Midnight Movie Club Ch. 06

Cole grunted as Lynn's wet tunnel rhythmically clutched at his throbbing cock. His erection felt like a rocket waiting for final ignition. Each thrust added more fuel to the fire building inside his lower body. "You safe?" he managed to ask through the fog of his impending release.

"Depo shot," she panted.

After several deep strokes, the sensations became too much to endure. He groaned in torture relief as his cock tightened before erupting and sending a shiver of extraordinary pleasure throughout his body. Lynn ran her hands along his back, giving a content sigh as ribbons of his essence spilled inside of her. "You made me cum twice," she cooed quietly once Cole had finished spending himself. "And here I was expecting nothing more than a quick roll in the hay."

"Proud to disappoint." Lynn smiled before pulling him down on top of her. She dragged her fingers through his sandy red hair as they kissed softly for a few moments. Eventually, Cole shifted his hips back to pull his softening penis from her body. He rolled next to her, lying on his side, his back inches from her poster-covered wall. "Stress check," he teased.

"I think you pre-fucked my stress about finals away." Lynn lazily let her finger drift along Cole's chest as they lay quietly next to each other for a few moments, soaking in the afterglow of their coupling. "So," she eventually offered, "you still planning on going back to your room to decompress?"

"Planning. Though open to alternate pathways. Save for the pizza. After that, need the carbs if I wanna crack the books tonight."

"How do you feel about cleaning up, getting dressed, and sitting here listening to music until you get hungry? Aside from what we just did, there's not much better for bleeding off stress than chilling out to music."

Cole ran his hand across his lips before responding. "I'll buy what you're selling."

A wide smile crossed Lynn's face at his answer. "Outstanding." She quickly kissed him on the nose before rolling off the bed. "Bathroom's right down the hall," she told him while grabbing her red panties from the pile at the foot of the bed. "But we should probably put some clothes on first."

X X X X X

"You're smirking."

"How can you tell?"

Lynn lackadaisically brushed Cole in the side with the back of her hand. "What's on your mind?"

"Just thinking." Cole lay on Lynn's bed, his hands behind his head while he rested against a pillow. Lynn was in the same position next to him, both of them now fully clothed save for their shoes. A low-key jazz number drifted from the Bluetooth speakers sitting on the nightstand, part of the extensive Spotify playlist Lynn had thrown on. "Couple weeks ago introduced a lovely young lady to doo wop music. Now a lovely young lady introducing me to swing music. Appreciating the expanding of my musical horizons that college is providing me."

"You're not just saying that to humor me?"

"Nope."

"The '30s, '40s, and '50s, that's my era of music. There's some bleedthrough to the '60s and a smattering of all the decades after, but for the most part, my love's for big band music and early rock and roll." She sighed deeply. "If it wasn't for the rampant racism and overall social strangulation I'd live in 1940s and '50s Los Angeles in a heartbeat. World War II's over, the city's growing by leaps and bounds, and for a brief moment, anything is possible. Then the Russians got the atom bomb, the Red Scare kicked off, minorities coming home from the war can't find affordable housing, and the Black Dahlia was murdered." Lynn waved her hand towards her speakers. "This music makes me think of a better time. Things were perfect, far from it, but it looked like mankind was finally going to get its act together."

"Shove me forward in time, plant me in 1960's California, right there with you in admitting the bad and hoping for the good."

"It's one of the reasons becoming a music historian is... not my safety, but it's more likely than my other goal." There was a strong passion underlying Lynn's words as she told Cole, "I want to make sure that people not only know about it but understand its importance beyond Duke Ellington and Bill Haley."

Cole looked at Lynn. "Being a music historian's your safety? The heck's your... not-your-safety?"

"Being a rock drummer who's mentioned in the same breath as John Bonham and Buddy Rich."

"You play?"

"Damn straight I play," Lynn answered with pride, puffing up her chest. "I haven't played since leaving home but I've been drumming since I was in middle school. And I don't mean marching band or school orchestra, I mean rock-and-roll, crash-and-bang, wake-the-neighbors drums.

"Huh. Never mentioned. Known each other several weeks, you knew I played guitar from the practical get-go. Guessing you have a reason never bringing it up. Curious as to what that might be."

She rolled onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as she looked at Cole. "Name a female rock drummer."

"Meg White," Cole answered immediately. "White Stripes."

"Name another."

