“Nickee? Where are you going?” Mom was in the kitchen. She didn’t even glance up from cutting the green peppers for tacos tonight, but she probably heard me run down the stairs from my room. Darn! I wanted to go out at least once without being teased! I sigh. Well, I guess I got to put up with it again.

“Out.”

“Where?” Mom has this stern look on her face. She is always worried about me.

“Movies. I’m going with a friend so please don’t freak on me.”

“Who?”

She is always in my business. I hate it. I’m sick of it. I sigh again. “Jason. He’s picking me up like any minute now. So, bye!” I grab my purse and walk out the door. I don’t have a huge house but it’s pretty big. Green siding, it looks nice. Everyone agrees too.

I hear mom holler, “Have fun sweetie!”
I hope I look okay. I’m not wearing anything fancy, just jeans with flats and my favorite light green sweatshirt with a white shirt underneath. I’m just going casual. I sigh. Does this count as a date? Yes, it does. I hope I look okay.
Jason and I have been going out for almost a year now. Actually our one-year anniversary is in a month from today. I’m only 16 and I will turn 17 in a couple of months. Jason just turned 17. Why does he have to be older than me by like, a lot? It makes me feel like a kid. And he is so much taller too! Like 5 inches taller!! We decided to hang out for a while today, go to the movies, and grab some food. You know the usual.
As I stand and wait for him, I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I don’t know why I’m freaking out like this. I mean I’m never like this, the only time I was like this was our first date but that’s different. I just have this strange feeling that something’s going to happen.

***

It’s 6:30 when we arrive at the mall. The cheesy movie we picked out doesn’t start till 8. Yah! That means more quality time with Jason. I smile.

“Hey, what are you smiling about?” Jason asked me.

CRAP! He saw me!! “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a thought I had.”

“Yeah. Sure.” He has this huge grin on his face. It kind of makes me laugh.

We walked around the mall, laughing at random things and the old inside jokes we have. Of course he insisted that we hold hands. We stop to eat at this weird place. (The food was yucky!) The movie starts in 10 minutes so we head back to the theater.

He buys me popcorn and pop. How sweet. He always does this though, whenever we go to the movies. It makes me smile. I think to myself. I sneak in some candy, Shh! I mean it is always so expensive at the movie theaters. The movie is so cheesy, I just wonder off in thought. I realize that I have never had my first kiss before. Maybe Jason will kiss me tonight. Maybe that was the strange feeling I had earlier. The movie ended and I barely paid any attention to it. I’m all bummed because I have to be at home in about an hour.

***


“Where are we going?” I asked Jason.

“It’s a surprise.” He smiled at me, he knows I hate surprises.

He pulled into the park’s parking lot. The park? Why here? Then I saw the bench under the tree. He knows this is my favorite place in the whole wide world. I stare at the bench underneath the weeping willow tree. This is the place I come to when I need to think things through or when I just need some peace and quiet.

He gets out of the car and walks over to the bench, I follow. He takes my hand in his and locks his fingers between mine. I don’t say a word. I don’t know what to think. He sits on the bench and I sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. All I can do is smile. Will he kiss me? Should I say something? I take a deep breath. How is it that he can make me feel so special? It makes me smile. He’s special to me. He’s my world.

I stare into his big beautiful brown eyes. I love his eyes and the way he looks into mine. I get lost in them, and it makes me feel like….like I’m the only one in the world to him. He leans closer. My hearts beats faster and I can’t breath. I can feel his breath against my face and he kisses me.

Everything is gone. It’s just me and him, holding hands, on a park bench underneath a weeping willow, kissing. Nothing else matters, and I know that he is the one. I love him. I love him.

He breaks away and I lay my head on his shoulder. How romantic. This is the best time of my life. I want this moment to last forever.

Neither of us says anything. I look up into his eyes. He whispers in my ear, “I love you. Forever and always.” He kisses me again.

***


I lay in bed for what seems like forever before I finally fall asleep. He loves me. I love him. Everything is perfect.