The cashier

Lilly's point of view

From day one, sense pre-k I had a crush on this boy named Cade. The first time I saw him we kept glancing over at each other when the other person wasn't looking. Sometimes we would catch each other and look away blushing with embarrassment. Every year I would think I got over him, but I always felt a spark between us, like there was something there. I never once in my life confessed my feelings about him and to this day I never will.

Cade's point of view

Pre-k was a fun year for me. I remember getting to play all day and talk to my little friends. I always caught this girl named Lilly staring me down though. It's like she was trying to read my soul. I'm not going to lie though I thought she was pretty cute, I would never tell her though. That is just too embarrassing. 

Lilly's point of view

Cade and I rode the same bus all our life and got into each other's homeroom classes every year of elementary and middle school. We never talked though we just looked at each other randomly at times hoping we would not catch each other. Then one day in 7th grade we got paired up into groups in class and we had to make a funny skit and present it with our group. That's when my biggest dream came, Cade got into my group! The visual skit in my mind was a recreate of Romeo and Juliet, I would be Juliet and he would be romeo. Of course that never played out how I expected. We ended up doing a skit about us being painters and having a contest. My group actually really did have a contest behind the scenes, we had to paint an object that describes our definition of love. The only thing is we had to each paint that picture in front of the class in 10 minutes while memorizing our lines. The skit sucked, but the painting part was fun. We got to know each other a lot through this skit and we then became closer friends. 

Cade’s point of view- 

I got closer to lilly through a skit project in class. If she didn’t mention already, we painted a picture in our skit that described our definition of love. None of us had planned what we painted before the skit so we had no clue what to expect during the presenting. After the skit ended I glanced over and just happened to notice that she had the same thing painted as I did. She had no clue though cause I took my canvas out of her view before she noticed, I didn’t want to make it look like I copied her. 

Doing the skit and making up dumb scenes was actully pretty fun I’ve got to admit. Even though my group’s skit was basically all improv I don’t think we were the worst group to go up there, but we weren’t the best either. Our freshmen year we got a lot more elective choices to choose from, so I decided to choose drama. On the first day of school I was walking to my fifth period which was drama. Lilly walked in front of me the whole time that passing period then she turned right into the room I was going to. I didn’t get a good look at her face until we got into the room, but dang she glowed up. I caught even more feelings when I saw her and she had no clue. 

Lilly’s point of view- 

My freshmen year I got drama class with Cade. In class that day he seemed to be staring at me more than he did last year. I kept checking my hair to make sure it wasn't messed up, because I thought maybe i had something wrong with it, I don't know. We got assigned seats and were paired up next to each other. We were forced to talk when we were put into groups together, but of course I did not mind. We made lots of memories together in that class, but out of that class we would never say a word to each other. My sophomore and junior year Cade and I just kind of drifted, but I never got over him. I would still look at him in the halls wishing he was mine. 

Our senior year came and of course I put drama down as my first choice in my electives, because that class was just so fun. Surprisingly, I got that class with Cade and I was super happy and I was really hoping we would talk as much as we did our freshman year. Sadly, we did not get paired up in groups together all year until the last four weeks of school. We got a big summative assessment which was a skit about love. Cade and I got paired up into a group together with four other people. We had such big plans for that skit, so we all spent a weekend together practicing. On that weekend we took a group trip to the prop store to get some props for our skit. The cashier asked cade and I what our favorite verses in the skit were so we acted out one of the scenes for him. As we walked out of the door after checking out he grabbed our arms softly and told us he wanted to talk to us. It was a bit suspicious. Sense the group took two separate vehicles, we had them go on and Cade and I stayed at the prop store a little longer to talk to the cashier. 

Cade’s point of view-

The cashier at the props store explained his long history of how he used to be an acting teacher in Hollywood arts. He also mentioned how he is a script writer for reality shows and how he is a producer for several different shows and he wants to make another reality show. He then explained all the big secrets about reality shows that producers don’t want people to know. I can not explain what he said, because he told us not to share that with people but I can explain one thing he said. He told us that our acting was astronomical and then he asked about our personal lives. I told him about how I have 6 sisters and two moms and what happened with my dad. He was in total shock and asked me a butt load more questions. After the short little interview he asked Lilly and I if we were dating. I wished I could say yes, but I guess that will just stay a wish like it always has been. I told him that we are not dating, we are just friends and he responded with something that gave me butterflies, butterflies that flew around so much it seemed as if they all just had 5 cups of coffee. “Well the way you two look at each other tells me something different,” he said. I was clueless on what to say. 

Lilly’s point of view-

The cashier was a really sweet old man. He asked cade and I about our home lives, so I responded with a short answer and he ended up telling him his whole life story. I’m not complaining though, because I will do anything to get to know Cade better. I want to know him better than he knows himself. The cashier made a comment about the way Cade and I looked at each other and he just smiled and I giggled. Lilly left to go to the bathroom, the cashier then watched her as she walked out the door then as soon the door closed all the way he asked me some questions. 