Cole's eyes focused on the ceiling as he wracked his brain. "Kate Schellenbach. Ask me for a third, ain't gonna be able to answer without going to Wikipedia."

"You're the only person to make it past Meg White." Lynn pointed to a poster behind Cole. "Janet Weiss." She looked towards the ceiling before gesturing to a picture directly above their heads. "Claudia Gonson. Dee Plakas. Debbi Peterson. Sheila E. Gina Schock. Sandy West. Moe Tucker." Lynn jabbed a finger towards a picture just over Cole's shoulder, speaking with almost religious zealousness. "Honey Lantree, British Invasion, the first female drummer to play the drums on a hit single. Dottie Dodgion." Now she pointed to a black-and-white picture. "Played with Benny Goodman. And Viola Smith," Lynn concluded with a gesture towards an old picture of an all-female swing band. "The first professional female drummer. Soon as I get back behind a drum kit, I'm either going to surpass them all or make sure the entire world knows their names."

"Sensing the fire you got burning for this," Cole said. "Asking again, why hide it?"

"Gatekeepers," Lynn snarled between clenched teeth. "A girl mentions she's into music and out they come. We're supposed to be singers, the face of the band. Or maybe the bassist since no one cares about the bassist. Rarely the guitarist, and never the drummer. I told my high school guidance counselor I wanted to be a rock and roll drummer and his exact words were, 'that is adorable.' The reason I stream most of my music is that a girl walking into a record store attracts the wrong kind of attention." She dropped her voice to imitate a prehistoric human. "'Girl pretty. Boobs.' Who wants to put up with that? I figured I'll come here for four years, get my music degree, and then head back to Portland. That way I'll have a day job while I go out at night and jam for anyone who'd have me while I make my rep."

"Hope to hear you play someday, and wish you luck and fortune four years in advance."

"Well, I am scheduled for the music room in a couple of weeks. It's a bitch for a freshman to get instrument time since a lot of upperclassmen have first dibs, but if you feel like jamming with me, I wouldn't mind a partner..."

The jazz number suddenly cut out, replaced by an acoustic set of distorted lyrics.

# My whole life #

# Looked like a picture of a sunny day #

# My whole life #

# Was like a picture of a sunny day #

Lynn sighed as she stretched her arm towards her smartphone. "That's my roommate. She's checking to see if it's safe."

"We're both wearing pants," Cole said as Lynn's fingers danced across the glass screen. "Safe as it's ever gonna be."

"Piper's pretty cool." Lynn set her smartphone back on her nightstand. "She's still adjusting to college life though. I've got a feeling she had a sheltered upbringing..."

The sound of a key rattling in the lock interrupted Lynn. "Hey Lynn," a voice called out as the door swung open.

"Hey yourself," Lynn said with surprise. She sat up on the bed with Cole following suit. "That was fast."

"I was waiting down the hall in the lounge," a young woman proclaimed as she set a threadbare backpack on the bed on the opposite side of the dorm room. "Got some reading done." The young woman had tanned skin and blonde hair currently done up in a pair of braids hanging over her bare shoulders. She wore a black tank top and a pair of faded denim overalls along with old, weatherbeaten brown work boots. "So what's up?" she asked as she sat down on her bed.

"Just laying here and listening to music," Lynn answered.

The young woman glanced at Cole sitting next to Lynn. "Lynn's got great taste in music," she said with a wide smile.

"Definite getting a melodic education." Cole gave the young woman a casual wave. "Name's Cole. Pleasure."

"Nice to meet you, Cole," she answered brightly. "I'm Piper." She crossed one leg over the other and began to untie her boots.

"How did your Geometry final go?" asked Lynn.

"Good." Piper set one of her boots on the floor as she responded, "I feel really good about it. But now I'm going to lie down and take a nap."

Cole glanced at Lynn. "My cue to throw my shoes on and leave you two to your deactivated brains?"

Piper's braids whipped through the air as she vigorously shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to leave. Lynn will tell you, I can fall asleep at a heavy metal concert. If you guys are listening to music just please keep the volume low and your voices down."

"You sure?" Piper nodded in the affirmative to her roommate's question. Lynn then turned to Cole. "The playlist's got another hour, hour and fifteen minutes to go. You think you can hold off on ordering a pizza for that long?"

