IMAGINES ▹ ROSS BUTLER

↳ making you jealous

( MAKING YOU JEALOUS ) 
by claydohjensen

"Ah shit, Y/N," Jess Davis groans as she wiggles into the tight row of cushioned chairs, trying to make her way to the middle of the line next to you. You giggle as the popcorn spills all around her clenched hand and into the laps of everyone nearby. There are whimpers of "Sorry, sorry!" and grunts before she finally lands into the cushioned chair next to you and sighs. "Ah Jesus, I didn't know that would be so hard."

"Maybe you should lay off the gummy worms," You put in, and laugh as she glares at you and hits your arm. Your hand digs in the popcorn and you stuff a handful into your mouth, the satisfying crunch as you chew making you moan. Ah, popcorn. Jess rips open a pack of the gummies and snorts at you. "Maybe save those noises for Dempsey, hon."

You choke on a kernel as she purses her lips trying not to laugh, her eyes steadying on the previews onscreen. A few snickers make it out either way, and you scowl at her and stuff more handfuls in your mouth.

Zach Dempsey and you, to put it lightly, were not friends. It was difficult to push you into a room together and not expect a night of sour jabs and endless bickering. Everyone at school knew it, and it was something that happened way before you were even freshmen. There was never a time you weren't at each other's throats. One time, he'd spilled liquor down the front of your dress at some party and you'd hidden his pants in a bush while he was in the hot tub later that night. Lately it'd been more of a joke between your friends, with Jessica mockingly swooning how romantic you two would be.

The lights start to dim and you wiggle back into your seat, ready for some good old romcom- and then the Paramount clip cuts into black for a moment, making you groan and try to dodge whoever was blocking your view. You crane your entire body and glare daggers at the idiot who interrupted your film before it even started. You loved your movies, and you were pretty serious about getting the "full movie theatre experience" (which Jess liked to mock). Please, you were paying a good four dollars for a movie you could watch for free online. Your eyes rise up to the back of his head, taking in a mess of straight black hair, broad shoulders and the school's infamous Letterman jacket hanging on them. You memorized the back of that head. You knew those shoulders.

It was Zach Dempsey. With him were Jason Friar and Justin Foley, all wearing their Lettermans. You felt Jess shift in her seat at the sight of them. Wrapped in Zach's arm was a smaller girl, snuggled into his shirt and playing with his fingers around her neck. They scooched into the seats almost directly in front of you, with the girl turning her head suddenly and getting the tips of her ponytail in Zach's mouth. He swats it away, annoyed, but smiles instantly when she turns her head to look at him.

"Oh no," You moan, making Jess snicker at you. You don't miss the way her eyes flicker to Foley and turn away. "Just what I needed."

"Who's the girl?" Jess wonders, squinting. "Not a cheerleader. That's Jenny, I think. Or her friend Bryana. I can't be sure. We have Com with them."

"Ugh, who cares," You roll your eyes and try to turn to the movie. As long as they don't ruin your film. This was some good stuff showing- if you focused enough, maybe you could ignore them. Jess shrugs and follows suit. You take a sip of your cherry cola as Martin Freeman jogs up into the scene.

The movie drifts by, but you find that you don't enjoy it as much as you would have. Your eyes keep landing on the back of Dempsey's head- and as much as you hated it, his arm around the girl's. Your popcorn started tasting sour. You focus on some surfer guy's abs an hour in but your mind keeps drifting somewhere else. Suddenly, before you can even blink, Zach cranes his neck slowly and looks directly at you, as if he knew you were there the entire time. He catches you looking and his cheeks tinge pink as he whips back around. Jess snickers. "That's like, the fourth time he's done that."