Midnight Movie Club Ch. 08

"Just imagine you're a badass like Laurie," Alcide offered.

"But she was broken too." The statement came from Piper. Her eyes were focused on her iced mocha as she spoke. "Her toughness came at the cost of forty years of not living her life. There was that line from the doctor in the first movie about Michael sitting in his hospital room, looking past the room, waiting for Halloween night to break out. Because of what Michael did to her, Laurie became the same way. She told the sheriff that she prayed every night for Michael to escape so she could kill him."

"And he rightfully told her how dumb that was," said Alcide.

"Of all the things to pray for," Tricia added, "the escape of a mass murderer should be at the bottom of the list. It shouldn't be on the list at all. But Piper, are you saying that Laurie was just as bad as Michael?"

"Oh no, not at all," Piper quickly responded. "Laurie's the hero and Michael's the villain, there's no denying that. Both are resourceful and tough as nails, but that's due to how they've chosen to cope with their trauma. They're two sides of the same coin."

"What's Michael's trauma then?" asked Alcide.

"Being pure, unadulterated evil."

Alcide shook his head at Tricia's suggestion. "No, I mean, what was the event that traumatized him?"

"I would think being pure, unadulterated evil would be traumatic enough. Imagine," remarked Tricia, "an entire existence dedicated to evil. To never experience anything else, even the... perks that might come with acting in such a manner. To be totally cut off from God's love. It was obvious Michael didn't draw any enjoyment from what he did. He just did it because that's who he was. He doesn't know how to act any other way. He can't act any other way. Being locked onto such a path would be enough to break anyone."

Alcide tapped his nose with the side of his finger as he formulated his response. "I can see your point, but Michael does have a sense of humor. He dressed up as a ghost in the first movie to kill that 'Totally' girl and dressed up the babysitter's corpse as a ghost in the second one."

Tricia nodded before countering, "I would argue it takes a certain kind of person to pull pranks such as those, and that person would be a far cry from normal, would they not?" After a moment, Alcide shrugged. He turned his palms toward the ceiling in a gesture of quasi-agreement.

"I get where you're coming from, Piper," said Lynn. "I believe people will always live with their trauma. They might get over it eventually, they might not, but it's always going to be there in the background, dictating their actions in some capacity. For Laurie and Michael however, their trauma was at the forefront. Without her trauma though, Laurie wouldn't have survived the second movie. Neither would her daughter and granddaughter."

Alcide glanced across the table at Julie. "You've been kind of quiet."

"I've been enjoying the conversation. I rarely get to sit back and listen to a movie discussion without taking part. Everyone has had some good insights."

"Do you have any insights," he asked. "You said you've seen this movie before. Anything stand out to you on a rewatch?"

Julie steepled her fingers together while she thought. "This is the third time I've watched Halloween and I would have to say... that law enforcement is competent. It's very easy in horror movies to dismiss the police by making them unprofessional or objects of ridicule. Even in Scream, the deputy is portrayed as a bumbling idiot even as he acts exactly as a police officer would in that situation. Here, as soon as the sheriff realized Michael Myers had returned he got everyone off the streets, put the Strodes under protective custody, and when he finally found Michael he not only ran him over, he was going to shoot him in the head until the doctor stopped him. It's refreshing in a horror movie to see the police capably doing their jobs."

"Yeah, that caught me by surprise too," smirked Alcide. "A cop shooting a helpless white guy? You never see that."

Piper's eyes widened at Alcide's comment. In contrast, Tricia gave Alcide a narrow stare. "Was that necessary?"

"Hey, where I come from, people with my skin color get harassed and abused by the sheriff's department regularly. If I were back in New Mexico, I'd have #DefundtheSheriff trending every single day."

Julie leaned forward. She held her hand out between Alcide and Julie. "There is a time and a place for that conversation," she proclaimed, "however, I ask that it not be tonight. I endeavor to end this evening on a harmonious note. Please?" Both Alcide and Tricia nodded, sending relief flowing through Julie. "To bring our discussion to a close, would we agree that the 2018 Halloween holds merit as a movie?"

After several more minutes, the consensus of the group was that the movie was a solid follow-up to the original. As Julie finished the final sip of her coffee, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Alcide glanced over from where he was talking to Lynn to see Julie glancing down at her phone. "Everything OK?"

