Prettier in Purple // A Duckie Dale Story

10) .Never Been Better.

(Edited)

.Never Been Better.

~Queenie~

I caught his eye almost right away. I was surprised to see that Andie wasn't anywhere near him. Is that who I saw running down the hall, clutching her purse in her hand? Must have been. I was too nervous to notice. The entire ride and walk here, I felt as though I was going to throw up. And now that I saw him, standing there looking devilishly handsome in his blue tuxedo and his blue Elton John glasses, I felt the bile rising in my throat. I swallowed it back down and walked over to him with a smile that I truly felt was real.

"Hi," I mumbled, a blush coming to my cheeks. The way 

Duckie looked at me was like anything I had seen from him before. He looked at me like I was his world. And this time, the look didn't fade and I was sure he wasn't thinking about Andie.

"Hi," he said back. "I didn't think you would come." 

I shrugged. "I didn't either, but something dragged me here. Something about ... destiny?" I peered at him, wanting him to get my joke. 

He laughed. 

"Where's Andie?" I asked. "Don't tell me she left you for a guy again." 

Duckie shook his head. "I let her go, this time." 

My eyes widened. Duckie? Let Andie go? Unheard of. 

"I realized that I didn't love her," he said. "You once told me love hurts, and with her ... with her I never felt that hurt." 

I gave him a smile. "It's not a bad kind of hurt," I told him. "It's a good kind." 

Duckie nodded in understanding. "I know that. And I didn't feel that either. I never really felt it with anyone except for one person." I cocked my head to the side confused. Who did Duckie love and didn't tell me about. Is that why he looked like he had the world in his hands? Because he was thinking about her? I felt my heart shatter again like it had so many times before. Love is dumb. Love is shit.

"Who?" I asked, wanting to be a good friend. 

Instead of answering, Duckie held out his hand for me to take. "Wanna dance, love?" He wondered, using my normal nickname. 

I nodded and took his hand, still entirely confused. Duckie led me onto the dance floor and I wrapped my arms around his neck while he put his hands on my hips like in a normal slow dance. We swayed back in forth for a while, listening to the song. Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon. How ironic.

"How do I tell a girl I love her?" Duckie asked, suddenly. 

The question surprised me. He didn't usually trust me with these kinds of questions. Sure, he told me about Andie, but never asked me about questions having to do with love. What would I know about it anyways? I only loved one bloody person.

"Well, girls usually like it if you tell them bluntly," I told him. "You don't want to do something big or take a long time, because most girls move on quickly if you don't show interest." I am not one of those girls. "Just go up to her, grab her attention and say it."

"I love you," he said. 

I smiled and nodded, my heart going at a thousand miles an hour, even though the words weren't directed towards me. "That's perfect, just like that." 

Duckie frowned a bit, confused. "No, that's not what I meant. I love you. I didn't realize until last Friday, and what a dumbass I was for not realizing it sooner." My knees started going weak and I was sure I was going to collapse if Duckie wasn't holding me. The man I loved, for years and years on end, he loved me back. I had been waiting for this moment for god knows how long. And now, I didn't even know what to say.

"It took me so long to realize that I loved you. When we were in the store and I saw you backed up against the wall ... I lost it ... something snapped. When I could have killed him, I wanted to protect you. I couldn't let you get hurt. You held me like I held you. I had never cried, I had never shown my emotions to you, and yet, I had never felt so loved ... by anyone.

"I thought I loved Andie, I really did, but then I realized I ached to be away from you and it hurt to be away, and when you were here, I was tongue tied. I said the wrong things, and messed up my words ... and ... and ... that was when I realized that I truly loved you, Queenie Anders. I really do. More than anything in the world." 

I laughed. Not knowing what to say can take some tolls on you, and right now that was all I could do. Laugh until I cried. I was so happy, happier than I had ever been in my entire life. Philip Dale loved me. I wanted to shout it to the world. 

Duckie looked at me in worry. "Are you alright, love?" he asked.

I nodded and hugged him tightly, shedding my tears on his suit coat. "I've never been better," I told him with another laugh. "Because for the first time in my life, I get to say, I love you too Duckie Dale." 

Duckie pulled away and lifted my chin with his hand. He looked me in my eyes and took a glance down at my lips. I blushed, my heart doing flips in my chest. I doubted that feeling would ever go away.

"Can I kiss you, love? For real this time?" 

I nodded. 

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Fireworks lit up my chest and I wrapped my arms tighter around Duckie's neck. This time, he didn't taste like alcohol. He tasted of ... chocolate. Duckie pulled away almost too quickly, placing his forehead against mine. 

"I don't know why, but I feel as though I've waited my entire life to do that." 

I laughed. "Oh, Duckie," I chastised. "You may feel like it, but I have waited just that long."

~~~

Word Count : 1,055