Save Your Heart

“What are you doing?” Natalie asked appearing near my doorway. I was standing in front of my dresser, in a towel wrapped around my middle, and my hair soaking wet.

“I’m trying to figure out what to wear.” I replied. I put my hands on my hips. Natalie walked onto my bedroom and into in my closet. I heard some rummaging and little noises from Natalie. “Now what are you doing?”

Natalie walked out of my closet holding a cute, floral, mini dress. “You’re wearing this.”

“No I’m not!” I shook my head. “I’m so not wearing a dress.” I continued to look through my dresser drawers.

Natalie grabbed my hand and spun me around in her direction. “You are wearing a dress. You are wearing this dress.”

“I never wear dresses.”

“Exactly, which is a perfect for you to wear one tonight. Derek deserves to see you in a dress.” She ordered. She shoved the dress at me and walked out of my room. “When I come in in five minutes, I better see that dress on you.” And with that, she slammed my door. I rolled my eyes as if she could see, then turned to the mirror that was next to my dresser. I looked at myself; I wasn’t pretty enough for a dress. If anything, a dress would make me look worse. My legs were too lengthy, I was too flat-chested, I wasn’t tan enough. A dress just would not work on me. I took my towel off and slipped the dress over my head just to keep Natalie happy. I gave myself a disgusted look when I check out the dress on me in the mirror.

“Let me see!” Natalie squealed bursting open my bedroom door and skipping over to me. She stood behind me and smoothed out all of the wrinkles in the dress, then we both looked at me in the mirror. “I so need to dress you from now on.”

“I’d rather you not.” I replied. I walked away from the mirror to grab a hairbrush on my nightstand and started brushing out my hair.

Natalie plopped herself on my bed, took a nail filer off my nightstand, and started filing her nails. “Derek won’t know what to do with you when he sees you.”

“Ow!” I whined when I hit a knot in my hair. “Nat, stop.”

“Stop what?” She through her hands up in the air. “I’m just telling it how it is.”

“It’s not how it is though.”

“It really is, Ry. In fact, would you like a condom for tonight?” She gave me a wink and I gave her a good whack with my hairbrush. “Ow! Ry!”

“Sorry, my brush slipped.” I joked. I was going through my make-up drawer while I waiting for my hair to air dry.

Natalie came over to me and started going through my make-up drawer with me. “Have a seat.” She told me and I listened. I sat down on chair next to my desk. She picked out some brown eyeliner, mascara, and brown eyeshadow. “This will bring out your blue eyes.” She informed me as she gently put on my eye make-up.

I glanced over at the clock while Natalie looked through the drawer for something. The clock read 5:35, Derek would be here in 25 minutes. My stomach started to feel sick and I was pretty sure I was sweating. Why was I nervous? It’s not like it will be my first time out with Derek, we’ve gone places together all of the time. We’ve known each other for over a month and I have never been nervous around Derek.

“Okay, all set.” Natalie said when she was done. She put all of my make-up away and smiled. “So pretty.” I smiled back as a ‘thank you’ and continued to get ready.

“So where are you going tonight?” I asked looking for my shoes.

“I’m not sure. Jack’s picking me up at 9.” She replied. She was laying on my bed once again, filing her nails.

“Which one is that?”

“The tall one with brown curly hair.”

“Oh, the one who claims his love for you all the time?”

“No. That’s John. Jack’s the one who thinks with his dick.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. “Then why are you going out with him?” Then the everything clicked. “Oh! I get it.”

Natalie nodded at me with a smirk on her face.

“Don’t be silly, wrap the willy.” I waved my finger at her.

“Say that again, I might have to slap you.” She responded with a slap on my ass. I tried to slap hers back, but she was already halfway out of my bedroom. She gave me an evil laugh.

I gave myself a quick last look at myself in the mirror; I looked decent. I threw on a blue cardigan before joining my roommate in the living room. Natalie was sitting on the couch watching Jersey Shore. Despite my hatred for the show, there was nothing else I had to do to get ready, so I sat next to her and watched it.

“Hey, you.” I jumped at the sound of Derek’s voice next to my ear. He lightly kissed it and made his way around the couch to sit next to me. I grinned at him, my breathing became uneven and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. He looked so handsome; he had on dark jeans, a red dress shirt, and his hair was straight. He grabbed my hand. “Wow, look at you.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Natalie give us a sly smirk.

“I didn’t even hear you come in.” I told him. He’s been to our apartment so much, we got tired of answering the door for him, so we told him to just come in without knocking.

Derek nodded towards the television. “You must have been really engrossed in...what are you watching?”

“Jersey Shore!” Natalie exclaimed.

“Oh God.” He replied distastefully.

I giggled and got up from the couch. I pulled Derek along with me. “Let’s go!”

He agreed and walked with me towards the door. We tried saying goodbye to Natalie, but she was so into her show, she just waved us away. We walked down the stairs to the outside hand in hand the whole time. I loved how he always held my hand. From the first week we started becoming friends, we would hold my hand. It made me feel so comfortable around him.