Page 32 of Don't Watch Alone
The truth is, I don’t know what I believe. All I know is Andy looked right at me with this strange calm, like he knew something and didn’t want to carry the weight of it alone anymore. His voice hadn’t faltered. Not even once.
“You’re still thinking about that weirdo from work, huh?” Jade says, not even bothering to sugarcoat it. “The one who’s always staring?”
I nod. “He grabbed me today, Jade. He said not to go. He wouldn’t say why, just that I shouldn’t because something was supposed to happen tonight at the movies.”
The room stills. Even the ice in someone’s glass seems to stop clinking. Every head turnstoward me. Derrick’s grin fades. Eva stops flipping her magazine.
“Wait, seriously?” Tony asks, his tone suddenly sharp. “He actually put his hands on you?”
“Yeah,” I say. “He did. And I’m not okay with it. But I’m also not letting him decide what I do or don’t do. If I skip the movie, then he wins. And I’m not giving him that power.”
The air feels thick, like something electric hangs between us all. For a second, I think they might try to talk me out of it. But then Tony claps his hands, trying to shake the tension loose.
“Well, we’re all going,” he says. “We’ll stick together. Safety in a crowd, right?”
“Right,” I say, echoing him, but the word feels empty. I don’t believe it. Not really. Because safety in numbers doesn’t mean much when the threat isn’t out there—it’s already inside, buried like a seed, whispering in my ear that something’s coming. And if Andy’s right, we won’t see it coming until it’s too late.
Less than an hour now. I just want to get to the theater, sit in that seat, and prove him wrong.
Or maybe deep down I want to prove myself wrong.
Chapter fifteen
Blaiz
The Movie
Theharshfluorescentarcadelighting pours into the theater lobby, creating a sickly green and red glow that blends with the smell of old popcorn and a stronger, uncertain odor—excitement, or maybe fear. It’s just past midnight, and the place feels alive in the worst way, like we’ve stepped into the stillness before an explosion of chaos. A giant poster screams DON’T WATCH ALONE in a daring purple and black, like it’s daring us to come in and regret it. The line for tickets curves past the velvet ropes and almost hits the food court. Everyone’s thrilled, and Jade and I are vibrating right along with them, practically high on the promise of a good scare.
“This line is longer than the one for Halloween II,” I mutter, extending my neck toward the front.
Jade grins like this is the best thing that’s ever happened to her. “Long line means killer movie. We’re the bitches who laugh in the face of terror. The queens of horror. We are fearless.”
The line moves forward slowly, like we’re being punished for something. We shuffle. We wait. We listen to strangers whisper theories and rumors about the film—who dies first, how fucked up it gets. Finally, we get our tickets. I don’t walk; I bolt straight into the main lobby like it’s a finish line.
“Popcorn. Soda. Necessary survival gear,” I say, already heading for the concession stand.
Jade’s on my heels, muttering about extra butter like she’s weighing life-or-death consequences. Behind us, I hear the chaos start. Boys being assholes.
“Derrick, Tony, Drew… cut the shit out!” I yell over my shoulder, not even looking. I already know it’s pointless. They’re loud, they’re rowdy, they’re being complete dipshits while some poor elderly couple tries to squeeze past them without getting knocked down.
Then I look over at Eva. She’s standing a little off to the side, like she doesn’t know whether she belongs with our group or not. She clutches a sad little bag of M&M’s, watching the guys with a quiet smile. There’s something about her that looks... outside of it all. Like she showed up at a party and forgot to bring the beer.
I elbow Jade. “We should go talk to her. She looks... I don’t know. Like she’s not part of this group.”
Jade follows my gaze and tilts her head. “Yeah. She looks like she’s waiting for a bus that’s never coming.”
“I actually talked to her earlier,” I say. “She’s a psych major. That’s what I think I might go back to school for.”
Jade’s eyes go wide. “No shit? That’s perfect for you. You’re already in everyone’s head twenty-four-seven.”
We head over together.
“Hey, Eva,” I say, giving her the kind of smile I reserve for nervous cats and kids at dentist offices. “Ignore the immature guys we call boyfriends over there. They’ve obviously suffered some brain trauma at some point in their lives. You wanna hang with us while we grab snacks?”
Her face shifts. That fake smile vanishes, and something real takes its place. “Yeah. I mean, yeah… thank you. I’d love that.”
“Sweet!” Jade says, waving her toward the line like we’ve already adopted her. “Especially for Don’t Watch Alone… safety in a crowd, right?”
