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rainbowfic2015-10-19 07:56 pm
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2015-10-19 07:56 pm
Blue Opal #12, Rainbow #12, White #9
Name: kay_brooke
Story: The Prime
Colors: Blue Opal #12 (timeless), Rainbow #12 (Judy Garland), White #9 (white rain)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,374
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply.
Summary: Tabitha meets an intriguing stranger.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
The night was growing cold and wet, completely unseasonable for late August, and Tabitha wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up under a blanket and her purring cat with a cup of soup. But Evan was still going strong, begging her to stay for just one more movie, it was The Wizard of Oz, who didn't like The Wizard of Oz?
Tabitha had never cared much for the movie, but she didn't want to make a scene, so she smiled wanly and said of course they could stay for one more movie.
How long was The Wizard of Oz? Almost certainly longer than she wanted to stay in this chilly park.
This whole thing had been a mistake. But she had felt Evan pulling away from her recently, and that was a year-long relationship crumbling before her eyes, for reasons, she surmised, were probably her fault. She thought maybe she could fix it by doing something he wanted to do, whether she was interested or not.
Her heart still sunk in her chest when he suggested the classic movie marathon at Garfield Park. She wasn't much of a movie person, much less a classic movie one, and as the night wore on she grew more and more uncomfortable, the damp from the grass soaking through their picnic blanket.
The movie started; Evan draped his arm around her shoulders and Tabitha realized she had to get up and walk around immediately. “I'm going to get some coffee,” she said, leaning over and whispering into Evan's ear. “You want anything?”
He pouted. “You're going to miss the beginning of the movie.”
“I've seen it a hundred times,” she lied. “But I'm chilly. Aren't you chilly?”
“No.” Evan narrowed his eyes at her, as if it was her fault it wasn't a perfect summer night. “How about we get some coffee after the movie? It'll be better than that crap they're serving out of the food truck.”
“So in what, two hours?” She hated the whine in her voice, and moreover, she knew how much Evan hated it. “I'm not sure I can last that long.”
“This was your idea,” Evan said, turning toward her, his voice still low but his words clipped. “But you've been a complete misery all night.”
Tabitha swallowed. She thought she'd done a pretty good job of pretending to be interested, but apparently not. “This was your idea, actually, and I'm not miserable. I just want some coffee. I'll get you some, too.”
Evan rolled his eyes and removed his arm from her shoulders. “Fine, go get your crappy coffee. No, I don't want any.”
Tabitha left, willing the unshed tears to stay where they were. So much for fixing her relationship with Evan. She would have to make it up to him somehow. Give him the choice for date night next week, too. Try harder to be enthusiastic and engaged even if it was something she hated. She was just tired tonight, that was it. Too many long hours at work.
She made her way over to the food truck but didn't get in line; she just stood for a moment under its lights, telling herself that they were warmer than they really were. The cuffs of her jeans were soaked from her walk across the wet grass.
“They should have canceled this thing,” she muttered.
“You think so?” came a voice to her left.
Tabitha toward the guy—tall, dark hair, an actual dimple in one cheek as he gave her a quick smile. In one hand he held a plastic container of nachos, mostly uneaten. Tabitha found herself at a loss for words.
“Excuse me,” the guy said, moving past her and tossing the nachos in a garbage can.
“Oh,” said Tabitha, her face growing hot. She hadn't realized she was standing right in front of the garbage can. How much of a loser was she? “Sorry.”
“No problem,” said the guy. He gestured toward the big movie screen across the lawn, where Dorothy was singing about over the rainbow. “Not having fun?”
Tabitha shrugged. “It's kind of cold and wet tonight, don't you think? Not the most comfortable.”
“No,” he agreed. “How about the movie? Are you a fan?”
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what his angle was. “I'm here with my boyfriend,” she said, just in case he thought he had a chance.
The guy blinked. “Okay?” he said. He looked toward the screen. “I don't think I like this one. It's supposed to be a classic.”
Tabitha smirked. “They're all supposed to be classics.” She did finger quotes.
The guy furrowed his brows at that, but said, “Well, yes. That is what the flier said. I have to admit I haven't enjoyed it much. I didn't realize everything would be in black and white.”
“Well, this one goes to color a little ways in,” said Tabitha, warming up to the conversation. Already this guy was more engaging than Evan had been the whole night. “I'm pretty sure, anyway. I haven't actually seen it all the way through. I'm not into classic movies much.”
“Then why are you here?”
Tabitha snorted. “I'm on a date. Boyfriend, remember?”
He nodded. “Yes, right.”
