mouth as an unsure answer.

  "Don't worry. I've got it," I said.  "Wait, what about your mom?"

  "I'll call her."

  She pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket. After getting her mom's number, she put the phone on her ear.

  "Hey, Mom," she said to the phone. "I'm at the cinema now. Like I said, my friends are all here and I want to watch a movie with them. Can I?" A moment's pause. "Okay... Yes, they can send me home... Alright, bye."

  She locked her phone and shoved it back to its first place. She nodded and smiled at me. I smiled back to her and then I took her hand and walked her to the front door of ladies toilet. She didn't complain or anything, so I assumed she was the never-judge-fast kind of girl.

  "Pretend that you're coming out from this toilet," I explained. "And you walk towards the front gate of the Cinema 3 where I'll be standing. And you pretend giving me something-"

  "Wait," she interrupted. "You want me to do a cheating?"

  "It's not cheating," I said. "It's a movie time." She gave her deadly look and I continued, "And then after you do all that, I'll do the rest." 

  She shook her head at my direction, rolling her eyes. "You are a bad person, Ben."

  I nodded, smiling proudly. "Which is very teenagery." 

  I patted her shoulder one time and walked away. At the same time, the announcer announced that the movie in Cinema 3 is about to start. I looked back at her from my shoulder and she went inside the toilet.

  I stood in the front gate of Cinema 3 and people started giving me their tickets, I tore it and showed them their seats. I went inside and the seats mostly taken were the row A to F, the first row was not occupied at all. Movie trailers were on the screen and it was time for the movie to start. I went out and closed the door, looking for Valerie. Then she came out of the toilet and I waved my hand at her.

  She walked towards me and said, "This is my plan."

  I thought of her words and soon realized what she meant. I nodded, smiling and opened the door for her. We walked inside together with me after her.

  She was even smarter than me doing bad things. She intended to be late so that no one else would see her without a ticket. Slick yet smart.

  "This is your seat, Miss Valerie," I said, being the usher I was. "Enjoy your movie."

  She sat on the front row and she had to look up for the screen. I prentended to be coming out of the door then in again and sat next to her, watching the movie.

  No one liked watching movies in the front row because you had to look up to the screen and it was really tiring for your dear neck. But Valerie looked like she didn't mind. She enjoyed looking up and I enjoyed being with her right now.

  When the credit rolled, I had to open the exit door and I watched Valerie stretching her arms and pulled herself up to her feet. She walked towards me and bumped her shoulders with mine.

  She smiled widely as rubbing her eyes. "Thank you," she said.

  I just smiled back. I didn't feel tired like usual. "Just wait a minute and I'll send you home," I said.

  "Nah, it's fine," she said. "I can go by myself."

  "Not accepted," I said simply.

  "Boston is always warm and fresh," I said, crossing my arms to my chest. 

  I looked over to Valerie beside me. The wind blew her blonde hair and I tucked her hair behind her ear. She looked at me with her flawless face.

  "Thanks for today. It was fun," she said.

  "What was fun?"

  "The cheating."

  "My first time."

  "Best moment."

  I laughed lightly. "My pleasure."

  I walked her over to her doorstep and I was thinking of kissing her but it was too fast and she wouldn't like it. So I just touched her hand once and whispered, "Bye."

  She whispered the word back before I walked away, giving her one last smile. I got on my car, drove away from her house, thinking it was the best night I had ever experienced.

  When I got home and unlocked the door, I realized how tired and hungry I was. I dropped myself on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

***

  A painful headache woke me up in a worst way ever. I screamed loudly, trying to ease the pain in my head. I tried to open my eyes but things around me were blurry. I rubbed my eyes harshly and wiped the tears away but the pain made my eyes leak out more tears.

  I messed my hair harshly, squeezed my head and squished my face. I coughed a little then I opened my eyes. The pain was gone but the world seemed spinning around. I sat up and pulled my feet out from the blanket and put them on the floor. The floor was spinning around. I stood up and I almost fell down. I grabbed the wall and leaned against it, walking towards the kitchen.

  It took everything in me to walk towards the kitchen with the floor spinning around and blurry eyes. My hands were trembling but I finally made it my way to the kitchen. I grabbed the edge of the counter and started searching for the medicine on the counter. I got it, read the name and drank it with water. My chest heaved and I coughed.

  A minute later, I passed out on the cold kitchen floor.