Is it possible to die from the anticipation? Because Chord felt like he was about to. He had been sitting at one of the small two-person tables inside the movie theater for the past fifteen minutes, waiting on Scarlett to arrive.
She was going to come. After all, she didn't seem like the type to set someone up and not even show, right? Right. Scarlett wouldn't do that.
Just calm down, Chord. She hasn't given you any reason to doubt her. She'll be here. You were a good ten minutes early to the agreed meetup anyway, dumbass.
Chord checked the conversation with Scarlett for the twelfth time, his body itching with nervousness and tension. The time was the same, 6:30, and it was not long until the movie started. Maybe she was running late?
His phone buzzed as a text from Scarlett came in.
Look up. 😄
As he did, a pair of hands covered his eyes. "Guess who?" A not very well disguised voice laughed behind him. A moment later, the hands were gone and he looked up to see Scarlett giving him a cheeky grin. "Sorry for being late. I had to drop off everyone but Diego at a sleepover. . at three different places. It's like they knew I had something to do and planned accordingly." She groaned.
She leaned in closer to him, whispering, "I snuck snacks in so we're good on comfort foods. I don't ever support overpriced popcorn and snacks. Also, not sure how you are with jump scares, but I'll need them to get through the movie."
Chord found himself smiling, though why he wasn't sure. Maybe it was because a part of him still feared she was like all the others. Or worse, one of those who initially believed he was worth getting to know, only to later be disillusioned by the reality that Chord didn't fit into their expectations. Maybe not.
But he did know he was happy. Happy at being here, at this moment, with a person who seemed to care enough. Someone not related to him like Cinder and his aunt, but someone who could easily choose to leave.
Chord was happy.
Scarlett somehow brought that out in him every time she was near. Sure, there was the feeling of having an army of butterflies hitting him from all sides in his stomach right now, but being in her presence always made him happy. It felt like he could breathe for the first time in years.
"Why would you willingly see a scary movie if you scare easily?" he asked.
She turned on her heels and started walking off to find the right theater room. She shrugged a shoulder. "I'm a glutton for punishment, I suppose? They're a bit of a guilty pleasure for me," she answered as they walked aside by side. "Do you scare easy?"
"It's a bit of a mixed bag," he answered, clearing his throat. There was one movie that freaked him out, but most other movies were fine.
"I like the outfit." She really looked pretty. Not surprised about that.
She was wearing a cream-colored knit sweater with a large embroidered owl on the front paired with a pair of brown pants, and light brown boots. Her hair was tamed compared to usual, though it still was curled like crazy.
Her face crinkled as she smiled. "I know right? I love owls. Owls are awesome as am I so it was meant to be."
Calm down, heart. Chord still was unsure what this was called. Was it a date? Or was it just two friends hanging out. Though if it was a date, Chord sure as hell wouldn't know what to do. Scarlett probably knew more than he did. Never mind the fact it had taken forever to find an outfit that could pass for either way — even with his aunt's help.
I can do this. Hopefully. Maybe.
"What movie is this anyway? You said it was a horror, but you didn't say the name."
"John Carpenter's The Thing."
Son of a bitch.
____
"Just a few more steps. . ." Scarlett's voice guided Chord as she held his hands in hers, guiding him. "Keep your eyes shut."
"They're shut, they're shut. Don't worry, but," he stumbled as he walked forward blindly, "do you mind telling me where we are? I normally don't let people guide me like this." Or at all, since I have no friends.
"No, because it's a surprise." There was a shuffle as a stick snapped underfoot. "Oh shit, that was a stick. Sticks are bad. You saw nothing."
"Yeah, quite literally," he joked, earning a noise mixed between a scoff and a chuckle from her. "Sorry, couldn't help myself."
"Okay, you can open your eyes now, Mister Comedian."
As he did, he found himself standing on a cliff overlooking the town. The lights of the various buildings illuminated the area like a beacon. The stars above shined down, winking.
"Wow, this is pretty cool." He took everything in. "We can't be looking at the same town. Our town doesn't look that nice."
She covered a laugh with her hand. "Nah, it is. Don't worry, the shock will die down soon."
"How did you know this spot was here?"
Scarlett took hold of his hand, tugging him down to sit beside her on the grass. "I drive to clear my head. Found it by accident." She dangled her legs off the edge without a care, leaning back.
"You know, I've lived here since I was six and didn't know this was here." He looked over the side and his stomach lurched. "Wow, that's a big drop." He scooted back a bit. He turned to say something, but the words died on his tongue when he saw the look on her face.
She was looking out towards the town, but the look on her face was like a black hole: there was no light in her eyes or smile donning her face like it always was. Again, her hand ventured to the piercings in her ear.
She does that a lot. Was it out of habit? Or because she is nervous about something?
"Scarlett? You okay?" Her gaze didn't shift away and it seemed she didn't even hear Chord. Reaching out, his hand touched her shoulder and she flinched, the haunted look meeting his. "Is everything alright?"
"What? Yeah! Sure everything's. . .good. I'm very happy right now." Her words said one thing, but her face said something else. Even as she smiled at him to prove her words true, it felt different than the other ones.
This one was like that one lightbulb in your room that kept flickering but not going out, but it couldn't shine its light.
"Your face says otherwise."
