The very thing that I need, look at how you get to me.
001.
I tied up my hair as I climbed into my best friend, Nia's old Chevy truck and sighed.
Going on a camping trip was a part of Nia's Fun Summer! list she had written at the beginning of the last summer I'd have before leaving to college in the fall.
What Nia hadn't planned on was my cousin Ashton, coming along with us.
Along with Angel, there were two other guys with us - Ashton's best friends, Brayden and CJ, but Brayden, who lived in New York, couldn't come because of his band.
I've talked to Brayden ever since I was 13. I've liked him since then, too. He's said he liked me - even loved me, but we've never had the chance to meet.
After almost five years, I was still waiting for him. Shocker, right?
I hadn't expected to go on this trip, I thought I'd be able to get away with the old flu trick, but since Lena had been a volunteer at the Rec center last year and been through training, she knew I didn't have any symptoms, and thus, I'm here.
We packed up camp quickly, with the guys wanting to be able to get back home faster. By 7 o'clock, (it had been four when we started to leave camp), we were finally on the way home.
"So. What colleges are you guys going to?" my other best friend, Angelique asked.
Angelique was really pretty. She had this long, dark brown hair that was to die for, and deep brown eyes that glowed like a cat's in the sunlight.
"Well, all of us are going, right? I'm strictly a UCLA man," CJ said, thumping his chest dramatically.
CJ had that skater hair, all shaggy. His brown eyes were gorgeous, and his smile was always on. He was actually really sweet, but a little cocky at times.
"Yeah right! You wanted to go to NYU, dumbass," Ashton joked. "Me, UCF man."
"Mmmmm, interesting. I'm NYU, too," Angelique replied, running her fingers through her hair briefly.
I saw Ashton watching her intently and smiled. Him and Angelique would go great together, except she had her boyfriend, Eric. He lived in Ontario, CA and only came down a few times.
"What about you, Ver? I thought you wanted Columbia?" Nia asked as she drove.
"I do, but I don't know anymore," I said. I was always so indecisive about what college I wanted to go to.
"Awww, Vera! Come on! You know you want to go!" Angelique said, hitting my shoulder lightly.
"Bah. I don't, really," I laughed, hitting her back lightly. "And you?"
"Well, I'm not going to college. Singing is my thing!" she sang the last words to emphasize her point.
Angelique was a great singer, I'll admit that. Her voice was gorgeous, just like her.
I knew Nia was going to Julliard. She could go to any college, since her parents had been in the army, and she always had an undying love for music, even since we met at 13.
"Well, maybe it'll work out for all of us," Nia said, still looking at the road.
"Maybe it will..." I sighed, looking out into the dark night.
**Fast forward to Vera arriving at New York, where she decided to go to Columbia**
"Gates 210 and 214 are now boarding."
I heard the intercom go silent as I collected my bags at the claim and stepped out into the cool New York air.
I always imagined the day I would finally make it to this city. With its reputation, it seemed like the greatest place in the world to live.
Living in Orlando for most of my life and frequent visits to New York eventually resulted in me having a great love for this city.
Trying to call for a taxi in a crowded New york airport is really difficult, but I managed, somehow. I heaved my bags into the massive trunk, and climbed into the smoke-smelling cab.
"Columbia University, please," I told the driver.
The yellow taxi moved swiftly in the congested and crowded streets of the world-known city. I got there in almost no time.
Not very interested in seeing the campus once more (like I said, I'd been here before), I deposited my bags in my dorm room, said goodbye to my new roommate, Kat, and headed right back out into the busy streets.
I took the train to Washington Heights, where I knew Brayden lived, and stood firmly on the sidewalk outside the station, unsure to go any further.
It's been five years, Ver. Do you think he's still interested in you?
Upon thinking this, I went right back into the station, and while going down the steps, I stumbled into someone.
Well, stumbled is a modest word. Face planted is probably better.
Sprawled on the dirty station floor, I got up.
"Dude, I'm so sorry! Can I help yo-?" I started to ask the person, before I saw who it was. I stopped dead in my sentence as I laid my eyes on the poor victim of my trip.
"It's coo- Oh my God. Vera?" Brayden asked as he stood up.