“You don't seem to like this, either,” said Tabitha. “What are you doing here?” She wondered if he was on a date, too, and wondered why that left her feeling a little disappointed.
“Oh,” he said. “I just...” He waved his arms around like he couldn't think of the right words. “I just haven't seen a lot of movies in my life. For, uh, a lot of reasons.” He cleared his throat. “I came to see if I would like it.”
“Maybe you'd like a more modern movie,” said Tabitha.
“I don't,” he said. He cleared his throat again. “I mean, I tried. I came here because my...because some people I know told me the classic movies are better.” He shrugged.
“Maybe you're just not a movie person,” said Tabitha. “That's okay. I'm not, either.”
The dimple reappeared. It really was kind of cute, and Tabitha blushed, forcing herself to think about Evan's shoulders in that tight blue shirt he owned.
“Well,” the guy said, shuffling his feet a little bit, “I think I'm going to take off. I've had enough.”
“Lucky you,” said Tabitha. “I have to stay until the end of the movie.”
“Do you have to?” he asked.
For a moment Tabitha let herself imagine it: just leaving, not looking back. Evan had driven, but there was a bus stop only a block away and she had her pass in her purse. She could go home, make her soup, get in her bed, and sleep for as long as she wanted. No Evan staying over. No Evan encouraging her out of bed early in the morning on her one day off a week, because he wanted to do something. No places to go or things to do or struggling for conversation topics with the guy she was supposed to be in love with.
“It'd be rude to ditch my date,” she said.
“True,” said the guy. He gave her one more smile. “Well, I hope the rest of the movie isn't too bad. Good night.”
“Good night,” Tabitha called after him, and he was gone into the night gloom before she realized she had no idea what his name even was.
It didn't matter, she told herself sternly. She would never see the guy again. She knew nothing about him. And she had a boyfriend.
She made her way back toward Evan, dodging around the few remaining die hards who hadn't left when the temperature took a turn for the freezing. He was still sitting on the blanket, cross-legged, leaning forward, completely absorbed in the movie. She stood next to him for several minutes, saying nothing, just looking and wondering why even just filled her with dread.
Fuck. She was going to have to break up with Evan.
“Hey,” he said, finally noticing her. “Where's your coffee?”
“I drank it,” she said, settling down next to him on the blanket and trying to smile.
kay_brookeStory: The Prime
Colors: Blue Opal #12 (timeless), Rainbow #12 (Judy Garland), White #9 (white rain)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,374
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply.
Summary: Tabitha meets an intriguing stranger.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
The night was growing cold and wet, completely unseasonable for late August, and Tabitha wanted nothing more than to go home and curl up under a blanket and her purring cat with a cup of soup. But Evan was still going strong, begging her to stay for just one more movie, it was The Wizard of Oz, who didn't like The Wizard of Oz?
Tabitha had never cared much for the movie, but she didn't want to make a scene, so she smiled wanly and said of course they could stay for one more movie.
How long was The Wizard of Oz? Almost certainly longer than she wanted to stay in this chilly park.
This whole thing had been a mistake. But she had felt Evan pulling away from her recently, and that was a year-long relationship crumbling before her eyes, for reasons, she surmised, were probably her fault. She thought maybe she could fix it by doing something he wanted to do, whether she was interested or not.
Her heart still sunk in her chest when he suggested the classic movie marathon at Garfield Park. She wasn't much of a movie person, much less a classic movie one, and as the night wore on she grew more and more uncomfortable, the damp from the grass soaking through their picnic blanket.
The movie started; Evan draped his arm around her shoulders and Tabitha realized she had to get up and walk around immediately. “I'm going to get some coffee,” she said, leaning over and whispering into Evan's ear. “You want anything?”
He pouted. “You're going to miss the beginning of the movie.”
“I've seen it a hundred times,” she lied. “But I'm chilly. Aren't you chilly?”
“No.” Evan narrowed his eyes at her, as if it was her fault it wasn't a perfect summer night. “How about we get some coffee after the movie? It'll be better than that crap they're serving out of the food truck.”
“So in what, two hours?” She hated the whine in her voice, and moreover, she knew how much Evan hated it. “I'm not sure I can last that long.”
“This was your idea,” Evan said, turning toward her, his voice still low but his words clipped. “But you've been a complete misery all night.”
Tabitha swallowed. She thought she'd done a pretty good job of pretending to be interested, but apparently not. “This was your idea, actually, and I'm not miserable. I just want some coffee. I'll get you some, too.”
