The Story That Got Me Going…

Well, I’ve learned I didn’t make the last round of the writing contest. I missed the deadline by about two minutes. Bummed but I shall try again. I wanted to share this story though because it is one I liked.

The NYCMidnight contest provided three things: Genre (Romance), Location (a computer lab), Object (glow stick). I had to create a 1,000 word story with these three items. So… here you go!

Love,

Your Glow Bug

Carol’s 39^th birthday present from her husband had guests puzzled and her in tears…for the right reasons, of course.

______________________________________________

I need to share with you the sweetest thing I’ve witnessed in a long time. In this day and age of marriage and divorce, it’s amazing when you can be part of a moment that shows you love can truly be everything it promises.

Last Friday was my friend Carol’s 39^th birthday party. We put on a big soiree. Everyone came. Everyone loves Carol. Most of all, her husband, Jack.

You first need to understand that Jack is a practical man. Always researches and analyzes before he buys. But when he does, like selecting Carol, he does it forever.

So when we saw the Tiffany box in Jack’s hand, there were more than a few surprised faces.

“You went to Tiffany’s,” said Carol surprised herself, delicately taking the box from his hand.

“I wanted something custom,” he said quietly, kissing Carol’s forehead. “It’s a big day.”

The room was silent as Carol slid the white ribbon off the blue box. Inside was another box, this one black. The whole room seemed to hold its breath as Carol opened the lid of the black box. I was completely watching Carol’s face at the moment and I’m so glad I did. When she saw the item that Jack had thoughtfully made, her eyes immediately began to tear. She let out a small utter, smiled and then… then she got up and collapsed in tears into Jack’s arms. “It’s perfect,” she huskily said into his neck. “You are so wonderful.”

I have to say many of the ladies, myself included, were brushing away some tears. Clearly this present had made our friend the happiest woman in the world and I took great delight in that.

The room was a bit stirred up for five minutes or so, passing around the gift and trying to figure out exactly what it was. No one got it. When Jack and Carol finally moved apart, they began to laugh looking around the room at their friends’ faces.

“Perhaps I need to explain,” said Carol. “Can someone hand that back to me? Jack honey, will you please put it on me. Thank you.”

Once everyone had gotten their glass filled and Carol had recomposed herself, here’s what she told us:

As many of you know, Jack and I met in high school. In computer class to be specific. Jack was the teacher’s assistant, helping to run the computer lab. Making sure all the programs were set up right and to help us if we had problems. I had tons of problems! I felt like I was raising my hand every five minutes in that class. And I was not doing it on purpose to get Jack’s attention. Well, not at first.

After some time, I started noticing more about Jack. How helpful he was without making you feel dumb. How his eyes were so blue and bright behind his glasses.

I also started to notice, or hoped, that he was looking at me too. He never seemed to be very far away when I raised my hand for help. Our eyes caught each other glancing more and more. This went on for about two weeks and then one day I just couldn’t stand it anymore.

One day after class, I decided to take matters into my own hands. There was a closet in part of our computer lab for the servers. At the end class, Jack always went into that room to check the systems. I decided that I would follow him in there and get him to ask me out.

I remember being so nervous. His back was to me and I clumsily moved the door holder so I could close the door for more privacy.

“No! The door will lock us in!” Jack cried but it was too late. The door was shut.

And until that happened, I hadn’t realize there wasn’t a light on. “Where is the light?” I asked and Jack mumbled, “Right by the door on the other side.”

I felt so horrible! And dumb. I remember asking when would someone find us and he said everyone was at lunch so not for awhile.

For a minute or so, we just stood in the silence getting accustomed to the darkness. The room wasn’t completely dark thanks to all the glowing and blinking lights on the machines. I remembering seeing Jack reach his hand out to me and then feeling him touch me. “Well, we can sit down at least,” he said.

We sat down next to each other, his knee softly pushing on mine. He occasionally pounded on the door “just in case someone hears it.” Except for feeling like a dummy for causing it, I really liked being in there. Sitting so close in the dark to the boy I was beginning to have feelings for. Ah, to be sixteen again.

And no, Jack did not kiss me then! We just sat, talked and then eventually — I’m not sure how — we ended up holding hands.

Anyway, I told Jack in that little closet, how pretty the lights were… like little glow bugs. I told him how much I liked fireflies in the summer and how I’d just seen these cool new things called glow sticks that were out.

The next day, when I came into class, there was  a glow stick on my keyboard with a note. It was about going on our first date and instead of signing his name, Jack put “your glow bug.”

That’s why this is so special. Because even now, Jack will leave me a note with a glow stick and nothing… nothing makes me feel more aware of his love than those.

As she finished the story, Carol’s eyes were wet and she was grinning. Jack’s hands held one of hers and her other was touching Jack’s special gift. A platinum pendant shaped like a glow stick with the engraving “Love, your glow bug.”

See, love sometimes is everything it promises to be.

Advertisement