Survival Of The Fittest

((Gloria continued from The Calm.))

Gloria stood against the outside wall of the cinema, tapping the toes of her left foot to the ground. A simple lack purse hung from her shoulder, threatening to slide down her arms and land on the cement. She didn't even notice it however, her gaze trained on the ground like it held all the world's secrets. Of course that wasn't true; all there was on the ground was a bit of chewed-up gum and a few cracks with weeds growing out of them. Gloria always wondered how they managed to do that...surely there couldn't be seeds all the way in the concrete, could there?

Well...Maybe there were. All kinds of impossible things had happened today. She'd made a new friend, for starters; she'd never thought she'd be able to do that again, not in her current state. A small smile appeared on her lips as she realized this. She'd made a friend! She nearly started choking when she met him, but still! Her mom would be so happy when she found out!

Speaking of friends...Gloria checked her wristwatch and looked around. Where were they anyway? She hoped neither of them would be late...granted, they weren't sure what movie they wanted to see, or even if they'd see one, but it would be nice to finally be together at least.

Continued from The Calm

(OOC: did you forget about me? My name wasn't in the list of our group.)

Dirk reached the theater just seconds before his watch struck 6:30, and found Gloria, waiting and staring at the clock.

"Hey. Where's everyone else. Can't be just the two of us here."

He looked up at the list of movies at the theater, "Hmm. Avatar, Looks interesting. So does that new Alvin & the chipmunks movie. What do you think?"

[[OOC: Sorry about that. And sorry to you too, Vole!]]

Gloria looked up and waved at Dirk as he approached. Well, Simon hadn't arrived yet, but at least she wasn't alone here! And this one had actually come out to see them; he must've meant it when he said he wanted to make friends, and to see a movie. "I don't think it'll be just us tonight...Simon's supposed to be here, but he hasn't--Er, I'm sure you figured that out already," Gloria mumbled, looking down again and flushing crimon. For a few moments, she said nothing, merely shuffled her feet awkwardly, and nearly knocking over that dandelion in the sidewalk. Sorry.

"I---I mean, I can call him if he doesn't show soon, so it'll be okay." Gloria was suddenly aware that Dirk was speaking to her, asking about the movies that were playing. "Hm? I...I don't really know." She looked down again. "I don't...notice movies, and I don't watch much TV so I never even saw advertisements. Th-That's not that I don't want to see one with you two, no! It's just..." She blushed redder than ever, covering her face and shaking her head. "I...I don't know what I want to see.

"But it's really not up to just me, is it?" she added, remembering Simon.

((Hey guys, I already shot Dirge a PM about this, but I might as well post it here, too. SOTF V4 is set in the summer of 2008, so your movie references are off by almost two years. Just letting you know before the thread goes too far.))

(OOC: Movie swap then: Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Twilight)

Someone's missing? Right, Simon. "Simon's not here yet, is he? Usually I'm the one who shows up late to things." Dirk scratched his head and turned to the front, checking the times for the movies. "We might not be able to go to Twilight, the next showing is at 7." The other two movies were at 7:30.

Gloria shook her head at Dirk's inquiry about Simon. "No, not yet," she mumbled, hugging herself tighter. Oh, she hoped he showed up soon! Dirk seemed nice and all, but...well, he was a guy, and a guy she had only spoken to for a few minutes in the library. Hardly a good basis for getting to know someone. Simon, please hurry...

Not wanting to appear rude, Gloria kept the smile on her face as she nervously looked back at Dirk. "I...I bet he shows up soon, so we won't have to leave him..." she said quietly. Then she looked up at the movie listings again.

"We might not be able to go to Twilight, the next showing is at 7."

A shake of her head. No...no, it didn't look that way. Well, that was alright. Gloria had read the book and hadn't particularly enjoyed it very much, so she didn't mind if they couldn't see the movie. "It's okay...The other two might be fun...Superheroes, you know?" Yes, watching a hero on the big screen would be amazing. Watching them save inocent lives, triumphing over evil and against all odds. Gloria could enjoy those movies.

Anxiously, she opened her cell phone and started dialing Simon's number. "I'm gonna call him..." she said, punching in teh first three numbers.

((Simon Fletcher continued from The Intellectuals))

"Gah!"

Simon Fletcher was almost out of breath, his face flushed red. He stopped quickly in front of Dirk and Gloria, steadying himself before he fell. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose to gain composure. Why had he forgotten about his plans? Simon was usually able to keep track of where he was supposed to be. This went double if he had made plans with somebody. Luckily, he was only a bit late, but even those few minutes felt embarrassing. Hopefully he hadn't worried anyone too bad.

"Sorry I'm late. I must have lost track of time." Simon grinned weakly. "I checked the listings. There's some new movies out, and I heard some good things about Iron Man...The Hulk seems fine too." He left out Twilight. Even though Gloria had asked about movies based on books, she hadn't seemed to like the vampire novel when she read it. At the look on their faces, Simon added "...I missed the conversation thread, didn't I?"

