She Will Be Loved

I went up the stairs as quickly as I could without slipping and ran into my bedroom. I ripped off my clothes and got into the shower. As I dried my hair I pictured my closet and its contents which were limited. I only had so many dresses and I never enjoyed wearing them in public.

Walking into my room I looked at the dresses in my closet and I had it narrowed down to a simple red dress. The color complimented my skin perfectly which I hoped would impress Michael. I was never one to wear makeup but tonight I put on red lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner.

The doorbell rang downstairs and I knew it was for me because Cole and Aiden were going to pick up their dates at their houses I suppose it was like a double date for them. As I slowly emerged from the stairs I saw the scene of Michael talking to my parents along with Cole and Aiden. He looked a bit intimidated by my father and who could blame him? My father had an act for being embarrassingly scary towards any of my guy friends. My mother seemed to be blushing as she spoke to Aiden. He did clean up nicely but the thought of my mother blushing in his company was still repulsive.

“Wow you look…great.” Michael said slowly.

My father looked at me with a pang of sadness, “Are you ready kiddo?”

I nodded, “Yeah let’s go…”

Michael smiled at me and then turned to my father, “When do I have to have her back by?”

“When is this thing over?” He asked.

Aiden answered, “11:00.”

Cole chuckled, “He’s kidding dad its over at 12:00. I can always bring her home.”

I think the reason Cole purposed this was so there was no possibility of me kissing Michael at the end of the night. Michael seemed a little tense around my parents but I didn’t know exactly how to comfort him.

“Well then Cole will be taking you home then kiddo.” My father said sternly.

“Have fun sweetheart be careful.” My mother smiled still blushing from Aiden I assume.

“We are going to take off too,” said Cole.

All four of us walked outside onto the driveway where Cole’s truck was parked. Cole looked at Michael and started to give him rules that slipped my father’s mind. I leaned against the car waiting for his speech to be over.

Aiden stood in front of me with a smile, “Hey.”

“Hey…” I sighed unknowingly. After I let out a sigh I immediately wished to have taken it back.

He smirked, “I never thought I’d see the day you going to a high school dance.”

I smiled, “Well that makes two of us I hate these school functions.”

“Well you look perfect…” he half smiled.

“Thanks…” I blushed.

Cole had finished his speech and Michael took my arm and walked down the driveway with me. His mother was in the car so he sat in the back with me. It had felt a little awkward as his mother started asking us questions. Every time we had answered each of them there was an awkward silence that followed them.

Finally we pulled up to the school and there had been a few outside tables filled with
couples who liked to rebel and not actually go inside. I never understood that notion because if you were going to ditch why wouldn’t you walk to a diner or something to that effect?

Michael opened the door for me to get out and he slowly walked up the steps to the school. We knew the dance would be in the gym because that was the clique thing to do if you were going to throw a homecoming dance. Music was blasting from the gym as we grew nearer. Michael’s palm had grown a little warm which made holding his hand a little awkward but sweet.

As we walked through the doors the song I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to

Dance by The Black Kids was playing.

You are the girl that I’ve been dreaming of… ever since ever since…

This song seemed appropriate to be playing during a dance. There was an equal amount of kids sitting down at the tables and dancing. A majority of the kids in the gym were the upper classmen because not only could they drive themselves here but the others didn’t have dates to go to this thing. I saw Jessica sitting at the table with some people from our Geometry class. They all decided to come together because it would be a new experience or something. I wanted to stay home of course but Michael was into this whole celebration thing.

We walked to sit down and Jessica smiled wide, “You two are so cute!”

Michael grew a bit red in his cheeks and pulled out a chair for me. I smiled and said thank you to both of them. The rest of our friends seemed to be having a fun time at the table making fun of our weird math teacher and how much they wanted to put off their homework this weekend.

The DJ switched the mood in the room so quickly. It was amazing how music can change
the whole room and our actions. Michael rose and took my hand pulling me to the dance floor.

You and Me by Lifehouse played throughout the gym and each person on the dance floor began to pair up.

