{WATTYS 2021/2022 SHORTLIST}{Editor's Pick} {Featured Story}
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One girl. Two boys. An impossible choice.
Stella LaFever, a theatre student from California, can't wait to spend a summer in Newport, Rhode I...
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Chapter Song: Closure by Taylor Swift
Later that night, when I was lying in bed, curled beside a snoring Leona, I tried to banish thoughts of West from my mind. That angry furrow between his brow and the coldness.
No matter how hard I tried, embarrassment and confusion refused to leave.
I struggled to find sleep that night, and when I finally did, West was there—waiting for me in the space between wakefulness and dreams.
The following day we didn't have choreography practice, just rehearsal. The actor playing Lumière was handsome enough, but he always gave me a weird vibe. I chalked it up to him not being a certain boy with black hair who was currently acting like I didn't exist and tried to ignore how the actor rubbed me the wrong way.
After rehearsal, Leona and I cleaned and decorated my grandparent's bungalow with handmade signs and cheery balloons.
The doorbell rang, and we rushed to the door expecting it to be grandpa and grandma—but it wasn't.
A delivery driver was standing on the porch holding the most beautiful bouquet of sunflowers I'd ever seen. Long, thick green stems and giant yellow blossoms displayed in a delicate crystal vase. I took the flowers and set them on the kitchen table, letting my fingers brush over the velvety petals.
The card accompanying the flowers simply said:
Mrs. LaFever,
My family and I hope these bring you a bit of sunshine. All the best—Spencer Fredericksen
Leona gave me a dragging glance before saying, "The man's got class."
I studied Spencer's neat handwriting, thinking of the note he'd sent me last week currently tucked inside my underwear drawer.
When my grandpa pulled into the gravel drive, Leona and I rushed out to greet them.
Even though one side of her face was still drooping and she needed help walking, my grandma looked as beautiful as ever. And as it turned out, Leona and I weren't the only ones that loved Spencer's flowers.
"Sunflowers are my favorite," grandma said in her slow speech. She turned a half-smile on me and gripped my hand. "He's such a nice boy."
A pang of guilt shot through my system, coursing through every vein in my body. I forced a smile before helping my grandma get settled.
I woke up Wednesday morning and headed off to choreography practice, ready to accept West's apology for acting so distant and waiting for his warm smile.
