A Whole Bunch of Loki's

Share and Share Alike

"Screen two, row J, seat twenty two."

I smile at the worker and thank her before taking my ticket back and stepping past her, I tuck my ticket into my purse and promptly throw it into my bag to be forgotten for the next two hours.

Pulling the door open and walking the short distance of the corridor before reaching the seats, I am greeted by a table with plastic cups and two jugs of water set on top.

I did read a small warning about the heat being an issue in the cinema, due to technical issues their aircon was working sporadically and the screens caused excess heat, but I wasn't expecting them to offer free water.

I take one of the smaller cups and fill it before heading up to my seat.

It wasn't often that I'd go to a late showing of a film, but this was absurdly a last chance showing in my local cinema despite the film not even being out a week.

As I glance around the screening room, it seems as if I'm alone for this showing of the film even though it had showed six other seats booked when I'd gone online, not I mind, the emptier a screening is the better in my opinion.

I glance up towards my seat, my preferred one in the furthest corner that you can get without paying extra for premiere seating, and see someone at the end of my aisle despite the fact that every other seat was free.

As I step closer, I give him a quick glance and a smile before carefully shuffling past, being sure not to spill any of my drink all over the place whilst also being sure that I wasn't in threat of hitting him with my bag.

Once safely out of the way and in the corner, I drop my bag into the seat between us and shift off my jacket, dropping that on top of my bag before flopping a bit heavier than I intended into my chosen seat.

I had unceremoniously managed to land so that I sat heavily on my right side with my ankles crossed and I was certain that I had drawn the stranger's attention, so as I means to distract myself I set my cup of water into the cup holder and began to shuffle around in my bag.

After a moment of adjusting things, I pull out the bottle of orange juice and the box of brownies I had taken from home.

Opening up the box, I set it on top of my bag and put the bottle on the other side of the chair to my left.

I then decide to take full advantage of the almost empty screening and slide my feet out of my flat shoes, lifting them up to rest them on the edge of the balcony in front of me.

"Someone is getting comfortable."

I start a little at the voice, not expecting to hear anything more than the underwater explosion sound effect that came from the cinema screen as it waited for show time.

"Well, I don't usually get to be this free in the cinema," I answer, turning my head to the stranger.

"This late during the week is the best time to go," he nodded in agreement, "less people about."

"It's certainly how I prefer it, I don't know why I don't do this more often, it would save the hassle of people kicking the back of my seat like they did during A Cure for Wellness," I roll my eyes.

The door beneath the balcony my seat was on slammed shut and we both fall silent as another man walks into the room, we both watch as he moves to the middle row dead centre in the theatre and I hear my new acquaintance give a light chuckle.

"Maybe because you meet some real weirdos at this time of night."

I laugh before giving a light shrug, "Maybe I like weirdos."

"Then you're definitely in the right place."

We share another laugh then fall into silence, just in time for the screen to make its usual greeting announcement in preparation for the adverts.

I take this momentary distraction to get a proper look at him and can safely say that I was happy with what I saw.

Not that it mattered.

This wasn't a date and I definitely didn't have the confidence to try and make a thing out of anything, especially not a man as attractive as the one sitting only one seat away.

So I decide that being friendly was the best move I could make, that was easy.

"If you get hungry, feel free," I offer, holding the box of brownies to him.

His eyes briefly flicker towards the box that I shake to emphasise my offering, giving him a smile.

"Thank you," he replied, taking one almost instantly.

"I also have a spare bottle of orange juice if you want it."

"You really don't need to."

"Nonsense, it's no hassle," I shrug, grabbing a brownie of my own, "I won't eat a whole box to myself."

"How kind of you."

"I was always raised to share."

"Your parents must be proud of who they raised."

"I'd like to think so."

We continue to talk and share brownies through the adverts and most of the other movie trailers, which included our commentary on which upcoming films looked the best, eventually we quiet when the actual film starts and focus on what was dancing across the large screen in front of us.

Though concentrating proved difficult as I found that I too often drifted to thoughts of my new friend one seat away from me.

(This is loosely based off of two different film screenings I went to.<br />

Yesterday I went to see The Secret of Marrowbone and there were a grand total of two people in the screening (me included), free water and a box of brownies.<br />

Before this, a lovely woman kept offering me food and drink when I went to see A Quiet Place, her and her husband were amazing!)