Almost There

- 15 -

"Yeah," Tess said, hoping he didn't think she was too much of a nerd. "A mental sport."

They had come to a popular shopping district not too far from Tess's house; they drove past restaurants, department stores, and strip malls. Isaac pointed at an orange sign with red, pepperoni-like spots that spelled out PIZZA GUYS. "Best pizza ever, by the way. Have you had it? They bring it into school for lunch every couple weeks on Fridays. I was bummed they didn't have it yesterday."

"I haven't had it, but I hear it's the best. We don't order pizza much in my family."

"What? Really? If you want, we should stop for a slice after the movie." They were approaching the West Circle shopping center, which stood in the middle of an enormous parking lot. The West Circle 16 Cineplex commanded attention from the middle of the strip, its marquee set into a facade of purple and gold.

Twisting her hands together in her lap, Tess looked over at Isaac and smiled at him. Her parents wanted her home for supper, but if the movie was over early enough, maybe they could stop anyway. If it turned out they didn't have time, well, it was a perfect idea for a place to go if they decided to hang out again.

As they neared an empty parking space, she said, "Hey, there's a spot."

Isaac eased his car into the space and killed the engine. "We're early—we should get really good seats. I hope you like previews."

"I love the previews." Following Isaac's lead, Tess unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car.

He was waiting for her when she came around to meet him, and they began to walk together toward the cineplex. Once they stepped into the air-conditioned vestibule, Isaac led the way into the queue for tickets. There weren't many people in front of them, and they maintained a comfortable silence until it was their turn at the window. Isaac purchased two tickets for them, and then they moved on to the concessions stand, where he ordered a large popcorn and a large drink.

"A large?" Tess echoed in an undertone. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, butter too, please." Isaac slid his card across the counter and turned to her with a smirk. "I told you. The popcorn thing is serious business. And the drink won't be weird, will it? I'll just get two straws."

Tess shook her head. It was unexpected, but she wasn't too concerned. What concerned her most as she stood there quietly next to Isaac, watching the attendant fill the popcorn and drink, was the situation as a whole.

He seemed to feel so comfortable with her, and she felt pretty comfortable with him. It was weirdly...not weird.

"Lead the way, Tess," Isaac said, startling her out of her thoughts. "Find the good seats."

Another attendant checked their tickets and pointed them toward their theater, and they made their way down a hall lined with glowing posters advertising upcoming shows. Since Isaac was carrying the popcorn and drink, Tess opened the theater door for him and then led the way to the seats. The place was all but empty, with one couple seated in the center and a person alone far up in the back. She chose seats just behind the other couple.

"Prime location," said Isaac. "Good thing we were early."

"Yeah, I'm glad." After seating herself, Tess held down Isaac's collapsible seat so he didn't spill the popcorn.

"Thanks. I hate these things," he said.

"They're dangerous." Tess took out her phone. "I'm just going to text my mom and let her know we made it. Sorry, I don't want to be rude."

Around a mouthful of popcorn, Isaac said, "Don't worry, go ahead." He took out his own phone and switched it to silent. "You sure you don't want to text your dad? He's the one who was staring out the window like Batman."

Halfway through her text message, Tess had to pause, struck with the mental image of her father, the mild-mannered dentist, sipping coffee while wearing a Batman mask. "Oh my God. Now I have a suggestion for his next Halloween costume."

"It'll be great."

"Do your parents check in on you a lot?"

"Not really. I'm the youngest of five, so I think all my older siblings worked the worry out of them. And they're divorced, so I live with my dad and he tends to let me do my own thing as long as I don't get into trouble."

"Oh. I'm sorry they're not together."

"I'm not. Sometimes it's better for everyone." Isaac shrugged, scooping up another handful of popcorn. "Do you have any siblings?"

Tess blinked down at her completed text message. She closed her eyes for a second, and then she tapped SEND. "I did. A sister."

Isaac sat up a little straighter. "Oh."

"Yeah." She switched her phone to silent and slid it back into her pocket, then turned to Isaac with a tentative smile. Unconsciously, she touched the pendant that hung beneath her shirt. "It's all right. She died last year."

"I'm sorry, Tess."

"No one knows here. I don't want people to know. It was weird being the one left behind. People treated me differently." Tess knew that there was more to the way people had treated her than the fact that her younger sister had died. It had had more to do with the fact that Tess had been behind the wheel when they'd gotten into the accident that had killed Julia. The stares, the whispers, the rumors—layered over her own guilt, it had been unbearable.

He met her gaze. "Your secret is safe with me. And if you want to, you know, talk or whatever, I'm here."

Tess smiled at him, drawing a breath and letting it out in a sigh. "That's really nice of you, Isaac. Tell me about your family. What do your parents do?"

Steering the conversation away from Julia, Tess took advantage of the chance to learn more about Isaac's family. The nerves and the awkwardness she had thought would overwhelm her were surprisingly nowhere to be felt. Isaac asked her about her parents, their careers, and what living in the Midwest had been like, and she asked him about his favorite parts of living in Virginia. By the time the theater dimmed and the previews began, Tess felt like she and Isaac had passed from acquaintances to good friends.

Every now and then, a current of emotion—electric and energizing—would remind her that they might become more than friends, and the thought thrilled her.