She sighed, biting her lip. "No, I am happy. I swear. It's just . . . Have you ever been really happy about something, but, like, you're scared about being happy? Doesn't matter if it's a little thing or a big thing. As if something bad is gonna happen to make it end the moment you give into that happiness?"
Every time we talk and hang out, but I couldn't say that out.
"Did something happen?"
She sighed, smirking to herself. "I guess I'm just waiting for the shoe to drop. Or psyching myself out. I've been in the system since I was eight." He nodded. "About a dozen homes, if I count all of them. Some lasted a month and some lasted a couple of years. But every time it ended, was right when I resigned myself to living there. Thinking 'Maybe this is it', or 'I can call this place, this family, home.'" She bit down on her lip hard. "Unfortunately, something happened to make them send me back. I'll admit more than a couple were my fault, which sucks. There were a couple families that were damn near perfect. Now, the names and faces all blur together," she confessed.
"Sounds like a tough thing to go through."
"Yeah, but you get used to it." She let out a breath, laying back against the grass. "You know, I envy you."
"Me?"
She ran her hands through the grass, plucking blade by blade with her fingers. "My real parents. . . weren't nice. Well, my mom wasn't. Didn't know my birth dad, so I just knew my mom's boyfriend as dad and he didn't. . ." Her voice trailed off, lost in thought. Or stuck in a loop. "Do you believe in God, Chord?"
"I suppose. I can't confirm or deny he exists. Why?"
"I don't. Believe. I just can't grasp how a supposed benevolent, loving parent-like God could let mankind suffer."
He arched a brow. He hadn't expected her to bring up this kind of a topic, but Chord didn't mind it. Simply talking with her was enough. Even if she possibly didn't feel the same.
"You know the stars are really pretty. Around this time, we can see Aquarius, Pegasus and Piscis Austrinus. . ."
"How do you know that?"
"Professor Xavier liked stargazing."
". . . What?"
Scarlett chuckled. "Professor Atticus Gray — he taught Astrology at the university in his town. He was bound to a wheelchair after having his legs crushed when some dick ran him over twice. So I called him Professor X a lot. He loved it. Man was a huge nerd for science fiction and comics."
She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "He was the only one who didn't send me back. One year, ten months, and four days."
"I'm sorry you had such a hard life so far."
"Oh, it was pretty bad. But not all of it. Living with him was great. He is why I know about the Star Trek and Star Wars stuff."
"What happened to him?"
"He went in for surgery to repair a damaged coronary artery. He went in. . . But didn't come back out."
"He was the closest time I'd come to having a real family. Not a day goes by where I don't miss him. So, seeing you with your aunt and Cinder is bittersweet. But I like it."
"I'm sure the family you're with now appreciate you, too."
"To be honest, I've been making sure I didn't step on any toes. If they ask me to do something, I do it. If there's one thing I don't want it is to go back. . ." He watched as her hands gripped the earth, tearing up the dirt and grass. "Especially not now." She turned to look up at him. "I like hanging out with you."
Chord was glad it was dark, since it would help hide the blush burning on his face. "I'm sure you've made better friends than me. I-I'm not good at talking t-to people."
"Sure, you are. It's just the recipient that's the issue. And for the record," she sat up, "you're actually the first person who's been receptive to me."
"Huh?"
"Yeah. I stopped trying after the third time. Got exhausting so I didn't try anymore. Especially if I wasn't gonna stay long anyway."
As silence floated between them, a thought came to Chord. If she had stopped caring, then why had she decided to break the habit and approach him? Why him?
"What changed?" he asked. "I mean, you could've approached anyone. Why me?"
"Tell me something," she said, "how long has Xander been bullying you?"
"Pretty much since I moved here. Why?"
"Because he's done it so long you can't accept it when someone wants to be around you. You look for an escape on why I shouldn't."
"I—" He lowered his gaze. Chord wanted to deny that, but the truth was he couldn't. He knew it was true. Though his reasons were valid, that didn't mean they weren't also bullshit.
"I'm sorry. I know you've said it, but I just. . . I'm used to being alone. It became a normal when it never should've been. I'm just used to messing things up and people just leave on their own. I decided beating them to it was better than the long hurt."
When he lifted his head again, he jumped slightly when he saw how close Scarlett was. On her knees besides him, the moonlight cast a glow on her that made her eyes look white and her hair burn. "What do I have to say to make you finally let it sink in?" She reached out, running her hand through his tight curls. "You're an awesome person, Chord, though you have a bit a dark part to you. It is because you've got a soft heart."
"Isn't that a bad thing?"
"No." She smiled. "If you opened your eyes and looked around you, you'd see it's actually a really good thing. The world needs more people like you, if only you believed it." Letting out a sigh, Scarlett added, "Perhaps this is one of those moment where words aren't enough?"
With one hand at his neck, Scarlett pulled him forward and kissed him.
In that moment, Chord wasn't sure what to do at first. But as he opened up to the kiss, one stray thought crossed his mind.
Was this kiss out of pity. . .or because she liked him as much as he liked her?
It wasn't until after he got home, he realized Scarlett never answered his question.
____
A/N: So, am I the only one thinking writing kiss scenes are AWKWARD? Like, I have been kissed and kissed so it ain't like I dont know what happens but when it comes to writing them, it just is weird?
I just hate kiss scenes. I never know wtf to write man. But alas, we shall have this for now. 😭😂🤔