Directly after saying that, he looked down at his bag. "Phone's ringing..."

Just as Gloria finished punching in Simon's phone number, the man himself came sprinting up to them, out of breath and glasses slipping down his nose. He stopped and took a moment ot steady himself, and Gloria just stood there, staring at him with her phone in hand. She still hadn't hung up on him, only vaguely aware of his phone rining. The bespectacled boy looked up at them, smiling weakly in apology. "Sorry I'm late. I must have lost track of time."

Gloria shook her head, a smile of her own appearing on her face, but in relief. "N-No, it's alright. You're okay, Simon." Her body relaxed, not stnading quite as stiff, at the sight of her friend. Whew! He'd made it only a few minutes late, and Gloria owuldn't have to be alone with a stranger after all. Things really would be okay tonight, wouldn't they? She nodded as Simon mentioned the movie listings, listed the two superhero movies. He seemed ot know her well enough to leave off "Twilight," something that pleased her. Of course, trust Simon to remember she hadn't liked teh book, and trust him to realize that not all girls liked "traditional girl film," as she'd called it once.

"...I missed the conversation thread, didn't I?" Directly after saying that, he looked down at his bag. "Phone's ringing..."

Quickly, Gloria hit the "Hang Up" button on her cell, closing it and shoving it in her purse again, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "It's nobody," she said quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed her actions. "And you didn't miss much...We just met up a little bit ago. You're okay," she whispered, smiling a little half-smile. She looked over at teh ticket window, tilting her head in thought. "I brought enough money for food...If anyone wants some. Oh, but...the movie..." She frowned as she tried to decide which one she wanted to see. A man who became strnger with anger, or a man with an iron suit? Well, anger never solved anything, so..."I think I want to see Iron Man."

"Hey Simon, good to see you. Almost thought you weren't gonna show."

"I think I want to see Iron Man."

"Iron Man? Great. I heard that it was a great movie, had great reviews and all, so Let's go get tickets."

Dirk walked over to the line, the three of them would be next up. "Hello. Could I get three student tickets for Iron Man?"

The man behind the desk shrugged, "Sure. Here you go." and handed Dirk three tickets. Dirk passed a few bills through, and after recieving his change, he waved the others over, "Come on, I've got the tickets."

"N-No, it's alright. You're okay, Simon." Gloria said, beginning to smile. That was fine; she seemed to be in a fairly good mood. And, Simon realized, so was he. It had been a long time since the last outing he and his friends had made to a movie. The theater even looked different then he could remember it.

"Hey Simon, good to see you. Almost thought you weren't gonna show." Dirk stated, standing off to the side. Simon turned to him and grinned. "Nah, just lost track of time, I guess." The other boy seemed to be incredibly at ease with both of them, a trait which amazed Simon.

His phone had stopped ringing, leaving only the message 'Caller Has Ended the Conversation.' Simon looked at it for about a second and flipped it back over. Whoever had called him would either call back soon, or just move on. There was no point in worrying about it, anyway.

"It's nobody, and you didn't miss much...We just met up a little bit ago. You're okay." Gloria's voice was more quiet now, but still audible. "I think I want to see Iron Man." She added. Simon nodded. "Sounds good. I've only heard positive things about that one."

Alright, it was time to relax now. He could get some popcorn, watch the movie...that could be fun, even! Simon liked reading novels and manga, so it made sense that he could enjoy watching a story unfold in front of him. His breathing became more stable, now that he had time to catch his breath. Dirk was completely at ease, and Glory had seemed to relax. It's just a movie. You'll enjoy yourself. Simon felt himself smile a little.

"Sure. Here you go." said the man behind the desk and handed Dirk three tickets. Dirk passed a few bills through, and after receiving his change, he waved them over, "Come on, I've got the tickets."

"Um...I brought money for tickets and stuff too." Simon pulled out money from his bag. "Here." He handed a few bills to Dirk. "I don't want to impose on you."

"No, it's not a problem." Dirk pushed the money back into Simon's hand, "You'll need the money if you want to buy snacks."
He opened the door, " Ladies first."

Gloria couldn't help but flush again as Dirk paid for all three of them. She held her hands up, shaking her head in desperation. "N-No, Dirk, it's okay, I brought--" Her pleas were silenced when Dirk turned around, flashing three tickets to Iron man. She blushed redder as she meekly accepted her ticket. She didn't want to have to pay for her...especially when they'd just met today. Maybe she could talk him into letting her pay him back.

"Um...I brought money for tickets and stuff too." Simon pulled out money from his bag. "Here." He handed a few bills to Dirk. "I don't want to impose on you.

"No, it's not a problem." Dirk pushed the money back into Simon's hand, "You'll need the money if you want to buy snacks."

