Ch. 19 * Final Chapter *
Ingrid Bergman hadn't even appeared on screen yet, and I was already trying to hold in my tears. Usually my eyes stayed dry until Rick found Sam playing "As Time Goes By" on the piano for Ilsa. Thinking about her strength, I became determined not to act like an idiot. Ilsa would have never cried her way through an entire movie.
I wiped my eyes with my sweatshirt, sitting up straighter. Unbidden, My thoughts went to Brady. But instead of thinking about how are friendship ended, I focused on all the good times we had together.
A montage of Brady and I floated through my mind, and I smiled. First there was the memory of our first snowball fight. Then I remembered when he dressed up like Santa clause one year. And I laughed at the memory of Brady somersaulting down a mountain at a school trip. He just stood up after his tumble and bowed to a bunch of surprised skiers.
And then there was an image of us kissing. I could feel his warm lips on mine, his fingers in my hair. And when we danced together at homecoming, I felt like we were the only people on the planet. His arms held me close, and for a couple of long minutes, I'd forgotten that I was supposed to be in love with Michael.
What a joke, I thought. I was never in love with Michael. I wasn't even sure if I liked Michael. I'd just mistaken the need for true love. Now the idea that I had shed a tear over him was laughable.
I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice someone coming up beside me. No one else was sitting in my row, but I suddenly felt a person take a seat next to me. The hairs on my back stood up, and it felt like a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. Even before I turned I knew it was Brady.
"Did someone order popcorn?" he whispered.
I stared at him dumbly, my head spinning. It was almost as if I had thinking about him so intensely that he magically popped up. Now he was less than inches away, and even through the darkness, I could read the warmth in his eyes. I took in his uncombed hair, the shadow of his beard. He looks even worse than I do, I thought to myself, my pulse racing.
I couldn't speak, but then my brain started working. No, I can't do this I thought. He doesn't love me like that. So I stood up and walked into the lobby of the movie theater.
And of course he was right behind me. "Chloe, why'd you have to walk out like that?" he asked, with a little hurt in his voice. I couldn't stand it, I really wanted to try to get over him, even though my heart knew it was impossible.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? It was bad enough that I knew he didn't want me.
"Geez.. Chloe I'm sorry that I wanted to see a movie that you so coincidently were at. It's not like I was planning to see you here"
"Why'd you have to sit next to me?" I asked quietly, I couldn't take it anymore. Why must he insist on torturing me like this?
"Trust me Chlo, I wouldn't have if I thought you would act like this! Why are you acting like this? Why is it that all of a sudden you don't want to see me anymore? What happened? You know I thought friendship was a two-way street, you know you could've."
"I love you Brady.." I said softly, not being able to stand it anymore. I wasn't even sure if he heard me. Afraid of what would happen next, I turned away to leave.
"At least told me what's going on.. Wait! What did you just say? You can not say something like that and turn away." He said spinning me around.
"Look, I said I love you Brady, not 'as friends' I love you, but I am IN love with you, truly and deeply, and I can't stand not being able to tell you. And I know you don't feel the same, so I had to end our friendship before it got too weird." I said, trying not to let him see my tears. Then, he did something totally unexpected.
"Chloe Lane! Are you totally in Insane?" He yelled. I was not expecting that, maybe a laugh or something, but not that.
"Excuse me?" I said glaring up at him.
Then he roughly pulled me to him and fiercely kissed me on the lips. Now that was REALLY unexpected. At first I was so shocked I didn't know what was happening. But then, I started to respond, as our kiss softened, it was the best feeling in the world.
We broke apart breathing heavily. He looked at me and smiled. "What I meant Chloe Lane was that were you really insane enough to think I wasn't totally and hopelessly in love with you too?"
I smiled brightly and brought his lips to mine once again. As our kiss deepened, we heard applause behind us. It seems that the movie was over and the audience had just seen another amazing scene. A loud whistle came from the crowd and then we burst out laughing. We were lost in the absolute perfect ness of the moment.
We walked out into the street, smiling and giggling like fools. Fools in love, I thought.
Suddenly Brady stopped me and threw his arms around me. I hugged him back, squeezing him as tightly as I could.
"Hey, Chlo?" he said.
"What?" I brushed his hair away from his face.
"Do you have a date for winter ball?" he asked. "You see, there's a certain bet I have to win."
I pulled him closer, lightly kissing his cheek. I gave him a punch in the arm. "Don't you mean there's a certain bet that I need to win?" I said, looking into his eyes.
Brady's eyes grew serious, and placed he hands on the either side of my head. "I think we both won," He murmured softly.
Then he kissed me, and I'm not real clear on what happened next. All I remember is that the night ended with hot chocolate and a fireplace. You can probably guess the rest..
