Becoming A Butterfly (The Butterfly Chronicles) by Mia Castile Read Free Book Online

him toward Henry. The lights lowered as the trailers began. Chase passed me my popcorn, and I began nibbling on it. We watched a trailer for a horror movie, and I jumped at the last minute when a buzz saw jetted across the screen. Both Chase and Henry chuckled under their hands, and I shrunk deeper into my seat. Chase leaned over, dug out a handful of popcorn, and said, “It’s supposed to scare you. That thumping in your chest means you’re living.” I just stared at him. He flicked up his eyebrows in amusement, smiled, and leaned back as another action movie trailer began. This was going to be a long night.
     
    I found my mind wandering as the plot was playing out. It was a typical bad guy kills secret agent’s family and frames the secret agent, who seeks revenge. This was along with an ancient artifact, the key to clearing his name. It was a little overacted, but I didn’t mind seeing Jason Staten without a shirt, but I digress. My mind wandered, and I imagined what would have happened if I hadn’t been such a chicken. Chase would probably be sitting where he is now, but Henry and I would be sitting closer to the top. I turned around and looked longingly at the corner seats in the last row against the wall. I might have even been brave enough to hold his hand, but here I was sitting between the two of them—Henry with his arms crossed leaning away from me, and Chase putting his hands in my lap every few minutes. Did this kid know nothing about personal space? I tried to pass him the popcorn; he was clearly enjoying it more than I was, but he held up his hand like he was through. As soon as I put it beside me on my seat, his hand was grabbing from the bottomless bag. After each fight scene, they would reach across me and high five each other, like they had something to do with it. They weren’t the only ones doing that either. Apparently this movie’s only demographic was boys between the ages of thirteen to seventeen. There were maybe three girls in the entire theater counting me, and one of them had managed to distract her boyfriend successfully. The other girl looked as bored as I was. The movie didn’t end soon enough.
     
    The three of us walked casually toward the parking lot. We stopped just a few cars away from my dad’s. With his hands in his pockets, Chase nodded toward another aisle, and said, “I’m over here; I’ll see you guys at school on Monday.” We smiled and waved. Henry ruffled the back of his hair and looked at the ground for a minute.
     
    “ Can I hitch a ride home? Byron dropped me off earlier. I could call him, but I figured that since we were neighbors and all…” I just stared at him a moment. I hadn’t even thought that he might need a ride.
     
    “ Yeah, just wait here a minute; I have to clean out the passenger seat.” He nodded, and I ran to the passenger side of the car. I dropped the wig in my purse and put my shrug on top of it. Luckily, there was an old McDonald’s bag that I grabbed and carried around the car. I dropped it and my purse in the back seat. We drove most of the way in silence.
     
    “ Sorry about Farrah… again,” I said, watching my mirrors too closely.
     
    “ It’s OK. It happens.” He leaned against the door, and stared straight ahead.
     
    “ She likes you, though,” I said softly. It was easier to admit it for someone else than for me.
     
    “ I like her, too.” He slowly grinned.
     
    “ Why? You don’t know her.” His grin faded, and our eyes held each other for a long moment.
     
    “ I’m getting to know her. She’s funny and smart and says what she thinks and what she feels. You could learn something from her,” he said tensely.
     
    “ You don’t know me,” I said, as I pulled up to the red light.
     
    “ Because you put up all these walls and sit in your corner judging everyone.” I just stared at him, and he returned my frosty glare.
     
    “ This is not happening.” I exhaled and looked down at my hands at the