t h i r t y - s e v e n : not a date

"You know we all go to the same school, right?"

"Yeah," she sighs, "Well kind of... I don't really remember seeing you until Andrew's party."

We've been in the same class for about 7 years.

"While you were pushing people around in the hallway, I was by one of the lockers you missed during your tirades," I say flatly.

She stutters, "We-Well, it's all part of high school. Sometimes people need a little push every now and then."

*Every day*

She's looking a little annoyed. I need to seem more into her for this to look legit. Then, I need to make it clear that I would rather never see her again.

"You look really nice."

"I know."

I'm reaching the end of my patience.

Kara's POV:

"So, talk."

"Right here?"

"Right here."

He shifts in his seat, "I want you to know that I did love you."

I scoff. Please.

"Is that all?" my patience is running thin.

"N-No. Seriously, I want you to know that nothing was fake: our dates, late night movies, family cookouts. All of it was real."

I slap you in the face and say "I'm sorry. I really liked your face unslapped. Feel better."

What the fuck?

"Okay. Is that all?"

"Could you please just listen?" he huffs.

He doesn't deserve my time, and yet I'm here. I cross my arms.

He continues, "I loved you, and the thought of us becoming a happy couple, with our parents being proud of us... it just made me hold on when I wasn't interested anymore. I started to put public image before my feelings, and I led you on. I'm sorry."

It's a decent apology. I can see how he might have been pressured by everyone's views, but he could have told me. Then again, I was so into our relationship, I probably wouldn't have understood. Now I can sort of see both sides, and I don't fully blame him. Sure, I'm pissed as hell, but I'll get over it... at some point. I just feel like I've been living a lie for so long. Not even just with this past relationship, but in general. The fact that I could sit by and agree with the laws of this society, that I could ignore genuine people like Shawn. I have privilege that others don't: wealth, status, gender. I'm learning and evolving.

"I can't fully forgive you now, but I kind of understand... ish. I want you to know the hell I went through, watching you slowly slip away, hearing the whispers in the hallway... I want you to know how I felt like I wasn't good enough."

He nods solemnly, "I beat myself up senseless thinking about what I was doing, and I excused it by telling myself that I was finding myself in a way. I don't know... either way, you didn't deserve that. I'm sorry."

"Okay."

He checks the time, "I-I thought we could go to the movies like we planned."

"When did we plan--"

"Uh, at Tiana's pool party."

"Right. Then, I found out about... and I decided I never wanted to see you again."

"Well, here we are..." he trails.

"I-I don't think I'm ready to go down that road yet."

"What? Harmond street?"

I chuckle, "No. I mean the 'let's be friends' road."

"Come on, it'll be just like old times."

"That's what I'm avoiding."

"I know how much you like popcorn."

"It makes me nauseous," I scowl.

"But you eat it anyway," he smiles.

His bright blue eyes sparkle with a grin from eye to eye, and I can't say no.

Shawn's POV:

Here we are: the parking lot... I willed for this shit to be over already... it didn't work.

"How's my makeup?"

Divine.

"It's nice. I like the birds on your lids," I point.

"It's a cut-crease. There are no birds."

Oh.

"Shouldn't we be getting inside?"

"It's only previews right now."

"I like the previews."

"Let's fuck."

Huh? The audacity of this girl... I remember our first speaking encounter.

"Yeah, let's not."

She's already advancing toward me, grabbing at my t-shirt.

Her lips inch closer to mine, and I panic.

"Stop!" I shout. She looks so alarmed, like I screamed murder.

"I-I've never kissed anyone before, and I just want it to be special... can we just go into the movie please? I'm sorry."

I could throw up in my own mouth right now. Subservient and apologetic are two things I've told myself I wouldn't be caught dead being... well not voluntarily. But, since this is what the lovely Tiana responds to, I'll play along.

She covers her mouth, "What? So are you a virgin, too?"

Not in the slightest.

I nod slowly.

"So is this why you didn't want to hookup at Andrew's?"

No, it's because you are revolting.

"Yep. I got nervous."

"Aww," she coos.

Eww.

"Let's go in," she sighs.

Phew, what did I do to get into this mess?

Kara's POV:

"Wait. Stop here."

I have no clue where we're going now, but I pull over.

"I thought I was being held hostage at the movies, not," I read the sign, "McDonald's?"

Suddenly, the memory of that horrific McDonald's from 2016 pops up. I haven't had some good McDonald's in a while...

"Our old tradition... sneaking fries into the movies," he gestures to the restaurant.

"Jack," I warn.

He sighs, "I know I'm on dangerously thin ice, but think about old times," he smiles.

Thin fucking ice.

"0.001 mm thick ice," I hold my index finger and thumb close together.

"Come on," he says, basically dragging me in behind him.

We exit with 3 large fries like old times. We would both eat one, then share the last one. But every time he'd let me eat the last large fry... more like I'd shield it from his view while I scuff the contents into my face...

"I'm eating the last one," I say coarsely. It's the least he owes me.

We arrive to the theater shortly. The only showing for 7:30 is some sci-fi film where the protagonist goes back in time to save his wife... how fitting.

Once we have our illegal fries, popcorn, and sodas, we head for the theater.

Jack enters row J, closest to the back, but I gesture for him to move up.

We used to go straight to J to makeout... that's not happening anymore.

We settle for E, a perfect spot because we can see the screen without literally being underneath it.

