the story of us |h.s.|

07 - mine

"you said, 'i remember how we felt, sitting by the water,
and every time i look at you, it's like the first time.
i fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter;
she is the best thing that's ever been mine'"

Nadine.
13th Year. (Senior Year)

"You're serious, you don't know anything? He didn't tell you even a little bit?" I lean against the rack of lockers, standing beside Francesca, my best friend.

She fluffs up her hair, staring at the small reflection in the mirror she has inside her locker, adding some volume to it.

"Not a thing. You have nothing to worry about."

My stomach churns. "I don't know. I just hate surprises."

Fran grabs her backpack before shutting her locker door. "Dennie, you've gotta lighten up. He's totally gonna ask you to prom and everything's going to be fine."

We start walking to the car park together. "I know. It's just that this is kind of a big deal. I mean four years together? That's a long time."

"It is, but it's also not. And it's technically only three, a couple months more. You've just known each other for four years. You and Harry are so perfect it makes me want to puke. You'll be fine. You're gonna get married, buy a house and have a lot of babies together."

I shake my head. "Slow down. That's not gonna happen for a while, if it even does."

"Okay, let's just worry about prom, okay? Then we'll worry about everything else."

"Hey, Dennie, I have swim so I don't need a ride home today, is that fine?" My little sister, Georgie, stops the two of us.

"Yeah, I figured you did. Have fun."

"Tell Harry I said hi and please don't take the car back to that stupid meadow again so you can fool around. I'm hanging with my friends tonight and I need the car."

"Okay, thank you, Georgie. I won't take the car. Go to practice." I shoo her away and watch as she walks back down the hallway, towards the gym.

"Will you need a ride home?" Fran asks as we start walking again.

I shake my head. "I think Harry has something planned for us. Three years is a big deal, right? He's gotta have something planned?"

Fran sighs. "Of course he does. We were talking about it–" she stops herself.

"Ah hah!" I cheer, pointing my index finger at her in an accusatory manner. "So you do know something!"

"No, I don't. Nadine, if you don't shut up right now, Harry will kill me."

"I knew it."

"Yeah, yeah great detective skills, Sherlock. What'd you even get him this year?"

I avert my gaze. "Well, you know he's a writer and I love to cook, so I got him a blank cookbook that we could fill in together as we go. He could write the recipes and everything, that way it has more of a personal touch and a CD. Do you think that's dumb?"

"Oh my god, Dennie, he's gonna bawl his eyes out like a little bitch baby when you give it to him."

We share a laugh as the two of us pass the connecting hallway.

A pair of hands cover my sight, holding me back. "Guess who?" The familiar voice of the man who's been a constant in my life for the past three years sounds from behind me.

I pull his fingers from my face and turn around to face him. "Hey stranger." He bends down to press a gentle kiss to my lips.

"Missed you today." He intertwines his fingers with mine.