Just a little note to say that even though Paul has decided to go his own way now, I’ll still be carrying on with a1 fan fiction, and he’ll still be included in my fics, as, as far as I’m concerned, he’s still part of a1. Hope you like this chapter, tho!! Just read it thru and it’s slightly gay… never mind, haha! Lotsa luv, Kate xxxx

Chapter Sixteen

Walking along to the ODEON cinema, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Why?

Because Christian had his arm around my waist the whole way there.

I was amazed when he’d done it. We’d just come out of Alessandro’s, and he’d put his arm around me straight away, and brought me closer to him. Now I was so close I could even smell his aftershave! Not that I had any idea of what it was, but it was lovely. And you get that feeling of such warmth and security when he’s got your arm around you- I can’t really explain it. But I loved it very much.

We’d almost reached the cinema when, in a weird kind of interruption to the lovely silence, his mobile phone went off.

Just once, to show he’d been texted.

He ignored it and continued walking, but I looked up at him and said, “aren’t you going to read that?”

He shook his head.

“But it might be important. It might be to do with the band,” I said.

“I don’t want any interruptions,” Christian insisted.

“But it might be urgent,” I went on. I didn’t want him missing anything!

He stopped walking, and so did I. Sighing, he let go of me (damn! Kate- think next time!) and he reached into his jacket pocket, took out his mobile phone and turned it on to read the message.

After a minute, he started laughing.

“Read this,” he said, holding it out to me.

I was really hesitant. I shouldn’t really be reading his messages, should I?

“Erm…”

“Go on, it’s fine. You should read it,” he grinned, holding it out.

I reluctantly took it and read the message on the screen.

As soon as I realized who it was from, and what it was about, I saw the funny side of it too, and started laughing.

God, he really does have ‘concerned’ friends, I thought! Well… in a weird kind of way. Bored friends, more like!

This is what the message said:

Hey! How ya doin? Hope ur d8’s goin ok- hope ur enjoyin urself! Don’t get 2 scared at that film now! Tlk 2 u l8r, Paul P.S Ben’s jamming on ur red guitar!

I gave the phone back to him, still laughing.

“Paul always check up on you like that?” I grinned.

“They’re just annoyed ‘cos they had to stay in tonight. Well- they didn’t have to. They just couldn’t be bothered to go out!” He grinned. “Let me just text him back and then I’ll turn it off.”

So I waited whilst he did that, and then he turned it off and put it into his pocket again.

Then, to my delight, he put his arm around my waist again and we carried on walking.

“What did you say?” I asked, hoping he wouldn’t think I was being too intrusive.

He grinned. “I told him to go and do something interesting and stop texting me. And then I told Ben to get off my guitar and go jam on his violin instead.”

I laughed. “I’m sure he’ll be pleased!”

He shrugged. “He can’t even play the guitar! If he breaks it, he’s in major trouble.”

Sudden lights made us both stop talking and look up.

We were finally at the ODEON!

The outside was quite busy, and the signs were all really bright against the dark sky. It was about 7.45 now.

It did occur to me that lots of people would see me here with Christian a1 and think what the hell? Woah! But hopefully a lot of people wouldn’t notice or recognize him. He wasn’t particularly in disguise tonight, but I was silently hoping no-one would be staring too much.

We went in, and as soon as we did so, Christian let go of me.

I don’t know why he did that.

Part of me, the negative part, was thinking now we were around people, he didn’t want to show people how much he liked me and that he was embarrassed by me- but I just told myself to stop being stupid and pushed it to the back of my mind.

Lots of people wanted to see The Gift, so we had to queue. Christian insisted on buying both the tickets, even though I pleaded with him to let me buy mine. I already had the feeling that that meal at Alessandro’s had been a lot of money, and I felt guilty being a sponge like this.

But I hadn’t noticed anyone staring yet- good sign!

Maybe the people here were too ‘cool’ to like a1 (sad people)…

We went into the cinema itself (Screen 2) and we decided to sit on the right, kind of more to the back at the end of the row, near the aisle.

