The Book of Winshire

Chapter Five

Kyle looked down to his lap, staring at another full spare bag of popcorn that had been barely touched. He was saving it for his not-so-secret blind-date (his concerned mates came with him) although it was hard for him to not try and rip it open.

She didn’t come at all, so he thought, Why not eat it now?

He grabbed it, and stood, glancing at the large cinema screen as the credits scrolled down, and at the seats behind him. He exhaled loudly, a bit in relief because today didn’t happen as he expected.

Who would want to enjoy blind-dates, anyway, he thought to himself.

(Fact: He was never fond of the idea of giving his feelings a naked guess like this. He wanted to feel that falling in love at the first sight taboo, but this wasn’t really the way he wanted to give it a shot. As idiotic as it might sound, he wanted to man up to a girl and admit his ways of adoring her right away. But that’d cost a whole lot of courage he had ever had in him.)

Zack gave him an encouraging pat on his back as he went past him for the rubbish chap. ‘It’s all right, Kyle. She didn’t stand you up. Maybe she’s had any matters unsolved yet. We’d wait for her call for you,’ he said, and smiled weakly.

Kyle returned the same sort of smile and lifted his shoulders sadly. He held them like that until he heard Hughy whining about the film he didn’t even give his attention to.

‘Worst. Day. Ever. Romantic films work only for people like Kyle. And Zack, and Ian, and you,’ he complained to Henry as they were about to walk down the stairs towards the exit. He walked with his right heel almost bumping against his other one, sashaying like a top model.

‘I’m sorry, I guess it didn’t work out,’ apologised Henry, sharing his compassion to both his unlucky mates. ‘I should have known better, even though I couldn’t help but think that she was a little bit different from the others. I’ve known her for quite a time now,’ he informed.

Zack quickly made his way out the aisle of seats and disagreed, ‘But that doesn’t mean that she’s good enough for him, Henry.’ He glanced at the sad-looking Kyle and looked back to Henry, who was pouting at his own terrible mistake.

‘I didn’t mean to have it end this way.’

‘Yeah, yeah, fuck her anyway,’ huffed Ian, after being so silent since the film ended, and people leaving the room deserted.

Henry was feeling even miffed when Ian, who infrequently used curses to express his frustration, finally did that at the moment when he was already down. Nevertheless, Ian noticed the change of looks on Henry’s face. He spontaneously rubbed the broad shoulder of Henry’s ruefully.

‘This is bullshit. I don’t want to go, either. You’re the one who forced me in to this, Henry,’ Hughy fled another whine.

‘Lars,’ called Kyle. They turned around for him, who was left quite a distance behind them. ‘I’m fine. Maybe it’s good that she didn’t show up. Even though you said I’ve seen ‘er, Henry, I may not remember how she looked like, anyway. Sorry.’

‘At least you’d still have us on Christmas, Kyle,’ promised Zack.

Henry’s faces lightened up—Hughy’s birthday was on the eve of the occasion.

Kyle, on the other hand, couldn’t contain himself for the better. He jigged around, frolicking to catch up with the rest four of them, and playfully threw his buttered popcorn and unfinished Pepsi to an empty space just right in front of them.

‘Kyle—’ just when Ian was trying to counsel his mate, they heard a gasp of four-worded cuss.

She felt the cold liquid running down her torso—already shivering at the feeling as the ice actually drenched her brassiere—and whimpered at the thought that it was going to stain.