Foolish Summer | ✔

06 • W A V E R L Y • 🎭

Agreeing to go to a movie with a guy I'd only met a couple hours ago probably wasn't the smartest idea. Neither was getting into his car. All I knew was that I couldn't stay at the pizza place. Naomi was there. With Theo.

I first saw them at the festival after getting my book signed. That was why I suggested Stephen and I leave. The last thing I wanted was to talk to either of them. The entire time I'd been with Stephen I hadn't even thought about the mess back home.

They were ruining my perfect day.

I thought I'd be safe at the pizza place. Then I saw them outside of the window while Stephen and I were talking about Foolish Summer. They were crossing the street, hand in hand and looking absolutely content. Like they decided to give up searching for me and turned the outing into a date.

The pizza place was practically made of windows. If they got any closer they would've seen me. I thought I could hide in the restroom until they passed, but when I came out they were going into the pizza place.

If Stephen thought I was weird for appearing in the bushes, he didn't let on. We circled back around to the high school to get his car and were on our way.

"First, we need provisions," Stephen said as he turned into the lot of a dollar store.

"Provisions?"

He nodded, cutting the engine and climbing out of the car. I followed. "Can't watch a movie without popcorn," he told me as he walked across the lot and into the air conditioned store.

"Movie theaters usually sell their own popcorn," I pointed out.

He turned to me, walking backwards down the snack aisle. "Who said anything about a movie theater."

"What?"

At my confused question he simply turned back around and scanned the shelf. He plucked two bags of cheddar popcorn from the shelf. Then a bag of Twizzlers, Skittles and gummi worms.

He looked at me, arms full of snacks. "You're not getting anything?"

"Right," I said, turning to the shelves. "I'm still trying to figure out how we're watching a movie without a movie theater." I grabbed a bag of peanut M&M's. "Unless it's a drive-in?"

"Not a drive-in," he said, eyeing my single bag of M&M's. "Is that all you're getting?"

"Yeah," I said. "If I want anything else I'll just steal something from you."

He snorted. "I'd like to see your try."

We continued down the aisles. Stephen grabbed a couple beach towels, adding to the mystery of this movie thing. He was being tight-lipped about it, though. It was half annoying, half exciting. I've always liked surprises. Well, for the most part anyway.

Since he wasn't answering my questions about his plans I decided to ask a different set of questions. "So, do you live around here?"

"Nope," he said, picking up one of those handheld battery operated fans and testing it out before setting it back down. "Just here for the festival. You?"

"Same, actually." I watched as he tried to decide between two different types of beach chairs. "Where are you from then?"

He decided on the chairs with built in cup holders, handing me the snacks he was carrying and grabbing two of them. "What's with the questions?" He asked, glancing at me.

"Well, if I'm going to be running around Santa Monica with you, I should at least know some details to send to my family just in case I come up missing."