Twin Sisters’ Drive-In meet cutest

outfit but also with the pink hair in her icons and a coat bc it COLD

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When she'd seen the event listing at first, she had intended to ignore it. Even with the promise of gift cards after a free evening of snacks and movies (just one movie?) she decided that she would likely have better things to be doing with her time than getting all dressed up to meet someone she might not even like, to sit in a cramped car through a movie she probably wouldn't want to watch eating stale popcorn and chomping on candy no one would ever choose.

But looking at her calendar, she realised that her plans for February were dismally scarce, and talking to one of her few friends in the area she realised that she had... no friends. And she liked to dress up! It had been a while! Okay, fine! She could do this! She could sit with a stranger in a car in the cold for an hour and a half. Easy.

So now here she was, standing outside the designated car, trying to wrench the door open. Either it needed oiled or it had frozen shut and they hadn't noticed, and so while she waited for someone to return and help her, she tried to brute force it herself. Great start.

Outfit

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It had been on a whim that Cole had signed up for this event, finding that his valentines would be relatively empty and not exactly wanting to admit to himself that he was going to be feeling really single this month. It wasn't a good feeling, so it was nice to pretend that this was an actual date rather than some stranger being randomly assigned to him. Gathering a few snacks to share with his date, as his eyes fell upon an older woman attempting to open the door to a car.

His assigned car... So his date!

A bit of disappointment that she wasn't around his age, but hey, tonight could still be fun! "They not unlock it for us?" He questioned, tone teasing as he made his way closer.

She tugged hard on the door handle, rationality be damned! So what if it was a bad idea to try to force it open? If they weren't maintaining their cars properly it was their own stupid fault if she broke something!

Spewing angrish at the door that wouldn't budge, she didn't notice anyone approaching until they were up close and personal and she was basically hanging off the handle, putting her whole body weight into her feeble attempts to wrench the vehicle open. Looking back, she smiled politely, butter-wouldn't-melt mask firmly on as she greeted her date. Rather young wasn't he? What did they take her for?

"It's open but it won't.... well, open!" she whined, both hands now on the handle. "Attendant said he'd fix it but that was... ages ago." Maybe five minutes, realistically.

Huh, that was weird, maybe the doors had gotten stuck after a long while of not being used? The cars were pretty old, so it wasn't impossible, especially with how cold Colorado had been lately, he doubted that maintenance was a real top priority for a vehicle that you just sat in.

Brows furrowing, Cole would place his snacks down on the gravely ground before grabbing at his own handle. Assuming that he would be met with resistance as well, Cole would offer a hard yank, yelping in surprise as the door flung open easily enough for him and sending him back a step or two.

"Woah!" Wonderful first impressions were being made here, but at least his door was open.

"Alright... Maybe I can push from the inside?" Doubted she wanted to crawl over the console while in a dress.

Looking up in concern at her date's surprised yelp, she initially felt relief that he was apparently fine, and then confusion at how the opposite door had opened so easily after she'd spent a good five minutes at either one trying to use her mighty strength to wrench them open. Stepping back, she folded her arms after brushing her hair out of her face.

"Well clearly I loosened it for you," she said haughtily, though there was the tiniest smile on her face. Pushing from the inside was certainly one option... but with one door open they could surely just both get in the car? "You get into that seat," she suggested, pointing to her side. "And I'll get in after you."

Oh yeah, that was an option, wasn't it!

Well, that made things a million times easier, and Cole would do as instructed, shuffling his scrawny limbs over the console as he made his way into the other seat. The leather was absurdly loud with the movement, but Cole was probably just thinking too hard about it all as he officially settled into his seat.

"Oh I don't know, have you seen these guns." Flash of those bad boys, knowing full well that they didn't pack much of anything.

There, much easier! Off the young man disappeared into the vehicle and Marcie trotted round the front of it to join him on the open, less frozen side of the car, clambering in after him. Smoothing down her dress, she closed the door as she got comfy, looking over at her companion as he showed off his noodle arms. Oh my.

