#sora talks

Riko turns on her heel and shrugs You’s hand off of her shoulder. “And why, exactly, is that?” Riko asks barely containing her rage behind another fake smile.

You lets out another sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose, “you don't seem to understand. Tomorrow at school Chika is going to ask us about the movie, and what are you going to say if you have yet to see it?” You explains.

Riko flicks her hair behind her shoulder, “I’ll tell her exactly what I told you, I want to see the movie with her.” Riko retorts putting her hand on her hip. Riko imagines telling Chika ‘it's not the same without you there Chika’ and all the other gay ways her conversation with Chika could go tomorrow.

“this dumb bitch” You whispers under her breath, “no, Chika will feel bad if you tell her you skipped the movie because of her.” You explains her annoyance showing in her tone.

Riko’s gay fantasy shatters with this revelation. Her hand covers her mouth instinctively, she's shocked, You was right. “S-so what do you suggest we do?” Riko asks, puzzled.

You squints at Riko, “Umm, we watch the goddamn movie???” she says with exasperation.

Riko’s eyes widen “Are you suggesting you and I watch a movie together, alone?” she asks.

As much as You hates to admit it, this time Riko was right, that sounded dreadful. If Chika was here she would just sit between them. That's when it hit her, what if they replaced Chika with a stranger between them, or even better, an entire theater of strangers. “We’ll just sit in different parts of the theater” she explained.

Riko’s eyes lit up, “that's it! Then I won't have to deal with you at all, it's like you don't even exist!”

“Yeah, right back at ya” You says walking towards the cinema entrance “I'm looking forward to watching this movie in peace.”

Riko follows her, “as am I, you have a great time as far away from me as possible.”

Inside, You buys her ticket first then Riko steps up to the counter, “one ticket for a girl and her dog, a water, and a small popcorn please” Riko says to the women behind the counter.

“Oh, lucky for you, that’s  the last ticket for this showing of that movie, here you are” the attendant says handing Riko her ticket, then she turns around to get Riko’s order. “Enjoy the show” she adds when she hands Riko her popcorn and drink.

“Thank you” Riko says with a smile and turns to head towards the various cinema rooms, she notes that You must have already went inside.

Riko enters the door labeled ‘showing room 6.’ Inside a young cinema employee stands accepting ticket stubs, Riko hands him her ticket “Looks like you're the last one, I think the last open seat is near the top” he directs her.

“Thank you” Riko says starting up the steps.

At the top she is greeted with a very common issue in theaters and other crowded places for a small girl like herself, a tall man sits right in front of the last available seat. Luckily for a common issue there was a common solution, the woman sitting next to the vacant seat seemed tall enough to see, all she needed to do was politely ask her to switch seats.

“Excuse me, miss?” she says trying to get the woman’s attention “could we possibly switch seats? I can't see well in this one.”

The woman turns to Riko and smiles “such a pretty, polite girl. Of course! My friend and I will both move down one and you can have her seat” she replies gesturing to the woman next to her.

“Thank you very much” Riko says with a bright smile. The two women gather their things and move down a seat, then Riko shuffles in front of them to her new seat. When she finally plops down she lets out a sigh of relief. She was finally done with all the stress of that afternoon, done with You, and ready to relax and watch the movie she has been anticipating for weeks. It's supposed to be the most emotional movie of the year, or so the reviews say. Riko could barely wait for the previews to end and the film to start.

“You really aren't getting this, are you?” Riko hears a familiar voice say from beside her.

She slowly turns towards the voice and grits her teeth into a forced smile “what the hell are you doing here?”

It’s none other than You that returns Riko’s fake smile with a blank stare, “I think I should be asking you that, I sat down by a random woman. So why the hell are you there now?”

Riko grimaces, the woman she switched with was sitting next to You. What kind of horrible luck was that? Well she couldn't possibly ask to switch back now, that'd be rude.

“You know if you really did want to watch the movie with me you should of said something. I would have said no, of course, but it would be funny” You teases, snickering.

“Like hell!” Riko yells causing You to shh her, they were in a theater after all. More quietly Riko starts again “This is the last thing I wanted, I just asked to switch because I couldn't see, I had no idea you were here” she explains.

You rolls her eyes “yeah, sure.” Riko turns red with anger but before she can say anything the theater becomes silent as the lights turn off and the title of the movie comes on the large screen signalling the start of the film.

