Palpable | Latent 2

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Dustin

I was so happy it was winter break. I didn't have to worry about waking up early and walking in the freezing, cold weather to head to school, I didn't have to deal with seeing Brooke every day, I could stay up late and sleep in, and Blake was back in town.

I sure missed hanging out with my best friend.

"Any chance I can stay in your guest bedroom?" Blake asked. We were on our way, along with Sophronia, to head to the movies. There was a new one that just came out and all of us really wanted to watch it, so we decided to go together.

What I liked about the three of us hanging out was that Blake never felt like the third-wheel. Sophronia and Blake got along with each other really well, and Sophronia didn't demand that I only paid attention to her. If Blake and I were talking about something she didn't understand, she didn't really care.

"Why would you want to stay in the guest bedroom?" I asked.

"Because I really don't want to be around Brooke," Blake said. "She's getting more and more annoying every day. You know what she asked me yesterday? She asked if I can talk to you to see if you could give her another chance."

I groaned. "She really needs to let go of that. Both Soph and I have told her many, many times that I am not going to give her another chance. I don't know what she doesn't understand about that. She cheated on me, and that ended things."

"Exactly what I told her," Blake said. "She got mad at me, but I don't care at all. I just really don't want to deal with her anymore. I didn't want winter break to end so fast, but now I do so I can go back to my school dorm."

"If I were you, I would just invest in some noise cancellation headphones," Sophronia said.

"Yeah, I have that on my Christmas wish list," Blake said. "Specifically for the purpose of drowning out my sister's voice. I already lock myself in my room all day with the music playing loudly, but that doesn't work. She just walks in and turns down the music, then starts ranting about her problems that I do not care about."

"I feel sorry for you," I said. "I don't know what I would do if I had to live with her."

"Exactly why I want to stay in your guest room," Blake said. "Help a brother out."

"Will your parents even let you?" I asked. "It's the holidays after all, and they probably really miss you."

Blake sighed. "Yeah, they probably wouldn't. Great. I just have to deal with my annoying sister for two weeks before I head back to school."

I patted his shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

We got to the movies and each paid for our own ticket before heading into the building. I tried offering to pay for Sophronia's snacks, but she refused, saying it wasn't a date and even if it was, she could pay for it herself.

Blake agreed with her, telling me to stop trying to act all macho.

Sorry for trying to be a gentleman.

After getting our snacks, we headed to the theatre where the movie was going to be playing. Since it just came out recently, quite a few people were already there. The three of us found some seats close to the front, but not too close so we wouldn't have to strain our necks to watch it.

"You know what this reminds me of?" I asked Sophronia. "When I skipped school to come here when you were invisible."

"Those were the times," she said jokingly.

"Yes, the times I couldn't see you, but I could see Dustin making googly eyes at you," Blake said. "It was creepy."

"I didn't make googly eyes," I objected.

"You did and you know it," Blake said.

I totally did and I totally knew it.

Blake suddenly sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Great," he muttered.

"What?" I asked.

Blake didn't say anything as he gestured towards the door. Sophronia and I looked over to see Brooke walk into the theatre with some of her friends. She soon saw me and immediately glared, to which I ignored her and looked at Blake.

"What is she doing here?" I asked.

"She probably overheard me telling our parents I was going to the movies with you two," Blake said. "All I wanted was to get away from her. She's like everywhere I go, haunting me."

"I heard that," Brooke said as she and her friends sat down in the seats behind us. Out of all the seats, they had to sit behind us. They couldn't have sat, I don't know, anywhere else.

"Good," Blake said. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Uh, because we wanted to see this movie," Brooke said. "You don't own the theatre, Blake."

"No, I don't, but you could have sat anywhere else," Blake said.

"Not when these are the best seats in the theatre," Brooke said.

"Why? Because Dustin is sitting here?"

"No."

"Yes."

"I don't like him anymore," Brooke said.

I was going to say something, but I really didn't want to bother with her anymore. She was annoying me and Sophronia, and even Blake, way too much. She really needed to learn not to lie and to just face the fact that I was never going to give her another chance, no matter what she said.

Blake started getting into an argument with Brooke until I told him to just leave it. She wasn't going to stop at all.

Thankfully, the movie trailers started, but that didn't stop Brooke. In fact, she and her friends were talking quite loudly during it. A few people nearby were telling them to be quiet, so they whispered for a few moments before talking loudly again.

Blake suddenly got up from his seat and left the theatre, only to return with the usher and pointed out how loud Brooke and her friends were being.

After he asked them to leave, Brooke scoffed and looked over at Blake. "Thanks for getting your own sister kicked out," she said.

"You're welcome," Blake said before sitting back down in his spot.