Books

"Would you like your popcorn sweet or salty, Sir?" Warren shifted from one foot to the other. "Um, no popcorn, thanks." The guy behind the counter nodded, the corners of his mouth curling into a pitiful smile. "Would you like something else instead?" Warren shook his head and turned around before the worker could show any signs of reaction. Warren was perfectly aware of the stupidity of waiting in line for nothing. But what else was he supposed to do? The movie would not start for another 15 minutes. He began thinking to himself, whether he shouldn’t have come here all along. After all, who goes to the cinema on their own? But then again, maybe it was for the better. Maybe it would be nice, to spend some time in solitude. "Two tickets for Unwanted, please." Wait. He knew this voice. Familiarity struck him, causing his head to turn towards the counter. "It’s okay babe, I won’t let you pay for me." He spotted two silhouettes. Although their back turned, he could tell from miles away it was Beth’s caramel curls. It was Beth’s green cardigan, her black boots. Her sultry voice. And some stranger’s arm wrapped around her waist.

Warren felt a sharp sting in his chest, all the way up to his eyes. All the way down to his feet. He let his vision sink to his white sneakers, until the giggles disappeared in the distance. "Hey, kid," a low voice whispered, "you okay?" Warren’s eyes shot up to the caretaker standing before him. "Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. And I'm 20, by the way." The caretaker let out a husky laugh. "Are you here to see Unwanted?" Warren nodded. "It’s a great film. Though pretty sad." "I just came for the soundtrack to be honest." The caretaker chuckled again. "Fair enough. You know, you could go in already, the auditorium is opened." This guy thinks I'm stupid, Warren thought. But then again, he’s probably trying to be kind. "Thank you, um…" "Bill." He pointed to his name tag. "Right, sorry. Bill." He nodded and went back to sweeping.

"Excuse me, could we maybe switch places?" The woman eyed Warren with raised eyebrows. "Why, where's your seat?" "It's two rows behind this one. I figured everybody prefers sitting farther away from the screen." Her eyes twinkled. "That's incredibly kind of you dear, but why wouldn't you want to take the better seat?" "I ... just saw my ex here, and I don't really want to watch her on her date." That was a lie. But it wasn't so far from the truth, so let's just call it a white lie. The truth was that Beth and Warren were never together. And the way things progressed just now, they never would be. "Aw, that's unfortunate dear, of course we can switch," she said while standing up. "Thank you so much. Enjoy the movie."

"All I ever wanted was to be wanted. Is that so much to ask?"

However much he tried, he just couldn't enjoy the movie. His thoughts were preoccupied with the couple sitting behind him, even though he couldn't see them. How come she didn't even notice him? How much longer would he have to wait for her, if he has been waiting for her his entire lifetime? Or, how long would he have to wait for her to become what he needed? Beth was everything. She was the concrete he walked on every day. She was the birds' singing early in the morning when Warren walked to work. She was the friend, the listener, he never had before. But, there was one thing she never was. He swallowed as he glanced up to the screen, which read The End.