# Catching Butterflies Chapter 7

~Catching Butterflies: Chapter Seven~
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The trip down to the hospital's walk-in clinic was short, and the injuries I had weren't too significant; It only took about twenty minutes for a nurse to properly clean and bandage my arms. I couldn't help but be restless though, since that was twenty minutes I had to spend away from Olivia. She had already blamed herself for what happened, and I didn't want to let it hurt her self-esteem. Besides, I'd take a million of these cuts if it meant us staying together. Whether or not that's a healthy line of thinking, I'll figure out later.
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Stepping out of the patient room, I made my way towards the exit of the hospital. According to the nurse, I still needed to visit the front desk and hand over my insurance information for the visit. The lobby was just as cozy as when I had first entered the hospital, and no hesitation slowed me as I began my stride toward the reception desk. I feel alive all of a sudden; I can actually keep my chin and shoulders up as I walk. The pep in my step ends as I reach my destination and peer over the wide wooden desk. Two eyes look up from writing something down, locking with my own.
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A familiar chipper voice rings out, "Oooh, hey! Here to turn in your badge?"
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I recognize the voice; it's Sarah, the orange triceratops that had signed me in as a visitor. I'm silently surprised that I didn't have to check her name tag to remember her name. She is right, though; I remove the badge that was clipped to my shirt and hand it over. She removes the laminate cover from the card, placing it aside and tossing the paper into a shredder under the desk.
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"Aaaalright, that should be all. Have a nice day!"
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She offers me a light wave, but I clear my throat and interrupt her.
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"I'm.. I was also here as a patient. Sort of."
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The triceratops seems taken aback briefly, and her eyes settle on my now-bandaged arms.
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"H-How did you.. Well, whatever happened, at least you're at a hospital already, right? Hah.."
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The nervous laughter of the receptionist does little to clear the air, but she does begin typing on the desktop computer in front of her.
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"R-Right, you're insured under your father, so.. your co-pay is seventy dollars."
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I feared those words the most. My bank account was already shriveling, and this certainly wouldn't help any. Guess I can dismiss eating anything but Cup Noodles for the next few weeks. I grab my wallet from my pocket, unfolding it and sliding out a meager debit card, handing it to the recep-
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"Where's she at? Are you two alright?"
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Another familiar voice causes me to turn, and I'm met face to face with someone who looks grimly worried. Naser stops, having hurried toward me from the automatic sliding doors of the hospital building. A faint breeze of wind slips past as I'm left in surprise of seeing him again; Olivia must've called him here to take her home, or something.
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"...Well?" Naser asks, clearly waiting for an answer.
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I shrug and respond, "I.. I don't know where she is, but I think we're okay."
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His shoulders drop, and he sighs to himself. Before I can turn back to the receptionist, though, his hand gestures toward one of my arms.
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Naser sounds almost disappointed as he asks, "Did she do that to you?"
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I don't want him to get the wrong idea. I reply, "Not on purpose, it was an accident. We were.. uh.. m-messing around." I can tell the statement sounds wrong before I'm even done talking, but I can't really take it back at that point.
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To nobody's surprise, Naser's expression shifts to one of disbelief. He croaks, "W-What the hell did you-"
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I cut him off; "Not like that, alright? I gave her a hug, and then she fell."
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My admittance was confident, and that seemed to put Naser at ease, at least for now. Though, he does ask again, "Where is she?"
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I can only shrug, and although he deflates in response, Naser stands his ground, seemingly adamant on waiting in the lobby to see if she'll return. I turn back to Sarah, finally handing her my card to pay for the treatment. It doesn't take long before the card reader on her side of the desk emits a dinging noise, indicating the transfer was successful. She hands back the card, and although I feel morose about wasting $70 on an unnecessary hospital trip, I don't think it'll matter much in the end. I helped a friend through a difficult situation, and that's really what matters, doesn't it? A smile returns to my face. After putting my wallet away, I decide to stand and wait with Naser, unsure of when Olivia will be back. We opt to eventually move to a bench on the side of the lobby, occasionally glancing at passing hospital staff and visitors.
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It only takes a few minutes for the dark pterosaur to break the silence. "So.. how'd it go with her?"
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I swallow, trying to answer his question. "She.. told me about her family. I comforted her the best I could. I'm probably not very good at that sort of thing, though."
