Page 216 of Ruthless Court

I open the laptop.

“What are we watching?”

“Anything without basketball.”

“That removes most quality cinema.”

“No sports. No documentaries about misunderstood point guards. No music where anyone rhymes money with money.”

“That isn’t a movie genre.”

“It should be.”

I find an old adventure film involving archaeologists, curses, and enough historical inaccuracies to make her start objecting before I press play.

“This?”

“It’s terrible.”

“So no?”

“I didn’t say that.”

We sit against the wall on her bed, leaving enough space between us to satisfy Hannah’s distrust.

She pulls a thick blanket across her lap.

Then higher.

I glance at her.

“What?”

“You’re hiding.”

“I’m cold.”

“The radiator is trying to cook us.”

“I’m comfortable.”

“You know I’ve seen women without bras before.”

“Not women wearing Demogorgons.”

I look at the monster stretched across her shirt.

“First time for everything.”

She throws a gummy worm at me.

I catch it and eat it.

The movie starts.

For the first twenty minutes, Hannah corrects every historical detail.

“That artifact is from the wrong period.”