"Suppose I can just order while I'm walking out your front door," he smirked. "Take my time, meet the pizza dude on the front steps to McMaster Hall, save everyone a partial trip." On the other side of the room, Piper's boots were now sitting neatly side-by-side. Cole noticed that despite their age, the pair of boots had been well-maintained by the young woman. Piper lay on her back, hands folded across her chest and a pleasant smile on her face as she rested her head against her pillow. Cole imitated his new acquaintance, getting comfortable on Lynn's bed. He closed his eyes and let the music fill his ears, barely noticing Lynn as she rolled onto her stomach and draped an arm across his chest. Her content hum was lost within the smooth sounds of Dave Brubeck.

X X X X X

Julie closed the door behind her before asking, "How is the studying coming along?"

"Rawr," Eleanor growled from her desk.

"That well? I ask then that you please don't bite the hand that feeds you." Reaching into the paper bag, Julie set a plastic container and a plastic bottle down next to Eleanor's textbook. "A Caesar salad and a bottle of Coca-Cola."

"Happy rawr!" Eleanor shoved the textbook and her pile of class notes to one side. "I'm starving." Julie watched as her roommate tore open the salad and began to dump the small cup of dressing onto the combination of lettuce and croutons. "I'm guessing by the Coke that the line at Seattle's Best was out the door?"

"Out the door and around the corner," Julie confirmed.

"I figured it might be. Thank you for at least checking." Eleanor spun the red cap on the bottle open before taking a deep chug of soda. "Oh yeah," she groaned, "that's the kick in the brain I needed. I haven't had a cold Coke since the Fourth of July."

"I haven't had a soda since... I don't remember when. I've imbibed more alcohol in my life than I have soda."

Eleanor laughed. "Why does that not surprise me? Now if we could only work on your love of red meat."

It was Julie's turn to smile. "You are welcome to try, but I jog and take care of my body to maintain my position atop the food chain."

"And to look good naked." Eleanor stabbed her fork into the pile of leafy greens. "You said so yourself to Alexander the day after you guys hooked up. Maybe not your exact words, but the sentiment was there."

"Hamstrung by my own hubris." Julie nodded towards the jumbled pile of schoolwork. "How confident do you feel about this last midterm?"

A sigh was Eleanor's response. "Not very. The sciences were always my weak point in high school," she admitted. "I know the formulas cold but I'm stumbling when it comes to what numbers to plug in for which variable. Comprehension's sitting just out of reach."

"Would you like me to assist you?" Julie offered.

Eleanor shook her head. "Honestly, my nerves are nearly shot. I'm likely to snap at you when I get frustrated." She tapped the fork against the plastic container. "I'm gonna take fifteen minutes to eat dinner instead of wolfing it down and hopefully it'll clear my head. Just put on headphones if you're going to watch a movie, that's all I ask."

"I'm going to go get dinner."

"You didn't eat yet?"

"The line in the cafeteria was very long. I figured it would be better to obtain your salad before the wait grew unbearable. Who am I to deprive you of your rabbit food?"

"Anyone ever told you that you're particularly awesome?"

"It has come up in the past," Julie smiled. "To give you the proper conditions for you to study in, I'm going to stroll over to Village Wok for dinner and take my time enjoying my food."

Eleanor pouted, pressing her lips together. "If I knew you were going to Village Wok I would have asked you to bring me back some garlic chicken."

"I will make you a deal. Tomorrow you can text me upon the completion of your midterm, and I will ensure that by the time you return to our dorm room a fresh order of garlic chicken will soon follow, personally delivered by your caring roommate."

"That is so sweet of you." Eleanor extended her hand for Julie to shake, sealing their arrangement. "I plan to wrap up studying by nine so I can be in bed by ten."

"Then I'll return after 2100 hours." Julie nodded before giving her roommate a reassuring smile. "You will reach out and snatch comprehension from the jaws of confusion, Eleanor. I believe in you."

"Thanks. And Julie?"

"Hmm?"

"Happy Halloween."

X X X X X

"I think I'll go with an iwashi roll and a side of spring rolls."

"For here or to go?" the young man behind the counter asked.

"For here, please. I should say upfront, I plan to take my time enjoying dinner. I concluded my midterms today and would like to allow my brain an opportunity to slow down."

"Shouldn't be a problem," the young man answered. "You're welcome to stay until we close at 10. What do you want to drink?"

