SSMM Epilogue 1

It’s Miami at night. Rainwater runs down the windshield of Jane’s CX5.

Ava holds her phone as she sits in the passenger seat. She gazes through at the brick wall in front of the car, where half a faded poster for FUTA flaps gently.

Thoughts about what happened that weekend in April are never too far away. There’s something chilling about her memories of Karina, but worse than that, it all strikes Ava as being deeply sad.

Aubrey is dead because of Viv’s lifestyle, and Viv is alive because of it. Sometimes Ava wonders how Viv plans to live with that.

Jane opens the door and climbs into the driver’s seat with a bag, her light jacket spotted with rain.

“Don’t go all depression mode,” Jane warns sternly.

“I’m not,” Ava replies, taking the bag from Jane. Lights flash behind them; they’re parked at a gas station in West Tamiami. She peers into the bag. “Bro, this is the noisiest, crinkliest snacks in the world.”

“You act like it’s my first day.” Jane pulls out a pair of ziplock baggies.

“Mmmhmm.” Ava takes them from her, and Jane starts the car. As they pull to the light, Ava begins the process of opening the snacks and transferring them into the baggies. M&Ms. Pretzels. At least Jane had the sense to get drinks in bottles that aren’t carbonated. Apple juice.

Jane catches Ava examining one of the bottles. “It’s a good year,” she says.

“Ah, yes.” Ava sniffs the bottle. “Notes of high fructose corn syrup.”

“Oh, you have no nose for vintages. That’s high-dextrose corn syrup.”

They pull in at the plaza, finding the rainswept lot full. Umbrellas bob around everywhere. It’s a Friday night, and it feels like everyone in Miami is here.

“I guess you hold the umbrella,” Jane says as she turns off the car.

“I’m busy stashing pretzels.”

“Put them in your boobs.”

“That’s the first place they’ll check. You hold the umbrella.”

“I need my hands free.”

“You’re serious?” Ava rolls her eyes. Jane is supposed to be the brains of this relationship.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this.”

“You said it’s since you got the idea in eighth grade.”

“I didn’t think you’d remember that. Since the eighth grade. That’s a long time,” Jane insists.

“OK, babe. Whatever you want.” Ava stuffs the bottles of apple juice in her purse and gets out her umbrella. She climbs out and goes around to Jane’s side. Together, they join everyone else hustling across the parking lot to the plaza.

As soon as they reach the sidewalk, Jane gets behind Ava and covers her eyes.

“Already?” Ava squawks.

“Ten steps forward.”

“This is some fifty shades shit,” Ava mumbles, stumbling along.

“This is my dream.”

“OK. Gah!” Ava bumps into the door as Jane tries to get it open for her.

“It’s OK. You’re fine,” Jane assures her.

“Ow!” Ava rubs her sore shoulder. The smells of people, rainwater, and popcorn wash over her. The theater lobby is refreshingly cool compared to the oppressive, damp warmth outside.

Since the eighth grade, Jane has supposedly wanted to play this game with a date. It seems dumb to Ava, but doing something so small to make her girlfriend happy is no problem. Resignedly, Ava allows herself to be marched.

“Uh, don’t mind us. Not a sex thing. Promise,” Jane is saying.

“Oh my god.” Ava blushes. People must be staring. But this is Miami; there’s no way that she and Jane are the weirdest folks around.

Finally, they come to a stop.

“So what are my choices?” Ava asks.

“I’m working on it. There’s actually only two about to start, so it’s easy.”

“Great. How do I know I want to see either of these?”

“Because I want to see them. And when I’m happy, you’re happy.”

Ava sighs. Truer words were never spoken.

“OK. On the left, we have these cool chicks. They’re just so cool.” Jane is describing the movie poster without revealing the title. “The coolest.”

“How do we know they’re cool?” Ava asks obstinately.

“Because they’re wearing sunglasses and they look so serious. I’m for real. These broads are the coolest motherfuckers on the planet, Ava. One of them has a gun. They’re making these serious faces. Intense. And it’s all blue, you know? That’s how you know it’s serious.”

Ava smiles. “OK. And what’s the other one?”

“Uhhh. These ones aren’t dressed as nice. It’s the desert. You can tell by the old-timey water tower. They look scared. The poster has teeth on it.”

“What kind of teeth?”

“I don’t know. Teeth. What am I, a dentist?”

“So we got the coolest broads ever and scared chicks in the desert?”

“Yeah.”

“What are they rated?”

“Um, cool chicks is R. Scared chicks is PG-13. So pick.”

“And these are from the 90s?”

“Yaahhhs.”

“OK.”

“And pretend that you’re enjoying this.”

Ava is enjoying herself. The movie game is dumb, but spending a night out together is as good as it gets.

[ The movie that Ava chooses will be the next SS story. Cool chicks in sunglasses? Or scared chicks in the desert? Open ]