So, the song this drabble collection is inspired by is not romantic. It is a heartbreaker, actually, but the phrase love like this stuck with me. Thank you so much for sticking around for this silliness and my crappy writing. I love you all.
Love Like This
Jimmy is simultaneously perplexed, terrified, and nauseous. He'd messed up again, and he honestly did not know how to fix it this time.
It had started with an advertisement in the Retro High Gazette.
NEED A VALENTINE"S DAY CARD?
Cindy Vortex will write one guaranteed to win over your special love!
We can discuss the fee upon commission.
Some wild, reckless thing awoke in his chest, and he cornered her after school.
"I need one of those cards," he'd said.
"Manners, Neutron."
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Okay, fine. Good afternoon to you, Miss Vortex. I want to purchase one of your Valentine's Day cards, please."
She reached into her backpack to pull out a spiral notebook and a pencil. As she situated herself, Jimmy noticed a hair that had fallen loose from her ponytail. He had to fight the urge to brush it away.
"So, who is this for?"
"A girl I like," he had replied.
She licked her lips. "Tell me about her."
"She's intelligent, brave, and loyal. But she's also stubborn and fierce. She's beautiful and confident. When she smiles at me, I feel like I've found a hidden treasure. I imagine taking her to the beach so I can see her smile as she wades into the water. I imagine us arguing about where to eat, only to laugh when we end up eating fast food. I imagine kissing the freckles that dust her nose and cheeks and ending at the one above her lip. I-"
"That's enough, Neutron," she hissed.
"Oh, okay. About the fee-"
"We'll talk about that later," then she turned away from him without another word.
He had felt sure it had been evident that he was referring to her. But when she returned the card, he discovered how wrong he was.
"Why is this addressed to Betty?" He asked her.
"You are the least subtle person ever to exist, Neutron. You practically salivate when she walks into a room."
"You can't be serious. That ended years ago!"
"Whatever you say, Neutron. Just take the damn card so I can get my damn money," she shoved the card at him, but he brushed her hand away.
"Did you listen to what I told you?" He demanded.
"Yes, I listened to you go on and on about her! I mean, you made me imagine you kissing her and taking her out to eat. That is a mental picture I didn't need."
"I said we would argue about where to eat. Betty doesn't do that with me. Only you do. I was talking about you!" He shouted, and it rang through the hallway.
Everything went silent for a moment. Then Cindy's mouth puckered, and her face turned beet red. "Are you telling me you had me write a Valentine to myself?"
"Yes," he replied. For a moment, he thought she would punch him, or shout, or cry.
She did something even more frightening; she laughed. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
"It is not! I'd thought you'd figure it out," he argued defensively.
"How was I supposed to do that?"
"Because if you paid attention for two seconds, it would be abundantly clear that I am in love with you!" He heard a gasp, which drew his attention to the many pairs of eyes that watched them. "Can we please talk about this somewhere else?"
"Is this a sick kind of joke?" She had hissed.
"What? No!"
"You know what? I don't even care," she crumpled the card in her hands into a ball and threw it at his head. "Take this and shove it up your ass, Neutron!" Then she gave him the finger and disappeared down the hallway before he could stop her. Afterward, he tried to untangle what had gone wrong. He'd wandered the streets and somehow found himself in front of her door.
Where he currently is still standing.
He wonders if he should walk away. But he finds he can not. He has to try. He has to ask forgiveness for his clueless attempt at romance because he can not lose her. It is utterly irrational. A long time ago, that might have scared him, but he's not afraid now. So, he straightens his shoulders, ascends her front steps, and rings the doorbell.
A love like this was worth fighting for.
Here is the link to the song if you are interested. watch?v=JpbB4OY87x4
