A Life Rewritten

Josh - Happy..?

**Seven years ago**

Josh's knees knocked against each other in nervousness. He knew what he was about to do was crazy, but he felt like he had to go through with it, despite all of the warnings in his head. He was finally going to ask Danielle to be his girlfriend.

"Girlfriend," he thought. "And I'd be the boyfriend. Interesting, how words can be so different in reference to two people, just because of how they were born."

He walked into the arts center of his hometown, looking for a seat close to a wall, preferably in the corner. As he found one, he sat, scanning the room to see if Danielle was here yet. His nerves were making him feel sick, but he pushed it down, telling himself that the fears could wait until later.

His phone buzzed, and he took it out to see what had been sent to him. It was Jake, sending him an emotional support message. Josh shook his head, grinning. Gosh, that boy was way to kind to him.

"Don't worry, buddy!" The message read, "I'm sure it'll all work out for you! Go get the girl, hero. :P"

Josh chuckled. His friend was eccentric, but that was why they had gotten along so well in the first place. Jake had always been the one thinking outside of the box, encouraging him on to greater heights.

The bell at the entrance of the arts center rang, and Josh's heart stopped. Someone entered the main room, and as they rounded the corner, Josh could clearly see Danielle, smiling as she took a seat beside him. At fourteen, Danielle was just a year older than Josh was himself, and she was everything he could dream for.

Kindness was her life, friendship her motto. She was beautiful when it came to her outward appearance, but she cared more about the quality of a heart than the body. Danielle was an angel on earth, Josh thought.

"H-hey," he said, choking on his words. "How are you doing today?"

Danielle laughed, and Josh stopped breathing. "Hey there, joker," she said, "I'm doing good today, how about you?"

"G-good!" Josh stuttered, trying to keep his mind on one thing: keeping calm enough to ask Danielle if she would be his girlfriend.

"What's wrong with you today, joker?" Danielle asked him, chuckling, "you seem like you forgot how to speak English!"

"I-" Josh replied. "I-I just... That is... I mean, I-I just had a.. um, a-a question, f-for you..."

Danielle squinted at him, her lips dragging upwards in an amused grin. "Okay," she told him, "hit me with it, then."

"I- really?" Josh asked, surprised.

"Uh, yeah really," Danielle said. "What's been on your mind?"

"Um, well..." He began, awkwardly. "I mean, we've been friends for a while now, right?"

"Yes, we have?" Danielle said, confusion evident in her voice.

"W-well, I was just wondering..." Josh told her, "t-that is to say... I- um, I-I r-really, um... Like you?"

Danielle was quiet for a few moments, her eyes squinting in confusion. After a while, her face turned red and her eyes widened.

"Y-you mean," she asked, "r-romantically?"

"Y-yes..." Josh said quietly.

"O-oh my gosh," Danielle whispered. "D-does that m-mean what I think it means t-then?"

"D-Danielle... w-will you b-be m-my, um... Girlfriend?" Josh asked, closing his eyes, terrified of the answer.

"Of course I will!" Danielle yelled at him, "you finally found the courage to ask me?"

"W-wait," Josh stammered, shocked. "You will?"

"Yeah, I will," Danielle told him. "I've been waiting for this for two years, joker!"

Josh grinned, then gave Danielle a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, then gave him a small kiss on the check.

"I'm so glad you finally did it," she told him as they walked into the arts class.

"I am too," Josh replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Finally, he'd asked out the girl of his dreams. He had everything he could want now. So why did he feel jealous of her?