The buttery popcorn tasted like toilet water, though Lia popped more pieces in her mouth as they gathered their tickets. All four of them stood in line impatiently, waiting for the snacks from behind the counter and the rest of their tickets. The theater smelled of carpet and butter; one of Lia's favorite scent combinations.
She clutched the giant bag of popcorn, the warm, greasy paper between her fingers. Ranya walked towards her, resting her hand on Lia's shoulder as she scooped a handful of popcorn into her palm. She heard Chris's sudden wheezing from in front of her, though she was uncertain why he was laughing. Lia shoved the bag of popcorn into Ranya's arms.
"What're you laughing at?" She questioned, a smile creeping along her face. Chris looked downwards at her, laughing heartily, his teeth revealed as he fondled with his wallet. The two made brief eye contact before he shook his head.
"The movie we just got tickets for is for children," Chris told her. "A big 'thank you' to whoever suggested the movie."
"Oh, shut the hell up!" Ranya chiseled in, soon shoving the bag of popcorn into Mariah's arms.
"Acting like you didn't see the bold, red 'PG' listed on the screen. If you wanted to see an infant's movie, just say that."
Chris's smile faded as he held the tickets in his hand.
Why did we bring her again?" He whispered into Lia's ear, who took the bag of popcorn from Mariah's arms.
Before Lia could respond, Ranya scoffed.
"There you go again," Lia's sister sputtered, her eyebrows narrowing. "Seductively whispering in Lia's ear."
Chris rolled his eyes violently, though Lia's face burned. Her face went complete crimson as she turned around to face the lady behind the counter. She thanked her for the tickets, motioning for everybody to follow her without turning her body around.
"You shouldn't say that," Lia heard Mariah whisper to Ranya behind her. "They're not like that."
Ranya's defeated sneer absorbed tightly in the carpet all around them. There was complete silence as they shuffled down the hall. Chris suddenly whistled, which showed he was unbothered by Ranya's remark once again. She wished she didn't care like Chris did. However, he was one of her closest friends. It was odd to say such things, regardless of if it was a joke or not. It was especially weird when Chris had a girlfriend.
The dark hall smelled of sweet soda and nacho dressing. The air was muggy, which didn't aid the sweat that formed onto her body from being outside. She wiped her moist forehead with the back of her hand, licking away the sweat around her mouth. It had a salty taste, making Lia wince.
"A Puppie's Superhero Tale?" Ranya annunciated in annoyance, examing the board that showed the movie name. Lia looked up at it, rolling her eyes as all three of them turned their gaze to Chris. The grip he had on his bag of popcorn tightened.
"It didn't sound like a children's movie, alright?" He defended, his voice squeaking.
"Yeah, you're right," Lia spoke. "I would've assumed by the title that there'd be blood, gore and sex."
Ranya cackled, followed by Mariah.
"Just go," Chris's large hand motioned to the door as he held it open for the women. "Go inside." The room was even darker, and luckily more bleak. The movie's bright glare blinded Lia, whom covered her eyes with one hand as she made her way up the stairs. Peeking from her hand, she noticed the chairs were filled with children that couldn't have been over five-years-old. She looked away in embarrassment, feeling the sticky floor under her sandals.
"Is this the row we sit in?" Lia whispered harshly, pointing towards a line of cloth seats.
"I think the seat numbers in bold on your ticket can answer that question," Chris's deep whisper responded to her as he pulled out his ticket. Lia rolled her eyes for what felt like that eleventh time that day.
"Hurry and sit the fuck down before I shove my foot so far up your ass that your tongue will have athletes foot!" Ranya tried to whisper, though it definitely was not. Heads turned, specifically a lady and her daughter turning around to look at Ranya, both of them giving her a cold look.
"Sorry," Ranya apologized to the lady and her daugher, finally whispering. "I haven't taken my meds yet. Apotemnophilia, am I right?" Mariah, Lia, and Chris dug their faces in their hands, continuing up the stairs stained with all kinds of substances. Some popcorn was knocked out of the bag as they trudged. Lia lodged her tongue in her back tooth, working on getting a popcorn kernel out of the crevice.
"This whole row is empty," Mariah whispered behind them, her voice delicate.
"Thank you for pointing that out, Mariah," Ranya barked acerbically. "How did I not see that before?"
