Good Things Come to Those who Wait

“Excited for tomorrow?” 

“Ha,” I answered. Excited for Valentine’s Day? I don’t think so. 

“I’ll take that as a no,” my best friend Emersyn replied. She turned towards her boyfriend and they shared a secret smile. The three of us were standing at my locker while I pulled out not one, or two but three books and shoved them into my bulging backpack. 

“Come on Cora,” Josh (her boyfriend) said. “You should ask someone out and we can all go on a double date. There’s no better day than Valentine’s Day.” 

I gave him a sarcastic grin. “No really?” I mumbled, “I hadn’t thought about that.” 

He grinned and we walked to U.S. Lit together. Emersyn and Josh didn’t even hold hands. They went out of their way to include me which sometimes made me feel better and sometimes made me feel bad and even more like a third wheel. 

While the teacher droned on about famous American poets my brain wandered. The truth was that I had thought a lot about tomorrow. And there was one person in particular who always came to mind. Hart from Chem Class. 

We’d gone to the same middle school together and had sort of known each other but hadn’t really been friends until this year when we became lab partners. I had a huge crush on him and have for months. Hart’s a year older than me, smart, cute, funny, confident but most importantly kind. Even though we don’t know each other well he always makes me feel included. He always makes sure that I’m not left in the dust. And he’s like that to everyone. I guess that’s why I like him. 

Now of course you’d think, then ask him out, it’s Valentine’s Day, right? But I can’t because he just broke up with his girlfriend a few weeks ago and the last thing I want is to be pushy or just become a rebound. So I wait and dread the day that will make me feel even more alone than I ever have before. 

Hart's special. He's popular with good people who like him for being a good person. He's cute in a way that shows he's not trying to be, he just reflects who he is on the inside.

Later that night when I was sitting at home eating peanut butter jelly sandwiches and reading sappy teenage romance novels my phone dinged. I reached over and checked the text. It was from Hart. I tried not to scream as my fingers fumbled over the lock screen. He was probably just asking something about the homework I was procrastinating. 

Hart: Hey :) 

Cora: Wassup 😎

Hart: Nothing much wby?

Cora: Reading

Hart: Haha I should’ve guessed 

Hart: So… are you doing anything tomorrow? 

Cora: You mean other than sitting alone at home and eating a tub of ice cream? 

Hart: 😂

Cora: Jk I don’t really have plans

Hart: Oh sorry I have to go… Can we talk tomorrow? I wanna ask you something

Cora: 👍Bye!

I put my phone down and blinked. Did we just text a real conversation? Even if it was only like a minute long? I took a screenshot and sent it to Emersyn with a message attached that said, “Did this happen or am I hallucinating?” She responded a minute later with a bunch of surprised, screaming and head-exploding emojis. 

I was excited but that didn’t really change how I felt about Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day was literally just a day for people to waste money rubbing in everyone else’s face how happy they were. It was deceptive and sickly sweet. And since I’d never had a boyfriend to celebrate Valentine’s Day with, I faced the brunt of it every year. 

I kind of hated Valentine’s Day. Having to spend the one day of the year that’s solely about love two feet away from the person I like without actually being able to be with them was going to be absolute torture. 

The next morning I got up, brushed my teeth, ate breakfast and proceeded to stand in front of my closet for five minutes. Finally I decided on jeans, a purple long sleeve t-shirt and my white Sherpa vest. I rushed to the bus stop and hopped on at the very last minute. 

I immediately wished I’d walked the six and a half miles to school. The bus was filled with red balloons. And red gift bags. And red outfits. I sat down in a seat at the front, turned on my ear buds and closed my eyes. 

Thankfully we arrived at school quickly and I was able to rush to my class all the while dodging pink, red and every shade in between. 

I was about to step into my class when someone called my name. 

“Cora?” I turned around and there he was. My crush on Valentine’s Day. I thought I would at least have some time to mentally prepare myself before Chem but apparently not. 

“He-eeeey,” I said and stumbled when I tried to walk towards him. He grabbed my elbow before I could tumble to the ground. 

“You okay?” He looked so genuinely concerned it melted my heart. 

“Yuhhh,” I replied when I realized that he still was holding my elbow and our faces were only inches apart. I felt my face heat up and I pulled away. “Thanks.” 

