Dragonfly; Phan

XI

Dan and Cat went to the local cinema. It was a small building bordering the street home to their school; everything was just so cramped in Oakwell that it was hard to look somewhere for something and not find another.

The evening was prickling in an orange haze on the horizon. Dan and Cat chose out a movie with two men before a gang of zombies on the cover and proceeded to use Skye's sweets as replacement food. They bought a couple smoothies, too.

"Thanks for coming to this, Dan," Cat said, as they walked down to their screen. "I know you'd probably rather be elsewhere."

Dan shook his head, drink in one hand and bag in the other. "No, not at all. The movie looks great."

"Yeah, but I doubt you want to be seeing it with me," she laughed. "You know, after what happened earlier."

Dan sighed. "Let's just forget it happened. I'm sorry I yelled and caused a scene—I want to be here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm positive."

"Good," Cat stopped before the correct door and opened it. Their voices dulled to a whisper as they navigated their seats through the dim light. "Bet you'd still rather be here with him, though."

They say down a couple rows from the front, just as Dan said: "Stop creating competition."

"Are you saying there is none?"

"Maybe."

"Good or bad thing for me? Because he's really pretty," she sighed and let the straw of her drink dangle in the corner of her mouth. "His eyes are beautiful."

"Hhm," Dan hummed, in probable agreement. They were.

"And he speaks really softly—Have you noticed? You probably have. He speaks like he's talking to something really special, but he does it all the time. Every sentence. He's all gentle and nervous and it's so adorable."

Dan smiled at her. "I thought I was supposed to be the one crushing on him."

She shoved his shoulder. "Shut up. I'm allowed to admire and I'm allowed to talk about him. This isn't a date—Besides, you love him or whatever."

Dan started peeling wrapper off a sweet. "Whatever. And I don't."

"You don't, what?"

"Love him," Dan put the sweet on his tongue and kicked his feet up onto the chair in front of him.

"You're kidding, right?" Cat slapped his legs. "Get them off."

"No, the movie isn't on yet. Nobody currently cares about seeing my dirty trainers," he leant back on his seat. "And, no, I'm not kidding. Contrary to popular belief amongst you lot, I'm not in love. You guys gotta drop this topic because it's getting boring."

"Boring. Dan, have you seen the way you look at him?"

"I am yet to take my eyes out of my skull and use them for that purpose."

"I'm not playing around, Chris is right!"

"Never thought I'd see the day you two come out on the same page," Dan pressed his index finger to her temple. "What's going on in that mind of yours, Catherine?"

"Uncalled for," she pushed him away, then let her smile return. "I admit, I was pretty bitter about it before but after seeing you two in the same room, it's hard not to ship it."

"Ship it?" Dan echoed. "Stop that right now. Don't go throwing that kind-of lingo around. And stop talking about Skye; talk about death or bands or something. We're emos."