CHAPTER TWENTY
( MOVIES )

     CARMEN STIRS HER coffee. Aurora steps into the room, grumbling around until she reaches the fridge. Zach raises an eyebrow across from Carmen, but neither question her actions.

"That bitch," Aurora mutters, causing Daniel to drop a frying pan.

He clutches a hand to his chest, and whirls around to face her with wide eyes. "When did you get in here?"

"Don't worry yourself about it."

Aurora smirks when walking over to the coffee pot, just as Jonah, Alex, and Corbyn stumble into the kitchen looking rather tired.

"Blondie!" Aurora yells, rushing to Corbyn. "You missed something major when you passed out last night. Feel my pockets."

Corbyn looks bewildered, but Alex nods encouragingly. "She asked everyone to last night. Just do it."

Realizing he was outnumbered on the topic, Corbyn felt one of her sweatpant pockets, his face scrunching up in wonder as he did so. "How are they so soft?"

"Hey, Aurora," Alex interrupts, picking Frederick up from the table. "Does your panda talk?"

Aurora smirks as everyone else shares glances. Carmen clears her throat lightly, covering her ears. "Yep. Just press his paw."

Carmen prepares herself next to Zach as the pterodactyl screech fills the room once again. Alex screams, dropping the panda immediately. Laughing, Aurora scoops the bear from the floor and cradles it to her chest.

"Awww, it's okay, Mummy's here." She coos to Frederick. "Did the loud lady scare you?"

Alex opens her mouth to retort, but is cut off by the sound of the front door opening.

"That must be Callie and Jack," Carmen mutters to Zach, placing her cup of coffee down as Aurora runs to the door.

"It's a murderer!" Aurora says. Her enthusiasm is gone, though, as she sees that it is Callie and Jack. "False alarm. It's just Poodle and Callie."

"Was she actually hoping for a murderer?" Zach mutters to Carmen.

---

The group of nine now stands, spread out along the beach as the sun reaches it's highest point. Jack, Corbyn, Alex, Callie, and Jonah rest upon the beach, while Carmen, Zach, Aurora, and Daniel rest in the water.

"I swear you're part mermaid or something," Daniel says as Aurora beats him at yet another race.

"I wish," Carmen and Aurora mutter simultaniously.

"Why would you want to be a mermaid?" Zach asks, giving the two of them an odd look.

"Three reasons, Heroine," Aurora starts. By her side, Carmen holds up three fingers to demonstrate. "One; no periods. Two; free clam bra. Three; the ability to lure men to their deaths with my amazing voice."

"Really, dude?" Daniel shakes his head. "You should've known better than to ask."

Aurora leaves them, joining Callie on the beach. Meanwhile, Carmen sighs, lowering herself further into the cold water.

"Are you alright?" Daniel asks as Zach moves forward to her.

"I'm fine," Carmen dismisses them with the wave of her hand. "I promise, I'm not incapable of swimming."

"Caramel!" Aurora yells. "You, Zach, and Daniel need to fill up buckets with sand."

The three don't question it, moving towards the empty buckets they left ashore. Zach grabs two of them, filling one with sand, before glancing over at Carmen. "Are you sure you can carry this?"

"Zach, I have a perfectly good arm," Carmen rolls her eyes, taking the bucket of sand from him. "Stop worrying so much."

When the three arrive next to the others, they begin to understand what it is that Aurora requested they help with. Jonah and Jack lay asleep on beach towels, as they had the day before.

Zach helps Callie with covering Jack in sand, as Daniel helps Alex, Corbyn, and Aurora. Carmen moves to help the others, but Zach stops her.

"Stop," He says. "I don't want you hurting yourself."

Carmen frowns as Aurora rolls her eyes at his protectiveness. "I can take care of myself," She defends.

"Oh, come on, Heroine," Aurora says from her spot on the ground. "Let her have some fun. If she can swim, she's more than capable of playing in the sand."

