Clay Jensen was driving (finally) to the Crestmont Theater, a place he had been to so many times before. Painful memories still lingered there, though he had finally begun to overcome his grief, and he could return to the place that reminded him so much of Hannah Baker.

He looked over at the seat next to him. Skye Miller had only just come back into his life, taking an ever more important role. At the moment, she was a very close friend going to see a new movie with him.

She noticed him looking at her, and he looked away quickly, feeling his heart beating faster. He couldn't help it: she was prettier tonight than he had ever remembered seeing her. He had always thought of her as a friend, but recently, he began to look at her in a romantic light, something his friend Tony Padilla had taken a little too much joy in hearing. "You sly dog, you've got a crush on your childhood friend," Tony had said once he put the pieces together.

"Yeah, yeah, you did too."

Clay smiled at the thought of Tony's shocked face when he hit the nail on the head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Skye looking at him intently, as though she was studying his face. He blushed, keeping his gaze on the road. After a few minutes of awkward silence, they finally arrived at the theater, getting out.

Clay took a deep breath. It had been a while. He gave up the job shortly after Hannah's death. "You okay?" Skye asked him.

"Yeah. Let's go inside."

Skye Miller was riding in the passenger seat of Clay Jensen's car. How weird it was to be in a car, alone, with her old childhood friend. "Time passes on, I guess," she thought.

She had to admit, as much as Clay had gone through thanks to Hannah, there was a lot about him that was the same as when he was her friend in middle school and junior high. He was nerdy, he was shy, but most of all, he was insufferably cute.

What's more, he was impervious to any and all advances she made on him. She was beginning to think that she'd have to just outright ask him to be her boyfriend herself. "At least we're going to a movie. That's a boyfriend/girlfriend thing, right?" she had asked Tony.

"I know he can't take a hint, but that question screams of desperation."

"Oh screw you."

She was lost in thought when she noticed that he was staring at her. She looked back at him, and he looked away quickly. She rubbed her arms, becoming very self-conscious of her scars. When she had cut herself, she had been so full of self-hatred, she didn't care how she would carry the scars. Now they were ugly blemishes on what could have been nice, smooth skin. And being right next to her very in the know crush made it all the more embarrassing.

She looked back at him, noticing that he had a big grin on his face. What was he grinning about? Was it her? Was he smiling because he was thinking about her? She saw him look over at her, noticing she was staring at him. He blushed, looking away. Her heart started beating faster.

After sitting together silently with romantic tension hovering between them, they arrived at the theater. Getting out, she saw him take a deep breath, as though he were preparing himself.

"For what…?" Her thoughts died in her head. She looked at the theater. She realized that Clay had worked here with Hannah. She felt bad for not realizing how big of a deal it was that he invited her here.

"You okay?" she asked, trying to hide the gentle concern.

"Yeah," he replied, his words sounding disembodied, as though he wasn't actually saying it.

They walked in together in silence, though their hands never met.

Clay was uneasy when he walked through his old workplace, but once the movie started, his mind was taken off of Hannah, and he opened up. He was so excited to see Guardians Vol. 2, he could barely suppress his mirth. Chris Pratt was a great fit for Starlord, and the portrayal of Drax was hilarious. Also, I am Groot.

His excitement was unabated as they left the theater. Skye seemed to enjoy herself too. "I really enjoy Nebula. She had it hard, and she went through hell, but I think despite her faults, she such a good character. Yondu too."

"I agree. That was a much, much better portrayal of both of them than in the comics."

They talked all the way back to her house, and then sat in the car for another thirty minutes, just talking about nerdy things. Finally, with the conversation winding down, Clay said, "Well, that was nice. We should definitely see more movies together."

"Yeah, definitely," she echoed.

A silence fell between them, and Clay's heart began to race as he realized that they were staring into each other's' eyes. He felt his cheeks get warm. Finally he broke the gaze, and, looking at his clock, realized it was 11:45.

"Crud, I have to get home, or my parents will freak."

