Part of me still expected everything that had been going on lately to be a huge, elaborate prank. I imagined Jasmine and the other girls, including Autumn, jumping out from behind Jem's car, pointing and laughing at me for thinking that he really wanted to take me to the mall. Cackling, they'd throw eggs at me and chase me off crying. 

None of this happened. Jem waved me over in the parking lot and nobody jumped out from anywhere. I got into his Audi, which looked far too big and expensive for a high school student, but I wasn't complaining. I took a deep breath before opening the car door. No big deal, just hanging out with the hottest guy in school. My heart pounded. 

"Hey," Jem greeted me with a smile, when I got in. "Had a good day?" 

"Yeah, it was fine," I replied, occupying myself with fastened the seatbelt so I didn't have to look at him with my stupid blushing face yet. "A bit surreal with people thinking I had something to do with Autumn's haircut." 

I instantly regretting my honesty. Just 'fine, how about yours?' would've been a great answer. Why would I remind Jem of his ex-girlfriend? 

Jem laughed, however. "Wait, you didn't put the shaver to her head yourself because you wanted to date me?" he joked. 

"Oh, God! Is that what people are saying!" I called out mortified, which only made Jem laugh even harder.

"Don't even worry about it," he waved away my concerns. "It's all talk."

I was kind of worried about it, but Jem quickly distracted me with telling about his day. He seemed to have an endless stream of jokes and entertaining stories from the football field available. I quickly forgot about school as Jem kept me laughing, and before I knew it we'd arrived at the mall. 

"About that movie," Jem said, "there's this new sci-fi, Ataraxia. It's playing in fifteen minutes. You game?" 

"Sure," I agreed promptly. Sci-fi wasn't necessarily the genre I enjoyed watching most, but I didn't hate it. I wouldn't hate it regardless if I was going with Jem. 

He explained the plot to me on our way there. The movie was about a human colony that lost contact with earth and had to fend for itself. Jem gave more details, but I found myself incapable of fully listening to him. My head was filled with cotton when I looked at Jem from this close. And with the simple realisation that I was walking with him, together, just us, I had to put all the effort into not freaking out. 

I was also very aware of the fact that Jem used to take Autumn to the cinema all the time. I wondered if that meant I was going to be his next long-term partner to go to movies with now that she was gone. With Jem, I'd even settle for a friend zone if we didn't end up dating. As long as I was allowed to stare at his beautiful face from up close. 

There was one thought still bothering me, however. It'd been banished to the back of my mind while Jem and I made our way to the cinema and he explained the movie's background and premises to me in a lot of detail. But once we sat down, the lights dimmed, and the commercials started playing, I found myself thinking of Autumn's words. She'd half mentioned Jem always making fun of something. The first thing I could come up with was with the female characters, especially the strong women type. 

There was a strong woman in the movie Ataraxia— a soldier named Amber. I had to stop myself from glancing at Jem when she appeared on screen in all her military uniform, intense gaze, glory. She had a few total fan service moments, and near the end she was the one saving the colony with a well placed sniper shot on the villain.

I could certainly see some groups of people complain about the female soldier online, so when the credits started running and the lights came back on, I was almost scared that was it. Jem was going to be a misogynist and lose all his attractiveness. 

Jem smiled at me. "So, what did you think?" he asked, already standing up. Apparently, he wasn't the type to wait until the credits were all the way finished or wait for a small after movie. I followed his example and lifted myself out of the comfortable cinema chair as well.

"I uh," I started, hesitating for a moment. I hoped with everything I had that Jem wasn't going to laugh or make fun of Amber as I went on, "I really liked the soldier woman, Amber." 

Jem's blue eyes sparkled as his face lit up. "I know, right!" he replied. "That shot at the end with the sniper was so cool. Really well made, and the music they used was even better. But, I won't get carried away in another monologue. I feel like I've been talking a lot today."

"No, that's okay," I quickly deflected his joking observation, even if it was true. "I'm more of a listener." 

That was true, too. I honestly didn't mind listening, and I was so relieved Autumn's problem with Jem wasn't what I thought it would be that I couldn't keep the smile off my face. 