"She's trying to say that we could just sit in this row," Lia spoke, clutching her slippery bag of popcorn. "I doubt the theater is going to be overcrowed with people going to see whatever the fuck this movie is."
"A Puppie's Superhero Tale," Chris apprized, already in his seat. The man's broad body could barely fit in the chair.
Lia made her way over, sitting in the seat next to him. Ranya followed, her seat squeaking as she sat down. Mariah tip-toed beside her, sitting herself down as she adjusted her hair. The bright glare of the movie screen flashed onto everybody as the speakers vibrated the floor.
"This joint smells like jolly ranchers and dandruff," Ranya blurted, pulling out her vape from her pocket. Lia looked down at the vape, grabbing Ranya's wrist.
"Ranya," Lia grimly whispered, her eyes sharpening. "You can't do that here."
"May I ask why?"
"You'll get in trouble, dumbass!"
"Oh, please," Ranya sneered, shaking her head before poking her face into her fannypack for a few moments. She stuck her head out, her cheeks full with smoke before it seeped out of her nose and mouth. Ranya shot Lia an 'I-told-you-so' look, causing Lia to shake her head.
"I'd slow down on the smoking if I were you."
"Why is that? What's the issue?" Ranya asked, dumbfounded.
"Because," Lia snarled. "Pretty soon that little girl over there is going to be asking Grandpa Lemon why it smells like passionfruit."
Ranya popped a couple pieces of popcorn in her mouth, chomping violently. Mariah and Chris peeked their heads over curiously.
"What's the issue?" Chris whispered, his eyes studying both Lia and Ranya.
"The issue is that moonhead over here decided to sit right in front of us when there's plenty of other seats," Ranya purposely raised her voice, tossing a couple of pieces of popcorn at a man two rows in front of them.
"Ranya," Lia uttered, but couldn't help but laugh. Chris began to chuckle too, causing Mariah to giggle.
There was silence after that, soon interupted by a notification from Chris's phone. A few heads turned, and the noise drew Lia's attention. Chris laughed apologetically, adjusting his brightness to view the notification. Lia shoved a fist full of popcorn into her mouth, Ranya soon grabbing a handful. Chris and Mariah had their own bags.
Moments went by. Lia turned her head to see an expressionless Chris staring at his phone, a dim radiance on his face. She wondered what he was looking at.
"Is everything okay?" Lia mouthed, pointing to his phone. Chris quickly shut off his phone, clearing his throat and nodding. He didn't seem alright to Lia. She bit her lip, wondering what happened before turning her attention to the movie.
She watched the screen, which contained some stupid shit about dogs and Superman. The butter from the popcorn smothered against her plump lips, which she licked with her tongue. She couldn't tell if the salty taste on her tastebuds came from the popcorn or sweat from outside, though she didn't bother too much.
The sodas in the cupholders looked perspiring. The popcorn truly knew how to parch your mouth like the Sahara Desert. Her nose twitched, but it was too late to go grab a soda or two. She exhaled.
She supposed the day was better than it was that morning, and especially the night before. Only part of her was troubled by Evan and Vi, but she was mostly bothered about what Chris had to tell her. Was it something bad? Was he okay? And would he have ever told her at all?
Despite some of the worries she had, she was most definitely excited for the upcoming drifting that night. Lia hated exaggerating, but she lived for drifting. She loved the thrill of racing on the mountain streets with her friends under the pale moonlight, praying a sheriff wouldn't catch them. It was in her blood--as terribly cringey as that sounded.
She tried to focus on the movie, even though Ranya's chewing wasn't the most quiet. After minutes, Chris suddenly sat up, excusing himself. The chair squeaked as his tall frame towered over the seats. Ranya and Mariah briefly glanced up at him, soon turning their attention back to the movies with a mouthful of popcorn. Lia watched intently, his dark outline walking down the stairs. She noticed the man dialing somebody. Lia tried to catch another glimpse, but Chris was gone before she could see anything.
Part of her wanted to follow him and ask if everything was okay. Usually, he wouldn't have excused himself like that. Lia was perplexed as to why Ranya and Mariah barely batted an eye when he walked out. Was that not unusual for them to see?
