The Wallflower and the Prankster

Chapter Eighteen: Movies, Baits and Confusion

Alazne

I chewed at the bottom of my lip, wary about being with Carter. I should be home by now. If Beatrice finds out I went out, she’d be upset.

        “You okay?” Carter asked me, putting a hand over my shoulder and pulling me closer.  The smell of bubble gum tickled my nostrils.

        “Yeah,” I nodded, trying to get my attention on the big screen. Some random action movie was on but I couldn’t focus enough to figure out what it was about.

        I looked down at my wrist, wishing I had a watch. How long is this movie?

        Carter shifted around, and his hair brushed against my forehead. “Carter,” I said.

        He made a noise.”Hm?” Unlike me, he was captivated with the movie. His eyes would widen at every scene with a gun, and lower at every conversation scene, like he was trying to figure out what they were saying.

        I kind of was glad he didn’t notice me at this point. Guns, violence, crime—they all made me nervous.

        I fidgeted as I tried to get a better look at Carter. He was a nice guy. Josh was also nice. They weren’t bad.  But it wasn't like they never broke rules. They both broke rules. Josh especially. Actually, Josh was something else entirely. He was mischievous and a little too wild. Not to mention impulsive.   

        Unlike Carter, who was like most guys…guy-ish. He didn’t make me feel super happy or make my senses tingle. I think it was safe to say I had no romantic feelings for Carter. 

        I had (Okay I was trying to have) no feelings for Josh as well. He made it pretty clear at how unrequited my feelings were when he walked out on me.

        Ernie sought me out after at the café, when I was with Carter. But instead of dragging me back home, he gave me change and told me to use the payphone and call when I wanted to go home or it was an emergency. Though I couldn’t deny that a part of me wished, he brought me home on the spot.

        I just wanted to be by myself in my room, with a blanket wrapped around me and just let go of my feelings. But that’d require seeing Josh, and I wasn’t ready for that either.

     Carter leaned towards my ear, and whispered: “the movie is awesome. Isn’t it?”

        I nodded, wanting to pull away from him. That was just weird. If it was Josh, he’d whisper something funny that’d make me laugh or something…strangely romantic.

        I still remember the Nutella popcorn kiss he implanted on me when we were watching a movie.

        Josh was really oblivious sometimes.

      “What’s so funny?” Carter asked me.  My cheeks hurt from grinning, but I couldn’t stop it.

        “I was just thinking about something,” I told him. “It’s not important.”

        Carter frowned but his attention went back to the movie. I followed his eyes on the movie as well.

        A scene was playing. It wasn’t an action one either. I heard Carter groan at the scene.

        It was a sort-of romantic scene. I could definitely see the tension between the lead roles.

        “I just…” the girl broke away from their hug. Her heels clicked on the pavement, but it was mostly covered by the helicopter from behind her.  “Stop it! You’re suffocating me!” She had her ears coverered.