There was music playing throughout my room, soft melodies with romantic lyrics. I sat before the mirror on my make-up table and watched the reflection of Krystal playing with my hair as she found the perfect hairstyle to go with the perfect dress and the perfect shoes. “What are you even doing here?” I asked, turning my head around but she turned it back around for me so I was facing the mirror again. “I mean, I thought you had plans with Derek tonight?”

She shook her head, and picked up the hot curling iron that was sitting beside me. “I see too much of Derek, and this is an important night for you. You need all the moral support that you can get.” She released the iron from my hair and a ringlet feel down around my face. “What do you think?”

Erica, who had been sprawled across my bed reading one of the teen magazines I had lying around looked up from it and smiled. “You look beautiful Trish.” Putting the magazine down, she climbed out of the bed and stood beside Krystal who was curling another part of my hair. I looked into the mirror and the two girls standing before me, one a sister by blood and one a sister by circumstance. I couldn’t imagine not having either of them around at this current moment. I had a big decision coming up tonight, or at least I thought I did. At the mall Drew had told me that if it were right with Ryan then he was happy for me, but I still didn’t know if things were right. “Hurry up.” Erica told Krystal, who was quickly curling my hair. “I want to see the dress.”

She released another ringlet. “Wait until you do.” She said smiling. “It’s like the most amazing dress ever. She looks like a movie star sex kitten.”

I bit my lip. “Are we sure that’s the look we should go for, considering I’m not a movie star sex kitten?” I paused. “And I don’t really feel like becoming one tonight.” I turned around to look at the two of them, but Krystal adjusted my head back.

“It’s fine.” She turned to look at Erica. “Do you think that maybe I should put her hair up into like an updo?” She pulled my curls up to demonstrate, “And then like, leave some curls hanging down.” She reached over beside me and grabbed the package of bobby pins that was there. Pulling them out, with the help of Erica, the two of them began to pin my hair up.

I looked down at the watch on my wrist. “Guys. We need to hurry, we’re running late.” Ryan would be here soon, and then he would take me off to whatever the surprise he had planned was and I had no idea. It was more than a little intimidating. Here I was, with events in my life spinning out of control, and he wanted to add another thing I couldn’t control. And now here I was. I looked up into the mirror and saw the hairdo that Krystal and Erica had done for me, and smiled.

“You just need a little hairspray.” She doused my hair in the sweet smelling liquid and then stepped back so I could stand up and check out my new hair style to go along with the new dress that was hanging out the back of a chair. I picked it up and then walked over behind a curtain that the girls had put up for me since they had both taken over my room, and weren’t going anywhere. I slipped off my bathrobe and slipped on the dress, it’s silk and lace material soft against my skin. I tied the back, then walked out into the room.

Erica smiled, “Oh Trish!” She exclaimed, “You look-“ She turned to Krystal who was smiling a big smile. “She looks!”

“You look hot!”

I walked over in front of the mirror and checked out my reflection. I looked like someone, I just wasn’t sure who. I might have been me, but in some far off distant place where everything was backwards. I turned around from the mirror and picked up my purse from the desk adjacent to us. While Krystal was clearing things up, even though she didn’t have to, Erica walked over to me. “Here.” She said, handing me something. I looked down to examine it and realized what she was handing me was a condom. “You might need this.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

She thrust it towards me again, “You don’t know what’s going to happen again, so take it just incase. Okay?” I looked down at the same package and then up at her face. None of that was going to go on tonight, but I guess it was only right to humor my sister anyways. I took the little condom and tucked it into my purse then gave here a ‘there are you happy’ look. “Good.” She said, and then two of us made our way out of the door with Krystal following behind. Before we could even make it to the living room, the doorbell rang and Ryan was here to show me whatever the surprise he had in store for me was. I took a large breath and opened the door to see him standing there.

“Wow.” He said, “You look beautiful.”

I blushed. “Thanks.”

Krystal and Erica, who were standing behind us, looked over. They were hugging each other, as though they were parents letting go. “Now, don’t keep her out too late.” Erica said, hamming it up. I was always surprised at how easily the two of them always got along, like the three of us really were sisters. I loved seeing it.

“Don’t worry.” He said, his coy smile filling his face as he led me out of the house towards his running sports car. I climbed into the passengers seat, and waited for him to climb into the Drivers seat so we could go wherever we were. “Here,” He said, sliding in bedside me. He had a scarf in his hand, and I just stared at it. “Put this over your eyes. I want this whole night to be a surprise.” I nodded, without saying another word, and put the silk scarf over my eyes so that I would have even less control. I felt the car start up, and then we were off to wherever it was that we were going. He was driving quickly and I could feel the world outside passing by around me, faster and faster. I sat back in the seat and sighed.