Gloria hugged herself again. "B-But if he wants to treat you...Or m-maybe if I wanted to tre-treat you guys..." she began to stutter nervously. She'd brought some money herself, enough for tickets and snacks. Well...if neither boy would accept anyone treating the other two, then at least Gloria wouldn't feel awkward having a snack paid for her. That was one good thing, she supposed. She did, however, check the ticket prices and make a note of it, to pay Dirk back later.

Dirk held the door open for them, looking their way. "Ladies first," he said, making Gloria turn redder. Oh, she was not used to these things!

"Th-thanks, DIrk..." she mumbled, shuffling past him and sending a small smile his way. Suddenly remembering the money in her purse, she turned around and handed Simon a few bills. "Oh...I got your money back," she said softly.

"No, it's not a problem." Dirk pushed the money back into Simon's hand, "You'll need the money if you want to buy snacks."

"Ah, okay." Simon nodded. "Er...thank you." He looked down at the money he had. He would still have some left over from buying himself and Dirk snacks. Gloria wouldn't accept anymore money from him, most likely. This kind of economics was as foreign as Spanish to him (and that wasn't fully true. Simon at least knew how to say basic things in Spanish. Words like "hello" "I'm good" "My name is" and "I want a burrito right now"), and he couldn't quite figure out if it would be more rude to insist on paying or allow Dirk to pay for him. In the end, Simon decided to let it go.

Dirk had opened the door for them, and Gloria had already entered. Simon followed her through, nodding at the other boy. "Thanks again." He added.

"Oh...I got your money back," Gloria said softly, and handed Simon a few bills from her purse. Oh right, that was the money he had lent her in the library. He had completely forgotten about that. He took the dollars from Gloria and put them with the rest of the money. His parents were probably going to wonder how he went to the movies, had snacks, and came back with more money then he left with.

"Thanks, Glory." Simon was beginning to realize that he had expressed his gratitude about three times in the last couple minutes. Probably sound like a broken record.

The movie theater was filled with a good amount of moviegoers, all of whom were milling about and chatting to each other. Simon glanced over at the concession stand. There was an average sized line for the food, as there seemed to be only two people working at it. He looked over at Gloria and Dirk.

"I'll get the snacks. Just tell me want you want me to order. And I'm paying for yours, Dirk. That's final; no arguing." Simon added, starting to smile. It was easier to loosen up in here were everyone else seemed to be so carefree and enjoying themselves.

"Yeah, figured you'd want to do that. I may not spend a whole lot of time around people, but I know how to read them." He smirked a little, knowingly.
"I'll be fine without a snack, We could just split a medium popcorn."
He looked over at Gloria, who looked kind of ashamed or something, probably because she was being treated to a movie.
"D'you want me to go get seats, or do you want to do that?"

"You'll get snacks?" Gloria asked Simon quietly, her hand still inside her open purse. Her fingertips brushed against the bills nestled inside, enough for a small popcorn and drink. Snacks at movie theaters had a tendency to be bigger than one would expect, so Gloria had only brought enough for smalls...But now it seemed that she hadn't needed to bring money at all, if Simon wanted to pay for them. She blushed again at the thought of owing him more money, being in debt to him once again, and quickly thrust her bills into his hand. "Uhm! I'd like a small popcorn, Simon....with butter, and a small diet soda," she told him. Her head was bowed the entire time, but she looked up at him slowly, a shaky smile on her lips. "Just...use my money for mine, okay?"

There...she'd heard Dirk suggest that they split a medium popcorn before she got her money out, but this way there would be more for the boys. Boys ate a lot more than girls, right? They had bigger bellies to fill, so this would be a good thing for them. Gloria didn't need to be taking their food away from them...

The sound of Dirk's voice caught her attention, despite the conversations of other patrons all around them, and the occasional loud shriek of "POPCORN!" from a smaller child. "D'you want me to go get seats, or do you want to do that?" he asked.

Gloria backed away from Simon a bit, noticing she still had her hands over his when she thrust the money to him. "W-Well..." she stammered. "You held the door open and bought tickets...Simon is buying your food, so....I can get seats..." Gloria smiled shyly at them again as she walked backwards a few steps--with surprising confidence in her movements, not her attitude, before turning around and walking towards the right theater.

It was half-full already, which made choosing seats a bit easier for her. Now there wouldn't be so many options. The tricky part was finding three seats in a row, away from another patron who might be rude, shouting things at the screen and talking on their cell phone (which reminded her, she'd have to turn hers off soon), and perhaps close to the exit. Just in case of a bathroom emergency. After about two minutes, she finally found some, three rows away from the screen. Gloria walked towards them and sat in one of them, placing her purse on one seat and leaning towards the other, to claim them as her's and her freinds'. I hope neither of them mind being close to the screen, she thought to herself.