Quiet Storm, Season 2, Episode 6 (Rising Storm) Read Online Free PDF

sister. “Love you.”
    She hugged him back, but looked at him quizzically when she pulled away. “Love you, too. You okay?”
    “Fine. Just, you know. Thinking about you and Marcus and all the shit that’s going to hit the fan.”
    “And won’t that be fun?”
    “Seriously, Brit. Talk to Marcus. You guys are great together. Don’t let our stupid family—or his stupid attitude—screw up a good thing.”
    “No.” She nodded firmly. “No, I won’t.”
    He left her putting on her jewelry and humming, then headed for the den to play a little Skyrim. Because he didn’t need to go to Fredericksburg. He didn’t need to see Scott. He didn’t need to give his family another thing to be all superior and judgmental about. He’d be in college in a year and he’d have freedom. He could tell his dad to fuck off then. Now, though...
    Now would be hard. Really hard.
    And yet, apparently “now” was in the cards, because instead of going to the den, he found himself grabbing his keys out of the bowl on the table by the front door, then getting into the red Mustang Convertible he’d gotten for his sixteenth birthday.
    He slid the key in, started the engine, and drew a deep breath before shifting the car into gear.
    Tonight would either be good or it would be hell.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jeffry found the theater easily enough. It was going inside that was the hard part.
    First, he lingered in his car.
    Then he loitered in front of the ticket booth.
    Finally, he lectured himself, telling himself he’d driven all this way and it was just a movie and what the hell was wrong with him anyway?
    Before he could talk himself out of it, he bought his ticket and went into the lobby and got in the concession line. It was an old-fashioned theater with velvet wallpaper and gilt fixtures. Posters of classic movies covered the walls, and the ceiling was an intricate plaster design. It smelled of popcorn, but underneath that, he could detect a faintly musty odor, as if the place hadn’t been thoroughly cleaned since the premiere of Gone With The Wind.
    He searched the sea of faces, but couldn’t locate Scott. He frowned. Maybe Scott had changed his mind. Or maybe he’d already grabbed a seat, which meant that Jeffry was going to have to stand like an idiot near the screen looking back at all the seats as he glanced at each and every face.
    Why the hell had he thought this was a good idea?
    He considered leaving, but he’d reached the counter and a skinny girl in a red uniform cocked her head at him. “Whatcha want?”
    “Um, a large popcorn and a large Dr. Pepper.”
    “You got it.” She backed away to start the massive cup filling with soda, then trotted to the popcorn machine to fill his bag. He watched, partly out of boredom and partly in anticipation. He realized he’d been so lost in his head all day that he’d totally forgotten to eat dinner, and the thought of popcorn was making his stomach rumble.
    “Hey! Jeffry!” Scott’s voice rang out from across the room, and in an instant, Jeffry’s hunger disappeared, replaced by nerves. He turned toward the voice, then shifted back and forth to see past the throng of other patrons lined up for snacks. Finally he saw Scott who was standing right by the ticket taker, his hand in the air as he waved.
    “You came!”
    “I came,” Jeffry said. “Hang on.” He paid the girl, then took his snacks and headed to Scott, trying not to look too eager.
    “I’m glad you’re here,” Scott said as he helped himself to a handful of Jeffry’s popcorn. “I was hoping you’d change your mind. Come on.”
    Jeffry followed Scott into the dim theater, his head spinning a little as he thought of the smile that lit Scott’s eyes. Was this a date? Was he actually out on a date with an insanely hot college guy?
    They moved up the stairs and then slid into one of the rows. Scott moved to the center, which scored points in Jeffry’s book, as those were the best seats, but then Scott immediately