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Naser offers a meek expression, replying, "You and me both. My sister, she.. we hated each other for awhile. I said a lot, did a lot, trying to help her out.. but it didn't work. It's a long story, but.. I've learned a lot since, and sometimes all people need to keep going is to know that you care about them. To know how you feel. You can't solve other people's problems, but you can help."
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I slowly nod my head, offering Naser a smile. I reply, "Thanks for doing this. Getting me here, I mean. And for the lesson. Knowing me, I probably wouldn't have ever figured that out on my own. Really, it means a lot."
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A brief chuckle comes from Naser, who responds, "I didn't figure it out on my own, either. Just some.. monkey wisdom to pass along. I'm glad you two worked it out."
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The vaguely racist statement turned my head, but judging by Naser's genuine expression, he didn't mean anything by it. We both nod at each other, returning to the silence of waiting for our fellow friend to return to the lobby. I wasn't quite sure where she was; maybe she was injured as well? Was she still with her mother? Maybe she was being held by-
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From the left hallway, opposite of the care facilities, I spotted Olivia. She was being wheeled into the lobby by a rather burly looking dinosaur dressed in a security uniform. Naser and I both stand from the bench, making our way over toward the opposing duo. The man pushing her looks borderline insidious, giving him an intimidating aura that almost stops me from continuing forward. Olivia looks regretful, and it takes me a moment to remember how exactly we got in this situation to begin with. She stole a staff key to access the roof. They must've figured out after we came back down.
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The intimidating dinosaur rolls the wheelchair right up to me and Naser, and all three of us stop as we stand in a vague triangle shape.
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The disgruntled voice of the security officer breaks the silence; "You three are lucky we're not contacting the police. Get the hell out of here."
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His solid grip on the handles of the wheelchair is relaxed, and Olivia continues to frown as she regains control of her vehicle and begins wheeling for the exit. Leaving the security officer behind, both Naser and I follow her. We step out of the automatic doors and into the outside air, an awkward silence falling over us as Olivia stops to take a breath. She turns, staring at both Naser and I.
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And she laughs.
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It takes a few seconds for her giggling to die down, but she finally says, "That was fuckin' great! We didn't even get arrested!"
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She says that like I was willing to be, though the thought didn't even cross my mind honestly. I can't help but chuckle myself as Olivia's shared energy imparts some rebellious spirit in me. Naser tries his best to force a laughter as well, but it quickly dies down as we head back toward the parking lot.
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Hoping to answer the obvious question hanging over our heads, I ask, "Where exactly are we going now?"
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Olivia and Naser both turn their heads toward me, and both seem to shrug at the exact same time.
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The dark pterosaur speaks up first; "Well, I cut the thing with my sister short.. so I'm free. And hungry."
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The mention of food brings the topic to the forefront of my mind. I haven't eaten today. The empty put in my stomach begs me for food, so I nod along to Naser's words. We both turn our eyes towards Olivia, who stares at us in confusion for a few moments before understanding what we're asking.
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She pipes up; "Food? Yeah, definitely. Getting yelled at really gives you an appetite, apparently."
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For the briefest of moments, a joke passes by my thoughts about Olivia's weight, but in fear for my life, I decide to let it fade away.
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Naser speaks up, announcing, "I have an idea. You guys like pizza?"
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Neither Olivia nor I object to the proposition, and Naser grins in an almost excited manner. By this point, we've nearly made it to his broken-in sports car. Both Naser and I help Olivia into the back seat, collapsing the wheelchair into the trunk; the job is much easier with two people, and Olivia seems rather content with not having to help lift herself much at all. I hop in the passenger seat, and Naser brings the car to life, reversing out of the parking spot and sending us out of the parking lot at speeds I would consider unsafe. Still, though, I find myself rolling down the window and enjoying the situation. Worrying so much hasn't gotten me anywhere, and I put my trust in Naser that wherever we're going will be good. We pull onto a main road, cruising around Volcadera Bluffs at a consistent 40 miles per hour.
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It only takes a minute or so for Olivia to begin protesting from the back seat; "Can you turn the windows up? My.. fuckin' hair is going everywhere."
