Center Stage

s i x

•10:49 am•

The familiar nasally car horn abruptly sounded from outside the house, announcing it Josh's arrival. I pulled on my black hoodie, grabbed my keys, and jogged outside.

Josh's white sedan, who'd earned the hearty nickname 'Old Rusty', sat in the driveway, repeating a trademark 'cling-clang-tock' noise. I opened the door and ducked into the passenger seat. "Hey, loser." I mumbled.

"Ready for Stafford?" He smiled.

"I think I can handle a new mall, Josh."

"I'm talking about the girl, stupid. Are you ready to see Tarrie?"

"Oh." I nodded, "Yeah. I mean, it's not a huge deal. She's just a girl, right?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, 'just a girl.' Okay, Mr. Play-It-Cool."

"What do you mean?"

"You looked at her as if she were your fiancée last night." He snickered.

I began fidgeting with the strings of my hoodie, "I did no such thing."

"Whatever. Taryn Parker will gut you, man." He cooly stated, backing out onto the street.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"She's the kindest person you'll ever meet, an absolutely amazing girl, but she typically never goes for guys she just met. Tarrie has this system of standards you must live up to before she's able to trust you with her life and her heart. She's definitely not an easy girlfriend. I've seen some heartbreaking stuff happen to her, and her reaction? Well, let's just say that it's not pretty."

"Ah. So you're saying I have zero chances with her."

"No," he grinned manically, "I'm saying you have a very, very, very slight chance."

"Thanks?"

"Nothing but the truth for my best friend."

The old Honda Civic crept up the street a bit to a large brick house with four massive columns flanking the entryway. Emerging from the house was Taylor, Josh's girlfriend of roughly eight months. As she jogged over to Rusty, I could practically hear Josh's heart beating out of his chest. It's quite possible that he may have been drooling.

Josh had practically begged her to tag along on our trip to Stafford, which was surprising. Taylor was one of those girls where you weren't really sure what'd she'd be doing next. One day, she'd be hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The next, you could find her at Tyson's Corner pampering herself. Josh adored spontaneity, so they were inevitably the perfect couple. "Hey!" She perked, climbing into the backseat.

"Wanna switch seats? You'll be closer to Josh" I teased in a sing-song voice.

"It's fine, y'all need some 'bro time.'"

"What even is 'bro time'?"

"Where, you know, you guys talk about hockey, black ops, and girls or whatever."

"Alright, if you say so." I chuckled.

   Josh applied pressure to the gas pedal while she buckled her ratty, old seat belt. I turned the radio on, and an unfamiliar tune began to play. This is how it was with me and Josh. He enjoyed more of the alternative, pop-punk genre, while I preferred more mainstream music. It must've been recognizable for Taylor as well, seeing as she hummed along to the melody while pulling her light blonde hair into a braid.

Eventually, Josh took a right turn onto Route One, and we began heading South. The two conversed about random crap as we drove, and I was regretting not pressing more on switching seats. I shifted, turning my gaze to the buildings and stores that lined the streets. It was amusing to see all the quirky and unique details each individual storefront held.

Finally, Josh pulled Rusty into a parking space near a giant, beige sign that read, 'The Village at Spotsylvania Town Centre.'

"Wait," I started, "I thought we were meeting her in Stafford?"

"She lives in South Stafford, right over the bridge from Fredericksburg." Josh simply replied.

"But we're in Spotsylvania."

"Look, See that big red sign?" He pointed across the street to the right, where a looming sign stood.

I nodded, "Yeah?"

"That's in Fredericksburg. The mall is legit that close to the county line."

"Okay, that makes a little more sense."

Taylor gently, without saying a word, interlocked her and Josh's fingers, and led us into the mall.

It was predominantly nice, not Short Pump or anything, but definitely better than Potomac Mills. "Where are we meeting her?" Taylor questioned, her braid hitting each shoulder delicately as she spun her head around.

"She said to meet her at the food court. Apparently, this place has good Chinese food." Josh answered.

"Cool! Maybe you can get me lo mein, Right, Josh?"

"Sounds great, sweetheart. Just as long as I can get some fried rice too."

Tuning out their uninteresting chatter, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets and strolled along the edge of the busy mall. On the way to meet Tarrie, we passed an Aeropostale, Macy's, Hollister, Hallmark, and a PacSun. There were obviously more retailers, I simply just payed more attention to the ones that seemed busier.

Soon, I was breathing in the wonderful aroma of fast food. All three of us passed a 'pirate ship' as we entered the food court. Fake bamboo trees littered the room, surrounded by many tables and booths. As my eyes scanned over the room, I spotted her.

    Tarrie stood, leaning against the closest wall, a mere fifteen feet away, and her chilling stare was targeted at me. She strode towards us, and her  red dress swirled around her. Her skin clashed with the color, making her look even more captivating. "Hello there, fellow humans." She spoke, pulling me in for a welcoming hug.

Taryn Parker just pulled me in for an embrace first. I feel like jumping up and down, throwing confetti, and hurling all at the same time.

     Why was even touching such a rare beauty so hard for me to handle? Keep it together, Matt, remember the plan. Center stage, here I come.