Page 23 of Don't Watch Alone
“Blaiz, can I talk to you?”
“What about?” I don’t look up; I just keep folding.
“Remember that night I told you to be careful? When you and your friends went to the movies?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“I can’t say how I know, but something bad is going to happen.”
“You keep saying that! Just tell me what it is!”
Greg bursts out of his office.
“Blaiz, why are you yelling at Andy?”
“She wasn’t,” Andy cuts in. “I couldn’t hear her. So she just talked louder. We’re sorry… it won’t happen again.”
Greg pauses, then nods. “Alright. Just keep it down. We don’t want to scare off the customers.”
He heads back into his office and shuts the door.
I stare at Andy, speechless. He covered for me. The same guy who makes my skin crawl just saved me from getting written up. This doesn’t make sense.
He stands there, watching me with those steady eyes, his head is turned just a bit. He’s not smiling, but there’s something... knowing in his expression.
“Why did you do that?” I whisper, folding a plain white tee so hard I might tear the fabric.
“Because Greg wouldn’t understand,” he says. “And I needed you to hear me.”
“Hear you about what? The movie night? What the hell is going to happen, Andy?”
He steps closer to me. I’m forced to look into his eyes, and for a second, I feel completely trapped.
“I told you, I can’t say how I know. But it’s bad, Blaiz. You need to be careful and change your plans.”
“Change my plans?” I laugh. “It’s just a movie with some of my friends. What could possibly happen?”
“People go to the movies every day. And tragedies happen. Sometimes, someone knows.” His voice drops lower. “Mary knew.”
My stomach drops. “Mary? What are you saying? What does she have to do with this?”
He glances at Greg’s door, then back to me. “I warned her, but she ignored me and never came back after that.”
“Are you threatening me?”
He shakes his head. “No. I’m warning you. There’s a difference. People who don’t listen... sometimes they disappear… or worse.”
A silence develops between us. My thoughts are all over the place. Mary. Her disappearance. Now this.
Greg wants me to train him. To show him around. Meanwhile, he’s slipping in threats wrapped in riddles and acting like he’s doing me a favor.
“Just... go back to the belts, Andy.” My voice shakes. “Please. Just do your job.”
He holds my gaze for a moment too long, then turns without saying a word. Just walks away like nothing happened.
The movie is Friday night. And now... I don’t know if I should go.
Or if not going is exactly what he wants to happen.