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I turn around, and I can see Naser peers through his rear view mirror at the same time. Olivia's hair has been whipped across nearly every inch of her face, blocking off most of her vision and making her look ridiculous. The desperate struggle of the baryonyx to wipe the hair from her eyes is made meaningless as the wind continues to push it around her face, and despite my stifling, I can't help but break out in laughter. Naser does the same, having seen the state of Olivia in the mirror. A fiery blush crosses her face as she hears our reaction, and she opts to duck her head down below the seats rather than continue to endure the harsh winds. Naser and I both roll our windows up to grant her the reprieve she requested, but this doesn't stop the onslaught of curses thrown our way. Her initial harsh tone paves way to one of sarcasm, contributing to the humorous energy that has filled the vehicle.
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After our laughs die down, I take a moment to look out of my window, towards the passing buildings and landmarks that make up this town. I don't know where we're going, but I don't think that I care. Right now, at this moment, I feel at peace. Uncertainty has always plagued my thoughts about the future, preventing me from ever truly living in the present. Now, though? That feeling has all but evaporated, leaving me to find comfort in the most minor things. The comforting sun, the clear skies, the coastal breeze; I've got used to living in this place, but I never took the time to appreciate it in earnest. Sure, there's a fair share of things I don't like about Volcadera Bluffs; namely, the weather. Sweltering hot or cold as shit, no inbetween. But right now, I don't care; I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.
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Naser and Olivia make more small talk as I sit in contemplation. By the time I snap myself out of the state, Naser is pulling into a parking lot in what looks like a busy part of town. I haven't ever visited this place, and I can't help but wonder where the hell we are.
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Shifting the vehicle into park, Naser nonchalantly states, "Welcome to Little Trudoon."
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I follow his lead as he opens the doors and steps out of the sports car, and we both make our way to the trunk to begin helping Olivia get out as well. It doesn't take long before the three of us are walking along on the streets of the district. Naser has taken the lead, with Olivia and I following behind him. I haven't ever been out here, so the area is unfamiliar to me; It seems that Olivia shares the sentiment as we both become enthralled with the aesthetics of the place. Naser has to catch our attention again more than once as we continue forward, and after a few minutes, he stops us presumably in front of our destination. My eyes glance upward toward the sign that hovers over this particular building;
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Dino-Moe's Pizza and Pasta.
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It's a lot more.. developed than I would've expected for a pizza place in Little Trudoon, and staring through the glass windows, I can already see it's somewhat busy. Before I can comment on the place any further, Naser has already pushed open the doors of the restaurant and wandered inside. I follow suit, holding the doors open for Olivia as she wheels her way in. There's a reception desk in the front, and the waitress standing behind it gives a brief pause as she watches us all approach. Her eyes settle on Naser last, though, and a knowing smile crosses her lips before she holds up a finger.
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"One moment." she says, moving back towards the kitchen and letting loose a knowing whistle.
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As Olivia and I idle awkwardly, a large grin slowly crosses Naser's beak, as if he's expecting something. I don't know wha-
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"Nasah, my boy! Couldn't getta 'nuff of Uncle Moe, could 'ya?"
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The incredibly boisterous voice turned both Olivia and I's heads. A hefty dinosaur with small arms comes hobbling toward the reception desk, straight toward Naser. The dark pterosaur looks like he had been expecting the greeting, and stretched one of his hands out to the tyrannosaurus in a greeting. Not only does the man take Naser's hand in a firm handshake, but he takes another step forward to firmly pat the pterosaur on his shoulder. They both look genuinely happy to see one another; I guess they know each other.
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The tyrannosaurus finishes his reunion with Naser, turning towards both me and the baryonyx at my side. I try to come up with some kind of greeting, but no words leave my mouth; by the lack of anything from Olivia, I can tell she's probably in the same boat. The large dinosaur's arms come up front and center to his chest, and he snaps his fingers before shooting us both with pointed finger guns. Classy.
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"Ahaa, and twos'a your buddies, eh? I knews you'd come around, kid!"
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Naser is evidently flustered by that statement, as his voice becomes somewhat strained; "Y-Yeah, we're just here to get something to eat."
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The tyrannosaur chuckles loudly again, clapping his hands together the best he can; "Aaaalrighty, I'll get 'chas set up den."
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He leads our trio past the reception desk and to a booth on the far end of the restaurant. I have to admit, I didn't think this place would be so.. spacious. Naser slides into one side of the booth, and I almost slide into the other before I remember-
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"..Help me up, dude?"
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Olivia's voice catches my attention. Right. I offer her a hand that she takes hold of, being careful to not rake my fingers as she pushes herself out of the chair with her other. It takes most of my body strength to be able to support her with one hand, but despite this, I place my other on her lower back and help lift her out of the chair and into the booth. I catch my breath briefly as Olivia slides into the booth, and I follow suit, sitting next to her. The wheelchair is left next to us, though it's not really in the way of anything, so I don't suspect anybody will mind.