The radio was on, playing angsty songs from the local college station. Had I been able to see, I would have fiddled with the radio and found something else, anything else. These songs were depressing and told sad stories I didn’t want to listen to. Before I could complain to Ryan about it, the car came to a stop. We had arrived at our special destination.

“We’re here.” Ryan said, and I heard his door open and he stepped out. Then, a couple seconds the passenger side door opened and he reached in and took my hand. “Come on.” He said.

“I’m coming.” I said. I wanted so badly to rip off the scarf and look around at where we were, and if I didn’t like it then I would run away in the opposite direction as fast as I could. Instead, I look his hand and he led me to our final destination. He paused for a second, like he was opening a door, then we walked into somewhere together and paused as I heard the door slowly close behind us.

“Okay.” He said. “Open your eyes.”

Pulling off the scarf, my mouth dropped as I looked around at where I was. Ryan had brought me to a hotel room, one that was currently decorated to the nines with candles and rose pedals. In an ice box in the corner sat a bottle of what I guess to be champagne, and soft music was playing from the speakers of a CD player. “Oh god.” I said as I took in my surroundings. This was not what I was expecting.

“I know,” He said as he took my hand and lead my over to two seats where the Champagne was located, along with two glasses. “That the other night you were freaked, so I thought that you would be more comfortable.” The champagne had already been popped, and so he just poured the bubbly liquid into my glass and handed it to me.

I looked around again; the bed was covered in rose pedals in some kind of romantic fashion. “Comfortable?” I asked reluctantly.

He nodded, and took my hand into his own as I sipped on the champagne. “For us to have sex.” I nearly chocked on the drink as the words entered my ears, but I covered myself and put the drink down on the table. “The party wasn’t the right atmosphere, but look around. This will be the most romantic night of your life.”

Standing up, I looked around at the room again. “Ryan,” I began, “I can sleep with you.” He was giving me the strangest look as I walked around the room as though I was lost.

“Why not.”

It was a good question- why not? Why couldn’t I sleep with him that was what everyone had always wanted, for me just to finally do it? And then I would no longer be Trista Campbell, high school virgin. I would be Trista Campbell, randy sex kitten that worn dresses she couldn’t afford and high heels that were too high. I looked at the bed again; it must have taken him forever to get the room looking this, it would be a shame for it not to be used. “Ryan,” I said, cracking a half smile. “It’s just not the right moment. You’re not the right person.” And that was over, this dress, this hairstyle, and these uncomfortable shoes. They didn’t make me a different person; I was still the same girl with still the same guy in my heart. Drew. “I’m sorry.” I stood up and grabbed my purse, which I had sat down on the table when I picked up the champagne glass. “This is all really pretty, but I can’t do this.”

And like that, I left the hotel room without another word, or another thought. I walked out into the chilly October weather, ready to find the place where I really belonged, with the boy I belonged with. He was there somewhere, hidden in the night in his slow car that puttered along, and I had to find him.

----

Finding myself in the middle of town was not my biggest problem; it was trying to locate Drew. I was standing in the middle of a shopping center that hadn’t been too far from the hotel, searching in my purse for money that was not a bill. Around me, shoppers gave me weird looks as they walked past, as though they had never seen a girl in a fancy dress standing in the middle of the shopping center, trying to find a quarter in her purse. My hand ran along the interior, just searching for that one lowly quarter that got lost one day. Finally, I found a quarter, pulled it out from the long lost depths of my purse and picked up the phone receiver in order to call Drew. I was hoping he was home, but I had no idea; he could have been anywhere with anyone. I dialed his number, and waited as the phone rang- once, twice, three times. No one was picking up on the other line.

“Hello…” Finally his voice came into the other line and I could have jumped for joy.

“Drew!” I nearly yelled into the voice in my happiest tone, “It’s Trista and I-“

“You’ve reached Drew Peters, I’m not home right now.” My heart sunk as I realized that it wasn’t him I had reached, but his trusty answering machine. In the background, I could here the sound of ‘Wish you were here’ by Pink Floyd playing. “Leave a message, and I’ll get back to you when I want.” And then the droning sound of the answering machine’s beep rung out into my ear; BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. I paused for a second, ready to pour my heart out into the phone line, the realized what I said had to be said to his face, and not heard when he got home from where ever he was. I put the receiver down and turned around to see what would come next; I had to find him and it had to be tonight. Tomorrow could have been too late.

Walking back out into the cold weather, I shivered under the thin layer of clothing I was wearing. If I had been smart I would have brought something extra, but I hadn’t been expecting to walk alone outside. Ryan had completely caught me off guard with his surprise, and had I know that it was going to be a hotel room covered in rose pedals then I would have brought a sweatshirt to throw over this dress.