"Oh, well. I have now," came the noncommittal answer, her mind still thawing and not sharp enough to come up with something witty straight away, though she smiled in appreciation of what missy have been a joke. "Be careful with those in such a confined space. "

Cole would offer an amused snort as he allowed his arm to drop back down to his side, very aware that his arms induced about as much fear as a butterfly fluttering into your path might.

None at all.

"Don't worry," he assured, giving one of his biceps a hearty pat. "Got these guys fully under control." And because he didn't want to just talk about his scrawny arms forever, he'd add. "Cole by the way." A hand offered as well.

As he patted himself proudly, she gave his noodle arms another look and offered a politely amused smile. Nothing like a little mocking youthful bravado to start up a conversation! She did appreciate it, of course! Holding out her hand as though she expected him to kiss her knuckles reverently, she smiled a little wider, more genuinely. "Marcie," she said, with a rather ridiculous emphasis on that first syllable. "It's a pleasure, Cody. Any idea what's showing?" She had not checked, having been rather more preoccupied with getting into her dress and then, on arrival, into her seat.

Cole wasn't accustomed to the whole knuckle kissing thing, and so it wouldn't even cross his mind as he took her hand into his and offered a semi-awkward shake. The awkwardness rising a degree as she called him Cody, and Cole instantly decided that he wasn't going to correct her on that. If she wanted him to be Cody, then Cody he would be gosh darnit, and he honestly couldn't see this date turning into a second.

Not because there was anything wrong with Marcie, she was just quite a bit older than him was all!

"Nice ta meet you Marcie." He returned easily, releasing her hand as he glanced back towards the screen. "I think it was called All the Bright Places?' He'd never seen it though, so he knew jack about it.

If there was anything especially awkward in the atmosphere of the little vintage car, it went right over Marcie's head, whooshed right past her like a gentle breeze, barely noticed on a crisp autumn evening. The movie title didn't sound familiar to her, but the format of it made her pause to think for a minute. Hmm. She had a feeling about it.

"Do you suppose it will be a sad movie?" he wondered, face contorting into a grimace. "Gosh, it has that sense about it, doesn't it? That... kind of title. Like... A Walk to Remember." Was he old enough to remember that dismal affair? She sort of hoped not, because she had loathed that movie and if he didn't know about it, all the better for him, poor soul.

Cole would squint at the movie screen in thought as if an array of words would appear offering him the answers to Marcie's answers.

None would appear though, and he'd drag his gaze back towards the woman, a shake of his head. "I'm not sure, but if it is you're definitely going to catch me bawling." He couldn't handle sad movies at all, growing way too attached to the characters that appeared on the screen.

"Which, yeah, it does have that vibe doesn't it?'' UGH.

Oh no. A baby.

Truth be told, Marcie was quite often a bawler when it came to sad movies, but in a way that made her exceptionally angry if the movie wasn't even that good. She had loathed A Walk To Remember, but she had still been manipulated into crying at the appropriate moments, despite spending most of the film sitting with her arms crossed and her eyes rolled so far into the back of her head that she could see the synapses in her brain dying.

Still, she gave an apprehensive groan and a sympathetic smile in Coledy's direction.

"Do you suppose they'll provide boxes of tissues for free as well?"

"Doubt it." Cole answered with a slight narrowing of eyes, gaze roaming about the car that they both sat within.

"Movie theaters can be absolute sadist like that, but I suppose if they are the nicer kind then they'd probably leave some...." A drawl as his gaze continued to roam, falling onto the middle console and then the dash that sat in front of the woman. " Either here or there." A tap of his hand against the middle console before nodding towards her dash.

Aha! Maybe there were hidden treasures in the glove box! She smiled at Cole's ingenuity -- damnit, he had said Cole before, hadn't he? Awkward! -- and moved to try to open the glove box with a rough tug. It was far more force than was necessary. It fell open like it had been waiting for the slightest breeze to kiss it and Marcie elbowed herself in the gut, gasping with surprise and embarrassment. All that tumbled from within were leaflets containing information about the venue and the future showings of the season. No dice.

"Ah, well... maybe that was their plan all along, then," she groused, neatly gathering the leaflets from her lap. "Host a free movie showing and up the price of tissues."

