Page 102 of Summer, in Between
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ISNEAK a look at thetime.Less than half an hour until the movie ends, but the way my waistband is squeezing the life out of my bladder I know that waiting isn’t an option.The movie has no chance of commanding my attention; between the protests of my bladder and my tongue working at a random piece of popcorn stuck right between my front teeth I can’t concentrate on anything other than relief from both.
‘Be back in a minute,’ I whisper to Paul.
Stooped, I edge my way past countless knees in the darkened cinema.In the ladies, I grab my Christmas tree, the tiny pick that’s been my smile’s best friend for years now.It’s been forever since my braces came off but after years of being denied my favourite movie snack, popcorn remains a terrifying, paranoia-inducing novelty.Did I really have to eat three quarters of a tub the size of a toddler?As I floss, a girl comes out of a stall and washes her hands.She smiles at me in the mirror.
‘Popcorn stuck in your teeth?’she says.‘It’s the worst, isn’t it?’
‘So annoying.’I pull my fist out of my mouth.I give the pick a rinse under the water and wash my hands.
‘Wait, you’re here with Paul Lightwood, aren’t you?I thought it was him.’
‘Um, yes,’ I say, ‘sorry, do I know you?I mean, have we met?’I feel the heat of my flush move up my neck and I turn my back on my reflection.She’s at least a head taller than me even without considering her perfectly formed bun that balances on the top of her head.She’s heavily made up with immaculate cat eyes I’ve only ever seen in what I’ve always assumed were photoshopped images.She leans into her reflection to apply lipstick in a deep shade of red.
‘No, we don’t know each other,’ she says, smacking her lips together.‘I live up north, but I went to school with Paul and Cavey and the guys.’She settles back into her heels and smoothes her hair.‘Paulie’s still drop dead gorgeous like he was at school.Age suits him; from what I saw, he’s even hotter.I heard Paulie was seeing someone, but I didn’t know it was “movies-seeing”, that’s full on.I’m Bec.’
‘Um, yeah,’ I say.‘I’m Cat.’
‘You look like a nice girl.’She leaves her reflection to face me, twisting her lipstick between her hands, her angular arms jutting.‘This feels like my civic duty to the next generation, but maybe you should stick to boys your own age.They’ll be less likely to give you a sexually transmitted disease.Okay?Enjoy the movie.Tell Paulie Bec Farmer says “hey”.’
My pulse rushes in my ears as the door closes behind her.What the actual?I put my hands under the cold water, then lay my palms flat against my flaming cheeks.I take in my quickly slapped on mascara, my hair a tangled, dishevelled mess.I was going for effortlessly cool in my band t-shirt and denim skirt ensemble, but I look like a scrappy little country teenager.I take a deep breath, pull my shoulders back and return to the cinema.This time I don’t even bother to pretend to stoop as I bash into the knees of the people in our row.
‘All good?’Paul’s hand is heavy and hot on my knee.I nod, crossing my legs, nudging his hand, my eyes fixed on the screen.I can’t make sense of what’s playing out in front of me, the actors could be speaking another language.The audience laughs, and I flinch, startled.I turn my head to look behind me and all I can see through the dark is buns; it feels like every person in the entire cinema is watching me.I dig my fingers into the armrests and will myself to calm down.The movie can’t end soon enough – the lights are barely up and I’m on my feet, shifting and fidgeting, waiting for all the people beside me in the aisle to leave the cinema.
‘What did you think?’Paul says, his hand low on the back of my hip.
‘I think if these people don’t stop taking their sweet time and get their act together, I might actually lose my shit.’
‘I meant the movie.You like it?’
‘Yeah, it was good.Funny.Look, I just really want to get out of here,’ I say and finally people begin shuffling their way out into the aisle.
‘You okay, babe?’Paul takes my hand as we step out into the night, the smell of a thunderstorm hovering in the heat.
‘I was,’ I say, ‘right up until a glamazon in the ladies told me to stick to someone my own age.Bec, she said her name was.Another one of your hundreds, I’m guessing?’
‘What?’
‘Well, she said she went to school with you and Cavey.Said to say “hey”.“Hey from Bec Farmer.”She also said you’ll give me a disease.Charming, hey?I’ve always loved being bailed up in the ladies by someone’s ex-girlfriend.’
‘Bec Farmer?I haven’t seen her in years.I didn’t even know she was still around.Last I heard she lived up north.I think Cavey keeps in touch, but I haven’t seen her since school.’
‘I can’t tell you how much fun it was being patronised by one of your ex-girlfriends.’
‘Oh man,’ Paul rubs his hand across the back of his head and sighs.‘She’s not an ex-girlfriend.Not even close.She was just a pain in the arse freakin’ drama queen at school.Looks like nothing’s changed there.’
‘Okay, so how do you grownups put it?You’re saying you never went there?’
‘Oh no, I went there; I’m not going to stand here and lie to your face, Cat.But we were never a thing.God no.We just hooked up a couple of times.In fact, if I had a disease, which I don’t, she would have been the one handing it out.’
‘That’s like poetry.They should put that on t-shirts.’
‘Very funny,’ he laughs and tugs my hand behind his back.‘It’s crap you had to deal with that.I’m so sorry.’
‘It’s not your fault.’I drop my head to my chest.‘It was just a bit weird, you know?Like at school being told off by one of the teachers.I’m standing there feeling like an immature, grungy hobbit next to this glamazon with perfect makeup.’
He holds my chin between his thumb and finger and lifts it so I have nowhere to look but his eyes.‘Number one, stop saying glamazon.She was never a glamazon.Her name at school was cake-face because she used to cake it on.Number two, don’t ever call my beautiful girlfriend a hobbit.You want to talk perfect?Look in the mirror, Cat.You could be a model.’