"Oh…"

"This was nice. Thank you."

"... Clay…"

"Hmm?"

"...Oh, nevermind… this was a great night. Thank you."

Skye got out of the car, turned, and smiled, and waved. Clay drove off as she started to turn. It really was a great night.

Skye watched Clay for half of the movie. Once it got going, he came out of his slump and really started enjoying himself. She watched as the emotions lit up on his face, shifting back and forth as the movie progressed.

It reminded her of before high school. Clay was such an animated person back then. Then, during their freshmen and half of their sophomore year, Clay stopped showing all those emotions. She didn't realize it at the time, but she recognized the bullying, being called a faggot and having the jocks pick on him, really messed with him. She felt bad that she hadn't realized how he was feeling, but she had felt abandoned and bullied at that time too. Hell, she still felt it, her scars were evidence enough, though she didn't blame Clay anymore.

As the movie progressed, Skye took greater interest in the story. She did want to see this movie for herself. It's not like she was dragged to the movies by her boyfrie…

"Projecting much?" she thought to herself.

Returning from her thoughts to the movie, she found herself mesmerized by the plot. Finally, the movie came to its end, they stayed through the credits to see the teaser for the next Guardians. Finally, with a bated breath, they excitedly talked about the movie, making their way back to his car.

They talked and talked about nerdy things, and Skye found her heart beating just a bit faster as she felt a connection with Clay that she hadn't felt since the last year of junior high. She was mesmerized by his ecstatic expressions, his joy and his passion.

Finally, after sitting in the driveway of her house for who knows how long, the conversation began to wind down. "Well, that was nice. We should definitely see more movies together."

"Yeah, definitely," she echoed. She would like that very much.

A silence fell between them, and Skye's heart raced as she looked into his eyes. "Oh, shit, here we go, it's happening. It's happening!" she screamed to herself in her thoughts. She was so ready for this, so ready for them. 3-4 years ready.

He started blushing, and she noticed his breath getting heavier. Then, as though a switch flipped, he looked down at his phone, saying, "Crud, I have to get home, or my parents will freak."

"Oh…" she sighed, disappointed.

"This was nice. Thank you."

"... Clay…" she asked him, daring herself to do it.

"Hmm?"

She chickened out, "...Oh, nevermind… this was a great night. Thank you."

She got out of the car glumly, then turned and put on a nice face for Clay, waving. As he drove off, she cursed herself, "Chickenshit, that's what that was. Damnit, why didn't he kiss me? Why didn't I kiss him? Gah!"

Moping, she walked back inside. Going to her room, she looked down at her phone, seeing that Tony had texted her, "What's up?"

"Not much, just got home from the theater."

"How was your date?"

"Ugh, I wouldn't call it that."

"What happened?"

"Mr. Socially Awkward and I stared each other down in silence after we talked for an hour straight, and neither of us bucked up enough courage to kiss the other."

"You know you are gonna have to be the one to make the first move, right?"

"Yeah, I guess I was just hoping he would do it first, because I can't tell if he wants me as a friend or something more."

"Oh, he wants you as something more."

"Really? How do you know?"

"I'm texting him too."

There was something stereotypical about the situation that made Skye grin, but she returned to the matter at hand.

"What did he say?"

"He is gushing like a fountain, saying he had one of the best nights of his life."

Skye paused, rereading the text over again. "I'm gonna have to be the one that initiates it then," she thought to herself.

Texting Tony back, she said, "Well, could you imply that I like him?"

"Why don't you just tell him that?"

"I dunno, he's my crush. I'd feel weird."

"No, you're afraid of rejection. He won't say no, you know that now."

"Ugh, fine. I'll do it. Not over text though. In person."

"Good, I hope it goes well. You two could use a win."

"Thanks."

Skye took a deep breath and exhaled, steeling herself. She thought about Clay, how much she wanted him. How much she'd always wanted him. Now she finally felt like she was ready to do it, to ask him out.

Her phone buzzed, another text from Tony, "Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"Alex Standall died from his gunshot wound."