“Just keep quiet, I'm not missing this movie for you” Riko whispers. You doesn't say anything back.

A half hour into the movie Riko is completely enthralled, she munches on her popcorn with her eyes glued to the screen, so far the movie really was all she had hoped for. “Hey” she hears a whisper come from beside her but chooses to ignore it. That's what people always tell her to do with stray dogs, ‘if you ignore them they'll leave you alone,’ this was pretty much the same thing.

“Hey, pass the popcorn thot.”

Riko can't believe what she just heard, slowly turns her head to the side, fire in her eyes. “Excuse me?”

“I've had to listen to you crunch on that popcorn since the beginning of this movie, give me some” You says without looking away from the screen.

“You should have gotten your own damn popcorn” Riko replies and turns back to the movie “And don't call me that.”

“I didn't want popcorn before I had to listen to you, just give me some” You looks towards Riko this time.

“God fine, just shut up” Riko gives in thrusting the popcorn in You’s direction.

You takes some with a “thanks.”

Riko keeps the popcorn on the side You is on hoping it’ll keep her quiet. It's working until both of them reach for some popcorn at the same time and their hands touch in the bowl. Both of them pull away as if they just touched fire. “Eww” slips out of Riko’s mouth.

“Eww?” You questions, eyebrow raised.

“I don't know where your hands have been!” Riko complains.

“Nowhere but up Chika’s skirt” You teases sticking out her tongue.

“ugh, shut up!” Riko barely subdues her desire to shout. You snickers at her reaction.

After a few minutes Riko notices that You stopped eating the popcorn. Was she too mean? She shouldn’t care, she thinks. But even so, she moves the bucket into You’s field of vision to get her attention, “you can have the rest, I’m full” Riko whispers.

You hesitates, but slowly grabs the popcorn with a quiet “thanks.” She looks at Riko but Riko doesn't look back. Riko’s eyes were intensely focused on the screen, and she's anxiously biting her lip. You looks at the screen too, the movie is coming to its climax which explains Riko’s behavior. The movie up to this point has been a bittersweet tale of a young girl and her pet dog growing up and overcoming adversities together; it all ends in this final scene. You thinks it’s a little too predictable of an ending, but it's bound to get to some people.

At that moment You hears something that catches her attention, a sniffle? She hears the noise once again before she turns her head to look. It was exactly what she expected, but nothing like she expected it.

Riko’s eyes, glossed with tears, reflect the blue light of the screen like the ocean did the sky. It isn't like she is crying, it’s like tears are escaping, gently rolling down her cheeks. You stared and stared and stared; the sight is beautiful and despairing and mesmerizing and sad and You can't look away, but she knows she never wants to see it again.

Out of the corner of her eye Riko’s attention is grabbed by something light blue; once she focuses she sees it’s a handkerchief that You is holding out to her. When she looks towards You’s face her gaze isn't returned and her questions aren’t answered, so she looks at the handkerchief again; she's hesitant, but accepts the silent offer, actually quite grateful to have something to dry her face with. You’s hand retracts back into her lap, she doesn't say a word. Riko stares at the handkerchief again before whispering “thank you” under her breath and wiping her tears with it.

She clutches the handkerchief tightly for the remainder of the film, not wanting to bother You by returning it.

As soon as the credits roll and the dim cinema lights turn on You stands and begins to walk out, but Riko is caught in the crowd of people leaving. Once outside the theater room in the lobby Riko is finally able to look around as the crowd disperses; she spots You leaning against a wall by the door looking down at her phone.

“If you were going to wait here you could have waited to walk out with me” Riko points out as she walks up to You.

You hurriedly slips her phone in her pocket “Sorry, I… sorry” she says a little frantic.

Riko tilts her head questioningly, sorry isn't what she expected to hear “it's fine, don't worry about it” she reassures.

You fixes her baseball cap and turns towards the door “should we go?” she gestures.

Riko nods, and walks with You out of the cool air conditioned cinema and onto the hot summer street.

They walk side by side in an awkward silence for some time before Riko finally musters the courage to speak, “did you like the movie?” she asks.

“Yeah it was pretty good, kind of predictable” she says placing her finger to her chin, “I can't believe you cried!” You adds.

“The dog died!” Riko exclaims.

“Of course it did, that happens! I thought you were afraid of dogs anyway?” You questions.

“I am, that doesn't mean I want them to die!” Riko explains. “Weren't you even a little sad or are you completely heartless?” she shoots back.

