Love Me Patiently, Love Me Honestly

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning to text messages from various friends wishing me a Happy Birthday. I had to leave by 7:40 to meet John at the airport, it normally didn’t take me very long to get ready, but today I wanted to look nice.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted John to see me looking nice, I didn’t want to lead him on anymore then I had, but somewhere deep down I had a longing to impress him.

I picked a dress out of my closet I had been saving for today. It was a tiered dress, colors assorting from a light blue, to turquoise, then to pink. A gray waistband attached the black tank top and the skirt of the dress.

I curled my hair and put extra hairspray in it, hoping it would stay all day. John had always told me I looked really pretty with my hair curled.

I put an accenting eye shadow on and light eye liner, not wanting to overdue it.

I slipped on gray flats before I looked at myself in my mirror. I was more then satisfied with my appearance when I walked downstairs. I found my mom and dad reading the paper and drinking coffee in the front room.

“Okay, guys, I’m leaving!”

They both looked at me, “Wow,” My dad commented.

“You look great, hun.” My mom said. “Get a granola bar on your way out, who knows if those boys will feed you.”

She was right. I grabbed a granola bar and said goodbye, I was already late. I kind of rushed to the airport. The whole ride over I had butterflies in my stomach, batting around serving as the constant reminder I would break John O’Callaghan in less than two hours.

I took a deep breath before I entered. I found the gate he would be at and waited. There were already some people there, I waited behind the group. When the first person came off the plane my heart jumped in anticipation. I peered around the people in front of me, looking for my best friend.

I saw his tall body over anyone else. His eyes were eager as he searched the small crowd for me.

I stepped out into plain sight and his eyes latched onto mine. He walked towards me and my legs were jello for a split second, until I found myself running to him.

I don’t even know how it happened but in a matter of seconds John was picking me off the ground, spinning me around and holding on tight, holding on like he never wanted to let go.

“BABY!” John screamed and I hugged him so tight I felt I would break him.

“Oh, John.” I mumbled into his neck. I had told myself to play it cool, that I wouldn’t do this. But when I saw John I lost all self-control I had mustered up. Something about him attracted me like a magnet, I felt like we had been forced away for too long and I needed to stay near him to keep him here.

It was only two weeks, I reminded myself.

John put me down but I kept my arm locked tightly around his waist, and he around my shoulders.

I looked up at him and he stared down at me. “I missed you.” We said in unison. We both smiled, and then my eyes traveled down to his shirt. I pulled away and my mouth dropped open.

It was the shirt he and Carly had made for the soccer game when I was in seventh grade. Phrases expressing their love for me displayed on the shirt in puffy paint. The shirt was laced with not only memories of my beautiful sister, but of John and I’s first kiss we had the same night I first found this shirt in his closet weeks ago.

And now it would hold the memory of the day I hurt him most.

I washed that thought away and grinned. “You wore the shirt,” I studied it again, amazed.

“It’s a little small,” He pulled it down and shifted uncomfortably, “But I’ll deal with it for you.” He smiled.

I returned to where I had been before, under John’s arm.

“So, where to?” I asked.

“Well first I figure we stop and get some breakfast at Burger King. I know you’re hungry,” He said.

“I am,” I laughed. The granola definitely didn’t tie me over.

John drove us to the nearest Burger King and we split a batch of French toast. When we were done we got back in the car and we drove to a park.

John opened my door for me and grabbed my hand, leading me out like a gentleman.

“So, I’m not sure you wore the right outfit for my activity today,” He looked me up and down and smiled, “But we’re playing soccer.” He grabbed a ball quickly out of the backseat and held it in front of me. “This is a rematch from the game we played the day before you left for England, for some reason it was okay to elbow me in the face the whole game, it’s so on.”

I looked him dead in the eye, a smile creeping onto my lips. I continued to look at him as I took off my flats.

“You know what, John O’Callaghan?” I asked, holding my shoes next to the ball, “I could beat you with pumps on.” I grinned as I swiped the ball from his hands and replaced his open palms with my shoes and ran to the field.

JOHN

I watched as that beautiful girl ran away from me. I threw her shoes in the backseat and chased after her. She ran quicker now, dribbling the ball between her feet. She had an unmatched talent for soccer, and I made a mental note to remind her to try out for the spring league this year.

She turned around and faced me, “Okay,” She stopped the ball with the heel of her foot and punched her arm our in front of her to stop my advance. “We play half the field, we’ll estimate the goals. No unfair fouls and if you tackle me and get this dress dirty I’ll kill you.”

I laughed, “Deal.” I said before taking the ball away from her. I rushed the field and scored the first goal easily. She may have skill but I have all the speed.

“Lucky shot,” She muttered under her breath.

We played back and forth for an hour, the score right now was 6-5, and I was winning. Maddie had just taken the ball form me and was rushing to her goal. I chased her down and stuck my leg out. My foot rolled on the top of the ball, taking my feet right out from under me.

My body completely blocked Maddie’s path and she tripped over me. I caught her in my arms at her waist, and held her up; she didn’t even hit the ground. I lay on my back, my arms outstretched, holding her like you hold a newborn child.

I heard her gasp before I caught her, but when she realized she was safe in my arms she smiled, “Cool,” She said.

I smiled and lightly lay her on the grass next to me I took off my shirt and laid it down so she wouldn’t get her dress dirty. She scooted onto it and looked at me, smiling.

“You’re such a gentleman,” She said.

“We don’t have much time,” I looked at my watch and saw it was 9:31; I had to drop her off at the mall by ten to meet Garrett.

She looked up at me and sighed and then she looked back up at the sky. I admired her honey brown hair and bright blue eyes. Her tanned skin was fading from the summer, and her small frame was especially accentuated with the dress she was wearing. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.

I leaned over her now, and she watched me carefully. I moved the hair that was in her eyes behind her ears and kept my hand on her cheek. She didn’t say anything and her eyes were full of every emotion, making them virtually unreadable.

I brought my face closer to hers, I could spell the cinnamon flavor of her lip gloss and I wanted nothing more then to kiss her. I looked in her eyes one more time, still full of emotion, but one was more prevalent then the rest: unhappiness. I looked away quickly, hoping she would let me kiss her before the inevitable happened.

But before I could attach my lips to her she moved her head slightly, to where I planted a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

She put her hands on my chest as she pushed the both of us up. I sighed and turned away. I pulled at the grass in front of me, ripping pieces out and twisting them in my fingers. It was a few minutes before I felt her hand on my shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” She said.

“For what?” I asked; let’s hear her explain this one.

“For…everything. I love you John, but I’m in love with Kennedy.”

“Don’t say his name,” I said as nice as possible.

She stayed silent for a while. “Maybe we should start heading out.”

I nodded my head and got up, I helped her up off the ground but I wouldn’t look at her. It hurt too much.

The entire ride to the mall was silent. I couldn’t look at her because it reminded me of the beauty that didn’t want me. I couldn’t talk to her because my voice would quiver too much. I couldn’t listen to what she had to say, because her angelic voice made my heart sting.

And I couldn’t love her, because she’ll never love me the same.

We pulled into the mall and found Garrett waiting outside. I pulled to a stop and Maddie unbuckled her seatbelt.

“So I’ll see you tonight?” She asked.

“Yep,” I said, staring at the steering wheel. “I’ll see you.”

She stood outside the car on the passenger side with the door open for a few seconds longer, hoping I would look at her. She finally shut the door and I sped off immediately. I looked at the clock on my dashboard, it was exactly ten o’clock.

Kennedy had less than fourteen hours to break the heart of the girl that loved him more than she loved me.

And that girl had less than fourteen hours of happiness until her world came crashing down.