Permanent Memories

Olivia

It's that time of year. The time of year where the University has a ball,high schoolers would call it a prom. It's a ball.

I stand in the University park, staring at the bulletin board. Staring at the poster.

Sydney University Masquerade Ball2011

February 19th at the Hilton Sydney Ball Room.

Tickets sold at the Administration office.

$45 per person.

Must be paid in advance

I sigh and look down at my phone. 2:34 pm. The ball is tonight, Luke hadn't asked me yet. In fact, Luke hadn't spoken to me all day. Not even in English. He just sat there typing on his laptop. I tried to talk to him but he ignored me. I've tried many different topics, the ball, his English, the band, anything and everything. But he won't even look at me.

I shove my phone back in my pocket and start walking to the student car park. As I walk I begin rummaging through my handbag looking for the car keys.Did I give them to Luke? Did he drive? Did he take them when he went with the boys for lunch? Where are they?

When I arrive at the car I sit on the grass patch next to my car and tip my handbag upside down, emptying all its contents onto the soft green grass. I rummage through the mess, putting things back in as I search them.

Receipt, receipt, receipt, lip gloss, nail polish, purse, lip gloss,rubbish, chocolate bar, receipt, lipstick, CAR KEYS!

In finding my keys, I jump in excitement and shove everything back in, when I notice a pink envelope sitting on the grass. 'Olivia' it reads on the front of it. There's plenty of girls called Olivia here... in the bottom corner is small writing; 'I know you see this, it's for you Oliver.' Luke calls me Oliver. It has to be for me. I snatch it from the cool grass and tear it open.

"You may have found your keys, and I'm asking pretty please, don't be scared, you'll find me where our love was first declared."

What. What is he on about? Where our love was first declared? I think back to all the times we had said I love you. I fiddle with the ring on my finger, and it hits me. The restaurant. The fake proposal. I hope that's where I need to go.

I get into the car, read the note one more time and reverse out and head straight for the restaurant. I don't even bother going home to drop my bag off.

Sitting in the car driving I think to myself that I'm crazy. Luke wouldn't spend all day planning this, maybe it was for somebody else. I almost give up and turn around to go home when I find myself pulling into a park right out the front of The Waterfront.

It was quiet in the restaurant, the lunch hour was over. There was a waiter patiently standing beside a table, I swear I see him smirk as he sees me walk in.

That's really creepy.

I glance at the table, there's a silver dome with my name taped to it in bright yellow paper.

I walk over slowly, swallowing. This really is for me. What the hell is going on?

"Miss Olivia," the waiter says smiling as I approach him.

"Yes..?" I say, slightly unsure of my own name.

"For you." He lifts the dome, showing an empty plate, pristine and clean, with another small pink envelope in the center.

'You must have missed me, oh what a shame, you should probably look above our names.'

Names? The time we wrote our names with my black nail polish and a small paint brush we found in my handbag? We wrote it on a brick in the middle of Sydney. Surely it's been painted over by now? I haven't forgotten where we wrote it, but he might have. He's a very forgetful person like that.