A Stumble in the Right Direction

A Stumble in the Right Direction - The Night I Will Always Remember

A/N: Hey guys, this is the final part, I hope you enjoy it.

My heart was racing as I grabbed my turquoise T-Shirt from my cupboard. I didn’t know why I had to be nervous for? I mean, he was just a guy right? However he was a guy I’ve been dreaming about for an entire year.

He was coming in half an hour. I wondered for a minute on how my parents will act, however I knew exactly how they will act. But at least Mick seemed pretty cool with mum the other day in her all too famous dating talks. Not that she’s ever really given them to any other guy except Mick because he’s the only guy that’s even asked me out. I finished getting dressed by then it was fifteen minutes to go. I walked down the stairs and as usual Dad was watching the news, however he forced himself to draw his eyes away from the TV screen and to comment on my outfit, “Oooooo, are you going on your date tonight?”

“Yeah Dad,” I said, giving him a nervous smile. I actually was pretty nervous. I mean it was my first date, what was I to do? I’m sure Mick has been on hundreds of dates before or he’s at least had a girlfriend. Me, well I’ve had nothing, nill dating experience. But still what could possibly go wrong?

At that same moment there was a knock on the door. Immediately my heart started to race again. Mum, with camera at hand, raced to open the door and when she did she revealed the most gorgeous guy I had ever seen. I walked towards the door, trying to avoid the paparazzi (consisting of my mum and dad) however didn’t succeed. They invited Mick in and Mum stated, “I just want a few pictures,”

If this statement was true I wouldn’t have minded a few pictures, but I don’t think mum really grasped the meaning of few.

                                                          Thirty Photographs Later

“I think I might have gone blind,” I said once we had escaped the ‘paparazzi’.

“Yeah, I hope your parents are willing to pay for my optometrist bill,” he smiled back.

“I’m really sorry about that and of course we would be willing to cover any damage,”

“I was only kidding,” he giggled. “I think your parents are different, but in a good way, there entertaining,”

“I think the word you’re looking for is embarrassing, but I do love my parents, no matter how embarrassing they are,”

We walked towards the movies talking, that’s the good thing about living in a small community everything is in walking distance.  

After the three km walk was over we walked into the movie theatre and headed for the ticket stand. I didn’t know whether or not to let him pay, but I didn’t need to worry about that because he handed enough money for both of us to the ticket lady. We had about ten minutes to grab some food before the movie started. We were pondering on whether to get small or medium popcorn, but since time was running out I decided on the medium. For some reason the only medium popcorn left was right at the back of the cabinet and while Mick went off to grab peanut M&M’s, I stood on my tippy toes and tried to grab the popcorn. After one large stretch I managed to get my hands on the popcorn but only a second later I managed to lose it. The popcorn fell right out of my hands and on to the floor. Mick came running over and stared at the giant mess on the floor. We stared at the floor for what seemed like forever but out of the corner of my eye I could see the cleaner coming towards the mess. He was shouting in what sounded like Italian and he didn’t sound too happy.

“I’m really sorry,” I told him pathetically. And I didn’t really understand the reply but it didn’t sound like her accepted my apology.

After telling him over and over again that I was really sorry, an English speaking worker came over to see what all the commotion was about.

Eventually, the English speaking worker calmed the cleaner down and about hundred apologies later we were walking towards our theatre which was number ten. We had obviously paid for the popcorn I dropped and even though Mick offered to pay for it I told him that this one was my fault and it was MY fault that we were fifteen minutes late for the movie.

Luckily the movie was a cartoon, so missing fifteen minutes of it wasn’t a big deal. Our hands met in the popcorn numerous times and each time Mick would let me go before him. The same couldn’t be said for the M&M’s because we decided to half them, which the over people in theatre didn’t really appreciate because we weren’t what you would call quiet. But besides that we somehow manage to cause no more disasters which seemed to be occurring frequently whenever I was around him.  

The movie was a fun and lifelike Disney cartoon and I always enjoy a good cartoon. And from the look on Mick’s face when he came out of the cinema he enjoyed it too. As we walked out of the theatres we saw the Italian cleaner getting into his car. I yelled out “Bye,” but that was a mistake. As I yelled he went to look up to see who was yelling at him and bumped his hand on the top of his car. He rubbed his head and turned his gaze towards Mick and I and he started yelling all over again.

I yelled out the hundredth and one “I’m sorry,” for the night and we both guilty ran away. The next part was the part of the date I was dreading but kind of excited for. That was the goodbye. I’d always imagine it really awkward or really romantic, but I didn’t think Mick would kiss me, considering it was our first date and besides I’m sure my parents would be watching.  

We walked and talked all the way to my front door, and then there was silence.

A couple seconds later Mick smiled “Thanks for a great night, Em,” I couldn’t really see his eyes but I still imagine his usual transfixing hazelnut eyes. “Yeah, it was pretty fun,” I replied with a beaming smile of a three year old.

And just like that I felt lips full against my cheek. I looked up and he smiled “See you at school,”

And that was it. He was gone. I had to sit down, his peck on the cheek had force all my muscles to shut down. I had just experience my first real kiss (on the cheek), but still a guy had kissed me (on the cheek) and it wasn’t just any guy it was Mick Anderson. When I think about what really brought us together it was chicken poo, it wasn’t a fancy restaurant or a romantic song. And I definitely wasn’t wearing a million dollar dress, in fact I probably looked the worst I have ever look ever. But still for some reason unknown to mankind Mick decided that he liked that. He liked me covered in chicken poo, he liked my mum’s embarrassing dating talks and he doesn’t mind my obsessive parents. He didn’t mind that I had dropped the popcorn all over the floor.

I guess all this shows that we don’t need to have a perfect relationship where you’ve always have to look your best, never making mistakes and trying to hide your embarrassing parents. I used to always think I had to look my best and that because of my parents I would never get a boyfriend, but now I know that none of that stuff matters. Guys don’t mind your embarrassing parents or your clumsy actions (well Mick Anderson doesn’t) because really those kinds of things make up who you are.

After I finished pondering these thoughts, I knocked on the door and to no surprise mum and dad came rushing to the door. The door was opened by mum and dad and I walked in. As I expected I was bombarded with questions but I didn’t mind because I wanted to remember this night for the rest of my life.  

 A/N: I hope you enjoyed this kind of not really short story as much as I did writing. Thank you for all your support!