Stella's Endgame

I waited for the lights to startle us back into harsh reality, and for Avery to wake back up. The movie couldn’t have been that boring to her, could it?

***

The popcorn was too salty, but I wasn't going to say anything. I was finally on a date, and I would probably eat a frog if she told me to, to be honest. Ah, to be 15, and on your first secret date with a girl.

My mind faltered at the thought of my family laying out their church clothes for tomorrow morning, and leaving my dress blatantly hung in the closet. Isolated. Alone.

I shook my head forcibly and sighed deeply. Avery tossed handfuls of popcorn at a time in between her glossed, dewy lips. Her blonde hair was slicked back into a perfect, slick ponytail, with only one wave of hair loose, wisping around her rosy cheeks. My eyes followed the popcorn that missed and sat on the V cut of her shirt. I was grateful it was dark, and she couldn't see me blush, the blood rushing to my head. Her own crystal blue eyes stayed trained on the screen even though it was still playing commercials.

My heart fluttered at the possibility that she was just as nervous as me, and that was why we didn't whisper during the trailers, leaned in close. Or maybe she was just so disinterested in me, that she had to force herself to focus on yet another Fast and Furious.

Oh, come on, Stella, she has to be into you if she agreed to go out on a date. I shifted my shoulders in an attempt to loosen up. My back was always in a perpetual knot, and the chair wasn’t helping. My arm brushed hers, and I froze.

Avery didn't pull away, so in a brazen act of foolishness, I put my arm around her...Just kidding. I let my arm ease on the same armrest as her. Scandalous, I know.

But then something magical happened. She met my hazel eyes and slipped her small, nimble fingers in between mine. The corners of her lips went up in a shy smile. Her nails were an electric blue and matched her cyan gaze. I felt a spike of embarrassment at my broken, bitten nails but instead of dwelling on it, I squeezed her hand.

The movie was starting, and I felt myself naturally relax, the knot in my back slowly unwinding. I could hear my dad's voice in my head.

"You're my Stellar Stella. If anyone doesn't like who you are, then they're the crazy ones, not you. Just be yourself.”

I wished I had been able to tell him I was gay, just to see what he thought. If it would have been the same mumbo-jumbo my mom blared out like police sirens. Well, I'll never know. At least I'd be able to know the ending of our favorite movie series. I wondered if I should tell Avery that my dad and I were avid Marvel fans. Maybe I would tell her more about him afterward. I hadn't talked much about him in years.

We sat with our knees grazing together and watched the movie, honoring the no talking during movie rules. My sister would be proud that my overwhelming comic book geek wasn't completely showing. Occasionally our hands would part to shake off sweat or grab some Milk Duds. Halfway through the movie, she rested her head on my shoulder, and my heart was aflame.  

Something strange brought me back to my hyper-aware, anxious state. Yes, something weirder than a pretty girl half napping on me. There was a bang, and the movie screen visibly flickered; then my vision went black. A surge of panic and confusion clotted my chest, and after a few seconds, the movie resumed. Avery was still blinking her big blue eyes slowly and sleepily, and people still shuffled around, slurping their drinks and crinkling their candy wrappers.

"Hey, do you know what just happened?" I asked her softly.

"Hmm?" Avery squinted at me, the light from the screen surely illuminating my blemishes. "Oh, I think Captain America just used Thor's hammer."

I felt a brief flare of annoyance. Surely, I, who had actually seen all the other Avenger movies, was paying more attention than she was. She was right though, somehow, I had missed that scene.

I let myself sink back into the chair with my terrible posture and started stroking Avery's hair to soothe my nerves. When Iron Man died, she didn't laugh at me for crying. She awkwardly leaned over the armrest to hug me, her short arms hung over my chest, her face inches from mine. Amidst the strange embrace, my tears changed to a slight giggle.

"You're very sweet," I said, and we kissed. I felt my chest bubble and my stomach writhe. She tasted like Pink Lemonade and smelled like flowers. Did that really just happen?

The movie was over, and thankfully so was the overbearing popcorn. Even if you aren't as into Marvel movies as I am, you have to know at the end of each credit there's an extra scene. So, of course, we had to stay for that.

And since we had already stayed for the credits, we waited for the lights to kick back on. They never did. I sat up to leave my sticky chair, and I found I couldn't get up. My feet remained driven to the stained floor, and Avery stayed with her hands in my lap, head on my shoulder. Fully asleep.

I tried to shake her awake, but she wouldn’t stir. With horror, I slowly looked down at my body again and was sickly with the sight of blood oozing down my torso. I thought frantically back to the bang. Was it possible someone had come in and shot up the theater?! No, no, no, this couldn’t be happening, I thought. I clasped my hands around Avery’s pretty, soft cheeks, shaking her over and over. She lulled to my touch, unresponsive. How could this happen?

The movie hauntingly roared back to life. The popcorn was too salty, but I wasn't going to say anything. I was finally on a date, and I would probably eat a frog if she told me to, to be honest. Ah, to be 15, and on your first secret date with a girl.