REGAL CINEMAS
"I don't know if I liked that,"
Lauren
says as she exits the theatre, grasping onto
Alex's arm.
"Yeah, it was kinda weird,"
Courtney agrees.
"It was great!"
Jason says, tossing
his arm around Courtney as they walk. "You just didn't like it because
of your whole blood thing."
"It wasn't that bloody," Alex says.
Jason looks back at Alex and Lauren,
who are walking just behind him and Courtney. "The sight of blood makes
her puke."
"You know, as much as she says that,
I won't believe it 'til I see it happen," Lauren chimes in.
Courtney lifts her eyebrows. "Don't
push your luck."
The foursome is quiet for the remaining
few yards to the cars. When they get there, Jason moves to the driver's
side door of his, while the others linger around.
"So what are we doing now?" Jason
asks.
"I dunno," Courtney says. "Maybe
..."
Lauren signals to her with a look.
"What?" Court asks.
Lauren motions with her index finger
for her to come closer. Courtney does, and Lauren playfully pushes Alex
away.
He and Jason stand near the car,
waiting, as Lauren whispers something in Courtney's ear. Neither of the
young men looks at each other, except for the occasional stolen glance
that lasts only a fraction of a second.
After what feels to both Alex and
Jason to be far too long, the girls divide. Lauren takes Alex's arm and
leads him to the other car.
"So what's going on?" Jason asks.
"We're gonna split up," Courtney
says. "Just go hang out or whatever."
Goodbyes are exchanged as Jason and
Courtney get into one car, and Alex and Lauren into the other.
Jason puts the key in the ignition
but doesn't turn it. Courtney fastens her seatbelt, but Jason simply sits
still, watching Alex's car pull away.
"Are we gonna go?" Courtney finally
asks.
"Yeah," Jason says absently.
Unphased, Courtney goes on. "Lauren
just wanted some time alone with Alex, so I figured this was the best thing
to do. Besides, it couldn't hurt to have some time to ourselves either,
huh?"
Jason manages an uncomfortable shake
of the head. But now it is too much, and Courtney can tell something is
wrong.
"What is it?" she asks.
His instinct is to say "nothing"
and brush it off, but he doesn't. He says slowly, "I think ... maybe it's
not such a good idea to be encouraging this thing between Lauren and Alex."
"Why not?" Courtney persists.
Words toy with Jason's lips, with
his tongue, and a moment of stuttering passes before he can manage to say,
"It's been too--too back and forth. I--I just don't think that they can
be ... stable."
"I think they can."
"No, you hope they can."
A look of annoyance -- slightly crinkled
nose, partially gaping mouth -- settles on Courtney's face. "Don't you
want Lauren and Alex to be happy?"
"Yeah," Jason says. "Yeah, of course.
But maybe this isn't the best way, that's all."
"What is going on with you?" she
demands.
"Nothing," he says after a slight
hesitation. "Forget it."
"No! There's something you're not
telling me. What is it?"
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