𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 • Robin Buckley

Chapter 7

"How is no one here?"

The drive-in clearing was entirely open and dark from the night sky overhead as Monica pulled in and parked her brown sedan in the very middle of the empty space. "They probably heard Billy was coming and shredded their tickets," Monica jests, earning a small laugh from Robin as she pulls the handbrake.

But the second Monica was settled, her brain travelled back to that image of her living room. It had happened some time ago by now since the both of them stopped to grab a bite to eat before heading here to watch a movie. "I still can't believe the audacity of that douchebag."

"At least you've escaped. They're where they are and we're where we are...watching Karate Kid."

Monica smiles. "I'm not ashamed to admit that I've seen this a good handful of times."

"No," Robin gawks.

"It's the best movie of the year. I wouldn't have seen it if the kid I babysit didn't force me to go, but it's still easily the best movie of the year."

"I don't know..." Robin wavers. "I'm gunning for Footloose."

Monica's eyes almost bulged out of her head as she leaned forward. "That came out this year?"

"I know right?"

"That felt like forever ago," Monica sat back, looking ahead at nothing in particular. "These past couple of weeks have felt like an entire year in and of itself."

"It hasn't felt real," Robin smiles. "You know, after Tina's,"

"Mhm," Monica rolled her head onto her cheek, smiling as she listened to Robin.

"I endured half an hour of complaining from Milton about Mark Lewinsky's terrible pick-up lines and his constant refusal to go outside and smoke which really drove him up the wall because of his really bad asthma, but then when I got home and went to bed... I smiled harder than I can ever remember doing before."

Monica watched Robin recall every detail with emphatic gestures moving around in the corner of her eye.

"I kept trying to stop because it would get to the point where it would physically hurt my face," she held her cheeks, "and I was scared it would ache into the next morning, which it did and it was totally worth it because no matter what I did, I just couldn't stop."

Monica searched every inch of Robin's face as her hands settled.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is I've never been happier to not have a license or a working bike for that matter. I just can't imagine my life any other way now and I really don't want to."

"Walking is a healthy mode of transport," Monica teases, knowing exactly what her friend means but is still glad to see her laugh anyway, no matter how quiet and small. "Oh, another car," she points, and Robin follows her eye and finger.

"Someone with a profound appreciation for real cinema," Robin says.

"Given how far away they're parked, I don't think it's the cinema they've come for," Monica says.

"Well, that's their loss because they're going to miss the ultimate catharsis that is Johnny getting sucker-punched in the final tournament"—Monica gasps dramatically—"after two hours of running his annoying little mouth."

"The kick!" Monica remembers.

"No, no, no. We have to enjoy it in real time and get live reactions," Robin says.

"Okay, okay."

A comfortable silence falls between them, even in spite of their hearts hammering against their ribcages.