A Not So Cinderella Story...

The Date

That night I was sorting through shirts to match my jeans and looking up at my Friday note which was taped to my mirror

Keep your eyes wide open.

You ever love somebody so much you can barely breathe when you're with them ? Well I met you, and since then I haven't been the same.

The door bell rang at 7:00 o'clock sharp, and I knew who would be standing behind that door, he was never late.

"Wow you look so good," I blurted out to Toby, I could feel the blush creeping up my face.

Luckily he laughed, "Thanks I tried to clean up extra for you."

"Hello Toby!" My mom called from the kitchen.

"It smells awesome Ms. Abella."

"Thanks, Jay helped me cook, Lord knows I'm a dreadful chef alone."

He raised his eyebrows slightly at me, "Well, then I can't wait to try it." He smiled as my mom left to go upstairs to "finish getting ready." He looked into my eyes, and I wanted to wrap my arms around his neck, but instead I put my hands in my pockets. "So what is for dinner?" Toby asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Lasagna."

"Sounds delicious." Just then the doorbell rang and Ruby jumped up and barked, alerting us of the intruder at the door.

"I've got it!" My mom yelled at she came bounding up the stairs. Toby and I looked at each other and laughed, my mom paused to smooth back her hair and skirt. She opened the door and there stood a tall man, with wide shoulders and grey flecked black hair. He had kind eyes, a smile, and two bunches of flowers in his hands.

"Why hello Veronica," Bruce walked in and embraced my mom and he kissed her on the cheek. "And you must be Jacee." He walked over and shook my hand. I felt a little awkward, but one look at my mom beaming behind him a dozen roses in her arms and I knew I would like him too. "I hope you will accept these flowers," he extended the flowers to me, he seemed as nervous as I felt.

"Thank you, Bruce," I smiled at him, trying to ease his nerves. I saw him relax finally, and he turned to my mom and she smiled even bigger at him.

"And you must be Toby, right? Jacee's boyfriend?" I flushed, and looked at my mom who shrugged slightly embarrassed for me and then next to me at Toby who was also blushing.

"Um, actually Bruce, Toby is just a friend," I said not really thinking before I spoke, noticing and trying to decipher the face the Toby made in my perephial vision.

"Oh, well looks like I just made this whole evening a little bit more awkward didn't I." Luckily though, after that first little mess-up there were no others and it was really fun. My mom and I cleaned up while the boys talked and watched TV in the living room. Could this be my new normal, I thought to myself. My mom and Bruce left hand in hand and with a hug from my mom and a wink from Bruce, they were gone.

"Huh its quiet now," I said, noticing the silence.

"Yeah, but it's nice," Toby threw his arm over the back of the couch and I tried not to melt at him being so close. He got quiet again and I looked away from the television and saw his face was tight.

"Hey what's wrong?" He turned to look at me.

"Well, what did you mean earlier?"

"What do you mean?"

"The fact that we were only friends, like that's all we could ever be," he had his hands on his knees now.

"Well, I don't know, why would we ever become more?"