1
Diane hadn’t taken much notice of them, but Glenda, her best friend had. She always did when it came to men. Three guys were sitting right in front of them near the back of the cinema. It might have been dark, and she could only see the back of their heads, but Glenda still insisted they were gorgeous. Diane smiled. She knew why Glenda was best friends with her - because she was pretty and Glenda wasn’t, and when the guys who fancied Diane didn’t get what they wanted, she was always there ready to pick up the crumbs.
But Diane didn’t care about that. Glenda was fun to be with, and made her laugh. Like now as they munched away from a big bag of popcorn, bits of which Glenda then began to flick over the guys’ heads. One bit even landed in the middle lad’s hair. And neither of them could stop giggling over it. The lad brushed it off with his hand. Glenda threw another that landed on his shoulder. More high pitched screeches from the girls. The content of the film became academic. Diane couldn’t understand why they’d gone in the first place, in that case. But then again, maybe she did.
The guy in the middle turned round just as Diane was about to throw a bit of popcorn herself. Only instead she quickly popped it into her mouth, but then along with Glenda couldn’t stop smirking.
He stared at them for a couple of seconds, shook his head, but in the dark, Diane couldn’t tell whether he was laughing or angry. Which just made Glenda worse. She egged Diane on to snigger even louder. When the guy turned round again, Diane and Glenda tittered even more helplessly. He seemed to look straight at them again, his face in shadow because of the light on the screen behind him. They just shrugged their shoulders. Glenda bobbed her tongue out at him, and pulled a funny face. Diane was hysterical.
‘Hey - what you gawping at? You nosy sod,’ Glenda remarked noisily, waving her arms about.
Diane put her hand in front of her face to stop herself from laughing. Sometimes she wished she could be more like her friend. Glenda had certainly opened Diane’s eyes, had introduced her to lots of lads, a few of whom she’d later dated. Shame she hadn’t liked any of them in the end.
When the lights came on, and everyone started to file out, Diane noticed the guys were right behind her. Instinctively, she glanced back at the nearest guy. Her heart fluttered when he smiled at her – because he gorgeous. Jet black wavy hair almost to his shoulders, grey-blue eyes that almost smiled back at her. She liked his freckles and thin small nose that was slightly turned up. Very tall and slim, he looked to be in his early twenties, Diane thought. About the same age as her.
‘So what were you staring at us for?’ Glenda said.
His eyes darted to Glenda for a split second, before returning to gaze at Diane. ‘No reason, really. Except... that your friend here is really very pretty, even if she did throw popcorn all over us. And my God - what a laugh! She sounds like a bloody hyena!’
Diane’s eyes looked downwards. She turned away from him, feeling her face suddenly redden, as always in this sort of situation.
‘Now look what you’ve gone and done, you’ve made her blush,’ Glenda grinned, seeming highly delighted by Diane’s embarrassment, but also perhaps a tiny bit jealous.
Diane smirked, more quietly this time, another sign of her nervousness.
‘Hey - don’t you ever stop laughing?’ he said with a wide grin on his face.
Diane shook her head, but couldn’t look directly at him.
‘You girls fancy a KFC? We’re buying, if you’re hungry,’ one of the other guys suggested when they got outside.
‘Go on then – that OK with you Diane?’ Glenda said winking at her.
‘I suppose,’ Diane mumbled.
