Fireball

A glowing red fireball slammed into my stomach and lodged itself just below my sternum. The force of the blow threw my heart into the wrong gear and I could hear the desperate revving of the organ in my ear. I tried to breathe, but the fireball made it impossible. My abs clenched further and the room spun on a tilt.

There was no way that was his hat hanging on her door; he wouldn't be back for another whole (interminable) week yet. But her hand HAD just hesitated for a second before she'd touched it...

"No, no... Don't be ridiculous."

When she'd invited me over for pizza and a movie, she'd said she had something to show me. For a brief moment, the idea had entered my mind, but I was sure I was just channeling the last episode of "The Big Bang Theory" I'd watched at 4am that morning. The newest episode, where Penny opens her apartment door to find Leonard standing behind it, there to surprise her a few days early from his long quest.

"That's just cute, clever screenwriting. Shh..."

The fireball still ablaze, I walked slowly into her room and tried to regain my composure before she noticed. We began talking, and just as I could breathe again without reminding myself, her eyes suddenly darted to her doorway. I turned my head to see what had caught her attention and froze immediately, deer-eyed. The fireball entered my bloodstream and began to course through my whole body.

"What. The. Fuck?!" I managed to choke out.

He grinned. That little goddamned adorable grin. "Hi."

"Are you SERIOUS?!" I stammered, still unable to move, still deer-eyed.

His eyes grinned, too, with a glint of smug, self-satisfaction and a glimmer of authentic joy. "Yep."

Weeks and weeks of waiting as patiently as I could, and now that he was in front of me, I was at a complete and utter loss for words. Nobody had ever done anything like this for me before. Nobody had ever gone out of their way to surprise me. All I could do was stare incredulously, giggling and wishing my feet didn't feel stuck to the floor.

Since camp ended, I've spent the past month and a half hanging out with new, amazing friends. Going on adventures around the city. Eating the yummiest food. Writing in the sunshine. Having long philosophical conversations in Spanish. Reading in my PJs in the afternoon. Working relentlessly on a puzzle with music and tea. Living in my incredible apartment. Dancing contemporary at an adorable studio. Exploring my favorite neighborhood. All of this, and what always made me smile the biggest? Seeing that little envelope on my phone and reading those two or three sentences - sometimes adroit, sometimes sweet - every few days.

I had absolutely no plan at the beginning of summer - no apartment, no job, no friends. All I had was me... Plus a heaping helping of undying moxie and sanguinity, too. And that is what has gotten me to where I am. I didn't think it'd be possible to top my last summer in Spain two years ago, but as I write this, two hours until the official end of my summer, I can say this has undoubtedly been the best one of my entire life.

And this... I could fill journals and journals full of ideas and never think of a better way to spend my last day of summer and set the bar nice and high for little Mr. Autumn.

I let out a tiny squeal of delight when my feet finally unstuck themselves, and lost myself in his hug. Happy. So happy.