Bright Lights, Black Rainbows

chapter 4

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Billy paced back and forth behind the counter. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. He looked over at Ethan's psyche book and for the umpteenth time changed his mind about bringing it back to Ethan. Yeah, uhhh...my dad wants me to come straight home. The thing of it was, he'd used that excuse so many times, but this was the only time it wouldn't be true. And it sounded so lame.

“Billy?” Tiffany Garrett and her flock Barbie Doll clones stood at the counter. “We have a question for you.” They all tittered like a bunch of pigeons each of them fluttering as they dropped a dvd on the counter. “We need you to pick.”

“Huh?” He looked at all the girls. They all had identical smiles and an expectant gleam in their eyes.

“It's movie night and we can't decide which ones we want to watch. So, we thought we'd let the expert decide.”

Ugh. Billy knew what was going on. Each girl picks a movie then whichever movie that “the guy” picks, unbeknownst to him, he's picking the girl who chose that movie. Billy looked at the pile of movies thrown haphazardly on the counter. He noticed an abundance of Julia Roberts films; Prett Woman, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride along with Shakespeare in Love, the latest Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Kiera Knightley, pretty much a whole arrray of training films for capturing the man of your dreams.

“Uhm...I don't know if you noticed, but, I'm a guy.” He moved the pile of movies around, looking at the covers trying not to show any interest. “These are all chic flicks.” He wasn't about to say he'd seen them all. He was gay, but even gay guys have a little pride.

“Yeah. That's true. So let's say you and your girlfriend are going to watch a movie.” Another round of tittering laughter filled the counter area. “You're going to let her pick the movie, right? But you're thinking in the back of your head.” Tiffany leaned over the counter, her perfume strong, her eyes almost ravenous as she takes his hand. “you're thinking, which one will get me laid. Which ones going to make her sad at the thought of the girl losing the guy only to win him back in the end.”

Billy couldn't believe she was coming on to him in front of everyone. He pulled his hand back. “Uh...well. Is she smart?” Several of the Barbie's lost the gleam in their eyes. He picked up Pretty Woman and pretended not to hear the solitary gasp amongst the girls, instead he pretended to read the back of the movie. “I mean, come on. Julie Roberts as a hooker? Switch Julia Roberts with say...”

“It has to be Julia Roberts. It's called Pretty Woman. You can't have someone ugly playing the lead. Who's gonna watch that?”

Billy looked up to see Christy Wilson filled with both indignation and expectation. Apparently Pretty Woman was her choice.

Billy put the movie back on the counter, placing it away from the pile of movies. Can't just dash her hopes right away. He looked at the picture of Hugh Grant on the cover of Notting Hill. “Notting Hill?” He'd been to Notting Hill with his mother a couple of years back, visiting one of her sisters. They had been total tourists; taking in a performance of Phantom of the Opera, at Her Majesty's Theatre, gone shopping at Harrods, road the London Eye, aka the slowest ferris wheel ever! He put the movie next to Pretty Woman. “Pride and Prejudice. See, this is entertainment and education all at once. I had to read this over the summer. I wish I'd known there was a movie.” He looked up from the dvd and smiled. He could tell they were losing patience with him. “Plus, it's Keira Knightly. She's kinda hot and she was in Pirates of the Caribbean.” One of the girls actually blew the bangs out of her eyes. He tried to ignore the laughing inside his head. It was cruel, he knew. He smiled to himself thinking what would happen if Ethan were here and the two of them kissed right in front of the Barbie convention.

“Hold on just a sec.” The girls huddled together, a few of them jumping up and down while most of them stood still with fake smiles on their faces, probably bored out of their minds since he hadn't touched their movie.

Billy walked over to the other register. “Can I help you?”

“The Way We Were.” The old woman looked up at him. “Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. Do you have it? I looked but I couldn't find it.”

“Let me see.” Billy tapped out the title at the computer. “Says we have two copies.” He looked over at the Barbies. They were all looking over at him, impatiently. “Let me go look for you.” He held up an index finger at the Barbies. Half of them put a hand to their hips. “Hold on just a sec.” He turned back to the old woman. “Should be right over here.” He headed towards the drama section, trying to walk slow not wanting to outpace the old woman.

“They all seem kinda put out with you, young man.”

Billy looked back at them, then down at the old woman. “Yeah.” He couldn't help but smile. He leaned in closer to her. “They're having a little contest to see which one I'll pick. if I pick their movie, I pick them.”

“And they say romance is dead.”

“Here it is. We dont' alphabetize under “the” Too many movies start with it.” He led the movie out to her. After a second thought he grabbed the other one.

“Oh you're a devilish one aren't you?” They walked back up to the register and he rang her up, swiping her movie card. “One more, and you get a free rental.”

“I think you should watch this one. It's a classic.” He held the second copy of The Way We Were up for them all to see. He watched them wrinkle their noses at his selection, Tiffany and Christy eying the two movies set aside. He could have sworn all of their shoulders had fallen in unison. One of the girls in the back barged her way forward and grabbed the movie from his hand.

“The Way We Were?” She turned it over and read the back of the movie. “this came out like in the 70s. I wasn't even born yet.” She dropped the dvd on the counter like it might be infected with germs or something.

“That's why they call it a classic. It's old. Duh!” Barbie number 4 piped in.

Billy tried to look crestfallen at the thought that they weren't going to watch his “selection.” The flock of Barbie's inched forward, sudden interest in their eyes.

Tiffany picked it up. “It could be good.” She said with some hesitancy. “My mom loves this movie. It's her favorite movie of all time. She says it's a real romance. I say we watch it.” All the girls chirped in unison of agreement.

