To Love you again

HE FOUND JULIET

Days quickly melted into weeks. Weeks into months. Months into a year. Soon, summer was only three days away. Along with the end of my junior year. After 3 months of endless sunshine and agonizingly warm temperatures, I would be an official Senior, ruler of the school. And, due to my social status, my image and title would double in size. Though none of that matter. I didn’t care about being number one of the school. I didn’t care about graduating and being free from the confines of school. My fellow classmates were all ecstatic about summer. The girls couldn’t wait to try on their new bikinis and lounge around by the pool with friends, tanning and gossiping. Guys couldn’t wait to hook up with the girls. It was a vicious cycle. One I never found interest in partaking in. Especially not this year.  No. I had found her. After years upon years of waiting and searching, I finally knew.

                I closed my eyes and thought back to that night. The glory of it all. You’ve been right under my nose this whole time! I thought with a smile. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized her before. Maybe I had just been looking for the wrong girl. In my mind, I had built the image of a girl with brown curly hair, who wore the occasional pink bow in her hair to match her white tennis skirt and pink Aeropostale shirt. A girl who wore flip flops just because she loved the way the cool fall air felt against her skin. A girl who knew and loved everyone, who smiled just to make others smile. But I was wrong. She had become dark, unsociable, a black cloud hanging above her everywhere she went. Her friends were a select few, and equivalent to her in appearance. Her bows were piercings. Her tennis skirt was black trip pants with chains and skulls. Her pink shirt was a mesh-net top layered with a dark band shirt. And those brown curls I had looked forward to seeing for so many years and dissolved into straight, black bangs.

                But that wasn’t her. That sad, alone Goth was not who she was. I had seen a glimpse of the real Juliet. And I was determined to be with her. It was my goal to make her mine before the end of break. The very next time she was in my sights, I vowed to ask her to be my girlfriend.

                “Hey Dev, why so gloom and doom?”

                I looked up to face Brian. He was arm linked with Sarah and some other girl. They each smiled at me. I smiled back. I had no choice but to act as if everything was normal.

                “Hey dudes. What’s up?” I stood from my desk and wrapped my arm around Sarah, also reaching Brian’s shoulder.

                “We’re off to lunch, my fine fellow! Care to join us?” Brain asked with a grin.

                “Why, I certainly would!” I replied cheerfully, trying my best to mask my anxiety.

                We practically skipped to lunch together, each locking arms and creating a chain. We broke apart upon double doors but quickly regenerated. Our middle school goofiness had not yet completely gone. True, we had become more mature as the years passed, but we still held our childish streaks close to our hearts. Upon arrival in the lunchroom, the chain broke apart and we all decided to walk to the line together. We talked and laughed the entire time, occasionally noticing a friend of ours and motioning for them to join us. One girl, whose name often escaped me, walked up to us and wrapped her arms around my waist and gave me a giant hug. Her grip was flimsy, very loose. I wanted to roll my eyes and push her away, but I also didn’t want to hurt her feelings. So, I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a massive hug. She giggled and pulled away.

                 On our way back to our lunch table, I saw her. She was sitting with two other Girls and two Goth guys. Jealousy spiked through me. She was smiling, and leaning in close to them. That should be. And it would be. I slammed my tray down on the table and began walking towards her.  The closer I got to her, the harder my heart pounded. I stared her directly in the face. She was so beautiful. I was right in front of her now. All her friends were staring at me, each one glaring knives into my throat. I could feel my hands shaking. She stared at me awhile, until finally, recognition spike through her and her face quickly flushed. UHG! That’s so damn cute! I thought fiercely.

                “Um. May I talk to you real quick?” I asked. The words darted from my mouth without my consent. She nodded unsurely and stood, walking to a corner of the lunch room. I followed her. I was numb. I couldn’t believe it. I was standing in front of her. My Juliet. I had only dreamt of this moment since that night.

                “What?” she snapped. I raised my eyes, daring to look her in the face. She was clearly irritated.

                                “I…um…err-I…” I couldn’t find the words to say.

                                “Look, if it’s about what happened at Brian’s forget it, ok? It’s not a big deal. I haven’t told anyone.” Her lips were so perfect as she assured me. They moved flawlessly. They were not merely speaking…No, they were dancing against the sound of the words.

                “Actually…It’s not about that.” I could feel my voice shaking. This was it. This would determine my entire future. Right here. Right now.

                “Then what the hell is it?”

                “I…um…” Come on, you big p***y! Just say it! “I…I mean…Um…” God the way her beautiful eyes were staring at me, I knew I had to say it. Stop this! Just tell her! I couldn’t believe I was finally about to ask out Juliet. She was so close. Right here in my hands. God I had waited so long, suffered so many years and months, waiting. Watching. Searching. And now, she was here. Finally here. Her beauty was so incredible; I didn’t know how I could have ever missed her. Well, she was completely different than the girl I imagined. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was this moment. Perhaps once she was with me, she would become that girl I saw in the auditorium at the middle school. I let out a long breath and forced the words from my quivering throat.

                “I…Will you go out with me?”