Evan rolled his eyes and removed his arm from her shoulders. “Fine, go get your crappy coffee. No, I don't want any.”
Tabitha left, willing the unshed tears to stay where they were. So much for fixing her relationship with Evan. She would have to make it up to him somehow. Give him the choice for date night next week, too. Try harder to be enthusiastic and engaged even if it was something she hated. She was just tired tonight, that was it. Too many long hours at work.
She made her way over to the food truck but didn't get in line; she just stood for a moment under its lights, telling herself that they were warmer than they really were. The cuffs of her jeans were soaked from her walk across the wet grass.
“They should have canceled this thing,” she muttered.
“You think so?” came a voice to her left.
Tabitha toward the guy—tall, dark hair, an actual dimple in one cheek as he gave her a quick smile. In one hand he held a plastic container of nachos, mostly uneaten. Tabitha found herself at a loss for words.
“Excuse me,” the guy said, moving past her and tossing the nachos in a garbage can.
“Oh,” said Tabitha, her face growing hot. She hadn't realized she was standing right in front of the garbage can. How much of a loser was she? “Sorry.”
“No problem,” said the guy. He gestured toward the big movie screen across the lawn, where Dorothy was singing about over the rainbow. “Not having fun?”
Tabitha shrugged. “It's kind of cold and wet tonight, don't you think? Not the most comfortable.”
“No,” he agreed. “How about the movie? Are you a fan?”
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what his angle was. “I'm here with my boyfriend,” she said, just in case he thought he had a chance.
The guy blinked. “Okay?” he said. He looked toward the screen. “I don't think I like this one. It's supposed to be a classic.”
Tabitha smirked. “They're all supposed to be classics.” She did finger quotes.
The guy furrowed his brows at that, but said, “Well, yes. That is what the flier said. I have to admit I haven't enjoyed it much. I didn't realize everything would be in black and white.”
“Well, this one goes to color a little ways in,” said Tabitha, warming up to the conversation. Already this guy was more engaging than Evan had been the whole night. “I'm pretty sure, anyway. I haven't actually seen it all the way through. I'm not into classic movies much.”
“Then why are you here?”
Tabitha snorted. “I'm on a date. Boyfriend, remember?”
He nodded. “Yes, right.”
“You don't seem to like this, either,” said Tabitha. “What are you doing here?” She wondered if he was on a date, too, and wondered why that left her feeling a little disappointed.
“Oh,” he said. “I just...” He waved his arms around like he couldn't think of the right words. “I just haven't seen a lot of movies in my life. For, uh, a lot of reasons.” He cleared his throat. “I came to see if I would like it.”
“Maybe you'd like a more modern movie,” said Tabitha.
“I don't,” he said. He cleared his throat again. “I mean, I tried. I came here because my...because some people I know told me the classic movies are better.” He shrugged.
“Maybe you're just not a movie person,” said Tabitha. “That's okay. I'm not, either.”
The dimple reappeared. It really was kind of cute, and Tabitha blushed, forcing herself to think about Evan's shoulders in that tight blue shirt he owned.
“Well,” the guy said, shuffling his feet a little bit, “I think I'm going to take off. I've had enough.”
“Lucky you,” said Tabitha. “I have to stay until the end of the movie.”
“Do you have to?” he asked.
For a moment Tabitha let herself imagine it: just leaving, not looking back. Evan had driven, but there was a bus stop only a block away and she had her pass in her purse. She could go home, make her soup, get in her bed, and sleep for as long as she wanted. No Evan staying over. No Evan encouraging her out of bed early in the morning on her one day off a week, because he wanted to do something. No places to go or things to do or struggling for conversation topics with the guy she was supposed to be in love with.
“It'd be rude to ditch my date,” she said.
“True,” said the guy. He gave her one more smile. “Well, I hope the rest of the movie isn't too bad. Good night.”
“Good night,” Tabitha called after him, and he was gone into the night gloom before she realized she had no idea what his name even was.
It didn't matter, she told herself sternly. She would never see the guy again. She knew nothing about him. And she had a boyfriend.
She made her way back toward Evan, dodging around the few remaining die hards who hadn't left when the temperature took a turn for the freezing. He was still sitting on the blanket, cross-legged, leaning forward, completely absorbed in the movie. She stood next to him for several minutes, saying nothing, just looking and wondering why even just filled her with dread.
Fuck. She was going to have to break up with Evan.
“Hey,” he said, finally noticing her. “Where's your coffee?”
“I drank it,” she said, settling down next to him on the blanket and trying to smile.
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Thanks for reading!
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Also, was that David?
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Thanks for reading!
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