Cole would move to open the middle compartment as Marcie made quick work of the glove compartment, wouldn't get much in the way of looking as the moment she gasped his head would shoot right back up.

"Are you alright?" He hadn't seen the blow to the gut, so he'd of course assume that something had scared her within the box. Looked to just be paper though, so... Hopefully she was okay. :(

"Big price to pay for a simple movie." He nodded, glancing back into the middle compartment to find nothing but dust. What was the point in having these things if not to put useful stuff in them!? "Guess it's just back of the hands and sleeves for us tonight."

"Oh, not at all!"

With a gentle huff and the lightest of frowns creasing her delicate features, she dipped a hand into her bag and then into her coat pockets, sure that she was clever enough to have packed away a few individual packs of pocket tissues! They were an absolute must for anyone's bag or coat, right? And yet somehow it seemed to have slipped her mind. All she found was her wallet, phone, and an earring previously considered lost.

"Ah. Well... " Peering past her companion, she squinted in the direction of the concessions stand. "Perhaps we could steal a few napkins."

Cole wasn't entirely opposed to using his sleeves, but if his date didn't want to use hers then he was more than willing to accommodate. Following her gaze towards the concession, he'd give a slight squint of acknowledgment.

"Yeah, that would be smarter, huh." He agreed, shuffling in his seat. "I can go grab us some?"

Only he was actually on the nonworking door side...

Her tongue poked out between her lips as if she really had to concentrate on the concessions stand, like the napkins would come to her if she willed it to be, so she wouldn't have to get out of the car.

Then Cole offered to go instead, and immediately she nodded, smiling sweetly, coquettishly.

"Would you kindly?" she trilled, and as soon as the words were out of her mouth she realised the flaw in his kind offer. Her face fell.

"Actually, allow me."

Damn this door and its stuck hinges, Cole felt like a total dud as realization hit the woman to his right. Definitely felt a total tool when his gentlemanly efforts were being hindered in this way, but unless this woman wanted him to crawl right over her, then she'd be left to exit the car regardless.

Ugh!!!

"I'm sorry." He offered, a deep frown pulling at the edges of his mouth.

It wasn't as big of a deal as either of them were making it. Although, it was rather brisk outside, putting it mildly. For all intents and purposes, it was actually a disaster. What if she literally froze into a statue on the way there and back?

But Marcie was no coward! She was many things, some of those things negative, but a coward?

Never!

So with stubborn, stiff-smiling politeness, she opened the car door and ignored the icy breeze on her ankles as she stepped out.

"It's not a bother, darling!" she instated, then headed out into the frosty wild.

It definitely felt like a problem, but that was just because Cole had been ingrained with chivalry from his mother, and he knew that this definitely would not stand with her. Still, nothing he could really do about it as his date dipped out into the frosty night to retrieve her needed napkins.

The only hope here was that she'd actually return.

Time to wait with very bated breath.

Her heels cracked through the thin sheen of ice that seemed to have formed in such a short amount of time, made up of moisture from the environment and spilled drinks, sparkling like auroras under her feet for the briefest moment as she sailed across the frozen landscape.

She didn't look as elegant as the thought of dancing on auroras sounded. Rather, she looked stiff, frozen in the middle and jumping awkwardly from foot to foot. She'd forgotten her coat in the floor of the car and raced in rusty marionette movements towards her goal - a solitary stack of napkins at the edge of the concessions stand.

Reaching it before her hands could go numb, she pilfered a fistful with a squeak of 'thank you kindly!', then booked it back to the car, feeling as though her very hair had become like what she imagined freeze-dried cotton candy looked like.

Cole would watch as the woman made off like a rocket, the guilt digging deeper into his gut as it became very obvious that she was freezing.

Why hadn’t he at least offered a jacket?! God he was the absolute worst!!!

As she returned, Cole would be quick to make up for his earlier mistake, pulling at the sleeves of his coat as she entered. ”Here, take my jacket.” The minuscule amount of warmth he could offer as he cranked the heater higher.

