GHOSTED Chapter One (first draft)
In case anyone missed it as it was posted in my last post I figured I would post it again.
This story has at the moment taken over my life and is all I’m thinking about. So I’m sharing the first three chapters here
A Cinematic Meet-Cute That Changes Everything
As everyone knows, there's no better way to spend your Friday evening than sitting in row F of an empty cinema feeling sorry for yourself. At least, that was what Grace was telling herself.
If Darcy was there he would have judged Grace's choice of seat. But he wasn't. He was probably at home lounging on Grace's sofa as though he owned the place. He didn't. He didn't even pay rent.
Grace was bored of the trailers already. She just wanted the film to start so she could start thinking about how pointless the characters' lives were, instead of thinking about her own mess of a life. Her friends were all settled down, living the couple's dream. Even her younger sister would be married soon, and here she was flailing. No failing at life.
Two rows behind Grace was Ren. He'd come to the cinema prepared to dislike the film; disliking things was his hobby, but particularly films. He'd read the reviews and come to the cinema to mock them silently.
Grace was, at this point, blissfully unaware of Ren's existence. She'd been too busy texting as she walked into the cinema. Some believe it would have been better if she had stayed blissfully unaware, but then we would have a very different story.
The film began. It was one of those films where nothing really happens and yet everything is meant to feel important. The dialogue was the kind that makes you want to scream at the screen. Which is exactly what Grace did.
"Who writes this crap?" Grace leaned back in her seat, arms crossed, staring angrily at the screen.
"Apparently someone who thinks plagiarising a thesaurus counts as plot." Ren's voice floated up behind Grace.
She froze. She had thought she was alone. In her future retelling of this story, she would tell people that her body was suddenly so hot she felt like she would spontaneously combust. But that was Grace just being dramatic as she was nothing more than just a bit warm.
She glanced over her shoulder and saw a man with glasses too big for his face and a mass of messy black hair watching her. "Sorry," she said.
"Do you often shout at films in public?"
Grace paused and looked around. It was wrong to talk in the cinema. But they were the only ones there. "Occasionally," she said. "But only the bad ones. You?"
"Only when I'm morally obligated to," Ren said. His voice was flat, dry, and somehow charmingly deadpan. "Which, to be honest, is most of the time."
Grace smiled to herself. "Are you also morally obligated to stay and watch terrible films?"
He nodded. "It's my life's mission to watch as many terrible films as possible."
"Then you probably have a list of films I should avoid."
"And a list of directors to sue for wasting my life." He stood up.
Grace hoped he wasn't leaving. She was enjoying her interaction with this strange-looking, slightly funny man. Ren had no plans of leaving; in fact he came and sat next to her, digging his hand into her popcorn bucket. On closer inspection, Grace decided he was cute. Cute enough to get away with helping himself to handfuls of her popcorn.
For the rest of the film, they muttered commentary under their breath, both attempting to make the other laugh, or raged at the missing plot and terrible characters, both feeling like they had improved the film with their opinions — they hadn't.
Ren observed that Grace was amusing, intelligent. Attractive, even. He did not, however, approve of these observations, but that wouldn't stop him continuing to make them.
When the credits started, Ren adjusted his glasses and looked at her. "Coffee?"
"Coffee?" Grace raised an eyebrow. Was it an invite?
"Coffee. To continue this conversation about how terrible that film was."
Grace knew she should end it here, that she should go back home and snuggle with Darcy — coffee would only lead to trouble. But she also knew she wouldn't end it here and that she would be joining him for coffee.
"Sure," she said. "Coffee it is. But only if you promise to buy. You owe me that after eating all my popcorn."
He smiled faintly. "I make no promises."
On hearing this Grace should have gone home, but we've all made mistakes like that, haven't we?
Thanks for reading! I’ll update with part two tomorrow