Jem noticed. 

"Guess you really liked the movie," he commented as we stepped out into the crowded streets. We faced each other and he grinned. "So, picking it for you gets me a kiss?" he asked cheekily. 

Holy shit. Was this happening? Where were Jasmine, Annabel, and Autumn hiding, waiting to come out and laugh at me when I said yes? 

It honestly didn't seem like a joke. 

"Yes, sure," I blurted out, thoroughly embarrassed at how eager that sounded. Jem better hurry up with that kiss, or I was gonna pass out before it happened with all the blood flooding to my face. 

Jem's grin broadened and he leaned in for a small peck on the lips. I briefly smelled his aftershave, but it was over before I knew it. 

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Jem asked. 

I just stood there dumbly, staring and not realising he'd asked a question for a few good seconds. I blinked rapidly and snapped myself out of it when it finally registered Jem's words needed a reply. 

"Oh, uh, no," I hastily said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "No worries, I live close to the mall, and it's not dark. I can walk." 

"Alright, see you tomorrow then?" 

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." 

With a wave, Jem turned to walk away, but he seemed to change his mind and faced me again. With an impish grin, he pecked my lips one more time, before actually walking away.

He smiled at me over his shoulder, while I couldn't help but laugh at his antics, my cheeks burning.

 My laughter was soon over when Jem disappeared around the corner and I felt someone else staring at me. Saw it, too, from the corner of my eye. 

My heart skipped a beat when I turned my head  and found Autumn standing just outside the cinema building as well, arms crossed. She casually leaned against the wall. I noticed she'd even changed her clothing style, going for baggy jeans and sneakers today. 

By the looks of it, she'd seen everything. From up close. Very up close.

"You move fast, don't you?" she asked once we made eye-contact. 

With the way her remark felt, combined with her sarcastic tone, I could've sank through the concrete right there and then. I wished the earth would open up and swallow me whole. 

I swallowed with difficulty. There was nothing left of the euphoria I'd experienced just  before with Jem. 

"You were watching a movie as well?" I dumbly asked.

"Uhu," Autumn confirmed. A short answer for a dumb question. 

"You, uh," I struggled to come up with a way to continue our conversation. Was it possible to both desperately want to prolong a conversation and end it at the same time? 

I noticed nobody was with Autumn, and a question finally popped up in my head. "You went alone?"

"Sure." 

The fact that this question could be taken as making fun of, only struck me when a small line appeared between Autumn's brows. 

Why could I never say anything right around her? She made me so nervous I kept digging a deeper and deeper hole. 

Exhibit A: my next panic remark in the desperate scramble to change the topic again.

"He didn't say anything about Amber, the woman in the movie," I word vomited, much to Autumn's understandable, visible, and irritable confusion.

"Who?"

And there was no way to backtrack. Autumn wasn't stupid; she knew there was only one 'he' in my life, and definitely only one 'he' with whom I just watched a movie. 

"Jem," Autumn concluded, the confused frown lingering. "What are you talking about?" 

"I, uh," I reluctantly started, "I accidentally overheard you saying that Jem always makes fun of—" 

I let my sentence end unfinished, but finally there was a glimmer of recognition in Autumn's hazel eyes, right before she scowled.

"Ah, yes, Amber the fanservice, no-muscles-whatsoever because imagine how unattractive, soldier. Of course, Jem's not going to make fun of the beautiful, young actress who stays perfectly within the lines," Autumn lashed out.

I cringed at the acidity. I'd said something really dumb again without meaning to, and Autumn was never far away with the punishments. 

"I see," I mumbled stupidly, and there it was again: that look on Autumn's face. Something akin to disappointed judgement.

"I'm sorry if I offended you in some way," I offered. 

It was last shot at stopping this quick free fall I seemed to be in with Autumn, but she just gave me another push down, by arching a brow and giving me contemptuous once-over. 

"I don't think about you enough to get offended by anything you do," Autumn replied, already turning away from me. "Just don't think this will be an easy ride."