Away from the North

Chapter 8

"Why don't we go out tonight?" Lilac asks me, Dali and Jul. I nod and the other two agree. We decide to go to a movie theater and go see a new movie that came out. It's a kid's one but it seems really cool and Lilac really wants to watch it.
We walk out to Lilac's car and I get in the passenger's seat while Dali and Jul climb in the backseat. Lilac puts the keys in and starts driving in the direction of the movie theaters.
I look back and see that Jul is flirting with Dali and she is flirting back. I tap Lilac on the shoulder and tilt my head towards them. She shakes her head and smiles. We pull up to the theater and get out of the car.
Jul pays for Dali and I pay for me and Lilac. Lilac pays for the popcorn and candy. We walk into the movie and I sit down next to Lilac. Halfway through the movie I look over and see Jul and Dali holding hands. I tap Lilac on the knee and point to them.
She looks over and wrinkles her nose in fake disgust. I laugh quietly, trying not to disturb anyone else watching the movie, even though most of them are loud little kids. We walk out when the movie finishes, throwing our trash in the trash cans. c
"How did you like your first trip to the movie theater?" Lilac asks me. I smile and tell her how much I liked it. It was so loud and the screen was absolutely humongous. I look down at her hand and feel the urge to take it in my own.
As we walk back to the car I decide to risk it and I grab her hand. I relax as I feel her fingers wrap around mine. She unlocks the car and we get in. She takes my hand over the middle of the car after she pulls out of the parking lot.
She drives back to the cloth shop and we re out of the car. Lilac offers to let Ali stay the night and she accepts. I let her take my bed and tell her that I'll sleep on the couch. We fight about it for a minute but I win just as Lilac open a the door to the shop.
Dali and Jul walk upstairs and into our room. I follow Lilac into the kitchen and watch as she makes a mug of hot cocoa for each of us. She pulls out some marshmallows and drops a couple in our cups. We walk outside to the balcony and sit on the swinging couch.
I sip my hot cocoa as I look up at the stars, sneaking a glance over at Lilac every once in a while. She sighs and sets her cup down on the floor next to the swing.
"The reason my mom kicked me out is because I'm pansexual. She tried to fix me by sending me to a conversion therapist but when that didn't work she kicked me out. We haven't talked since that," she says quietly. I set my cup down on the ground and look at her.
"She didn't deserve you then. You're perfect just the way you are," I whisper. She looks over at me before smiling softly. The moonlight shines in her black hair and makes her green eyes stand out.
I scoot over on the seat and wrap my arms around her. She leans into my chest and I play with her hair. I run my hands through it gently, making sure not to catch any knots.
We watch the stars for a while longer, only getting up to grab out hot cocoa off the floor. When we finish the cocoa we decide to go inside. I put my mug in the sink beside Lilac's.
We walk to our rooms and grab pajamas. I grab mine and walk out, not wanting to interrupt Jul and Dali for too long. I walk to the extra bathroom and change.
I brush my teeth and wash my face before walking out of the bathroom. Lilac stands in front of me in her duck pajamas. We walk into the living room and sit down on the couch.
I turn on the television and we pick out a show to watch. Lilac lays her head against my arm as the show starts and I wrap an arm around her shoulders. We laugh and talk about the show, pointing out things that they did that the other didn't notice.
We get off topic and start talking about random things like what fabric she ordered, or what we're going to have for breakfast tomorrow morning. And then the television is background noise for once in my life.
"Thank you. For listening to me on the balcony," she says. I nod and kiss her forehead softly. She sighs and snuggles further into my side. it reminds me of what me and my mom used to do in the mornings when I was little and tears prick my eyes.
"My parents don't know where I am. I never told them I was leaving the country because they would have made me stay. I think about them a lot, " I say quietly. Lilac looks up at me and frowns. She wiped a year off my face and sighs.
"It's going to be okay. Some day you'll see them again," she says. I nod and we both turn back to the television, watching the middle of an episode. I have no idea what's going on but I don't really care as long as I get to spend time with Lilac.
We watch a couple more episodes before Lilac turns off the television. I unwrap my arm from around her shoulders and she stands up from the couch. I get up and walk over to the closet and go to take blankets out.
I feel a hand grab my arm and I look over to see Lilac standing there. She lets go of my arm and smiles sheepishly. She plays with a strand of her hair and looks away.
"I really don't think you should sleep on the couch so I was wondering if you'd be willing to share my bed with me?" She says quickly. I nod an follow her to her bedroom.
The walls are painted yellow and her bed sheets and blankets are purple. There's a desk in the corner beside a dresser but otherwise th room is empty, save for a few clothes strewn about.
"Sorry for the mess," she says picking up some of the clothes and throwing them in the laundry hamper. She climbs into the bed and I climb in beside her. She snuggles up to me and I wrap my arms around her, falling asleep soon after.