She bit her lip once more, debating on whether to follow Chris or not. She didn't think he'd mind or anything, as long as she didn't interfere with the reason why he was dialing somebody. She couldn't think of anything regarding him calling somebody. Lia only prayed a loved-one of his didn't pass away or anything. Then again, he didn't like any of his family members, but that doesn't mean he couldn't feel grief, you know?
She hesitantly bit a small piece of the buttery popcorn, staring at the large, bright movie screen in front of her. However, she couldn't understand anything. Her mind was already in multiple different places. Ranya and Mariah suddenly giggled at something funny from the movie, Ranya hitting Lia in the ribs with the back of her hand. Lia adjusted her croptop, chuckling dryly as she shoved a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Some dog had been taking a shit on their owner's couch in the movie, making Ranya cackle. Lia knew Ranya was enjoying it so far, which Ranya definitely wouldn't admit afterwards. Mariah softly laughed moments after.
After minutes, Chris came back, part of his large figure projecting on the movie screen. He ducked, walking up the stairs. Ranya, Mariah, and Lia watched him as he made his way towards them, shoving his phone in his pocket. Despite the whole theater being pitch-black, the pale outline on Chris's face showed his troubled expression. Lia studied his facial features, moving her legs back so there was room for Chris to sit next to her once again.
"Sorry about that," he whispered, his hands in his lap. Before Lia could respond, the audience all simultaneously laughed at the movie. Her attention was drawn to the movie, a smile creeping upon her face. Ranya and Mariah cackled. There must have been a funny scene.
Once the laughter died down, Lia leaned in closer to respond to Chris. She knew there probably wasn't anything wrong; he'd more than likely tell her. Though, she slanted her head to the right, her eyes still stuck on the movie.
"Is everything okay?" Lia whispered authentically. His expression appeared troubled. Lia noticed a nervous grin form along Chris's face, his dimples prominent in the movie-screen lighting. He nodded after seconds.
"Yes," Chris whispered back softly. "Why?"
"Where did you go?"
"To the bathroom. Why did you ask if everything was okay?"
Lia bit her lip, displeased she wasn't getting anything out of him.
"You've just been weird," she told him, her eyebrows narrowing. "With the whole thing you wanted to tell me, and whatever the hell is going on now. Do you not think I can tell when something's off?"
Chris lodged his tongue in his cheek, darting his eyes downwards. Lia waited for him to say something--anything, even if it was something she didn't want to hear. Her foot tapped impatiently as she studied his face. Chris adjusted his posture; his body language appearing culpable.
"What I wanted to tell you was that...well, that I know about you and Evan," he whispered, his eyes focused on the movie. The words made Lia's heart drop to the pit of her stomach. He knew about her and Evan? What about them? The whole situation about them? How did Chris know? Too many questions flooded Lia's mind as she stared at his emotionless face. She couldn't think of anything to say, let alone do. Her face grew burgundy with shame, her throat dry.
"What?" She croaked through a whisper.
"You and Evan," Chris whispered back, his eyes making their way towards Lia. "I know you guys are fighting."
"What do you mean? How?"
Chris shifted in his seat, darting his eyes around to make sure nobody was listening. He leaned in closer to Lia, their faces inches apart.
"He called me later last night," Chris started. "You know, about an hour or so after you arrived. He asked if you were with Vi and I..." Chris's voice faded as he looked downwards, some kind of guilty expression on his face. Lia couldn't determine how he appeared.
"And what did you say to him?"
"Well, I said yes. There was some silence on the other end, then he thanked me and hung up."
Lia studied his face in pure humiliation. She couldn't believe that Chris knew about her and Evan--and that she lied about wanting to drift with him and Vi. Lia was glad that they were all drifting that night, but the fact that Chris knew she had nobody else to run to was embarrassing enough. She covered her burning cheek with her hand.
"Fuck..." Lia breathed out, closing her eyes tightly. "God, Chris. I'm sorry about the whole thing. I could've just stayed with my mom--"
"No, no," Chris interupted, his voice a shrill whisper. "Don't be sorry. I'm the one that should be apologizing."
"No, you shouldn't."
"I should," Chris proclaimed, staring at her attentively. His eyes darkened as he realized how close the two of them were. He slowly leaned back, breaking eye contact. He had nothing else to say.
