You're Not Lost
Nine.
"So, movie night tonight at my house. Who's in?"
Janie twirled a strand of her long blonde hair carelessly as she smiled at her group of friends. All of them, Janie, Elizabeth, Zack, Jill, Rian and his girlfriend Roxy, Jack and Alex, were crammed together in a big booth at a nearby fast food joint downtown. It was becoming more and more rare to have everyone together during the day and Janie took a second to appreciate it.
"Like, oh my gawd, guys. Movie night! Can we do our nails and have facials, too?!"
Jack mocked Janie out as she threw a couple of French fries at him.
"Just for that, you're not invited!" She joked back.
"Doesn't bother me, I've got a date tonight anyway." Jack smirked. Janie and Jill raised their eyebrows simultaneously.
"With who?" Zack asked.
"Jessica Lart..." Alex answered for him, in an over-exaggerated dreamy voice. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Woah, the Jessica Lart? As in, the one you've had a thing for since junior high?!" Jill seemed impressed. Jack nodded, the proud smirk still plastered on his face.
"Hey, congrats man, she's hott!"
Roxy sent Rian a glare filled with warning.
"I mean, I guess. If you like that sorta look she's got goin' on..." He added, before sending an innocent grin to his longtime girlfriend.
"So is this date going to end up in the back seat of your mom's minivan like all the rest of them?" Alex laughed. Jack once again rolled his eyes.
"Can I help it that women can't even wait till the second date to get a piece of this?" Jack awkwardly rubbed his chest while more fries were thrown at him.
Elizabeth sat in the corner of the booth feeling utterly confused. It had been a couple of days since she had seen everyone together, and all the talking at once was a bit overwhelming. Trying to ignore Jack as he made inappropriate gestures, she instead focused on the unappetizing burger in front of her. It sat there, dripping with grease and barely touched.
"Will you be sober for this date? Or will it be another Nicki Bradis situation." Zack chuckled. Roxy let out a loud laugh.
"It's gonna be perfect. Everyone else was just a practice run. Jessica's the real deal."
"How did you ask this girl out?" Elizabeth finally spoke up.
Unlike the others, she found it rather romantic at how thoughtful he spoke of this girl. Jack seemed excited by this question.
"That's the best part. She asked ME out!"
"Get the fuck outta here." Rian rolled his eyes.
"No, it's true. I was with him when it happened." Alex vouched for his best friend.
"We were downtown getting tacos that night we played X Club, and she walks in with her friends. I guess they were at some dance club or something, but anyways, she goes 'Jack, you're so amazing, I want your body, let's go out-'"
"Yeah, in your dreams. I'm surprised she even remembered your name..." Alex laughed, interrupting his friends fantasy.
"Yeah, you're just jealous. You all are!"
"I'm not jealous." Janie giggled.
"You know what I mean!"
"So anyways...is everyone else in for movie night?"
-----------------
The same group from earlier, minus Jack, was scattered around Janie's furnished basement.
"Janie, you're movie collection sucks." Alex seemed bored as he examined the girly movies displayed on a shelf under the old television.
"Well sorrrrryyyy they are not up to your standards."
"They all look good to me..." Elizabeth thought out loud, as she peered over Alex's shoulder. He laughed.
"That's because you've never seen a movie. Which is still such a weird thought."
Rian and Roxy sat on the older beige couch across from the TV. They had found an old music magazine lying on the floor nearby and began flipping through it, making random comments along the way. Jill sat on the opposite side of the couch, alternating between looking at her phone, which was playing music as usual, and looking over at the magazine.
Elizabeth was excited for her first movie experience, although it was off to an odd start. She sat on the floor next to Alex.
"Pick something Elle will like, nothing too weird." Janie reminded. Alex nodded.
"Yeah, yeah..."
"We need popcorn..." Zack decided. Janie frowned.
"I don't have any..."
"I do! Come with me and we'll grab some from my house. It'll take two seconds." Janie shared a look with her cousin.
"Should we have popcorn?"
Elizabeth nodded her head 'yes'. That was one thing that she did have back at home in Amish country. Alex nodded as well, not taking his eyes off the movies he had now spread out on the floor. Rian and Roxy paid no attention, still absorbed by their magazine. Jill gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, let's go." Janie smiled. Zack hopped up from where he was seated on the floor and followed Janie up stairs.
"Be right back!" She called down.
Elizabeth smiled with even more excitement, as she began to read the backs of the DVDs.
