Love and dances - Joel Dawson

Good to see

Dear Aimee,

Today is the day I saw you for the first time in 1125 days and you still look as beautiful as the last time.

Joel was nervous. Of course he was, how could he not be? Today was the day he was going to finally see Aimee after so long, so everything had to be perfect. He had put on his best clothes - all of the people living with him in his new apartment that they kindly called it the Colony making fun of him for it, but all in good faith, considering they were all very good people; at least they were when they weren't fucking one another -, sprayed on some cologne, styled his hair and he had even taken Boy to a pet shop for vaccines and a bath. They had given him a good brush and a little bow and now the two of them were ready, Joel standing nervously just by the gates of NYU while Boy sat just beside him at the sidewalk, wagging his tail at everyone who passed them by and gave him even the slightest bit of attention.

Joel was drumming his fingers against his legs trying not to show how nervous he actually was, but it was hard, of course. It had been a long time since he had seen Aimee last so what if she had changed? Suddenly, being there didn't seem like the best idea, and all of the people who ever told him he was crazy and stupid for moving halfway across the country for a girl he wasn't even sure wanted to see him at all came back to his mind and Joel was almost worried he'd back down. He couldn't though. He was there already, so he couldn't back down. He'd only prove those people right and that was the last thing he wanted. Besides, Maple had called it romantic. She had said Aimee was lucky to have someone like him doing something like that for her and she had been an absolute angel anyway, figuring out all about Aimee's schedule from a friend of a friend of a friend to make sure Joel would know the best way to find her when she would, most likely, be able to have a chat to him, so he couldn't just throw away all of the hard work she had put up for him, right? But at the same time... He should, right? I mean, he should back down. Yeah, maybe he should. No, he definitely should... Maybe another day? Next week? Or next month? Maybe... Maybe never?

"Never seems like a good option, huh, Boy?" Joel mumbled, his eyes falling on the dog beside him, causing his companion to look up at him and tilt his head at him, almost as if understanding of his situation. "Yeah, maybe they were right. Maybe I shouldn't have come. Maybe... Maybe It was stupid. I mean... Maybe she won't even want to talk to me, you know? Maybe... Oh, my God, what if she doesn't even recognize me Boy? Oh, it'll be so embarrassing when I end up standing here like a creep and Aimee doesn't even recognize me. Oh, this was a bad idea. We should go. Come on, Boy... Let's go back to the Colony. We... Yeah, let's head back."

And Joel was fully prepared to leave. He was fully prepared to go back to the Colony and have Ray, Karen, Ava, Tim and all of the other people from his floor of the building making fun of him for giving up. He was fully prepared to head over to Maple's apartment too, veting to her how he had blown up the whole thing without even trying at all. He was fully prepared to even buy a ticket back to California and endure the lecture he knew he'd be getting from his parents for even trying at all. All in all, Joel was fully prepared to endure everything that would've come his way just because he decided to back away from talking to Aimee, but, before he could actually turn away from NYU for the last time and head back to his apartment, he stopped and turned around when he heard a bark.

"Boy?" He asked, frowning at the dog as he just sat there, barking at him again. "What's going on?"

And of course Joel knew Boy wouldn't answer him. After all, he wasn't stupid. Well, at least not stupid enough to believe in talking dogs, but no one said anything about not believing good-luck charms because, if they were a thing, Joel was pretty sure Boy just made the cut to be his.

"Joel?" She called, her familiar voice bringing a warmth all over Joel's chest as he looked up from Boy and to his right, his lips curling up into a smile as soon as he saw her. "Joel? Is that you?"