“Hey I'm not heartless; it was very sad, just predictable!” You attempts to explain herself “I just don't cry easily” she mumbles.

“So the handkerchief is strictly for other girls?” Riko asks smugly, a smirk plastered across her face.

“It's not only for tears!” You answers while rolling her eyes.

Riko giggles, “Well, what do you use it for then?” she asks tilting her head.

You thinks for a moment before answering “sometimes I use them for wiping up small messes or cleaning my hands. When it's hot like it has been I use them to wipe away sweat. They’re just handy to have” You explains.

“Eww. I wiped my face with your sweat?” Riko asks with disdain.

“Shut up” You shoots back “I hadn't used it for anything yet, it's clean.”

Riko squints at You as if she can see a lie if she looks hard enough, “Okay, good” she says, satisfied in her search. “So, you have more than just this one?” she asks.

You realizes she unintentionally alluded to that and slowly nods, “yeah, I have a lot…” She trails off contemplating how much she really wanted to say. “My dad gives me them a lot, he's always carried one on him at all times” You explains, deciding there's no harm in telling Riko.

“Oh wow, so it's sort of like a collection?” Riko shows a genuine interest in what You is telling her.

You smiles, “yeah, he gets me one every Birthday and on other holidays too” You looks past Riko towards the sea they're walking beside while she talks. She subtly points directing Riko’s attention towards the sun setting against the ocean horizon. She doesn't miss a beat in her explanation,  “He sails to a lot of different places for work and tries to get me one wherever he goes” You pauses.

Riko’s eyes are focused on the shining orange light spreading across the ocean and the sky. Her ears are focused on You’s words and the way You talks about her father, it has some sort of warmth to it, nothing like the sweltering heat of the summer day. “You really look up to your father” Riko says exactly what she felt, in this moment it’s too much of a hassle for her to think about it.

You stares into Riko’s back. She thinks about how the red tones in the sky compliment her hair and how the sun gleams on her skin. “Yeah.”

Suddenly Riko turns and starts digging through her purse. “I’ll have to make sure to give this one back then” she says while pulling the blue handkerchief out and extending it towards You.

You looks at it for a second, the way it looks in place in Riko’s delicate hand and the way the sky blue contrasts her light pink painted nails, “you keep it” she says.

Riko tilts her head and lowers her hand to her side, “why?” she questions.

You isn't completely sure why herself, “just keep it, use it next time you cry or something” she says looking down at her sneakers.

Riko feels the heat of her reddening cheeks and turns her face to her shoes as well. “Thanks.”

A silence falls between them and Riko is prepared for it to last until she gets home. They both board their bus like strangers, but You finally speaks up while they’re sitting shoulder to shoulder on the cramped bus. “Sorry to pry but I was just wondering, are you close with your dad?”

Riko looks at You like she’s speaking a different language, but You doesn’t return her gaze. “Oh!” Riko burst out, processing what was said to her. “Umm, well we don’t have a bad relationship, he’s just away for work a lot” Riko explains, “but I guess so is yours…” Riko ponders for a moment, “I guess I’m just closer to my Mom” she concludes.

You finally looks up from the bus floor, “that’s cool too” she says with a bright smile.

“Yeah” Riko smiles back, “I really look up to her, I always have. She’s the one who got me to play piano when I was young.”

“Oh wow, that’s really, like, important to you, right?” You ckears her throat, “Well of course it is I mean” she starts to trip on her words.

Riko chuckles a little “yes it is very important to me, and so is my mother’s involvement in it” Riko explains.

“Right, that’s what I mean! My dad was always the biggest supporter of my diving” You says, “Not that my mom wasn’t, don’t get me wrong” she adds.

“No I get it, same here with my father, but when it comes to music my mom just, like-”

“Gets it more, right?”

“Right!”

Both of them are smiling from ear to ear. To both of their dismays their conversation is interrupted by the bus driver announcing it was Riko’s stop.

“Oh, this is where I get off” Riko says standing up and looking around making sure she has all her things, once she’s sure she looks back to You “Sorry.”

You shakes her head “don’t worry about it, I’ll see you tomorrow at school we can talk more.”

Riko’s smile is stunning to You “Yeah, it’s a promise” Riko says back, “See you” she says with a wave

“See you tomorrow” You calls back watching Riko carefully climb out of the bus. You breathes out once she’s out of sight and tries her best to ignore the racing of her heart.