"But you didn't do anything wrong," Lia's voice broke through a whisper. "I'm the one who can't keep a stable relationship. I'm the one who invited myself over to your house. And I'm especially the one that looks like a complete saphead right about now."
Chris breathed out, shifting in his seat once more. The chair squeaked as he moved, causing a little boy to turn his head.
"Trust me, you're not the saphead. I just got off the phone with--"
"Shhh!" Ranya and Mariah shushed the two, their fingers over their lips. Both Lia and Chris immediately went mute, darting their eyes towards the movie. Once again, Chris was interupted by some stupid shit. Lia bounced her leg in edginess.
She didn't plan on mentioning anything again to Chris. For all she knew, they'd get interupted twice, and it seemed like an important topic to him. Her eyes stared at the screen of animated dogs, but her mind was most definitely elsewhere. The bottom of her lip ached from biting it.
Between the velvet-colored curtains and the black border of the movie screen, Lia felt herself in between a rock and hard place. She inhaled the crisp, butter-scented air as she closed her eyes. The white glare flashed. Ranya and Mariah cackled at something humorous from the movie, stomping their feet onto the sticky floor that clicked. Lia knew everything would be fine the rest of the day; as long as they were drifting through the mountains at dusk. And if it wasn't, another round of drifting would help.
8:00 O'CLOCK
The white streetlights began to glow as the faded steel-blue sky grew into the beginning of the night. Royal-blue whispy clouds drew along the horizon, the milky moon veiling behind a cloud. The Arizona humidness remained, though the light at blue-hour chilled to a soft breeze. Cars whirred past the streets, their bright headlights shining up the city of Pheonix. Neon lights of all different colors gave the buzzing a glow of liveliness. The dampness of the atmosphere bit Lia's cheek as her and her friends exited the movie theater.
"So, how'd you guys like the movie?" Lia asked with a whimsical smile. Her sandals shuffled against the concrete as she adjusted her croptop.
"I loved it!" Mariah's gentle voice squeaked. "It was really entertaining for a children's movie."
"I hated it," Ranya blustered, running her fingers through her hair. She hit her vape, her shell-pink eyes glistening from the streetlights. Chris rolled his eyes.
"Right," he contended, flashing her a scornful look. "Your laughing during the whole movie definitely showed that."
"Stai zitto, flesh-face," Ranya bit. "I was high as shit. It doesn't mean I enjoyed it."
Chris breathed out, rubbing his face.
The four of them were about to drive to Kevin's club. Their destination was about an hour and a half away, not including stoplights and traffic. However, Lia was almost positive they'd arrive on time. Plus, it wasn't like Kevin would be right on time either. He always tended to show up a little later.
"You know," Ranya started, her voice monotonous. "Maybe I could've actually fully enjoyed the movie if you slick-mouths would've shut the hell up. What were you both blabbering your balls off for?"
Mariah giggled, though Chris grinded his teeth with a nervous grin on his face. Lia didn't understand what Chris had to be so nervous for; he was the one that knew something completely humiliating about her. Plus, it didn't matter if Ranya or Mariah knew about her and Evan. Despite the severe embarrassment she felt about the whole situation, it wasn't a huge secret. And she figured whatever Chris had to tell her about the phone call was not as crucial. Therefore, she should've been the one sweating over the whole thing.
"Nothing important," Chris replied. "Actually, let me rephrase that. Nothing important that involves you."
"Well, damn, thug brownie. My sincere apologies for asking."
"I'm messing with you," Chris told Ranya. "It was just about us meeting Kevin tonight."
Mariah peered her head over, while Ranya rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"The dickwad didn't cancel, did he?" Ranya asked.
"No," Lia chimed in, as they all approached their cars. "We were confirming if ten o'clock still worked."
Ranya and Mariah nodded, soon making their way towards their cars. Lia waved at Mariah, opening the door to Ranya's vehicle. She noticed Chris flashing her a simper as he entered his car. Lia breathed out.
Before revving up her car, Ranya hit her vape, the smell of passionfruit flowing in the car as smoke seeped from her lips.
"Montemos, sistah!" She cheered, jamming the car keys into the slit. The engine purred; music to Lia's ears. The seats vibrated, Usher blasting on the radio. Lia winced, but she wasn't going to mention anything about the music to her sister. It wasn't her car, after all. Plus, she could admit that some of his songs were quite catchy.
