Thank you to my two reviewers, Hardy True and iamagaraeagas who made my day :)
This is 'You Light Up My Life' by Westlife. Good song, you should have a listen...
Now, on to the story.
18 year old Iola Morton stared across the table at her boyfriend of two years, Joe Hardy. Blinking, she silently cursed as Joe erupted.
"Hah, I win," he gloated, marking it down on a sheet of paper. "5-2. In your face Loser!" He put his finger and his thumb in the shape of an 'L' on his forehead. Iola shook her head. The guy was 19 for goodness sake. And it was only a staring contest.
"Loser, loser, loser, loser." She heard Joe singing under his breath as he made his way out to the kitchen. It was a blistering hot July day, so they had spent most of it in the air conditioned indoors, not wanting to go outside and break a sweat.
"You want some lemonade?" he called out. "Or orange juice?"
"Lemonade, please," she answered.
"Loser, loser, loser," he chanted as he brought out the drinks. Iola cracked.
"Oh for crying out loud! Seriously, just shut up!" she cried in frustration.
Joe took a sip of his drink, smacking his lips and wiping his mouth.
"Mmmmmm, calories," he smiled sweetly at her. No one could resist that smile. She smiled back, forgiving him immediately.
"See you still love me."
"Ahhh, don't know about that one," she smirked.
"Ouch, that hurt. Got me right in the heart that did," Joe replied dully.
"You bet it did."
So many nights, I'd sit by my window,
Waiting for someone to sing me his song.
So many dreams, I kept deep inside me,
Alone in the dark, now you've come along.
For the next hour and a half, they sat talking aimlessly until Iola said she needed to go. Joe pouted at her.
"Why?"
And you light up my life,
You give me hope, to carry on.
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song.
"Because I told Mom I'd be back by 5 and it is now 4:30. Do the math."
"Oh come on, she won't mind if you don't go home for a couple of weeks," he whined, grabbing her hand.
"Unfortunately, my mother isn't blind and, contrary to popular belief, she does actually love me, now let me go, I need to leave."
"Oh fine, but I'm coming with you till the end of the street," he followed her out, making sure the door was locked, as no one else was home.
When they reached the corner, Iola stopped her car.
"Out you get Joe," she told him.
"Iola," he looked her in the eye.
"Yes?" she stared back at him.
"Do you love me?" She was confused.
"What do you mean, of course I love you."
"No, are you 'In love with me'?"
"Why?" she asked hesitantly.
Rollin' at sea, adrift on the waters
Could it be finally, I'm turning for home
Finally a chance to say, "Hey, I Love You"
Never again to be all alone.
"Because I know I'm in love with you," his answer was barely audible but it was crystal clear to Iola. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"No, I don't think I am 'In love with you'. Sorry." She felt horrible as soon as she had said it.
"It's okay, I understand," he smiled sadly at her before leaving the car. Iola sighed; he was going to hate her now. Pressing her foot on the accelerator, she left, thoughts going through her mind at a 100 miles per hour. Did she love him like that? She didn't think so. But then again, she'd never thought about it. Then she remembered back to the year before, when they'd moved to Seattle. She had called him every single day and sent him an email every single day. Obsessed much? But that didn't say she was in love with him. No, that meant she liked him. A lot. Maybe to the point of obsessive. But then, she remembered the butterflies when Joe kissed her, or the constant blushing when he complemented her. She sighed. It was so confusing. And then there was the eagerness to get out of bed in the mornings, and she was not a morning person, when she was spending the day with Joe. Or the sleepless nights she spent thinking about him.
And you light up my life,
You give me hope, to carry on.
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song.
The way he made her feel overall was warm and fuzzy. Cliché, but true. By now, she had reached their farmhouse. She sat in her car, not wanting to go inside. And she was still thinking when it hit her. Of course she was in love with him. Slamming her head on the steering wheel, the loud horn made her jump.
"AHHH!" she screamed in fright, jerking her head back. "Well, that was a mistake I'll never make again," she muttered as she pulled out of the driveway, determined to let Joe know she loved him by the end of the night.
You, You light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
It can't be wrong, when it feels so right
Joe glances out his window when he heard a car screech to a halt. It was Iola. She ran into the house and sprinted up the stairs, calling his name as she went.
"Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe, Joe!" she yelled, jumping on him. Looking at her confused, he half smiled.
"What?" But instead of answering, she forcibly kissed him. Finally, when she stopped it, she talked.
"Joe, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry. When you said you loved me, I blanked," she explained breathlessly. Joe looked stunned
Cause you, you light up my life
"But you see, the truth is, I love you too."
But you know that when the truth is told,
That you can get what you want or you get old
You're gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?