Unrequited

I Do

So, here's what you missed on Unrequited...
The reader and Ryder said I love you to each other! And so did Marley and Jake. Ryder told the reader that they won't do anything that has to do with sex unless she's comfortable, which made her really happy. But, she found out the Sebastian lied to keep her out of the Warblers so she wouldn't have to take the performance enhancing drugs that got them disqualified from Sectionals. The reader is so caught up in her feelings for Ryder that she's ignoring how she feels about everyone else. And how everyone else is feeling about her. And that's what you missed on Unrequited!

So, it's been a few weeks since I told Ryder that I love him back. Honestly, I'm still terrified by it. Like I didn't know feelings could be this intense so quickly. It scares me how far I feel like this could go. I used to think about Marley this way, but every moment with Ryder just makes me more into him. I can't think about anyone else now.

Valentine's Day is coming up. I begged Marley to come to the mall with me so I could find Ryder something. But just like Christmas, nothing is standing out to me. Marley made Jake a pair of cufflinks with his initials on them. How am I supposed to come up with something as creative and thoughtful as that? It's like the more I look for things the less I feel like I know what he'd like.

I guess she can tell that I'm starting to freak out because she wraps her arm around me and reassuringly squeezes. "Relax, you'll think of something amazing," she assures me.

"But it's a week away and I still have no idea!" I panic as we go down the escalator.

My heart becomes more and more jittery as I think about how awful I am. One thing. All I have to do is find one thing that I know he'd like and I can't even do that.

Marley points to an arts and crafts store near the exit. "Let's go look in there," she suggests, "maybe something will spark an idea?"

"Maybe something will spark and light me on fire," I say dramatically.

We enter the store and there are various aisles of different kinds of arts and crafts. Beads, yarn, jewelry, decor, fake flowers, the works. Marley is walking along the decor aisle when she stops in front of something.

"What if you did something like this?" She offers pointing at what's in front of her.

I mosey over to see what she's found. It's a small shadow box with themed knick-knacks in it as a display. That's it. That's the spark of an idea that I needed. I immediately search for one that's medium so I can fit more things, and then we go about the store getting anything else I'll need to make it amazing.

We go back to my house and Marley helps me put it together. I tacked in a couple pictures from us on Sadie Hawkins night. There's a string of cut out musical notes hanging diagonally from corner to corner. In between the notes are little charms like a ukulele, a football, and a lightning bolt, among others. A couple polaroids I've taken of him studying, and some he took of me after he stole the camera away. And the bottom inch of the shadow box is filled with heart-shaped notes. Each of which has something I love about him written on them.

Finally, I can rest easy knowing that I don't have a Valentine's gift that sucks. I finish writing all the personalized cards I made for all of my friends, and go to sleep so I don't wake up exhausted and have no energy for this whole week.

I'm wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a simple T-shirt under Ryder's jacket for today. My charm bracelet dangles on my wrist as I walk excitedly to the choir room. But, not before putting Ryder's gift in my locker.