The Great Book Of Thoughts

Soulmate's and Spiderman Pjs

I hadn't intended on needing to go on an emergency run to the supermarket today. It was the day before Christmas Eve, and I had just got back from another rousing family Christmas trip, so I was really trying to avoid any human interaction. But when you get home to find nearly all of your food  ruined because the power went out when you weren't home, it was kind of a necessity. So here i am, walking into the nearest store in all my messy hair and spiderman pajama glory and hating everything about being alive. 

My frustration only grew as I struggled through the mass of people in the aisle, seriously I just want some pizza and cookies, why do people wait so long to get what they need for Christmas. It's not like its a huge surprise, it's the same day every year. By the time I got everything I needed I was quite ready to punch someone in the face. I kept my anger under control though. Even after I was nearly run over by some stupid couple who were only aware of their soulmate next to them and I was painfully reminded that I had yet to find mine, the stupid compass a mocking black scar on my wrist. 

As I waited in line to check out I couldn't help but think back to my family's Christmas dinner the previous night. 

"So, Kendra?" My aunt had approached, stating my name in the form of a question. 

"What do you want Aunt Peggy?" I had responded despite knowing quite well what she was about to ask.

"Oh don't be that way my dear. I just want to know if you've finally found your soulmate? All my children have, so I mean you're bound to have met them by now. That is, if you even have one at all." I tried to ignore the slight mockery in her tone, but to be truly honest it wasn't like she was trying to hide it. 

"I have not." I answered through clenched teeth. The smug smile she had on her face was almost enough for me to punch her in that stupid snooty smirk of hers right then and there, but then I had noticed my mother watching and I simply turned away instead. 

I glared down at the compass on my wrist, it was supposed to point to my soulmate but who knows where he is at this moment. It still boggled my mind, this whole soulmate business. It was like something out of a fairy tale, but it was real life. Everyone had a compass show up on their wrist sometime in their life, everyone with an arrow that followed their soulmate as they moved through their lives. You never know exactly where in the world the other person is, just the direction you need to go to find them. Once you do find them, it is said that you feel a rush and then the compass fades till it is just a mere memory of what it was. It was a weird thing, these tattoos. Everyone had one, some people find that their compass is already faded when it shows up, others find it broken some even have multiple, leading to close friends and loved ones. 

I began going through the motions of checking out, not even looking at the cashier behind the counter. As I went to grab my bags from them I stopped short. Just barely noticeable from under my sweatshirt sleeve was the faint glow of my compass tattoo. I stared at it in shock. The cashier cleared their throat when I didn't take the bag. Still shocked and not knowing what to do I looked up to meet their eyes. It was in that moment that I knew what everyone meant. Because as our eyes connected across the counter I felt a rush, I'm not entirely sure what it was, adrenaline or maybe it was love? 

My vision tunneled and I was oblivious to everything around me. I used to roll my eyes whenever my friends would say that when they met their soulmate they always thought they were the most beautiful person ever. But seeing this man, standing awkwardly in front of me with an equally shocked expression on their face, I really understood what everyone meant.

"Hi." He smiled and holy crap was it blinding. My mind went blank and everything I had ever thought I would say when I had finally met him went out the window. Instead I stood there, opening and closing my mouth like an idiotic fish. Which of course, caused him to giggle and man was it adorable. 

Finally finding my voice, I managed to squeak out a small, "Hello." Which only made him smile more brightly, causing my brain to go to mush. 

"You know, you chose a rather perfect time to come into my line."

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

He nodded his head and turned around, suddenly the light above us turned off. "Yup, cause I just got off work." He handed my bag over to me once more, this time I took it. 

A smile grew on my face, "Kendra." I said simply while simultaneously sticking out my hand to him. 

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow and he laughed as he shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Kendra. My names Derek." 

He walked around to the exit of his lane and held out his arm, which I hesitantly looped mine through. A blush crept up my neck as we began walking, suddenly very aware that I was wearing spiderman pj pants and a very large sweatshirt with a faded logo of my high school on it. This was definitely not what I had panned on wearing when I met my soulmate. 

"So, Kendra," the way he said my name, it sent chills down my spin. He said it with such care and interest, so unlike how my aunt had said it. "Would you like to get dinner with me?"

"Tonight?" I asked, surprise evident in my voice, once again thinking of what I was wearing. 

"Yes tonight, that is if you don't mind." 

His natural kindness and sweat smile made my heart skip a beat and impossibly made my smile grow even bigger. "Well, Derek, I would be honored to go out with you. But, you see, I just bought all this food, and if you didn't notice I am not exactly dressed for a nice dinner." He seemed to have just noticed what exactly I was wearing and simply laughed in response, I punched him in the arm before continuing. "But, how would you like to follow me back to my place and get to know each other over pizza?"

His eyes sparkled as he responded, "Sounds perfect." 

Later, as I was driving home I glance at my wrist and a soft smile found its way to my face at the pale arrow, just barely visible, pointing confidently to the car that followed mine.