Starlet

34. Tingles

"You 2 are late for dinner. Wake up." Thora pulls me up.

"Good morning."

"I'll help you get ready." She kicks the couch. "Wake up."

"I'm up. That was a hell of a nap." Leo stands up and wobbles around.

I stretch big.

"They're in the dining room, Leo. I'm going to fix her hair."

"Thank you."

Leo leaves and Thora messes with my hair. "He likes you a lot."

"No. He has a girlfriend. I have Collin. I miss Collin."

"Leo is in heaven when he holds you. You should have seen him at dinner last night."

I shake my head. I miss Collin. I wish he was here.

We get to dinner a half hour late. We still make it to the play on time though. I sit in the front with Andy and Leo. We put Leo in the middle of us. Andy and I get every snack out of the concession area. Then big drinks and popcorn.

The lights go down, and the first scene is a big ship splashing down into the ocean. It looks so real. They actually make it look like a big ship splashes down right on the stage. We see what looks like water shoot up and everything. I cover my head to not get splashed, but just a mist goes over us.

"This is like theater from the future."

The show only gets better from there. It's like we're in it. A pirate gets his head cut off.

Then the lights come back up. A brain walks onto the stage. "We are now having a 30-minute intermission. Please enjoy the concessions. Restrooms are out the back and in either direction."

We stand up as some pirate music starts up.

I jump up and down. "I love this show."

Thora runs up and grabs me. "This is a good show. Let's pee. I don't want to miss any. Tye, get us more snacks." She pulls me out by my arm.

We go pee and run back. We're in our seats about 4 minutes later. It's a very long 26 minute wait, but everyone gets back on time. Tye gives us each the biggest bucket of popcorn ever. Then Leo hands us huge drinks.

An announcement comes over. "Please return to your seats. The show will commence in 2 minutes."

I am so excited.

The curtain opens, and we see the deck of the ship. All of a sudden, the whole place has rolling fog through it.

"Eerie sea this morning, captain."

"Keep a weary eye."

Then they fight a sea monster on their way to make someone walk the plank, so they can maroon him on an island. The boys seem to like the show. They laugh at a lot of parts. Then the scene goes to a bar. There are girls sitting on some of them. A girl smacks the captain and they crack up laughing. "I don't get it."

"Watch the show. It's not important."

I slam myself back and pout.

Leo looks at Andy. "She's fine. She doesn't get this part."

The scene ends with them talking about going back out to sea to look for a treasure.

Then the curtain closes. "It wasn't an important part. It was there to be funny. It'll start back up somewhere else."

Dipak comes down. "What's wrong?"

"She didn't get it."

"I think they're going to use that ship in the next scene." He points to the 1 in the back.

I check super fast and see a brain on it. "I want to see that."

"Watch the rest of the show. Don't get upset because you didn't understand 1 thing."

"Ok." I go back to eating my popcorn.

He shakes his head and walks off.

Then the curtain opens and they're back on the boat. They sail for a while and make some jokes. They talk in their pirate words and the captain looks at his map a lot.

"BUTTON DOWN THE HATCHES. ENEMY SHIP APPROACHING."

The ship goes into lockdown and the cannons come out the side of it.

I can't even eat popcorn. My eyes are glued to the stage. They are running around and doing stuff. It's amazing. Then it looks like a cannon goes off. I get blasted in the face with heat. Then one of the brains grabs a rope and swings out over us. He's got a big sword.

I jump up and turn around. The other ship has brains on it and they are having war. They are swinging back and forth and shooting cannons. I jump up and down and point everywhere.

Pretty much everyone else stands up too. It's neat. Then the other ship runs away. I sit in my seat after I cheer. They patch up the ship on the stage. And decide it will get them to the treasure. Then the curtain closes.

It opens again, and they are on a beach digging in the sand. It ends with them finding their huge treasure and talking about the things they're going to buy. The captain says he's still not paying for his wrench. I don't get that, but everyone else cracks up.

The lights come back up and I stand up. "We can never let Bayden see this show. We'll be swinging from ropes."

Everyone cracks up laughing.

"OH COME ON. DECK MOVIE." Thora starts pushing people out.

The screen is doing something, but it's not the movie. I check the pool on the deck. It says 8. I can't get in there. I sit and put my feet in it. It feels nice. Then Kane puts blow up boats in it. I fall off in bumper boats. I can't do that either. Lots of people get in the boats and lay down. I move to a sun chair and relax.

Leo puts a blanket over me. "You want to sit in a boat?"

I shake my head. "I'll fall out, and it says 8."

He gives me a funny look and rubs my hair down. Then he goes over to the other boys.

I guess I fall asleep before it starts. I don't see any of it. I wake up in my bed and all happy. I make it to breakfast on time.

The food comes. Leo's looks good. Then she hands me mine. All I can do is stare at it. It's 2 massive waffles. With blue, red, green, and chocolate liquid all over them. Then it's covered in white poufy stuff. Then it has red and green candies all over it. I scratch my head.

Dipak laughs.

Tre smiles from across the table. "You have a lot going on there."

Then she puts a big thing of syrup down beside the plate.

I push it all back and steal 1 of Leo's pepper slices. They crack up laughing.

