I hated the color of my eyes. Green reminded me of peas or baby shit. I’d much rather have blue, or even hazel, or a light, warm amber.
Kyle spoke to Michelle, “Everything come out alright, babe?” A smile grew on his face; it was a question I’d heard him ask her on multiple occasions when they were hanging out together in the house, a question of habit every time she came back from the bathroom, as if she had left to take a dump.
“Please tell me I don’t have to ask you that,” Calum spoke beside me, giving me a half smile.
I shook my head. “I’d rather you didn’t, actually.” Just like in the bathroom, I forced out a grin, trying to do what I’d told my sister I would: try harder. Be better. If this date was a disaster fest, it would not be because of me. It would be because of Calum and the fact that he would rather look at any other girl but me.
It was probably the hair. Most guys didn’t dig the bright pink hair, which meant they never approached me to begin with.
Unlike Mason, but he was weird. I still didn’t know what was up with him.
“Good,” Calum whispered, shooting a glance at his brother. “Because my brother’s weird for asking that.”
That was actually something he and I could agree on.
“So,” Kyle checked his phone. The waitress had picked up our plates while we were away and left the check. I had no idea who was paying, but Michelle insisted on the way here the guys would handle it. I hated knowing they were paying for me, but then again, all I’d gotten was a small side salad and a drink. Nothing too fancy. “What movie did we decide on? I don’t remember.”
When Michelle told Kyle what movie we were seeing, and what time it started, Calum’s eyes were once again on me. “Did you pick it?” Some romantic comedy starring leads who were much better suited for other genres.
Did I pick a movie like that? God, no.
If I had a say, we would’ve seen whatever Disney remake was out. I was a big Disney fan, grew up loving the princesses. I could probably quote The Lion King word for word.
“No,” I said. “Michelle did.”
“Great,” he muttered, frowning slightly. I found the expression to only add to his handsomeness, strangely, as if the frown fit perfectly on his chiseled face. He was handsome, to say the least. Any straight woman with eyes would admit it. I supposed I should be thankful that he was even humoring this double date; I could never nab someone like him on my own. “Now we all get to be tortured for the next two hours.”
I never wanted to nab someone like him, anyways. The cute ones were nothing but trouble. Even if, say, I held one’s attention for a little while, who’s to say he wouldn’t get bored of me and move on once he got what he wanted? Stupid as it was, that’s how my mind worked. After all, there were so many more beautiful women out there than me.
Calum should be with a pretty, outgoing, confident woman. Not me. Never me.
Kyle and Calum bickered about who would pay; Calum eventually won out, saying he had a better job or some other bullshit that didn’t really matter. We left the restaurant soon after that, heading toward our cars. Michelle had parked beside Calum’s car, and the four of us gathered around behind them.
Kyle stood near Michelle, holding onto her hand as the early night breeze blew between us. There were at least two feet between Calum and I, and I tried to ignore the chill that swept up my spine as I glanced upward at the rising moon. Night had fallen sometime during dinner, and I knew the night would only grow darker as we sat in the movie theater.
“Why doesn’t Kyle ride with me?” Michelle asked, her azure stare landing on me, as if questioning if I would be all right in a vehicle, all alone with Calum. When I said nothing, she spoke to Calum, “You know where the theater is?”
“Of course I do,” he scoffed. “I grew up here, you know. I know where everything in this town is.”
Michelle cocked her head, once again staring at me, as if daring me to object. “Go on. We’ll follow you there, then.” A smile grew on her face, and unlike mine, it was a genuine smile, a grin through and through. She had me, and she knew it.
If I was going to try harder on this date, I couldn’t fight against being in a car alone with him.
I knew what she was thinking, too. Maybe, if I was alone with him, my walls would crumble down and he and I would bond like we were unable to in the restaurant. I knew Calum wasn’t into me like that, so I knew that wouldn’t happen. Odds were this car ride would be the most terrible, awkward ride of my life, but at this point, it was what it was and there was no changing it. Best get it over with now, right?
I said nothing as I went around the car, to the passenger’s side. Calum unlocked doors, and we got in. He started up the car and had it backed out of the spot before I even had my seatbelt on. It would
