53 Minutes That Changed My Life

I can’t help but scream into my pillow, “I am a terrible best friend!” I felt the tears rolling down my face. Screaming into the pillow just isn’t enough though. “I am a terrible best friend!” I say out loud.

“No you’re not,” Sierra’s familiar voice says as she walks into my bedroom.

“Yes I am! I’m so sorry for everything! I’ve never felt so terrible please I understand you’re mad but please I’m just, I just-” I could even finish my sentence I was crying so hard.

Sierra comes over and rubs my back. This is weird, I should be comforting her, not the other way around. “It’s okay,” she says, “I forgive you,”

I look at her, “You do?”

She half smiles, “I talked with Jeff, and I understand, and I’m sorry for playing the jealousy card,”

I shake my head, “You shouldn’t be apologizing for anything,”

“No, let’s just put it behind us,” Afraid that if I speak I’ll cry again, I just nod. “So what do you want to do?” She asks me.

“Anything normal,” I say glad that I’m not crying anymore.

*** Jeff

Walking back into my apartment I’m in a bit of a lighter mood, that is, until I see Justin. “Hey man,” he says, getting off the couch, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t haven’t gotten into that,”

“You bet you shouldn’t have,” I say walking into my bedroom, he follows.

“Like I said, I’m sorry, so are we cool?”

Does he really think just that would settle everything? I was going to say that we’re not cool but my phone buzzed. It was a text from Madeline, she was wondering if Justin and I would go clubbing with her and Sierra. I can’t help but smile, they must have made up. I text back with a yes and ask Justin, “Hey do you wanna go clubbing with Madeline, Sierra and I?”

He shrugs, “Sure,”

“Awesome, hey uh, what are you suppose to wear?” I ask. Justin raises his eyebrows, “What?”

“18 years old and you’ve never been to a club?” I shrug, “Wear jeans and a button up,”

“Okay,” I answer.

“I’ve never been clubbing before, this is going to be interesting,” Madeline says. After we met up with them in the lobby.

I sigh with relief, “Good because I haven’t been either, Justin says that it’s weird that I’ve never been clubbing,”

Madeline smiles linking arms with me, “Then we’ll be weird together,”

“I.D. please,” says the guy at the front of the line.

I was the last to show my I.D. and the security guard said, “Hey you’re Jeff Skinner!” I smile,

“Yeah, hi,”

“You gonna win the Stanley Cup for us?”

I shrug not knowing what else to say and go inside. The music was blasting and people were dancing everywhere! “Jeff,” Madeline says into my ear, “I can’t dance,” after all that’s happened today, I can’t help but start to laugh. I laugh so hard that Madeline pulls my over to the bar and gets me a coke.

“I’m sorry,” I say because I think I might have offended her. “It’s just after everything that’s happened today, and you’re worried about how you can’t dance,”

Madeline tries to suppress a laugh but can’t. “Jeff, look at Justin and Sierra,”

I look over to see them dancing a bit too close together, in the middle of the dance floor. I laugh again. “Think they could be something?”

“When’s the wedding?” Madeline asks sarcastically.

“C’mon,” I say taking her hand a pulling her to the dance floor. Even though I know I look weird, I start dancing and Madeline follows in some sort of arm movement. I smile and she does too as we dance like weirdos in the middle of the dance floor.

‘You make me feel, like I’m living a, teenage dream, the way you turn me on…’

I think about what she said about things being perfect. ‘They are’ a voice tells me and I definitely agree.

Out of excitement I grab Madeline’s arm a bit too harshly but she didn’t notice. I pull her to kiss me. I wrap my arms around her back and press my lips to hers. This is one of the best moments of my life, here with the girl that I love. Love? Yeah, I love Madeline Johnson. I’m sure of it. I just hope she loves me too.

“Madeline?” a familiar voice says from behind me.

Madeline quickly pulls from me, “Max!”

Max was already a couple feet away while Madeline was trying the best she could to follow him. I didn’t want something bad to happen so I followed too.

“Max I- I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you I-” Madeline had tears rolling down her face. Surprisingly, so did Max.

“We’re through!” He says and walks away.

Madeline looks up at me, “Now what?” she asks.

I wrap my arms around her. “Now, he’s gone and we have nothing to worry about,”

“I broke his heart,” she says.

“Give him a couple of days, then call him, we both know he deserves a good apology and I know you can give him one, it’s up to him if he accepts it or not, like you said, someday everything will be perfect,”

She looks up at me almost smiling, “You always know what to say,”

I kiss her again. “I love you,”

She smiles, “I love you too,”