“Just go talk to her.”

All my friends were nudging me to go say hello. I couldn’t do it. I was glued to my seat.

“Come on, dude, just stand up at least.”

One of my friends pulled me up, but I dropped back to my seat like a rock. I just couldn’t do it. Her hair was flawlessly smooth. Her eyes were bluer than the Cliché Sea. The scrunch in her eyebrows when she was thinking was captivating. When she pulled her blonde hair out of her eyes, I took a sharp breath, fearful of being burned by the sun.

“Come on, you’ve done nothing but oogle her for the past ten minutes.”

I wasn’t oogling her. OK maybe I was. But I couldn’t help it. I was awestruck. I was like a deer in the headlights. I wanted to move, but I couldn’t. The mind would not do what the body desired. Never before had I felt like this. I saw her look up. I tried to turn my head to avoid a clumsy meeting, but my brain inevitably failed me under her yearning eyes.

She looked up, aware of a set of eyes drinking her in. As I said, my stupid brain failed me, leading to our easily-avoidable-but-now-too-late awkward encounter. It all worked out in the end though. Apparently, it was pretty obvious I was staring at her, because my eyes were so wide and shaky, she was a little scared that they might pop out. Or, so she told me much later.

We made eye contact for six frozen seconds. The world stopped, and the mindless pushing of my friends disappeared. I only heard the tick of my watch, the beat of my heart, and the crumple of a potato chip bag. Six ticks and seventeen heartbeats later, she flashed a shaky smile, brushed her hair aside, and resumed calculating the pH of some unknown solution. I breathed out, unaware I held it in. My heartbeat was in my ears, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts.

I felt a pair of fingers flick the back of my head. I snapped back to reality only to have my friend nag me.

“Just go talk to her!” You could see the joy in his eyes of setting his friend up.

I gave a playful punch and smirked at him. I would love to talk, but she seemed so busy, and her friends were clamoring around her. Even my legs wouldn’t obey, shaking at the very prospect of holding a conversation with her.