He looked exactly the same as he did when he was fifteen - when we first started talking. Webcamming and MySpace pictures helped me to picture him, but he was far more gorgeous in real life.
Clad in his old black hoodie, a Suicide Silence band tee, ripped black jeans, and skater shoes, Brayden was every bit as perfect as I thought he would be.
He had soft looking dark hair, almost black, in a choppy hairstyle, with massive bangs and black snakebite rings.
He was still in his band. Screamo vocalist. I could tell, since he usually came home about now and called me to tell me what happened at practice, and his voice was a little rough, like it always got after he did screamo.
"Brayden?" I breathed, blinking a few times.
He assessed me thoughtfully in his state of shock, taking in my Chiodos jacket, A Skylit Drive shirt, white skinnies, Vans slip-ons, black messenger bag, and reading glasses.
My hair was kind of teased and it's natural dark brown. I had straightened it before taking the plane, so it wasn't curling all over like it naturally does.
"My God, I thought I'd- I thought we'd never-" he stuttered, his eyes still fixed on me.
"Five years," I said, moving slowly towards him. "For this moment."
"Five fucking agonizing years," he agreed, taking my hand.
Just like he said he'd do, on one late-night phone call four years ago, he hugged me gently and kissed my nose softly.
"I can't believe this," he whispered, his forehead resting on mine.
"Neither can I," I replied softly.
He pulls out something in a small box.
"I knew you were going to Columbia, so I bought you something in case we ever ran into each other sometime," he said.
He opened the small black box, and inside was a little ring.
It had a yellow daisy on it, with yellow diamonds in the middle.
I looked up, questioningly. Yellow meant friendship.
He laughed. "They ran out of red ones, and I really wanted this specific ring for you."
I smiled widely, and let him put it on my left ring finger.
"Even after five years - I still love you," he said, as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the station and back into the yellow sunlight-filled city.
That's when I realized it.
That it didn't matter how we did or didn't meet, it didn't matter that he couldn't make it to Nia's camping trip.
All that mattered was that I knew he loved me.
And standing in that dirty, crowded subway station, I knew it was true.
I've never felt so alive.
What do you think!?
Horrible, good?
Tell me what you think!
Ashley, xx.
Going on a camping trip was a part of Nia's Fun Summer! list she had written at the beginning of the last summer I'd have before leaving to college in the fall.
What Nia hadn't planned on was my cousin Ashton, coming along with us.
Along with Angel, there were two other guys with us - Ashton's best friends, Brayden and CJ, but Brayden, who lived in New York, couldn't come because of his band.
I've talked to Brayden ever since I was 13. I've liked him since then, too. He's said he liked me - even loved me, but we've never had the chance to meet.
After almost five years, I was still waiting for him. Shocker, right?
I hadn't expected to go on this trip, I thought I'd be able to get away with the old flu trick, but since Lena had been a volunteer at the Rec center last year and been through training, she knew I didn't have any symptoms, and thus, I'm here.
We packed up camp quickly, with the guys wanting to be able to get back home faster. By 7 o'clock, (it had been four when we started to leave camp), we were finally on the way home.
"So. What colleges are you guys going to?" my other best friend, Angelique asked.
Angelique was really pretty. She had this long, dark brown hair that was to die for, and deep brown eyes that glowed like a cat's in the sunlight.
"Well, all of us are going, right? I'm strictly a UCLA man," CJ said, thumping his chest dramatically.
CJ had that skater hair, all shaggy. His brown eyes were gorgeous, and his smile was always on. He was actually really sweet, but a little cocky at times.
"Yeah right! You wanted to go to NYU, dumbass," Ashton joked. "Me, UCF man."
"Mmmmm, interesting. I'm NYU, too," Angelique replied, running her fingers through her hair briefly.
I saw Ashton watching her intently and smiled. Him and Angelique would go great together, except she had her boyfriend, Eric. He lived in Ontario, CA and only came down a few times.
"What about you, Ver? I thought you wanted Columbia?" Nia asked as she drove.
"I do, but I don't know anymore," I said. I was always so indecisive about what college I wanted to go to.
"Awww, Vera! Come on! You know you want to go!" Angelique said, hitting my shoulder lightly.