"Ice water, thank you," she said gratefully. With a nod, the man headed back behind the red Formica counter to the open-air kitchen as Julie sat down at a nearby table. The scent of frying meat and sauteed vegetables filled the building, an enticing delight not only for the customers already inside but for any passersby who caught a tempting whiff.

Julie tried to resist the label, but she couldn't help but admit that Village Wok could have been a Chinese restaurant located anywhere in the United States. The walls were painted the lucky color of red and adorned with cloth banners displaying stitched Chinese lettering. The cash register sat on the right-hand side of the counter, while the left-hand side held the sushi station, complete with a display cooler and a three-chair sit-down bar. The open-air kitchen meant the long-running argument between the restaurant's owner, speaking in quick Mandarin, and her English-speaking grandson, the young waiter who also doubled as the cashier and busboy, was just as prevalent to patrons as the delicious smell of food. A portion of Julie wondered if the recurring disagreements were genuine, or a calculated part of the restaurant's ambiance.

Whatever else was true or false, it didn't change the fact that Village Wok ticked the two most pertinent boxes on a college student's culinary checklist - the food was cheap, and it was filling. It was also close to campus, took orders for delivery and takeout until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and most importantly to Julie, it was delicious.

The young man came out from behind the counter and placed an empty red plastic glass and a tall pitcher of ice water on the table in front of her. After taking a sip Julie placed her smartpad up the table in front of her and put in her earbuds. She pulled up her movie list, scrolling immediately to her vast selection of horror movies. Despite it being October 31st, a subdued mood held sway over the campus and the surrounding town. The students at Farragut who had completed their midterm exams were spending Halloween respecting the needs of those who hadn't, pushing the costume parties and general debauchery to tomorrow night. Even then, those activities would be dulled by the incoming roar of an Idaho autumn. "The Town That Dreaded Midterms,"" she murmured as she perused her movie selection. "Hopefully we won't veer towards Final Exam come December."

In her efforts to find an appropriate movie for the holiday, Julie didn't notice the young man stepping into the restaurant. Her noise-canceling earbuds muted his call of greeting as well. It wasn't until a dark shadow loomed over her that Julie glanced up from her smartpad. An intense flutter immediately shook her heart. "Oh," she stammered as she tore her earbuds away. "Hello!"

"Hello, Julie." Jaxon Oglesby, president of the Farragut Film Society, offered her a warm smile. "How are you this evening?"

"Fine! I mean... I'm fine!" Julie mentally cursed herself for her flustered answer. She took a breath in an attempt to calm herself. "You just caught me unawares."

"Help you?" a firm voice inquired from the kitchen.

Jaxon answered with a friendly wave. "Good evening Mrs. Zhou. Pick up for Jaxon?"

The diminutive Chinese woman held up her hand. "Five more minutes," she called back. "My grandson started your order late."

"Because I was on the phone taking another order!" came a male voice from further back in the kitchen.

The older woman turned to yell at the speaker. "Learn to do two things at once! You're always on your phone while working so it shouldn't be difficult!"

Julie's heart had just managed to find the rough proximity of its normal rhythm when Jaxon once again flashed her a casual grin. "I've been coming here for two-and-a-half years," he told her, "and I can count the number of times Mrs. Zhou and Leo weren't arguing on one hand and still have fingers left over."

Julie again berated herself, this time at the schoolgirl giggle that escaped her. "I only have a limited set of data, however, a portion of me believes that their disagreements are a calculated part of their business plan." She motioned towards the chair opposite her. "Please, sit down."

Jaxon did as requested. "Am I interrupting anything?" he asked with a nod towards her smartpad.

"I was about to watch a Halloween-themed movie," Julie explained. "My roommate Eleanor is studying for her last midterm and I am giving her space by enjoying sushi and a movie from now until close." She brought all her focus to bear to look in Jaxon's eyes, lest her gaze wander over his handsome face. The college junior was wearing a short-sleeved gray dress shirt that served to put his broad shoulders and defined arms on display. Julie found herself feeling self-conscious sitting across from him, as she had thrown on a worn pair of jeans and a red blouse dating back to her freshman year of high school. And that was without mentioning her laundry day sports bra and panties

"Let me guess. Halloween?"

"It was an option, however, I've seen it several times," she responded. "I prefer to vary my movie choices to experience a wide variety. One never knows when they'll find an uncut gem in the rough."