Robin, Dustin, and Erica dragged Steve and I through the back corridors of the mall while the guards chased after us. Steve was laughing wildly and I was smirking.
"Where are we going?!" Erica exclaimed.
"Just trust me." We came to a door and Dustin opened it, looking around. "All clear." We all followed after him into what looked like the movie theater, turning the corner into the theater. Steve grabbed a bag of popcorn out of the trashcan on the way and we crept down through the audience until we reached the front row. The new movie Back to the Future was playing. Dustin stopped in front of two seats on the end of the front row. "You two, sit!"
"No, no, no, these seats are too close!" I complained, sitting down hurriedly.
"Dude, these seats blow!" Steve added.
"Then don't watch the movie."
"We want to watch it." I said.
"Then watch it!"
"Shh!" The guy behind us hissed.
"Sorry." Dustin whispered. "Whatever you do, don't...go...anywhere."
"Fine, Dad." Steve said sarcastically, triggering laughter from both of us. The three of them went to the other end of the row, and I reached into Steve's popcorn bag, popping some into my mouth and laying my head on his shoulder.
"What's happening?" I asked, cuddling closer to him and eating more popcorn.
"I have no idea."
"Steve...Steve, I'm thirsty." I whined.
"Yeah, me too."
"There's a water fountain outside. Let's go!" I got up, dragging his hand and pulling him out of the theater to the water fountain. He got there first, crouching beside of it and lapping up the water.
"That's amazing."
"So like, I wasn't totally focused in there or anything but...I'm pretty sure...that mom was trying to bang her son." I stated.
"Wait, wait, the hot chick was Alex P. Keaton's mom?" Steve questioned.
"His name isn't Alex P. Keaton you dork, its Michael J. Fox."
"Pretty sure I know Alex P. Keaton's name."
"Apparently not, because its Michael J. Fox, but that's not the point. The point is, yes that was his mom."
"But they're the same age." He pointed out.
"Yeah, because he went back in time. Its his mom from the past, when she was his age."
"Then why is it called Back to the Future?"
"Because, if he's in the past, his present is the future, so he has to go Back to the present, but from the perspective of the past, he is going Back to the Future."
"Wh...what?"
"Steve, its my turn." I pushed him out of the way, beginning to drink from the water fountain. I turned my head sideways, watching as Steve stumbled around messing with his shirt and staring up at the ceiling.
"Wow. Hey Riley, you gotta check this out." I pushed away from the water fountain, coming to stand beside him and looking up. The ceiling was made of glass and had beams of light raining down on it that wobbled in my drug induced vision. "Check this...the ceiling, its beautiful."
"It looks like...outer space." I said. I began spinning around and the lights began to duplicate and swirl, making me feel nauseous.
Next thing I knew, Steve and I were running into the bathroom, bursting into adjoining stalls and puking our guts out into the toilet. I pulled my hair back out of my face as I emptied my stomach contents rather aggressively. After about twenty minutes of that I ended up laying on the floor with my feet propped up on the door, waiting for the ceiling to stop spinning. It soon did, and I heard Steve finally stop puking and flush the toilet from the stall beside me.
"The ceiling stopped spinning for me," I reported, suddenly feeling normal again, "Did it stop spinning for you?"
"Holy crap...no." He said. "You think we puked it all up?"
"Its certainly a possibility," I replied, "Ask me something. Interrogate me."
"Ok, interrogate you, sure, um...when was the last time you uh, peed your pants?"
"Today."
"What?"
"When the Russian Doctor took out the bone saw." I said. He laughed.
"Oh my gosh."
"It was only a little! It was my body's natural response, its like it was telling me that whatever was coming next was gonna be really bad, and well, it was right." I said.
"Yeah, its definitely still in her system." I chuckled, sitting up with my back against the wall, propping my feet up on the side of the stall. My smile fell as I formed my own question in my head.
"Ok...its my turn."
"Ok."
"Why...Why did you say no to moving in with me?" I asked seriously. He didn't respond for a second. "I know you said you wanted it to be perfect but...what does that mean, exactly?"
"Well, uh...I kind of had this...idea in my head that if we moved in together, I was gonna be the man of the house, and it was gonna be my job to take care of you. I figured I was obligated, as the man to you know...bring home the bacon, provide for you."
"Had? Past tense?" I questioned.
"Yeah...I've had a change of heart, recently. Actually no, just my mind. My heart always knew the answer, I was just too stupid to realize it."
"You're not stupid. Stop saying that!" I said, kicking the stall wall. "What changed your mind?"
