Fire

I Saw Her Standing There

Arriving at the movies, your heart sinks. Sure Joe and Dawn were here but so was some guy in a polo shirt and chinos.

You could just turn the car around right now, but did you really want to stand up, your friends. So you guess if you suffer this guy for an hour or so and have actually spent time with him, you have reasons you wouldn't want to date him. Well, at least reasons Joe and Dawn might accept, other than the real reason, which was you just weren't ready.

You decide to park up and just go for it. Who knows, right? Maybe tonight would be amazing, so amazing you'd forget all about Trent.

You walk over to your friends and wave hello at the new person, "This is George", Joe says happily like he's given you the greatest gift in the world.

"Hi George, I'm Y/N," you say cordially.

"Oh, I know, I've heard all about you," he says, standing to his full height and puffing out his chest a little.

You smile awkwardly, unsure what to say next.

"Let's go grab some snacks, shall we?" Dawn suggests, and you nod in agreement.

You leave the guys to themselves and, with slight annoyance, say, "I thought we were just gonna go to watch a movie."

"We still are, just with a little something extra for you." She laughs.

"I know you both mean well, but I'm not sure", you whine.

"Just give him a chance Y/N. You never know. People aren't always what they seem. Like, don't judge a book by its cover, little miss bookworm." She nudges you playfully, and it makes you laugh a little.

" Ok, ok, you got me on that one. I will bury my preconceptions."

You grab popcorn and soda and head over to the screen.

So ok, in the end, George wasn't all bad, an attractive guy with blond hair that flopped in front of his giant blue eyes when he laughed too hard, but this is where the pros ended.

He helped himself to your drink and popcorn. He's taking up both armrests, occasionally pretending to yawn to drape his arm behind you, which makes you cringe a little. He asked questions throughout the movie, not even questions that sparked some kind of conversation, just things that had already been explained. It seemed that the whole point of asking the questions was so he could tuck your hair behind and whisper into your ear. You now have no interest in the movie with the amount you've had to re-explain.

You give him your drink and popcorn, excuse yourself from this personal hell, and let him know you need to go to the ladies' room. You know it's the only place he can't offer to join you. You will actually go outside for a smoke and, once calm, go back inside.

You walk outside the mall and reverse your body into the wall, hitching one knee up so the sole of one boot is against the wall, the other the floor.

You take out a smoke and light it inhaling in crisis and exhaling with relaxation.

"Nice evening for it, Cowboy", you hear a voice from the darkness beside you.

You smile, "Evenin' lil' lady," you say in your best cowboy voice, tipping your imaginary hat at Eddie Munson.

He giggles and pretends he's fanning himself. You smile at one another. You probably shouldn't engage in conversation, but it's a welcome oasis in the desert of a movie with George.

"What brings you to the mall?" You enquire.

"Distribution", he says, opening up his jacket and showing you his inside jacket pocket, "and you?"