Before I get to the actual story, I'd like to dedicate this to 39addict101. The idea for this was originally hers that I'mNotAGoodWriter was going to use. Now after learning that Addict will be leaving, I'mNotAGoodWriter asked all of Addict's friends to write a story using her idea.
What was her idea? A bouncy ball, that picked your soulmate somehow. It could be magnetic, thrown, anything.
In mine the balls are magnetic.
So, here's my story.
1846:
Tyler Yeot. World class scientist. He stood over the hard wood table, looking down on what was supposed to be his experiment. It looked like two balls, not drones. He needed drones. What did balls do to his reputation? Only put him down, out of he leaderboard. Balls were for kids. Not for scientific theories.
Sticking a magnet in each ball, to hopefully turn them into drones, Dr. Tyler dunked each ball in a newly found chemical. Upon pulling hem out, he dropped one. He went to go catch it, and the other fell of he table. Both rolled out of sight never seen again by the scientist.
Present day, 1998:
Arcades. The noise. The laughter. The kids. Including one dirt blonde haired girl. She had used all but one quarter. Now what should I used this on? Most things used two or three quarters. Expect a few, including a ball machine. The girl ran over and inserted her quarter. Plonk! The ball dropped to the prize door. She reached inside and pulled out her ball. Pink purple tie die. With a silver heart.
"Mommy!" She ran over to where her mom was sitting.
"What now, Reagan," her mom sighed.
"Look at my ball!" Reagan jumped up and down. "It has a heart on it."
"That's nice. Are your siblings done yet?" Reagan's mom looked over her daughters shoulder.
"I'll get them." Reagan sulked over to where her brother and sister were playing. She hated being overlooked. "Guys. Mom said it's time to go."
Hamilton and Madison rushed over to where their mom was, leaving Reagan by herself.
Meanwhile:
A small boy around six, found a delicate looking ball. Not knowing why it looked so delicate, he picked it up and bounced the ball. When he got tired of bouncing the ball, he let it roll away.
A year later, across the country:
"Grace! Where did you get this ball?" Dan picked up a blue ball with a golden heart.
"What ball, sweetie," his grandmother came over to him.
"This one." Dan showed her the ball.
"Oh. I found that somewhere. You can have it." Grace told him.
"Okay! Thanks! Amy..." Dan barreled out of the room to find his sister.
"KIDS!" Eisenhower boomed.
The three barreled down the stairs, sounding like a stampede of elephants.
"Yes?" Madison asked.
"Start packing. We're moving to Wyoming." Mary-Todd explained.
"Really!" Reagan bounced up and down, in time to the ball she was playing with.
"Yes, we are. Hopefully in a week. So get everything packed."
Reagan ran up to her room. Bouncing her ball, she started to pack. Suddenly the heart on the ball glowed. As she picked it up, she felt a strong pull. She packed her ball anyway, deciding to worry about it later.
"Dan!" Amy called. "We need to go NOW!"
"All right. I almost left my ball." Dan explained.
"Why do you even like that ball? I mean you are 16."
"A nineteen year old wouldn't understand." Dan sighed.
"Whatever. The plane won't wait forever, let's go."
Dan clutched his ball to his chest, feeling a pull. Through he plane flight he felt it. It was like there was something magnetic.
6 years later:
"Happy birthday dear Reagan. Happy birthday to you!"
Smiling Reagan blew out the candles on her birthday cake.
"Thanks guys, but I gotta go." Reagan sighed. Being eighteen and having a job, tore you away from your family.
"But Reagan! You always have to go." Madison whined.
"I'm sorry, but it's life." Reagan headed out the door without eating her cake.
She drove for a several hours before arriving at his house. Deep breaths, Reagan. It's not everyday you go to a guys house for an interview. She reached up and knocked on the door.
The door was opened by a man, around her age.
"Your Reagan Holt?"
"Yes sir." Reagan mumbled.
"Please call me Dan," he answered.
"Sure."
