\u201cOh, for fuck\u2019s sake, Gabe! It\u2019s just a little blood.\u201d Mila shook her head as she popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou know I hate this shit.\u201d Gabe\u2019s voice came out mumbled thanks to his hands covering his face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWill you two stop bickering?\u201d I took another sip of wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy do we let Mila pick the movies? It\u2019s always this gory shit.\u201d Zoey asked while scrolling through her phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe all get our choices. It\u2019s how it\u2019s always been.\u201d I said as I grimaced at a particularly bloody part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A collective sigh resonated through the living room. I held back a laugh. For the past ten years, we\u2019d gathered once a month to watch a movie. Our collective started back when we were working at the local video store while in high school. We couldn\u2019t be more different if tried. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mila Sandoval, the horror fiend, went to Catholic school and fell in love with blood and guts when she read the bible. I never made that connection but then again, I\u2019d never read the bible. Mila was now a kindergarten teacher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Piper Olson was the romantic of the group. She went to the inner-city school and grew up in the trailer park outside of the city. I didn\u2019t know much about her home life but the police were called more than once to their house. I think her love of romance has been the dream she\u2019d always wanted. Piper currently worked as web developer on a dating site she refused to use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dylan Newman was the history buff and quietest of the group. In high school, he was tutored by scholars from all around the world. The only child of a high-powered financial magnate gave him a level of privilege that none of the rest of us understood. His bit of rebellion in high school was working at the movie store. He currently worked as a museum curator in New York\u2019s Natural History Museum. His love of history and unrequited crush on Piper has been a constant in our group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gabriel Cooper loved everything action. Did it blow up? Have car chases that ended in explosions? An alien race that blew up a planet? Then Gabe was all for it. He went to the prestigious fine arts high school. His singing and dancing skills were phenomenal. That\u2019s why he was a successful playwright and musical theatre genius. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zoey Allison was our resident science fiction nerd. Her love of anything space or paranormal related manifested in her acting like an excitable puppy. Zoey was the only one in our group who I\u2019d gone to high school with at the suburban high school. We ran in such different circles we didn\u2019t even realize we went to school together before working at 9th<\/sup> Street. When we all went out to the bar on trivia night, she was our secret weapon. Her ability to recall obscure facts was an asset we used on more than one occasion to get ourselves free drinks. Now, she was busting her ass as a waitress by day and a pediatric resident by night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lastly, I have always been the drama geek. In high school, I was involved in every play our school put on. I can\u2019t act worth a damn but I know where to put a spotlight and how to run lines with the players. I was the only one of us who didn\u2019t have a foreseeable career. I was getting my master\u2019s degree and a possible job opportunity but was busy second guessing every step I was taking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI propose we veto Mila\u2019s choices. I can\u2019t have this stress. My job is stressful enough.\u201d Gabe said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOk Mr. Hot Shot playwright.\u201d Mila stuck her tongue out at him then grinned. \u201cHow bout we make a bet?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabe pursed his lips. \u201cWhat kind of bet?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou create a gory horror musical about John Wayne Gacey and I will forfeit my horror selection.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cToo specific.\u201d Gabe shook his head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine any gory horror musical about any serial killer then.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlright. So, what happens if I lose?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI get your picks.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The group of us held our breath. Dealing with Mila\u2019s gore filled picks was ok once every six months. Dealing with it every three months was a different thing all together. A scream came from the television cutting through the tension. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFine.\u201d Gabe said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAwesome. You have to have it up and running before my next turn.\u201d Mila munched on a handful of popcorn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re on. I already have the idea shaping in my head.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is not going to be good for any of us.\u201d Zoey whispered to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNope. We\u2019re the poor suckers who have to deal with their twisted love\/hate relationship.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zoey snorted while drinking her red wine. She began choking and I smacked her on her back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t die. You\u2019re the only one here that knows all my secrets.\u201d I whispered to her but then said, \u201cOn second thought maybe it\u2019s best if we say goodbye. Nobody will ever know my secrets then.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Zoe smacked me as she finally dislodged the popcorn kernel that had been spot welded onto her uvula. She took a few deep breaths then grabbed my wine and downed every drop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks pal.\u201d She handed me back the glass of wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, how am I getting through this?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll bring the bottle over.\u201d Piper left her seat and escaped to the kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks, Pipe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n After Piper brought the wine back, Zoey, Piper and I continued to talk through the movie. Mila threw popcorn at us while Gabe was typing furiously on his phone. Finally, the movie came to it\u2019s gory conclusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of you suck. None of you watched it.\u201d Mila huffed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI did.\u201d Dylan said quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks, Dyl. You know maybe we shouldn\u2019t do these anymore. Maybe we\u2019re getting to old for these nights.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat?\u201d I screeched. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on, Sky. We\u2019re all busy with work and it\u2019s tough to find a day to get together.\u201d Mila sighed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt my heart slowly breaking. Our movie nights were the one night a month that I looked forward to. I didn\u2019t have anything else. My eyes began to fill with tears and I looked away from everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was just a suggestion. We don\u2019t have to make a decision this month. Next month Piper\u2019s up. I\u2019m sure it will be nauseatingly romantic.\u201d Mila teased. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Piper blushed. \u201cWe\u2019ll see. Maybe I will pick something totally different.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUh huh.\u201d Gabe and Mila said together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI gotta get going. I\u2019m going to visit my mom tomorrow.\u201d Zoey stood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI should go too.\u201d Dylan stood then looked at me. \u201cWill I see you Monday?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone\u2019s eyes shot to me. Fuck Dylan and his big mouth. I smiled. \u201cWe can grab lunch after my interview.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInterview? Why is this the first we are hearing about this? How does Dylan know and we don\u2019t?\u201d The questions shot at me from all directions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I held up my hand. \u201cFirst, I am need of an internship for my master\u2019s degree. Dylan pulled some strings to get me an interview. And like you said Mila, everyone is busy with their own lives now. I\u2019m the only one that is still aimless. I\u2019m hoping with this I\u2019ll finally have a path forward.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n The silence in the room was heavy. Gabe was the first to come over and give me a hug. The rest of them joined in with a huge group hug. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I can say for all of us that we know you got this. We\u2019re proud of you no matter what you do, Skylar.\u201d Gabe kissed my forehead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAww\u2026you guys are being disgustingly supportive.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n We all laughed then one by one we left Mila\u2019s apartment. I was the only one still taking the subway, so I placed my headphones on and drowned out the loneliness that I felt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n