Just Like A Movie

I finally got the okay from my mom to start dating, I was sixteen and all my friends started when they were my age, and I did not want to be the freak. I had a crush on this blonde-haired slice of greatness since freshman year. He was tall, and did I mention gorgeous! Well, I was standing by my locker yesterday putting on cherry lip gloss and he was standing by his locker combing his wavy blonde hair when our worlds collided. I mean, literally. He and I closed our lockers at the same time and crashed into each other. He said, “I’m sorry”, and picked me up from the floor. Then he told me I smelled yummy, and I told him it was the cherry on my lips and we both laughed. Then he said the most incredible words ever spoken. He asked me to go to a movie Saturday night with him. I, of course said yes, and gave him my address and he said he would pick me up at seven.

Then I ran all the way home to beg my mom to let me go. She hesitated at first, but I told her again that all the kids my age was dating, it wasn’t the tragedy she was envisioning, and the boy was a school friend. That was a teeny tiny little white lie, at the moment. After Saturday I hoped we would be more.

I called my best friend, who promised to be here at six to help me get ready, and I was more excited than I had been all year. After all, I had been secretly adoring him for a very long time. He was the man of my dreams! I had already planned my wedding in my head, and named our perfect children. It would be the perfect life.

Saturday finally arrived, and after not sleeping Friday night because I was too excited, I wasn’t feeling my best. After calling my friend and seeing if she could come earlier, I choked down a piece of toast and coffee. My friend came at five, bringing food with her. She told me I needed to eat, or I would pass out. I reluctantly ate, jumped in the shower, and came out to see she had already assembled the blow dryer, mousse, and all my makeup. She got to work, and by 6:45 I was beautiful. I wore a mid-length summer dress with ruffle straps, and I felt like a princess.

At 7, he pulled in my driveway, got out and my mom opened the door to grill him like a steak. I ran downstairs to rescue him. We said our goodbyes and I promised I would be home by 11.

He mentioned what movie he wanted to see, some teen romantic comedy and I said it sounded like fun. We pulled up to the movie theater, and he opened my door for me. He got points for that. We decided to share popcorn, but we got our own drinks. We sat halfway down, toward the wall. I shared that I was a bit of a movie buff, and he looked confused. I explained that I liked movies, but I am very picky about if it’s good or not. He said, “the main girl is hot!” I generally had no words for that.

Ten minutes into the movie, he looked at the girl on the screen and proceeded to try and French kiss me. I politely jerked my body away from him, and told him to watch the movie. Thirty minutes in, he told me I looked just like the main character, and said I could be his girlfriend. What the heck! I laughed at that one, and he got that confused look again. In all the time I was worshiping him, why hadn’t I noticed the confused look? An hour into what turned out to be a horrible, no plot movie, he said that since I was his girlfriend we could make out after. Oh, could we? I was shocked! My perfect man turned out to be a perfect dud, and I found out via a horrible, boring, no-talent movie. We didn’t finish the movie, because I said I was feeling sick, which wouldn’t really be wrong, and he drove me home. He tried to kiss me again, and I said I wasn’t really his type, but I thanked him for the movie.

From that night I discovered that you absolutely cannot obsess over some boy for years, conjure up a perfect life in your mind without ever spending time with him, because it just doesn’t work.

A year later, I was asked to a movie from a boy in my drama class. I had known him since school started, so I agreed.

We went to a romantic comedy, he gently held my hand, and it was the best movie I had ever seen in my life. The couple had ups and downs, they fought and made up, and ended up getting married. It was on a beach; it was breathtakingly beautiful, and I decided that I wanted that wedding. I told him, he smiled and gently kissed me and agreed. We went for ice cream after. He told me his plans for the future, he wanted to be a doctor. I laughed, because I wanted to be a nurse. He said, “that does it, we were meant to be.”

It turns out he was right. We dated for a year, and on our anniversary, we went to a movie, before the movie started, he stood up, bent down on one knee and proposed. I said yes while crying and the whole movie theater exploded with applause.

Its coming up on our tenth anniversary. We had the perfect beach wedding. We have two children. There are times when we fight, and make up. Its not a perfect life but it’s perfect enough for me. And it’s just like a movie, a good one