"Bah. I don't, really," I laughed, hitting her back lightly. "And you?"
"Well, I'm not going to college. Singing is my thing!" she sang the last words to emphasize her point.
Angelique was a great singer, I'll admit that. Her voice was gorgeous, just like her.
I knew Nia was going to Julliard. She could go to any college, since her parents had been in the army, and she always had an undying love for music, even since we met at 13.
"Well, maybe it'll work out for all of us," Nia said, still looking at the road.
"Maybe it will..." I sighed, looking out into the dark night.
**Fast forward to Vera arriving at New York, where she decided to go to Columbia**
"Gates 210 and 214 are now boarding."
I heard the intercom go silent as I collected my bags at the claim and stepped out into the cool New York air.
I always imagined the day I would finally make it to this city. With its reputation, it seemed like the greatest place in the world to live.
Living in Orlando for most of my life and frequent visits to New York eventually resulted in me having a great love for this city.
Trying to call for a taxi in a crowded New york airport is really difficult, but I managed, somehow. I heaved my bags into the massive trunk, and climbed into the smoke-smelling cab.
"Columbia University, please," I told the driver.
The yellow taxi moved swiftly in the congested and crowded streets of the world-known city. I got there in almost no time.
Not very interested in seeing the campus once more (like I said, I'd been here before), I deposited my bags in my dorm room, said goodbye to my new roommate, Kat, and headed right back out into the busy streets.
I took the train to Washington Heights, where I knew Brayden lived, and stood firmly on the sidewalk outside the station, unsure to go any further.
It's been five years, Ver. Do you think he's still interested in you?
Upon thinking this, I went right back into the station, and while going down the steps, I stumbled into someone.
Well, stumbled is a modest word. Face planted is probably better.
Sprawled on the dirty station floor, I got up.
"Dude, I'm so sorry! Can I help yo-?" I started to ask the person, before I saw who it was. I stopped dead in my sentence as I laid my eyes on the poor victim of my trip.
"It's coo- Oh my God. Vera?" Brayden asked as he stood up.
He looked exactly the same as he did when he was fifteen - when we first started talking. Webcamming and MySpace pictures helped me to picture him, but he was far more gorgeous in real life.
Clad in his old black hoodie, a Suicide Silence band tee, ripped black jeans, and skater shoes, Brayden was every bit as perfect as I thought he would be.
He had soft looking dark hair, almost black, in a choppy hairstyle, with massive bangs and black snakebite rings.
He was still in his band. Screamo vocalist. I could tell, since he usually came home about now and called me to tell me what happened at practice, and his voice was a little rough, like it always got after he did screamo.
"Brayden?" I breathed, blinking a few times.
He assessed me thoughtfully in his state of shock, taking in my Chiodos jacket, A Skylit Drive shirt, white skinnies, Vans slip-ons, black messenger bag, and reading glasses.
My hair was kind of teased and it's natural dark brown. I had straightened it before taking the plane, so it wasn't curling all over like it naturally does.
"My God, I thought I'd- I thought we'd never-" he stuttered, his eyes still fixed on me.
"Five years," I said, moving slowly towards him. "For this moment."
"Five fucking agonizing years," he agreed, taking my hand.
Just like he said he'd do, on one late-night phone call four years ago, he hugged me gently and kissed my nose softly.
"I can't believe this," he whispered, his forehead resting on mine.
"Neither can I," I replied softly.
He pulls out something in a small box.
"I knew you were going to Columbia, so I bought you something in case we ever ran into each other sometime," he said.
He opened the small black box, and inside was a little ring.
It had a yellow daisy on it, with yellow diamonds in the middle.
I looked up, questioningly. Yellow meant friendship.
He laughed. "They ran out of red ones, and I really wanted this specific ring for you."
I smiled widely, and let him put it on my left ring finger.
"Even after five years - I still love you," he said, as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the station and back into the yellow sunlight-filled city.
That's when I realized it.
That it didn't matter how we did or didn't meet, it didn't matter that he couldn't make it to Nia's camping trip.
All that mattered was that I knew he loved me.
And standing in that dirty, crowded subway station, I knew it was true.
I've never felt so alive.
What do you think!?
Horrible, good?
Tell me what you think!
Ashley, xx.