RYAN
Now that was her cartoon laugh
“Okay, important question…salty or sweet?” I stare at Maddy, waiting for her to answer.
“Definitely salt,” she answers flatly.
I tilt my head. “I’m disappointed in you. Sweet is always better.”
“Absolutely not.”
I shake my head in disapproval and nudge her shoulder. “Well, maybe it says a lot about our personalities.”
Her jaw drops and she hits my chest lightly. I just laugh under my breath. “Well, a mix it is then.”
We walk over to the cashier standing behind the bar with a red cap and shirt that says Baylin Cinema.
I can tell Maddy’s trying to act like everything’s fine, like she’s not worried at all, but I know she’s got a hundred things running through her head.
At the café, she was way too quiet, not like her at all.
The song helped for a bit, but the second we went back to cleaning, that little frown between her brows was right back.
So I went to Kiara to tell I was a little worried, she agreed and immediately went over to her.
And honestly, Liam’s idea about the movies wasn’t the worst. Not that I’m a big fan of going to the movies, they’re probably the most cliché date spot ever, but if it gets her out of her head for a while, I’ll like it a lot better.
We order a large mixed popcorn in one of those red-and-white striped tubs and two drinks. The girl behind the counter smiles politely. “Was that all?”
“Yeah,” I say at the same time Maddy says, “Yep.”
We both pause and look at each other.
“…Actually,” Maddy says.
Two minutes later, we’re walking toward the theatre with popcorn, chocolate M&M’s, and enough sour candy to rot a small village’s teeth. Our arms are full as we head for the room where our movie’s about to start.
Maddy walks in front of me, her blonde ponytail swinging from left to right, her knitted sweater hanging just above her linen shorts.
“Okay,” she begins, turning her head slightly so I catch her side profile. “I just realized that we decided who you would be if you were an animal.”
I nod. “...Yes.”
“...But we never decided who I would be if I was an animal.”
I huff a quiet breath. There she is.
“For sure a bunny,” I answer.
She turns around immediately, eyebrows raised, now walking backwards. “You did not just call me a bunny.”
“Okay, fine,” I amend, “a cartoon bunny.”
“Why cartoon?”
“Because your laugh sounds like one.”
She gasps. “Rude. First of all, and second of all, do you actually think I’d be a bunny?”
“Absolutely, no doubt.”
“Why?” she asks, still walking backwards, arms packed with snacks.
“Well, they’re energetic, jumpy, small—”
“I’m not small.”
“—and clumsy.”
She scuffs. “I am not clum—”
She walks straight into someone’s shoulder. “Oh, sorry,” she blurts, stepping back with a polite smile.
I bite the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh, but she catches me and immediately looks away. “Do not laugh.”
“I’m not,” I say, even though I’m barely holding it together.
She shakes her head, already moving on like she can erase it if she’s quick enough. “I’m gonna pretend that never happened.”
“Smart choice,” I mutter, watching her for a second. The frown from earlier isn’t there anymore. And I feel something in my chest loosen.
About half an hour in, the movie has already burned through at least one massive fight scene, explosions, chasing car scenes and other dramatic shit.
Maddy leans forward at one point, elbow on the armrest, completely invested in whatever chaos is happening on screen.
I glance over at her without really thinking about it.
She’s laughing at something on screen, head tilted slightly, eyes squinting in the way they always do when she actually finds something funny.
She looks like she’s having a lot less thoughts running through her head now. Liam’s idea was successful.
A character throws out a one-liner that’s a real classic Dad joke and Maddy snorts loudly—like really loudly. A full, sharp, unmistakable snort that cuts right through the entire theatre.
Now that was her cartoon laugh.
She freezes, then immediately slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide like she didn't even register it happening. Around us, a couple of heads turn and I have to press my lips together to fight myself from breaking out into laughter.
She leans closer, lowering her voice to a whisper. “Do you think they heard me?”
I glance around. Two people are definitely looking, and one guy pretends very hard not to be.
“Nah,” I whisper back, straight-faced. “You’re good.”
She exhales slowly, still suspicious and I can’t help but laugh under my breath.
The movie keeps rolling, more explosions, more dramatic slow-motion running, and we keep eating. There are exactly three pieces of popcorn left and Maddy notices at the same time I do.
“I want the last one,” she whispers.
I tilt the bucket toward myself, even though I don’t really want the last one, but I am dying to get our banter back. “Absolutely not.”
“You’ve had way more than me.”
“Bullshit,” I whisper back. “You annihilated the M&M’s like a fucking vacuum.”
She reaches in, but I block her hand with the popcorn bucket. She gasps, offended. “Wow. Okay. So this is war.”
I tip the bucket back toward me. “Should’ve been faster.”
But she manages to steal one anyway and pops it into her mouth, smiling in pure victory. There is the real Maddy I know.
I lean back slightly. “Oh—wait. I got something for you.” I pretend to reach into my pocket but lift my hand and flip her off.
“You just can’t deal with me winning.”
I laugh and the empty soda cup slips from my armrest, clattering lightly against the floor. It’s not loud, but in a silent theatre, it might as well be a gunshot. The elderly man in front of us turns around slowly, eyes narrowed.
“I’m—sorry sir,” I whisper immediately, frozen.
He stares at me for a beat, then turns back around with a dramatic sigh, probably thinking that young generation sucks.
Maddy clamps a hand over her mouth again, her shoulders shaking as she tries to hold it in.
I stare straight ahead, jaw tight, doing my best not to react, until her knee bumps into mine and we both lose it.
We’re trying not to make a sound, which obviously makes it worse.
The more we try to stay quiet, the harder it gets, both of us barely holding it together.
About fifteen minutes later, Maddy leans a little closer.
“Do you actually get the plot?” she whispers.
I glance at her. “Thank you. I thought I was the only one.”
She huffs quietly. “Nope. Definitely not.”
For a second, we sit there, watching the screen like we’re trying to figure it out anyway. Then she leans back slightly, her voice softer this time. “They were right,” she murmurs. “It was a good distraction.”
I look at her. “Good.”
She turns her head just enough to look at me too. “Thank you. For coming with me.”
“Of course.” I stare into her eyes, and break the moment. “Would’ve also been a little weird if your boyfriend lets you go to the movies alone right?”
She blinks, leaning back. “Yeah, that would be weird.” She immediately turns back to the movie, taking the last sip of her drink.
She’s not disappointed, is she? Although I have to say, besides that it would've been shady if I didn’t go with her, I’m actually just enjoying this.
Not just seeing the Maddy I know coming back, but sitting here with her, laughing like idiots, not really caring about anything else for a while. And even though I know people around us are probably looking, I’m not really thinking about whether we look convincing or not.