The Summer I Met You

CHAPTER 21

My head is throbbing. I hardly make it up the stairs without falling over my own two feet. Kicking off my shoes I throw myself onto the bed. Uncle Rob and Monica aren't home yet, and the house is quiet. I relish the silence.

I'm so tired, I have no energy to turn on the computer to play games. Instead, I tug my phone from my pocket and scroll Instagram hoping for a response. There's nothing in my inbox but The Orbit Theater page updated with a post about Transformers, so I respond.

VGMaster_10: Bring back Shia, and Meghan Fox!

To distract myself I start scrolling again. My eyelids grow heavy. A dot appears next to the message icon and I almost drop my phone on my face. That would have been a fun black eye to explain.

Orbit_TheaterLI: Hi back!

I sit up. My head continues to throb, but I start typing back anyway. It feels silly. Am I really that lonely that I'd go as far as to sending a DM to a business page like we're best friends?

VGMaster_10: Was beginning to think I scared you off.

I regret writing that, but there's no erasing it now. I've already hit the send button.

Orbit_TheaterLI: I don't scare easily.

VGMaster_10: Is that so?

It sounded playful in my head, but over the internet the other person has no clue.

Orbit_TheaterLI: So, once again it looks like I'm going to have to argue with you about your answer to the question I posted. I'm not too keen on Shia, met the guy once and I don't know, I wasn't impressed. 

I laugh. I don't mind arguing with whoever this person is because it's all in good fun. I love a good debate about anything having to do with movies.

VGMaster_10: You met THE Stanley Caveman? If you don't know what movie I'm talking about, we can't be friends.

Orbit_TheaterLI: Well, you're in luck because Holes is one of my top favorites. I crushed hard on Zig Zag. My dad showed that movie to me when I was eight. I watched it so much the DVD got scratched.

I wiggle my fingers over the keypad on the phone attempting to come up with something to say. I don't want to sound like a complete dork, but it seems that the person on the other end is just as big of a movie geek as I am, and nothing is scaring them away, so far.

VGMaster_10: How'd you meet him?

They answer right away.

Orbit_TheaterLI: I lived in L.A for a bit.

I guess I have more in common with the person on the other end of the account than I thought. Aside from movies we are both West Coasters.

VGMaster_10: I'm from California too. So, what are you doing running an Instagram page for a theater in New York?

Orbit_TheaterLI: Stalker much?

They send it with an emoji sticking out its tongue. I laugh.

VGMaster_10: Not stalking, just having a conversation. I was curious.

Orbit_TheaterLI: New York is home.

Sometimes I feel like New York feels more like home than California. Things back home are rough and here I can just let go of all of it for a little while. There's something about this place that just keeps me coming back. I like the people I associate with. I like how they know only a little of my story, and from what they do know they don't judge me.