Clambering back into the car, shivering ever so slightly, she threw the napkins onto the dashboard so she could pull her hands closer, rubbing the goosebump-armoured skin on her upper arms. The young man offered his own jacket and turned up the heat, and what a gentleman! She offered him a sheepish smile and pulled his jacket around the coldest parts of her back and arms.

"That's so kind, dear," she murmured, shaky in her cadence.

Cole shook his head despite the pride that was bubbling in his gut at the compliment. ”Nah, it’s only right given I couldn’t go out there for you.” Cole declined, hands falling back down into his lap as his eyes pulled to the screen.

”Just hope those napkins come in good use for the movie.”

As the advertisements ended and the movie got underway, it became increasingly sostenuto that he efforts in the harsh weather were not in vain. Damn it all; it was a sad movie! And one for the young crowd at that! Remembering her date's proclamation that he was likely to be seen crying at sad movies, she made sure he had a few extra napkins and clutched one to her chin, balled up between her fingers, just in case her eyes betrayed her.

At first, Cole wasn’t quite sure how the movie would sit with him. Marcie had claimed it would be a sad movie, but there was still a chance that it wouldn’t sit that way with him.

And then the movie picked up, and suddenly without an invitation, tears were already pulling into his eyes. Vision blurring as water costed his irises and tumbled down his cheeks.

Thank God for the napkins, because he’d be shoving them against his face now. Fists balled up as he found his body leaning closer to the steering wheel deeply intrigued with the screen. A few sniffles would escape him, but he’d simply hope that they went unheard.

Her eyes were, of course, betraying her, leaking traitorously as Cole leaned right up over the dashboard, gazing mournfully through the windshield.

Dabbing the moisture from her face as discreetly as she could, she reached over to give the sniffling young man a pat of solidarity. The humidity in the car was rising, it seemed, all thanks to the uninvited sobbing session.

The pat only produced more tears as his head shook, hand offering another hard wipe to his eyes as he pulled in a deep breath.

”Its been a long time since a movie’s made me sob.” He chuckled, another sniffle breaking through in between.

This was why he watched actions more and more lately.

She accidentally pressed the tears dispenser when she patted his back, so she did the decent thing and handed him a bunch of scrunched up paper towels.

"It's almost over; you can do this," she whispered, doing all she could not to blink and release more tears of her own.

Could he though?

Could he really?

God, he was such a baby, BUT IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE HE HAD A EMPATHETIC HEART!!

his mother had said so!

”Remind me to check what movie is being shown before coming to one of these things again.”

Check the movie. Might have been a good plan, honestly. She couldn't say she was truly enjoying it but it was manipulating her regardless, which she did not appreciate. She presumed the same for her young date.

" I'll set a reminder for you," she promised, giving his back another pat and he eye another dab.

The movie ending was something of a relief, in all honesty, though she couldn't say she'd had a terrible time in such sweet company

Another scrub at his eyes with his sleeve as he pushed himself back into the seat.

"Thanks, you’d definitely be saving me." A shy grin as he turned back to the woman. ”Hope the crying didn’t ruin this night too much for you.”

What a sweet young man. Someone she might treat as a nephew or a little cousin if she was to see him again but she could sense that this was not in the cards. She desperately wanted to pinch his puffy, tear-streaked cheeks regardless, but she showed perfect restraint. Well. She squeezed his shoulder and gave him the tiniest shove but that wasn't pinching! Rather socially acceptable!

"Now when did I ever say my night had been ruined?" she chastised playfully, then began gathering her things as the credits rolled. "Very improper to put words in people's mouths!"

Snorting, the grin would pull wider.

”Oh, and pushing someone is more proper?” He’d retort jokingly, pulling his jacket closer as he prepared to leave. ”But I did have fun, so thanks.”

It wasn't exactly the night or date she'd expected but it had been fun nonetheless. Maybe she was never going to see the boy again, maybe they'd bump into one another somewhere down the line. She was fine with whatever, though of course it could never be anything more than, at best, a distant cousin kind of friendship if it came to it.

Thanking him in return and wishing him a safe trip home in this treacherous weather, she bundled herself up, grabbed one more box of free popcorn and began to make her way home, thankful for the experience even if it didn't change her life in any appreciable way.