Mom looks like she's going to have a heart attack when I walk down the stairs at approximately six twenty one on the morning of February 14th.
"Oh goodness!" She gasps, her hand covering her heart dramatically. "Go change!"
I look down at my black jeans and gray sweater that reads: reasons I don't look good today: 1. I don't care. 2. I have no one to impress. 3. I'm really lazy.
"Why?" I frown.
"Because today is the day! You can't wear that!"
I sigh. She's right. "I guess I do look rude, huh?"
"Yes." Daddy says. My sixteen year old brother Kyle smiles and shakes his head.
I sigh and go upstairs. I get a greenish bluish sweater with reddish flowers on it. It has gray elastic around the bottom of the sweater and at the sleeves. I put on shredded light denim short shorts, gray vans, a ring on my left hand-middle fingers that s a gold band and a stone that matched the weird shade of green on my shirt. I curl my hair and put on sunglasses, a necklace with a white pearl and a heart on it, feather earrings, and then I switch purses by putting all my school stuff in a purse that matches my phone case, my shirt and my ring. I go back downstairs.
Mom purses her lips, dissatisfied.
"Roxy Kay Lynne, this is the day that you meet the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with. You could at least wear a dress. All the girls today are wearing dresses.
I put my hands on my hips. "If I us my way I'd be wearing red tank tops and leather jackets."
Mom looks at Dad for help.
"We can't, Anna." Dad, who's name is Andrew, says. "She's going to be late."
"Fine. Good luck." Mom hugs me, and Dad, and even Kyle. I grab my keys off of the hook, swinging them around my finger as I walk out the door.
"Wait!" Mom yells. I turn around. She comes running out with the red tiny little puzzle piece. It means nothing to me. I don't give two shits about this damn day, but it is a big deal. I know it is, but I still don't care. I take the piece from her, shove it in my pocket, and go walking down the road.
Today is the biggest day of my life. See, the world fell into another Great Depression and then some doctor invented this shot. All humans were required to get it. Any child they ever have will be born with a kind of groove in their heart. It fits perfectly with someone else's heart, like a piece of a puzzle. When you are in your senior year of high school, you are required by law to go to the doctor to get a little red piece of medal cut into the perfect shape of your heart. The world has found some way- which I still don't understand- to have you be with that person in school in your senior year. On the fourteenth of February (cliche, I know,) you go to school with the little piece. The only way you can get in the damn building is if you have the little piece with you. If you don't, you will be sent home to get it. Every person in the senior class must attend school this day by law. You go to the courtyard or gym, depending on the weather, and you find your match my connecting the piece. Someone was born with their heart fitting into yours perfectly.
The good thing about the shot is it gives everyone the love of their life. Gay marriage is legal in the whole world. Also with the shot, I never have to get it. Only the generation that existed when the shit was created has to get it.
So you can probably understand why my parents are trying to get me to wear a dress. See, I'm the top of the class. I'm a nerd. I act like a nerd. I only talk to Lucy, but I would much rather be myself, which is not a nerd.
I used to live in Vegas. I was the schools badass. I was fucking awesome. My parents made me change when we moved her during the summer. Lucy has been my best friend since birth and she moved with me.
I show the piece of red metal to the assistant principal at the door and she checks me off.
"We're in the gym. Good luck."
I simply nod because I don't care. I lift my sunglasses onto my head as I trek down the hallway, stopping by my locker. I put my purse in there, shoving my Samsung Galaxy s5 in my back pocket.
All the senior females are dressed up and even the guys are dressed up.
Everyone gapes at me when they see me in shorts and a sweater.
I walk over to Lucy, who is on the bleachers in a pink dress.
"What the fuck are you wearing?" She demands.
I roll my eyes. "I'm not going to dress up for this bullshit." I say.
"This is one of the biggest days of your life!"
"I'm aware."
The principal walks into the gym. Everyone sits down and falls silence when he clears his throat in the microphone.
"Attention students," he says. "Good news. Nobody forgot their pieces and everyone is here. So this is how it is going to work." He says. "We're going to move to the courtyard and we are going to let you loose. When you find your match, move to the side. Afterwards, we are going to the beach."
I snicker at all the girls in their preppy little dresses and the guys in their nice dress shoes. You fuckers can't sit down without worrying about ruining your dress. Oh, I'm going to enjoy this.
There are only two males not dressed up and I can't see them, but everyone is whispering about it. I don't even know who they are because they aren't saying a name.
I don't care anyways.
"Okay. Let's go." He says. Everyone gets up and voices are hysterical and girls are freaking out and hyperventilating. Lucy looks scared, and I bet I look nervous. I am nervous, but I don't care all that much.
"I hope I get Carter or Ryan!"
Ah, the school bad boys, Carter Harris and Ryan Grayson. I hate both of them because they have what I want. They get the leather and the reputation.
I hope to god I don't get them.
"Okay! Mingle!"
Lucy looks at me, horrified. "I'm so scared." She whispers.
I gulp. "It'll be quick. Just go over there, ask to see theirs, and if it doesn't work just walk off.
"I'm staying with you." she says.
"No way. People are gonna think we're both fucking lesbians."
She sighs and walks away.
I don't.
A random guy approaches me. He's not attractive at all.
He checks the pieces and they don't even fit. My little grove is shaped weird, like a legit deformed heart, and his is just boring and rounded.
People run around. I sigh and decide to mingle.
"Let me see." I say to some guy. Nobody has found their match.
They don't fit. I hand him his piece and walk off without a word.
Ryan Grayson approaches me.
It doesn't fit, but it's close, so close that my heart speeds up and my hands start to sweat.
He sighs, grumbling about how stupid this is as he walks off.
Another guy approaches me.
People are starting to find their matches and soon enough, there's only about ten people left.
Lucy is one of them. I look at her in worry. She looks like she's going to puke.
I'm about to go over to her when a hand closes around my wrist.
She's watching me. I don't even look at the guy because I don't care. He grabs the piece and they connect.
I look up and he has brown eyes that allure me because I don't find brown eyes attractive because my eyes are brown.
"It seems we are going to fall in love, Cinnamon."
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I'm sneaking my laptop at 12:25 in the morning to post this.
Comments are greatly appreciated.