YOU BELONG WITH ME (COMPLETED)

Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Tonight was homecoming. I was in my room surrounded by papers and books on my bed. Clearly I wasn’t going to the dance. No one asked me, and even if someone – which I highly doubt anyone would have, there’s only one guy that I want to go with. Besides I had to study for this big exam that was coming up so I didn’t have time to frolic around at some dance… I looked up to see Lucas walking around his room getting dressed. He sat on his bed to write something. He looked amazingly handsome in his tuxedo. He looked up and held the pad in his hand.

‘You going tonight?’ it read. I sighed.

‘No studying’ I wrote holding it up for him to read. He wrote down something and held it up giving me a sad smile.

‘Wish you were’ it said. I blushed and looked down hoping he didn’t see. I looked back up in time to see him swinging his jacket over his shoulder and walking out his room. I stared after him for a while thinking. I sighed and continued back to studying. Throughout the time I was studying my pen fell on the ground. I bent to the side of my bed to get it and saw a paper sticking out of one of my books. I picked it up and pulled out the paper. I stared at it for a while thinking what should I do. The paper that I was holding in my hand was the paper I wrote ‘I love you’ on a couple of weeks ago. I thought back to the time when I wrote that but failed for him to see. I sat there staring at the page contemplating with myself, then Lucas’ voice popped in my head. ‘You’re even more beautiful without your glasses.’ I got up and walked over to my full-body length mirror. I slowly took my glasses off and looked at myself. I looked back at the paper that was on my bed then back at my reflection. Lucas belonged with me and he should know it.

I nodded my head in certainty and went to my mother. It was just my mother and I. My father died in a car accident when I was 10 on his way home from work. It was very hard for both me and my mother but we got through it together. She’s always there for me like I am for her. Dad is my inspiration my motivation for why I strive to do so good in school. I want to make him proud of me and follow in his footsteps in becoming a lawyer. He was an amazing husband and a wonderful dad and no one could ever take his place in my heart.  

Mom was in her room snuggled on her bed endured into a good book. When my father died I was scared mom would find someone else to replace him. But as the years went on she never did look at another man. Before I would have never wanted her to go out and date, but now I sometimes feel bad that she’s alone. I remember one time I insisted to her that she should date again but she laughed and cupped my face in her hands and look in me in the eyes and said that she could never love another man like she has my father and doesn’t see the point in wasting her time. I argued and said she should but she smiled and kissed my forehead and said that she was perfectly happy being there for me and us having each other. I smiled at the memory. And I was perfectly happy with having it just me and her too – with the loving embrace of my father watching over his two wonderful girls.

I lightly knocked on the door. She looked up and gave me a heart-warming smile waving her hand letting me in. I walked over to her slowly and stood by the end of her bed. I took a deep breath and started fiddling with my hair nervously.

“Mom, tonight’s the homecoming dance and I was just wondering if you could help me get ready” My voice rising making it sound like a question at the end. She dropped her book and got up faster than a person on fire.

“Homecoming’s tonight and you didn’t tell me about it?” she gasped putting her hand over her chest dramatically. I nodded my head slowly. She planted her hand on her hips and tapped her foot attempting to look stern but failed.

“I wasn’t planning on going” I started but she walked over to me and placed her hands gently on my shoulders.

“Taylor honey, you only get to go to high school once. I want you to make the best of it. I want you getting involved in everything. I don’t want you to regret missing things like these in the future” she said gently stroking my hair. I nodded my head, letting a tear slide down my cheek. It’s not that I isolate myself from anybody. It’s just once the teasing started and everyone saw me as a freak I got used to it, and didn’t care that no one would invite me to outings and stuff. I just didn’t fit in their criteria. I nodded my head at my mother again giving her a small smile.

“Let’s get started” she beamed. She pulled me over to her dresser and pulled my hair out of its ponytail running her hands through it gently.

“So what made you change your mind?” she asked as she went to the bathroom inside her room to get some hair products. I shrugged my shoulders in response. I was too nervous to tell her that the main reason why I was going was because I wanted to see Lucas tonight and tell him once and for all how I felt about him. I couldn’t wait any longer and I need him to know. He might reject me, which is something I’m terrified of, but at least finally he’ll know how I truly feel about him. Also I think it’s time I stop living in the shadows, if I want to be fierce, and bold just like my father, then I have to start learning to voice my thoughts and not give two cents about what others think.

Mom was not satisfied with my nonverbal response. She put the hair products down at bent down so both our green eyes were levelled. She raised an eyebrow and we had a stare down. I finally sigh and caved.

“There’s this boy” I said looking down. She squealed and almost deafens me.

“Tell me all about him” she said starting on my hair. I let out a slow steady breath and told her about Lucas. She stopped brushing my hair when I said his name.

“Lucas – as in Lucas Smith, the boy you used to play with when you were little” she said lifting my head up so I was looking at her upside. I nodded my head but it was hard when she had both her hands on either side of my head holding it in place. She smiled then released her hold and continued back on my hair.

“Your dad would always watch you two play and say that if someday you and Lucas ended up together he could die happily because he’d rather have Lucas with you than any other guy” she laughed. I laughed too. I looked over in the mirror and saw a tear roll down her cheek.

“I miss him” I whispered. She kissed the top of my head and rubbed my shoulders.

“Me too, each and everyday,” she said sadly. It was quiet for a while until mom clapped her hands together. “Okay let’s get a move on missy so that you can go get your man” she winked and started curling my hair. I giggled at her and watched as locks of my long golden hair fell over shoulder after mom curled it.