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How do I say the cinema popcorn I bought is just for me?

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As the trailers started, my friend reached across me and said, 'Pass the popcorn down.' There were four of us. I'd bought the smallest tub because that was what I wanted to eat.

At the counter, everyone chose their own snacks. She bought only a drink, apparently assuming we'd share mine. When I said I'd bought it for myself, she offered to send me a quarter of the price. I didn't want money; I wanted the portion I'd picked.

I passed it along rather than keep explaining in the dark. By the time it came back, there was a little left. Later she said she'd never thought of me as someone who guarded popcorn.

I don't want a snack to become a statement about my generosity. How do I make the arrangement clear next time without sounding as though every handful needs a bill?

Discussion

2 community replies

Say it while you're still at the counter: 'I'm getting a small one for myself. Does anyone want to organise a shared tub?' That distinguishes two possible purchases before everyone is seated with different assumptions.

A quarter of the money wouldn't put the missing popcorn back in your tub. Her offer addressed a cost dispute you weren't having. Explain that you wanted your own portion, rather than negotiating who owes what for the last handful.

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