The Promise of a Dream
She asked me to give her a reason. I couldn’t answer. Instead I stood on the cracked pavement outside of my house and stared at her with a loss of words. The rain caught my reflection as tears nestled in the corners of her large brown moons. She started to cry and in a muffled voice asked me why I led her on. My only response was a blink. She stormed off, her shoes hitting the pavement like lightning bolts and drenching her knees with each splash. I could see her fists clenching and unclenching as she blurred into the downpour. My mind was silenced by the electricity shooting through my veins and digging into my chest until I finally crouched over in defeat.
Elizabeth and I had grown up together. We bonded over peanut butter and jelly during a rainy day in Mrs. Anderson’s class when we were six. We sat next to each other and giggled with delight when we found out our mothers made the same lunch for both of us. Since the first grade we shared the same teacher. In middle school the same honors classes. High School was mainly a bunch of AP classes and track meets. She started smiling more often by the middle of freshman year. She’d look around frantically every time she thought I was late to track. I’d come down the hallway and she’d be standing by her locker, ten feet down from mine, pretending to be interested in the conversation she was having while glancing at me the whole time. In English she’d walk up to me pretending to want something and ended up eying the room nervously while slowly sputtering out sentences.
Alan told me to go for her, and why not? Her smile was cute. Her hair was soft enough to run my fingers through without getting caught on a tangle. Her skin wasn’t puky white and she barely had acne. The next day I asked her out, and she shrieked with pleasure with a foot-high jump in response. From then on we always walked to AP Bio hand-in-hand and occasionally stopping for brief kisses along the way, accumulating more ridicule than before when I was only snickered at for continuous tardiness. When I pondered one day why I even put up with all the tight-wound kids and the tedious homework, I couldn't pinpoint the reason. I guess it was for the same reason I asked out Elizabeth: why not?
Crouching outside my house, giving in to my convulsions as raindrops struck my back like little swords, a wave of calm swept me upright as I saw Julie emerge out of the fog. Her honey-colored tresses melted down her bony shoulders, and with pursed lips her amber eyes glistened at me, as if asking me what’s to look at. Stepping toward my trembling body she reached out her slender hand and grasped my shoulder, holding a firm expression on her face. Julie did not speak once, but I heard what she’d wanted me to know. She leaned in first and I followed sheepishly, caressing my hand down the small of her back and little by little inched toward her lips. Electricity jolted my mouth while I rested my lips on her soft, damp pillows. She was lovely and powerful at the same time, as she’d wanted me to feel.
Clouds pulled apart like cotton candy by a child’s fingers and a golden marble staircase floated down. The glare surrounded this apparition with a white glow. We broke apart-I to study it-while Julie ascended. Before she reached the third step she turned around puzzled, then grinning, reached out her hand. Out of bewilderment and haze I met her halfway as we ascended together. The staircase soon ended and clouds were all that were left. Julie jumped first-pulling me along-and we tumbled and tumbled along the fluff. Laughing, smiling, kissing, and locking eyes; there was no need for words. Pausing from our endless tumbling while straddling me, she titled her head, smiled, then leaned down and kissed me again. This was softer than before, longer. She pulled away and I bared my teeth like the fool we both knew I was. She loved me back.
Warmth and love were captured in her smile, all the things I’ve desired but was held off from my entire childhood.
Elizabeth called my name in the distance in an oddly optimistic tone. I ignored her and continued gazing at Julie. The cheery screech grew closer and Julie’s smile began to fade. Mist surrounded her and swept her through the sky as Elizabeth’s figure stepped closer.
The shriek of my name shot through my ears as my eyes flung open and I jerked up in a panic. Elizabeth stood in my doorway with a smile that took up most of her face. She leaped over to me and pressed her face against mine as I caught the reek of her morning breath. Babble, babble, babble was all that escaped her mouth as I rolled my head over my pillow in a groan. Not paying a hint of attention to Elizabeth I proceeded to peer through my window as Julie and Alan held a warm embrace in hers.
An explosion of sunlight reflected off her left hand. I squinted through the window to catch what it was. Of course. I remembered him talking about this. I went with him to pick it up at the jewellery store the other day. It figures though. The fact that he’s over there makes it clear. He deserves her more than I do.
I love this story even though it's sad. I'm a sucker for any kind of romantic comedy type story. I love how you started off with Elizabeth leaving and then told us why they had been together and finally ending with Alan and the love of your life getting engaged. <333333
Truth is I based it off this guy I sort of knew in my history class last year who was dating a nice girl who totally wasn't his type. So I made up a story for him, gave him some depth, then kind of ruined it for him haha.
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