Ladies' Choice (re-uploading SOON)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

As promised, the popcorn and drinks were on me. The monetary exchange made it seem more like a date. While waiting in line, Mona leaned into me, her body pressed against my side as she held my arm. I froze. Stopped breathing, blinking, thinking, and existing on this earthly plain.

"Don't worry about the candy," she whispered. "I got us covered." She winked as loud as a person could and it freed me from my ice prison, melted by her warm smile. A giddy little butterflies fluttered around my stomach.

Following Mona to the theater, she explained the benefits of sitting in higher up seats that were off to the side in the style of a persuasive essay, which is, in fact, my love language. I gobble up every word, greedy for the thoughts in her head. It'd be good to memorize this if there was a chance, we'd do this again. Besides, anyone willing to resolve me of decision making was already on my good side.

If I ask Elena or Skipper what they wanted to eat and they'd say "anywhere's fine", it makes me want to get run over by my own car.

We weren't the first people inside and we definitely weren't the last. More people came than I assumed, but I wasn't the expert on movies, old movies, or being at the theater in general. We waited until the movies came out online, because my dad always said they were a waste of money.

My hand bumped into Mona's on my way to the top kernels, and my eyes met hers. Grinning, I plucked the most buttery looking one and offered it to Mona. Matching my smile, Mona expected the gift and popped it into her mouth. "How did you know?" She whispered again, sitting so close to me. "That's the one I wanted."

She was so pretty it made my heart want to slam into my ribcage. Her charms were so natural, they made me feel emotionally stupid. With nothing cool to say back, I just shrugged nonchalantly and raised my eyebrows.

The lights dimmed in the theater and the commercials started playing, but no one had stopped talking. I glanced around again, still surprised by the amount of people around. A commotion at the front stole back my attention as a group of people were cursing quietly and giggling over spilled popcorn and shoving each other inside.

One guy out of the pile looked up. A blush slapped across my face, and I hunkered down in my seat, along with my stomach, so he might not see me. Michael. Michael Stratus. It was like getting punched in the face by the ghost of Christmas past. My sister Jess was friends with so many people that I've forgotten most of their faces.

Not Michael. I'd recognize him anywhere. Our parents loved him. He was at my house for all my family's gatherings, from Fourth of July barbeques to Christmas and birthdays. My aunts joked that Jessica Summers might've found a high school sweetheart that maybe her initials would never have to change.

So, when I lost my sister, I kind of lost a brother too.

He didn't have a reason to come over anymore without her.

Shifting even lower in my seat, I tried to become as small as possible. Mona gave me a funny look, and I thought my face was going to melt off. "These seats are comfy," I blurted.

A little puff of laughter shook out of her, and she joined me, teasing me and pretending to be surprised. "They are."

Michael and his friends didn't walk far inside or up, choosing something closer to the screen that would accommodate everyone. My heart was shaking, beating ten thousand miles per minute. I couldn't believe it. He looked exactly the same. Down to the same blue and white rugby shirt I've seen him wear a million times. The same yellowing sneakers.

His hair.

Everything was unfortunately the same. I couldn't stop staring at the top of his head, dreads ripping through my veins as I begged every God known to mankind that he didn't turn around and recognize me. Maybe I was at least different enough. I was older. Time had worn me down. I had short hair. Maybe that was enough.