Page 90 of Love is Strange
The phone rings and when Mom answers, before she even gets out a hello, I say excitedly, “Mom, you’ll never guess what my Professor just told me! I’ve been selected last minute to take part in an engineering study course abroad at an amazing university!”
Mom gushes, “That’s so great, Ash! When do you have to leave?”
“It’s short notice, but I leave on Wednesday night. I couldn’t say no to an opportunity like this, Mom.”
I’m telling the truth this time, but not in the way she thinks.
Chapter Seventeen
EMBER
I’m soon edge about tonight, and even though I know Casey is going to be there the whole time, I can’t shake off this strange feeling I’m experiencing. I don’t know if it’s nerves or something else. Casey really threw herself into getting ready, making sure that the both of us looked ‘absolutely gorgeous,’ as she put it. So here we are, looking great for our evening with Mark and Ollie.
I think Casey is looking forward to the distraction of going out with them. Ash left for a new college overseas a couple of days ago, and I’m not sure if I was more upset or relieved with the news when Casey came to tell me in tears. I know she's happy for him, but she’ll miss him with how close they are to one another.
The guys arrive at 7pm to pick us up since the movie starts in an hour. They’ve chosen some kind of comedy, so at least we’ll all enjoy it. Casey and I aren’t exactly big fans of action flicks. When we answer the door, Mark and Casey start chatting almost instantly, but I wait there feeling awkward when Ollie stares at me wordlessly with an odd expression on his face. I actually start to feel a bit self-conscious.
After standing there silently for a few moments, he says, “Wow, Ember, you look great! Are you looking forward to going out tonight?”
“Thanks, and yeah I am,” I reply, feeling a little deflated for some reason and, now, about ten times more nervous about this evening.
I get in Ollie’s car, and Mark drives in his with Casey. I don’t say a word. I just watch the streets as we pass through them on the way to the theater while Ollie chats about the movie we are going to see. A part of me isn’t sure why I agreed to do this. I was really excited for tonight, but right now, I'm so out of my depth I just want to crawl into bed and sleep.
When we get to the theater, the guys go to buy the tickets, and Casey hauls me into the ladies room.
“What’s up, Em? You seem so distant, and we’ve only just got here,” she asks, sounding worried.
“I don’t know. It’s just nerves, I guess.” I shrug because it probably is that. “You know I’ve not really dated much before, so it’s still kind of new for me.”
Casey puts her arms around me. “That’s totally normal and all part of the experience: the nerves and the excitement. Let’s just go out there with the guys, watch a movie, and see where it leads. Relax, you’ll enjoy it, I promise. It’ll be great!”
Casey gives me a cheeky grin, which makes me laugh and then squeezes my hand reassuringly. I return the gesture, and we quickly freshen up and go back outside to where the guys are waiting with the tickets.
At the concession stand, I listen to Ollie as he talks about school, college, and his plans for Thanksgiving, which is coming up soon. His easy chatter calms me a little bit, and feeling myself starting to relax, I laugh internally for worrying so much over nothing.
“So what are your Thanksgiving plans, Em?” he asks, and I feel my shoulders slump.
“I’m not sure yet. If my dad can get a break from work, we may go away for a few days. Otherwise, I’ll be at Casey’s and doing whatever her mom does for the holiday.”
Ollie’s eyebrows draw together as he considers my answer, and then surprisingly he leans forward and hugs me. “I hope your dad can get home. I’m sure it’d be great for you to spend some time with him.”
I smile shyly at him when he lets go, and I feel my cheeks heat up. “Thanks, me too.”
Not wanting to go in straight away while the ads are still playing, we all head over to some chairs and sit until the movie starts. Mark and Casey seem to be getting along really well. It’s the first time I’ve seen her smiling and laughing since her mom told her about Ash leaving. I’m still a little nervous but more at ease with Ollie now.
I feel a prickle on the back of my neck like I’m being watched, and I turn but don’t see anything out of the ordinary. I shake it off and spin back around to see Ollie throwing pieces of popcorn at Mark who, in turn, is trying to catch them in his mouth while Casey laughs and eggs them on.
When it’s time to go in we stand up, and Ollie takes my hand, leading me into the movie. I glance back over my shoulder to look at Casey who smiles and gives me a wink. I fight back a laugh when she grabs Mark’s hand, and he grins down at her, looking pleased.
As the lights dim, my anxiety starts to bubble back to the surface. I’m seated in between Ollie and Casey while Mark is sitting on her other side. An uneasy feeling runs up my spine again, and I can’t seem to ignore the sense that I'm being watched. I turn slightly in my seat and scan the darkened rows behind but don’t see anybody there that I recognize, and no one seems to be looking my way.
Chapter Eighteen
ASH
Ember didn’t spotme when she turned to look around the theater, no doubt having felt my eyes on her. I’m staring at her and that dipshit Ollie as they watch the movie, burning holes into his back when he leans over and whispers to her. Anger starts to sizzle in my blood when she smiles at him, and I damn near blow the fuck up when he puts his arm around her shoulders. I don’t even notice the movie playing. All I can see is them. All I can see isher.
Casey is here as well, and I’ll be in deep shit if she catches sight of me. Luckily, after they’d purchased their tickets, I managed to sneak in and buy one for myself before snagging an empty seat near the back of the theater without them seeing me. It’s quiet for a Friday night, so I was able to choose pretty much any seat I wanted. I worry about Casey, but I do know that she can take care of herself when it comes to dealing with fucking idiot boys.
