Handwritten (One Shot Collection)

Bungalow

She walks in beauty, like the night / of cloudless climes and starry skies; / and all that's best of dark and bright / meet in her aspect and her eyes;

For as long as I can remember, I was told that the most important person in your life would find you. As childhood sweethearts, my parents met in high school, fell in love and never looked back. That was it. That was their story; and to me, it was so precious that I was determined to make it mine as well. So I did. Ariana was two seats over in fourth period Latin, her hair a bright red and dyed from store-bought product. As the sophomore year new girl, she had moved from one of southern California's bustling cities to a quiet neighbourhood in Miami, claiming her father's work had sent her across the country. She was insecure, her shoulders often hunched to hide her pre-pubescent chest and breakouts on her face, but at the same time, adding a delicate charm to her persona. Ariana's warm hazel eyes pulled me in the moment they met my dull brown, and that I never let her forget.

We often argued about who it was that made the first move; she agreed with a laugh when I mentioned that we would likely bicker until we were old and grey. Nevertheless, the "first move" happened to be fumbling, inexperienced sex. It was after our senior prom, a few cans of beer in us lightweights was enough to get the drive up and running, and at that point I knew there was no turning back. I led the way while she followed, growing bolder with every hiss of contact and groan of satisfaction. A number of drunk heart-to-heart talks followed, and we found ourselves spilling any and all phantom thoughts that had made homes in our minds to each other. While dating was a new world to me, it was one I was more than ready for.

When the nightmare of high school came and passed with a teary eyed graduation, Ariana and I both decided that Oxford was where we belonged. My love for history, and hers for science drove us to pursue our interests amongst the libraries teeming with dust, damp cobblestone paths and copious amounts of scalding hot tea. England became less of an academic career for us, and more of a lifestyle; one that I wouldn't ever trade for remaining in the states. We found a fairly cheap rental, unable to afford the ridiculously priced rooms on the Oxford campus, and thoroughly enjoying the added benefits of larger bathrooms and a fireplace. The two of us running matching cool temperatures, there was almost always a roar in the hearth, and coming from a highly populated city, we were constantly giddy at the prospect of a warm drink outside amongst the scent of woodsmoke and damp grass.

I called my parents just before Christmas of our third year, and asked them with an ear-splitting grin, if Ariana could come home with us to Miami rather than visiting her own relatives in Cali. My parents were hesitant, so I made it abundantly clear that this girl was the most important part of my life. She had turned into the person I went to when I needed to cry from laughter, and sob from stress. Ariana was the anchor that kept my wild and childish demeanour contained in a neat little package, always topped with a bow (which she mentioned was a hair accessory that had always been her favourite atop my untameable brown hair). After some convincing, my mother and father agreed that we could spend the holidays together, and hers did the same. Not only was that a defining moment in our relationship, but it paved the way for many more. The promise ring she gave me was topped with a small pink heart, and she apologized because even though she knew I was a pearl girl, her bank account happened to be less enthusiastic. I loved it, and I loved her humour, making it crystal clear to her that night when it was only the two of us between the sheets.

That had been one of my greatest, if not my greatest aspiration in my young adulthood. Life had taught me that nothing was forever. Grades, friends, money, even family were all things that changed, whether that be for the good, or the bad. Love was all around me, and it quickly became the aspect of my life that brought a sense of serene consistency. Ariana had turned into the most important part of me, the thing I needed the most.