The Handcuff Effect

8

'You've got to be kidding me.'

'Come on, it's got like... A four and a half star rating!'

'Em, I am not watching that.'

'You said you'd go to the movies with her, and she said she'd choose the movie, Jared. Deal with it.'

'She didn't choose the flipping movie, Stace. You did! I'm many things, but I'm not stupid.'

'You're not attractive either and that hasn't stopped you, you dingbat.'

'That's mean! Em, tell that piece of snot that she's mean!'

I sighed. Those two bickered like an old married couple. I have no idea what the Crow was thinking when she stuck them together.

After the pair had bickered for ten minutes in the que to buy the tickets, there had been another five more minutes argument over who was sitting where. Jared wanted to sit next to me, simply to annoy Stace, but unless I sat on Nathan's lap, that was not happening. When he realised this, he grumped about not being able to sit next to Nathan during the movie.

This whole assignment was teaching me how much I genuinely hated people. I just wanted to go home, stretch out on the couch with some iced tea and a novel. I never realised how high maintenance people were until now.

The lights dimmed and Stace and Jared were still bickering back and forth like a game of argument tennis. 'Guys, come on. The movie's starting, so please shut up.'

Nathan snapped a similar thing at them almost simultaneously. Except his was snarky and full of his quick wit.

After a moment, I leant over and whispered into his ear. 'I didn't hear any Shakespeare. What's happening? Losing your touch?'

I snorted at myself as I sat back. Then his breath heated my cheeks as he whispered in my ear. 'I've learnt not to reference anything that you'll most likely recognise. Can't have me being shown up by someone like you.' He teased.

I smirked and then turned to face him. 'I--'

'SHUT UP.' Jared and Stace growled in unison. I bit down on a full blown grin and sank deeper in my chair. But a small giggle couldn't help but escape, lost in the booming of a preview.

Like he had super sonic bat hearing or something, I saw Nathan slant a look at me from the corner of my periphery. 'There's a fine line between love and hate,' I murmured, careful that the pair in question wouldn't overhear.

Nathan never replied, though I did notice the muscle in his jaw twitch a little. I had no idea what that meant, so I pretended I didn't notice it, and we proceeded to watch the girliest chick flick most probably ever made.

Since Stace and I were able to sit next to each other, we became a bunch of giggles throughout the whole movie. No, I don't prance around in frilly skirts and lots of makeup, but I do have as much of a certain appreciation for good chick flicks as I do for classic reads, but that doesn't make me a hopeless romantic.

By the time the credits rolled, my eyes had begun to ache with fatigue. I was tired, kind of hungry and absolutely dying for a shower, a bath, a trip to the weir, anything to get myself clean.

'Do you wanna go?' Nathan whispered in my ear five minutes later as we hung around the movie entrance, chatting away. Well, they were bickering, Nathan was throwing in snide remarks when it suited and I found myself leaning heavily against the brick wall.

I just nodded.

'Give me your keys, I'll drive.' He said, opening his palm in front of me.

Well that woke me up quicker than a two year old with an energy drink. 'No!' I exclaimed, fisting my fingers around my keys hidden protectively in my pocket.