Page 37 of Aftershock

“Thank you…I think?”

“So, since you clearly won—”

I glared at her. “Yeah, ‘clearly.’”

“What do you want to do now?”

“Well,” I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know about you, but I’m fucking exhausted, so how about a movie?”

Head In The Clouds

Lexi called for Lilly and asked for a bowl of popcorn as she sat on the floor, sifting through movies.

“One bowl of popcorn, coming right up, and don't worry, I won’t burn it like Ashley always does,” Lilly promised.

From behind the thin blue curtain, I heard a small voice yell, “Hey, that was one time!”

“More like three,” Lilly smirked while disappearing behind the curtain herself.

“Oh, and blankets, please!” Lexi added.

“I’m on it!” Lilly answered.

“No, I’ll do that. You focus on not burning the popcorn!”

“That was you, not me!”

I laughed to myself at their banter. It seemed like Lilly and Ashley had known each other for years. Did they meet as flight attendants? How were they so close? Work friendships, or any friendships for that matter, didn’t really work out for me. How long did you have to know someone to have that kind of relationship because there was no one in my life who I bonded with like that. A new job meant my old friends would stop contacting me, and I would have to start all over from square one. I want what Lilly and Ashley had.

“So, what’s the story with those two?” I asked.

Lexi seemed confused at first before realizing who I was talking about. “Oh, Ashley and Lilly? They're married. Five years this December.”

Oh.

Maybe that’s why I wanted what they had.

“No. Fucking. Way.”

“Way,” she laughed. They had that whole married couple bickering thing going on. It was kind of cute. “So, what kind of movies do you like?” Lexi asked.

“Action. No contest.”

“Okay, so looks like I have The Tomorrow War, Oblivion, 2012—”

“Oh, 2012! I love that movie!” I yelled excitedly as I shimmied in my seat.

Lexi winced at my volume. “I’m not deaf, you know.”

“Is this better?” I whispered.

Lexi glared at me. “Up until this point, I enjoyed your company, but now I only tolerate it.”

“Rude!”

It was a strange feeling, but I felt so at ease when I was with Lexi. Even though I was in a metal tin, thousands of feet in the air, surrounded by people I never knew until today, I somehow felt like I belonged. I tried to tuck my legs under me, but the tight fabric of my jeans prevented me from moving. I shifted on the couch uncomfortably as I became a little more aware of the fact that I should have worn an outfit that I could lounge about in for the plane ride instead of jeans. Pulling at the ends of my sweater, I stretched the fabric, hoping it would loosen its grip on me. Emotionally comfortable but physically uncomfortable. Story of my life. Couldn’t have it both ways.

“You okay?”

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