┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

NOT COOL, GUYS

THE THEATRE WAS POSITIVELY PACKED WITH RESIDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY, ALL WANTING IN ON SOME GROWN UPS ACTION.

As much as Nelly wanted to be bitter about the boys tagging along, they actually weren't bad company to have around. Sure, they'd gotten a little rambunctious in the concession stand line when Quil stole the last bag of M&Ms from Paul, but after a stern look from the employee behind the stand, they smartened up.

Though, just as anyone could've predicated, things were going a little too well while they plopped down into their seats in the very back row of the small theatre. Quil was seated on one side of her while the other one remained empty, and the pair were steadily making small talk which was not unwelcome. He was a nice boy, if not a little overly flirty, but she knew it was all fun and games.

Until a presence popped up beside her, casting a shadow over her and Quil.

"Oh, funny seeing you guys here."

Nelly's stomach dropped to her ass, recognizing that voice immediately. She didn't even look up at the person, too busy focusing on the way Quil hid his laughter behind his hand rather poorly.

She bit her inner cheek hardly, instantly tasting something metallic when she swivelled around. Of course Embry Call had the balls to show up to the same showing as the rest of them, and based on Quil's reaction, Nelly suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that this had been orchestrated.

"This seat is taken," she responded, throwing the bag that was on her lap onto the seat beside her. She shot the boy a mock grimace. "Sorry."

"Oh c'mon Nell, don't be a party pooper," Quil laughed, nudging the girl's shoulder with his own. "Sit down, dude."

Nelly's left eye gave a twitch, her gaze catching the Connweller girl's. And, as luck would have it, Kim's face looked just as guilty as Jared's at the mere sight of the Call boy.

What the flying fu—

"I thought you knew I was coming?" Embry asked, and the question was directed to the now visibly agitated Sequoia girl. The lights began to dim, and the group she had arrived with quieted down.

Her heated glare settled on his stupidly solemn looking face. "Does it look like I knew you were showing face?" she snapped in a hushed whisper, only to hear shushes from the people in the row in front of them.

"Dude, just sit the fuck down," Paul growled from his place next to Akira on the opposite end of the row, and it promptly earned even more shushes to be hurled towards them.

Nelly sunk back into her seat when Embry lifted the bag up and placed it on the floor near her converse-clad feet when he took a seat. Even as the frame settled onto the screen, the girl couldn't find it in her to be excited for the movie anymore.

Especially not when she could already feel Embry begin to stare holes into the side of her head whenever he thought she wasn't looking.

And boy, was she looking.

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

When the end credits began to roll in, Nelly was the first one out of her seat. She gave them a clap of her hands before she dug into her pocket for her keys. "Truly a riveting movie guys, eight stars for sure," she enthused haphazardly, ignoring the way Akira went to retort with her own much higher rating, tacking on a, "but I'm on a strict curfew so..."

Letting the sentence hang, she shuffled herself past Embry's seat, and was acutely aware of just how much body heat the boy was giving off when he stood up just as she was barely in front of him.

Chest to chest, Nelly bit back an angry snarl and shouldered her way past him. The tingle that radiated from her bare arms at the contact was foreign, and certainly not something she had the time to deal with. She was antsy, and she wanted out.

"I'll meet you guys in the car," she said, addressing the other girls who were just beginning to stand up.

And truly, Nelly couldn't have gotten out of the theatre any faster. Hell, even hearing him call out her name made her footsteps go a little quicker than necessary.

Once she was seated behind the wheel of her mother's car, she let out a rather large breath that she hadn't known she was holding in. Resting her head against the coolness of the steering wheel, she barely registered the two bodies that entered only a few minutes after she did.

"Nelly, listen—"

She whipped around to face Kim, the girl looking as meek as ever in the backseat. "Were you in on it?" she questioned, barring her teeth in a way that Kim catalogued immediately. "Did you guys really think it'd be a good idea to invite him and lie about me giving it the green light?!"

Kim shook her head. "Nell, we just want things to go back to normal," she said, and her tone was filled with sympathy for a reason the Sequoia girl didn't understand.

Akira pursed her lips from the passenger seat. "Not cool, Kimmy," she mumbled out, displeased at the fact that Kim and the boys had obviously gone behind Nelly's back. She craned her head towards the guilty party with a frown. "What, were you guys thinking she'd jump into his arms and give him the damn kiss of forgiveness?"

Kim's face wound up. "Well, no, but—"

"Exactly: no," Akira said with a huff, facing the front once more. "Why are you so hellbent on them making up anyways? You didn't even like those boys before you started hanging out with Jared."

Akira had made a great point, because Nelly also couldn't figure out why Kim was so interested in helping rekindle her friendship with Embry. Back then, before Kim started dating the Cameron boy and before she started hanging out with him twenty-four-seven, she never really paid much attention to the boys.

"Look, I appreciate the concern Kim," Nelly started, revving the car into action when she saw the group of unruly boys exit the theatre. "But me forgiving Embry isn't gonna happen anytime soon... and you need to accept that."

That seemed to shut the Connweller girl up, though she looked crestfallen at Nelly's vehement denial.

But Nelly Sequoia was like a tree; she couldn't be swayed, couldn't be moved, unless you unearthed her from her place rooted to the ground. And boy, were her disdainful thoughts of a certain reservation boy rooted to the ground. Her opinion wouldn't be swayed that easily, and Kim Conweller would simply have to realize that.

Nelly just hoped her friend would realize that sooner rather than later, though.

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

lots of meddling is happening, and will continue to happen, from those who are in the know. Kim's only doing what she feels is helping (which it deffo isn't rn... but we still love her).

all my love xx