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She was shaking, and her thoughts were running way too fast, too loud, too much. The scenes of the bloody movie played over and over, the screams of the characters and the aspects of the movie didn't leave her mind. She held herself tight and blinked rapidly as to get the horror movie shaken out.
Scarah looked up at the wide screen a few meters from their car. That's right... Johnny had taken her and Operetta to a drive-in movie. Warmth broke her out of that fuzzy state as she realised she had some takeaway food on her lap. Scarah picked up a small fry and ate it slowly and turned her head to look at Johnny and Operetta.
The two of them were watching the movie happily, which made sense... it was a good movie. Just an hour before the drive-in was when Scarah had finished a different film. She had been hanging out with Holt, who needed to get something done for his film class, analysing some aspects of modern horror films.
The banshee decided to help him study, being that he was behind and she was good at school work! She just didn't anticipate... that it was a bloody mess of time travel and teenage girls.
The horny scenes came to the front of her mind again, and she drowned them out with lukewarm fries. With her shaky hands, Scarah reached for the cold drink in the cup holder. Maybe the temperature change would help. Scarah sipped the slushie slowly, scanning the movie in front of them with her wide, white eyes.
Hands reached for her shoulders, and she jumped. Her body banged into the side of the car with a thud as her head turned to the source of the touch.
Oh.
It's just Johnny.
She should've known.
"Hey... are you alright? You're leaking some of your thoughts into our heads... are you scared of something?" Came the southern voice of the spirit.
"I- I'm fine! Really"
Operetta looked at the green girl up and down, not taking the lie.
"Sugar, if something's wrong, we gotta know about it."
Scarah was shaking and bowed her head gently. "I helped Holt with a horror movie project, and I guess it stuck with me a bit..." she stuttered out.
Johnny and Operetta looked to each other, exchanging a glace that Scarah couldn't see. Stripy fabric swished past her vision, and she looked up slowly. Operetta sat in the back seat of Johnny's car, beckoning Scarah to join her.
The green girl looked at Johnny, who turned the key in the car to get it started.
"B-but the movie isn't done! Where are we going?"
"You're in no state to stay at a stupid movie. The drive-in will always be here, but you matter more, sugar."
Scarah smiled slowly at Operetta, then crawled over the seats, landing in the back harshly. She snuggled up to the phantom and laid her head in Operettas chest. Scarah perked back up a bit for a second.
"Wait, where are the seatbelts!?"
Johnny just snorted a laugh. "Darl, this is a car from the 70s. It doesn't have seatbelts."
She nodded slowly and laid her head back down. Had she really not noticed the lack of seatbelts before...? Her eyes closed, and she nuzzled into the warm skin of the phantom girl.
Operetta played with her hair as they drove and looked out the window. The clicks and clacks of old gear shifting were regular to her. She had been in Johnny's car several times. Scarah didn't understand why this was safe, but she had other things to worry about.
She bit her fingernails as the drive went on, which led to her sucking on the tip of her thumb. Scarah curled up smaller into Operetta and mumbled around her thumb. The phantom looked down and smiled, catching Johnny's glance in the mirror and mouthing "little" to the spirit in front.
Scarah continued sucking on her thumb and attempted to sit up, but Operetta pulled her back down with her arms. "We're almost back home, sugar. Just a few more minutes."
The banshee nodded and relaxed back into Operetta, letting her warmth radiate over her shoulders. Johnny and Operetta talked quietly over her head, but Scarah couldn't really make out words. Their southern voices washed over her and calmed her down more than any blanket could.
The next thing she knew, she was in Johnny's arms, waiting for Operetta to unlock the door to their little apartment. This was where the three of them went when things got too much, just a space designed for them, no one else.
Operettas posters adorned the walls, and Johnny's instruments sat in their holders. The phantoms guitar proudly leaned against the wall, next to Johnny's small fiddle. Scarah smiled slightly at the walls. When the three entered the room, Operetta immediately turned on the fairy lights, opting to turn the big light off as quickly as possible.
Scarah looked up at the ceiling and all the twinkling lights. Her hand reached gently upwards to trace the light patterns as Johnny placed her onto the bed. Operetta sat next to her, unclipping the banshees necklaces and slipping out her earrings for the night.
"Sugar, do you want to get in some pyjamas?"
Scarahs arm came back down to the covers, and she sighed, turning over. "Tired..."
Johnny nodded and threw some clothes onto the bed next to her. Operetta picked up the pyjamas, showing them to Scarah, "Scooby Doo nightie?"
She nodded happily and smiled at the phantom. Purple hands reached to the bottom of her shirt and lifted it up onto the floor. She waved Johnny away and glared at him to not look. The spirit went to the door to change in the bathroom.
Operetta unclipped Scarahs bra and discarded it to the floor, then the belt and skirt. She told Scarah to lift her arms up, and the nightie went back over her head. The banshee smiled and hugged Operetta, nuzzling into her neck and thanking her through telepathy.
Johnny came back and went to the closet, halfhazardly threw his clothes into the basket, and reached up to a shelf to grab a plain brown bear. "Do you want Aibell?"
Scarah nodded and made a gesture of grabby hands for the bear, to which Johnny smiled in response and brang the bear to her. Operetta looked at Johnny and whispered something to him. He nodded and patted Scarah on the head before going through the wall.
The phantom pulled Scarah to lay down on her and waited for the banshee to get comfortable. Their heads were propped up to look at the chunky TV on the shelf in front of the bed. A few tapes were stacked next to the TV, one of which included some Scooby Doo episodes.
Johnny came back with a small white pacifier in his hands, "Jackson had this one that we can use."
Operetta took the pacifier from Johnny's hands and pointed to the TV, "Be a darl and put on some Scooby Doo for Scarah?"
The spirit nodded and moved to click a tape into the TV, then grabbed the remote to play them. The familiar theme song hit Scarahs ears, and she nuzzled into Operetta more, clutching Aibell to her chest. The pacifier got popped into her mouth, and she sucked gently.
Operetta played with her hair while the show played, and Johnny cuddled up to the two girls, making sure that Scarah didn't feel so scared.
As the sounds of the characters became melty and fuzzy, Scarah closed her eyes for a bit. Maybe that could make them a bit clearer...
She opened them again to an entirely different scene and soft snores from Johnny. Scarah closed her eyes again and kicked her legs into a more comfortable position, opting to use Operetta as a pillow.