Finding Heaven

I stretched out my arms relaxingly and embraced the beginning of the holidays as soon as the examiner dismissed us.

“Finally—a break from books and school and annoying teachers!” I exclaimed cheerfully.

Emily chuckled next to me, “You’re so full of energy.”

I grinned widely and held a thumb up.

“Hey, do you want to go somewhere? You’ll be out on the 22nd, right?”

“Yeah, sure, I'd love that.”

~

We ended up inviting the others—Max, Alex and Joshua.

I’d changed to a long winter skirt paired with a thick brown sweater and lent Emily a hoodie since hers was in the laundry.

It was 12:00 in the afternoon, and the cold breeze started to pick up as we waited for a cab to a nearby mall.

“Should we go watch a movie?” I asked Emily.

She looked wonderingly at the guys behind us, “Suggestions?”

“There’s a horror movie out about zombies and the apocalypse,” Max grinned.

I gulped. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned movies.

“I don’t mind watching romance movies, if that’s what you girls want,” Joshua put in kindly.

We looked at Alex.

“I just want food,” was all he said.

Typical.

As soon as a cab had stopped for us and allowed us to settle inside, Emily decided, “Let’s watch a horror movie then.”

The others nodded in excitement and agreement. I felt as though all the blood was drained from my head.

I’m not a fan of ghosts—or anything supernatural for that matter.

Maybe I can make them change their mind…

“Uhm,” I cut in. “Maybe there are better options than that.”

I could see Alex grinning from the taxi’s rear view mirror while he sat on the passenger seat, “Right… Dakota’s scared.”

I glowered at him.

Emily patted me on the shoulder nervously. “We could watch something else if you want.”

A menacing smile curled from my lips, “No. Bring it on.”

I was admirably brave on the outside—

But in truth, I was already imagining monsters in my bedroom.

~

We bought ourselves tickets of Deathville, a movie about zombie apocalypse.

“What kind of title is Deathville?” Max scoffed. “It doesn’t sound scary at all.”

That doesn’t matter! I shouted mentally. It looks scary anyway!

“So you’re visiting your grandparents in Tennessee?” I heard Joshua asking Emily.

“Yeah—mother’s side,” she answered.

They really look good together. Maybe they like each other or something...

The movie was going to start in an hour and a half so we decided to walk around and stuff.

“Ah, my stomach is groaning.” Alex said, his hand feeling his tummy. “We should go someplace to eat.”

“Where to?” Emily asked.

“Pizza!” Max suggested. “Or the food court.”

“Pizza,” Emily said.

“Pizza for me too,” I answered.

“Pizza it is,” Joshua smiled.

“Food.”

I don’t even need to mention who said that, because we all know who it is.

~

The seating arrangement was like this: Alex, me, Max, Emily and then Joshua.

The reverberating sound effects were enough to make me so nervous that I practically closed my eyes.

“Is Dakota sleeping?” Joshua whispered.

“I’m not,” I answered through gritted teeth.

I opened my eyes and watched as the female protagonist warily drove her car and—

My heart jumped from shock and my hand automatically fastened to the arms of the red movie seat.

Zombies jumped against the front car mirror, and she started screaming and panicking.

I snapped my eyes shut, imaging the scenario happening to me without meaning to. I was really weak against creepy stuff like this.

Things like these don’t happen in real life, I thought. There are no such things as zombies. No such thing as zombies….

I blushed as a warm hand linked with mine, and I opened my eyes to look at Alex.

I couldn’t see his expression very clearly since he was looking at the screen.

“It’s okay to close your eyes,” he whispered. “You can tighten your grip on my hand when you’re scared…you can even…lean closer to me…if you want.”

Alex’s eyes slid into mine, and I smiled at him gratefully, and it seemed like my heart was vibrating even more than the movie's sound system did.

~

Later that night, about 8:00 something p.m, my head was full of Alex—not in that creepy, my-world-revolves-around-you way.

I looked at my palm, remembering the way he’d held my hand the entire movie. Blood rushed to my face again.

Ah, geez. I hate you, Alex—I mean, I love you…so much that I hate you.

Knocks on the door cut through my thoughts. I went over and opened it, and saw Emily, her shoulder-length black hair was damp against her pink pajama top, holding a pillow on her other hand.

“Can I sleep here?” she asked with a smile.

I stepped aside and let her come in, “Joshua went to buy some ice cream.”

Emily sat cross-legged on my bed and looked like she had something important to say. I crept slowly next to her.

“Dakota…” she began as she buried her chin on her pillow.

Her face’s red…

“Yeah?” I asked shortly.

“I-I…would you hate me if I…”

She buried her face even more.

“I liked…”

I braced myself. “Em?”

She looked up at me abruptly, her hazel eyes welled-up, “If I told you I liked Alex, would you hate me? I saw you guys…during the movie, he…”

Her tears started streaming down from her eyes, and I felt a shooting pain in my chest. Emily—my bestfriend—was crying in front of me.

Of course it's not only me who liked Alex. A lot of girls did. How could I have been so thick-headed and not noticed Emily's feelings?

“It’s just that…it hurts so much…” she whispered. “I’m the worst…I really hate myself right now...for hiding my feelings...so painful...”

I hugged her.

“I don’t hate you, Emily. I’ll never hate you.”