Once we had got settled down in our seats, Christian asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink.

“Oh- I don’t know, Christian…” I said uneasily. “You’ve already spent so much already…”

“I’ve told you- stop worrying about that! Money’s fine,” he smiled. “Now- do you want popcorn or not?”

“Erm… only if you do,” I said.

“Well, of course I do! You always have popcorn at the cinema!” He laughed.

I laughed, too. “Erm… ok…”

“So- what do you want; salted or sweet?” He asked.

‘Oh, sweet definitely!” I said, and he nodded whole-heartedly.

“I know, salted is disgusting. You’re so much easier than Mark- he always wants salted, and I always want sweet so we have to buy 2 different tubs! You want a coke, too?”

I nodded, thinking it would be easier than to argue. He was determined to have the best of everything! Which wasn’t a bad thing, I guess…

‘Alright then. I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, getting up.

“Want any help?” I offered.

‘No thanks. You stay here- keep our seats!” He grinned, and then he was gone.

I just sat there on my own, contemplating how things were going.

Good, I decided. Except he kept paying for everything, which I felt guilty for. But at least I’d relaxed a lot more now and was being more chatty. And Christian was just great- he made me feel so at ease, all my worries had disintegrated.

The cinema was gradually filling up now. Very popular movie, obviously. I hoped it was good and scary- well, not too scary for Christian’s sake! I wondered if he’d keep to his decision to hold my hand if things got too gruesome…

“Kate!”

I clicked back into the present- and froze. Uhoh. Someone had just said my name…

I slowly turned to the aisle.

“Kate- hi!”

Oh no. It was Sarah from my teaching course. She was in all my classes- and I knew her to talk to, but not very well. But she’d just seen me- and come over.

‘Hi!” She grinned again.

“Erm… hi,” I said uncomfortably.

Oh shit, shit, shit- this was very bad. She can’t see me here with Christian- she can’t!

‘Here to watch the movie?” She smiled.

Well, duh, I thought. I nodded.

“Yeah, me too! Who are you with?” She asked.

Well, at least she didn’t think I was being a billy, coming to the movies on my own.

“Ohhh… uhhh… just- just a friend,” I smiled.

“Oh! Cool. I’m here with my boyfriend!” She giggled, as if it was the most unbelievable thing ever, that he’d come with her (or that she even had one).

“Oh. Right,” I said, willing her to go away. Christian would be back in a second- and if she saw him, she’d recognize him in a second- and then on Monday morning at Uni, she’d tell everyone I was at the cinema with Christian a1 on Friday night.

Arraghhhh!! No, no, no, no, NO.

“So-er- where’s your friend?” She asked.

“Gone to get popcorn,” I said.

“Ohhhh! Me too! That’s where I’m going!” She said, laughing.

Well, go on then you muppet, I thought to myself tiredly. Please get lost.

It’s not that I didn’t like Sarah- it’s just that she can’t be here. Not now.

I nodded, wishing she’d leave.

“I’d better go, then,” she said as if on cue. “Nice to see you! Maybe I’ll catch you after the film!”

Maybe you won’t, I thought quickly. But I just whisked her along. ‘Alright then. Bye!” I said.

“Bye!” She replied, and to my great relief, left.

Pheeeewwww. That had been close.

And about half a minute later, Christian reappeared, with a drink of Diet Cola and a tub of popcorn.

“Hey!” He grinned, passing me the popcorn. ‘Have I missed anything?” He added, as he sat down on my left.

Nope, just Sarah and near disaster, I thought! I shook my head.

“Cool. Help yourself to anything,” he smiled.

Hmmmm, I thought. He means the food and drink, Kate, now stop it!!!

A few minutes later, the adverts came on, and then the lights dimmed and the film came on. And about five minutes into it, to my utter surprise and delight, he put his arm around me and rested his head on mine.

I tensed up a bit, knowing how close he was, but then I began to relax.

In fact, I was relaxed around him fullstop.