All three cars began to drive along the streets. Ranya drove behind Mariah, who drove behind Chris. Lia felt a sudden boom in her energy; excitement, eagerness, and lust. They were finally on their way to meet up with Kevin, who'd participate with them to drift through McDowell Mountains during twilight-hour. She couldn't wait to hit the steering wheel with keenness.
Ranya and Lia sang their hearts out to recognizable Usher songs, pounding their fists to the beat. The car vibrated and shook as the music boomed. Few pedestrians turned their heads towards them as they smoothly drove along the suburban streets. Lia didn't care.
After many songs of singing at the top of their lungs, Ranya quickly turned the knob down. The car came to a rest at a red light as Lia adjusted the mirrors to check herself out, still smiling. Smeared mascara from the night before was still slightly visible.
"Alright, alright," Ranya muttered, turning the knob down a tad bit more. She glanced at Lia cunningly, her hand still on the knob. "Are you getting tanked tonight or what?"
Lia stared at her sister in apathy, studying her face.
"Am I getting tanked?" She questioned. "What the fuck does that mean?"
Ranya laughed, clicking her tongue on the roof of her mouth.
"You sure are a dunce," she mumbled, the green light lustering on her face as the car whirred. "It means drunk, chica! Are you getting drunk tonight or not?"
Lia shook her head.
"No. I don't drink, remember? We had this talk a couple hours ago."
"I know we did," Ranya acclaimed. "As you can see, your good ol' sister is trying to get you to stop walking with your dick between your legs and bend an elbow or two."
Lia scoffed as the car jerked at a sharp turn. The music played quietly through the radio, though Mariah's anime music could be heard from her car. She was unsure what to say next. Lia knew she wasn't a drinker, but she also knew Ranya would've kept getting on her ass about it.
"Come on, dude," Ranya pleaded. "You're going to be the only one sober tonight. That won't be very fun, will it?"
"Chris doesn't drink," Lia opposed, though hesitant with her words. "Right?"
Ranya let out a hearty laugh, gripping the steering wheel as the car's engine growled.
"Estúpida..."
Lia studied her sister concerningly. There was no way in hell that Chris drank. She's never seen him take a swig of alcohol--let alone mention it. She would've never thought of him as a drinker, as lame as that sounded.
"I told you before," Ranya continued, her eyes focused on Mariah's white car in front of them. "You'll be the only one sober. Chris is a good ol' boozehound."
Part of Lia didn't believe Ranya, but the tone of her voice was a little cogent. She examined her sister's facial expressions, devising what to say next. The girl was unresponsive.
"You're bullshiting."
"No, actually I'm not."
Lia pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief. Well, hot damn. She never assumed Chris as a drinker. Lia felt a tad bit left out. She was quite distinguished with the fact she had never taken a sip of alcohol in her life, but she also didn't want to come off lame. However, who would drink and drive? It was too dangerous to consider. Many thoughts rushed through Lia's head as the car glided across the street, the engine growling.
"I'm still not drinking tonight," Lia acclaimed, her hand on her chest. "In fact, I vow never to take a sip of an alcholic beverage. I'm a sober woman."
"Square," Ranya added, eyeing the rear mirror. "I'm guessing this means that you don't want a hit of my vape to whoop it up before we get to Kevin's club."
Lia chuckled dryly.
"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass."
Ranya groaned, narrowing her eyebrows at Lia.
"You're such a sissy," she snarled. "I have other flavors than passionfruit, you know."
"Right. I'll pass, but thanks," Lia declined through a smile.
As she rested her head on the window, the air from the vent dried her eyes out. It had been a long day for Lia. Thankfully, her energy wasn't drained, even though a handful of troubling thoughts crossed her mind here and there. She didn't care, however. All that was on her mind was the upcoming drifting with all of her friends that night.
The sky was fading into the night, colors of blue and black painted along the sky. The blue haze from the day lifted into dusk. A sense of bleakness began to spring from the humid air due to the moonlight, which continued to reveal itself as the night went on. Lia felt herself being watched by the pre-night stars above her. She listened to the music intently, the seats vibrating smoothly as they made their way to Kevin's club.