My best friend, Eric, dropped down into my field of view.
“Look, I know how you feel. You see a girl that knocks you out, and you forget to breathe, blink, swallow, everything.” I was now aware of my dry eyes, need for oxygen, and drooling mouth. I quickly wiped it off, hoping nobody saw.
Eric rolled his eyes, pretending to have seen nothing. “And we can all obviously see you are love-struck. So get off your ass and do it.”
I sifted my hand through my hair, glancing at my feet and giving a sigh. “But I’m nervous.”
He rolled his eyes. “Everyone gets nervous. Listen, it’s almost summer. You may never see her again.”
I mulled it over, looking for an excuse to avoid rejection. “But what if she ignores me? What if it becomes really awkward and she ends up hating my guts?”
“But what if she doesn’t? And it ends up being the best you’ve ever had?” He shrugged his shoulders and gave a knowing smirk, revving up his kill-shot. “Or… she could just be the one that got away. Your choice.” He got up, and there she was once more.
Damn. Damn him. He got me in checkmate. I turned the stone in my head. I sighed, aware that there was no escape. I took a deep breath, wiped my palms, and stood up.
I began my twenty feet traverse. It felt like walking twenty miles. My heart was a jackhammer, and I was sweating a fair bit despite the cool room. I stumbled a bit; my knee nearly gave out.
As I walked closer and closer to her, doubt began to creep into my mind once more. I kneeled down to pretend I had a loose shoelace to buy myself time while I tried to calm down. My fingers shaked a bit as I undid and redid my laces, trying to ignore the fact that a beautiful girl was less than ten feet away. Staying on the ground, I took a deep breath, rubbed my eyes, and brushed my hair out of my eyes. What if she notices my blackhead? What if my breath stinks? What if my shoelace is done poorly and I end up tripping and landing face first into her homework? Aw jeez… The adrenaline was flowing through my veins. I stood back up, took a deep breath, and resumed my odyssey.
After what felt like hours, I managed to sit down albeit awkwardly in front of my most recent crush. She looked up at me with her godly blue eyes and beamed a radiant smile. I grinned back, giving out a restrained chuckle. She continued to stare at me with her eyes, scanning and revealing everything that I believed was privy only to me. I was an open book under her eyes, and her eyes alone. I was completely vulnerable, yet I was fine with that. She let out the loveliest, daintiest, most angelic giggle I’ve ever heard, the noise sending electric shocks up my spine as I stared in awe and felt my jaw drop. She noticed my open mouth, and she laughed. Her white teeth shined and her blue eyes sparkled; she was a mermaid, and I was a sailor. I just hoped that I wouldn’t drown in her midst.
I now had her full attention. She was intrigued as to what I would do next. Her pencil was twirling in her hand, only half finished with her problem. She was still smiling at me, and I brushed the stray hairs on her forehead off to the side. What a beautiful face with an overwhelming allure.
Her mouth opened. She giggled that giggle I was beginning to fall in love with. I focused on her red lips, white teeth, bright eyes, soft skin, luscious hair; I could go on forever.
I realized the angel was talking to me and I fought to regain composure. She noticed my distraction and giggled once more.
“Can I help you?” Her voice rang like lovely chimes.
I cleared my throat and brushed my hair to the side. “Umm… Yeah. I just wanted to say hello,” I shakily voiced.
“Well… Hello.” She was still smiling radiantly.
I did a silent cheer at her positive response. I cleared my throat once again. “Nice to meet you.” I stuck out my hand for a handshake. I must’ve gotten loads of confidence at the fact that she didn’t run away, because I realized how embarrassingly out-of-date a handshake was.
She seemed to recognize as well, as she gave a surprised smirk, momentarily offset by the gesture. My mind was in rapid fire mode. “Aw crap, she probably thinks I’m weird now she’s gonna be repulsed and even if she does she’ll see how sweaty my palms are and oh geez she’s so cute I can’t believe she would touch the hand of a guy like me oh geez why did—”. She set her pencil down and shook my hand as well. I could feel how sweaty her palms were as well, and my heart lifted at the touch of her soft hands.
I sat there, mouth still open. She slowly shook my hand. “Nice to meet you too,” she said in her lovely smile. “Nice of you to say hello. My name’s Ellie.” She cocked her head while still smiling, as if curious to know more.
I smiled back, letting my breath go and hearing the sarcastic clapping of my friends behind me. My face flushed red when I heard Eric hollering. I was totally going to kill him.
I felt so stupid that day, but I’m happy I said hello. No, I’m ecstatic that I said hello. I never would’ve gotten the chance to have met her. I still mildly detested Eric. Actually, I never could kill Eric. If I did, I wouldn’t have anyone to carry the ring.
I look to my left and see her parents with wide grins on their faces. Her dad was filled with pride, satisfied that he had found the perfect person for his daughter. I remember having to tell meet him, coming to the slow realization that I was his daughter’s girlfriend. I still remember his words to me when I asked to marry Ellie.
“Thank you for being the best woman in my life. Better than anyone that I ever dreamed of expecting for my daughter.” His wife turned to him and gave him a death glare. “Oh, right next to my wife of course.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
I glance to my right and see the minister finishing his final words.
“…To be your lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
I stared into her eyes and saw my smile in the moist reflection. “I do.”
“And do you, Ellie Gardner, take Meredith Prall to be your lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
She stared into my eyes and, with a twinkle, “I do.”
The minister audibly closed his book and glanced at me. “You may now kiss the bride.”
I push back the veil and cup her face in my hands. She flashes her oh-so radiant smile as she places her hands on my waist. I bring my face inches from her.
I stop. She scrunches her eyebrows and blinks in confusion. I hear murmurs from the crowd, but I had to savor the moment. Seeing her in that white dress, I remembered the first day we met, —eight years, five months, and 14 days to be exact—and I fell in love with her all over again.
“Hiya, stranger.” I whisper.
She laughs. “Hi right back at ya. Everything alright?”
I focused on her inquisitive face. I could not believe how lucky I’ve been, and I still don’t believe it. Now, eight years, four months, and twenty-three days later, I’m just as nervous as I was on the first day. I take a breath, and I slowly nod. “Yeah. Everything is perfect. I just wanted to say hello. My name’s Meredith.”
She laughs once more, sending a chill down my spine. “Well. Nice to meet ya. My name’s Ellie.”
She closes the gap between us. Our lips touch, and I feel hers move into a smile. I smile along with her. I hear my buds cheer behind me, happy that they pushed me to say hello, happy that I got the girl of my dreams, happy that I found a girl who accepted me for who I am.
My name is Meredith Prall. And I have a happy, loving, beautiful wife.