“We don’t have to be at class for twenty minutes, want to walk around campus together?” 

I guess it was the way he said “together” that made me unable to turn him down. I smiled and nodded. Before I could react he grabbed my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine, pulling me down the hall. I followed behind like a dog on a leash. I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone had told me that my tongue was also hanging out of my face. My brain was pretty much mush. 

Just then we passed Emersyn and Josh in the hall and judging by the dumbfounded look they gave the two of us my tongue probably was falling out. 

I didn’t even get the chance to say hi. We stepped outside and Hart slowed his pace. 

“Wanna go over here?” he asked and pointed to the little section of picnic tables the juniors and seniors always ate lunch at. 

“Sure,” I squeaked. 

He marched over like he owned the place and I followed behind like his royal escort. He sat down on one the benches underneath the big maple tree the upperclassmen always dared the freshman to climb.

 It was where we reunited after middle school. I doubt he remembered it but it made my stomach clench a little. 

Two rich senior girls had dared me and Emersyn to climb up the tree. I was deathly scared of heights and they could tell so they forced me to go first. 

I’d gotten about fifteen feet up and was shaking so bad I thought I would throw up. Then Hart showed up and started getting on those girls cases about pressuring me into doing it and yelling that it was a stupid tradition in front of everyone there. 

When I climbed down terrified and nauseous Hart smiled at me, asked if I was okay and then left. But as he was walking away he turned around and said, “It’s good to see you again Cora, it’s been too long.” I was filled with a new kind of nerves and from that moment I haven’t been able to get him out of my head. 

Then two weeks later he started dating Emily and I felt heartbreak for the first time. 

“Cora?” I jumped. 

“Wha-? Oh sorry, I zoned out,” I said when I realized Hart had been trying to get my attention. I sat down heavily on the bench next to him. 

“So…” I said. “You wanted to talk to me about something, right?”  

“Oh yeah,” Hart answered. He looked down at his hands in his laps, then at me, then out at the school and then back at me. “Actually Cora… I…” He stopped and swallowed. I could tell he was nervous and I wanted to help but didn’t know how. 

“Cora,” he started again. “I really like you and have for a while. And I know we’re just friends and stuff but I guess I just really needed to tell you and I figured there would be no better day than today.” 

I tensed up, my whole body responding to shock and I could tell he took it as a bad sign. His eyes softened in sadness and he opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him. 

“I like you too,” I interjected and was surprised to find that my nerves had disappeared and my voice wasn’t even shaking. 

“You do?” he asked. 

“I could ask you the same question,” I quipped, my voice softening when I realized he had somehow managed to get a lot closer to me. Like we were magnetized together. 

He laughed and gently grabbed my hand. He held it lightly in his own and watched me closely. 

“Hart,” I looked away. “I don’t really don’t want to bring this up, but are you sure? I mean you just broke up with Emily a few weeks ago.” 

His expression darkened a little but he sounded confident when he said, “I’m sure. I hadn’t really been feeling it with Emily for kind of a while before we broke up.” 

I smiled, “Ok.” 

“There’s just one thing left,” Hart said. 

“What’s that?” 

“Will you be my Valentine?” 

Oh how much I wanted to hear those words coming from him for so long. I nodded enthusiastically then realized I looked like a fool so stopped and said, “Yes.” 

He laughed again and leaned closer to me. I drifted towards him automatically. He took his free hand and brushed a strand of hair out of my face. My breath caught. His fingers grazed my jaw and then he closed the distance between us and kissed me. I fell towards him, my arms wrapping around his neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist. 

I couldn’t even believe that this was happening. It felt like my imagination. It felt like nothing I’d ever experienced before. 

He pulled away and just looked at me. I stared back at him like he was someone I’d never seen before. Like all of the sudden there was this whole new world open to me. 

The warning bell rang and we both jumped. I started laughing and he did too. 

“Cora, will you go on a date with me?” Hart asked. 

I wrapped my arms around him and leaned against him in an embrace. He placed his hand on my hair. 

“Yes,” I said. “Definitely yes.” 

We got up and went our separate ways to class. 

“See you in Chemistry?” I called out as he walked away. 

“Yup!” he yelled back. 

