First Date - G - March 8, 2009
Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:16 am
As always, I don't own the Moonlight characters, but they are so inspiring.
First Date - Rated G
Nearly 13-years-old in October of 1934, Mick makes plans any healthy red-blooded adolescent American boy living in Depression era Los Angeles would make. He wants to get cozy with a cute girl. In the meanwhile, figures lurking in the shadows discuss quite different plans for his future. All the players are from the show except for Mick’s date, but she gave me permission to use her name.
He hated to use the streetcar for a date, but Mick didn’t have money for a taxi. It wasn’t like his dad would let him drive the old Ford. They were lucky to have a car at all considering how the Depression affected so many of their neighbors. He was lucky his father had a job at all that autumn. He’d earned a couple of dollars after a summer of doing odd jobs, mowing lawns, cleaning gutters and stuff. He finally had enough to ask the lovely Ronnette out for a date. He wanted to show her a good time and maybe get a real kiss in the dark of the movie palace.
When he first asked her, her mother they were much too young. The only way they would be allowed to go out is if they group-dated. Mick agreed to ask Ray, his best friend. Fortunately, the theater was just one streetcar fare along Wilshire Boulevard. R Ray’s dad could pick the foursome up after the movie. Ray, Mick’s best friend, had been more practical. “Why not let my dad drive us both ways and save on the streetcar?”
“We’d feel older, not like kids with one of our dads driving. The girls would have more respect for us, like we were in high school already. We might get lucky.”
“How lucky do you think we can get? We are kids,” Ray said, but Mick was adamant that he wanted to impress Ronnette with his maturity. “Boys are supposed to be interested in sports.”
“Yeah, of course, but the Series is over and there’s no basketball or football on the radio this Saturday. Ronnette’s been giving me the eye. Maybe I’ll get a kiss and a squeeze. I know we have to work our way up, but I bet she’d like that for a first date.” Ray sighed. “Who you gonna ask?” Mick asked.
“Who d’you think?” Ray rolled his eyes. As if he would ever ask anyone but Lila. They’d been passing each other notes since Second Grade.
“Just make sure Lila says yes so I can tell Ronnette’s mother it’ll be the four of us. It’s the only way she’ll let her come. We’ll pick up the girls around three at Ronnette’s and then walk to Wilshire Boulevard to catch the Red Line to the Realto. Dracula is playing there.”
“We saw that when that first came out two years ago,” Ray said. “Why do you want to see it again?”
“Because Ronnette hasn’t seen it yet.” He winked to Ray.
“So? Girls don’t like creepy movies.”
Mick pushed his fingers through his curly hair. “They do when they’re with boys. You just ask Lila tomorrow at school. I’ll firm things up with Ronnette. It’ll be good.”
Ray persisted. “Tell me again why you want to see Dracula. It was icky. Drinking blood. Monsters.”
“I’ve got it all figured out. The girls will get scared and practically jump into our laps. We can comfort them and squeeze them at the same time.”
Ray turned beet red. “That’s no way to treat a lady and Lila is a lady. At least she’s going to be. I’m going to marry her.”
Mick chuckled. “What? In 10 years? Anyway, I’ve had my eye on Ronnette for a while already. Let’s see how she feels about being comforted.”
“Mick. Do you know where your brain is? I’ll tell you. It’s in your…”
Mick threw his head back and laughed so he never heard what Ray said, even though he had an idea. As he ran down the block to his own house, he was thinking about how he was going to ask his pretty classmate to be his first date, even if it had to be a foursome.
It was dark when they exited the theater. “Come on, Ronnette,” Mick urged. “The double feature ended later than I thought, but we still have time for an ice-cream soda while we wait for Ray’s father to pick us up. There’s no school tomorrow. I’ve got enough money.” He jiggled the quarters in his pocket, feeling rich. A whole dollar for a date, but it had been worth it. He’d gotten to kiss Ronnette.
They strolled through the departing crowd, Ronnette leaning into Mick. He was tall and she was short, but he had his arm around her back as if she couldn’t walk without his support.
“Well, Dracula was scary,” Ronnette said. “But, the Mummy was worse. I hated the part when you think the monster is dead and then he puts his hands right through the door and cracks someone’s neck. I nearly jumped out of my seat.”
“I noticed,” Mick said, squeezing her closer. “That would take super strength, but it looked like fun, didn’t it?”
