It Was The Best of Times, It Was The Worst of Times

Three

Once upon a time...

I dreamed of growing up and having a perfect life.

I would get into the perfect college, have perfect grades, get the perfect job, meet a perfect boy, have a perfect relationship, get the perfect proposal, plan the perfect wedding where everything would go perfectly, then we'd have the perfect kids.

It was all perfect. Eventually, I learned that a perfect life was impossible, but a happy life was highly achievable. My parents split, I haven't seen my dad since, but before that they were happy. I was happy. My siblings were happy. When they split up, my fantasies began, only this time, it all turned out right.

Then, after several observations, I learned that it can't be perfect all day, every day. It's been a long time since I thought my life could be perfect.

Tonight, my dreams were centered around my perfect guy. Brayden.

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After exchanging phone numbers, he asked to take me to a local diner that he knew of. Everyone went there, but it wouldn't be full for another hour. "If we go now," he said, "I can probably sweet talk Cassie into giving us the most comfortable booth."

I agreed, hesitantly. This guy could axe murder me, for all I knew. After an encouraging nod from Leah, and a dare-I-say jealous glare from Josh, I decided that it couldn't hurt. Much.

On our way there, it was a bit awkward, as would be expected.

"This is okay, right? That guy isn't, like, your boyfriend or your brother, right?"

"No, definitely not. Why?" If I had a bottle of water, I'd have dumped it on his head.

"He was sending me death looks. He was either a jealous boyfriend or a protective brother." Top notch observation.

"Try my biggest enemy who can't stand it when I give more attention to someone who's actually nice to me."

"So, a jealous wannabe boyfriend? I don't mind stepping in the middle of that." Wannabe boyfriend?

"Wannabe boyfriend?" What can I say, I don't keep things in my head where they should stay.

"Look, you're smart, I can tell by the things you say when you don't think people will get your references. It's smart. But, you're a girl. That's not me being sexist. You don't understand boys the way boys don't understand girls, even if the boys are perfectly intelligent." A compliment, a not-sexist sexist comment, and more compliments. A sandwich of backtracking.

"What references do I make," I ask, thinking that he couldn't possibly have caught them.

"You speak in movie quotes, like, a lot. I caught some references from That's What I Am and Alabama Moon and I always thought that I was the only one who had ever seen those movies."

"You got those?"

"Yeah. 'He's a good man, he's just not user friendly.' You tweaked it from 'my father is a good man', but you were definitely alluding to the movie."

"Damn." I was shocked.

"'You should always have a book with you.'"

"Mr. Simon," I said, in awe.

"Mr. Simon," he confirmed.

"Damn." Still shocked.

"Okay, you've said that. You don't seem to have a very extensive vocabulary."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Words and Pictures?"

"I've seen it." I watched it for the first time a week ago, and I've watched it three times since.