Something Sweeter - Alec Volturi

XX. Cinema

"Perhaps we should go ahead and call it a day," Alec said after watching me stare blankly at my third Physics worksheet for five minutes straight.

"I feel like my eyes are bleeding," I complained.

Alec neatly organized my pile of homework and tucked it into my backpack.

"Do you plan on keeping up with your homework from now on?"

I let out a short laugh. "Don't hold your breath."

I looked down long enough to pick up my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. When I looked up at Alec he was standing still, staring down an aisle in between two bookshelves.

"What's wrong?" I asked, knitting my brow in concern.

"The sun," he said grimly.

I looked down the aisle and noticed the large rectangles of sunlight that had inched across the carpet while we were busy working. I was so wrapped up in spending time with Alec that I didn't keep track of the time. I glanced at my phone to check the time. It was 4pm. The sun was at its peak.

"I should've been paying more attention," he said darkly.

"It's no big deal," I said, trying to downplay the situation. "It's just a break in the clouds. We can make it back to the car, no problem. Just use your umbrella."

Alec looked at me, mulling over my suggestion.

"Come on, we'll run," I strode toward the front doors.

"I'm not -- Violet!" he hissed when he caught up with me.

"Hurry!" I threw a mischievous grin over my shoulder at him before pushing through the front doors and sprinting across the parking lot. I ran as fast as I could, only stopping to wrench the driver's side door open.

I watched Alec jog across the parking lot, umbrella in hand, at a responsible human pace.

"You did it!" I laughed.

"No thanks to you!" he said before throwing himself into the safety of the cab. It dawned on me that the windows were tinted so darkly for a reason.

"Where to?" I asked Alec after I joined him in the car. I started up the car and began jamming the buttons that controlled the radio.

"What?" he asked wearily.

"I picked the library, now it's your turn. Where should we go next?"

"Home," he said sternly.

"Ew! No!" I protested.

"I'm not going to run around town all day in broad daylight."

"Oh, come on! It's just a break in the clouds," I gestured to the windshield for emphasis.

"You're more than welcome to do what you like after you drop me off back at the cottage."

"What about the movies? By the time we get there and settle into our seats it'll be at least five. Movies are usually two hours these days, so we should be out of there just after sunset."

Alec looked at me apprehensively.

"Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

"Fine. Just this once," he caved.

As it turned out, my plan was flawless. We arrived at the theater just in time to catch a showing of a perfectly decent romantic comedy. I gorged on a giant bucket of extra buttery popcorn and Alec watched me with disdain as I kept accidentally spilling popcorn all over the place. We stayed to watch the credits for good measure. By the time we were back in the Jeep it was right around eight o' clock.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked Alec. I tapped around on the phone screen as I tried to find a fresh Spotify playlist to play.

"I don't know. I'm not from here," Alec said without irony.

"Can't relate," I said sarcastically.

"Here," he reached across the center console to take my phone from me.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I swiped it out of his reach.

"I'm going to Google things to do," he said defensively.

"Use your own phone!"

"You mean this?" Alec pulled out a Motorola flip phone from his pocket. It had to be at least fifteen years old.

"Why on Earth do you still have that?" I straight up laughed at him.

"It works just fine."

"For what? Weighing down paper?" I joked.

"Do you mind?" he said, growing annoyed.

"Fine. Whatever," I said, trying to curb my laughter. I handed him my iPhone. "But only because I pity you."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said, growing frosty.

I turned the stereo up and bobbed my head to the beat as I stared absentmindedly out of the side window. Alec's attitude didn't bother me.

"Here. Let's do this," he flashed the screen at me.

"Karaoke? Um. Alec. I don't sing."

"But it's my turn to pick."

"Yeah, I guess, but I've played Rock Band before. I'm not that good."

Alec blinked at me, unmoved.

"Do you even know what karaoke is?" I asked, growing desperate.

"Why do you keep acting like I'm some prehistoric ghoul?" Alec narrowed his eyes at me.

"Geez! Sorry! Libraries, karaoke, got it," I backpedaled. I give him a thumbs up and a smile for good measure.

"I'm much more hip than you know. You'll see," he smiled.

I turned up the music even more and silently thanked the universe that I was able to get him to chill out. If looks could kill...