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The loud Italian voice once again captures our attention; "So's whadda yas want?"
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Naser looks away from the man towards Olivia and I, and we both shrug. We did agree on pizza, though I suppose there is pasta as well.
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The pterosaur speaks up for us, "One large Original Meateor. That should be good."
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As if appreciating his choice in menu items, the tyrannosaur laughs to himself and claps his hands together again. He departs, leaving the three of us to mingle amongst ourselves. I debate speaking up, but Olivia beats me to the punch.
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Directed towards Naser, Olivia asks, "Who the hell is that guy? You never brought me here before, does he run the place?"
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The pterosaur wipes his forehead, trying to piece together a response in his head. "That's Moe. He's.. a family friend, but I didn't really talk to him outside of bowling until about a month ago."
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I chime in with the next question, "You bowl?"
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Naser replies, "Yeah. With my dad. Maybe we could go sometime, huh?"
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I almost nod my head, but I glance over to Olivia and see that her expression has flattened considerably.
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Not wanting to leave her out, I reply, "...I think I'm good, thanks."
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The slight lull leaves an awkward energy that lingers around the table. After about half a minute of absent idling on all of our parts, I decide to try and break the silence to return the positive mood.
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"You guys like movies?"
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My question is met with a surprised look but a nod of agreement from both individuals. I didn't really think this far ahead, so I have to try and improvise the next part of my statement.
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"...I like movies."
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Real smooth. Despite my cringe-worthy statement, and my subsequent wincing in anticipation of disdain, both Olivia and Naser laugh at the statement. It's an awkward laugh, sure, but it does help to pick our conversation back up.
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Naser speaks, "I don't watch a whole lot, not much free time.. but I'd be willing to."
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Olivia nearly cuts Naser off, but it looks like she's intentionally holding her tongue. A glance from both of us causes her to swallow, uttering "Yeah. Me too. We should go to a theater sometime."
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Naser nods his head in agreement, and I follow suit. Shortly after, though, the dark pterosaur's head seems to pick up, as if he recalled something.
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Clearly he did, as Naser began to speak up; "There's a drive-in movie theater on the other end of town. Naomi doesn't really care about movies, but if you guys wanted to, we could do that."
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I shrug my shoulders, but Olivia speaks up practically at the same time; "What movie?"
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Naser's face flattens as he reaches into his memory to answer the question. "I.. uh.. don't know. Let me check."
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The dark pterosaur takes his phone from his pocket, unlocking it and searching something up. Olivia seems intent on hearing Naser's answer, staring at him impatiently. Something about her appearance draws my attention to her, and I can't help but stare at Olivia while she's distracted. Her misplaced hair and short snout are cute, but I can't help but be drawn to her eyes. Those pale yellow eyes shine with a strange intensity, despite the darkened bags under them implying she doesn't have much energy. The way they shine, both from the metaphorical light inside and the literal light outside demonstrate her sheer drive and perseverance. As if she dedicated her whole being to every waking moment, refusing to let herself stall in any capacity. I can only admire Olivia silently, and I suspect that it's the reason I'm drawn to her.
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I wish I could share that same drive. Even when I'm with her, it just seems my whole life is playing catch up to people more motivated than I. Even for the things I'm interested in, I always find myself distracted by pointless media, looking for excuses to ignore pursuing my goals. I don't even really know what my goals or my passions are anymore. I guess I don't like change; not much has changed for me in the last several years, after all. Yet, no matter what happens, I always find myself waking up in the morning, never failing to get out of bed and endure. Is it routine? Discipline developed out of fear of disappointing the people around me? That's no way to live a life, is it? Enduring my struggles for eternity instead of finding solutions to them, submitting myself to the will of others to the point where I can't even pursue my own passions when I have nothing holding me back? It's not, and yet I can't help but do it over and over again. Who's to blame for that?
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Society?
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My parents?
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Me...?
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"Never seen it, it's just called 'Aliens'".
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My self doubt is interrupted by Naser, who has seemingly found his answer on the internet. I hadn't seen many movies, so I didn't recognize the title o-
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Olivia's hand firmly grasps my forearm, and I instinctively shudder at her touch. She seems to avoid stabbing into my skin with her claws, though, and after the threat of injury passes, I find the act oddly comforting. At least, I did, until I noticed Olivia staring directly at me, her intense glare freezing me like a deer in the headlights. Olivia opens her mouth to speak, and I brace for whatever's to come, but it seems like only a strained breath leaves her mouth.
