Pomegranate

Meredith - 2

Three weeks later, Meredith gathered the courage to ask Benji to go to the movies with her. As friends, of course. Still, the thought of asking him made her queasy. She had been meaning to go for ages, and now it was the last weekend before the movie left theaters.

"Get your head out of your ass and go ask him," her friend, Corey, said when Meredith told them about it, not glancing up from the laptop screen as they worked on a class project. Meredith was relieved to find out she had been wrong about having no friends at college – as classes and clubs progressed, she slowly got closer to other people. A natural progression, that she somehow did not anticipate. Corey, for example, sat next to her in their Gender Studies class. Meredith made other friends at that point, yet her friendship with Benji felt different. Corey had noticed it.

"It's a romantic comedy. What if it's weird?" Meredith argued.

"Is it with Adam Sandler?"

"No?"

"It'll be fine."

"Hmm," Meredith twisted her hair in her index finger.

"Listen, this is not middle school. If you like this guy—"

"I'm not sure if I like him," Meredith cut in, the words tumbling out. As if Corey saying it would make it truer. "I like hanging out with him, but I'm not like, sure sure."

"Well," Corey sighed. "Then figure it out. You know, through your Casual Friend Date. At least you'll know for a fact and stop asking me, who has nothing to do with it."

Corey was right. This was college. Meredith could have platonic friends, and she could ask somebody out. Both were acceptable. She had to get over herself.

The next time she saw Benji, she replayed the script she practiced in her head. He had his back to her, wearing a dark blue pullover, stirring something on the stove.

"Hey! Watcha making?"

Benji glanced back and smiled as she approached. Meredith's stomach made a somersault.

"Stir-fry. Nothing exciting."

"Smells good. I didn't know you could cook like, real stuff."

"I like cooking, I just never have the time," he shrugged. "So, what's up with you?"

Meredith leaned on the counter, moving back and forth as she tried to find the perfect casual position. The stance she settled on hurt her back, but whatever. Benji gave her the perfect opening, she just had to find the guts to ask him.

"Well, I really wanted to see this movie at Singerton Movies on Saturday, but Jessie bailed on me," she made her best effort to appear surprised by a new thought. "But maybe you want to come with me instead?"

"To an actual movie theater?" Benji raised an eyebrow. Meredith started sweating.

"Yeah, why not? If we go in the morning, it's half price."

"Yeah, but... people," Benji made a face like the stir-fry smelled sour. "And like, being outside? When we have Netflix? And Hulu?"

"Well, this movie is not streaming yet, and I reeeally wanted to watch it before it's out of theaters."

"What movie is it?"

"Crazy Rich Asians. What do you think?"

When Benji didn't reply for some time, and Meredith started thinking of ways to backtrack. He looked back at her and blinked, as if unaware he had been distracted.