Thank You

Cinema

to anyone who's read the first version of this chapter, i' m sorry, i don't know what happened, but basically i reposted the chapter 'closer' instead of this. i just took notice of it and this is the right one. sorry once again, i wasn't very careful about it.
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"No, it's not a horror movie, it's a gothic romance."

"What's the fucking difference, Ash ? It's ghosts !"

"Yes. But it's a love story first. It's like... love first, and then the ghost shit."

"I don't like ghosts."

"Oh, come on, Diana ! It's the love-ghost thing or we just cry to death this afternoon. There's no other movie left."

"It's your fault, we always go to the cinema."

"Don't even try an' tell me you don't love it, 'cause you do."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night."

I roll my eyes, but I have a smile showing on the corners of my mouth, and I still follow my friend's lead into the cinema. They draw me behind them, holding my hand tightly in theirs. It felt weird to have someone else hold my hand at first, but over time, I realized it felt so different that it did not bother me. Quite on the contrary, it felt like comfort and warmth too.

"I'll go get the tickets, you get some popcorn or something, 'kay ? If you go for the tickets, you're gonna come back empty-handed and whine about the movie again. Get me a coke."

"Alright, mom."

"Shut up. You're stupid. And I'm non-binary. It's parent."

"Okay, parent."

They harmlessly slap my arm as I turn away and walk towards the snack stand. It's full of colorful packages of all sizes, but my attention is caught by the hot chocolate machine at the back. The scent of chocolate for Christmas is coming back to me, and my mind feels strangely blurry for a second. The warmth, the comfort and happiness. The violence, the terror and the pain.

"Miss ? Excuse me, miss ?"

I shake my head briskly and smile at the slightly concerned-looking seller.

"Are you okay ?"

"Yeah. Yes. I'm fine," I hurriedly reply in an awkward chuckle, "Just spaced out for a second. Er... I'll... er... I'll take a coke. Please."

The young man looks at me, a bit puzzled at my sudden shift of attitude, his jaw hanging a little. It would be quite a funny picture if the whole situation wasn't so awkward. Just like me, he seems to snap back to life in a short second, shaking his blond locks himself and turning away from me to get the drink I just asked for.

"A coke, yeah..." I hear him mutter under his breath.

"Er... I'll get some popcorn too. Please. Medium... no. Large. Sized. Please. With extra-butter."

"Fuck, you're awkward."

I close my eyes and shiver, startled by Ash's words. I didn't see them coming my way.

"Yeah, act like you didn't know that already."

"You're okay around me."

"Yeah. Because you're not 'people'. And I'm awkward around 'people'."

"So what ? I'm a fucking hippopotamus ?"

"No, shut u... Oh, thanks," I am interrupted by the seller I weirdly disturbed who hands me my order, while I give him the money in cash.