Except one. Katie Mitchell stood in the back, her hands on her hips, a smirk on her face. “You know. She mouthed the words silently where the other girls wouldn't see her.

Billy smiled at her. He hadn't seen her behind the pom pom squad. She stood in stark contrast to the plastics at the counter, now rummaging through their purses in hopes of being the first to come up with their video rental card.

He watched them all flutter out of the store as Katie walked up behind them.

“Hi Katie.”

“Tonight, in like an hour. Your ears are gonna start burning. You want to know why? Because they are going to be cursing your name. If they make it through the whole movie I'm gonna be surprised.” Katie looked down at the movies piled on the counter. “Wow. You let them out of here without watching Notting Hill?”

“They were playing their game, again.”

“Well, you know, according to the game, you're gonna end up dating that old woman.”

“She probably has more brains than all of them put together.” Billy laughed.

“So. A little bird told me you saw Ethan today.”

Billy stopped piling the movies in a stack. “What?”

“Someone told me you saw Ethan today.”

“You talked to Jordan?”

“Yeah. He said you went over to that emo kid's house next door to get your psyche book. And well, me being able to do math, I put two and two together and knew that emo kid had to be Ethan.”

“you didn't say anything? I mean nobody...”

“Yeah, Billy. I outted you to Jordan Trent.” Katie rolled her eyes and grabbed a bag of Twizzlers. “Not that I don't think Trent's own gaydar isn't dinging like a fire alarm around you.”

“Trent's not gay.”

“Yeah? And neither are you.” Katie leaned on the counter biting down on a Twizzler. “No, don't worry, Clark Kent. Your secret is safe with me.” She leaned further over and grabbed Ethan's psyche book. “This was quick thinking, though.” She held the book by it's spine, flat in her hand and watched the book open. She laughed. “You can always tell what's on a guys mind. It really doesn't matter what guy it is.”

“What are you talking about?” Billy looked at the book, now laying flat on the counter.

“He's had that book for a week, not even a week. 3 days. And it opens up right there?” Katie flattened the pages down in the book and read the title of the chapter. “Homosexuality and Teens.” She looked up at Billy. “Let's read the bullet points, shall we. Experimentation. Homosexuality and Sexual Identity. Peers and Social Acceptance of Homosexuality. Suicide and Homosexuality.”

“Billy reached over and grabbed the book from katie's hands. “And your point is?”

“Nothing. I just think it would be refreshing, to just once find a book that doesn't open automatically to sex.”

“Yeah, cuz the attack of the barbies back there, all they were wanting to know about was the relationship between my id, ego and superego.”

“Touche'” She looked up at Billy. “Plus, who's to say, you weren't reading that chapter.” She smiled and Billy felt a blush rise to his cheeks. “And we have a winner! What do we have for the young lady?”

Billy buried the psyche book down in his backpack. “You think you're so smart.”

“Yes, yes I do. And even better, you think I am too. It's scientifically proven that the average woman, that's me, though it's getting harder and harder to tell, is smarter than the average male. Technically that's you, since you've got that extra appendage.” She held one of the Twizzler whips in her hand letting it droop towards the counter. “Course, you're not really average. You're one of those 1 in 10 statistics.”

“Oh, that's cute. Is that your phallic prop?” Billy grabbed the Twizzler and took a bite.

“Hmmm. Someone's got penis on the brain. And he's acting out.” Katie reached out and grabbed back the rest of her Twizzler. “Get your own... Oh wait.”

“You didn't even pay for those!”

“Anywhooooo. I'll owe you. Oh and we got in more of the pecan pralines and cream this afternoon. Come by and I'll fix you right up.” Katie twirled away from the counter and headed towards the exit. He watched her bite down on another twizzler as she exited and went back into the Frozen Toad. Not the best name for an ice cream shop.

Billy shook his head and stared out across the empty video store. He looked at the round clock on the wall. It was only 7:30. An hour and a half before he'd be off. A long hour and a half.

Billy sat in his car, staring up at Ethan's window. The last hour had dragged by so slowly he thought he'd go crazy. he'd had only three more customers since Katie had stolen the bag of Twizzlers. He'd paid for them himself along with a movie. He looked down at the movie, a used copy of The Way We Were. Straightening the used video bin, he'd found a copy. He'd picked it up, half smiling at the thought that the barbie squad were probably watching it at that very moment. At least part of it anyways. He picked it up and put it down again another half dozen times before he decided to buy it. He'd never seen the movie, but it was one of his mother's favorite movies too. And for some reason, he thought that Ethan would like it.

Billy knocked on the door hesitantly, listening as T-rex, their chihuahua started yapping at the door. Lissa, Ethan's little sister opened the door. “Hi Billy.”

Billy lowered himself to her level. “Hi miss Liss. How's the monster today?”
“I'm good.” She grabbed T-rex and held him as he squirmed for freedom. “Ethan's upstairs.”

Billy looked up the stairwell seeing the light coming around the door to Ethan's room.

“Lissa Grace. Put T-rex down. You know he doesn't like that.” Mrs Grace stood in the opening to the living room.

“Billy almost let him out.” Lissa complained, dropping T-rex to the floor. The dog ran to the kitchen, his nails skittering across the hardwood floor. Lissa ran after him.

“Hello Billy.” She smiled and Billy felt a sudden ease come over him. “We've missed you around here.”

“Summer was really busy. My dad...” Billy stopped, the excuses dying in his throat and looked up the stairs. Ethan stood at the landing. “I missed being here, Mrs Grace.”

“Well go on. Don't let me keep you.” Mrs Grace turned back towards the living room and Billy ran up the stairs.