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I flat iron the last stray hair to perfection. My lips are glossed and eyelashes curled up as if I'm trying to impress someone. But the only person I have to impress anymore is myself. I haven't even touched instagram for two weeks after I got roofied. The comments were flooded with words I didn't want to read.
The dark blue dress I have on fits like a glove. It's silk pools at the floor except for the long slit running up my leg.
I hear a soft knock on my door and I open it. Jacob looks stressed. His black suit is ironed to perfection, much like his school uniform, and his hair is gelled in the wrong places.
"How do I look?" We ask each other at the same time.
"You look amazing." Jacob says with admiration in his eyes. "Are there wrinkles on the back of my jacket?" He turns around.
"No, Jacob. You're fine." I say.
"I'm so nervous." He says.
"I can tell." I take a step closer to him and I comb his hair so that it's styled correctly. He looks older. There are a few sections of his bangs but other than that his forehead is exposed.
"She'll say yes." I tell him.
"Is it risky? To do this right before?" He asks.
"People like grand gestures because it means you took a risk." I say, though that's just my personal opinion. We walk to the car and his knee bounces the entire ride there.
"And the fireflies? They're not dead?" He asks and I look carefully into the jars on my lap.
"They're all alive." I say.
"Good. That's good." He says. "Shoot! Is my guitar in the trunk?"
"Yes. You put it in there like an hour ago remember?" I say.
"Right." Jacob says and shakes his head. He parks in front of the venue. We came here an hour early to set up from the time he told Nayoung to arrive.
Per usual, Jacob runs out of the car to open my door for me. He always does that but I can't help but think how it looks like we came here together, as a pair.
"Okay, good, set the guitar on that rock please." Jacob says.
It's dark by now but the fireflies slowly begin to wake up and remember what their job is. I put his guitar on the rock as he paces back and forth humming the song.
I help him set up the jars of fireflies around the grassy area and soon enough we hear Nayoung's car parking in the driveway.
"oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh." Jacob says.
"Chill a bit," I say. "Just breathe, and remember that you like her and she likes you, so this shouldn't be a big thing to worry about."
"Okay, right." Jacob says. "And thank you, so much for helping me with this."
