Gravity

Chapter 11

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Soundtrack

Linger - The Cranberries
I'm in so deep
You know I'm such a fool for you
You've got me wrapped around your finger
Do you have to let it linger?

***

"No way!" I argue, falling onto the cushy sofa in Tyler's apartment. "Titanic is a way better movie than Avatar!"

"Then why did Avatar get 600,000 more box office sales?" Tyler asks.

"That's irrelevant! Quality over quantity!" Ivy shoots back.

I high five her before turning to Tyler to smirk.

"You just don't like it cause its sci-fi," Tyler teases, placing a kiss on my nose

"I don't not like Avatar," I correct. "I just think Titanic is way better. It's a beautiful, tragic, and, most importantly, realistic love story. Back me up here, Tessa."

I glance over my shoulder to where Tess and Avery are in the kitchen making popcorn, hoping to get some support (even if she does harbor a not-so-secret hatred for me.) I mean, the whole point of having a movie night was to try and dissolve some of the tension between all of us.

Although the 'official' reason was to introduce Oscar to everyone.

We'd all been trying to decide what to watch for the past fifteen minutes, when I suddenly found out that my boyfriend thinks that a movie about blue people is somehow better than a cinematic masterpiece about people finding love in the face of disaster.

"Sorry Grace, but I have to agree with your boyfriend on this one," she says with a surprising friendliness in her voice, seemingly thankful to be part of the conversation. "Besides, Avatar's kind of a tragic love story, too- just one with a happier ending."

"No wonder Grace doesn't like it," Tyler chuckles, earning him a playful smack from me.

"He's right," I laugh, falling backwards into my boyfriend's chest and pulling his arm around me. "I don't like happy endings- they're unrealistic. No one really gets happy endings."

"So cynical," Tess teases, seemingly thankful for the distraction.

"It's not cynical!" I argue. "It's just true."

"You don't think that anyone gets happy endings?" Tyler asks in disbelief, placing a soft kiss on my temple. Then quiet enough that just I can hear, he whispers, "I would think we're pretty happy, aren't we?"

"Oh, that's not what I mean at all," I laugh, only slightly amused by the insecure puppy dog expression on his face. I glance around the room before entering back into the group discussion. "Of course, people fall and love and are happy- I'm not arguing against that at all. But life isn't a fairy tale! People don't get happy endings just because they're in love. There are shitty, rich husbands and icebergs and floating doors that could have fit two people if they'd just tried- I'm getting off topic. Point is being in love doesn't magically make everything easy and free from complications."

"Damn Grace, who hurt you?" Oscar laughs, completely oblivious to the history of this particular group of people. I assume Ivy elbows him or something, because a few beats later he grunts in pain.

"I'm just saying," I start, trying to break the awkward silence that's fallen over the group. "The whole idea that 'love conquers all' just isn't realistic."

"A better statement would be that love endures all," Avery states, speaking out for the first time. "It doesn't die even when the circumstances are impossible."