Limelight

Mackenzie and Mitzi: Luck

(I had the first three or four paragraphs of this done, like, a year ago and I only just finished it over the last few weeks. Shows how bad that writers' block I had a while back was...)

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"You're doing it again," Mitzi said calmly from her spot in the middle of Mackenzie's bed while Mackenzie herself was moving back and forth around the room, opening and closing drawers, running her hands along high shelves, picking up and putting down items, seemingly stressed out of her mind, "Relax. Sit down. Think it over before you go panicking about it."

"I can't relax!"

The facts of the matter were: 1. Mackenzie Galargher now had a boyfriend, 2. that boyfriend was Chaz Bucket and 3. their first date was that afternoon. And despite the plethora of 'good luck charms' she had in her room, she apparently couldn't find the right one.

Mitzi had come over for moral support and girl talk, but now she had been roped into her best friend's nonsense, as usual. She was used to it by now, though. She even found it endearing. Until Mackenzie got herself so worked up that her anxiety started to rub off on Mitzi.

"OK, stop!" she swung her legs over the side of the bed and grabbed Mackenzie by the arm when she came past – yet again – finally stopping her, "What are you even looking for?"

"I don't know!" Mackenzie spluttered, "I can't find one that actually... feels right for a first date."

"How would you even know what 'feels right' for a first date? You've never actually been on a date."

"I'll know when I find it."

Mitzi sighed and looked around at the mess she'd created in her search, "I'm pretty sure you've tried every single charm you have."

Mackenzie waved a hand absentmindedly as she opened her closet door, "No, I definitely have more than this..." She stood on tiptoe to reach onto the shelf and rummaged around, trying to find the old shoebox of miscellaneous junk she kept up there.

She wouldn't be surprised. She knew Mackenzie's collection had been steadily growing over the years, but was there really a specific good luck charm for her first date with Chaz? Mitzi gave in. It wouldn't hurt to offer some help.

"What about that bracelet you had on the last day of middle school?" she suggested and Mackenzie paused, "That was the day that girl you liked kissed you on the cheek, right?"

She considered this for a few seconds with a serious expression on her face, until she huffed and shook her head, "That's not the same thing. This is an actual date. That was just one little kiss, anyway, nothing ever came out of it."

She walked over to the bed and sat down beside Mitzi, who shuffled closer to her, "Why don't you try going on the date without a good luck charm?"

Mackenzie looked shocked, "I can't do that! I always have the right good luck charm for everything. If I don't have one for a first date, it's gonna be a disaster!" her face dropped, "Maybe I should cancel..."

"No," Mitzi grabbed Mackenzie by the shoulders, "It'll be fine. Chaz really likes you, he already asked you to be his girlfriend."

"But what if-"

"What if..." Mitzi paused, thinking on the spot, "The reason you can't find the right charm, is because you don't need one? Maybe it's a sign you should take a risk."

Mackenzie looked away and pouted, "Maybe. But-"

"No more buts," Mitzi interrupted her, "As your best friend, I say you don't need a good luck charm to go on a date with Chaz Bucket. He's already your boyfriend and that automatically means your first date is gonna be perfect."

"... Promise?"

"Promise."

– LIMELIGHT –

"So, how'd it go?" Mitzi asked eagerly when Mackenzie arrived at her house later that day.

"Perfect!" she beamed right back.

"I told you so! You really didn't need any good luck."

Mackenzie's grin got even wider, "Actually, I got my good luck from somewhere else!"

"... What?"

"We went to that place in Seabrook, Cheery On Top," she explained but Mitzi just furrowed her brow in confusion. Mackenzie rolled her eyes, "It's the same place Zed and Addison went on their first date. It's got to be a lucky place!"

Mitzi sighed and dropped her chin into her hand.

"Sure."