Ingrid Bergman hadn't even appeared on screen yet, and I was already trying to hold in my tears. Usually my eyes stayed dry until Rick found Sam playing "As Time Goes By" on the piano for Ilsa. Thinking about her strength, I became determined not to act like an idiot. Ilsa would have never cried her way through an entire movie.
I wiped my eyes with my sweatshirt, sitting up straighter. Unbidden, My thoughts went to Brady. But instead of thinking about how are friendship ended, I focused on all the good times we had together.
A montage of Brady and I floated through my mind, and I smiled. First there was the memory of our first snowball fight. Then I remembered when he dressed up like Santa clause one year. And I laughed at the memory of Brady somersaulting down a mountain at a school trip. He just stood up after his tumble and bowed to a bunch of surprised skiers.
And then there was an image of us kissing. I could feel his warm lips on mine, his fingers in my hair. And when we danced together at homecoming, I felt like we were the only people on the planet. His arms held me close, and for a couple of long minutes, I'd forgotten that I was supposed to be in love with Michael.
What a joke, I thought. I was never in love with Michael. I wasn't even sure if I liked Michael. I'd just mistaken the need for true love. Now the idea that I had shed a tear over him was laughable.
I was so lost in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice someone coming up beside me. No one else was sitting in my row, but I suddenly felt a person take a seat next to me. The hairs on my back stood up, and it felt like a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. Even before I turned I knew it was Brady.
"Did someone order popcorn?" he whispered.
I stared at him dumbly, my head spinning. It was almost as if I had thinking about him so intensely that he magically popped up. Now he was less than inches away, and even through the darkness, I could read the warmth in his eyes. I took in his uncombed hair, the shadow of his beard. He looks even worse than I do, I thought to myself, my pulse racing.
I couldn't speak, but then my brain started working. No, I can't do this I thought. He doesn't love me like that. So I stood up and walked into the lobby of the movie theater.
And of course he was right behind me. "Chloe, why'd you have to walk out like that?" he asked, with a little hurt in his voice. I couldn't stand it, I really wanted to try to get over him, even though my heart knew it was impossible.
"What are you doing here?" I hissed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? It was bad enough that I knew he didn't want me.
"Geez.. Chloe I'm sorry that I wanted to see a movie that you so coincidently were at. It's not like I was planning to see you here"
"Why'd you have to sit next to me?" I asked quietly, I couldn't take it anymore. Why must he insist on torturing me like this?
"Trust me Chlo, I wouldn't have if I thought you would act like this! Why are you acting like this? Why is it that all of a sudden you don't want to see me anymore? What happened? You know I thought friendship was a two-way street, you know you could've."
"I love you Brady.." I said softly, not being able to stand it anymore. I wasn't even sure if he heard me. Afraid of what would happen next, I turned away to leave.
"At least told me what's going on.. Wait! What did you just say? You can not say something like that and turn away." He said spinning me around.
"Look, I said I love you Brady, not 'as friends' I love you, but I am IN love with you, truly and deeply, and I can't stand not being able to tell you. And I know you don't feel the same, so I had to end our friendship before it got too weird." I said, trying not to let him see my tears. Then, he did something totally unexpected.
"Chloe Lane! Are you totally in Insane?" He yelled. I was not expecting that, maybe a laugh or something, but not that.
"Excuse me?" I said glaring up at him.
Then he roughly pulled me to him and fiercely kissed me on the lips. Now that was REALLY unexpected. At first I was so shocked I didn't know what was happening. But then, I started to respond, as our kiss softened, it was the best feeling in the world.
We broke apart breathing heavily. He looked at me and smiled. "What I meant Chloe Lane was that were you really insane enough to think I wasn't totally and hopelessly in love with you too?"
I smiled brightly and brought his lips to mine once again. As our kiss deepened, we heard applause behind us. It seems that the movie was over and the audience had just seen another amazing scene. A loud whistle came from the crowd and then we burst out laughing. We were lost in the absolute perfect ness of the moment.
We walked out into the street, smiling and giggling like fools. Fools in love, I thought.
Suddenly Brady stopped me and threw his arms around me. I hugged him back, squeezing him as tightly as I could.
"Hey, Chlo?" he said.
"What?" I brushed his hair away from his face.
"Do you have a date for winter ball?" he asked. "You see, there's a certain bet I have to win."
I pulled him closer, lightly kissing his cheek. I gave him a punch in the arm. "Don't you mean there's a certain bet that I need to win?" I said, looking into his eyes.
Brady's eyes grew serious, and placed he hands on the either side of my head. "I think we both won," He murmured softly.
Then he kissed me, and I'm not real clear on what happened next. All I remember is that the night ended with hot chocolate and a fireplace. You can probably guess the rest..