Let’s Go to the Movies!
When we got home, Mom surprised me and gave me and Georgia twenty dollars to go to the movies. That was enough for food too. The only catch—obviously—was that I had to bring Georgia. I guess Mom needed some Mom Time.
“Hey, it’s my twenty dollars too!” Georgia said when I wouldn’t let her pick the movie (like I was going to sit through two hours of whatever lame movie she’d want to see) or the snacks (Twizzlers and popcorn, extra butter).
Then, when we walked into the theater, I noticed the last person I wanted to see when I was at the movies with my sister: Jeanne Galletta. I recognized the back of her head. And her laugh too, which sounds kind of like sunshine, I guess. I mean, if sunshine had a sound.
But then I figured out why she was laughing. She was sitting next to some guy, and they were sharing an extra-large popcorn and soda between them.
“Hey, it’s Jeanne!” Georgia said, but I pulled her right into the back row before she could yell out and embarrass me.
“Shhh! She’ll hear you. Who’s that kid with her?” I said, trying to hide behind my Twizzlers.
“You know him,” Georgia said. “That’s Jared McCall.”
“That’s Jared McCall?”
The last time I’d seen Jared, he was shorter than me. Now he was someone you wouldn’t even want to sit behind at the movies.
“Jeanne’s so lucky,” Georgia sighed. “He’s supercute. And he plays lacrosse. And sings with a boy band at school—Jared and the Jaguars.”
“Is that all?” I muttered. “He’s not that great.”
“Yeah, and you’re not that jealous.”
“Whatever,” I said. “Have some more popcorn.”
“You know, if you want Jeanne to like you, you’re going to have to talk to her sometime. You get that, right?” Georgia said.
“Are you serious?”
“Of course I’m serious,” she said. “You should just—”
“No, I mean, do you seriously think I’d take any advice from you about girls?” Then I gave her the whole thing of popcorn to hold, so she wouldn’t talk anymore. But even that backfired. In about a minute, Georgia got up and handed it back to me.
“Take this,” she said.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I’m going to ask Jeanne for a sip of her soda.”
“No!” I said.
“I have to. That popcorn’s making me super-thirsty,” she said. “And besides, you’re funny when you’re worried about girls.”
Before I could grab her and pull her back, Georgia was walking down the aisle. And then she was talking to Jeanne. And to stupid, perfect Whatshisname. And then—even worse—all three of them turned around and looked right at me.
“Hey,” I said, feeling totally stupid. Not because I’d done anything dumb, but because I probably would, any second now.
“Do you want to come down here and sit with us?” Jeanne offered.
No, that’s not really what I said.
“I’m good,” I said. “I think I, uh… need glasses or something. I can see better from back here.”
And there it was—dumb-dah-dumb-dumb-dummmmmb!
Now even Georgia was looking at me like I was insane. “Suit yourself,” she said, and plopped down next to Jeanne.
And that’s when I realized that maybe Georgia wasn’t just torturing me. Maybe she was also trying to help at the same time. But I’d just blown that opportunity, hadn’t I? Way to go, Khatchadorian!
And I was starting to think maybe surviving out there in the wild was going to be the easy part. At least if I drowned I wouldn’t have to watch The Jeanne and Jared Show.