The Unforgettables

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Fairytale

She shouldn’t be nervous. Not really, because this is her best friend and the “date that isn’t really a date because they’re going as friends.” Nevertheless here she is, dress smoothed and hair set and make up on (remind her to never wear eyeliner again. *Shudders*) and feeling very, very nervous. She has butterflies. Of course it doesn’t help that her father is taking pictures as she is trying to relax at the piano but pretty much failing miserably. Oh well.

He arrives, bearing a corsage of daisies, and she’s touched he remembered. The night begins and she’s not exactly sure what it is she imagined it would be like, but if she dared to wish for anything resembling perfect, then she realizes that at last, one wish at 11: 11 came true after all. His family is sweet and charming and they make her smile. The food is beyond delicious and only for a moment does she hate herself in being unable to finish dessert. Speeches come and go and she wonders if all the ‘responding to’ that makes her think of a debate has her thinking about social way too much. (*Shudders*)

After dinner they’re on a quest for more photo-ops, and the ease in which their hands find each other along the way is comforting, literally because she knows now she can’t lose him, and also in another way she can’t really explain. On the dance floor she can’t remember the last time she laughed so hysterically during a Justin Timberlake song, or even when she’d ever consider dancing to Chris Brown. She hates Chris Brown, but Jordin Sparks she loves.

As the song fades they step a little closer, hold on a little tighter, and as much as a part of her wants to count the seconds she can’t, because it takes all her energy to focus on not getting mascara all over him and hang onto the moment.

Outside the view is gorgeous as the city is brushed with night. Her shoes are only half on her feet as they sit on a pillar-esque thing she tells him she better have this much fun at her own grad next year, and of course they mutually just know that they’re doing this all over again. He asks about the List; the dreams and the goals she compiled a long time ago, and after a moment of retrospect she’s happy to say a couple have been checked off.

The rest of the night passes by like the blurred city streets as midnight creeps closer. She can say now that she’s been to McDonald’s past eleven for McFlurries in a dress and heels. It makes her laugh. They exchange text messages in the backseat and she gets over the fact that he started it and he usually hates it when she does.

His jacket is warm and safe and she’s reluctant to give it up as they arrive at last at her front door. She’s a little surprised to find he didn’t follow her up the step, but it’s a pleasant surprise as he grabs the sleeve of his jacket and turns her around for a perfect height hug. They exchange parting words and thank yous that somehow don’t seem like enough, but there’s time for that tomorrow. Tomorrow that she wishes would never arrive.

It’s late as she delivers every detail she can remember as promised to her sisters from other misters, and it’s only as they point it out later that she realizes what that night was.

Her own perfect fairytale.

Author's Note: Love you.

Annie