Running into you was unexpected, to say the least. At least you looked as surprised – dare I say, horrified? as I felt. The woman seemed surprised, too – the look on my face must have given everything away. It certainly did to Thane, one of the guys I was with. He was sweet – did you notice? Leaned against me, to shield you from me, and me from you. (He’s more than tall and broad enough!) He wanted to see who you were, to have you pointed out – he offered to take you out for me, as well. Guys can be so sweetly overprotective.
He made it back into the theatre before I did – I’m sure it was obvious that our group was sitting in two spots, one on the balcony and the other, well, right behind you. I was in that latter group; I know you know this, I saw your reaction as you heard me laughing.
Thane told the people upstairs you were here; Kyle, the guy I was leaning against and talking to throughout the movie actually recognized you. He was quite concerned, and I knew he had seen you. I told him, before could tell me. “The scarf?” was all he asked. I nodded, and he pointed you out to everyone else on the lower level, before I went upstairs.
Like I said, Thane told the upstairs people. He and Charles kept offering to take you out; I needed the night out more than you did, they said. Kirsten went into empathy mode, trying to figure out how shaken I was. All the other guys – Erol, Byron, otherKyle, Shane, Darren, all kicked into overprotective mode, too. Kirsten tried to convince me to sit upstairs with them; I wasn’t going to let you chase me from my chosen seat.
I realized, after I sat down, and thought for a moment, that it wasn’t seeing you that was such a shock – it was bound to happen, we have the same tastes. (Another reason I avoided buying those U2 tickets.) It was the woman you were with, and the entire crowd. There must have been at least 30 people with you. There is no way you met and made friends with these people in the short ammount of time that we’ve not been speaking. Their existance underscores the fact that there was a huge segment of your life I knew nothing about. There are probably many.
Still, I’m grateful it happened the way it did. It drove home something I’ve been shakey about; I have friends, and they care about me.
I hope you enjoyed the movie. I did.