Kindred Spirits Read Free Page B

that didn’t exist.) (They were statistically
insignificant!)
    After the photographer left, Elena didn’t start another cheerful conversation. Gabe excused himself to walk around the block. Troy watched TV on his phone.
    Elena took out her phone just long enough to take a photo of her flowered sneakers. “
My legs are permanently asleep
,” she posted. “
#LineProblems
.” Then she
immediately put her phone away, before she could start wandering around online and enjoying herself.
    When Gabe came back he was frowning more than Elena had ever seen a human being frown. Even her mother. It was the longest afternoon of her life.
    By Tuesday evening, deep malaise had set in. Luke-staring-into-both-suns-of-Tatooine malaise.
    Elena hid her face whenever movie-goers walked by. She only perked up when her mom came by around ten.
Gotta keep up appearances.
    When Elena stood up to go to the car, her whole body felt numb with cold and disuse. Her mom shoved a hot-water bottle out the window. “Here.”
    It was so hot that Elena dropped it. “Thanks,” she said, picking it up.
    “I don’t think George Lucas would want you to do this,” her mom said.
    “I didn’t know you knew who George Lucas was.”
    “Please. I was watching Star Wars movies before you were born. Your dad and I saw
Empire Strikes Back
five times in the theater.”
    “Lucky,” Elena said.
    “George Lucas is a father of daughters,” her mother said. “He wouldn’t want young girls freezing to death to prove their loyalty.”
    “This isn’t about George Lucas,” Elena said. “He isn’t even that involved in the sequels.”
    “Come home,” her mom said. “We’ll watch
Empire Strikes Back
and I’ll make hot cocoa.”
    “I can’t,” Elena said. “I’ll lose my place in line.”
    “I think it will still be there for you in the morning.”
    “Goodnight, Mom.”
    Her mom sighed and held out a venti Starbucks cup. “Stay warm. I’ll leave my ringer on tonight in case you change your mind.”
    Elena sat down with her coffee and tucked the hot-water bottle into her sleeping bag. It felt
amazing
.
    “Call your Mom,” Gabe said flatly. “I want to watch
Empire Strikes Back
and drink hot cocoa.”
    She realized now that the coffee was a set-up.
    It was two in the morning, and Elena was going to wet her pants. She looked up the line. Troy was wrapped in sleeping bags and a polar fleece, like a mummy. Gabe had pulled his knees up and
tucked his head down a few hours ago.
    Elena had been sleeping. Badly. She felt groggy and out of sorts and her bladder actually
hurt
.
    She kept fidgeting. Gabe lifted his head. “What’s wrong? Are you cold?”
    “No,” Elena said. “I mean, yes, of course. But no—I’m going to wet my pants.”
    “Don’t do that,” Gabe said.
    “
I can’t help it.
What am I supposed to do?”
    “Go pee somewhere.”
    “Where?”
    “I don’t know. Behind a car or something.”
    “That’s illegal!” Elena said. “And gross!”
    “Not as gross as peeing your pants.”
    Elena closed her eyes. “Ughhhhhhhhhhh. Where have you guys been peeing?”
    “Inside the theater,” he said.
    “Don’t you ever have to go at night?”
    He shrugged. “No.”
    Elena felt tears rolling down her cheeks.
    “Don’t cry,” Gabe said. “That won’t help.”
    She kept crying. It was going to happen soon.
    “OK,” he said, standing up. “Come on.”
    “Where are we going?”
    “To let you pee.”
    “We can’t leave without telling Troy,” she said. “Code of the Line.”
    “The Code of the Line also includes not soiling it. Come on.”
    Troy had an extra-large Coke cup, and Gabe grabbed it. Elena got up, carefully, and followed him around to the back of the theater.
    “OK,” he said, holding out the cup. “You go behind the dumpster, pee in this cup, then put it in the dumpster.”
    “What if there are cameras?” Elena said, taking the cup.
    “I can’t help you there. This isn’t
Mission: Impossible
, you