"Oh yes," Julie answered with a smile. "It's my ex-boyfriend Mark from high school wishing me a belated happy Halloween."

"What time is it?" inquired Piper.

"It is currently 0057. 12:57 AM. As the witching hour is reaching its end, I feel this is where we should call it an evening."

"I second the motion." Tricia sipped the last remnants of her tea before setting the cup on the table. "My church service is at 8:00 AM tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm ready to climb into bed too." Lynn waggled her eyebrows at Alcide. "Your room or mine?"

"Mine," he answered. "My roommate's crashing with his girlfriend tonight so we'll have the place to ourselves." From the corner of her eye, Julie could see the look of relief on Piper's face.

The group put their dirty dishes into a plastic bin before stepping outside into the night.

X X X X X

The freezing rain had degraded into a cold mist that dragged across Julie's face as they walked. After a few minutes Piper, Lynn, and Alcide waved as they peeled off to head towards their respective dorms, leaving Julie and Tricia to make their journey home. "I'm glad you came out tonight," Julia told Tricia. "I hope you had fun."

Julie could see the prim young woman carefully choosing her words. "I am still not a fan of horror movies," she finally said. "If tonight's movies were, as Beatrix suggested, among the more tamer of the genre I do not see myself becoming a fan. With that said I enjoyed the camaraderie." She nodded, more to herself than towards Julie. "Thank you for putting it together and extending me an invitation."

"In the interests of honesty, Eleanor and Cole both assisted me with tonight's double-feature, and I didn't know Eleanor extended you an invitation until you arrived this evening."

"It was a last-minute decision. I prayed on it, but it wasn't until Beatrix was putting on her shoes that I felt the push to join her. And I'm glad I did. I hope this evening was truly a fresh start regarding you and me as neighbors."

As the pair reached the steps leading up to the front door of Samuelson Hall, Julie asked, "Would you like to have lunch tomorrow after you attend church? We could attempt to build upon this evening's goodwill."

Trica held the door open for Julie after unlocking it with her student ID. "I have a prior engagement," she said, following Julie inside. "But I wouldn't mind having dinner sometime this week. Perhaps the two of us along with Beatrix and Eleanor?"

"I will check with Eleanor tomorrow." The young women engaged in small talk as they took the elevator to the third floor. Julie had just wished Tricia a good night. Her key was in her lock when a stray thought crossed her mind. "Tricia? For someone who holds strong Christian values, how is The Life of Brian your favorite movie?"

"A young woman has to have some glaring contradictions. Good night, Julie."

X X X X X

The hot water cascading over Alexander's body complemented the nervous energy racing about inside of him.

His grandfather was a font of cliched wisdom. Right now his voice was telling his grandson not to look a gift horse in the mouth. This is where Alexander should have been confident. This is where he should be walking around with the same big dick swagger that the jocks at the academy exuded, bragging in the locker room about their parade of conquests and the pipe they had laid all across Bainbridge Island. Instead, he stood with his face turned directly towards the showerhead, getting blasted in the face by the water's spray and hoping it would help bleed away the anxiety regarding the willing and, knowing Karen, wet young woman awaiting him back in his dorm room.

Just over two months into his college career and Alexander had already slept with four attractive women - Julie, Eleanor, Karen, and Gwen. Each one had propositioned him practically out of the blue. Eleanor and Karen had stated their intentions by stripping naked in front of him while Gwen had asked Alexander to undress before agreeing on a mutual removal of clothing. Julie's initiation of their first encounter had been more subtle and took place over the second half of the movie they had been watching, but both of them had ensured the other nothing was going to happen between them earlier that evening. His subsequent times with Julie, Eleanor, and Karen had all taken place under rapidly unfolding circumstances as well.

For the first time at Farragut, Alexander was actively anticipating sex. And instead of scrubbing down and rinsing off per his lover's request, he stood under a spray of hot water frozen by icy apprehension.

Slowly, however, Alexander began to mentally chip away at the block of ice constraining him. This wasn't a trick, he told himself. Karen wasn't going to lock him out of his room. She wasn't going to grab his clothes and take off, leaving him naked and confused in the hallway. She hadn't been coaxed into half-heartedly sleeping with him. And by not only asking him to take the time to shower but stepping out to freshen up herself, it wasn't a case of "fuck the one you're with."

