Almost Loved.

CHAPTER 7 - "Should I say us?"

What could be the odds of the recent event I was the host of? Let's just say that there was too much to process with very limited understanding that unfortunately my brain was in fact finding difficult to confer.

I did not know if I was supposed to categorize what was happening as mere coincidence or his former attempts at being a stalker. It could possibly not be the latter because he had not even acknowledged my presence, or realized that I was sitting right next to him.

I had an upper hand here. I could do two things -
First being, freak out, make a big deal about it and make him realize that I was sitting right next to him, making things awkward for the four of us and causing annoyance to the rest of the audience, OR, just silently exchange my seat with Kate and play low-key till the entire movie got over and then we could all go home happily without any unnecessary encounters.

However stupid and irrational the first option sounded, if I were to do it, I would be staying true to myself, but thought otherwise. All these thoughts were running across my mind with my face giving out nothing, while still staring at the screen, not quite keeping up with the movie.

I snuck a glance in his direction and noticed that his attention was completely devoted to the movie and that he was sitting still without stirring one bit, with the exception of his right hand fingers drumming the armrest of his seat, occasionally. It was quite unsettling the way he was drumming his fingers but, his tattoo was what caught my attention once again. There were a few numbers inked neatly across the length of his middle finger. What could that even mean?

It was very peculiar and it made me curious. My thoughts were directed back to the situation at hand when his fingers stopped drumming the armrest and the flow was broken.

I was having a mental debate with myself, as to how to go about changing my seat with Kate without attracting uncalled attention.

I tried to whisper to Kate but noticed that Rafael and her were engaged in a very animated conversation. This kind of behaviour is what baffles me. You are here for a movie, if you want to talk, go to a coffee shop for crying out loud!
There was no way I was going to get her to look at me this way and I did not want to interrupt Rafael, because the thought itself was very uncomfortable for various reasons. One being, I would come across as nosy and annoying, both of which I am not.

A brilliant idea came to my mind. I took my phone out, dialled Kate's number, and waited for her to reach out for her phone. She interrupted the conversation the two of them were having and rumagged her pocket to get the phone out.

When she saw my name flashing on her phone, she looked at it in a confused manner and then looked in my direction.

Oh well, finally!

"What is it? What is wrong with you?", she whispered.

Embarrassed, I look at Rafael apologetically who just smiled and looked back at Kate.
I glared at her trying to make her understand the seriousness of the situation.

"It's him! He's here!", I whisper frantically.

She rolls her eyes at me and sighs.

"Who is, Aria?", she asks me, confused.

"Oh God. It's him, Calum. He is sitting right next to me."

At this point of time both Kate and I had lowered our head down which were now hovering above Rafael's lap clearly making him uncomfortable but more than being uncomfortable, he seemed amused.

"He's right here!", I whispered to her, jabbing my thumb in his direction.

Kate raised her head and her eyes widened.