Beckett, 17, is a high school senior on the spirit committee, thinking up the booths and attractions.
Loosed upon the world... where it takes a solid hour before reality comes back into focus.
Writer’s note
The main character describes the miniature golf for us. "I like miniature golf, not the game itself but the unreal stuff they've got. They've got clowns and castles, they've got the tropical lights I was talking about, then things move up on ramps and steps until you are back down again. It's worth the price of admission."
Beckett is sure-enough losing the rules of the world he used to believe in. He has landed in another world with one of his high school friends, of cartoon golf courses tinted in orange light; but a world where black-and-white dramas start to mess with your head: of how one boy relates to another. The movies always play to the same conclusion unless you can find one you've never seen before.
Passage at Amazon The Heroes of the Movie
The beginning of the story…
"Why don't you get out here?" Dex says.
I don't see why not.
"Okay." I climb out of the backseat and stand there on the sidewalk.
Dex leans in the front passenger window.
"You girls gonna be alright?" he says.
"Now that I'm behind the wheel," his girlfriend says.
We all get a big laugh out of that. Also, it's one of those lines that has put an end to the evening. They drive off and we wave until they are out of sight.
The car, of course, is actually her father's. Dex did have permission to drive it.
We had an okay evening, I guess. Two boys out with their girlfriends.
"Oh man," Dex says, "I never got my kiss goodnight."
It's the next laugh line that naturally follows once the car is gone in the distance.
We are facing each other. I don't know who starts it but we kiss on the lips.
"I think we've got some popcorn," he says.
"Alright."
We walk toward his front door. I had thought the evening was over. It's still pretty early, though.
"We can watch TV," Dex says.
"Is anything on?"
"There's always something on."
First thing we do is make the popcorn. It goes with the month of November. This is our senior year of high school and I've known Dex since we were freshmen.
"Did you like it?" he says.
"What?"
"The golf."
"Yeah, why not."
I think I like TV better. I'm not sure what we're watching. I just mechanically reach for popcorn in the bowl that Dex is holding.
He's pointing at TV.
"That guy is so funny," he says.
"He is."
Dex grabs my neck because he's laughing at this guy. He does a good job of keeping the popcorn bowl from spilling over.
"This is hilarious," he says.
"I know."
I put my arm around him so I can hold us steady and get some popcorn without dumping it over.
We laugh ourselves out, then settle down a little.
"We couldn't do this," he says, "if we didn't have girlfriends."
"We do have girlfriends."
"I know."
He tips the bowl my direction. Only the unpopped kernels are left.
"It doesn't mean anything," he says.
I know what he's talking about.
"It doesn't have to," I say.
We go to the kitchen for some more popcorn and the ice-cold drink I could use. It turned into a fun evening. All you really need is TV and popcorn, plus a can of pop.
"Thanks," I say, when he gives it to me.
"What do you wanna do?"
I sort of point at the popcorn. "This."
"Yeah." He hits the popcorn button on the microwave.
That's what we do. We like buttered popcorn. Movie theater butter.
"I like TV," I say.
"So do I."
We sit in front of it like we did before. We're on the floor but we've got cushions and blankets and it's comfortable. Dex gives me the bowl.
"You're in charge of the popcorn," he says.