Just..Survive

Emma hurry up and get into the car, we leave in 5 minutes. Moms voice echoed to the bathroom as we prepared to leave. My step sisters birthday party is today, and dressing formal is part of her theme "I'll be out in a second. I have to find my heels!". Looking in the full legnth mirror to check my hair and makeup, i admire this little white dress with teal straps and flower accents. I love this dress. And after a summer at the beach, it highlights my tan. Throwing on a pair of 5-inch stilletos, I rushed down to the car and jumped in. The ride to the party location was short. 5 minutes tops. Upon arrival, the view of the hotel was breathtaking. We pulled up, tipped the valet, and walked inside. "Emma Marg, Chris, Im So Glad You Guys Made It!" Allie greeted with a large smile while given each of us a hug. "Hello Allie, you look quite fabulous, Happy Birthday sweetheart." Mom gave allie a purple gift bag with a large blue bow. "Happy birthday, kiddo. No boys escorting you around today, I hope?". "No, Dad, i don't date boys, remember, but there aren't any special girls yet either." Allie chuckled as we exchanged smiles. "Please go find a table, any will do, no assigned seating, but Emma, you sit with me." As we approached her table, a familiar face caught my side eye. Somebody I had seen in pictures alone but not met in person. 3 of my sisters best friends all sat at a circle table in the front of the room. 2 average looking guys said hello and made small talk as my sister greeted more guests. Then he approached the table. A curious look gazed upon me. Here stood a 6 foot tall man with gorgeous brown eyes. "Hi, I'm Derek." "Hi, I'm, umm, I'm Emma. Allie is my sister." "Nice to meet you, Emma. Where are you from?" "Originally here in New York, but my family moved to Tennessee a few years ago after my dad remarried. Technically, Allie used to be my step sister." "Ah, that makes sense, I knew I would have remembered seeing you around more." Allie swiftly appeared as Derek and I continued our small talk. At first, she didn't say anything, but she kept glancing at me as if she was hinting at something. Then, she approached with a purpose. "Emma wants to follow me to the bathroom and help me touch up real quick?" I stood and followed Allie through double doors and down the hallway towards a restroom. She gives me a gleaming look before blurting out. "Derek likes you, I can tell. He's never looked at a girl this way before." "Allie, he's 3 years older than me. He's in college, and I'm starting senior year. Plus, we kind of live rather far apart. And no way he would look at his best friends little sister that way. " I chuckled at the last sentence. "Besides, I had been stalking your Mypage account for months. Every time you posted a picture with him, I wanted to meet him. Never thought I actually would. But it seems too good to be true to finally meet and him just Poof, fall for me." "You never know, little sis, crazier things have happened." As the night went on, Derek and I continued to have mild interactions. While gathering my purse towards the end of the night, I stopped and said goodbye to the 2 gentlemen who also sat at my sisters table with us. We exchanged some jokes and spoke briefly about my next visit up north. As the conversation came to a close, we noticed my father and Derek had joined the little circle we had formed. "May I get a hug before you leave?" Derek asked hesitantly while my dad stared protectively at him. "Of course!" I threw my arms around his neck, and we embraced in a not as casual hug as the first 2 guys. "There's an after party at Allies house afterward, can you come?" "I would love to, but.." My dad cut me off mid sentence with a quick response, "but we leave early to go back home so she can't. "Oh ok, well, I guess if my night ends with just a hug from a cute girl, that's not so bad." I blushed as my dad swiftly escorted me out the doors and back to the car. He didn't say anything back then. But he later on told me, he knew something was different about that boy. Dad could see something in our eyes when we looked at each other. There was a different kind of beam. We walked out of the hall when my mom turned and noticed the rain coming down outside. "Chris, why don't you bring the car around, I'm going to use the bathroom. Are you ok to wait here, right, Emma?". "Yea, I'm fine Mom". Dad ran outside to find the car. I found a chair in the lobby of the hotel and decided to get off of my feet for a while. But just as I went to sit down, a voice came from the lobby that turned my head. "Emma! quick, come here." Derek? what was here doing out here? How did he know to come out here? "I couldn't stop thinking and took a chance, and you're still here. Why are you still here? Did your dad change his mind, and you're allowed to go to the after party?" "Derek, slow down, Unfortunately no but they will both be back soon. Why are you out here?" "I wanted to see you one more time before you left. I wanted to..I just.." Before he could say anything else, he quickly leaned in, and I felt his lips touch mine. A small yet intimate gesture that took my breath away. My first kiss, with the cute guy from my sisters Mypage pictures. He pulled away slowly and gazed his deep brown eyes at mine. "Your dads here with the car, but I am glad to have met you tonight. Goodnight, Emma. I hope to see you again." And off he went back into the hall. I sat breathless as my dad walked back into the lobby. "Emma, sweety, time to go. Where's your mom?". "Um, she should be out..". "Im here!" Mom walked towards us, smiling. Together, he was all walked outside and entered the car.