The woman she addressedheads for the exit, another close on her trail.
“Is something wrong?” Simone asks me.
It must seem that way. Why else would I suddenly appear anywhere outside of my home? Most of the people in this roomhave never laid eyes on me, or better yet,knownI existed. I can tell which ones have, because of their hushed murmurs.They will no doubt be the source from which today’s gossip isspread.
I swallow quickly, clenching and unclenching my fist, then shake my head. “No. There’s…nothing wrong.”
Thisseems to alleviateSimone’s stiff posture. Iworriedher, and now I feel not only panicked but guilty.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize gently. “Ididn’tmean to make you concerned. I wanted to leave the house. I–I thought I could.”
She smiles softly. “You did.” Glancing around, she gestures to the concession stand and the brightly colored movie posters on the wall. “You’rehere. The worst part is over.”
I relax a little. She’s right. I never thought I’d see four walls other than my own again, but here I am. It's not that different. Just a bunch of fancy machines and brighter lights.
Simone moves out of the way for a familythat’sheading into one of the screening rooms, and we migrate over to a bench beneath a poster of two giant robots fighting each other. She takes a seat while I hover beside her.
“We can wait here for Aidan,” she tells me, and I appreciate her taking charge of the situation.
Shedoesn’ttry to fill the silence, which I also appreciate, and only a few minutes passbeforeI see Aidan striding through the front door of the theater, the two women sent to retrieve him in tow. One of them points us out, and he makes a beeline to wherewe’resitting.
Aidan crouches in front of Simone and eyes me warily. “What’s going on?”
Suddenly, I feel like a child. I’ve caused a scene unnecessarily, and all because I tried to do something I wasn’t ready for.
“Nothing is going on,” I tell him, floating closer to hover above him.
He stands up and meets me at eye level. “Are you sure? Why did you leave the house?”
“It was a mistake. I shouldn’t have. I’ll just go back home now.”
My words are rushed and I sound flustered, butI’mtoo anxious to care. I just want to leave and pretend this never happened. Return to my hideaway, far from prying eyes andjudgmentalstares.
Aidan quietly thanks Simone and her friends for staying with me.Simone rejoins her group, but not before giving me a reassuring grin.
Inodonce in her direction, showing thatI’mthankful, and watch as they walk past the velvet partitions with their tickets.
Aidanattemptsto snag my attention. “Theo. Talk to me.”
Without looking at him, I float toward a machine with a screen advertising a dozen ways to mix and match your drink choices.Why on earthwould someone want to mix so many flavors? It sounds like a bubbly nightmare.
The little tv on the drink machine starts singing a song, andit’stoo obnoxious.I move away to find silence, but on the other side of the room is a group of kids surrounding another machine with a giant claw. It yells“one more try!”and“you’ve almost got it!”eachtime someone takes a turn moving the handle.
Poor Aidan is following me around as I aimlessly try to find someplace thatisn’tan affront to my ears. “Is this what it’s like in the real world now?” Irant. “Constant racket?”
I hear Aidan chuckle behind me, though Idon’tknow how given my current proximity to chaos.
He lengthens his strides to keep up and stops ahead of me. “Let’s go upstairs. It’s quieter there.”
I follow himup a setofstairsnext to the bathrooms, and the further we go, the more the noise lessens. Wego downa hallwaypast projector rooms and janitorial supplies, then Aidan opens one of the doors to a small office.
“Is this where you work?”I ask, floating through the door before Aidan is able to open it fully.
“This is the manager’s office. I don’t work here; I just own the building.”
“Wheredoyou work?”
Aidan scratches the stubble on his cheeks, another side effect of his recent aging. “I spend a lot of time at the bar now. I employ about ten people, but I like being there. It keeps me busy.” He gives me a pointed look. “And from holing up in my house,like a hermit.”
