Dream about a crush

A red car pulled up right by the front gate, entrance to a neighborhood mainly consisting of 24 tightly packed houses, one of which was owned by Valerie's family. The night shift guard, recognizing Valerie and one of her often-visiting friends, hurried to open a small door left of the gate to let them both in, which they both did after thanking the driver and giving the guard a small, nervous smile as to indicate gratitude and a quick greeting. Returning the smile, the guard closed the door behind them and raised an eyebrow after noticing the young woman's fingers interlocked with her friend's. He continued to watch the couple trotting under the rain, jumping over puddles and heading towards the Gutierrez home, right until the headlights of another car made him return to his duty.

The street was very dimly illuminated by a couple of blinking streetlights, which made it hard to spot the fading numbers on the outside of mailboxes. Ray, having been there only a couple of times before, almost rang the bell on house 15, right before Valerie took his wrist and playfully pulled him out of the wrong yard, restraining herself not to laugh at the security with which Ray had almost disturbed the old lady who lived there.

 "You doofus, how could you ALREADY forget it's the nineteenth?" – Said Valerie, tilting her head slightly to look him over her thick-rimmed glasses; Ray loved that look. 

"Well..." – Ray Replied – "Do remember I suck at math, not to mention Miss Whoeverliveshere apparently decided to paint her house with the exact same colors your parents did with yours." 

"How many times must I tell you?" – The girl let go off Ray's hand in order to facepalm – "The color was decided by committee, most of the houses in the neighborhood are the same shade of chocolate crap brown." 

"Yeah, yeah, I know that..." - He said, awkwardly  

The motion sensor-controlled lights almost blinded the couple as they carefully crossed a small garden all the way up to Valerie's front door. Posing themselves under the porch as to not get wet by the light, nightly rain, Ray nervously double checked the metallic number 19 sign on top of the door before pressing the small button controlling the bell. The two decided to place their arms behind their backs and balance themselves on their heels as a small distraction to ease the awkward silence brought on by 5  excruciating minutes during which their eyes darted back and forth between the door, the bell, a small bowl of petunias decorating the entrance, and each other.

Ray then, despite his efforts to control it, started to shiver slightly; a consequence of the cold weather, his increasingly sweaty (and thus, colder) palms and neck, and the irrational fear of uncertainty that plagued him. He knew her parents were strict. Not quite as strict as to prohibit afternoon outings or her having a social life, but enough as to exacerbate any and all insecurities regarding their daughter within him. He could already see Valerie's father opening the door and silently judge him on the fact that it was less than 15 minutes till midnight. It hurt to imagine her father's hazelnut eyes (identical to her daughter's) looking at him without the warmth and innocence that accompanied her glances, and instead filled with the polite unpleasantness of a priest stuck in the LGBT parade. However, much to their surprise and dismay, theporch remained as silent and empty as it had been when they arrived.

"Should Itry again?" – Asked Ray, dumbfounded at the scene.

 "Try knocking" – SaidValerie, before Ray lightly pounded three times. 

"You know, you really shouldtry to remember your keys every once in a while" – Joked Ray.

"Yeah? Well youreally should remind me sometimes, the same way you remind me to... umm...remember... things, I suppose."