Memory

5 - Movie Night

The dial tone rang on Memory's phone. Once, then twice. Grandma was usually by her phone, and would never let it go more than two rings. I wonder if she is on a call with someone else, Memory thought. It was plausible since Grandma had such a big family.

Immediately after the call ended, Grandma called back. "Hello, kiddo, I'm sorry that I missed your call, I was taking care of something."

"That's okay, I understand," she replied. She was just happy they could finally watch a movie together again, as they did every week. "It's your turn to pick a movie. Do you have one in mind?" Memory inquired.

"I did, but first you have to tell me what you have been doing lately," Grandma sneakily asked. "Have you been talking to that boy again?"

Grandma knew everything there was to know about Memory and her friends. She shared everything with her like she was her best friend. Before the pandemic, the two of them did not talk much. Then the world changed.

"My friends and I played a game together the other day. We all had a lot of fun with it. Derrick and I have not talked much, but we still stay in touch." She said, and with a sigh, she continued. "I sure do miss him. I miss everyone, but there is not anything I can do until quarantine ends."

Grandma stayed silent for a moment. "It's okay to feel the way you do. They probably feel the same way, too. The entire world feels what you do; you are not alone." She reassured Memory, with that same comforting tone that always cheered Memory up, no matter the circumstance. "You have me, your friends, and your parents to back you up when you need it."

The thought of talking with her parents made her skin crawl. She did not want to be friends with them; she wanted out of that house as soon as possible. It was impossible to live with them. Her resentment towards them, especially towards Mom, boiled her blood to no end.

"So, are you ready to watch the movie?" Grandma asked cheerfully, snapping her out of her bitter thoughts. "I believe you will like this one."

"What's it called?" Memory questioned, ready to search up the movie on her TV. 

"The Outsiders." By the tone of her voice, she sounded pleased with her decision, and also excited for Memory to see it with her. Though, her granddaughter didn't share her enthusiasm.

"Really, Grandma? Another '80s movie?" She complained, the remote almost slipping out of her fingers as she tossed up her hands in opposition. "Can't you choose something different?"

Grandma just chuckled at Memory's disapproval. "Well, all the great movies were made in the '80s. Like Of Mice And Men, The Breakfast Club, and Goonies."

Memory smirked to herself. Grandma did make a convincing argument. Of Mice And Men was a '90s movie, but considered to be an '80s movie by Grandma. Based on the novella written by John Steinbeck in 1937, it was a sad tale set during the Great Depression, following two men looking for work on farms in California. Clearly fiction, but portrayed the Great Depression well.

The Breakfast Club is how Memory viewed her friends. All of them are very different from one another, each with a past and story to tell. When Memory first met Derrick, the top flirty jock of the school, she thought he was so stuck up and snobby. One day, they were partners on a project, and Memory saw just how wrong she had judged him.

As for Goonies, that was a different story altogether. Memory could not find a way to correlate that story with her group of friends until she met Devin and Zac in middle school. They lived in the same neighborhood, all within 3 blocks of each other. Together they created a map and devised a plan to 'steal' certain objects out of a grumpy old man's lawn. That is when the three of them became best friends.

Memory found the movie and began watching it with Grandma. It was hard to stay focused on it; her mind wondered. Remembering the times when the three of them were carefree and adventurous stumbled through her brain. She tried to focus, but it was difficult to do. She could not get caught up in the movie.

Instead, she started reading up on the movie. Based on a book written by S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders takes place in rural Oklahoma, some town called Tulsa, in the '60s. There were two main gangs: the Greasers and the Socs or Socials. The characters had weird names, though. The main character's name was Ponyboy, and his older brother was named Sodapop. A lot of great actors were in the movie, such as Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Diane Lane. Memory would have probably liked it if she could have gotten into it.

If only she wasn't so distracted by her thoughts.