I turned around and there was Emersyn and Josh. They were staring at me in wide-eyed amazement. 

“What?” I said already fearing the worst. 

“We saw the whole thing!” Emersyn shrieked. “Did you really just do that?!” 

“You watched me kiss?!” I responded. “Gross guys.” 

“Cora you did it!” Emersyn yelling and trapping me in one of her never ending, bone crushing embraces. “You finally found someone and it’s Hart!”

I pulled away and started walking to class because, at this point I would be late. They followed behind and we sat down just in time. 

Emersyn and Josh peppered me with questions about what had happened which earned them several dirty looks from the teacher and me. 

By the time class was over I was mentally exhausted. But at least the Valentine’s Day outfits and decorations didn’t look so bad anymore. 

Emersyn, Josh and I split up and I headed to Chemistry. I turned around the corner and saw Hart there just as his old girlfriend Emily jumped towards him and kissed him quickly on the lips. 

His eyes connected with mine. 

My heart split in two. 

I’d never realized how quickly joy could be replaced with sadness, anger, the feeling of being used and of course heartbreak.  

“Cora…” he said. Emily turned around and saw me standing there. She didn’t look surprised. 

“Am I interrupting something?” I choked out. 

“No!” Hart said. “No Cora— Let me explain, please.” 

“No,” I said, holding my hand up. “No, I think it’s fine actually. I’ll just leave you two alone. Carry on,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Don’t…” he started to say. Emily just watched me, her eyes calculating. 

I turned around and walked down the hallway as quickly as I could. But I stopped halfway down the hall and turned around creeping as quietly as I could towards where they were. I stood just around the corner and listened intently. As stealthily as I could I pulled out my phone and clicked the camera app. 

“Emily, what the hell?!” Hart said. “Why would you do that?” 

“‘Cause you shouldn’t date that girl.” 

“Oh and that’s up to you now?” Hart said. “You can’t do that Emily! You can’t just jump on me like that!” 

“Why?! ‘Cause your new ‘girlfriend’ was there?” 

“No! Because I don’t like you anymore and we’re not dating and that’s not okay.” 

“So what? She’s not good for you and I don’t want to see you with other people.” 

“Then get over yourself!” Hart yelled, his anger rising. “You don’t get to control who I’m with! Look we said we would be friends but don’t be surprised if I don’t talk to you again after this. Now I have to go try to explain myself to Cora who probably hates me!” 

I stepped out from my hiding place. 

“Actually, that won’t be necessary,” I said quietly. Hart gaped and Emily’s eyes widened. 

“Sorry for being a jerk,” I said to Hart. “I kinda needed to see what was going on for myself.” 

“Wait were you—?” 

“Listening to you the whole thing?” I finished for him. “Yup. I figured something was going on.” 

Emily came to her senses. “This isn’t your business so don’t eavesdrop.” 

“Not my business?” I scoffed. “Right so you trying to get in between my relationship that just started isn’t my business?” 

Emily glowered. “I’ll make you regret this Cora. You don’t want to cross me.” 

“Don’t I?” I said holding up my phone. I opened the video I’d taken and clicked play. 

Hart’s voice came over the speaker, “Emily, what the hell?! Why would you do that?” I stopped the video. 

“Ever heard of something going viral on social media?” I asked her, making my voice sound like I was talking to someone a lot younger. “I’m pretty sure I have a lot more leverage than you do.” 

“You wouldn’t send that video out,” Emily said but she didn’t sound sure of herself. 

“Wouldn’t I? You really don’t know that do you?” 

“Ugh, whatever I don’t care anyway,” she yelled and stormed away down the hall. 

“Byeee,” I called softly after her. When I turned, Hart was standing right next to me.

“I’m so sorry—”

“Not your fault,” I interrupted. “I’m not mad, don't worry. Or at least not mad at you.” 

“Just know that I don’t like her, okay? I like you, I want you.” 

“Good,” I said. He hugged me and kissed the top of my head. 

“Wanna go to the bookstore later?” 

“Huh?” 

“For our date,” he said with a grin. “I think it would be fitting, you know? We could go to dinner or a movie but I think books—” 

“Yes!” I screeched. 

My first date at a bookstore with an adorable boy who somehow seems to like me as much as like him? Now that I understand.