Standstill

Part 2

“The realities of life do not allow themselves to be forgotten.”

― Victor Hugo

They were just in time for Hunchback of Notre Dame. They arrived at 7:45 and the last screening of it was not until 8:10. After purchasing the ticket, they looked at each other with the same thought, just in time.

Unlike any of their adventures with each other where the other one was either late or early, that night, they were right on schedule. The stars were aligning for them. The man asked the girl if she wanted anything to eat. She replied it was fine, but he still got them food anyway. He also asked if she brought a jacket, joked that, “it’ll be cold inside because technically we’re the only nerds who watch these things,” with which she laughed and replied, “Yeeeah. So hipster us. I like things before they’re cool –like you.” Both of them knew that wasn’t too much of a joke though. He smiled, sipped his drink and led the way to the cinema.

That was going earlier than scheduled, the girl thought. Besides, she wasn’t really planning on telling him something. And if anything, all she ever planned for the evening (besides the dress, the hairstyle, the supposed persona, etc.) was to get something out from him. She needed answers. Or, if not answers, she needed him to say something. She made it out on her mind not to chase after him anymore. And she constantly reminded herself that he was just doing these things to cover-up for making her feel bad.

The man on the other hand still couldn’t get a hold of his thoughts. As the night progressed his words and intentions got all mixed up. But if there was one thing he knew for sure, he was, in the simplest sense, happy. He was sitting beside the girl of his dreams. There they were at the movie theater, whispering occasionally to each to other –snide remarks about Quasimodo’s hairdo or Esmeralda’s accent.

Thirty minutes into the movie, he must’ve thought of slipping his hands to hers for about fifty times already but resorted to just nursing his drink instead. And instead of pondering how the story was going to unfold, he daydreamed about what would happen if he suddenly placed his fingertips under the girl’s chin and kissed her.

The girl isn’t as quiet as she seems to be as well, for in her mind there was chaos. She not only dreamed about kissing the man but living a whole story with him. She not only imagined what would happen inside the theater but what would happen after…and after and after. She took herself not only to Parisian villages and churches but to the most romantic cities on Earth. In her mind, it wasn’t Europe, it was Latin America –Rio. It was a sea of fireworks in the dark sky and all she wanted to do was rest her head on the man’s shoulder and smell his forever effusive sweet cologne.

She didn’t. Instead, she glanced at him twice, then thrice. Then she saw that he was really taking the movie seriously and it was her chance to stare at him. When Mr. Man noticed, he too, stared. For quite some time they were staring fixedly on each other until the girl tore away.

“Figured you didn’t have it in you,” remarked him.

I was scared you were reading my mind. But still, her brave heart prevailed and muttered the words, “I thought you were going to kiss me.”

“Do you want me to?”

“When you say it that way it becomes less romantic.”

“What? You don’t like people to ask you first before they touch your lips with their lips.”

She wanted to reply, you’re not “other people,” but all she could say was, “that’s happened twice now. And well, maybe I just like spontaneity.”

There was a shhhhh from the front so they hushed to a whisper. “Okay.” He placed his mouth near her ear. “Next time I will surprise you.”