... I should thank you for being my reason to looking forward to the next day...

My 11:11 wish of spending more time with her was granted, however, it was not at all close to the standards that I thought it would be. Mara and I were across the theater from one another. If we did speak, it was when she ordered from the concession during her lunch. 

Adding to the negatives of my first job was a man, my manager, whose name was Cameron. We often referred to him as Satan's Spawn. During the night shift, he was constantly nagging over someone's shoulder. When he managed the day shift, I was told he never exited the office. 

As you can imagine, I only worked night shifts. 

"Clifford!"

I whimpered quietly. Turning my head, I sighed. "Hi, Cameron."

"That's sir to you," he corrected hastily. "Listen very closely: there's a poster for the outside display rolled up on the ticket stand. Put it up before you leave."

"But that's your job," I protested.

"Wow, what a golden observation, Clifford," said Cameron flatly. "Do it or I'll write you up. I have shit to do tonight. Don't have time." 

"Of course, Cameron."

"Sir."

"Right."

Cameron glared as he cautiously stepped backwards to the door. "You or Carrow close up. I don't care. Just lock all the doors, would you?"

"Yes, master," I grumbled. 

"What was that?" he wondered.

"Yes, sir," I said loudly. 

"See, Clifford? You can follow directions. Goodbye!"

It was then, after the doors closing echoed through the empty theater, that Mara exited the bathrooms. She stopped at the counter to ask what happened during the interaction. 

"His horns and tail still haven't grown out yet," I fretted. 

"Such a shame," sighed Mara. "So, I heard my name. What happened?"

"He asked us to close. You want to lock everything up? I have to set up a poster outside," I offered. 

Mara took the keys from my hands. "I'll meet you out front."

"Sounds like a plan."

Outside, seven posters were displayed on each side of the entrance doors. I, having read Cameron's detailed instructions, was forced to slide six posters from their frames and line them according to the highest grossing film to lowest. One frame was left open for the newest addition.

"Captain America: Civil War,"  read Mara carefully.

I nodded excitedly. I stepped on the step-stool to slide the poster into the frame. 

"Bet you're happy about that," she continued. "Are you taking off to see it?"

She, of course, referred to my reoccurring occasion to request an excused absence from work on the night of a Marvel premiere. It was tradition for me to see any Marvel movies opening night. Having a job hadn't changed that, until this year. 

"I can't. They need me here. We're still short staff," I sighed. 

Mara frowned. "I'd cover your shift, but they need me here, too."

I smiled thankfully at her. "So, what about you? Ever gone to a midnight show?"

"Can't say that I have. I'm not a huge movie person, honestly," she admitted. 

"But you work at a movie theater?"

Mara tilted her head in agreement. She didn't reply, at first, because she was peering closely at the costumes presented within the promotion poster. 

I hopped from the step-stool. I stepped into line beside her, admiring the poster for reasons of my own. One day, I hoped to see my name within the small, one-inch letters on the bottom half. 

"You know, I absolutely love the costumes. Imagine them up close... All that detail, the specific colors... It's remarkable. They're all so unique to everyone," she said, appalled. 

"Yeah, they keep them pretty close to the comic."

"Do you have any?" 

"Comics or costumes?"

Mara paused, staring at me, amused. "Both, now that you say that."

"Comics, yes," I said. I paused, then mumbled, "Costumes, maybe."

She giggled. "I'm sure your costumes are interesting. You make them yourself?"

"Oh, no. I'm not a crafty person. My friend does it for me," I admitted. 

"Call me sometime, yeah?" she offered. "I mean, I can make you a costume, if you wanted. Fashion's kind of my thing..."

"Yeah," I breathed, grinning. "Yeah, you really work the uniform."