Janie twirled a strand of her long blonde hair carelessly as she smiled at her group of friends. All of them, Janie, Elizabeth, Zack, Jill, Rian and his girlfriend Roxy, Jack and Alex, were crammed together in a big booth at a nearby fast food joint downtown. It was becoming more and more rare to have everyone together during the day and Janie took a second to appreciate it.
"Like, oh my gawd, guys. Movie night! Can we do our nails and have facials, too?!"
Jack mocked Janie out as she threw a couple of French fries at him.
"Just for that, you're not invited!" She joked back.
"Doesn't bother me, I've got a date tonight anyway." Jack smirked. Janie and Jill raised their eyebrows simultaneously.
"With who?" Zack asked.
"Jessica Lart..." Alex answered for him, in an over-exaggerated dreamy voice. Jack rolled his eyes.
"Woah, the Jessica Lart? As in, the one you've had a thing for since junior high?!" Jill seemed impressed. Jack nodded, the proud smirk still plastered on his face.
"Hey, congrats man, she's hott!"
Roxy sent Rian a glare filled with warning.
"I mean, I guess. If you like that sorta look she's got goin' on..." He added, before sending an innocent grin to his longtime girlfriend.
"So is this date going to end up in the back seat of your mom's minivan like all the rest of them?" Alex laughed. Jack once again rolled his eyes.
"Can I help it that women can't even wait till the second date to get a piece of this?" Jack awkwardly rubbed his chest while more fries were thrown at him.
Elizabeth sat in the corner of the booth feeling utterly confused. It had been a couple of days since she had seen everyone together, and all the talking at once was a bit overwhelming. Trying to ignore Jack as he made inappropriate gestures, she instead focused on the unappetizing burger in front of her. It sat there, dripping with grease and barely touched.
"Will you be sober for this date? Or will it be another Nicki Bradis situation." Zack chuckled. Roxy let out a loud laugh.
"It's gonna be perfect. Everyone else was just a practice run. Jessica's the real deal."
"How did you ask this girl out?" Elizabeth finally spoke up.
Unlike the others, she found it rather romantic at how thoughtful he spoke of this girl. Jack seemed excited by this question.
"That's the best part. She asked ME out!"
"Get the fuck outta here." Rian rolled his eyes.
"No, it's true. I was with him when it happened." Alex vouched for his best friend.
"We were downtown getting tacos that night we played X Club, and she walks in with her friends. I guess they were at some dance club or something, but anyways, she goes 'Jack, you're so amazing, I want your body, let's go out-'"
"Yeah, in your dreams. I'm surprised she even remembered your name..." Alex laughed, interrupting his friends fantasy.
"Yeah, you're just jealous. You all are!"
"I'm not jealous." Janie giggled.
"You know what I mean!"
"So anyways...is everyone else in for movie night?"
-----------------
The same group from earlier, minus Jack, was scattered around Janie's furnished basement.
"Janie, you're movie collection sucks." Alex seemed bored as he examined the girly movies displayed on a shelf under the old television.
"Well sorrrrryyyy they are not up to your standards."
"They all look good to me..." Elizabeth thought out loud, as she peered over Alex's shoulder. He laughed.
"That's because you've never seen a movie. Which is still such a weird thought."
Rian and Roxy sat on the older beige couch across from the TV. They had found an old music magazine lying on the floor nearby and began flipping through it, making random comments along the way. Jill sat on the opposite side of the couch, alternating between looking at her phone, which was playing music as usual, and looking over at the magazine.
Elizabeth was excited for her first movie experience, although it was off to an odd start. She sat on the floor next to Alex.
"Pick something Elle will like, nothing too weird." Janie reminded. Alex nodded.
"Yeah, yeah..."
"We need popcorn..." Zack decided. Janie frowned.
"I don't have any..."
"I do! Come with me and we'll grab some from my house. It'll take two seconds." Janie shared a look with her cousin.
"Should we have popcorn?"
Elizabeth nodded her head 'yes'. That was one thing that she did have back at home in Amish country. Alex nodded as well, not taking his eyes off the movies he had now spread out on the floor. Rian and Roxy paid no attention, still absorbed by their magazine. Jill gave a thumbs up.
"Alright, let's go." Janie smiled. Zack hopped up from where he was seated on the floor and followed Janie up stairs.
"Be right back!" She called down.
Elizabeth smiled with even more excitement, as she began to read the backs of the DVDs.