A Series of Unlikely Events - Boring Teenagers Date

[madesomenoise]

The movie was...it was pretty okay. Mostly, Girl had spent it being very aware of her own boundaries, very aware of Carson's. She's never been in this situation before. Any connections she'd managed to make out in the Zones had been fleeting, a few hours at most, warm bodies in scavenged sheets. This is different. This is a boy who had wanted to spend time with her, who'd danced with her. At one point, she'd wanted to hold his hand so much her fingers had itched.

She'd held onto a fistful of her skirt instead.

After the movie, the Mall feels incredibly, intensely bright. Girl had spent what felt like hours getting ready while Poison had helped. He'd picked out the polka dot skirt flaring slightly just above Girl's knees. Her hair is up, held back with red cotton that matches her lipstick.

Why does she still want to hold his hand?

"So," she says. "What are we doing next?"

Comments

[madesomenoise]

"Nowhere near that long," says Girl, smiling when he shifts a little closer. She leaves her hand on his knee, her thumb rubbing against the seam of his jeans. "Since May. I don't know when it was back home. Difficult to keep track in the Zones unless you're tuning into Bat City signals."

[boywhoflew]

"That makes sense," he agreed, his cheeks tinging a pale shade of pink much to his own frustration. Picking at his food, he peeled a glob of cheese and pepperoni off of his crust and chewed it thoughtfully. "You really haven't been here long, huh?" He realized, considering the time. "It's crazy that you came pretty close to not even being here for prom. I wonder if we would have met, otherwise."

[madesomenoise]

They've barely known each other for any time at all and, already, she hates the thought of that - the thought of not having met him, the thought of not having whatever this is.

"I kind of hate the thought of that," she says, flushing. It feels like admitting something big.

[boywhoflew]

Maybe it was stupid and reckless, but he kind of hated the idea of it too. If anything it was a relief for her to admit to it first, but there was still a large part of him that wanted to shrink back and brush it off, pretend like it wouldn't have mattered either way. But as stupid as the mall was, as simple and ordinary and cliche sitting in the foodcourt with a pizza and a pretty girl felt, the fact it was her made it appealing and fun.

That line of thought was dangerous, but it was too late to back out of it when he had been the one to bring it up.

"I kinda do, too." He agreed, giving her a hesitant and lopsided smile. "So I guess it's good you showed up in time, huh?"