Almost Perfect // l.s

chapter five

That Friday night, I stood in the cavernous, neon-slathered lobby of the Forum 8 theater and watched the college kids parade by. I felt like a farm boy who'd just driven up on a tractor. Next year was I really going to buy a Mizzou jacket and hang out in bars with these guys?

That was another reason I was worried about college. I mean, Gemma could show me around and everything, but I still felt kind of out of my depth. At MU, there were students from Russia, students from Iran, scientists, hippies, anarchists . . . and I'd never even been to Illinois.

Niall was at the snack bar buying his requisite drum of popcorn. He kept insisting on more and more butter grease. Eventually, the girl behind the counter, a colorless teenager with short hair, rammed the bucket into his chest and took the next order.

Liam pounded on a pinball machine with both fists. I leaned on the air hockey table, knowing I couldn't force the guys to wait any longer. It was already eight-thirty.

Liam tilted his pinball game for the fourth time. "Hey, Harry. Is she coming or not?"

I looked at my watch again. "I guess not. Go get your snacks. I'll be there in a minute."

I shouldn't have bothered. Louis had only said maybe. Her maniac parents probably locked her in the basement. So what? There'd be other girls, I guessed. Probably. Tanya, or maybe some cute college girl next year. Whoopee.

Someone smacked my hand off the table, causing me to stumble.

"Props are dangerous." It was Louis. She was wearing a fluffy white coat that seemed big enough to seat two comfortably.

"Louis! You made it!" until that moment, I hadn't realized how disappointed I'd felt about her not coming.

She grinned proudly. "My parents think you're the Christian Teens Youth Group, so no funny business, 'kay? Hi, Liam."

We took our seats. As soon as the theater began to fill up, Liam pulled out his cell phone and had a loud conversation. I don't think there was actually anyone on the other line.

"So, how did the prostate exam go? Really? Ouch! Didn't he lube up first? He used what? Listen, Andy, I don't think real doctors operate out of those U-Store-It bins . . ."

Louis' body was shaking with laughter. She was the only one in the theater not trying to kill Liam with a glare. He only settled down when the house lights went off.

When the film started, Louis began pulling boxes of candy out of her coat and passing them down the line. Niall looked at her with such rapture I was almost jealous. I wished I could have done this without the guys, but I couldn't really bike the twenty miles to Columbia.

It occurred to me that this was only the second first date I'd ever had since I was fifteen. Brenda and I had come to this very theater. Since neither of us drove, her dad had come with us and sat two rows back.

And now here I was with an extroverted girl who had to sneak out just to see me. I looked over to my companion, who now had her feet propped up on the seat in front of her. Was this really a date? Maybe Louis wouldn't be able to sneak out again. Or wouldn't think I was worth it.

The premovie commercials ended. Louis put her feet down and placed her hand on our shared armrest. She elbowed me in the ribs. Then harder. Then she flopped halfway into my seat, crushing me against Liam. When she finally settled down, the side of her hand was pressed against mine.

I ignored the movie as I enjoyed the physical contact. Should I try to put my arm around her? I decided to play it safe and wait.

It happened about halfway through the film. We'd been swapping boxes of Milk Duds, gummi things, and Dots the whole time. I went to take the Junior Mints from Louis, and her hand was empty. My hand in her hand. I didn't pull back.

Slowly, imperceptibly, her long fingers wound around mine. We sat unmoving for half a minute. It was no first base, but at least I was out of the dugot.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Louis staring at the screen, her eyes large and white in the dark. Apparently, this was the first time she'd held hands with anyone. She looked almost terrified. I took a risk and squeezed her hand.

A bright scene projected on the screen, and in the lights I could clearly make out her expression. She had such an innocent, frightened smile that I wanted to grab her and hug her. And not just because she was cute. Because at that moment, even though I barely knew her, I really liked her a lot.

Louis bit her lower lip and tilted her head down, still keeping her eyes off me. We both leaned closer. And then some more.

The movie changed to a night scene, and I could no longer see her face. Impetuously, I moved forward.

It's embarrassing to try to kiss a girl only to have her lean back. Brenda used to do that to me all the time, even when we'd been dating for years.

It's downright humiliating when your date forcibly shoves your head away.

It wasn't a playful shove, or a Back off, Don Juan rejection. Louis pushed me so hard my neck kind of hurt.

Ashamed and upset, I tried to think of a way to quietly apologize. Louis was sitting there glowering at the film, her arms crossed and her leg jiggling. Damn, I'd totally misread her. When she had let me hold her hand, I thought she was encouraging me.

I waited a miserable forty-five minutes for the movie to end, wondering whether I should say I was sorry or just not mention the incident. With Niall and Liam hanging around, apologizing wouldn't be easy. But I didn't want Louis to think I was just after one thing. After three years with Brenda, I was used to a chaste existence.

The second the credits started rolling, Louis jumped up. She rushed to the exit so quickly she bopped Liam on the head with her huge purse. It took me longer to escape from the row, but my years of running paid off, and I caught up with her in the lobby.

"Louis?"

She didn't turn around. "Thanks for the movie, Harry," she said in a monotone.

I didn't follow her into the parking lot.

I got home around midnight, annoyed and confused. Why did Louis have to get so upset when I tried to kiss her? I didn't totally buy that story about her parents not letting her date. What kind of senior puts up with that? Maybe I'd gone a little overboard, but was I really that out of line? I didn't have enough experience to be sure.

Mom was asleep on the cough, a muted infomercial casting the only light in the trailer. After I turned on the light and said good night to Mom, I vanished into my room and pulled a cardboard box out from under my bed. When I had realized it was over over with Brenda, I'd grabbed all her pictures, all her letters, and crammed them in here. I had planned to burn them in the backyard when Mom was at work. Instead, I kept them under my bed, looking at them more often that I wanted to admit.

The tickets to every dance we'd gone to. The movie stubs from one of our first dates. The purple-inked love letters she'd left in my locker. And the pictures.

I found the dog-eared photo that I used to keep in my wallet. It was bent and faded from the months under my butt, but I could still see the figured clearly. It was right after a track meet the year before. Brenda's father had taken it.

I was sprawled, exhausted, on the bleaches all block-headed, ham-fisted, and sweaty. Next to me sat Brenda lithe, graceful, and beautiful. She was smiling, but not at the camera. At me. She always smiled at me. Looking at her grin, you'd think she was the luckiest girl in the world.

I turned the snapshot over and read the inscription.

All my love, Harry

xxx

Brenda

I ripped the picture to shreds. All my love. Nothing but words. Nothing but bullshit.

It was funny. Tonight I had been prepared to let that all go. To start dating again. And I hadn't expected to get anywhere with Louis. So why did her rejection hurt almost as badly as Brenda's?

--
Hey guys it would mean a lot if you guys vote or comment since it helps me know that people are actually reading and enjoying the story ! Thanks!❤️