“It was even worse when he was under the leaves and he suddenly sat up,” Lila said. “I practically died of fright.” That was a good scene, Mick thought. He might try that trick to scare someone on Halloween. All it would take was a little careful planning.
“Good thing I was there to save you,” said Ray, kissing his date’s cheek.
“What did they use for the blood?” Ronnette asked. “It looked so real,”
“Tomato juice or ketchup?” Ray offered.
“Well, since movies are only black and white, they don’t have to worry about the color,” Mick said. “Someone who works in Hollywood told my mother they use Fox’s U-Bet. I wouldn’t mind licking chocolate syrup off your neck, Ronnette. We can pretend that it’s blood. I wonder if vampires think blood tastes good. What do you think?” He quirked an eyebrow, and grinned.
Ronnette looked far too serious for his light tone. “It’s still creepy. Imagine living on nothing but blood, and sleeping in a coffin. Imagine getting staked. That would be awful.”
“What? You’re feeling sorry for the vampire now? Remember, they’re monsters,” Mick said. “I’ll protect you if a big, bad vampire comes by and thinks you look tasty. Come on. Let’s get that ice cream soda.”
The kids didn’t notice the tall, sandy haired man with the beautiful dark-haired woman until they nearly bumped into them. “Sorry,” Mick said.
“That’s all right,” said the youngish looking man. The couple turned to watch the young people cross the street to the ice cream parlor. “See, I told you,” the man said to his companion. “It means nothing to them. It’s simply a source of entertainment. Bela Lugosi did a credible job considering the script, but humans will never believe vampires actually exist.”
“I hope you’re right, Josef,” said the woman. “I like the looks of the tall boy. He has something special about him.”
“You shouldn’t look that way at children, Coraline,” Josef said.
The woman smiled. “Maybe you’re right, but still, I think I’m going to keep my eye on that boy and watch him while he grows up. I like his attitude. There’s definite potential there.”
“Give him time to mature. It’ll be about twenty years before he’s ready for you. You have all the time in the world,” said Josef. “You’ll look twenty forever.”
“True,” said Coraline. “Thanks for the movie. It’s always a good idea to know what the human population thinks of us.” The limousine pulled up for them. Coraline took one last look at the tall boy and got into the car.
First Date - Rated G
Nearly 13-years-old in October of 1934, Mick makes plans any healthy red-blooded adolescent American boy living in Depression era Los Angeles would make. He wants to get cozy with a cute girl. In the meanwhile, figures lurking in the shadows discuss quite different plans for his future. All the players are from the show except for Mick’s date, but she gave me permission to use her name.
He hated to use the streetcar for a date, but Mick didn’t have money for a taxi. It wasn’t like his dad would let him drive the old Ford. They were lucky to have a car at all considering how the Depression affected so many of their neighbors. He was lucky his father had a job at all that autumn. He’d earned a couple of dollars after a summer of doing odd jobs, mowing lawns, cleaning gutters and stuff. He finally had enough to ask the lovely Ronnette out for a date. He wanted to show her a good time and maybe get a real kiss in the dark of the movie palace.
When he first asked her, her mother they were much too young. The only way they would be allowed to go out is if they group-dated. Mick agreed to ask Ray, his best friend. Fortunately, the theater was just one streetcar fare along Wilshire Boulevard. R Ray’s dad could pick the foursome up after the movie. Ray, Mick’s best friend, had been more practical. “Why not let my dad drive us both ways and save on the streetcar?”
“We’d feel older, not like kids with one of our dads driving. The girls would have more respect for us, like we were in high school already. We might get lucky.”
“How lucky do you think we can get? We are kids,” Ray said, but Mick was adamant that he wanted to impress Ronnette with his maturity. “Boys are supposed to be interested in sports.”
“Yeah, of course, but the Series is over and there’s no basketball or football on the radio this Saturday. Ronnette’s been giving me the eye. Maybe I’ll get a kiss and a squeeze. I know we have to work our way up, but I bet she’d like that for a first date.” Ray sighed. “Who you gonna ask?” Mick asked.
“Who d’you think?” Ray rolled his eyes. As if he would ever ask anyone but Lila. They’d been passing each other notes since Second Grade.
“Just make sure Lila says yes so I can tell Ronnette’s mother it’ll be the four of us. It’s the only way she’ll let her come. We’ll pick up the girls around three at Ronnette’s and then walk to Wilshire Boulevard to catch the Red Line to the Realto. Dracula is playing there.”
