Warm nights were becoming more common in Gamal. The ground was thawing and the oceanic waters becoming less bitter to traipse through. These were Aaradhya’s favourite times on Gamal, the open air, the sounds of rushing waves just behind the wall of trees. It was like living inside of a classical painting that they never wanted to leave.

Aaradhya was sitting in the creaky rocking chair on their front porch, rocking back and forth in patterns as their feet pressed against the wood below. Their hands were clenched together, a pitting in their stomach as they watched the shrubs before the house just to distract themselves from looking too hard at the road.

The Suzuki’s old van pulled over near Aaradhya’s house. He’d obviously borrowed it from his parents for the night. Kai rolled down the window. His hair was slicked back and his freckles brighter, “Hi.”

Aaradhya rose from the rocking chair and came closer to the van. They leaned their elbows on the open window and smiled, “Hi.”

Hopping in, Aaradhya clicked on their grey seatbelt as Kai drove towards the Church. The Suzuki’s van had grey faded seats. The cupholders were full with old coins that they’d left behind. In the row behind them a few knit blankets were thrown in haphazardly.

“Are you ready for the movie?” He asked with a huge smile on his face. Kai was wearing a grey crew neck sweater, his cross hanging over the neckline.

They drove past towering and winding trees as they sprouted new leaves. Bright colours overlapping on fluttering leaves and growing flowers. They passed through the main street of town, waving at a few others who were walking to Church instead.

Aaradhya sat back in their seat, “You know, I still have no idea what it is, appā won’t tell me.” They whined, “Can’t you?” Aaradhya had even tried to sneak a peek of the movie when their father had gone to the mainland to grab the DVD since they didn’t sell the new DVD versions of movies on Gamal.

He wagged a finger towards Aaradhya but kept his gaze on the road, “No way. I wouldn’t even tell you if I knew.”

Glaring at him Aaradhya picked up his phone and typed in the password, “Just for that, I’m picking the music, okay?”

Kai smirked, “Just no yodeling music.”

“You think I’m going to pick yodeling music?” Aaradhya didn’t even know if they could find yodelling music on the internet.

He shrugged, “I don't know, maybe you’re secretly a classically trained yodeler.”

“That’s not a thing!”

Pulling into the Church area, Kai drove past the bushes which still stood, flashes of that night stood out in Aaradhya’s memory.

A table was set up with the new projector pointed at the direct center of the long side of the Church wall. Multiple sheets were tied together but not quite perfectly. Some didn’t touch leaves behind dark shadows between the hanging sheets, like black fractures along white ice.

Aaradhya waved to their father who’d already been there for a while now. Despite the whole affair being very formal, he was still wearing his clergy uniform.

They parked and Kai popped the back so they could lay down and watch the movie. Together they pressed the seats down and threw a couple blankets and pillows beneath them to watch comfortably.

Suzanna traipsed up to them as Kai threw another pillow towards Aaradhya, “Hey guys. Did you hear about Robbie?” Kai and Aaradhya shared a look. Luckily Suzanna took their silence as not knowing, “Yeah, he rolled his ankle after getting drunk and tripping down his stairs.”

Suzanna gave a little giggle at her ex-boyfriends mishap, “Oh no, is he okay?”

She waved them away, “Oh yeah, he’s fine. Except for whining a whole lot. But really that’s not unusual.”

A voice caught Suzanna’s attention, “My mom’s calling me, bye guys.”

Their voices were heavy as both of them said goodbye, “Why do you think he lied?”

“Would you be able to explain what happened that night to your dad?” Aaradhya shook their head.

Others were in their camp chairs, bundled up as the daylight dwindled. The Laker sisters had brought enough sweets for everyone off island to eat too. There were normal oatmeal cookies, lemon tarts and even blueberry muffins. All of the Laker sisters, like usual, were wearing the same flower printed sweaters. Honestly, they’d be connected at the head if they could.

“Okay, let’s get this movie started!” Aaradhya’s father yelled, a bundle of claps broke out as the opening credits played. The movie began. “The Last Cross.”

It opened with a wide shot of a city, sirens roared over glass and metal buildings. Traffic covered the roads with high end cars and people slamming on their horns. An effervescent fog covered the dark sky, almost like it would rain fog.

“My Dad loves this movie.” Kai whispered.

Aaradhya leaned in further, “I’ve never seen it. What’s it about?”

“You’ll just have to find out.” He laid out another blanket over both of their laps.

In the end The Last Cross, was about a drug addict finding God and healing from his addiction. It wasn’t half bad but Aaradhya wasn’t exactly paying attention during it. With intertwined fingers that had drifted together barely ten minutes into the movie, every piece of Aaradhya’s pulse felt like it was stuttering and battering through them. Their focus was a long ways away from the sputtering projector on the Church wall.

The movie ended and neither had moved. Some others had fallen asleep, others had left, the Church courtyard was quiet.

“Kai! Look!” Tapping him on the outside of his hand with their interlocked hand. Aaradhya pointed up at the night sky, fireflies buzzed past them. Like they were made of small suns, as they landed near them the ground was illuminated.

Ushering themselves from the back of the van, Kai and Aaradhya stood without their sneakers in the blades of grass. Staring up at the fluttering fireflies as they flitted light into pockets of the starless sky both Aaradhya and Kai took a deep breath. “You know, fireflies talk to each other with their lights. They used morse code in their flashes of light.”

Aaradhya’s gaze drifted to Kai’s face. His eyes glowed with the reflection of the fireflies. He always looked serene whenever he talked about science, like he could understand everything about the world with a couple formulas and a bit of time.

Aaradhya suddenly wished that they’d brought their notepad, perhaps then they could understand the simplicity of the world as he could.

Dropping them off at home, Aaradhya leaned against the passenger door, “Tonight was fun.” It felt good to be near Kai, despite the worry that perturbed them about whatever was going on, it seemed too dull next to him.

Kai smiled and the small car lights flickered. Aaradhya had expected him to be sheepish like last time. But he brushed it off and tapped his thumbs against the beige leather steering wheel, “How about you pick the movie next time. Maybe something a little less depressing?”

“I’d like that.” At that moment Aaradhya found it very difficult not to sprout a strawberry bush in their grassy front lawn.