April 4, 2067

Dad decided to join the new movie going experience.

I got home from school and he was on a ladder in the living room messing with something the projector. Mom was on the couch pressing whatever button he told her to on the remote, sighing with each instruction.

“Just another few minutes here,” he grunted.

“What are you doing,” I asked, setting my bag down.

“Can you believe she still has to carry that crap around, Sam?” he asked. “By the time I was in high school, all we needed was the phone in our pockets. I never had to carry a bag unless I needed something extra for the day.”

“And because you are always out of the house first, you wouldn’t know that I always take my lunch and a water bottle to school. Plus, I’m one of the few students who like to have my English materials in book form rather than as a digital file,” I snapped, tired of his pestering. “But I ask again: what are you doing?”

“Your father decided to get HomeMovie. Although I don’t know why.” Mom rolled her eyes.

“I got it because I have always liked being among the first to see a new release.”

“Just go to the theater.”

“What theater?”

“The one down the street.”

“Oh you mean the one that’s forty-five minutes away without traffic?”

“It’s not that bad of a drive.”

“Samantha, how long has it been since you’ve been to the theater?”

“I’ve never liked the movies. Why would I pay $36 to see something I can see for far less a few months down the road?”

“That theater only shows the cult classics! I check the listings every week, and all I ever see are The Rocky Horror Picture Show and that Pitch Perfect movie.”

“Oh I love Pitch Perfect!” I chime in.

“Rocky Horror is almost one hundred years old. What the hell is it still doing in the theater?”

“They showed Titanic a couple years ago for the 150th anniversary of the ship sinking,” Mom added.

“Why though?” Dad was basically screaming at this point.

“Dad, as a fan of cinema, I would think you’d appreciate the only working theater in the are showing classics. Nobody cares about the uber CGI crap that is made today.”

“It’s not all CGI crap.”

“Yeah it is. Why are you messing with the projector?”

“Because I have to download the program.”

“Oh my god,” I sighed. I took the remote from Mom and brought up the menu. “The program isn’t part of the projector, Dad.”

“I read the instructions,” he coughed.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Cedra, be nice to your father.”

I barely listened. I had the program downloaded before she even finished the sentence. Dad’s mouth hung open as he watched the logo spin on the wall.

“What movie are we watching first?” I asked, hopping onto the couch. Mom rolled her eyes at me and got up, walking to the kitchen to start working on dinner.

“Do you need any help, honey?” Dad asked, making his way down the ladder.

She waved him off and opened the fridge.

“I guess not,” he said, sinking into the cushions and turning his attention back to the screen. “Let’s see what we have here.”

Dad ended up starting an indie film that came out a week ago. He paid for the activation code (and let me tell you, those things cost as much as a movie ticket!). I helped Mom with dinner and then started my homework. But I did find myself scrolling through the available movies. There is a new one with Steven Davis as a supporting actor. Excuse me while I watch my future husband...