Tilly|✔️

Chapter 21 - Theatre

What now?

As I shuffled awkwardly out of the training area, my emotions were still messed up. Did I really like Jasper? I wasn't sure. I felt really bad for Mark, even though I shouldn't....

What could I do? I felt so bad about it....

"Are you okay, Tilly?"

I turned around and saw Mark, shuffling his feet and staring at the floor guiltily.

"Yeah.....I'm fine."

"Alright. I should get going, I guess...."

"Wait! Before you go, Mark.....there's something I need to ask you. And I need you to answer it correctly."

"What is it, Tilly?"

"Do you.....like me?"

Mark laughed nervously. "I guess.... but just as a friend. I don't want to ruin your relationship with Jasper."

"I...." I sighed. I couldn't lie to him. It just wasn't fair. "I do....but....I like you as well. As a friend, of course. I'm not sure....it's way too confusing."

"I guess. So, friends?"

"Friends. I'm sorry if I hurt you or anything.

"No, it's fine." He smiled.

I still felt super guilty, so I hugged Mark real tight. "A war is coming, Mark. Please stay safe, for me."

"I will." Mark whispered, pulling me closer. "Please, let's survive to kill The Creator together."

"I will try my best." I whispered into his jacket. Now I felt even more guilty! Ugh, why do I always do stupid things like this?

"I guess....it's time to go now." Mark disconnected from me and gazed at the floor.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, we've been standing here five minutes after everyone left. Won't they be wondering where we went?"

"Oh," I facepalmed. "Damn, I'm so stupid!"

"You're not. You're pretty intelligent."

"Aw, thanks. Anyway, gotta go fast!" I quickly sprinted, smirking as I remembered the game that the scientists had gave me to play that one time.

I rushed up to my room and created a spinner. I placed a pointer on a piece of cardboard. One side I wrote "Jasper" and on the other side, "Mark".

"Maybe this will help me to decide." I spun the pointer and watched it as it spun round. It stopped...inbetween Mark and Jasper.

"You know, if you really want to choose between us, don't you think I'm a better option?" I turned round and saw Jasper leaning in the hallway. I gasped and fell over.

"Woah! You alright?" Jasper asked, concerned, as he walked up to me. "I was kidding by the way."

"I'm....fine." I grinned, brushing myself off. "And I know."

Jasper laughed, then looked at me, clearly about to ask me a serious question.

"What was that all about in the training area? Do you really like me?" Jasper's eyes were hopeful, and I really couldn't deny the feeling I got earlier.

"Yeah......I guess I do..." I blushed. "Do you?"

"Yes." Jasper half smiled. "I thought you were just a pest at first, but you're actually pretty sweet."

"I thought you liked Emily-"

"I don't. I was just saying that so I didn't have to admit I liked you. Pretty chicken, I know." He grinned. "I'm not scared anymore though."

"I know that," I mock rolled my eyes. "So know any places we could go alone?"

"Alone?" Jasper smirked. I raised an eyebrow. "I'm joking! Okay, well there is the abandoned theatre...."

"There's a theatre here? Where?" I looked around excitedly. "Wait.....what's a theatre?"

"You seriously don't know what a theatre is?" Jasper eyed me curiously. "Wow. Well I guess we're going there. I've got an amazing movie to put on too."

"And what movie is that?" I smirked.

"Something I found when I first came here. It's one of the four movies I own."

"Okay then."

Jasper suddenly took me by my hand and dragged me out of my room. "Hey, we're going now?"

"Duh! This is the last free day we've got left before the next week of training. Of course we're going now!"

"Okay!" I replied as we both ran through the halls. We approached an old elevator.

"This will take us to the theatre." Jasper reassured me as we stepped inside. "The theatre's one level underground. It was originally an old theatre used by the higher people, you know, the non-experiments, but the owners ran out of money to find it so it was abandoned. Legend has it a sinkhole opened up as the owners were about to leave, and that they starved to death inside. They say that when you open the projector you can see the shadows of their souls, pleading you to set them free."

"Haha! Yeah, like that's gonna scare me." I pretended to be angry with him.

"Boo!" Jasper shouted, turning me round. I screamed and he laughed.

"Not as tough as you think." Jasper smirked. "Anyway. Follow me. To my place when I watch old films that were left behind." I nodded, and followed Jasper up a flight of stairs.

"This is the projector's room." Jasper smiled. "This is the best place to watch anything, without any tall people in the way as you watch."

"But there's no one else here!" I giggled, play punching him on the arm.

"I know, but if we ever get out, and get to go to a proper theatre with people, that's the place I'm going." He grinned. "If I don't make the war, promise me if you survive and get out of here, you'll get a ticket to a theatre to remember me."

"What? You won't die! I'm sure you won't!"

"Yeah, but just in case. Buy that theatre ticket, okay?"

"Sure thing." I smiled at him, staring into his eyes. A few weeks had passed since I first met him and I still can't tell what he's thinking.

"Anyway, let's set up the movie." Jasper did his thing with the projector, and the light switched on. He ran a test with the audio and pressed play. Some music filled the theatre that I couldn't help but dance to.

"What's this movie called?"

"Tangled. I like the movie a lot, it brings back some memories." Jasper stared fondly at the screen. I loved how passionate Jasper was about things, including me.

Jasper sat down on a sofa, and I sat next to him. I cuddled into him and he put his arm around me. I felt so safe, I just wanted to feel like this forever, watching movies again and again with Jasper until our inevitable death. But we couldn't. Because there was a war to attend.

A war I wish we never had to fight.