– PRIDE MONTH 2020 –
She was a mess by the time the credits rolled: cheeks glistening with tears, hair falling down from her brow in messy strands, her hands dampened by futile attempts to wipe her face clean. The presto from the opening of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons played on, and the three on the couch, gripping each other tightly, sobbed to see a woman they’d grown to adore over the past two hours be brought to such grief.
Dania reached for the tissues, and found the box missing.
“May the Fourth be with you!” cried Dania, exiting her room. She wore the requisite merch: a distressed tee, bearing the original Tom Jung poster design, and an anachronistically modern pair of C-3PO mouse ears.
Eleanor and Gwen looked on from a distance. Unlike Dania, neither considered themselves to be a particularly passionate fan of the Star Wars franchise. Eleanor had watched them when they were released, but lost interest as the series continued to blend into the larger trend of blockbuster action films.
“What are the odds that during the first 4/20 after Chicago legalized weed, everyone would be trapped inside?”
“Dumb luck, I suppose,” said Dania. “Although, isn’t the whole month technically 4-20 this year?”
“Huh.”
“Oh, it was the sled.”
“You didn’t know that?”
“I’ve never seen it!”
Gwen glared towards Dania, dimly lit in the glow of the screen. It had been a while since they’d seen a movie in the theater together––conversation flowed more naturally in front of Gwen’s laptop. But, with Citizen Kane screening in 70mm locally, the trio had received an invitation from an unexpected collaborator.
The Hanslick Girls 