Soulmate

Chapter 21: Two Types of Seniors

Grace

    Monday morning, well, at least it was better than Sunday morning. I had already heard both of my parents, so I was alone to get ready in a new, never before seen outfit. I blow dried my hair, so it was straight down as usual, but for some reason it didn't look quite as unruly. I even put on more makeup than usual, trying to use eye shadow to play up my blue eyes, and applied more than one coat of mascara.

    One month, one day, five hours, twenty minutes, and forty-five seconds, it was going by faster than I thought it should be, but today I was happy because soon I would meet my soulmate. Although, it was a little upsetting that my soulmate was the only thing I had to look forward to, I was trying to stay positive.  My life would change forever, but I wanted to make the most of it before that happened.

    I rolled my eyes at my thoughts as I grabbed an apple and wandered around the kitchen. This morning I didn't feel very hungry, but that was probably because I was nervous. No one had seen me dressed this way probably since I was in elementary school. Back then I dressed cute, but people don't even remember that adorable little girl being me. When we hit middle school, and I started dressing myself, people thought I was a new girl. Only Becca and Chase recognized me, and gave me the time of day.

    I listened to the rhythmic tapping of my shoes as I walked around, and the crunching of my apple as I chewed. There was no logical reasoning for my nervousness, but I felt my stomach twisting and my head spinning. Maybe no one would even notice my outfit and even if they did, I doubted they would say anything to me. Becca would notice and probably tell me I was crazy for not always dressing up, but that would be it.

    Maybe I was crazy, or maybe I was going crazy; I wasn't sure anymore.

    There was something about the thought that made me want to roll my eyes once again, but I suppressed the urge as I threw away the core. It was almost time to leave, so I leaned against the counter, willing my mind to remember anything I may have forgotten. Sometimes my head felt fuzzy and I wasn't sure why. I feel like I was forgetting something, but I could never remember what it was until later, until it was too late.

    So instead of waiting around, I grabbed my backpack, and headed out the door. It was at least seventy degrees outside even though it was only 7:30. Maybe my clothes would be too hot for the day, but I guess it was better than how I normally dressed. I looked better, and it gave me a little bit more confidence. The only part I didn't like was that it accentuated my chest which made me nervous because I didn't want people to stare, but I hoped they wouldn't.

    As I drove, I listened to a classic rock station, sometimes they played old music that was old for my grandmother's generation and that's why I liked it, but they always play happy love songs. Most of the time they were remakes of the same songs, trying to regain popularity because no one has come up with any better ideas. I don't like to listen to the pop stations, it was just techno, and auto-tuned singers stealing each other's lyrics. They sang about love, or about the mystery of waiting for their soulmate. Everyone could relate, but it was boring; there was nothing new. I wanted to hear something else, something unfathomable.

    My grandmother talked about a time were there used to be many different kinds of music with different stories to tell. Now they are all the same, techno beats with happy lyrics, but nothing to evoke any kind of emotion. It's just bubbly stuff that I would prefer not to listen to. Music used to be abundant and gave people an escape, now it's something to play at parties and listen to while you drive. It means absolutely nothing. There is no longer a special connection.