"Yeah," Callie cuts in, winking at Carmen. "She can help decorate."

Zach groans, but steps back anyway, waving his hands in the air dramatically. Carmen sends the girls grateful glances, before she gets to work by Aurora's side, placing seaweed and seashells on the sleeping boys.

Once they're done, the seven step back, examining their hard work. Jonah and Jack now have sand covering their bodies in the shape of a mermaid with seashells acting as bras, and seaweed strung through their hair.

"I must say," Alex starts, grinning broadly. "That looks pretty cool."

"Way cool," Aurora agrees as Callie takes pictures of the boys. "I say they need a wakeup call."

"Oh my gosh," Carmen says with wide eyes. "You brought it?"

Instead of answering, Aurora brings out the metal can from behind her back, and presses the button. The loud, shrill sound of the air horn echos in the air, causing the two sleeping boys to jerk awake.

Callie starts to laugh loudly as the boys struggle to move underneath the heavy sand. Aurora glances around warily, preparing an escape plan as Jonah looks to her with narrowed eyes.

"I should've known," Jonah breaks into a smile. "Of course it was your idea."

"Actually, it was Callie's."

Jonah slowly stands from the pile of sand, making Carmen lean in close to Callie and Aurora with a smirk.

"Run."

---

"Okay," Callie says, waving tickets around in her hand. "I've got the tickets for the movie. Is everyone okay with watching a horror film?"

Aurora nods enthusiastically, grabbing Carmen's hand. "Oh yeah. As long as I'm next to Caramel."

"Great," Callie grins, linking arms with Jack.

Noticing Zach's crestfallen expression, Aurora decides to tease him. "Don't worry, Heroine. Jonah can be your movie buddy."

"Or Daniel," Carmen offers.

Zach shakes his head immediately. "I think I'll stick with Jonah. Daniel screams too much."

"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Aurora cracks a laugh as Daniel shakes his head.

"Wow," He comments. "Feeling the love, guys."

"You can sit next to me, Daniel," Carmen smiles warmly, Zach's jaw dropping at the offer. "Come on."

Carmen and Daniel enter the theater in front of the others, noticing that they weren't the first to arrive. Conveniently, though, nine seats were lined up, open to the group. They all proceed to take their seats, Jonah delivering popcorn and pop to Aurora just as the lights begin to dim.

Right before the previews begin, a hush falls over the crowd. In that moment, Aurora makes a swift decision.

In the darkness, at the exact moment the screen turns on, Aurora yells, "GOTCHA, BITCH!"

Multiple shushes are thrown her way, Carmen only giggling in response. She covers her mouth in attempt to hide her laugh, but she fails.

Three seats down, just as the credits begin to play, Corbyn throws a piece of popcorn at Aurora. Leaning forward not very subtly, Aurora throws a handful back. The blonde ducks just in time, the popcorn hitting Jack instead- of which some get caught in his curls.

Not having any popcorn, Jack retaliates with skittles, which hits the stranger in front of Aurora. The woman turns around to glare at the girl, pulling a skittles from her hair.

"Sorry," Aurora says loudly. "My friend had bad aim."

She turns back around, muttering silently to her husband. Taking a handful of popcorn, Carmen throws it at Zach. Narrowing his eyes jokingly, he begins throwing m&m's back at her.

Discreetly popping the lid from her cup, Aurora leans over to Jonah, and drops a pieces of ice down his shirt.

He shrieks in surprise, which was covered up by the rest of the crowd screaming from the movie.

"It's on," Jonah declares.

Alex then proceeds to stand, dumping her entire bucket of popcorn on the man behind her.

Standing, Daniel yells, "THIS IS SPARTA!"

At the exact moment he swings his bucket up, a hand is placed on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sir," A security guard informs him. "But I'm going to have to ask you and your friends to leave."

Carmen can't help but chuckle as Aurora jumps from her seat excitedly.

"Can I get carried out?"

_____