"Funnily enough...my Dad." I raised my eyebrows, waiting for him to continue. "I started thinking about him and...he's given me and my Mom everything that the quote 'Man of the House' is obligated to provide, you know? He has the job, he makes the money, he puts food on the table keeps us clothed, all of that stuff. I mean, we have everything that we could ever want."
"And?" I asked.
"And...we're miserable." He stated. "My mom goes on business trips with him because she can't trust him to be faithful to her. All they do is argue, as far as my Dad is concerned, I'd better be like him or I might as well not exist and there's nothing homey about the environment whatsoever, so I realized, yeah, that stuff might be important, but its not the most important thing."
"Ok, so...what is the most important thing?"
"You know...its like, ever since Dustin got home he's been saying you know 'Its like me and Suzie, communication is important, You've gotta be aware of what you're actions say, and you gotta tell her how you feel'." I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Wait, who is Suzie?" I asked.
"Its some girl from camp, I guess his girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?!" I exclaimed in shock.
"I know, right? To be honest with you, I'm not 100% sure she's even real. But that's not-that's not really the point, that doesn't matter, the point is that yeah, all of that other stuff is important, being able to provide for you is important but the most important thing that I can do in our relationship, and in a household is that I can make sure that you never doubt that I love you." My eyes widened. " 'Cause I do, Riley. I love you, and I'm pretty sure that I have from the very beginning, I was just too scared and too stuck in my own head to allow myself to admit it, but I do. I love you, Riley, and I want to move in with you, and...no, you know what? I want to do more than move in with you, I want to marry you, you wanna get married? If we get out of here alive, let's get married."
I didn't respond. I didn't know how to respond, I mean...two days ago, Steve couldn't even tell me he loved me and now, if I'm right about what just happened he just proposed to me in a mall bathroom!? What?!
"Riley?" He tapped on the stall wall. I didn't respond, still unsure of what to say. "Riles, did you just OD in there?" I chucked.
"No. I...am still alive." I looked down as Steve's feet poked through as he slid on his back under the stall, sitting with his back up against the wall opposite me. "That floor is disgusting."
"Yeah, well I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so..." I chuckled, and he put a hand on my knee. "What do you think?"
"Steve...you just came down from a drug trip. I don't think you know what you're saying-"
"No, but I do, Barbie, I do." He said, looking at me seriously. "Honestly, I'm thinking more clearly than I have in a long time. Look, Riles you said it yourself, you have spent the last several years doubting that I could love you." I looked down at my lap. "I don't want you to doubt that ever again. And I know I haven't been helping matters much lately, but I want to fix that, and not just by saying I love you, I want to prove it to you by doing the one thing that says, 'I love you, and I promise to love you for the rest of my life', and I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never question how I feel about you ever again. All you have to do is say yes." I bit my lip, smiling at him.
"Just to clarify...we are sitting here on the floor of a mall bathroom, beaten to a pulp, recovering from being drugged, covered in blood and puke and numerous other things and you, Steve HAIRington, are choosing now of all times to propose to me?" I questioned. He shrugged.
"Seems pretty fitting for us, don't you think?" I laughed, shaking my head before leaning it back against the wall. "Say yes, Barbie. Please, just say yes. We don't have to get married right away, we can be engaged for as long as you want until you feel you're ready, we could be engaged ten years for all I care. I have my grandmother's engagement ring, she left it to me when she died, its at home, all ready to go...you just have to say yes."
"Ok!" I said, a wide smile forming on my face.
"Ok?"
"Yes, Steve, yes...I will marry you...eventually." He laughed, leaning forward to kiss me, but I put a hand on his chest. "I will not, however, kiss you right this second, when we've both been throwing up. That's gross."
"Right, yeah."
"Rain check." We shared a look before chuckling. "You know, I do have to admit, Riley Harrington does have a nice ring to it."
"Yeah, it does." I looked over at him, my eyes skimming over the wounds on his face. I reached over, gently brushing my thumb against the pretty deep cut under his lip.
"We've gotta stop getting this pretty face of yours bashed in."
"Me? What about you?" He asked, reaching over and touching the cut on my eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure we both get beat up every year. I mean, half your face is purple right now."
"Dang...maybe we really are perfect for each other." We both burst out laughing at the thought, just as the bathroom door flew open and Dustin, Erica, and Robin came running in.
"Ok...what the heck?!" Dustin exclaimed. We both just kept laughing, Steve leaning against my propped up legs and me resting my forehead on his knee.