Challenge | Adam Banks

TWENTY-TWO

Adam shrugged, a sly smile on his lips. He laced his fingers with her while adjusting his bag on his other arm. "What's the rush?" he asked before lightly tugging her towards the door, "let's take a walk."

Delanie let Adam lead her out of the rink and into the chilly night air. She was grateful for his jersey, as without it, she would probably be freezing her butt off. She stayed quiet as Adam gushed about how much fun it was to play against the varsity team. "Of course, Rick sucks... Zander has such a unique style... I swear, one day I'll be able to catch Nigel... Jett is so good it's ridiculous. I literally aspire to play like your brother, Lanie."

Delanie just smiled as she listened, shaking her head and laughing at various comments. After a little while, a meek smile appeared on Adam's lips. "Sorry. I'll stop talking," he said quietly, his cheeks pink.

His girlfriend quickly shook her head. "Don't. I love listening to you ramble about hockey. You love it so much. It's cute," she doted, smiling up at him sweetly.

"You know, the Delanie Park I first met would've killed me for even mentioning hockey or her brother," he joked, nudging her gently with his elbow.

Delanie rolled her eyes but continued to smile. "Yeah, well, the Delanie Park you first met also would've died before she'd hold your hand," she shot back, her eyes narrowed.

Adam pouted. "Ouch," he sighed playfully, his thumb gently rubbing the back of her hand. Delanie smiled softly, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. His pout was quickly replaced by a grin. After a few more moments of quiet walking, Adam's eyes widened, and he stopped in his tracks. "I almost forgot," he said quietly as he dropped Delanie's hand.

She gave him a confused look. "What's up?" she asked tentatively, her eyebrow quirked in concern.

Adam's cheeks reddened as he put his bag on the ground, crouching next to it. He unzipped it in one sharp movement. Delanie peaked over his shoulder only to find that his gear was much more organized than she had expected, his uniform folded neatly, his pads arranged accordingly. The only thing out of place was a white towel that rested on top, the corner of an envelope peaking out from under it. Adam grabbed the towel and whatever was beneath it quickly. When he stood back up, his face was bright red. He cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his weight beneath him. "I'm not usually this cheesy," he prefaced, his voice cracking gently, "but it felt right."

He tossed the towel back into his bag, now holding a pair of pink carnations that were tied together by a red ribbon. He flushed as he held the flowers and the card out to the girl in front of him, a dopey smile on his face. Delanie's eyes widened as she delicately took them from him. She stared at the flowers for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed. She was already fighting back a tear or two. "How did you know that carnations were my favorites?" she asked hoarsely, her gaze rising to meet his.

He grinned. "An anonymous source helped me out," he joked, referencing the same informant that gave him the idea for their first date.

Delanie smiled softly, a light chuckle leaving her lips. "Zander? Didn't take him for much of a flowers guy," she laughed, her eyes glistening.

To her surprise, Adam shook his head. His grin faded into a sentimental smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Not Zander," he said softly, causing Delanie's eyebrows to furrow. He gave her a gentle look, "Jett."

At that, Delanie couldn't stop herself quick enough. A few tears fell from her eyes, and she sniffled, her hand tightening over the flowers' stems. She hadn't even looked at the card yet. All she could do was stare lovingly up at the boy across from her.

Seeing her tears, Adam took a step forward, a lopsided smile on his lips. His hands flew to her cheeks, gently wiping the tears that rested there. "Hey, not fair," he murmured, "the card is what's supposed to make you cry, and you haven't opened that yet."

As if she hadn't even realized that she was holding something else, her eyes curiously fell to the envelope in her hand. Adam took the flowers from her grip to give her more dexterity in opening the card. With shaky fingers, she peeled back the top flap and removed the paper that was inside. Her eyesight was a bit blurry, but she made it work. She bit back a sob as her eyes scanned Adam's small but surprisingly neat handwriting :

Lanie,

I'm not really this sappy. I'm sure you know that better than anyone. But it's you.

I don't know if this sounds cliche or whatever, but it really just is the truth. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you before. The first thing I remember thinking when I saw you was that you were beautiful, but in that quiet way -- like you didn't really know it. I probably would've told you that right away, too. But then you just had to go make my life so much more complicated.

You infuriated me at first, but I honestly think that I was more frustrated with the fact that I couldn't get through to you. You were so headstrong and stubborn, I had never met a girl like you, let alone shared a seat with one. I'm pretty sure I've been crazy about you since day one.

I've always liked Jett, too. He and Zander were the only seniors that looked out for me. I couldn't wrap my head around how you could hate him so much. But I think I figured it out. I meant what I said at the mall -- you two are more similar than you think. He's stubborn like you, and you have a huge heart, just like he does. At first I didn't see how you could be related. Now it's so obvious.

Subconsciously, this is what I've always wanted. To be doing this. With you. I guess I just never thought I'd get the chance. So thanks for that. It would've been an awkward year otherwise.

You're way more special than you think you are, Lanie. You've always just seen yourself as Jett's little sister. You're so much more than that. You just have to accept it.

You can wear my jersey all you want, but we both know that I'm the one who's your biggest fan.

Love,

Adam

By the time she was done, the small piece of paper was dotted with tears. When she looked up to meet Adam's eyes, he was anxiously staring back at her, biting his lip nervously. She didn't say anything for a moment, so he spoke first. "You were the one who apologized first. You admitted you liked me first. You kissed me first. You asked me out. I figured it was my turn," he explained, his eyes gleaming.

Delanie just shook her head, an overjoyed smile on her lips. "I..." she started, but had to stop. She was at a loss for words. No one had ever made her feel this way before. He really had her whole entire heart, and was continuously proving that he deserved it. "You're perfect," she finally whispered, her fingers clutching his note tightly.

Adam cupped her face in his hands, pressing a tender kiss against her lips. He pulled back with a smile. "Not even close," he joked in response, "you just bring out the best in me."

"And the worst," Delanie teased through sniffles, causing Adam to chuckle.

"Sometimes," he agreed, pressing a kiss against her forehead, "but you're worth it."

Before she could cry any more, he pulled her into a tight hug. She gripped tightly to his t-shirt, her face pressed comfortably against his chest. Adam smiled as he buried his face in her hair, appreciating the comfort of her embrace. The world around them was deemed unimportant as Adam rubbed the back of her head gently, causing her to sigh contently against his shirt.

For the first time all year, everything was okay.