"So I see your hoping for the salesperson position. What has been your past experience?" Dan asked.
"I've waited tables. I've done volunteer work, but that's it." Reagan told him.
"I see. Well, Reagan, listen to this. Tomorrow is our open house. Come by and see how things work," he offered.
"I don't have living arrangements here. If I get he job then I'll find someplace to live."
"You know what? Have the job. Your personality seems perfect for the job. Plus I need a reason to fire the other girl." Dan chuckled. Reagan noticed how he had a hearty laugh.
"Okay. That means I need to go find a apartment." Reagan got up to leave. "Bye. Thanks for everything."
"Bye." Dan called after her. He couldn't help thinking how gorgeous that girl was.
Reagan searched all day, before finding the perfect apartment. It was painted silver, with blue highlights. It had a nice bedroom, living room, and kitchen. Just what she needed.
She unpacked everything, even the little ball she still had from ten years ago. Sighing, she put the ball on the desk, along with the pictures of her family. How she missed her family, but this job would help them. She just needed to work at it. For a long time.
Reagan got up from the desk and headed to bed. She had a long day tomorrow, as well as all the days after that. She would need her rest.
Laying down, Dan wondered if, perhaps, Reagan was looking for a new person in her life. Maybe a boyfriend. It had said on her résumé that she was single. Maybe, Dan wondered, I could feel that spot. He let his mind wander to other topics, before finally falling asleep.
Reagan woke up to a soft ringing. She knew that it wasn't her phone or alarm clock. Looking around, she saw her ball glowing again. This time with a note besides it. Reagan grabbed the note. It read:
Follow your heart to
Your one true love.
Puzzled, Reagan read the note again. Her heart had always been set on dating Ethan Tyler, from back home. There was no chance of that now. Then she realized she had another heart. The one on the ball, but how would she follow it?
Dan awoke that morning the same way. Except his note was different.
Your heart will tell
You what to do.
He instantly thought of Reagan. Dan remembered her wearing a dark blue blouse and jeans. Her blonde hair was hanging over her shoulders, with a slight wave. Dan's heart told him to ask her out. The only dilemma was the fact he didn't know how. She wasn't a girl to just go straight to and ask. She would take time.
Reagan rushed out the door. She couldn't be late on her first day. She made sure she had brought the ball. Reagan couldn't be sure what the ball would do, but she needed it.
In the break room sat a couple of flowers. Right next to the sign saying "Reagan." Attached was a handwritten note, Congrats on the new job. Meet me for lunch! -Dan. Well, that solved her problem of not having lunch. But, she didn't have money for lunch, either.
She didn't want Dan to pay for her lunch. It wasn't polite, but Reagan would have to let him if he wanted to. If he didn't, she couldn't eat.
Getting to her checkout stand, she wondered where she was supposed to meet him.
At twelve, Dan sat waiting for Reagan. As soon as she walked in the break room, he got up.
"So, did you bring lunch with you?" Dan asked.
"No. I didn't have anything." Reagan explained.
"That's okay. Let's go to the pizza place."
"I don't have money, either," she mumbled.
"I'll pay. Think of it as a first day of work treat." Dan joked.
"Thanks, but you don't have to do this." Reagan told him.
"Nonsense. I want to." Dan replied. "Shall we?"
"I guess." Reagan sighed, following Dan.
Once seated, Dan started asking Reagan bunches of questions.
"Where did you grow up?"
"I was born in Banbrigde Island in Washington. I lived there till I was 8. Then we moved to Saratoga, Wyoming. Then we moved to Madison, Wisconsin, when I was 14. That's where I've lived till here." Reagan told him.
"I've lived in Boston, Massachusetts. Then Attleboro. Then here in Frankfort, Kentucky." Dan said, answering his own question, before asking another. "When's your birthday?"
"It was yesterday. July 9th."
"Mine's September 21st." Dan told her. "What toy did you play with the most as a kid?"
"A ball. It was, or is purple and pink tie die with a silver heart."
