Memories down the lane

I nervously paced the dining room. My heart was pounding the way it does when I am anxious. Today, Jordan Bell, captain of the football team, honor student, class president, long-time crush, and the most popular kid in the 12th grade is coming to my house for dinner. My house. I could hardly believe it. I met him during my freshman year of high school but we have never officially hung out. He was one of the SCPs ( Smart, Cool, and Popular), and I was nowhere near that popular. Today is the first day he would come to my house, and I was beyond nervous. What if he thought I was weird? What if he never talked to me again and gossiped about me? I would be the laughing stock of the school, and being a senior in high school is stressful enough. I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. He may be one of the SCPs, but he is pretty nice compared to the other kids. He would never do something that harsh. Right?

I was straightening the utensils when I heard the doorbell ring like a siren. I jumped and ran towards the door, nervous. I swung open the door and Jordan was standing in front of me. His sandy blonde hair was falling into his ocean blue eyes. He was wearing a black shirt with a green lightning bolt in the middle with matching pants. He was holding a huge bouquet of pure white roses. They were so beautiful, they took my breath away. I could feel red creeping onto my cheeks. We just stood there, staring at each other. He smiled his lopsided smile and handed me the roses. I took them and looked at them. They were the most beautiful roses I have ever seen. I ran my fingers over them, inhaling their sweet scent. I took a deep breath and told Jordan to come in. I took him to the dining room and offered him a seat. He sat down and smiled at me. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me. Then he said three words that I would never forget:

“ You look gorgeous.”

I could feel my cheeks turning tomato red. I was wearing a simple white lace dress that draped over my knees and had a red ribbon hugging my waist. I had put my blonde hair with brown highlights in a french braid. Looking at him, I felt overdressed, but that didn't matter. Jordan Bell told me, Kimberly Amanda Hart, that I look gorgeous. I could hardly breathe. I smiled shyly at him and asked,

“ Thanks. Well, shall we eat?”

At first, I was nervous to talk with him, but he had this vibe that could put anyone at ease. The nervousness melted away, and we started talking like we were best buds. We talked about school, his football team, and how I was trying out for the new play in school, Stars in New York City. Then we just sat there, staring at each other, a comfortable silence settling over us like a blanket. His face was dimly lit by the candles decorating the table. God, he looked like an angel. All of a sudden, my dog Caramel came bursting into the room. The mood instantly left the room, but Jordan didn't seem to mind. He laughed and started petting Caramel. She rolled over and let Jordan rub her belly. Her tongue was sticking out and she looked deliriously happy. I was upset, but I couldn't stay mad at Caramel. When Jordan was done petting her, he looked at me and grinned.

“ I have always wanted a dog, but my mom and dad hate them,” he said wistfully. “ You are so lucky.”

I blushed and nodded. We started talking about dogs. He said he used to volunteer at an animal shelter, but his parents made him quit because they didn't like how he smelled like dogs all the time. I laughed, and he laughed, and we laughed so hard we could barely breathe. I was so happy, and I was so disappointed when he had to leave. 

He was standing on my front porch, getting ready to leave. I was sad but happy that we had a nice, romantic dinner, and I got to learn so much about him. Even though he is an SCP, he doesn't act all stuck up. He just seems like the cute boy next door. Before he left, he said,

“ I had a great time, Kim. I hope I will see you in school on Monday.”

I blushed and smiled at him.

“ Same, Jordan. I had a great time.”

He smiled at me and waved goodbye. I waited until he left, and I closed the door and sighed loudly. Today has gone great.

At first, I thought he was being nice when he said he had a great time, but he just kept on being nice. On Monday, he sat with me at lunch. On Tuesday, he asked if I wanted to go see a movie. He just kept on doing nice things, and I knew he liked me. I was so happy all of the time. I even woke up on a Monday morning with a huge smile stuck on my face instead of my grumpy, tired face. Even my parents were confused, but they didn't pry for info. Finally, a month after dinner, Jordan and I were walking together at a park. There was a soft breeze whispering in our ears, playing with our clothes. It was fall, and the leaves danced from the trees to the ground. The sun was setting, and the sky was a mix of purple and red. It was gorgeous. We were walking, and suddenly Jordan stopped. I looked at him, and he took a deep breath and said,

“ Kim, I have to tell you something. Ever since that dinner at your house, I’ve been thinking. Is it okay if we become something more than friends?”

My heart stopped. I stared at him, and his eyes twinkled. I could tell he was nervous.

“ Yes. Yes, yes, yes!” I screamed in happiness.

He grinned and gave me a bear hug. I was so happy, I thought I was going to explode. We walked together, fingers entwined, and a new beginning ahead of us. 

Ever since then, my life has kept on getting better and better. When I told my friends and family, they nearly exploded with happiness. Even my friend Emily, who has had a crush on Jordan forever, was happy for me. Jordan was always so sweet. We would go to places together, have picnics, and get gifts for each other. I even got offered to be in the SCP group, but I declined. I didn't want Jordan to think I agreed to be his girlfriend just so that I could be an SCP. The years went on, and my life was perfect. I could not be more grateful.

10 years later

I am so happy. Jordan proposed to me at the same spot where he first asked me to be his girlfriend ten years ago. We got married five years ago, and we welcomed our first child, a girl named Sarah, 9 months later. Today is her first day of kindergarten, and we couldn't be more excited. Jordan and I ran upstairs to help get Sarah ready for kindergarten. Sarah excitedly ran down the stairs. Jordan and I were following her, but we stopped when we saw our wedding photo framed on the wall. It was a picture of me and Jordan on our wedding day. I was wearing a beautiful white dress, with a bouquet of white roses. Jordan was wearing a handsome suit. We were both laughing in the photo, and we had cake on our faces. I smiled at Jordan, and he smiled at me. His blue eyes are more beautiful than ever. I remember the day ten years ago, when my life changed forever, and I couldn't be more excited for what the future held.