One Night Thrill

“Did you miss me?”

I stared into the eyes of the speaker, the pair of eyes that I had been studying ever since I moved to Maryland when I was in the first grade. But something was different about these eyes. They were older now, much less alive, and full of regret. The glimmer they once held was much less vivid, but even after four years of absence those hazel eyes still managed to make me weak in the knees.

But four years of absence is a long time. In fact, when I thought about it enough I was still hurt from that one night thrill. I mean honestly, it’s not every day when you get with the girl of your dreams to find her M.I.A. in the morning.

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I was studying those eyes on the dance floor, but not just the eyes. No, no. I was watching the person as a whole as well, and trust me if you were here you would be too. This girl was the life of the party, but then again she always was.

Rita Calangelo.

Rita was by far the most popular girl in school and heck, she was one hell of a looker. But don’t let my description deceive you. She wasn’t the easy cheerleader type in the least. In fact she wasn’t even a cheerleader. She was merely your average teenage girl with average grades. But she was beyond average, far beyond it.

I kept my eyes glued to her slender body as she danced to the blaring music. Her light brown hair was in a messy bun and her hazel eyes were wandering over her surroundings. For one moment they caught my eye and she sent me a smile that directly flooded my cheeks.

“Okay, if you don’t ask her to dance I’m doin’ it for you brah.” Alex stated as he took a seat next to me on the couch.

“Alex… I can’t jus-“

“Yes you can. Watch. HEY RITA!”

“Alex, shut up!”

And of course, just like that the girl of my dreams walked over.

“Hey Alex, hey Zack .What’s up?” She smiled at me and yet again I felt my cheeks heat up.

“Well…” Alex began, “I was just wondering if you be kind enough to take my friend on the dance floor so the two of you can get ‘jiggy with it’. He’s been watching you all night, well actually much longer than that.” He winked at her as she giggled. Remind me to kill Alex later.

Rita looked at me, her bright, hazel eyes shimmering with all the positive energy of the universe. Her personality is what always got me. I’ve never met someone able to keep a smile on their face every day of their life. She was just always a ball of happiness and I loved that.

“Well Mr. Merrick, I would love to dance with you, but I think it’s only fair if you ask me to.” She smirked down at me while I chuckled a little.

“Okay Rita, may I have this dance?”

“You may.” I got up and took her hand, making my way through the crowd and onto the dance floor. As the bass boomed through the speakers Rita began to swing her hips to the beat. She closed her eyes and just got so into the music that it appeared as though she was losing touch with her surroundings. But eventually for Rita, more songs meant more drinking, and more drinking led to us getting wasted.

“Zack…” She began as I placed sloppy kisses up and down her neck. “Let’s go upstairs.” I nodded as I let go of her waist as she stopped grinding on me. Note to self, remind me to thank Alex later.

We made our way up the stairs and into an empty room. We collapsed on the bed as we began forcefully kissing one another. Immediately the atmosphere began to heat up as she unbuttoned my pants and I began to feel her underneath her shirt. In just five minutes our clothes were a useless pile on the floor and we were both under the covers, our moaning covered by the blasting music.

When we were finally finished we both just laid there enjoying each others’ company. And even though we were both still completely drunk I’ll never forget what she said to me in that one sober moment.

“Zack?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t ever leave me. Promise me that whatever happens… you’ll be here waiting?”

I looked up at her; those eyes I’ve come to love were completely serious, the hope apparently fading.

I stuck out my pinky. “Cross my heart and hope you’re mine.”

She took my pinky in hers and kissed me one last time as we both began to fall into a deep, dark sleep.

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When I awoke the following morning I had felt better than I ever had in my whole entire life, but when I rolled over to see Rita she was gone.

And that was the last time I ever saw her.

Now I was looking back directly into those eyes, directly at the heartbreak I went through, directly into that mistake that I never meant to let escalade. I was looking directly at the girl who made me promise to never leave right before she did. But more importantly, I was staring at the girl I had missed for so long, the one who I had never let slip my mind. I was staring at the girl who I was devastatingly in love with.

“Zack, I’m sorry. I’m absolutely sorry…” I looked at Rita as a tear managed to escape her eye. I felt so helpless just watching her there, but I reminded myself that she was the one who had left.

“Why…” I barely whispered, “Why’d you do it, Rita?”

She sighed as she looked down at her feet. “Because… I’ve liked you ever since you moved here in the first grade… But we were both drunk and I didn’t think you felt the same… I didn’t want to face rejection Zack.”

We stood there silently as the wind blew autumn leaves all around us. Everything was
different now. We weren’t in high school and we were no longer fearless. We were both older, and we were both irrevocably vulnerable.

“Zack, do you remember what you promised me?” I nodded as I recalled the moment.

“Well it’s not necessarily something I can just forget, now is it?” I glanced up at her. What could possibly possess her to believe that I didn’t mirror the feelings she had? If anything, I thought that I was making it blatantly obvious. But what good was holding old feelings of anger and remorse? It was all over now.

“Well thank you for keeping it.”

I was confused. “What do you mean?”

“You’re still here aren’t you?” We smiled at each other and for the first time in what felt like
centuries, I saw that sparkle return to her eyes; those beautiful eyes.

“You know,” She continued, “those four years had me thinking. And just because we aren’t in high school doesn’t mean we can’t try being together right? What do you say Zack? Can you forgive me and let us have an actual chance?”

“That depends,” I thought, “Can you promise me that this won’t be another one night thrill?”

She smirked as she stuck out her pinky. “Cross my hope and hope you’re mine.”