I Choose You

Tara

I literally count the seconds until they leave. Six hundred and thirty six. It's like a weight has been lifted from my chest and I couldn't be happier. But the touch of the necklace upon my skin sent a shiver all over my body. I can't do this, I don't want to. I know what I want and that's enough for me, so why does this necklace has to choose my way when I already know it. I've never been sure about anything in my life but I'm sure about him. I'm sure about Simon. I don't need this stupid necklace to tell me where my love is, I've already memorized the number of steps to his house, I don't need this necklace to tell me that my destiny is five hundred and eighty two steps away. Only two minutes from my own house. I go to my room to pick up my phone and call my best friend, Layla. I promised her I would, right after I receive the gift. I've always sensed the difference between me and her, it was so clear that no one could deny it. Even our appearances have nothing to do with each other. Her being half an Egyptian gave her the features of a goddess; clear tan skin, hazel big eyes, and full darksalmon lips. We shared only the long black hair. I had light skin, green almond eyes, and pink oval lips. We had another thing in common, we took anything we wanted with a smile and a wink. Personality wise, we're the exact opposite. Layla is a hyperactive, optimistic, wild girl who believes that the gift is the best thing that could ever happen to her. Her perspective doesn't struck me as strange, since she has never loved anyone as in a soulmate kind of way, and the journey is another favorite part of hers, she always wanted to see everything out there. I, on the other hand, though outgoing and fun to be around, am mostly quiet and minding my own business, I spend most of my time with Simon, my boyfriend, or Layla and Zoe, my best friends. And I'm happy with the way it is, I don't want anything to do with a journey to get away from here.
She picks up on the second ring, "Tell me everything right now." I flinch on her squeaky voice. "Hello to you too," rolling my eyes while talking to her became a habit for me. "Well, you know, nothing special. Just a beautiful necklace that gets to choose my life for me that's all." I can hear her sigh when she says, "You know what I mean, how does it feel, is it cold or is it warm?"
I take a look at it, I don't want to believe what I'm thinking so I tell her what I'm forcing myself to believe. "I don't think it's working yet, maybe a couple of days or something, it's not like we're supposed to start the search immediately."
"Yeah, but it's right after senior year and we're two weeks away from finishing that. The expedition is a must Tari..."
I take a step towards the mirror and take a good look on myself, maybe I'll be lucky and it'll turn out to be him. But I'm far away from putting my hopes into something so fragile in chance. "What if it doesn't turn out to be Simon? What would happen to us right then Layla? I can't go on with my life without him. I won't."
Layla's voice could move mountains when she says, "No matter where your road leads you and whomever it's gonna be with, you won't ever regret it. I promise you." That sounded like a white flag, like surrender, and it felt like it too. "Look, I'm not telling you there's no chance for you two, I'm telling you to accept it if there isn't." I couldn't keep the conversation going like that, so I told her I had to take a shower, even though I didn't really, and hung up. I sat on my bed for another 20 minutes when I remembered my plans with Simon. Dinner and catching up with some Vampire Diaries episodes at his house. I don't know how I could ever think about life in another way, someplace away from him. I will never give up on us, I will never let them snatch away my happiness. I put my hair into a bun and before heading to leave I catch something very beautiful out of the corner of my eye; my Simon in a picture I took where he looked really happy laughing on a joke I told him, and right this moment I promise myself that nothing, not even this stupid necklace, can get in our way.