"Could I have a lemonade? And…" Liam looks at the display of the packets of sweets, each bag hanging from a hook on the back wall. "Liquorice all-sorts please."
The worker nods and leaves the counter to grab everything, including filling up a box with warm and buttery popcorn. He passes everything over the counter with two printed tickets.
"There you go. Enjoy your night."
"Thank you so much," Liam says, pulling out one of his perfect smiles. "I hope we didn't cause you any convenience."
"No, not at all," the worker says. I swear his cheeks are a little pink.
We walk towards Cinema 1 and I show the tickets to the usher. Inside the theatre, the lights are a dim yellow. I think this room used to be a hall in the olden days because the floor is wooden and there are exposed rafters.
When we haven't spoken for a minute, Liam glances sideways at me. "Kennedy is a unisex name," he says.
"I know."
"Then what are you so ruffled about?"
"Nothing. I'm not ruffled." We find our seats and sit down. I chose seats closer to the back so Kennedy and I would have privacy if we wanted to make out. But now that I'm here with Liam, it just means we're further away from the screen with an uncomfortable number of lovey-dovey couples nearby.
"Is the thought of dating me so horrifying?" Liam asks.
I whip my head around to face him. Liam's self-deprecating yet light smile fades when he sees my expression. He turns away to lean back in his chair, running a hand through the back of his hair. "Or is it the thought of something thinking you were dating a guy?"
I think of my dream from yesterday morning. And all the dreams before that. "Of course not," I say, then swallow because my mouth is dry.
Liam glances at me then looks away.
We busy ourselves with opening the snacks and arranging them on our laps. I hope he's not mad at me, for whatever reason. In my periphery, Liam takes a swing from his lemonade can, tilting his jaw upward. I can see the curve of his bicep. His eyes flick my way, but neither of us turn to each other.
I feel restless. I want to talk to Liam, even if we end up bickering. Talking to Liam is like going to the gym. Sometimes it's painful, but it's almost always cathartic. And after a while, I decided I liked the gym.
*
Two hours later, Liam and I leave the cinema, throwing our rubbish in the bin on the way out. The lingering awkwardness from before disappears as Liam talks. "I don't think I've seen such a good movie in a year. I'm impressed. I thought Hollywood was only making remakes and sequels these days."
"Right?" I say. Outside, the sky has darkened, but the town is full of streetlights. We walk towards the ocean, surrounded by couples also walking home or heading towards their cars.
"I tried to guess the plot twists, but every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, it was something else."
"It was the same for me," I say.
"The soundtrack was good too…" Liam continues talking about the movie while I nod and make appropriate sounds.
I wonder if going to the movies with Kennedy has messed up all future experiences in the cinema because I couldn't help getting distracted while watching the movie. Maybe I have a Pavlovian response to cinemas because energy ran through my body the whole time and my heart was pounding. I didn't feel aroused — of course not, I was with Liam Ford, after all — but I felt something.
"Hey, I have a question," I say, interrupting Liam's analysis of the protagonist. He's been talking about the movie for the past ten minutes, and we've now reached the park with fewer lights and fewer people around. I'm not worried about my safety though — Lonsdale Bay is safe and besides, Liam and I are two guys. We'll be okay.
"What?"
"Why are you single?"
Liam is silent for a moment, and he looks out to the ocean, which roars loudly compared to the quiet town.
I realise that sounded like I was interrogating him, and soften my voice. "Sorry. I know it's a weird question, but I promise I'm not asking for the hell of it." I have a reason. Something that's been bugging me for ages, without me realising it.
"It's not like being single is the end of the world," Liam says.
"Of course. I'm not saying it is. But I've heard you explain your singleness as if it's out of your control. As if no one's interested in you."
