Stories Based On Taylor Swift Songs

FEARLESS: 15. Fearless

15. Fearless (12/29/20)

I kept my eyes on the road, even though I wasn't driving. My ruby red dress, which I had worn at the dance, felt strange on me now. I had been so confident a few hours ago, dancing with my friends and sharing glances with the boys. Except now as I reflected on the evening, I realized that none of the boys had made me blush harder than Tessa, the girl driving.

She had auburn hair and tan skin. When I glanced over at her, she smiled back at me, even though she was supposed to be concentrating on driving. We had been best friends since kindergarten. Our friend group grew and diminished over time, but Tessa and I had always stuck together.

At a red light, Tessa took her hair out of its bun and ran her fingers through the strands. My heart beat rapidly in my chest. How could she be so calm and collected driving at night, while I had never sat behind the wheel of a car?

The three girls sitting in the backseat, some of our other friends, were being dropped off first, meaning Tessa and I would be stuck in the car as she drove me home. I tried not to get too excited. I could imagine all I wanted about how this night would end, and there was a minuscule chance it would actually happen. Tessa had spent the night dancing and talking with some of the guys in our grade, much to my dismay. I was only just now discovering who I liked and who I didn't like - how was I supposed to also know who Tessa liked?

"Rach, where did you say to turn?" Tessa asked, glancing at the other girls in the backseat of the car. The brunette, Rachel, directed Tessa to her house. When we finally pulled up to the house, light drops of rain started to sprinkle down on the car through the trees.

Tessa checked the time on her phone before saying, "We gotta hurry, before it rains anymore."

It seemed like everyone else on the road had the same idea. Two accidents had occurred a mere fifteen minutes ago, when impatient drivers decided to press their luck and drive through a yellow light at top speed. Tessa got the car stuck in traffic, and barely managed to drop off the two other girls before it started to pour.

"Did you like the dance?" Tessa asked, as if she was my doting mother instead of my best friend. Now that we were away from busy streets and the houses of suburbia, she was much calmer.

I shrugged. "They didn't play any good songs."

Tessa seemed surprised by my comment and let out a laugh. "No, they didn't. They never do."

She met my eyes again, and I felt myself blush. My whole body felt overheated. I felt like I needed to do something, but I couldn't plan my next move. I had no idea how she would react.

Despite Tessa's confidence from earlier, she appeared nervous about the rain. She slowed down on the empty country street, searching for a place to stop.

"I'm really sorry, but I can't drive in this weather," she explained, her eyes thin as needles and her headlights bright. Finally, she found an empty parking lot, the one near the playground. My parents lived on the edge of town, so there was little entertainment around. The area was filled with fields, silos, and houses miles apart. The playground and parking lot was the only place to see your friends.

Tessa pulled into a spot and shut off the car. We were soaked in utter darkness, and the rain pounded on the windows like stampeding elephants. When I looked over at my friend, she had a wicked smirk on her face.

"Come on," she whispered to me, throwing caution to the wind and opening her door.

"What?" I shrieked, watching her leave and walk around the side of the car to open my door. "It's pouring!"

"Come on, Kylie, dance with me," she said, offering me a hand. I was finally being given a chance, and in that moment, I decided to take it.

Tessa led me a few yards away from the car so we were standing under a street lamp. The rain soaked our hair and clothes, and I couldn't see anything except for the gorgeous girl in front of me. She was wearing a purple dress, which went well with my red one. We hadn't planned it.

Tessa offered her hand again, and I took it. We danced around the parking lot, letting the rain dance down our backs. I didn't care what my mother would say about the dress. It was the nicest one I owned, but I couldn't say no to a dance with Tessa just because of a dress. When she looked at me, I felt the butterflies flocking in my stomach. I could hardly breathe when she dipped me, my head a few inches away from the pavement.

"You're the best, you know that?" She whispered. A smile formed on my face.

The rain around us tapered off, so Tessa and I climbed back in the car and drove the rest of the way to my house. When we reached the farmhouse, the porch light was on, even though it was past ten. I didn't want to leave the car, I didn't want to leave Tessa, and I didn't want to forget about this night.

"I'll walk you up," she said, opening my door again like she had done in the parking lot. I tried to commit every detail of the night to memory, so I wouldn't forget.

When we were standing underneath the porch light, Tessa took my hands in hers. Her eyes were dripping in seriousness.

"You know I love you, right?" She said with a smile. Then, she kissed me on the lips. I got lost in the moment and could hardly comprehend what was happening.