What day is it and in what month, this clock never seemed so alive, I can’t keep up and I can’t back down, I’ve been losing so much time, cuz’ it’s just you and me and all of the people…

Michael swayed side to side with me for the first time. Everyone else minded their own business while they slow dance probably for the millionth time since they’ve been at this school. The chaperones didn't seem to mind how anyone of us was dancing as they were thinking to themselves they were kids once.

I looked up at Michael and he seemed to be the happiest I had ever seen him. I could see Jessica and the other smiling at us and the others in the room. I looked around nonchalantly and noticed my brother dancing with his girlfriend making me feel extremely awkward to be dancing with Michael in front of him. Not too distant to Cole was Aiden dancing with Amy with a look of disgust and pain on his face as if he’d rather be anywhere else in the world than there.

After minutes in this world of serenity it ended like any other song would but this one lasted because I needed it to. I felt like this is where my life was supposed to be here in Michael’s arms. This was the life any normal person should lead because it was the right place to be and the right thing to do. I met eyes with Aiden for a split second and what I wanted was to be in the marsh with him just to experience the danger of it all.

While Michael talked with some guys from the team I danced with Jessica for an hour or so. She seemed to be getting tired and every once in a while we’d go drink some water or go to the bathroom and clean our damp foreheads.

Amy walked in with Monique while Jess and I cleaned up. Amy was reapplying lipstick as Monique sighed in that lovesick way every girl does more than once in her life.

“How are things between you and Aiden?” Monique tried to ask without sighing again.

“Really great I think he’s going to ask me. If I push it further and call him my boyfriend it will happen.” She smiled looking at herself in the mirror.

I could tell it was hurting Jessica when she said this because she really wanted to be the lucky girl who won the heart of the big star football player of the school. It had always been her dream and who could blame her? That was about more than half of the teenage female population’s dream.

“Well if he hasn’t asked you yet doesn’t that mean he doesn’t want to…” Monique stopped dead sentence.

“He didn’t want to go to the dance and look I got him here so it won’t be much harder to get him to be my boyfriend.” She glared.

We both shuffled out of the bathroom door as quickly as we could. I didn’t want to hear any more of what Amy had to say about Aiden and I knew Jess didn’t either. I saw Aiden sitting with my brother at the same table as Michael so I didn’t exactly want to go and join them. The DJ alerted us that we only had an hour left to dance which meant it was already 11:00.
I had hoped the dance was over because there was really no reason for me to be there anyways. Michael had talked most of the night and Jessica and I could have just had a sleep over. I walked over to the table where Michael and Cole sat.

“Hey I’m ready to go do you mind if I leave early?” I said to Michael.

Cole looked up, “Did you want me to take you home?”

“No you and Monique should have a good time! I can walk it isn’t that far…” I insisted.

“You can’t walk home!” Cole argued.

“I’ll walk with her you and Monique have a good time god knows I want to get away from Amy…” Aiden suggested.

“You sure, man?” Cole turned to him.

“Yeah it’s fine that way you can be alone with Monique.” He smiled.

Michael stood up, “I can walk with you…”

“No its fine have fun and celebrate I’ll see you Monday.” I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

I turned to Jessica with a wide smile, “Did you want to leave early too?”

She began to blush, “Yeah actually I’ve wanted to leave for a while…”

The three of us walked out of the gym before Amy noticed Aiden had left. Jessica started talking about all sorts of things with me on our walk. The conversation ranged from television to what was coming out in theaters probably to hint to Aiden she wanted to go to the movies to see something with him. He did talk much probably because Jessica annoyed him or maybe he was used to the attention she was giving him.

When we reached her house she walked slowly inside as if she was taking a mental picture of how he looked tonight and knowing Jess she probably was. As Aiden and I walked down the driveway he looked at the street sign.

“I only live around the corner we could just go get my car,” he added with a chuckle, “Just don’t tell her I live so close to her…”

We rounded the corner of the street and walked past a couple of houses until we finally reached his. He took his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the car. To be a gentleman he opened my side for me before getting into the car. Climbing into the driver seat he started his car and backed out of the driveway.

“Did you have as much fun as I did tonight?” Aiden said sarcastically.

“It was alright I suppose I just wish I could be more fun for Michael.” I sighed.

“What do you mean?” Aiden seemed confused.

“I just feel like I’m not fun to be with. Every other girl he knows is cheery and happy all the time.” I explained.

