Alex was pacing in her room, indefinitely indenting her carpet with her linear strides. Her mind was a blurring mess as her thoughts bounced from one thing to the next. Things she'd never worried about suddenly seemed incredibly important. Is my hair okay, is it too messy, she thought to herself. Chiding herself for taking such insignificant details seriously, Alex gave her shoulder-length warm brown hair one last brush before she stopped and got up. She took one final-check in the mirror (and a stick of gum off her nightstand), then walked out of her apartment, purse in hand.
As Alex stepped out, she felt a sudden wave of nausea hit her like a bus; everything within her field of view wobbled as she felt the world shift beneath her feet. Seeking stability, she once again leaned against the nearest wall. Walls seem to be the only thing keeping me upright these days, she thought to herself.
Alex felt like every nerve in her body was shaking, each one with the power to knock over a small building. Goosebumps surrounded nearly every square inch of skin she had and she felt a shiver run up and down her spine.
Not expecting as intense of "butterflies," Alex was puzzled at the source. She had been on other dates before, each with a unique feeling of nervous curiousness, but none as overwhelming as this one.
Waiting several minutes, Alex took several deep breaths and attempted to clear her mind. She removed herself from the wall that was keeping her up after she confirmed that she had regained her balance and state of mind. Shaking off any lingering feelings that would hinder her from properly experience her first date with this young man, she started on her way once again.
It could've been the way Shawn spoke to her. Perhaps it was the way he held himself and made direct eye contact. Maybe it was even the fact that he used eHow tips to ask her out. Whatever the case was, Alex could feel the start of something great, something special. She somehow knew that the pages of her book could never be read in the same way again, and that this step outside her apartment would be the step that changed her life forever.