I looked around; I could have walked back to the hotel and demanded that Ryan drive me home, but I didn’t need him. So I would just have to find my own way home, as expensive as it could turn out being. I opened up my purse and noticed the ten dollar bill I had slipped there incase I needed it, not knowing how badly I would. Noticing a cab located across the street, I crossed the road quickly, as my shoes clicked against the asphalt, and opened up the cab door and slipped inside. “Where will it be?” The cabby asked, turning around and giving me a weird look.

I thought for a minute, if I went home then Drew wouldn’t be there, but I didn’t know where else to look. Then it came to me, and I realized that I had to at least trying looking for him in a certain place, it was worth a shot: “Corner Morrison Drive.” I told him, leaning back into the hard leather of the seats. I knew I wouldn’t have enough to get all the way to the school, but I would have enough to go this far. The cab started, driving along the highway and passing cars. I kept thinking about Drew, and about seeing him in the mall. He had said he was happy as long as thing were right with Ryan, but the truth was that things hadn’t been right with Ryan, and the only person that I had ever felt like everything was right around, was him. The possibility that I had messed things up with him beyond repair was scarier than the though of sex. The car came to a halt on the corner; I paid the guy then climbed out of the cub and watched it drive off.

By this time, my shoes were killing me. Krystal had made this big deal about finding the perfect shoes, but obviously the perfect shoes didn’t mean being comfortable in them. I slipped them off, feeling my bare feet touch the cement, which was still warm from the sun. I walk along, rushing, trying to get down to the school as quickly as I possibly could. Under my feet rocks scraped against my toes, but it didn’t matter because anything is better then the hell of wearing high heels. As I rounded a corner, the school came into my view and I rushed quicker. Running through the soft grass of the field, it’s chilliness smooth against my feet I looked around to see if I could see Drew’s car, but didn’t notice it sitting in the school parking lot. I wanted to yell out his name, maybe he would hear me, but instead I bolted for the woods and began to run through it.

Twigs and branches grabbed at my expose body as I made my way through. I walked over rocks and stumps, scraping my feet against their hard exteriors. It seemed like it was taking forever, trying to find the lake. I walked quicker, my feet sinking into muddy areas, but I continued on searching for our lake, our area, the only place I had ever felt like things were right.

Minutes passed, and I walked further into the dark woods. Making my way down to the lake had never taken this long before, and I wondered that if somewhere I had taken a wrong turn, and was lost. I looked around, hearing rustling in the trees above me. The sky was clear, and the stars twinkled while the moon lit up the tops of the trees. In front of me was nothing but blackness, but I pulled up my dress so that it wouldn’t catch on anything more, and began to run through the woods. I was running out of time, every minute that passed was another minute that I came closer to losing Drew forever. My feet barely touched the ground as I ran faster, branches scratching my bare arms as they grabbed for me. Finally, I was in the cleared area of the lake.

“Drew!” I called out, looking around, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. My only hope was to find him here, sitting on a stump singing and listening to his favorite songs, and he wasn’t here.

I fell to my knees, and could feel the tears stinger in my eyes. I had done this all wrong, I had thought about things too much and ruined everything before it had even started. If only I hadn’t been so quick to judge things, if only I hadn’t been so quick to assume that he hadn’t cared for me I would be covered in mud and scraps, and sitting alone at the lake in the chilly weather. I stood up, ready to make my long walk home; I could call Krystal or Erica, but I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone to see me right now. I assumed I looked like a mess; my hair had begun to fall out, loose curls falling down over my face. I reached up and pulled a lead that was stuck in, and pulled it out. This wasn’t the night that I had wanted to have.

Suddenly, from behind me I heard the sound of crunching leaves and twigs under something’s feet, and the sound of rustling in the trees. “Krystal.” I turned my head, and saw Drew walking out of the woods, his guitar in one hand and a cigarette in another. I stood up and turned around to face him. “What the hell happened to you?” He asked, examining my exterior. I could only imagine what I looked like.

I sighed, and then smiled slightly. “It’s a long story.”

He put his guitar down and took another drag of his cigarette. “I thought that you had plans with what’s his name tonight?” He asked, looking at me closer. We were still standing far apart from each other, but I had never felt closer to anyone in my entire life.

“We broke up.”

“Oh.”

