Page 71 - The Mending Season

“We used to go there, me and Brit. We left last year.” “Oh,”was all I could manage to say.“Ok guys, you know the agenda, right?”KB said to us as shejoined the end ofthe ticket line. ‘Til get us the tickets.”She was paying? I seemed to be the only one who was sur­prised. Sumaya and Brittany turned to face me.“Did you just start this year?” asked Brittany.UT» Ja-“Do you like it?”UT» Ja.“The three ofus were friends when we were there. We meet for KBs birthday every year,” Brittany told me.“Her parents pay for everything,” Sumaya whispered. She was still playing with her hair.KB walked towards us and handed us the tickets. We had not even decided what we would be watching.“What would you like?” she asked us as we reached the refreshment stand. The three of them each got popcorn, chocolate and different flavours ofa drink called Slush Puppy, which I had never heard ofbefore.“Are you OK?” KB asked, as I had not asked for anything yet. I had always been taught that it was rude to take money from other people. No one should pay for your entire meal. So I stood silently, not able to decide ifI should pay for myselfor let KB pay. She stepped forward and got me a Slush Puppy, a bag of popcorn and a bar of Kit-Kat. I thanked her and fol­ lowed them into the movie theatre.I already knew what was on the “agenda”, as KB put it. First the movie, then lunch at a restaurant ofour choice and to KBs house for a swim in their pool. I had deliberately left my bathing suit at home and planned to say that I had forgotten it. I was not yet a good swimmer.At lunch, we sat in a booth at Pizza Hut, drinking cooldrinks from large glasses and each enjoying our own71