“Well at least you kind of like being with Michael I didn’t even want to go to the dance.”
Aiden turned down a different road and then I knew where we were going to, the marsh. He noticed I was trying to figure out where we were going, “I wanted to show you something… We haven’t been back here in a while so I made something because I figured we’d celebrate my winning.”

“You knew you’d win didn’t you? I mean you genuinely knew that after all of your worrying you’d win anyway?” I smiled shaking my head.

“Well I figured if you believed I could I actually stood a fair chance at winning. So I took a chance on you because I knew somehow we’d end up back to the marsh tonight.” He grinned to himself.

Before we got to the marsh he stopped and looked in his back seat and pulled out one of his jerseys from last year.

“Turn around a bit so I can cover your eyes with this.” His voice was a bit nervous.

He rolled the jersey up while I followed his request. Slowly he covered my eyes with the jersey and then I felt the car moving again. We must have been close because I felt the familiar bumps in the road. We came to a halt and then there was a car door slam. He hadn't been around to open my door yet but he opened the back of the car to get out blankets I assume. Within minutes he finally opened the door and helped me out onto the grass and removed the jersey from my eyes.

On the grass was a gazebo with candles of almost all sizes. There had been a couple of blankets and a stereo resting upon the ledge of the gazebo. It was amazing I had never seen something so beautiful in my life.

I gasped lightly, “It’s amazing…how did you even get the gazebo here?”

“I saw it at a yard sale nearby and all it needed was to be put back together and a paint job so I barrowed your brother’s truck and it was a done deal. The candles took me a while to light but the rest was cake.” He seemed proud of himself.

I walked up the steps to the gazebo and Aiden followed behind. He turned the stereo, “I made a mix for you the other day and I figured we’d listen to it here if that’s fine with you.” I smiled at him and gave a nod.

The first song to come on was I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie.

Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white
Just our hands clasped so tight
Waiting for the hint of a spark
If Heaven and Hell decide
That they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NOs on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

Aiden took my sides and pulled me closer to him lightly as I wrapped my arms around his neck. There was a glow from the candles around us but aside from that there was no light anywhere else. There were a few fireflies dancing over the pond just like us. I felt butterflies inside the pit of my stomach and they seemed to have spread everywhere else on my body.

“Thank you…” I sighed.

He smiled down at me, “No, thank you for being the only one to tell me you believed in me when everyone else was in their own little world.”

“Sometimes I feel like it’s just us shut out in our own world when we are out here.” I sighed looking out across the field of dandelions and grass.

The song ended and Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie came on.

I need you so much closer
I need you so much closer
I need you so much closer…

That had been one of my favorites by them it was amazing how he knew I had liked Death Cab it made me curious as to what else he’d have on the CD.

Thank You by Dido seemed to be a perfect fit which made me laugh a little.

I want to thank you
for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you
is having the best day of my life

After the song finished he laughed a bit. “I figured it suited my big victory so I added it to the list. I’m just glad I’m not as stressed.” He smiled.

When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge rang throughout the marsh taking away the silence.

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

“And how are you feeling now?” I smiled up at him.

“Better but there is just one thing that I forgot…” He frowned to himself.

He leaned in closer to me and kissed my cheek but I turned slightly to kiss his lips. Aiden pulled me closer and continued to kiss me longer than we had the first night in the marsh.

Being here in Aiden’s arms was nothing compared to Michael’s because in Michael’s it was where I was expected to be. In Aiden’s it was forbidden I wasn’t allowed to be here with him. He was my brother’s friend and he was already off the market. I felt like he was everything I didn't want in a boyfriend we had almost nothing in common aside from music and the need to get away from the world every night. Maybe this was his appeal the fact that we were both two people who weren’t supposed to be with each other. At the same time he was where I felt myself and I hadn't felt myself for the longest time. I had decided to let him lead me where ever he planned on going because right now I trust him and everything he stood for.

At some point Aiden had pulled the blankets from the ledge and laid them down before we made our way to the ground of the gazebo. Some of the candles flickered at this movement and even a few went out. Nothing disturbed us this time all phones were off the only noise I could hear was the beat of our hearts and our breathing.