Slowly the ice began to melt. The hot water flowed over and into the cracks of his anxiety, carving and melting it away from above and below. Alexander ran his hands through his soaked hair, slicking it back along his scalp, before sighing with both relief and release. After enjoying the hot water for a moment, he grabbed his washcloth and began scrubbing his skin, taking special care of the area that Karen said she would be bringing her A-game to later on.

Once he had finished and dried off, Alexander made his way back to his dorm room. With every step, he could feel his cock stiffening. Fortunately, the large blue towel wrapped around his waist hid his growing arousal. Still, by the time he reached his dorm room the front of his towel jutted into the air like a camping tent. After opening his door a crack, he called out to Karen. "Am I good to come in?"

"It's your room," she responded from the other side.

"I simply wanted to make sure you were decent."

"Not for much longer. Get your butt in here."

Alexander pushed the door open enough to allow him to walk into the room. The lamp on Cole's nightstand had been turned on, gently bathing the room with a coat of pale yellow light. An expectant thrill ran through him as he saw Karen sitting on the edge of his bed, legs crossed, casually swinging one of her feet while offering him a demure smile. Her clothing lay scattered on the floor, leaving her clad in just a pair of black-and-white striped boy shorts and a plain white t-shirt. "You're wearing one of my shirts," he proclaimed as he stepped inside.

"I got tired of my bra but didn't want to deny you the thrill of taking it off to see my boobs. I figured this was a compromise."

Alexander's eyes roamed over Karen's athletic body. "You look incredibly alluring right now."

Appreciation sparkled in her pale blue eyes. "No one's ever called me alluring before." Holding up one hand, Karen crooked a finger, beckoning him over. Once Alexander was close enough she stood up and pulled the towel away from his body to reveal his total nudity. With his cock pointing proudly in her direction, her tongue slid into his mouth, dancing wildly with his for several seconds. Wrapping his blonde hair around her fingers, Karen held his head in place while laying a trail of kisses along his shoulder, neck, and cheek before pressing her lips against his.

The next few minutes were a series of passionate kisses, caresses, gropes, murmurs, sighs, suckles, strokes, squeezes, and pinches between the two freshmen. The memory of their two previous encounters gave Alexander a foundation to work with. He paid attention to the hollow of her throat, the crook of her neck, and once he had stripped his t-shirt away, her full breasts. He feathered kisses along Karen's upper body while his fingers roamed her firm muscles and traced circles around her stiff nipples.

She responded by lightly pinching one of his nipples. The flash of pain caused Alexander to gasp. Meanwhile, Karen brought her mouth to his other nipple, giving the nub a soothing flick of her tongue, as she began lowering herself to the floor.

After a few more moments and a few more kisses, Karen's downward journey ended with her on her knees before Alexander. His breathing was laced with anticipation as she took hold of his erection with one hand. She lifted it, gently bending it towards his body, allowing her to lick the underside of his cock. "Oh my God," he moaned when Karen began teasing him with a series of long, slow, warm, wet licks.

She worked her way from the tip of his penis to the base of his shaft, coating his cock with her saliva. Having a woman go down on him was still relatively new for Alexander, so when Karen cradled his balls it felt like he was being tickled. He jumped slightly, inadvertently letting out a shocked chuckle. His attempt to apologize, however, quickly fell apart as Karen ran her tongue along the wrinkled skin of his sack, causing an almost unbearable bolt of sensation to race through him. His entire body quivered as she sucked lightly on the thin layer of skin.

It wasn't just his balls that Karen focused on. She explored nearly every inch of his groin with her mouth while her hand slowly stroked his cock. Her tongue pressed against places a woman's tongue had never touched before, even venturing below his groin before teasingly gliding back up. "Is this... fuuuuuuuuuuuuck," he groaned, trembling as she licked the sensitive area between his sack and his thigh. "Is this your A-game?"

