Page 252 of Something Rad
“Oh, come on,” I say.
“Robbie,” Cooper sighs. “I’m not doing it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it doesn’t fit,” she insists.
“If you don’t think this fits, you’re not the person I thought you were,” I tell her.
Cooper spins away from the bulletin board, putting her hands on her hips. “And please explain how not addingThe Empire Strikes Backto our plan for summer movie showings makes me someone different than who you thought I was?”
I lean against the check-out counter, cocking my head at her. “Because you’re clearly not the exceptionally cultured film connoisseur I’ve had you pinned for all along.”
Cooper scoffs out a laugh, running a hand down her face. “Robbie, it’s not a summer movie.”
“Explain to me how it’s not.”
“Explain to me how itis,” she shoots back.
“It came out in the summertime.”
She leans back, raising her brows. “So?”
“So,” I throw my hands in the air, “it’s a summer movie!”
Cooper shakes her head. “That really isn’t how this works though. It’s not about when the movie was released, it’s about the feelings it gives off. You know, the vibes?”
“And what about interstellar rebellion doesn’t give off summer vibes to you, Cooper?”
Her mouth falls open, then shuts again as she tries not to laugh. “Maybe if there were a few more beaches–”
Cooper doesn’t get a chance to finish her weak argument as she’s cut off by the bell on Groovy Movie’s front door ringing as someone flings it open, barrelling inside.
We both spin around to find the source of the commotion, and, when we do, Cooper and I have very different reactions, her brows bunching together while a huge smile breaks across my face.
“Sherri,” I grin, while Cooper questions, “Mom?”
Sherri Cooper comes stumbling towards the front counter like a bat out of hell, her hair disheveled and her waitressing uniform all out of sorts. “Hi, hon. Hi, Robbie.”
I nod, the smile still on my face, which she quickly returns before turning back to her daughter.
Cooper’s mom may have been hesitant when she first learned we were back together. Apparently, Cooper had given her a basic rundown of our history, which didn’t paint me in the best possible light, but Sherri’s always had a bit of a soft spot for me. And I’m thankful for that.
“Mom, what is it?” Cooper demands.
Her mom only pauses for a second once she reaches us to catch her breath, not saying a word before she slams some type of paper down on the counter.
“What…” Cooper begins, but trails off once she leans forward to look at what Sherri brought. It only takes a moment after I take a closer look as well for me to realize the paper she’s brought is actually an envelope, and it only takes another second for me to immediately recognize the purple stamp from the sender.
NYU.
“I have to go to work,” Sherri rasps. “I’m so late already, but this just came in the mail, and I won’t be able to focus my entire shift if I don’t know whether or not you’ve opened it. So please, open it.”
Cooper’s eyes flick from the envelope up to her mother’s face, and then to mine.
I give her a nod. “Open it, Cooper.”
She swallows hard, pushing her hair out of her face before she picks up the envelope with shaky hands, slowly tearing the edge open and pulling out the paper inside.
