chapter one: meet natalie pickitt
The sound of a girl screaming echoed through the theatre as a man in a white mask flashed by a window in which a frail, small blonde girl stood in front of holding a knife. As she whipped around to look at who was there, only to realize she missed the killer by a fraction of a second Natalie rolled her eyes and leaned down to talk to the girl sitting next to her. “Emily! This isn’t even scary, why are you freaking out?” Natalie asked, annoyed. Emily was cowering down in her red cushioned chair. As she lifted herself up and straightened her posture the chair squeaked loudly causing most of the audience to shift in annoyance. “This is scary. It’s a good thing im staying at your house tonight, or else id be peeing my bed.” Emily glanced at Natalie awaiting a smart-aleck response. Natalie noticed her facial expression, “Well, you better not pee in my bed.” She fished a piece of popcorn out of the decorated plastic tub. $4.50 for a tub of buttery goodness and a nice picture of Zac Efron, she thought. The bucket was advertising the next big movie coming out High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Natalie knew shed be forced to see it with Emily, even though Emily wouldn’t go see I Am Legend with her four months ago no matter how long she begged. A loud noise was blasting through the silence of the movie as the blonde was walking through a creaky old house whispering her boyfriend’s name, as if she didn’t already know he was dead. Emily glanced at Natalie, and Natalie glanced back realizing the noise was her ringtone. No one knows how you feel, no one there you’d like to see. The day was dark and full of pain. Tokio Hotel rang out of her pocket. Emily nudged Natalie hard. Natalie was enjoying the discomfort of the movie theatre as the ringing continued. She laughed loudly and finally lifted her butt up, stuck her hand in her pocket and pulled out the cell phone. Glancing at the screen Natalie leaned over and whispered to Emily, “I don’t know who this is, Ill be right back.”
Natalie got up and ran down the aisle to the door, still looking at the screen hoping she wouldn’t miss the call. Finally she reached the doors and busted through into a hallway busting with viewers exiting from a recently ended movie. She flipped her phone open and held it tightly to her ear. “Hello?” She questioned. “Is this Natalie Pickitt? “ A deep voice asked back. “Uhm, yes,” Natalie’s heart was pounding as if it knew something she didn’t. “This is Robert Smith and Im calling to inform you...” All the sudden Natalie remembered something important. She thought back three weeks, her mind racing, along with the people pushing her from side to side trying to get to the theatre lobby. Her lungs filled with air and her heart was bursting with excitement. She couldn’t wait for the man to finish his sentence. Natalie screamed into the phone, and the crowd whipped around in panic to stare at her. Still screaming, Natalie jumped around, in a circle flinging her body from side to side. The phone was in the air, being whipped around with her body. The movie-goers stood there in astonishment waiting for it to end.
The doors to theatre 9 flew open and Emily ran smack into Natalie. “What, What’s going on!? What’s the mat-..?” Emily stopped and stared, joining the crowd of fifty. She saw the cell phone waving in the air and she snatched it. “Hel-Hello,” Emily stuttered into the phone. She heard laughing in the background, a deep laugh. “Are you going to let me finish my sentence now?” A man said happily. Emily wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. “Yes?” She unsurely said, shrugging. Natalie stopped jumping and screaming and stood staring at Emily, mouth gaping open. “Im Robert Smith and Im calling to inform you...” A long pause followed by a gasp of air and then, “YOU JUST WON TWO BACKSTAGE PASSES TO THE TOKIO HOTEL CONCERT IN MIAMI!” Emily eyes widened and Natalie’s gaping mouth turned into a huge smile. She sucked in air and held it for a second, as she positioned herself next to her best friend, staring back at the crowd of people. Emily looked mortified; she dropped the phone onto the ground. Turning towards Natalie, she screamed, hugging her. Natalie clutched Emily’s arms trying to pull her off, “I can’t breathe!” She gasped. Emily let go. Natalie picked up the phone. “Hello, Hello!” She yelled. “Im still here,” Robert screamed back. “Thank you thank you thank you so much! This is so incredible, were like freaking out! Oh my god,” Natalie let her contained enthusiasm go again. “I can tell!” Robert responded with a hearty laugh. “The tickets will be on their way to the address you provided tomorrow. Don’t lose them, you won’t get anymore. When you arrive at the venue, go straight up to the ticket checkers and show them your passes, someone will lead you backstage where Ill meet up with you and explain the rest. See you soon!”
There was a click and a beeping as the line went dead.
Natalie slowly lowered the phone and pushed it closed. She turned around and looked at Emily who had regained her posture. They smiled at each other, goofily. Natalie glanced at the crowd of people awaiting an explanation, which had now built up to 100 movie-goers, snack counter boys, and three ushers. “Let’s…go.” Emily said quietly. Natalie nodded and pushed past the crowd of people leading Emily towards the doors. As she fished for her keys in her shoulder bag she let out a sigh of anxiousness. Emily was now arguing with the manager of Regal Cinemas 12, who was insisting on them being banned from the theatre for three months as punishment for their “rude, disrespectful display of silliness” as he put it. Natalie didn’t care if they got kicked out; it meant she didn’t have to go see HSM3 next month. Emily cared a lot. Natalie turned around and yelled out for Emily to come on. Seeing the frustrated look on Emily’s face and the way she stomped over to her, flustered made her laugh inside. “Looks like were driving to Port Orange to see movies for the next three months!” Emily huffed, emphasizing the three months as if it was a lifetime. “That’s okay, it’s not that far.” Natalie tried to cheer her up. “Besides, were seeing…” Emily cut her off “TOKIO HOTEL IN TWO WEEKS!” She screeched. “Yeap” Natalie said, with a little confidence. Natalie jingled the keys on her index finger and tossed them to Emily, “Wanna drive?” Emily caught the keys and smiled, “duh.” They headed for the car. This is going to start off the summer perfectly, she thought, sighing. It’s just what I need.