The film started off pretty spookily, and I thought wahoo! We’re in for a good film here! And poor Christian- every time a tense moment came on, because he had his arm around me, I could feel him tighten up.

Awwww- he really didn’t like horror movies, did he? I really mustn’t let him borrow Scream or I still know what you did last summer- he’d be dead!

When the ‘scary’ (they weren’t that bad!) bits did come on, I felt I had enough confidence to grab his hand and hold it tight for him. Didn’t see him complaining, so I think he appreciated it! It felt really good as well- like I was looking after him. What a sensitive sweetie!

The film soon settled down into the plot after that. Much to my delight, Keanu Reeves was in it- wahoo! So it was a very good film.

And half-way through it, during one of the ‘slower’ moments, Christian started nuzzling into the side of my head- which was slightly unnerving at first and I kind of tensed up again, but then, when I found it really, really nice, I began to settle back and enjoy it.

“You look really gorgeous tonight, Katherine,” he suddenly whispered in my ear.

I frowned and let out a little laugh.

I turned to him, brushing him off me as I did so. “Christian- we’re at the cinema!” I laughed.

What the hell can he see?! It’s pitch dark in here!

“I know that,” he laughed back. “But I couldn’t stop looking at you at the restaurant.” And then he cuddled back up to me again, leaving my heart beating really fast and my face as red as Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari.

Oh God- if he really meant that- really, really meant that- ARRAGHHH!

I think I’m in heaven!

As the film concluded, we sat in silence and watched, but my mind wasn’t 100% on the film anymore- and you could understand why.

He ‘couldn’t stop looking at me’ at the restaurant! Wa-hoo! Funny; I hadn’t really noticed him, but if he said he had, then I believed him! Of course I did!

Wow. He liked me. He really did!!!

When the film finished, I remembered Sarah, and quickly made my way outta there. I couldn’t slip up now! It was nearly the end of the evening- and she couldn’t see us together now. How unfair that would be!

But that thought did hold with me.

It was nearly the end of the evening. Just the drive home now. Then… ughhh, don’t think about it, Kate. Concentrate on now.

‘That wasn’t too scary!” Christian said brightly as we left the ODEON and started walking back to the yellow Fiat Punto.

I smiled and shook my head. ‘No… it was good. You like it?” I asked.

He nodded. ‘Yeah- I did. Better than the film the other night- didn’t have Ben throwing up everywhere!”

I laughed.

“Did you like it?” He asked.

I nodded. “Yeah- not scary enough, though!” I teased, and laughed.

We reached the car, and climbed in and then Christian drove off into the night.

We chatted a bit more about the movie for a while, and then we had a playful argument over which was scarier- Deep Blue Sea or Jaws.

It was really great chatting away to him, but I couldn’t shake away that feeling that we were going to be apart in about 10 minutes.

Ohhh… I didn’t want him to go! It had been such a lovely evening- and I wanted it to continue. I wanted to be brave enough to suggest we went onto a club or something, but I wasn’t. And anyway- Christian had driven out of Greenwich town centre now, so it was a bit stupid getting him to go back.

So, I had to sigh really heavily in my head and accept that the evening had come to an end.

He did want another date though, didn’t he?!

Oh- when, when, when?!! I hope he arranges one before we part tonight, I thought. Oh my God- I wonder if he’ll snog me again? Oh- I hope he does! He hasn’t since before dinner, and I think I’m getting withdrawal symptoms…

Mmm… his lips are sooo nice… oh, I hope he does kiss me again. I’ve been dying too all night. I wonder if he has, too?

Oh, I hoped he’d had as good a time as me…

We came to a stop then- traffic lights. We were in a queue of cars, about 10 minutes from my flat.

Enjoy these last few minutes Kate, I told myself. You don’t know when you’re gonna see him again.

He was tapping his finger impatiently on the steering wheel- oh God, did he want to go home so soon?!!

But then he suddenly turned to me, and I looked back.

He gave me a shy smile when our eyes met; he looked embarrassed all of a sudden. “Erm… Katherine…do-do you want to come back to my place for a coffee?” He asked.