Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"Hungry Eyes"

Every year on Christmas Eve, Valerie performs in The Nutcracker Ballet at our college theater. I went every single year, and I never got tired of seeing her in it. That Christmas Eve was no different. Valerie got us all tickets; me, Arjun and his mom, and Keto and Veronica.

I wasn't feeling much better about what had happened with my mother and the panic attack a couple days before, but I wasn't going to let it ruin Christmas Eve for me. I was determined to enjoy myself at the ballet.

I had gotten a new suit for the occasion, and I spent forever making sure I looked perfect. I don't know why I was still trying to impress a girl who was clearly over me. But hey, I was willing to try. Once I was satisfied, I wheeled myself out to the living room, where Ms. Harlow was fixing Arjun's tie.

"Looking good, Arjun," I said, smirking. I had to admit it, he did look even better than I did. But that was just how Arjun was. Perfect hair, impeccable style. It made guys hate his guts back in high school.

"Not so bad yourself, Riggs," Arjun replied in a deadpan.

"You both look handsome," Ms. Harlow said as she stepped back from fixing Arjun's tie. "Now what about me?" She twirled around, and it made her knee-length dress billow. The dress was patterned with tiny candy canes and Santa hats against a red background, and anyone who saw her would know this woman meant business when it came to Christmas. It made me smile.

"Beautiful as always, Mom," Arjun said quietly.

"Oh, Arjun." Ms. Harlow patted his shoulder, then glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well, we better get going!" It was still a good while until the ballet started, but we had to pick up Keto and Veronica, and they lived pretty far.

The car ride to pick them up was an hour long. I was still nervous to ride in the car, but Ms. Harlow made sure to bring up so many memories about us when we were little, she had us both laughing. I was still shaking, and I felt lightheaded, but I was grateful for the distractions.

When we got to their house, Keto and Veronica were waiting outside, and their mother was taking pictures of them. Seeing them brightened my spirits a little. I hadn't realized how much I really missed being around them. I had to laugh when the two jumped into the car beside me, and Keto instantly began complaining about having to take pictures.

"Keto, is that any way to greet long lost friends?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, Keto, stop whining like a kid!" Veronica said, laughing.

Keto rolled his eyes, but was smirking, too. "Oh, all right. I guess it's nice to see you, Randall. You too Arjun."

"And you Ms. Harlow!" Veronica added.

As the niceties continued, I took out my phone to text Valerie. I told her we were on her way, and she replied with a smiling emoji.

Her: I can't wait to see you!

I stared down at the text with a stupid smile on my face. She really did want to see me! I hadn't seen her since the night I got mugged, and while it was a little nerve wracking, I was excited, too.

An hour later — an hour that was filled with conversations between us all — we were parking directly in front of the theater. If there was one good thing about being confined to a wheelchair, it was the fact that we could park in the handicap spaces.

"Is Stephen going to be here?" Veronica asked once I was in my wheelchair again. She smoothed down the skirt of her purple dress, then quickly switched gears. "How do I look?"

I laughed. "You look fine," I said. "And I would think he'd be here." But then again...Valerie hadn't said anything about him in weeks. We'd talked back and forth, but Stephen's name was never mentioned. Had they broken up? It made hope flash through me, but I didn't let it get out of hand. There was no reason to get my hopes up. As far as I was concerned, she was still going to Boston, anyway.

Keto hopped out of the car and pulled on his suit coat. "Well, if he is, let's sit somewhere he isn't, 'kay?"

"Agreed," Veronica and Arjun both said in unison.

I looked at them all with wide eyes. "I take it none of you like him, then?"

Veronica shrugged. "Meh. He's all right." Everything in her tone implied she had something more to say, but she turned around to head into the building without saying what it might be.

"It's about to start," Arjun said as he tapped his watch. He locked the car, then led his mother inside.

I was still for a moment. I suddenly felt like something was going on that I didn't know about. Had something happened with Stephen and the others? And if so...why didn't I know about it?

"Are you coming, or not?" Keto's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Oh...yeah!" As Keto turned to go inside, I took a deep breath and wheeled myself forward. I just knew the moment I saw Valerie again my mind would get jumbled up.

Only that night, it got more jumbled up than it ever was.

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Thanks for reading!

Listen to "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen!

Peace✌️~ A.J.