Through It All

1994

1994, the year I met her. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Heather Breakman, and this is the story of how I came to be with Lulu de la Paume, my soulmate.

It was like any other fall afternoon in Florida, filled with smiles and popsicles and giggles. I first saw her on the highway. She had a small black leather backpack on her back, and she was walking on her toes, as if the world was her inflatable castle. The bounce in her step, her single dimple on her right cheek, and her delicate fingers took my breath away at first sight. Her platinum blonde hair was put in a perfect bun, and her freckles stood out against her sea-green eyes. She was the definition of lovely.

I listened to her song, the lyrics, "Strum that ukelele, hum to that ukelele, Hawaii on its way, bring me a basket of hibiscus flowers, show me them today. I'm looking over a ladybug on that leaf, I regret overlooking it before. Don't let it get to you honey..."

I was spell-bound. She was so different. She caught me looking and flashed me an adorable smile. I looked away and tried not to smile. She walked over to me and my friends and said, "Hiya, my name is Lulu. Wanna be friends??"

The summer of 1994. We were only 11 years old.

1994.

1999, our junior year in high school. She ran to catch up with me screaming, "Heather, Heather!! Wait up, please-!"

I looked behind me and there she was, her feet still walking as if she were dancing on clouds. Even running and out of breath, she looked majestic and wild and free. I wanted it so bad. I wanted to be like her. I wanted to be with her.

Her.

Lulu.

1999.

I blushed and said, "Lulu...."

She scrunched up her nose and bit and then smiled.

"Finally, I caught up to you."

"Yes, yes you did. I thought you didn't come to school today," I said, glancing at the gates and the fence behind us.

"Yes well, Edith was holding me down. She wanted me to stay at home today, so it took a bit to get her off my arm."

Edith was her pet mouse.

"Well, you're here now. We're gonna be late!!" I said, laughing.

She sighed and giggled right along with me as we ran into the building.

"Lulu! Heather!!" I heard from the left hallway next to us.

"Sammy! Are we late??" Lulu asked the girl. Samantha was one of the people in our friend group. She secretly whispers to me how cute Lulu and I would be together every chance she gets. She is quite annoying when she wants to be.

"Not yet, but the bell is about to ring."

All three of us rushed into the classroom, grinning.

We all got through our classes when Lulu pulled me over from the side and whispered in my ear, "Meet me at the beach by 3:15 after school today."

She strutted away and smiled.

I couldn't imagine how red I must have been. Lulu de la Paume, my long-time crush, was asking me to go ALONE with her to the beach? I smiled to myself, getting anxious for the end of the day.

"....Heather?? You there-? Earth. To. Heather...?" Sam said to me, waving her hand in front of my face.

"O-oh, right. Yeah. Class," I replied to her, snapped out of my daydreaming.

A few hours later, the long-awaited end-of-school bell had rung. The sound of it echoed in my ears as I raced down the hall, out the door, and all the way to Sapphire Beach. I thought of myself, grinning ear to ear like a madman, and then laughed. The wind pushed against my face and wavy, short, milk-chocolate-brown hair.

I ran around the bend of Paradise Condos, and found her sitting on the sand on a towel the color of roses.

I sat down next to her. The smell of the sea and her gardenia-scented perfume made me sigh in relief. She put her head on my shoulder and said to me, "You know, you're really cute when you wanna be."

I felt my face burn up.

I replied to her, "Lulu, you know I like you, right..?"

She said back to me, "Of course, it's really quite obvious."

I said slowly, "Do you.. um..."

She took her head off of my shoulder and kissed me.

I felt my eyelids flutter and then close. She tasted of vanilla clouds.

"Yes, I do like you back."

And then I knew all the secrets of the universe.

Lulu de la Paume, my long-time crush, knew I chose her. And her heart chose me too.

She said one word before kissing me again.

"Yes."