Even though the previews are still playing, we start in on our fries. Ooh they're so salty and fresh mmmmm. Way better than the limp, flaccid, and unsalted fries from the past.

I smile to him as he's going in on his. If only he'd been content with this...

Shawn's POV:

"Do you want anything?"

"N-No," I say lowly.

Damn it!

I told myself a while ago that I'd stand up for myself and not let people like her control me. But that's what she wants: a pet to control.

She buys me a slushie anyway and shoves it into my hands. Nice.

We enter the theater... well more like she walks in 50 spaces ahead of me and randomly picks a row, expecting me to brainlessly follow.

It smells good in here... like fries. Someone's smuggling in food.

I sit down next to Tiana, landing on something hard.

"Shit," I exclaim. Oww.

"Ahh, my purse," she fusses, "Up, up," she pulls at my shirt.

She pulls the purse up from under me, dusting the "dirt" off. She's making such a scene, I swear.

I turn to sit back down and catch a glimpse of two people munching down on some food (smuggled in). Oh to be those two right now.

Wait.

I squint to get a better view. Kara?

"Kara?" I whisper yell.

One of the silhouettes down the row turns left to face us.

She covers her mouth. I send her a little wave.

Some guy is next to her. I'm not the jealous type, so I don't think anything of it. She can be friends with whoever she likes.

Until he makes some weird facial expression. Then, I get a closer look. It's him.

"Get down!"

Apparently I'm blocking her view.

Kara's POV:

Did he just see me going to town on some fries... in a movie theater?!

I mean, I've eaten in front of him before, but I didn't expect to see him today. He's supposed to be on that agonizing date with Tiana... I guess this is it. What are the odds that they end up at Jack and my movie spot...

Not that I'm being territorial over a possession of a nonexistent (not anymore) relationship... but what are they doing here?

Tiana's actually more straight forward than this. If she wanted Shawn, she'd invite him to her house to jump his bones...

I bet she's already come onto him. Little does she know...

"Hey, movie's starting."

"Oh, it's just another preview."

We could have just gone to get coffee and talk. I don't know why the movies was necessary. It's one of our old dating spots... one of our favorite places. He must have known I would get at least a little emotional. What if he's trying to... get me back in a way? Nah...

Shawn sits back down to the bitch's left. He looks like he's in so much pain. I want to save him and me from what we've gotten ourselves into...

~After the movie~

Tiana sighs, "Well that was... so boring that my ovaries died," she mutters... loudly.

Shawn looks even more uncomfortable as he shifts awkwardly in his seat. She picks up her purse and pulls him behind her.

Do I have a right to be jealous?

Shawn's POV:

This girl is dragging me like a suitcase back to her car. I have never felt more like a rag doll... used and raggedy.

When we get to the car, she locks all the doors... as if I wasn't afraid enough.

"Umm..." I mumble lowly.

"I thought you should have this," she pulls out my journal from her purse. Finally. I know she read some of it. We might have to deal with the repercussions that come with that later.

"How kind of you."

"Kara took it."

"Who?"

"Kara, my bestfriend," she gags, "your new friend... for some weird reason."

"Yeah, that was sarcasm. I know who she is."

She giggles and nods. Clapping her hands suddenly, she says, "I want you to know something about her."

I'm all ears... I have no choice. I wouldn't take the shit she says with a grain of salt either way.

"She's a creep, obviously, evident in her theft of your private journal. She's undeserving of you," she pats my leg, "You need to cut all ties with her if you don't want a weird stalker on your hands."

This bitch is crazy...

I need to play along with the crazy, though, a little.

"Yeah, we're just friends. I invited her to my house once or twice, and I guess she got carried away... with my things," I chuckle.

"You're not angry?"

"I'm a forgiving person."

"I'm not."

"Well, good thing," I grab on to the book, "it's not yours."

She frowns. Thought you'd get a different reaction, huh?

"I brought it to you. Do I get a constellation prize?" she bats her eyelashes.

*Consolation prize? No.

"A prize?"

"Like a kiss... or a romantic night alone," she keeps batting.

God, noooo.

Kara's POV:

"So, movie's over," Jack sighs. Yep.

"I should get you home."

"Not thinking about meeting up with him?," he points to where Shawn and Tiana left.

"Huh?" I glance to the exit. "Oh, Shawn? I didn't know he was going to be here. Don't be jealous." You lost that right a long time ago.

"I'm not jealous, just a little worried. I've heard some things about him, you know, not the best things."

I cut him off, "Jack, I don't want to hear it. We're friends. I can have friends without your approval. Just because he's not in our closed circle, it doesn't mean he's an untouchable or something. Let me befriend who I want, and I'll extend that courtesy to you."

"I heard that he's mixed up in some anti-government group. It's messy, and..."

"Just leave it alone. Let's go."

I drop him off and head toward Shawn's house.

Jack's POV:

"So we're sure that he's the problem. He's corrupting her with anti-New World ideas, bringing her to his weird meetings. We're pretty much certain of that, right?"

From the phone, she replies, "Yeah, pretty much, but she's not innocent here, either. They're conspiring together, and we can't let it continue. We have to tell our parents or other authorities."

"Our parents are the authorities, Tiana. We just have to pick a perfect time."

"When is a perfect time?" she sneers.

Why is she in such a rush. This is our friend. We need to try to help her first.

"When we're more than 'pretty much' certain."

She sighs.