Love in the Shadows

Restart My Heart

by Annie Wineka

I knew I chose the right dress for her. The smile that erupted on her face was priceless. Kayli knew the outfit was perfect from the start, everything from the length to the cut to the color. She sprinted to snag a dressing room, excited to try it on. When she stepped out, I was a goner.

Kayli always looked spectacular in pastel pink. Her caramel skin looked even tanner, and her brown hair contrasted beautifully against the dainty color. Not that her dress mattered. Kayli looked gorgeous all the time, even when she wore her hair up in a messy bun and lounged around in sweatpants. She was most like herself then, anyway.

Her green eyes sparkled like grass covered in a sheen of morning dew. She beamed as if she was a beauty pageant queen.

"This is the one," she declared.

I sat in silence with a smile on my face. She asked me to take a picture to send to her date. I agreed.

My fingertips brushed hers as I took her phone from her. Yet, I yearned for more, to feel the weight of her hand in mine. I wanted to feel our fingers interlock and see how her hand perfectly fit in mine.

The phone felt like a brick in my hands. A small part of me wanted to send a text to Brandon. I'd tell him to back off because Kayli was mine and always would be. He wouldn't dare lay a finger on her as long as I was around.

But, Kayli and I arriving at the dance together as each other's dates? It was a recipe for disaster. Imagine all the phone calls. Gossip would spread like wildfire. Within a matter of minutes, we'd become those girls.

Still, would it be so bad? I'd be with Kayli. There wouldn't be any more secrets between us. All our feelings would be out in the open. I'd get to dance with Kayli without worrying about what everyone else was thinking. We'd be us, and it was only a text away.

Instead, I waited for Kayli to get ready for the picture. She fluffed her hair and struck a silly pose, and the biggest of smiles tacked itself on her face. Absentmindedly, I snapped the picture. The shutter of the camera echoed in my ears.

"You're the best," she thanked me with a smile.

"I know," I joked, though my tone was humorless.

Kayli didn't notice. She slipped back into the dressing room with a pleased smile.

Was it so wrong to hope Brandon would bail before the dance? Every day I hoped there'd be devastating news, whether he'd been banned from the dance or decided to take another girl, I hoped Kayli would run to me with the news. I'd comfort her, and we'd go together. Then, I'd finally have that fairytale slow dance with her.

No bad news came. In fact, Brandon behaved and was a gentleman whenever he was around her. They were excited and planned the whole night for us. I didn't have the heart to say no to anything they proposed.

Even though it was the day of, I still clung to the hope that something unfortunate would happen to Brandon, and he'd cancel. However, the universe wasn't kind to me. He managed to sweep Kayli off her feet with stupid little gestures that made her swoon, like buying her flowers and chocolate. She seemed happy with them, so I didn't bother to point out they were from the supermarket.

Kayli and I got ready together that night. Her hand glided through her hair as she loosened some of the curls.

"Want me to do your makeup?" Kayli questioned. Before I could answer, she grabbed her makeup and seated herself in front of me.

Her hand reached up to cup my cheek. My heart pounded in my chest, and I melted like vanilla ice cream on a hot day. Kayli's touch felt comforting, so I leaned into it. My eyes fluttered shut as she began my eye makeup.