𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐘 (+𝟏𝟖)

CH. 3: THE THEIF'S SHADOW

M A L L O R Y

TWO YEARS LATER

"Question: Does it count as cheating if you actively have sexual fantasies about a fictional character?"

I raise an eyebrow at Celina. "What the hell kind of question is that?" I ask, handing a large popcorn and box of Skittles to a customer, who seems just as caught off guard by my best friend's question as I am and leaves before I could tell him to enjoy the movie.

She nonchalantly props her elbows on the counter, clearly unfazed by the annoyed glare my manager Mark shoots her. He hated loiterers in the lobby, especially during a Friday night rush, but lacks the balls to tell my sapphire-haired friend to leave.

"A simple one. Now answer it," she prompts, resting her chin on her palm, obnoxiously slurping from what was her sixth blue raspberry ICEE Slushie.

Having witnessed her effortlessly suck down five blue slushies in a mere ten minutes, completely impervious to brain freeze, I was reasonably confident the sixth would turn her piss green.

I roll my eyes, bending down to restock the candy case before deciding to indulge her. "Depends, is it a cartoon or a character played by an actor?"

She looks up in thought before pointing her straw at me. "Cartoon, for the sake of this argument."

I shrug. "Not cheating." I assert, standing up and shutting the drawer a tad bit too forcefully, causing Celina to jump and spill some of her slushie.

"Maldita puta!" she curses while using her finger to wipe the slush off her top. I snicker which earns me a glare and a perfectly manicured middle finger.

"So, hypothetically," she continues as I grab some napkins from the dispenser to clean up the blue syrup. "It wouldn't bother you if your boyfriend fucked you then moaned a character's name?"

"That hypothetical is oddly specific, and I'm debating whether or not I want to know the context."

"You know that dorky british black guy I met on campus and briefly dated for like two weeks?"

"Yeah?" I wipe the spilled slush off the counter, acting like I know who she's referring to. She's dated and discarded so many men, it was hard to keep track.

"So, he invited me over one time to help me with my essay. At some point, we got drunk and we fucked. Guy comes in under ten minutes, not letting me finish, calls me fucking Neytiri and passes out."

My eyebrows furrow and when she senses my confusion, she removes the straw from her lips to clarify. "The blue alien bitch from Avatar."

I respond with a quick 'ah,' and she continues.

"I dismiss it cause he was drunk that night. He invites me over the next day and I ask to borrow his laptop cause I forgot mine. I open the browser and find an incognito mode page filled with a shit ton of violent Na'vi alien porn- last time he ever saw me."

I snort, biting my bottom lip to contain the ugly ass cackle that would've followed. Mark's face contorts in disgust upon hearing snippets of our conversation.

He shoots a glare at Celina before redirecting his attention to me, mailing a look that undoubtedly reads, 'get rid of her.' I casually wave him off as my 10-to-6 shift was nearly over anyway. He rolls his eyes, walking off towards the box office.