Illuminating the Dark Prince

The Perfect Mischance

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy..." He deeply drawled with a prideful sparkling white grin and up turned palms, while casually walking over, ignoring Pema's look of pure unbridled distain for him. "Look at you, catching the bridal bouquet." He flicked a yellow rose within it, causing a few petals to fall out as if they were desperately running away from his touch. "I guess the pressure to get you a ring is really on now." He chuckled as he took his phone out of his back pocket. "Let's take a picture!" He quickly added.

I awkwardly tucked a bouncy lock of hair behind my ear. "Alright, well, do I look decent enough for it?" I meekly asked with a small smile. I had just been tackled to the ground, and he was very particular about my appearance. Especially when it came to things that might get posted to social media. I didn't want to upset him.

"Ehmm.." He deeply hummed while swiping some melted eyeliner from beneath my right eye, then frowned. "Just don't show this side of your face." He tapped my right cheek. "And it will be perfect."

"Okay, perfect." I replied, then my eyes widened as he kissed me by surprise.

I smiled against his soft warm lips, savoring the moment, since he usually only kissed me when we were on camera. One of his arms tenderly wrapped around my waist, while I held the bouquet between us. Then his arm extended to my left and he snapped a few photos, ending our kiss far sooner than I'd like to. 

"I wonder if the promise to get her a ring is as fake as that happy moment you two just shared." Pema pipped in with a look of disinterest, with her orange dress fluttering in the breeze while she examined her perfectly manicured fingernails. 

Justin's jaw clenched, but he didn't deny it. "We should leave soon. We have a long drive, and I'd like to get home before dark." He callously stated. Justin was Pema's ride too, as her and I shared a tiny apartment on the upper floor of her blind great aunt's house, and he lived only five minutes down the road from us.

"Alright, I'll go gather my things." I ducked my head, and took the opportunity to quickly scurry away from the tense moment like a pathetic poltroon.

-: ✧ :-✧-: ✧ :-

"Turn right on Linden Lane." The stupid GPS kept repeating in it's annoying robotic female voice, as we drove through the green rolling hills of the New England countryside. 

I smacked the damn thing while angrily grumbling to myself. "It's still trying to take us through Sycamore Valley." I shook my head while looking over at Justin in defeat. An overly up beat pop song quietly poured through the speakers, contrasting our ongoing acrimonious dispute over how to get home.

Justin tightly gripped the wheel in frustration while strenuously leaning forwards. "Dammit, Lucilia, don't you know how to choose a different route!?" His gaze stayed fixated on the windy road ahead. "It's a simple fucking task! A halfwitted ape could do it!"

I sighed in both discomfiture and agitation. "I'm sorry." I shook my head again, but with my hand on my forehead this time. "Going through Sycamore Valley would save us well over an hour of travel time, and the GPS isn't showing any alternative routes that go around it." It truly wasn't showing me any other ways. I was befuddled and at a complete loss.

"Well, you managed to find a route that avoided it on our way down, so you're clearly doing something wrong." He gritted. "Why do you have to be so stubborn and incompetent all the-" 

"For fuck's sake!" Pema, who was sitting in the seat behind me, abruptly growled like a rabid bulldog. Justin and I both stiffened with widened eyes, and immediately became silent as mice. The sound of squeaky crinkling filled the car, as she aggressively tore open a bag of cheesy chips while continuing to angrily speak. "Let's just go through the damn valley if it means less time having to listen to your bickering and this shitty pop music!"