I dropped my shoes down, and stepped closer to him. “See, I was thinking about what you said when we first met, about things being right, and that when it was I would know.” I paused. “And what you said at the mall, that you were happy as long as things were right between us.” I stepped closer, barely inches between us, and looked up into his eyes. “Things were never right with him, I just didn’t realize it until tonight.” I stepped even closer, tilting my head to the side. “But you, things were always right with you.” And like that, I took another step and closed the distance between us as I leaned up into his body and kissed him on the lips. All this time, every moment we shared before, I had always been waiting for him to make that perfect moment. I didn’t realize that maybe I should have been the one to tell him how I felt first. We pulled away, and I looked at him with scared eyes; anything could come next, and I was afraid that he would tell me that he was over with me, and I had lost my chance.

He looked at me, and then smiled. I had missed his smile so much. “Wow.” He said, in his breathless tone, and then wrapped his arms around me and pulled my body close to him. It had taken me a long time to find my way to him, but now that I was in his arms where I belonged, I never wanted to leave. We stood there is silence for moments, his hands lightly touching my bruised and battered shoulders, his body warming me.

“Your song!” I said breaking the silence, “I never got to hear it.”

“Oh yeah.”

I looked up into his eyes, and smiled. “Will you sing it for me?”

He nodded, and then the two of us sat down on one of the logs that had fallen, and he picked up his guitar. “Okay.” He said, lightly strumming the guitar with his fingers before he started playing. I had never watched him play before, not really. I had missed that when it had really mattered, but I would never make a mistake like that again. I couldn’t. He strummed the guitar some more, and then started to play. I watched him closely, his fingers sliding up the strings as he played the different cords. “I know a girl/most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen/she doesn’t know it though/thinks for her to be a beauty queen is just a dream.” The words echoed in the air, and I took them in as he sang slowly. “And we sit under the stars/in a world all our own/ and we’re never going home/ and we’re never going home.”

I watched him singing, and smiled. I wish that I hadn’t missed the song that night- if I had heard it instead of rushing off into a corner to get Ryan’s phone number, then things would have been a lot different.

“She’s rock star beautiful with ripped jeans, and beautiful queen smile/ She shy are a mouse, and never knows what to say/ For this girl, I swear I’d walk miles/ I’d do anything just to hold her in my arms.” He paused again, playing more cords and I smiled at him as he looked up at me. I hadn’t expected this, not a song, but it was beautiful. “And we sit under the stars/ in a world all our own/ and we’re never going home/ and we’re never going home.” I listened patiently; ever song we ever listened to down at this lake never meant as much as the song he was singing right now, a song about me and our time together. Had I listened to this, then maybe I wouldn’t have over analyzed everything; I could have just let everything happen. “I want to hold her though the night/ under the stars that spell our names/ a night at our lake is all I need/ Because of this girl I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.”

He paused again, and then started singing the chorus again: “And we sit under the stars/ in a world all our own/ and we’re never going home/ and we’re never going home. We sit under the stars/ in a world all our own/ and we’re never going home/ we’re never going home.” He played a couple more chords, did the typical rock star solo thing, then stopped and looked in my direction with his goofy smile. “So,” He began. “What do you think?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulled him close to me and then kissed him on the cheek. “I loved it.” Smiling, I laid my head on his shoulder. The air was chilling me to the bone, and I would have to get home soon or else I would freeze to death. But right now- right now the only place I needed to be was right here beside him, in his arms where I should have been all along. His arms wrapped around my body, and pulled me in tighter. “I can’t believe it took me so long to get here.” I told him, speaking softly into his ear.

“You know,” He began. “It doesn’t matter how long it took you to get here. It’s the fact that you are that really matters.” We smiled at each other, kissed lightly, and then let out heads drift back to the stars above us; they almost appeared to be around us, and we were floating in them together. I grabbed his hand, and squeezed it slightly with my own, and then relaxed. Two weeks ago, I couldn’t have imagined anything close to us being together, and now. Everything finally felt right, and special and perfect. That missing piece of the puzzle had finally been put in the last spot, and now I could see the whole picture.

We made our way back through the woods, back past the bleaches that we had met on that very first day. There was something about Drew that had always been right- he had never believed the rumors, he had just plopped down beside me on the bleaches and wouldn’t let me leave. In all the time I knew him, in every great moment, he always had me. No matter what I tried, no matter how far I tried to run away, he always had me under his spell and wouldn’t let me go. And now, now that I had realized that I didn’t mind that, he wasn’t allowed to let me go. I climbed into the passenger side of his trusty car as he climbed into the drivers seat and started up the car. Pink Floyd blasted through the speakers, the lyrics and music that I had come to know so well, singing each word as it played out of the speaker. The car started, it’s familiar puttering that I had come to love to much- that had always been the thing about Drew. He wasn’t into rushing to get along to go somewhere quick. Like his car, he had been the only one that I could slow down and enjoy the bumps of life with. The night was ending, but he and I- that was just beginning.

THE END.