Freeing Phoenix, part 47

"Ta-da," Luke says, taking his hands off Liz's eyes as the car stops.1

"Cool, the movies," she says without the slightest bit of excitement, "What're we gonna see?"2

"Uh, Twilight," he says, confused by her reaction.3

"That's cool."4

"I just LOVE how excited that made you, Liz," Travis chuckles, opening his door.5

"Well, Chester actually told me to think 'Movie Theater' when I was picking out snacks, so that I wouldn't pick something super messy or noisy. Plus, I think I'm suffering from a little 'birthday burn-out' right now. I told you guys, I've never really HAD a real birthday. And today, well, it's been a total BLOWOUT… it's a little overwhelming. I keep waiting for something bad to happen. I feel like today has been TOO good, and soon something'll happen that sends me crashing back down to earth. Too soon all this fun will be over, summer will be over, and then I'll have to go back to my horrible life. And it'll be worse this time, I'll KNOW what I'm missing. I'll know how life COULD be, if I was someone else."6

"I told you-" Luke says, as he gets out of the car7

"And yes, I know, Luke," Liz continues, interrupting him, "RIGHT NOW you'd do EVERYTHING you could just so I wouldn't have to go back to that. But one of these days, you're gonna wake up and see me for what I am, just a plain, uninteresting, worthless MISTAKE. And when that day comes, I don't want it to slap me in the face, I'm gonna be ready for it. So that maybe, just maybe, it might hurt just a LITTLE BIT less."8

"Liz, I swear you FRUSTRATE me so much sometimes."9

"Um, oooh-kay. And HOW exactly do I frustrate you??"10

"Well-"11

"Explain later, Luke," Ana interrupts, looking at her watch, "we don't have time for one of your big, long 'I love you' speeches. This movie was YOUR idea after all."12

"Oh, it was HIS idea, huh," Liz says as they hurry into the building.13

"Oh yeah," Chester smirks, "although, THIS was just a compromise."14

"Yeah," Travis adds, "He had something WAY bigger in mind, but we made him tone it down."15

"What was he going to do BEFORE," Liz asks as they step inside.16

"Nothing," Luke says, "It doesn't matter, you would have thought it was too much anyway."17

---------------------------------18

"That was interesting," Mrs.Peachy says as they walk out of the theater, "but I don't see what all the hysteria is about."19

"Well, the part of the book I read was waaaaaay better," Ana says, "but making a book into a movie can't be easy. Things get taken out and added to keep the story moving, I guess."20

"I thought it was kinda cool," Liz says, "I usually like to read the book before I see the movie though."21

"Well," Chester chuckles, "if Luke woulda had HIS way…"22

"Shut up," Luke says punching him lightly.23

"What WAS your way, Luke," Liz asks him.24

"Don't worry about it," he tells her, "Like I said before, you would've thought it was too much anyway." Changing the subject he says, "The movie was cool, but what was REALLY interesting, was Liz's choice of movie snacks."25

"Hahaha, yeah," Travis laughs, "Pop Tarts and Cheez-Its, that's just WEIRD."26

"Yeah," Chester adds, "not even LUKE is that weird."27

"Don't make me BEAN you guys with my cast," Liz threatens with smirk, "I'd get away with it too, it IS my birthday."28

"Just don't hit 'em in the head, ok Liz," Mrs.Peachy says, "I don't want to have to take anyone to the ER."29