Momentum

Boyish.

"Extra butter. Like, put a bit of popcorn in, then drizzle some butter over it, then put some more popcorn in, then drizzle some butter over it, then put some more-"

"I got it, Kelly."

Pinoe turns around and opens the glass door of the popcorn machine, muttering something about needing to find a new job. She mechanically fulfills the defender's request before turning around and sliding the paper bag filled with combusted kernels across the counter.

"Thanks, Pinoe. Here's a tip."

Kelly reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handful of coins. She drops them on the counter, and the small peices of metal bounce several times upon colliding with the wooden surface. Pinoe shoots the defender a blank stare, and I step forward to intervene before she can lean over the counter and punch my heedless companion in the face.

"We should go find Christen and Alex." I turn my friend around and guide her away from the snack bar. "Before they start to wonder what's taking us so long."

The other members of our quartet have snagged the best seats in the house. They raise their hands to get our attention from the middle of the theater, and we hurry towards them with our various snacks in tow. A couple of vacant seats separate the two forwards, and Kelly and I fill them right before the lights on the ceiling begin to dim, signaling that the movie is about to start. I hand Alex the box of Skittles she requested, and she smiles before popping one of the candies in her mouth.

"Can I have one?"

I hold out my hand expectantly, but to my surprise, she holds up the Skittle as though she is going to put it in my mouth for me. My jaw drops, mostly out of shock, and she places the piece of candy on my tongue when it does. I manage to avoid embarrassment by closing my mouth before the Skittle can tumble off my bottom lip, but I inadvertently ruin any potential for the moment to be considered romantic by quickly looking back at the screen, my heart racing. I'm too scared to maintain eye contact with her when my expression reveals the kind of effect she has on me. I feel her staring at me for a few seconds after I look away, but then she stops when it becomes clear that I plan on keeping my eyes glued to the screen.

Why did she do that?

I can't think of an answer. What she just did certainly doesn't seem like something a friend would do for another friend; Kelly would probably slap me if I tried to feed her. The romantic and faintly sexual undertones of the gesture seem to contradict every assumption I possess about our relationship. Her feelings towards me have never been anything besides platonic, and I stopped hoping that would change a long time ago.

I used to think that Alex might be interested in girls, when we were in middle school and she would constantly reject the advances of hormonal boys. Other people shared my suspicions, especially because the two of us were so close and practically the entire class knew that I had a crush on her. It wasn't until she went to winter formal with the son of one of her father's colleagues freshman year that the entire class, including myself, began to realize that she wasn't hiding in in the closet. As I watched them slow dance on the floor of the gym that night, I was forced to accept that the girl of my dreams wasn't capable of feeling the same way about me.

It didn't mean anything, Heath.

I swallow the Skittle and try to focus on the movie, but when Alex grabs my arm and puts her face against my shoulder during a particularly chilling scene, my mind begins to drift towards how nice her hair smells and how warm her breath feels against my skin. The nature of my own thoughts compels me to stand up before I do something that could be considered inappropriate.

"I'm gonna head to the restroom. Be right back."

My best friend sits up, concerned. "Is everything alright?"