Leo nods. "Bring her what I have. Make her eggs the dippy kind and bring extra toast. And throw on a plain waffle with some syrup on the side."

"Yes sir."

I dip the toast until all the dip runs out. Then I eat 1 bite of steak and part of the waffle. Then I eat all my and Leo's peppers. He steals my steak and tries the waffle. We make it through breakfast fine.

Marcus comes down and looks at the colorful party plate after a while. Then he tries it and complains about it being nothing but sugar.

At 2, they do the play again.

I get all 7 million of my snacks, then I go in to find a seat. Mary and Kane are sitting in the back row.

I go to the front and sit by Leo. "You watching by yourself? Or did you want to watch by yourself? I can move."

"No your fine. I'd rather watch with you." He winks at me. I smile and wiggle. "Andy is coming right back. He's probably getting as many snacks as you."

"Usually it takes me longer to get my snacks around than I stay awake during a movie."

"And I noticed you don't even eat anything but popcorn."

"I need options. You can have some if you want. I can share."

"What all you get?"

"Everything."

Andy walks to the other side of him with just as much stuff and his popcorn and drink are bigger.

Kane cracks up laughing. "Leo, you should be good for the whole show now. You're already going to have to eat the majority of all that."

Leo pats my knee then turns around. "That's why I didn't get anything. I knew these 2 would come with all of it."

Mary smiles. "Good way to try everything."

"Try this." Andy puts something in his hand. Then pushes it to his face.

Leo chews. "Minty."

"They're good."

"Do you have these?" I show the box to Andy. "They are so good."

"What are they?"

"Chocolate raisins."

"I missed them. Let me try." I give him some, then I make Leo try them.

"Those are good. I'll have to get some at intermission."

I smile and give the box to Leo.

The brain comes out at the end of the first half. "It is now time for our 30-minute intermission. Snacks and drinks are located in the concession area. Restrooms are out the back and on either side of the theater."

I jump up and run out.

I come back 4 minutes later. Leo is talking to Kane. They are laughing about something. "You still have 25 minutes. Go refill your popcorn and drink if you are going to want more."

"Is that enough time?"

"It's plenty. Go do that."

I run out and order the biggest popcorn they have. Then I pick out a bunch more snacks. I take it back and Kane and Leo crack up laughing. Then I run back out. I get chips and cheese. Then I get me and Leo each a drink. I come back and Andy is trying to figure out how to sit down with all his new stuff.

Kane rubs his eyes. "Can we get a table up here for them? A coffee table."

"Yes sir."

Mary comes up and looks at Leo. "How's it going up here?"

"I've ate the entire show, and I've only finished 5 boxes."

"Everything else is half-eaten so far."

"He likes these." I hold up the box of chocolate raisins. Then I put it in his lap. "I got you some more."

He smiles. "Thank you."

Mary nods. "That's just what he needed. Some snacks." They laugh and go back to their seats.

The second half starts up, and I pout. I don't get most of the 1 scene.

Leo puts his arm around me and pulls me closer. I like this. He's warm. Then he whispers in my ear. "They're in a w***e house. You know what that is?"

"They pay for girls?"

"Yes. But they don't have the money. They are saying they'll pay them later, and it's making the girls mad."

"Oh. I get it. Why is it funny at the end when he says he's still not paying for his wrench?"

"Wench. It's another word for those girls. He's saying that he's still not paying for it, even though he has money."

"I get it now."

"Alright." He doesn't move his arm back. He leaves it around me. I like it there.

I snuggle into him and watch the scene. It kind of does make sense now that I know that. They must have had s*x with the girls, promising them money. Now they're saying they don't have money yet. The girl smacks the captain and I laugh with everyone this time. It is a funny scene. They promise to go out treasure hunting, so they can bring the girls back their money. Then the scene ends.

We watch a couple more scenes like that. Then the war scene comes on. We move around, so we can see better. It's so neat happening above us.

Then we sit to watch the last scene. He puts his arm back around me. He rubs my arm a bit, then I rub his fingers lightly. I like his skin. He moves his arm out from around me and puts it in my lap. I rub his fingers lightly. I can feel him relaxing beside me. Then he turns my hand over and does it to me. So many tingles. It feels good.

The lights come back up, and he moves his hand away. I didn't even know the play was over. I think I missed the whole last scene.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

I jump straight up and hammer Dipak in the head with the rest of the popcorn bucket. Then I try to climb under the coffee table.

Kane and Mary lose it. "He's never going to learn."

Dipak picks me up off the floor and hugs me. "You're ok. Sorry about the yelling. I'm not mad."

"I was watching the play. It ended. What are you doing?"

He brushes some popcorn out of his hair and puts me on my feet. "I came to make sure everything was good in here. I didn't realize you had an entire popcorn bucket in your lap."

Leo smirks. "You should have known that. I mean, Kane had to get these 2 their own snack table."

Andy chuckles. "Probably lucky you didn't get hit with the table."

Dipak shakes more popcorn off him. "I want to show you the pool on deck. You have an hour and a half before dinner."

I follow him out, and he shows me how the pool gradually gets deeper, so I can play on 1 side. I do that until dinner. Then it's a nice calm dinner followed by bed.