“We saw that when that first came out two years ago,” Ray said. “Why do you want to see it again?”
“Because Ronnette hasn’t seen it yet.” He winked to Ray.
“So? Girls don’t like creepy movies.”
Mick pushed his fingers through his curly hair. “They do when they’re with boys. You just ask Lila tomorrow at school. I’ll firm things up with Ronnette. It’ll be good.”
Ray persisted. “Tell me again why you want to see Dracula. It was icky. Drinking blood. Monsters.”
“I’ve got it all figured out. The girls will get scared and practically jump into our laps. We can comfort them and squeeze them at the same time.”
Ray turned beet red. “That’s no way to treat a lady and Lila is a lady. At least she’s going to be. I’m going to marry her.”
Mick chuckled. “What? In 10 years? Anyway, I’ve had my eye on Ronnette for a while already. Let’s see how she feels about being comforted.”
“Mick. Do you know where your brain is? I’ll tell you. It’s in your…”
Mick threw his head back and laughed so he never heard what Ray said, even though he had an idea. As he ran down the block to his own house, he was thinking about how he was going to ask his pretty classmate to be his first date, even if it had to be a foursome.
It was dark when they exited the theater. “Come on, Ronnette,” Mick urged. “The double feature ended later than I thought, but we still have time for an ice-cream soda while we wait for Ray’s father to pick us up. There’s no school tomorrow. I’ve got enough money.” He jiggled the quarters in his pocket, feeling rich. A whole dollar for a date, but it had been worth it. He’d gotten to kiss Ronnette.
They strolled through the departing crowd, Ronnette leaning into Mick. He was tall and she was short, but he had his arm around her back as if she couldn’t walk without his support.
“Well, Dracula was scary,” Ronnette said. “But, the Mummy was worse. I hated the part when you think the monster is dead and then he puts his hands right through the door and cracks someone’s neck. I nearly jumped out of my seat.”
“I noticed,” Mick said, squeezing her closer. “That would take super strength, but it looked like fun, didn’t it?”
“It was even worse when he was under the leaves and he suddenly sat up,” Lila said. “I practically died of fright.” That was a good scene, Mick thought. He might try that trick to scare someone on Halloween. All it would take was a little careful planning.
“Good thing I was there to save you,” said Ray, kissing his date’s cheek.
“What did they use for the blood?” Ronnette asked. “It looked so real,”
“Tomato juice or ketchup?” Ray offered.
“Well, since movies are only black and white, they don’t have to worry about the color,” Mick said. “Someone who works in Hollywood told my mother they use Fox’s U-Bet. I wouldn’t mind licking chocolate syrup off your neck, Ronnette. We can pretend that it’s blood. I wonder if vampires think blood tastes good. What do you think?” He quirked an eyebrow, and grinned.
Ronnette looked far too serious for his light tone. “It’s still creepy. Imagine living on nothing but blood, and sleeping in a coffin. Imagine getting staked. That would be awful.”
“What? You’re feeling sorry for the vampire now? Remember, they’re monsters,” Mick said. “I’ll protect you if a big, bad vampire comes by and thinks you look tasty. Come on. Let’s get that ice cream soda.”
The kids didn’t notice the tall, sandy haired man with the beautiful dark-haired woman until they nearly bumped into them. “Sorry,” Mick said.
“That’s all right,” said the youngish looking man. The couple turned to watch the young people cross the street to the ice cream parlor. “See, I told you,” the man said to his companion. “It means nothing to them. It’s simply a source of entertainment. Bela Lugosi did a credible job considering the script, but humans will never believe vampires actually exist.”
“I hope you’re right, Josef,” said the woman. “I like the looks of the tall boy. He has something special about him.”
“You shouldn’t look that way at children, Coraline,” Josef said.
The woman smiled. “Maybe you’re right, but still, I think I’m going to keep my eye on that boy and watch him while he grows up. I like his attitude. There’s definite potential there.”
“Give him time to mature. It’ll be about twenty years before he’s ready for you. You have all the time in the world,” said Josef. “You’ll look twenty forever.”
“True,” said Coraline. “Thanks for the movie. It’s always a good idea to know what the human population thinks of us.” The limousine pulled up for them. Coraline took one last look at the tall boy and got into the car.