break the heartbreaker : luke

knight

8:16am

once michael's all snuggled in on my couch, i make my way back to my room, where everything is just as i left it.

i take my seat back down on the carpet, right in front of the brown box, and take the shot glass in my hand. i place it next to me, then proceed to look through the letters, looking for the one labelled "shot glass."

once i find it, i take a deep breath in as i unfold the paper, and out as i start reading vada's handwriting.

"when i was a little girl, i would watch every disney movie countless times. i would sit in front of our huge tv every weekend with a bowl of cereal on my lap, and the only problem i had back then was deciding what disney movie to watch."

"in the end, i would always end up watching one with a prince and a princess. cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty, ariel, you name it. movies like them would always be my number one choice. as long as there was a prince and a princess, i was sold,"

"i was a little girl. of course, i was insanely invested in a movie where the prince saves the princess and they all live happily ever after. i was always waiting for the part where the prince would come swooping in through the doors, defeating the antagonist, and claiming the heart of his princess,"

"back then, i always thought that one day, i would have a moment just like that. i always envisioned that my prince would come in and save me at my most distressed moment, swooping in at the very last second before the evil witch flicks her wand and kills me."

i chuckle, picturing a young vada daydreaming about things like this.

immediately clear my throat and put a straight face back on once i realized what i was doing, though.

"but then, as i grew older and older, i started to forget about that dream of mine. about my fantasy of being a damsel in distress, saved by her knight in shining armor,"

"as i grew older and entered high school, i slowly started to realize that there was no man who would even come close to being like a prince. no one was that charming, kind, gentle, and strong at the same time. i learned that some boys were sloppy, undependable, liars, and probably the most insensitive breed known to man,"

"which was why i gave up on that fantasy. i realized that i probably will never have a moment like the disney princesses i used to watch. the whole "knight in shining armor" thing was all fake, and i could only have myself to depend on when something bad happens. i told myself that i would never depend on any man, and that i am all i'll ever need."

"i forgot about it, luke. i forgot about the way my heart fluttered when the prince would rush to save his princess. i forgot about how my eyes would light up when the prince would defeat the villain. i forgot about how i would squeal with a mouthful of cereal once they've had their true love's kiss."

"i forgot about all those things, until the night of calum's party."

i run a hand through my hair as my eyes make their way back to the shot glass next to me. i suddenly remember where it's from.

flashback

to: vada
can't wait to see u baby

i turn my phone off after reading the last text message i sent vada. it's been well over two hours since i sent it, and she just left me on read.

"sick party as always, mate." i say, sitting down on the couch next to calum.

"this'll be the last one in a while," he sighs, "that's why i invited everyone. but by a while i mean, like, a month."