Chapter 8: A Cold Chill in the Summer.
Amu POV
I slipped on my scoop neck dress with thin vertical stripes and tied the thick black sash into a bow around my waist. The casual dress stopped just before my knees. I paired it with a pair of black boots that had black ribbons snaking around them that tied in a bow in back, giving them a ballerina look. The boots were knee high so only my knees and my arms up to where the short sleeves of my dress stopped were bare. I wore a couple of black bracelets and brought the top half of my hair back with some bobby pins. I brushed my teeth and packed my wallet, phone and a few other essentials in a small black purse I was planning on bringing.
"Nagi should be here soon, it is almost exactly 2 after all." I laughed. It sounded a little shaky; I was going to have to work on that before he got here.
I had told my parents I was leaving ahead of time today so when the doorbell rang at exactly 2 o'clock I was ready to leave. I answered the door to see a sanguine Nagi wearing an unbuttoned charcoal long sleeved cardigan with a white dress shirt underneath with black jeans and shoes.
"Don't you look nice today Amu-chan, that outfit is lovely." He commented with a sincere smile.
"Oh, th-this? Y-you really think so? Well, um, thanks."I said flustered. Oh no, I hoped I wasn't trying too hard. I just thought I might as well look nice if this was a real date. The way he presented himself made his apparel seem less casual than mine anyways.
"Let us go, for the theater awaits us my dear." He chuckled and turned to the side like he was going to walk away. He suggestively motioned his arm that was currently positioned in a right angle towards me. I lowered my head a little and my cheeks rose in temperature while I put my arm around his.
"Are you really going to make me walk like this the entire way there? It isn't the early 1900's anymore." I giggled after a few blocks of walking with our arms locked. I was beginning to relax and I was able to think more clearly now. I could see people staring at us.
"Oh come on, you've got to love those stares." he laughed. I laughed along with him; the people's puzzled expressions did look pretty funny.
"Two tickets for the 2:30 showing please." stated Nagi to the man at the ticket booth. The man looked at him apathetically and handed him the tickets.
"Nagi! You didn't have to pay for my ticket, I brought money! And I asked you to come so you shouldn't pay!" I shouted frantically while we walked towards the theater entrance.
"Well I can't just let my date pay for her ticket, that wouldn't be right. Here you go." he responded and handed me my ticket with a smirk on his face. I sighed and took it reluctantly.
"Thanks." I muttered.
It seemed that neither of us really wanted anything from the concession stand so we passed it and made our way to a teenage girl standing at a podium in the middle of the hallway leading to the theaters.
"May I see your tickets please?" she asked politely. We both gave her our perforated tickets and she ripped them in half and returned the stubs.
"Theater 6 will be on your right. Have fun you two." She told us and winked. I was a little embarrassed because of her comment, but it didn't even faze him. He just kept walking towards our theater with me tagging along.
The theater was relatively empty today, which was nice because it gave us a good selection of seats. We chose the middle of one of the back rows and waited for the movie to start. The girl's harmless comment was getting to me, I felt uneasy because I didn't know if this was a date or not so I really wasn't sure what would happen. I couldn't even say what movies the previews were about.
"I wonder if that new action movie will be good, the special effects looked pretty high quality, but I dunno…" he thought aloud. He was tapping his chin with his forefinger and pensively staring at the screen. "What do you think?" he asked turning to me now and patiently waiting for an answer. It was unreal how oblivious he acted about us being alone together in the dark theater. I guess this really wasn't a date after all, but at least we're spending time together again.
"I think the plot sounds pretty interesting." I lied. I hadn't caught what it was about, I was too worried about what this all meant, but I guess now it didn't matter anymore. I felt some relief with a touch of disappointment.
Just then the movie began. From my peripheral I could see his eyes intently studying the screen again. They stayed fixed there for the entire movie, unlike mine that would occasionally take quick glances over at the amethyst haired statue that sat in my neighboring seat. The movie was pretty good, but I didn't know if it was good enough to receive my undivided attention like that if I hadn't been watching Nagi. We got up from our seats and headed for the food court for some dinner. We both agreed on Panda Express and again he paid for me.
"Why are you doing this to me again? I brought money for a reason you know." I told him.
"As did I." he responded with that cheeky grin of his. "How about I let you pick a table?"
I glared at him and stuck out my tongue and it made him laugh. He set down our tray of food that he insisted on carrying and we took our seats at a small table for two.
"A lake or the beach?" he inquired.
"The beach"
"Snow or rain?"
"Mmm, snow."
After discussing the movies for a bit he kept firing simple questions at me and I would sometimes ask a few of my own during our meal. When we finished our Panda bowls he cleared our tray and set it on top of the trashcan. Upon returning he asked me what we should do next.
"Well to be honest I'm not really up for exploring the mall anymore." I admitted sheepishly.
"Well to be honest neither was I." He smiled and we both chuckled softly. "Do you want to walk around a little outside of the mall before we head home? Its only 5:30 after all."
"That'd be great." I assured him.
We had done some walking around the area and something felt strange. He told me stories about times he visited the different shops we passed by and I listened closely, but in the back of my mind something felt off. I was walking by his side like usual, but it felt unusually cold for this time of year. I crossed my uncovered arms in an attempt to stay warm and the action made me realize what was different. My hands were empty. I stared at them for a few seconds, but then rested them at my sides before he could notice. I was sure that I stayed a step behind him so he couldn't see my face. I had gotten my hopes up it seems, silly me.
"Look Amu-chan, isn't it beautiful? And the sun being so low in the sky is making the water shimmer." he stated happily. He had led me to a small garden surrounded by a vast array of different trees and flowers of all colors. There were cobblestone paths that lead to an oval shaped koi pond that was separated into two levels by a small wooden bridge. You could hear the water flowing over rocks between the higher pond and the slightly lower one beneath it. From our place on the bridge we could see the whiskered fish swimming gracefully in the clear water. I was mesmerized by their continuous slow circling through the pond. They looked like they were dancing.
"Pretty, aren't they? I used to come here all the time when I could get away from my dancing practice for a little while. They gave me inspiration." he said nostalgically.
"Mmm." I mumbled as I too observed the gilled creatures. I could feel my mood lightening.
"There was a reason I brought you here Amu-chan. I wanted to ask you something. And don't worry, it's nothing bad this time, I promise." he said as he looked over at me. There was a smile on his face and in his voice, and his honey eyes gleamed with kindness. His intense stare made my heart pound, and I could feel heat rising in my cheeks. What could he possibly ask me with a face like that?
Who doesn't go see psychological thrillers on possible movie dates nowadays? Yeah, I hope this chapter isn't bad, I feel like it is for some reason. Well at least it ends with an exciting cliffhanger. You can probably tell what's coming next and if you can't I guess you will just have to wait and see. Koi are like the coolest fish ever. And I'm not a fashion designer, their clothing is what it is, haha.