An "mmm hmm" was Karen's muted response as she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock before answering. She began blowing him, one hand working with her mouth on his erect shaft while her other hand took over exploration duties. Alexander's cock throbbed as she worked him over. The intense feeling spread across his lower body, dominating his senses. He put a hand on her shoulder to keep his balance. He watched while she ran her tongue around his mushroom tip before once again swallowing him, taking in more of his length than she had previously. She glanced up at him with a dainty bat of her eyelashes, giving him an innocent look betrayed by the fact that his cock was lewdly shoved into her mouth.

Every inch of his skin was covered in goosebumps. His breath came in ragged gasps, punctuated by groans and cries as Karen worked him over. The sheer bliss brought about from Karen's A-game made the sole portion of his brain still capable of conscious thought thankful that Alexander's once over in the shower had included both his bow and his aft, although Karen was making a play for port and starboard as she cradled his balls with both hands.

The sensations were almost too much to take until they became too much to take. A familiar tightness began forming in his lower body. This time it was accompanied by a sharp, continuous feeling of ecstasy that told him his orgasm was rapidly imminent. He managed to grab the edge of his bed before hitting the point of no return. "Karen," he managed to grunt, "I'm... oh shit, I'mgoingtofuckingcum!"

His words barely beat his climax to the finish line. Karen wrapped her lips tightly around his cock, cupping his balls with one hand and jacking his shaft with the other. She gagged as he erupted in her mouth, but she continued stroking him while greedily sucking down every drop.

The only sound he could manage was a strangled cry. His hips bucked involuntarily and a thin line of black ran along the edges of his vision. Indentations formed across his fingers as Alexander gripped his bed frame. Each pulse of his cock was accompanied by an intense euphoria that lingered even as the final wave of his essence filled Karen's mouth. As soon as she popped his erection from her mouth Alexander slumped to the ground. Luckily he had enough presence of mind to collapse with a manner of grace. He ended up sitting on the floor, his back against his bed, mouth gaping like a fish, eyes unfocused.

"So, you liked my A-game?"

Alexander managed to nod before lifting his head to look up at Karen. The brunette was looking down at him with one of the top ten biggest smirks he had ever seen. "That was... wow," he told them. "Absolutely, positively, 100% pure wow."

"Good," she said while slipping her hands underneath his shoulders, "now up you go." Alexander got to his feet with her assistance. His arms automatically went around Karen's waist once he was upright. Karen kissed him softly, running a hand through his hair. His scalp was damp with sweat, adding a hint of color to Alexander's blonde locks. In return, Alexander was using her to remain on his feet by using his hands to squeeze and caress Karen's firm, tight butt. "You looked blitzed," Karen said to Alexander. "You would be walking into walls if we were outside."

"Sounds about right. That was the most intense blowjob I've ever had." With a happy sigh, he let go of Karen and fell backward onto his bed. He smiled as he looked up at the ceiling. "College is fucking awesome."

"It definitely is," she exclaimed, flopping onto the bed gracefully next to him. "I'm glad you enjoyed that. It was the least I could do after you put me up for the night."

One arm slid underneath her. "Don't ever feel obligated that you have to fool around with me," Alexander told Karen, pulling her close and snuggling with her. "We're friends with benefits but those benefits aren't automatic all the time. I wasn't going to put you out if you needed a place to crash."

"And I wasn't planning to put out tonight," Karen said as spooned next to him. "It would have been a shame to waste this private dorm room though." Brushing back a loose strand of his blonde hair, she offered him a serious look. "I'm taking advantage of our current situation. No pressure, no obligation. Does that make you feel better?"

"Yeah." He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Just... never mind."

"Oh no." Karen poked his ribs, causing him to simultaneously wince and chuckle. "You don't get to drop a 'nevermind' on me, not after I just spent ten minutes going down on you." She pushed her body against his, going so far as to throw her leg over his thighs. "What were you about to apologize for?"

Looking up at the ceiling, Alexander's hands rolled in the air while he gathered his thoughts. "I've been with four women since I got here to Farragut. And... this is going to sound incredibly selfish but I was nowhere near that lucky in high school. I'm trying to make sure I don't mess things up."

"Hey, I get it. Never fuck with a winning streak."

"It's not that... well, it's not entirely that," he admitted. "We're friends, right? I'm also friends with Julie and Eleanor and I'd say I'm 'friendly' with Gwen. I've seen how sex can get in the way of a friendship and I don't want that to happen."