"That's funny. My favorite toy was a blue ball with a golden heart." Dan told her.
"Oh, I got mine at an arcade. I used my last quarter on it." Reagan decided not to tell him about the glowing.
"Reagan, the reason I asked you to come here is, well you see..." Dan couldn't find the right words for it. "I was wondering if you'd go out with me?"
"I guess, but lunch breaks over, and were late." Reagan told him.
Both took of running back to the store.
That night:
Reagan checked the mirror one last time. Sighing, she decided it was good enough. Her red dress was perfectly matched with black heels. Hearing the doorbell, Reagan rushed downstairs.
"Hi," she said, opening the door up. It revealed Dan in a polo with shorts.
"Uhh... " he started. "You might want more comfortable clothes."
"Why?" Reagan asked.
"Just go change, trust me." Dan insisted.
"Fine." Reagan huffed upstairs.
When she returned, she had a gray ruffle tank top and some shorts on.
"Shall we?" Dan asked.
"Yes, but is that your catch phrase?" Reagan asked, remembering how he'd used it early that day.
"No, but it should." Dan chuckled.
They hopped in the car, both with a smile. Dan drove her to a bowling alley.
"Really!" Reagan squealed. "I've never been to a bowling alley."
"You've never bowled! Well, I guess I'll teach you. Or you could you a ramp?" Dan joked.
"Teach me!"
They went inside to rent shoes for Reagan. Dan explained he had his own shoes, as well as ball. Reagan then rushed to find her ball. When she picked a six pound ball, Dan laughed.
"What?"
"You can't use a six pound, they're for kids. Use a ten it will work better." Dan advised.
"Okay." Reagan sighed, before turning back to the racks. She picked up a silver ten pound.
"Much better. Let's go bowl."
Dan sooner realized Reagan was a fast learner. Even though her first two frames were gutter balls, she managed to pick up two strikes and three spares before the game was over.
"Can we play again?" Reagan asked.
"Sure." Dan told her.
Reagan bowled a strike her first ball. Squealed she hugged Dan. When she actually realized what she was doing, she moved back.
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"It's fine." Dan told her, before bowling a nine.
Reagan congratulated him anyway.
When the night was over, Reagan could bowl a turkey, three strikes in a row. Driving home, Reagan kept saying how much fun it was. She was amazed that Dan bought 5 games for each of them.
Beofre dan let Reagan out of the car, he needed to ask her a question.
"I know we had lots of fun tonight. Do you want to have fun other nights?"
"Of course."
"Well, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Yes!" Reagan squealed. Dan leaned over an planted a kiss on her lips.
Pas Reagan went inside, she kept thinking about the fact that she just had her first kiss. Which soon evolved to more kisses.
Several months later:
The moonlight shone a gazebo. Inside the two figures danced to the crickets chirps. They kissed right before Dan broke the silence.
"Reagan," he said, before kneeling on one knee. "I love you. You know that. What I want to say is, I can't live without you. So, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Reagan squealed. She danced in joy, before letting Dan slide the ring on her finger. They kissed again, this time with even more love.
The wedding march played as Reagan walked down the aisle. It was the day of her wedding. Nothing could make it more perfect.
The preacher was ready to wed them. As he started reading, a single tear slid down Reagan's face.
"Reagan Holt, do you take this man to be you lawfully wedded husband, in sickness or in health, till death do you part?" The preacher asked.
"I do." Reagan said, holding back her tears.
"Do you, Dan Cahill, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Reagan and Dan kissed, which sent the audience in to a frenzy of claps.
Walking back down the aisle, they looked at each other and smiled. They were happy. Happy to be with each other.
When they got back from the honeymoon, both balls had the same note.
Throw me to the lake
With the ball that bonded
Two people's love for the other.
Together they went to the lake, and threw the balls. Letting the balls pick another two people.
Well, how'd you like it? Tell me in a review.
Addict, we'll miss you bunches!
This story was for her!