Michael: At Wits End (part 2)

(part two)

Christina's smile disappears.

Trailers. Why does it have to be trailers?

And yes, she feels obligated to say what is okay, what sucks, whats funny, and whats stupid. I laugh at one trailer, because it was funny, and I get a silent stare from her.

Thankfully, she's a little excited by the Die Hard one. Good. Buys me some time. As causally talking is out of the question, at least some peace can be earned. I'm hoping when Pirates rolls up, she'll be so grabbed by the spectacle, it'll turn the whole night around. She likes Johnny Depp. She liked the first one, and most of the second. She is fisting a brew as the movie starts. She's out with someone who'll try to not annoy her (that's me). It's supposed to be spectacular. I know it will be, even at 3 hours. The way I see it, if I'm entertained at all for the amount of time required...I had a great day! Pretty simple really.

Then I hear: "oh, GOD!!!! When is this movie going to stop being boring..."

And I hear the sound of the lid being slammed shut on my coffin.

"This is so slow!" "That's stupid!" "That so wouldn't work!" "That looks fake" "This is as boring as Spider-man 3!" "Pour me a beer!" "How long is this movie?" "The first one was better!"

At one point she turns to me and asked what did Will say to Elizabeth. "He said he couldn't live without her..." I whisper in her ear.

"Heh?!"

"He said...HE COULDN"T LIVE WITHOUT HER"

She looks at me then throws her hands up in disgust. "I hate this love story. It's just like Spider-man 3! That ruined it all!"

I sink back down into the cushions and pray for the film strip to actually brake. At the two hour mark, I whisper to her I'll be back. Bathroom.

Let me tell you, I didn't really have to go the the bathroom. I have the bladder of a Olympian God...A GOD I SAY! Three hours is nothing. But I needed an excuse to just...get away for a bit. Even during a movie I really really wanted to see. This is just not happening.

I'm in the men's room sitting in an empty stall, thinking. Just thinking. What the hell went wrong? What went wrong? Oh my god, it's like being on a date with your cranky grandmother. And I bury my head in my hands. I've been here, sitting, standing, pacing the tile floor for 10 minutes. Any more than this and I either stretch credibility, or Christine will assume I really have terrible pee problems. I'm ready to have her assume that, actually.

I leave the bathroom and grab my ticket to get back in the theater, almost hoping, almost, that I can't find it and they wont let me back in. I see the exit out of the Cinetopia. I see windowed doors beacon outside. I see freedom. I see release. It would be so easy. But I open my hand, and see the ticket weighing heavy there. And, I feel so guilty for even entertaining the slight thought.

I have been told I am the "guardian healer". I stick by people no matter what. And sometimes, you pay the price. I know what it's like to not have people care about you. I know how it feels to have someone...anyone...care. Christina might be crude and unappreciative of me. Even abusive on some level. But I was...no, am...her friend because I am able to see beyond that. I see what she could be if she were honestly loved and cared for. that's my gift, people tell me. I tell them, that's my curse.

"Where were you?!", Christina asks a little too loudly in the darkened theater.

"I got you some popcorn." I say as I slide back beside her and put the greasy garlic and cheese bucket between us. I can't see her face in the dark, as my eyes haven't adjusted yet, but she's... quiet. Perhaps I cracked her shell with my compassion. Maybe...

"I told you I didn't want that! I'm trying to lose weight. And this beer sucks too!"

It's a long 45 minutes to the end credits.

As the credits roll, I tell her we gotta stay for the very end. I'd heard that there's a very cool coda at the very end. A can't miss moment. Will this redeem the...

"well, I'M not sitting here! I'm going. YOU can stay if you want!" And she pushes off to the lobby. I sigh and after a minute I follow. I want to be her friend. When i see her walking about, I meet up with her and she asks me if I saw the ending to the stupid movie. I lie and say I didn't feel like watching it, but my heart dropped.

I actually ran a red light and flipped an illegal u-turn to get her home. I asked her which housing unit was hers. It was the one...and I'm not kidding...with the old couch in the yard. Explains the beer, I guess.

I go home and ruminate. That and very pathetically look up a spoiler on the Internet on what exactly the Pirates ending coda was. I teared up a little bit when I read it, It was so bloody awesome...

_________________________

The next day at work. I see Christina talking to the others about our movie night and how much the Pirates movie was so awful (I liked it!). Then someone asked Christina if she enjoyed herself. She looks at me and gives me...a smile. Her eyes light up so much that it almost makes me forget yesterday.

"Oh yeah! Me and Mike had a great time! We gotta go see Hostel 2 together next week!"

Ah, 'Tina. Love the girl, but jeez... she did say she's paying though...