Page 18 of Strange Love
Her enthusiasm returns as she asks, “What’s your absolute favorite movie?”
I think for a moment. “Of all time?” I ask.
Nat nods eagerly.
“That’s such a difficult question,” I whine. “But it has to be a John Hughes movie.”
Nat rolls her eyes playfully and agrees, “Obviously.”
“Well, there’s so many choices, but I’d have to answer with…The Breakfast Club.”
“I knew it,” she says with a sly smile.
Something about that movie speaks to my soul; it is a story about the complexity of a group of teenagers, all different yet very much the same.
“Who would you kiss from that movie if you had to?” she asks.
I play along, teasing back, “What do you know about kissing?”
She giggles and shrugs. “Nothing! But you’re, like, an adult now,” she says dramatically.
“That doesn’t mean I want to kiss anyone,” I reply jokingly.
But she won’t relent. “Okay, but if you had to pick one...the nerd, the athlete, or the bad boy?”
My mind flashes to deep brown eyes and full lips before I even have a chance to form a conscious thought. But I push those thoughts away and answer confidently, “Definitely the nerd.”
My new boss is a year younger than me. Josh has been working here at Blockbuster Video for over a year, working his way up to a shift manager. He’s also an avid Dungeons and Dragons fan. I know this because he’s mentioned it no less than three times in the past two hours. He appears friendly enough, and I don’t anticipate any major challenges at my first job. The most annoying things I’ve encountered so far are the itchy blue polo shirt with the yellow Blockbuster insignia across my right boob and the unflattering khaki pants.
As I restock the shelves, I listen to the movie that plays on the mounted televisions around the store. The familiar sound of lightsabers clashing and Darth Vader’s baritone voice fills the air, making me smile. Uniform aside, this is a cool job.
I’m bent over putting a copy of The Goonies back on the shelf when I hear a female voice interrupting my blissful moment behind me.
“Excuse me,” she whines, “but do you have any movies about a girl who is a total outcast and should quietly disappear from society?”
I turn my head and take a deep breath before standing to face the three girls looking down on me— literally and physically. It’s not surprising that the ever-present trio of Tiffany, Amber, and Stacy have decided they have nothing better to do than pick on me at my place of work.
“I can’t think of anything off the top of my head,” I say through gritted teeth.
Stacy rolls her eyes and gives her two clones a knowing look.
“Maybe it’s a documentary,” she says snidely, tapping her finger against her chin as if pondering something deeply. “The Ivy Owens Story,” she announces with a smirk.
My heart sinks, and I want so badly to return her vile words, but before I can say anything, she continues.
“Never mind. We’ll stick with The Karate Kid,“ she says as she flicks her overly processed hair over her shoulder.
“Great choice,” I say with fake enthusiasm. “A movie about someone who does nothing wrong but still gets bullied endlessly until he finally stands up for himself and puts them in their place,” I emphasize the last part, hoping my commentary makes the intended impact.
“What did you say, you mutant?” Stacy hisses.
I shrug. “I’m doing my job, recommending movies. Besides, I think it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of high school.”
Stacy’s jaw tightens like she’s ready to continue our confrontation when she gets distracted by a rowdy group of guys entering the video store. I look up to see it’s Corey Delacour and some of his hockey buddies. His eyes widen in shock when he spots me.
“Take a chill pill, Poison Ivy,” Amber hisses at me over her shoulder before they flock toward the group, but I don’t miss how Corey breaks away from them.
He casually walks over to browse the shelves by the front desk, pretending to be interested in movies. Still, every few seconds, he sneaks a glance in my direction, and every time he does, my stomach breaks free with butterflies.
