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She offers you a cigarette from her pack and you take it, your fingers brushing hers lightly. You stick the cigarette between your lips and lean in close as she pulls out a lighter and lights her cigarette and yours. You take a long drag and exhale smoke from your nose. The two of you look over at Damara, who doesn't take one of Meenah's cigarettes because she brought her own and it stinks and you know if the cops show up, all three of you will get in trouble before they figuresout it's just Damara's that stinks like that, but you also know you won't get caught because you've never been caught and you've done this at least a dozen times before and this time will be no different.
You shuffle from one foot to the other, stuffing your hands in your leather jacket. None of you say anything but you don't have to. You just watch the people as they give you a little more space when they walk past, and then glance over their shoulders like they expect you to follow them in to the theater. Checking your watch one last time, you take a final drag from your cigarette, pluck it from your lips, drop it to the cement and grind it out with your heel. You give a small nod to Meenah and Damara, who walk off in the opposite direction. You follow, watching the way Meenah's braids swing and the way Damara's hands are balled in to fists in the back pockets of her jeans. They walk around to the side of the building, to the door labeled 'Fire Escape'. The full dumpster reeks as you creep past it, glancing over your shoulder to make sure no one followed you into the alley. Damara puts her ear up to the door and after a few seconds, she pulls the door open a crack and peeks in. Without a word, she pulls it open just far enough to slip though, and you and Meenah are a half step behind her. The theater is empty and the three of you cross the room to the small door that leads to the stairs to the balcony. The balcony isn't used anymore except for big opening night shows and premieres, so the door to the stairwell was usually locked. Damara pulls a bobby pin from her hair and hands it to Meenah who kneels down in front of the door and picks the lock. She gets the door open in about fifteen seconds and she stands up, pursing her lips proudly. All three of you could pick a lock with relative ease, but Meenah was by far the fastest, and she was the one who had taught you and Damara.
Meenah and Damara rush up the stairs, Damara's light laughter bouncing off the walls as you close the door behind you and hurry after them. The seats are dusty and the floor creaks beneath you. Meenah sits down, Damara on her left and you on her right. The show was set to start soon and Damara pulls her cigarette from her mouth and passes it to Meenah, who takes a long drag and then passes it to you. You blow a smoke ring and Damara just laughs at you, taking the cigarette back and blowing a smoke ring and shooting an arrow through it. Meenah lightly slaps Damara's knee, telling her to stop showing off, and she crosses her legs and you know she's jealous because she can't blow smoke rings at all. You fake a yawn and try to slip your arm around Meenah's shoulders, but she grabs your hand and twists, making you cry uncle in seconds. She releases you and you snatch your hand back, rubbing your sore wrist and glowering at Meenah. She plucks the cigarette from Damara's hand and takes a drag, blowing the smoke into your face. You cough and hear both of them laughing at you and you're tempted to put that cigarette out on Meenah's nice leather jacket.
The doors beneath the balcony open and you hear people start to file in and take their seats, and the three of you sink a little lower in your seats and stop talking. You are near silent until the lights dim and the movie starts. The three of you manage to stay quiet for about fifteen minutes, until Meenah can't keep quiet about the female lead's flat chest. Damara laughs loudly and says something about a pot calling a kettle black and you must admit that you like the look on Meenah's face when she huffs at Damara. You nudge her arm with your elbow and say that you think her chest is still killer even if it is almost flat as a board.
She hits you in the back of the head, making you yelp. Damara lets out another airy giggle and takes another drag on her cigarette.
The three of you poke fun at the film, talking loudly over dialogue, sometimes even making up your own. Your laughter was raucous and contagious. Every so often you would catch a member of the audience on the ground floor looking back angrily. The first time they did it, you stuck your tongue out at them. The next time they did it, you stuck your middle finger out at them.
Just past the halfway mark of the movie, the door to the stairs opens and two ushers walk towards you, trying to look as menacing as they can, considering they were both probably sixteen and skinny enough to break over your knee. You, Meenah, and Damara jumped up and started running in the opposite direction. There were stairs on the other side of the balcony and Meenah got there first, slamming the door open and the three of you dashed through it. Damara shut the door after you, laughing with glee. Your feet thundered beneath you and you glanced over your shoulder long enough to toss Damara a smirk. The ushers were chasing you down the stairs and you slammed open the door at the ground floor and dashed out into the theater. Every single pair of eyes in the audience was focused on you three as you ran out to the lobby. The ushers were yelling at you to stop but you just kept running, knocking popcorn and soda out of random strangers' hands on the way. Meenah pushed her way through the crowd, forcing people to the left and right as she cleared a path straight to the front doors.
The three of you dash through the front door and turn left and dart down the street. You check over your shoulder and see the ushers standing just outside the front entrance, shaking their head. You whoop and holler and punch the air and grin at Meenah and Damara.
After maybe six or seven blocks you turn around the corner and stop to catch your breath. You peek around the building and can see all the way down to the movie theater and you let yourself breathe a small sigh of relief when you see that no one is pursuing you. All of you lean against the building, catching your breath and grinning wide, mischievous grins. You punch the air again and pull Meenah and Damara in close and give them big fat kisses, Meenah on her cheek and Damara on her forehead. Damara seems pleased and Meenah pushes herself out of your grip and rubs at her cheek, but you can see she's blushing and she can't fight back the grin.
"Well that was... thrilling," you say, standing up straight and pulling your cigarettes from your pocket and offering one to Meenah and Damara. Meenah takes one and pulls out her lighter. You stick a cigarette between your lips and lean in close so she lights your cigarette too. You stare at her eyes and the way her hair curls around her ears and the freckles on her cheeks that she punches you for pointing out. You inhale slowly and exhale through your nose. You think it looks cool but Damara tells you that you look stupid. (She tells you that a lot, but you choose to ignore her. What does she know about cool anyway?)
Damara crosses her arms and you know she's feeling the light fall chill in the air and without a word, you take your jacket off and drape it over her shoulders. She slips her arms through the sleeves and the jacket is big enough to drown her but instead of making her look childish, she looks like she doesn't care that it doesn't fit, and it looks cool. She blows a smoke ring in your face and you cough and accept it as thanks.
Down the street a little is a tiny bar and you can hear music blaring already. Meenah asks if you guys want to go check out, maybe play some pool, maybe earn enough money to pay to see the movie. You laugh and say you aren't ever paying for a movie when you can sneak in to the theater. Damara mentions that she'll be able to flirt her way in to getting someone to buy her a drink and starts walking towards the bar. You and Meenah catch up and the three of you walk off in to the night.