First Kiss, First Love, First Heartbreak

Chapter 4

I add one more layer of lip gloss onto my lips and smile at my reflection. I clean the mirror one more time making sure it looks perfect. I smooth down my orange skirt and walk to my bedroom. I sit on my black chair in front of my desk. I let out a breath.

It's not long before I hear the doorbell ring. I ignore it though. I open my phone and look at my Instagram. I have a new follower. I open their profile to find a picture of Jeremiah. He followed me? Since when has he even had Instagram? I turn off my phone and place it down on my desk. I go out to the kitchen where Cole is talking to my brother. He smiles when he sees me. I go to him and give him a quick kiss.

"Ew, stop." Matt says as he puts his hand up and turns away. I like making him even more mad so I kiss Cole one more time. "You want me to tell on you?"

"Yes please." I say with a wide smile on my face. Cole laughs and Matt joins him. My mom comes into the kitchen wearing a navy blue jumpsuit. I whistle. "Mom you look really nice."

She laughs as she puts an apron over her clothes. "Oh shut up, you look nice, and you too Cole. Matt, sweetie, that doesn't match." Matt looks down at his flamingo shirt and bright green shorts and just shrugs. Matt has never been good at matching. Ever since we were little. He would wear bright bottoms with any shirt he wanted. I smile at the memory. Those were the days when my parents were still married. I never thought they would get divorced.

My parents got divorced when I was twelve and Matt was thirteen. I think my mom has always been scared that Matt and I would be too scared to find someone we love. I was never scared. I think Matt was, but he eventually started dating, and my mom was happy. I never saw the divorce coming. It's like it was out of nowhere. They never fought. They never yelled. It feels like it just happened overnight.

Jere was the first boy I ever looked at in a romantic way. He was different. No boy ever looked at me the way he looked at me, and I loved it. I loved it so much. When he started to talk to me freshman year, I felt special. I was happy, it's not everyday that a cute boy looks at you. My mom was so happy when I brought him over for the first time. When my dad met him he was really mean to him, even though he ended up loving him. Jere was different. He liked me a lot. But he didn't love me, and that was the only problem. But that problem was big enough for us to never talk again.

***

I take a seat next to Cole at the dark brown table. Lizzy sits next to me and next to her is Matt's girlfriend. My mom and Lizzy at the heads of the table. Matt pulls out the turkey, he didn't cook it, and puts it in the middle of the table. Lizzy is on the edge of her seat looking like she could eat the whole turkey by herself. It smells delicious. I love the smell of Thanksgiving, from the turkey, to the pumpkins, to even potatoes.

Everyone's laughter fills the air. All I hear is voice over voice. It's chaotic, yet so peaceful at the same time. These are the people who I want in my life forever. These people are the ones who just get me. My brother and Cole talk about the football win on Friday, while Lizzy, Carolina- Matt's girlfriend- and my mom all talk about the upcoming award show. Everyone has someone, it's just so perfect. How can one not be happy? It's impossible.

"This is officially the best Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had Mrs.Page." Cole says as he takes a sip of his coke. I put my head on his shoulder and get a whiff of his cologne, it's musky and just like him. He knows it's my favorite, so he only wears that one when he's with me.

My mom takes a sip of her champagne. "Aw thank you Colton, but I can't take all the credit. Livi helped a lot." She says with a wide smile. I like being called Livi, because I feel like Olivia is for a grown woman, which I am certainly not. I'm like a butterfly in a world full of elephants.

Cole takes my hand and looks at me. "You helped." I nod in response. "Liv, this is awesome. Guess you'll be making all my meals in college." I laugh, it's the same thing my brother said, but I agree with Cole. I can't cook for my older brother, he would seem like a baby, I mean he is, but still. Cooking for my boyfriend is just different.

By the time everyone is gone I have the whole house looking like it did before anyone even arrived. OCD is a curse, but it's also a gift. And right now, in this moment, it is a gift. A very great one. Cole sends me a picture that he got of him and I when the night first started. We look so happy, and in love. Oh no! The L-word. Scratch that. We just look happy, very happy. Like we could, some day, love each other. In the photo, he has his arms around my waist as I clean his face with a napkin as he had guacamole all over his face. He reminded me of a very messy baby. But we just look so alive there. I wish I could freeze that moment and just play it over and over in my mind. That moment there is a moment I want to remember forever. That moment is one I hope to never forget.