smile

Imagine

Imagine this:

A single spotlight lights up a girl. She has red hair that is up on her head, she is wearing a long white, flowing dress. Her cheekbones are hidden by a mask. Everyone is staring at her. But she has eyes only for one. He stands in a tuxedo, champagne glass in hand on the other side of the ornate room. Half of his face is covered, he too has eyes only for one. They look at each other and the girl smiles. The boy smiles.

Now imagine this:

A girl sits in the middle of a light forest, dappled light covering the ground around her as well as autumn leaves. Her hair is tumbling over her shoulders in a smooth mess. A dress is ripped around her knees and her mask is askew on her face. She is perched on a branch in a tree. Below her a boy stands. He is looking up to her. He is the sight of neatness. She smiles. He smiles.

And finally, imagine this:

A girl is sitting at a table with three other girls who are laughing about something. The girl isn't focusing on them though, she is looking out the window, her eyes reflecting the sky. A boy with a notepad and in a waiter's uniform walks up the the table and the girl jolts around. He looks at her. He smiles. She is already smiling.

That girl as you might have guessed is me. That boy as you might have guessed is the boy I fell in love with. But of course not right away. Many years ago I fell in love with him. Many years later I still love him. Honestly though I know people don't care half as much about that as they do about the story of how it happened. So I'll tell you. Keep in mind though that I was eighteen when this happened. I'm forty odd now. And my love for the boy has never faded.