What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae

up!” Angela hisses, taking a bag from her. “You’ll wake the little monster.”
    I shut the door behind Tiffany, dim the lights, and clear my throat. “I hereby call this meeting to order, the first of what I hope will be many.”
    â€œMeeting?” Angela asks. “I thought we were watching movies.”
    â€œBoo!” Tiffany tosses a handful of popcorn at my face. “You promised us hotness!”
    â€œAnd hotness you shall have.” I snatch a piece that landed in my hair and eat it. “Ladies of the newly-formed-just-this-second Teens for Classic Movies Club, I’d like to—”
    â€œWait.” Tiffany throws more popcorn at me. “We’re a club now?”
    â€œ
Classic
movies?” Angela groans. “How did I forget you haven’t seen any movies made in this century? You with the star on your cheek from whatever that movie was. I suppose we’re watching that one tonight? Something about it raining?”
    â€œYes, we’ll get to it,” I say, trying to keep my tone even. “I’m telling you, the classics are—”
    â€œLike black-and-white grainy movies where people sing and dance every few minutes?” Tiffany asks, preparing to take aim with another handful.
    â€œSome of them are, but not all.” My confidence dips, but I hold my head higher. “Look, you wanted to know why my standards are so high, and this is it. Ladies, I’d like you to meet”—I fix them with an expectant stare, and Tiffany gives me a drumroll on her legs—“Mr. Gene Kelly.”
    Holding my breath, I present them with a crisp printout of Gene, then carefully watch their eyes for any hint of a reaction. Sharing this part of me is not an emotionally simple task, whichis why I generally keep the whole truth to myself until absolutely necessary. And I guess it’s not to that point just yet, but I feel I’ve found a pair of girls who won’t judge me. Who may even join me in my madness.
    I hope.
    â€œOooooh,” Angela purrs, taking the picture from me. “He’s handsome.”
    â€œLemme see that,” Tiffany says, leaning over Angela’s shoulder to take a look before sinking back into the couch. “Meh. He’s okay, I guess.” She shrugs. “Who else you got?”
    I don’t answer, and instead sift through the stack of DVDs I brought from home, selecting
Anchors Aweigh
as our starting point.
    â€œTiffany, I know you’re a fan of tight, clingy uniforms, so there will be plenty of eye candy in this one since Gene and Frank Sinatra are in the navy.”
    â€œOh, that sounds nice.” Her expression brightens. “Is this your favorite Gene movie?”
    â€œI’m not telling you which one is my favorite. It’ll be more fun if you guess after you’ve seen them all.”
    â€œWell, uniforms are good.” Angela tucks her legs underneath her and grabs the throw hanging over the back of the sofa. “What else does this movie have to offer for me?”
    â€œUm . . .” I let out a sigh as I slide the disc into the player. “A flash of muscular man-thigh when Gene runs around in his boxers?”
    She straightens, fully alert. “I approve. Let’s meet your boyfriend.”
    â€œAnd his thighs,” Tiffany adds.
    The movie is a hit. They laugh and sigh in all the right places, and I’m pretty sure I hear Tiffany “Mmmmmm” every time Frank sings. Next, I introduce them to the ultimate fan favorite,
Singin’ in the Rain
. I find myself watching the girls more than the screen, because there’s nothing like witnessing someone, for the first time, enjoy films that are close to your heart. That are so much a part of you and who you are.
    I nestle deeper under the quilt, using the armrest of the leather couch as a pillow. Despite my efforts to stay awake, my eyelids betray me somewhere between
Summer