The List

Chapter One

Rule #1. He has to make me laugh.

Rule #2. He has to hold the doors open for me anywhere we go.

Rule#3. He has to be kind and caring with his family and friends.

Rule#4. He has to help a stranger in need.

Rule#5. He has to be willing to go and do the things I want to do.

Rule #6. He has to be brave and unselfish not arrogant!

Rule #7. He cannot make a joke at my expense so others can laugh at me.

Rule #8. He has to be easy on the eyes.

Rule#9. He must be smart and ambitious.

Rule #10. He must ALWAYS, love me unconditionally.

“We, Kiki Abernathy, Stella Vanguard and Zea Betancourt do solemnly swear, by the power vested in LOVE here by claim these ten commandments to Mr. Right, never be broken until we have found our one true love. We here by claim this oath till death do us part!”

Three pairs of ten year old hands held on tight in a circle, sitting around a big brown teddy bear holding their Ten Commandments to Mr. Right. They opened their eyes and stared at the center of their circle.

“Is the teddy suppose to topple over or something?” Stella asked innocently. After reciting this unbreakable pact with her two best friends, she was sure something magical was suppose to happen.

“No you num nut!” Kiki spat out. We just let go of hands. Really let go of my hand, your’s is all sweaty!” she dropped Stella’s hand and squeezed Zea’s a little harder. Zea giggled. She coughed quickly though noticing Stella’s eyes drop and came to her defense.

“Keek, be nice to Stella, none of us had any idea of what we were suppose to do next…” Stella’s eyes perked right back up as she smiled at Zea. Kiki scowled and stuck her tongue out at Zea, but quickly smiled. Zea put her arms around her two best friends.

“Okay you two. We are forever bound by this pact. We will never settle for less! We do not want to go through what our moms have had to go through with divorcing our dads. If and when we find Mr. Right, he has to have all ten of these rules to qualify. Agreed?”

Zea looked at both of her friends hopefully. They had all decided they needed to protect themselves from getting hurt like their moms did. They wanted to make sure they would always be there for each other and hold each other to these rules so they could fall in love with the man of their dreams.

Actually, Zea had come up with the rules. After seeing how devastated her mom was from the divorce, she swore, she would never let herself go through that. She brought her two friends along in the pact, so she wouldn’t have to commit to it alone. She just knew they would stick to it and to her until they were absolutely sure about the man they would marry was the one. Kiki looked over at her best friend with her big blue eyes.

“Stick it out till the end!” she smiled. Stella nodded and with her sparkly green eyes said,

“What Kiki said!” Zea smiled widely at her friends and hugged them tightly.

“I love you guys!”

10 years later…….

“Kiki! Sit still! Let me finish your hair!” Stella argued as she placed the finishing flowers that cascaded down Kiki’s loosely braided blond hair. Kiki kept wanting to look at herself in the mirror. Today was her wedding day! Zea sat in the corner pouting. About two years of keeping their pact, boys happened in middle school and her two best friends decided some of the rules of the pact could be bent. Especially for Kiki when Joey Pizzarolli decided to pull her hair and trip her and then send her a note that he really liked her.

“Hello!!” Zea yelled “Rule #7 broken!!” is what Zea was remembering as she grumpily looked at Kiki now getting ready to be married!

“C’mon Z….be happy for me…” Kiki cooed over at her grouchy friend. Zea rolled her eyes. She sat up in her chair.

“Really Keek…” she began. “You and Tony have only known each other for six months! How can you be for sure that he’s the one! I mean he only meets three out of the ten rules! That’s 30% Mr. Right!” Zea argued as she threw up her hands.

Kiki smiled at her friend smugly. “Zea dear…” she began in her Kiki condescending voice. Zea groaned. “I don’t understand why you are still holding onto these rules we set up as kids! Hell, I threw those out the door when we hit seventh grade. It’s not realistic! Besides, 30% is looking pretty good right now.” Kiki turned back around to start on her makeup.

“But Kiki…Tony Baloney…” Zea started. Kiki scowled. “Sorry…Tony..sure he’s good to look at and is going to medical school, and tells an occasional good joke, but is that really enough?” Zea stared desperately at her beautiful blond friend through the mirror from behind her. Kiki talked to the mirror.

“Z..those three qualities are amazing! Rules #1,8,9 are good enough for me…” she threw up her hand and contined to slather on the lip gloss.

“Ah ha! You do still use the rules!” Zea argued. She smiled widely very pleased with herself. She put her hands on her hips. “Keek, as your best friend, I’m just holding you to that pact we made so long ago, is it enough for you?” she looked at her friend hoping Kiki had come to her senses.

She knew she wouldn’t though, she was too far in and everyone told her Tony was the best for her. How could anyone know, they were only twenty. They still had plenty of time to go out and find Mr. Right!

Kiki once again turned around slowly and smiled a very tight lip smile and calmly said.

“Z, I know your heart is in the right place, but I’m asking you as my best friend to support my decision and drop the Rules!” her eyes started to tear up.

“Ah, now you’ve gone and done it!” Stella interjected. She quickly dabbed at Kiki’s eyes. Zea dropped her hands from her waist and stared sadly at her friend, but conceded.

“Okay Kiki…don’t cry…I’m sorry I brought it up. You’re right, I will support you! I love you!” she bent down in front of her friend and hugged her tightly.

“Thanks Zea, I know I’m gonna be really happy, just you wait and see!” Kiki said wistfully into her hair. Zea couldn’t get the knot tying up in her stomach to undo, for some reason, she just didn’t feel right about this whole situation.

Kiki’s mom was pressuring her to marry Tony, he came from a wealthy family, he was an aspiring doctor and Kiki was only sophomore in college, struggling to get her bachelor’s in teaching. He also wasn’t the most gentlemanly person, he never opened doors for her, he always made fun of her around their friends and she just sat back and bared it.

Stella and Kiki squealed one last time before stepping out of her bedroom door. Zea smiled on courageously, but inside was falling apart. She didn’t understand how her beautiful friends could just settle, and not want the man of their dreams. Maybe she was being unrealistic, maybe thirty percent was about as good as it was going to get! She muffled a groan and smiled widely at her two best friends as they bounded down the brown carpeted stairs and out the door to the awaiting white limo.

A/N Please vote and comment! Let me know what you think so far!