The Luna's Fate

WELCOME STRANGER

Most people would expect an ostentatious bordering on ludicrous formal gathering for a school dance but being a school in the middle of nowhere means that the school dance decorations equals a few balloons, streamers and a very questionable fold out table for drinks. 

Sierra and our friend Alex rode in the front of the car while I sat in the back, staring absently out the window, dreading the next few hours. We pulled into the car park and made our way into the school stadium. I rolled my eyes at the lack of effort the teachers had shown in decorating. The half-deflated gold balloons and crumpled streamers were a testament to how I was feeling about tonight. I just couldn’t wait for it to be over so that I could go home and relax in my pyjamas. 

Alex seemed about as thrilled as I was that he had to get dressed up for something so unimportant, but Sierra had coordinated their outfits to match. I will never understand how he doesn’t realise the amount of devotion that girl has for him, friends didn’t usually behave that way, so surely, he has to have some realisation of where their ‘friendship’ is going.

As expected, the decorations inside the stadium were much the same as the ones leading us inside, gaudy and depressing. I made my way through the sweaty, pulsating bodies and found myself a seat to spend the next 3 hours moping in, I didn’t want to end up in one of the cold plastic chairs that we used in class. Sierra had wanted me to dance with her and Alex but I honestly wasn’t in the mood to be here let alone dance. Watching them sway and bop happily to the music was making me feel even worse.

I sat there, staring at all the happy couples cuddling and kissing during the slow songs, then jumping and swaying to the upbeat songs, wondering when I will ever find someone to do things like that with. Am I destined to spend most of my life alone? Was there any redeeming quality within me that someone might someday feel drawn to? I couldn’t be certain of the answers to the question in my mind but what I can be sure of is that it would take someone pretty special to be brave enough to handle me. ‘Our little dominant’, my parents always called me. 

After about an hour the word bored was an understatement to how fed up I was with sitting here, so I got up and headed for the nearest exit. As I pushed the door open, the cold night air was so refreshing against my face and shoulders, that a chill ran down my spine but I welcomed it, anything was better than that sweat-fest. 

Since Sierra and Alex would probably be a couple more hours, and I didn’t want to wait for them, I decided I would just walk home. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with another awkward silence being the third wheel. I wished that Sierra would just hurry up and ask Alex out so that it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable to be around them. 

As I headed out of the carpark, I saw a guy standing against the side wall of the stadium, staring off into the distance. He looked deep in thought but I figured it would be best to check that he was okay, I’d never seen him before, maybe he was new?

At my approach he looked up. When our eyes met, I felt a strange spark that made me stop dead in my tracks. Unable to walk any closer, I noticed his eyes appraising me and an absolutely gorgeous half smile pulled at the side of his mouth. I hadn’t noticed how undeniably handsome he was. From here I could see the subtle tan of his skin in the moonlight, his fluffy auburn hair waving gently in the breeze. My breath caught in my throat and my heart began to race.

“Are you okay miss?” he asked, his husky voice cutting through me like a knife.

“Umm, yeah. I was meaning to ask you the same question”, my brain felt like it was one step behind on forming the words that I wanted to say.

“Oh, well I’m fine. Just waiting for my friend”, he laughed, like I should somehow recognise who he was.

“Alright, never mind then”, I smiled and turned to continue on my way home.

“Wait, don’t run off yet. What’s your name?”, he asked.

“I’m Dakota, you?”.

“Well that’s a pretty unusual name, I’m Jackson”, his smile was infectious so I couldn’t help but return it, although I’m sure mine was less breath taking.

“It’s really nice to meet you Jackson, so who’s your friend?”, I questioned, trying not to be too nosey. 

His brief answer was enough to make me do a double take on how nice this boy might actually be.

“Stephanie”, he replied, still smiling at me.

“Oh, yeah I know her. She doesn’t like me very much”, I tried to keep smiling while I questioned my original observations of this visually delightful stranger. 

“Don’t stress yourself too much, she doesn’t really like anyone besides herself”, he laughed again, his gravelly voice made another shiver run up my spine, this time it wasn’t from the cold.

“Yeah, I guessed as much”, I joined in on his laughter, “well I’d better get home now, it was really nice to meet you, hopefully I see you around”. 

I began my walk home, thinking about how good-looking Jackson was and wondering when I would ever get a chance to see him again. Surely, he lived close to town if he was friends with Stephanie. The image of his clean-cut jawline, shaggy hair and crystal blue eyes were enough to keep my heart racing all the way home, I’m sure my parents thought that I’d run a marathon by how breathless I was when I finally figured out how to unlock the front door. They acknowledged my entrance with a brief smile and a hug before leaving me to head to my room. My bedroom has off white walls, with a massive king-sized bed right in the middle, I had bugged my parents for one until they finally caved. Honestly, I needed the extra space since I had regular livid dreams and almost always ended up on the floor by the morning. I made my way to the bathroom for a much-needed shower, spending way too long in there, still unable to get Jacksons glorious face out of my head. He had taken up every corner of my brain, odd for someone I didn’t even know. My fingers resembled well aged prunes by the time I was finally done. I raked the hairbrush through my hair and tied it into an exceptionally disorderly messy bun, taking in the bright flush of pink on my cheeks in the mirror. I wasn’t sure if it was from the heat of the water or the unexplainable feelings’ I was having over this curious yet marvellous stranger.