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She looks down, as if ashamed for a moment, before whispering to me; "D-Do you wanna.. go to the theater with me tonight?"
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After a few seconds of hesitancy, I open my mouth to reply, but whatever I say is instantly overshadowed by the loud, boisterous voice of an approaching tyrannosaur.
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"Extra sausage, anchovies, pepperoni and ham! Da pie of perfection!"
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All three of us look up at Moe as he hands down the large metal platter, on which sits a large pizza exactly like he had described. I didn't really like anchovies, but I held my tongue; besides, there's enough other meats to hopefully cancel out the strange taste of the fish. Moe motions for us to dig in, but an errant voice calls for his attention far away and he loudly excuses himself. Olivia releases me, and all three of us reach for the pizza, grabbing one slice each. Naser takes the first bite, clearly in love with its flavor. Olivia and I glance at one another, and we both end up trying our slices at about the same time.
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I pray for the anchovies to be overshadowed by the rest of the meats, but I'm pleasantly surprised when I notice the fishy taste is oddly complimentary of the other toppings. I never expected to actually enjoy something with anchovies on it, but this was surprisingly good. So much so, that I take a second bite. And a third. This is easily the best pizza I've ever had. I find myself savoring every bite. I finish chewing, though, and for a moment I glance over to Olivia to gauge her reaction.
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She's already at the crust, having far surpassed my own speed in consuming the topped delight. Placing the remaining crust on the table, she reaches over for a second slice eagerly. Naser does the same, helping himself to the pizza. I take my time, though, enjoying the mixing of flavors that are offered by the way this is cooked. By the time I finish my first slice, crust and all, Olivia and Naser are reaching for their third. While Naser grabs his, something stops Olivia; her arm locks, as if she just recalled something. Her arm slowly retracts back to her side, and she looks almost disappointed.
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I take my second slice in reluctance, turning my head toward the baryonyx to ask, "Something wrong?"
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Olivia's gaze shifts toward me, but her eyes dart back shortly after; "Just thinking.. I should watch my figure, shouldn't I?"
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It takes me a second, but I realize what she means by that. Taking a small bite of my second slice, I respond, "I.. think you're fine, Olivia. Maybe just slow down a little? Appreciate what you have, y'know?"
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She sighs, nodding somewhat. I feel bad, hoping I didn't just give her shitty advice. Naser's pace refuses to stop, though; I guess he planned to eat lunch with his sister, but never got to.
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After about an hour of small talk and casual eating, we've managed to eat all eight slices. Naser had three, I had two, and Olivia had three. Though, she made careful effort to eat the last one slower, and I suspect she enjoyed it more as a result. Naser got the check for the meal, bringing it up to the reception while I helped Olivia back into her chair. Before we knew it, we were outside Dino-Moe's once again. The sky was a bit darker, with dusk approaching shortly.
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I break the silence. "So.. that theater you were talking about, you said it's a drive-in?"
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Naser nods his head, replying, "Yeah, uh.. I guess we can go now, I'm not sure when the movie actually starts."
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Olivia smiles almost maliciously and nods her head; a strange anticipation hangs over my head as we all make our way back to the NasCar.
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"What movie did you say it was?" I asked.
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Cutting Naser off, Olivia replies, "Aliens. Horror movie, the sequel to Alien. You.. shit, you should really see the first one, but I'll fill you in on the way."
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I reluctantly nod. I didn't really watch scary movies, mostly light-hearted comedies. Still, as Olivia began to fill me in on introductory details to the story of the series, I didn't feel opposed to the idea. Trying something new actually felt kind of invigorating; Olivia's excitement was starting to rub off on me as she passionately spoke about the movie. It's not long before we're all in the NasCar, and Naser puts our destination into his phone GPS before pulling out of the parking lot and speeding away, out of Little Trudoon. Literally, speeding.
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Reconnection with an old friend, free pizza, and now a movie? This is probably the most eventful day I've had in the last several years. The excitement that has bubbled inside me isn't necessarily aimed at the movie anymore, moreso at how this night will end. How do I want it to end, even? I'm not sure. All I know is that, with Olivia, I have high hopes for what's to come.
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~END~