I'm Crossing The Ocean || Mullette

Chapter Five: Totally Not A Date

Lafayette|First Person

We're only about five minutes into this movie outing and I'm already regretting coming. John and Alexander are squeezed into the backseat side by side. They keep their faces close together, whispering to each other below the music that plays through the speakers of the Camry. Hercules drives, mostly quiet. He glances at me every once in awhile, something that leaves me awkwardly looking down at my lap and out my window. 

When we finally arrive at the movie theater I'm glad to escape the car. Just as soon as we head into our theater though, John and Alex go to sit in the back. I shoot them a confused glance, going to follow them up before Hercules stops me with a hand on my back. 

"Trust me, you'd rather sit up here away from them." He guides me to one of the front rows that doesn't hold too many people. We sit at the very end, a bag of popcorn seated between us. The lights dim after a moment and the entire room goes silent as the film begins. Hercules leans in close to my ear, his breath leaving a trail of goosebumps over my neck. "Have you ever even heard of this movie?" He asks softly. I hold my breath trying to formulate a response. He leans away ever so slightly as I manage to shake my head. 

"No," I choke out, glad it isn't too loud. He rolls his eyes, leaning back in his chair. 

"Typical John," he huffs, looking over to me. "Picks a movie and makes out with Alex the whole damn time." I giggle a little despite myself. He smiles at me, tossing a piece of popcorn in his mouth. I feel my face grow warm and thank God for the lack of lighting at this particular moment. I try my best to ignore how close he still feels to me, turning my attention to whatever sort of movie we've ended up watching. I don't remember a single second of it.

===

"Are you kidding me? Laurens, answer your fucking phone!" Hercules hollers rather loudly to his phone, standing outside the theater nearly twenty minutes after the movie had finished. We had both trekked up to the top row of the seats, finding that Alexander and John we not still in their seats waiting for us. Hercules had then turned his phone back on, receiving a text from John that said we should Uber home because he and Alex left early. 

A couple of bypassers give us an odd look as he angrily hangs up the call and begins to dial again. "Hercules," I touch his shoulder getting him to look at me and remove his thumb from hovering over John's contact for the third time tonight. "Let's go to that ice cream shop we passed on the way here? Oui?" He deflates a little from his aggressive mood.   

"Yeah, ok. Sorry, Laf." He rubs his temples, pocketing his phone as starting towards the ice cream parlor I remember seeing a street over before we got here. He sighs, looking down at me apologetically as we walk. "I'm just mad that John ditched us. He really didn't used to be like this. He's a good kid." I nod in understanding, getting what he means. 

"Is it Alexander?" I ask him, earning an odd look from him as he looks away. 

"Sort of. I don't want to blame this on him, but I have a feeling it is." I nod, wanting to do something to comfort him but not knowing what. I settle for keeping my hands at my sides, looking at him through my eyelashes. 

"I'm sorry."

He shrugs, "They're still in that honeymoon phase, y'know. They didn't spend a lot of time together over winter break, I guess they're just making up for lost time." 

I nod, mostly for his benefit. I'm not really sure what he means. They're no doubt completely in love with each other, but too much of anything can be bad. I can tell it bothers Hercules, but I won't say anything so long as he's still genuinely happy for them. I try to ignore my thoughts of the happy couple as we approach the ice cream parlor. He hurries ahead of me, propping open the door quickly and gesturing grandly as I walk through. 

I grin at him, "such a- how you say? Le gentilhomme." Hercules chuckles, coming up beside me as I look over the menu of ice cream flavors. 

"A gentleman? That I can say I am, Lafayette." I smile a little at him as he knocks our shoulders together, well as best he can with him being nearly half a foot taller than me. "What do you think you'll get?" He asks me, already digging his wallet from his pocket. I stop him with a hand on his wrist. 

"No, mon ami. You do not have to pay for my food." He only shrugs. 

"Guess you'll have to pay next time." He steps up to the counter and orders from the man sitting behind it. After a moment he turns back to me, waiting for my order. I stare back at him blankly, having zoned out after what he said to me. I pull myself together, telling myself he meant nothing by it. He just wanted to hang out- as friends. 

"I'll just, uh, have what you're having." 

"Alright, two chocolate swirls coming right up." The man behind the counter turns on his heel and gets to work on the ice cream using the machine. 

"You ok, Laf?" Hercules asks. I nod as he leads me to a table by a window and sits across from me. I sigh to myself. If this is how things are going to be every time I'm alone with Hercules I need to get this under control. 

===

"Hey, Laf!" Anna greets me at the door when I get home. After ice cream Hercules had called an Uber to split between us to drive us home. I smile up at the cheery woman, still a little dazed from my time with Hercules. 

"Hi, Anna." I glance into the living room to see John and Eleanor seated on the couch watching TV. 

"Laffy Taffy! You're home!" John pokes his head up from behind the couch and pokes me. Anna smiles at us and disappears into the kitchen. "So, how'd it go?"

"How'd what go?" Eleanor asks, muting the TV and turning her attention towards me as well. 

"Laf and Herc totally just went on a date." He nudges his little sister who gapes up at me. 

"Really? I didn't know you liked each other." 

"I did not go on a date with Hercules." I roll my eyes at the siblings who exchange glances. 

"Did he pay?" John asks, raising an eyebrow at me. I nod reluctantly, knowing where this is going. "Then it's a date!" He springs up from the couch, rushing out of the living room. "I'll go tell Alex! He'll be so excited!"

I roll my eyes again, looking to Eleanor. "It was not a date." 

She shrugs. "I still think you two would be cute together." 

"I doubt he's even into guys."

I just ate a pot brownie and don't really feel like editing...whoops.
<3