any further into the topic, I panic, not ready to deal with such a heavy issue. I look down and stuff my face with a handful of popcorn. “Want some?” I offer around a mouthful of kernels.
A faint smile flirts across his face, like he knows I’m running away from this conversation—running away from him, but he doesn’t say a word. He reaches in and takes a handful. “Sure.”
The movie flickers in the darkness. Twenty minutes into it, the dark-haired lady on the screen is about to go to hell. A demon, who was the woman’s boyfriend, smiles as the ground swallows her up. “Another soul collected,” the demon character says. I wonder if that’s what it’ll be like for me. Will I be alone and terrified? My eyes start to sting. I cover my eyes to block the rush of memories that flood my brain. Why did I agree to see this movie? This is the last thing Rick needs to see—the crazy side of me shining through. I don’t want him exposed to this part of me because I’m afraid it will rip away all the normalcy I feel when I’m around him.
Shielding my eyes is no longer enough. My head drops to my knees and I shove my index fingers into my ears. A panic attack starts to hit me hard. There has to be a way out of this deal. I just need to find it before it’s too late.
A smooth circling motion on my back soothes me—Rick’s hand. When I don’t look up after a couple of minutes, he takes my hand in his and guides me to an upright position before rushing me out of the theater.
My body relaxes instantly once we’re in the cool hallway of the building and I drop my hands loosely at my sides and open my eyes.
"Hey? You okay?” he asks, concern written all over his face.
My lips pull down into a frown. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better. Demons sort of freak me out.”
He nods, making me feel like he doesn’t need any additional explanation, which is great because I’m definitely not ready to share that part of me yet. “Come on. Let’s get your mind off this.”
Gladly, I follow Rick through the doors into the mall’s brightly lit atrium. This is the same food court Alicia and I were at earlier. The mall buzzes with other people trying to entertain themselves on a Saturday night.
I wrap my arms around my body, now hyper-aware I’m not in my comfortable all black-invisible ensemble that usually helps me disappear from the rest of the world. Numbly, I walk beside Rick down the heart of the food court and take in the scenery. I’m instantly angered when my eyes land on Stew. He’s at the table claimed by a crowd of people I recognize from campus with Trevor Humphreys and Taylor Gee on either side of him.
Assholes.
Stew looks up from his sandwich and meets my narrowed stare. Nausea fills my belly. I thought he felt something for me, but after last night, I know different.
I take Rick’s hand in an outward show of affection and hope Stew notices I’m moving on.
Oh man, does he notice. Stew’s jaw drops, nearly smacking the table, and I feel a flutter of smug satisfaction.
Take that Stewart!
Rick looks down at me and smiles. I give his hand a little squeeze as we near the table. His skin against mine is warm and reassuring. The closer we get to the tables, the more I notice all the pointing in our direction. Trevor quickly turns his bruised face away from us, like he doesn’t want to chance another fight with Rick. Stew, on the other hand, has now recovered from shock and looks pissed. He crushes the soda can that’s in his hand while he locks eyes with me.
What gives him the right to be mad at me?
As we pass, Taylor, of all people, greets us. “Hey, Rick. Hey, Natalie.”
Rick gazes down at me and gauges my reaction before he makes the decision it’s okay to stop at the table. After I shrug my shoulders, he answers her casually. “Hey, Taylor.”
Her smile stretches from ear to ear, like she’s glad he knows her name. “What are you guys up to?” She glances down at our
A faint smile flirts across his face, like he knows I’m running away from this conversation—running away from him, but he doesn’t say a word. He reaches in and takes a handful. “Sure.”
The movie flickers in the darkness. Twenty minutes into it, the dark-haired lady on the screen is about to go to hell. A demon, who was the woman’s boyfriend, smiles as the ground swallows her up. “Another soul collected,” the demon character says. I wonder if that’s what it’ll be like for me. Will I be alone and terrified? My eyes start to sting. I cover my eyes to block the rush of memories that flood my brain. Why did I agree to see this movie? This is the last thing Rick needs to see—the crazy side of me shining through. I don’t want him exposed to this part of me because I’m afraid it will rip away all the normalcy I feel when I’m around him.
Shielding my eyes is no longer enough. My head drops to my knees and I shove my index fingers into my ears. A panic attack starts to hit me hard. There has to be a way out of this deal. I just need to find it before it’s too late.
A smooth circling motion on my back soothes me—Rick’s hand. When I don’t look up after a couple of minutes, he takes my hand in his and guides me to an upright position before rushing me out of the theater.
My body relaxes instantly once we’re in the cool hallway of the building and I drop my hands loosely at my sides and open my eyes.
"Hey? You okay?” he asks, concern written all over his face.
My lips pull down into a frown. “I’m sorry. I should’ve known better. Demons sort of freak me out.”
He nods, making me feel like he doesn’t need any additional explanation, which is great because I’m definitely not ready to share that part of me yet. “Come on. Let’s get your mind off this.”
Gladly, I follow Rick through the doors into the mall’s brightly lit atrium. This is the same food court Alicia and I were at earlier. The mall buzzes with other people trying to entertain themselves on a Saturday night.
I wrap my arms around my body, now hyper-aware I’m not in my comfortable all black-invisible ensemble that usually helps me disappear from the rest of the world. Numbly, I walk beside Rick down the heart of the food court and take in the scenery. I’m instantly angered when my eyes land on Stew. He’s at the table claimed by a crowd of people I recognize from campus with Trevor Humphreys and Taylor Gee on either side of him.
Assholes.
Stew looks up from his sandwich and meets my narrowed stare. Nausea fills my belly. I thought he felt something for me, but after last night, I know different.
I take Rick’s hand in an outward show of affection and hope Stew notices I’m moving on.
Oh man, does he notice. Stew’s jaw drops, nearly smacking the table, and I feel a flutter of smug satisfaction.
Take that Stewart!
Rick looks down at me and smiles. I give his hand a little squeeze as we near the table. His skin against mine is warm and reassuring. The closer we get to the tables, the more I notice all the pointing in our direction. Trevor quickly turns his bruised face away from us, like he doesn’t want to chance another fight with Rick. Stew, on the other hand, has now recovered from shock and looks pissed. He crushes the soda can that’s in his hand while he locks eyes with me.
What gives him the right to be mad at me?
As we pass, Taylor, of all people, greets us. “Hey, Rick. Hey, Natalie.”
Rick gazes down at me and gauges my reaction before he makes the decision it’s okay to stop at the table. After I shrug my shoulders, he answers her casually. “Hey, Taylor.”
Her smile stretches from ear to ear, like she’s glad he knows her name. “What are you guys up to?” She glances down at our
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