The cashier’s point of view-

I saw potential in those two kids. The way they looked at each other gave away the feelings they had for one another, they had chemistry. When Lilly left to go to the bathroom she did not know, but I talked to cade to get a little inside scoop on his feelings about her. He was a tough shell to crack, but eventually he mentioned how he has had a huge crush on her since he was just a little guy. He said that even when Lilly was her worst he still had a feeling inside of him that she was not like the rest. He told me that he never confessed his feelings because he didn’t think she would feel the same way and that hit me. I said “kid that’s not just a crush that is love. When you love someone no matter what they do, as long as they are happy you are happy. Trust me the way she looks at you is an obvious give away that she likes you too. I’m sure she thinks the exact same thing.” He seemed to be in shock and said “if she really felt the same way wouldn’t she have told me? If she truly cared she would put out an effort to get to know me.” I felt bad for the kid. I could see the tears in his eyes as he was trying to express his feelings, he was hurting. “I know what you mean, but think about it this way,” I said before explaining. “You know how you haven’t made an effort to get to know her either because you are scared that she won’t feel the same way then you’ll get hurt and it will make it awkward between you? Well that right there is the same reason why she has not opened up to you. You guys too caught up in overthinking and second guessing yourselves that you haven’t even realized the connection between you two. If you could both go from pre-k through your senior year with the same feelings about each other then you know the love is real, it is unconditional,” the boy was at a loss of words. “Should I tell her?” He said as he took a big gulp trying to hold back a tsunami of emotions. “Yes,” I said with my hand on his shoulder. We then rehearsed what he was going to say to her before she got back. 

Lilly’s point of view-

I went to the bathroom, because I felt the need to get away. The overwhelming feeling of Cade finding out that I feel this way about him is getting to me. I was in the bathroom for 10 minutes before thinking “have they even been wondering why I have been gone so long?” I then had a bright idea to eavesdrop on them beside the door to hear what they were talking about. Let me tell you, what was said made me feel like my life was complete. I wanted to just run in there and hug him and tell him I love him, but deep in my heart there was fear that I couldn’t get passed. I could hear the tremble in his voice as he was talking to the cashier. After 5 more minutes of thinking about what to do when I go in there their conversation ended and what I did shocked me. 

Cade’s point of view-

After my long and emotional conversation with the cashier ended I wiped away my tears and told him thank you. A split second after that Lilly came through the door slowly with a smile on her face and said “I love you too.” The waterworks came out my eyes as I ran up and hugged her and we then started telling each other all about the feelings we have for each other. I couldn’t thank that man enough. Then the cashier asked me if we wanted to do a reality show for my family. Then he came up with an idea that Lilly and I could act like we’re dating for the reality show then if we enjoyed acting like it then why not do it. We both agreed to the genius idea and started planning.  

Lilly and I talked to my family about the reality show. I was more focused on her meeting my family than the reality show I’m not gonna lie, it all went well though. I think they liked her. There were a ton of papers to sign, but my parents and siblings were all in on this. We then scheduled a meeting with the cashier guy to go over all the rules and expectations of the reality show. Lilly and I also went on a couple of smoothie and ice cream dates to get to know each other more. She was super shy at first which I think is absolutely adorable, but after breaking her shell and getting to know her true self she was actually a huge goofball. I then knew all her embarrassing childhood stories and I loved it. 

Lilly’s point of view-

I am crazy excited about this new reality show! My parents approve and are super supportive about my decision. On the first day of filming it was a little bit awkward having camera’s follow us around all the time, but by the second week I got used to it. I love hanging around cade and his family, there is never a dull moment. I’m just gonna say he has had lots of makeup put on him these past three weeks. I guess that's what it's like living with all girls. My 18th birthday then came up and they threw a huge surprise party for me! I went to the mall with Cade’s sister and I guess she used that to “distract me.” She kept stalling to leave and would not let me get any food. Finally we started heading home and vibed to “Party In the USA” on the way back. When I walked into the door cade came up with a blindfold and put it over my eyes. He carried me up the stairs so I didn’t trip and set me down then took off my blindfold. That moment I understood exactly why his sister did not allow me to eat at the mall. They set up an entire ice cream and donut shop upstairs and chinese food in the movie room. All of my friends and family were there and they all sang happy birthday. I got the first serving of chinese food and they gave me a fortune cookie. Cade ran up to me and told me to crack it open. I then opened it with caution and pulled out the fortune. “You will be blessed with the best news of your life after you read this fortune,” I read from the piece of paper on the fortune. That moment I looked Cade in the eyes, his dreamy, blue eyes. “Why fake dating when we can make it truly official? We both know the love is real and I want to make the relationship real too.” Cade said with a tremble in his voice. I instantly responded with “I do too,” and a smile on my face. 

Cade’s point of view- 

Giving that fortune cookie to Lilly made me super nervous, but you know what? I did it! We had so much fun together filming this reality show and it has brought us super close. It was a huge success and people absolutely loved the dysfunction in this family. Then we got a call. “He doesn’t have much time left,” one of the camera men said on the phone. We then rushed to the hospital with tears running down our faces, and the cameras still filming us. Who would’ve known one cashier could change two teenager’s lives dramatically. I could not believe he was gone, he was a hero. At his funeral Lilly and I gave a big speech in honor of him. The reality show then got canceled, but before it did we did one big thing. We made an episode specifically for him. It had all our funny behind the scenes bloopers with him and just sweet videos of him that we found. This man has changed my life and I could not thank him enough. 

Lilly and I are now married. We had a rustic barn wedding in the Bahamas and we rode horses together on the beach afterwards. Our wedding cake was an honor for him and on the top of it we wrote “sometimes the people you would least expect to change your lives are the ones who have helped you the most.” We also had a memory board for him made of wood. We engraved his word of advice to Cade into it and on the back we wrote all his favorite things to say in quotes on the back with an engraved drawing of him smiling in the middle of the scattered sayings  and put it next to his grave. He was a true angel who will never be forgotten and this is a true love story to forever be told until the day I die.