Good Intentions

2. The Ring

             The rest of the day after my encounter with Harry went by very slowly. I couldn't stop thinking about the way his chocolate brown curls perfectly framed his face. I can still perfectly see the way his black jeans clung to his thighs. His green eyes sparkled like the moon on a beautiful clear night. I had almost completely forgotten about my project he accidentally destroyed. I was in love with the ring he wore so confidently on his right hand. It seemed so familiar to me, but I could not put my finger on why.

"Alex? Are you in there?" Tara forcefully poked me in the arm to pull me out of my handsome daydream. She smiled at me as she read my mind. "Thinking about Harry, again?" She laughed at my expense, to which my cheeks turned rose red.

"Maybe... I just can't stop thinking about his ring." Although that was not the whole truth, but she does not need to know that.

"Sure, I'll believe that." She laughed as she saw right through my lie. We were sitting on her bed watching The Wedding Planner, for the fourth time this month. Tara is in love with this movie because it has a happy ending. She enjoys it when the main character finds love and lives the life they never thought they could have at the beginning of the story. I also enjoy happy endings, sometimes. Sometimes it is good to throw in an unhappy ending because that is what happens in life, not every leap of faith ends up being successful. Things do not always wrap up into a neat little bow. Most things blow up in your face before you even start. I do not mean to sound like a pessimist, but the world is not always as forgiving and welcoming as it may seem.

"You seem to be smitten with him." Katie, another one of my close friends, chimes into the conversation. "He is pretty hot. I'd let that man do unspeakable things to me," her voice trailed off as she got sucked into her own fantasy.

Laughter filled the room as we all secretly agreed with our very open friend. She usually says whatever is on her mind without a single hint of remorse, which is why I love her so much. She never lies when you ask her if an outfit doesn't suit you, and if you have stuff in your teeth or anything else that most people would be too embarrassed to tell you about. The three of us have an interesting relationship. Katie is so outgoing that sometimes it gets her into deep trouble. Tara is very conscious of what others think of her, which can be annoying when we're trying to have a good time out in public. I am the happy medium to my two extreme friends. I am aware of how I am perceived by others, but I'm also not afraid of being outgoing knowing people might be judging me. Together we keep each other in check, but most importantly I know that these girls always have my back.

"Goodness gracious we lost Alex again." Tara waves a hand in front of my face to pull me back to the present. I offer them an apologetic smile and turn my attention back to the movie.

***

The rest of the night goes by with more laughs and snacking. As much as I love being around my friends, I couldn't keep a certain someone off my mind. I wish we could have gone out tonight because I can hardly wait for the end of the week. I have never jumped into anything as fast as I have with Harry. Usually I take my time getting to know possible boyfriends before just going out on a date with them. I typically also have an inside man that tells me if I stand a chance with whichever boy I have my sights set on at the time. I get nervous when I open my heart to someone new if I am unsure of their feelings for me. I know that not knowing these things is part of the fun for some people, but I do not want to get hurt like I have been in the past.