The Sweetest Honey

The Necklace

(Clara’s point of view)

I turn and start jogging towards home. Ok, I am running now. I need to get there fast to sort myself out. I see my front door and pick up my speed. I push the door open and stumble in closing the door without stopping. My mom must be back in her room because the downstairs is empty. I run up to the upstairs bathroom. I close and lock the door behind me. Ok, ok, okay. I can not believe what just happened. I agreed to go on a date with a stranger. I almost kissed him. I stop and touch my lips with my fingers. I want to kiss him still. How did I lose my grip like that. After Drake, I promised to take it slow, getting to know the next guy. I promised myself I wouldn’t be so vulnerable. Yet here I am all over a guy I don’t even know. I set my hands on my sink and look at myself in the mirror. I look like the same Clara, but I don’t feel like her. I turn on the water and splash some on my face. I grab a towel and dry myself off. The tingles I felt with him were unreal, though, and he is so drop dead sexy. I take a few deep breaths and unlock the door. I slowly open it, trying to gather my thoughts. I walk into my room and see Wendy is still asleep. I decide to sit on the edge of the bed and give Wendy a little shake.

“Wendy I need your help.” I whisper. “hhmmm what?”

she says, stretching and smacking her lips “I really need your help, Wendy.”

“With what?”

she says, rolling on her side away from me. “A guy asked me out today, and I said yes.” She instantly turns back around and sits up “What!”

“I met a guy at the park. Actually, I ran right into him, and he helped me out. We talked, and we kind of clicked, and he is super hot, and I am scared. What do I do, Wendy?”

“OK, calm down.”

She says, grabbing my shoulders.

“What scares you about this date?” she asks.

“What if he is a killer or pushy like Drake was and tries something? What if I fall in love with him and he brakes my heart?”

I stop talking because I run out of air.

“Well how much do you like this guy? How does he make you feel?”

she asks me.

“Well he is the most sexiest man I have ever seen. He looks tough, but he was so kind and gentle. Also, I felt these tingles every time we touched it was like magic.”

I realized that I had had a goofy smile on my face the entire time I was describing him.

“Girl you have it bad for this guy, and you just met him. You need to go on this date. He could be your soul mate.”

“You think so, Wendy?”

“I really do. As for the part where he could be a criminal, I could look him up and see if he has a record or something.”

“I don’t know, Wendy. I don’t want to be a creep or anything. I want to get to know the real him, not the internet version of him.” She sits and thinks for a moment.

“How about I just look but only tell you if it is something bad that will put you in danger. That way, you won’t be looking him up, and it won’t spoil any feelings you have for him.” Well, I guess that would work. I want to get to know the real him. I also better do this fast. I don’t want him thinking I am blowing him off because of how long it’s taking to text him.

“OK, do it fast, though I still need to text him our address.”

She grabs her phone from her purse, luckily it’s not dead. It is hard to believe that we were attacked yesterday, and we aren’t even talking about it, but I am not going to be the one to bring it up.

“What’s his name, Clara?”

“Goliath Throttle”

I tell her, feeling butterflies in my belly. She types in his name and starts reading probably the first thing she found. I can’t understand the facial expressions she is making.

“It can’t be?”

“Clara do you have a picture of him?”

I remembered the one we took for his contact picture. I take out my phone and open it up for her to see.

“What!”

She starts clicking into the page more. She turns her phone around, showing me a picture.

“Is this him?”

I look at the photo real close.

“Yes that’s him. He wasn’t dressed in a suit, though.”

She slams her phone down on the bed. “That’s it!” She yells.

I am starting to feel confusion and panic as she grabs my face and starts rubbing her face all over it, knocking me over on the bed. “What the hell are you doing?? Stop it!”

I yell, trying to push her off.

“I am trying to rub some of that good luck onto me. You lucky b****!”

She finally stops, and we both just lay there. “Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to know more about him?”

“Yes, I just want to know if he has a criminal record. That is it.”

“He is in the clear. You should give him that text. Also, ask him what you should wear so I can help you.”

I sit up and open my phone back up and text him my address and ask him what I should wear. Oh crap I didn’t tell it was me. I hurry and text him again, letting him know that I was the one who sent the text. Uhgg! I lay back down and stare at the ceiling. I am such a dork. Wait, would he be expecting anyone else texting him about a date? Before I could keep going down that rabbit hole, I heard my phone ping. I open up seeing he replied rather quickly.

(Thank you for giving me a chance. I will be there at 6 just wear something comfortable in the hot weather. Also, I knew it was you texting me. I wasn’t expecting anyone else.) It is like he was reading my mind.

“Well what did he say?” Wendy asks excitedly.

“He said to wear something comfortable in hot weather and he will pick me up at 6.” She scrunched her face and started making a humming sound.

“It must be an outside date, but 6 pm is kind of late for something like a picnic?”

“Well he did say come hungry, Wendy, so maybe it is a cookout.”

“What ever it is, we are going to go all out. Let’s take a nap then go shopping for a dress.” I

I am actually exhausted now that I think about it.

“Okay, but first let me give mom money for the electric and the hot water tank. Since we will be so busy, I think she will be ok taking care of it.”

We both dump our money on the bed and sort it out. I set aside money for mom, and Wendy sets aside money for the shopping trip. I grab up the money for mom “I will be right back.”

I head downstairs and knock on my mom’s bedroom door. She opens it with a smile on her face. It must be a good day for her so that is good news for me.

“Mom could you do me a favor and pay off the electric bill and order a new hot water tank? I have the money right here."

I hand her the money, and she looks pleased and doesn’t seem to question it since Wendy was also contributing her cut.

“There is something else I need to talk to you about, mom.”

She gave a glance with a little worry in it. “Come sit on my bed with me. My back is hurting.“

She says, sitting down and tapping a spot next to her. I walk over and sit.

“Mom it is nothing bad. I met a man today, and we are going on a date tonight.”

She raises an eyebrow at me.

“A little bit soon don’t you think, Clara?”

“I know it looks bad, but mom, he is so kind and sweet, and most of all, I feel real sparks between us.”

She gets up and walks over to her dresser where I can’t see her face.

“Clara do you mean figurative sparks?”

She asks in a bit of a wobbly tone.

“No mom, It was real tangles, and sparks were going through my body every time he touched my hand.”

She started to double over but caught herself on her dresser. I run up to grab her, but she pushes me away.

“I am alright, Clara. I just want you to promise me two things. I want you to let me meet him after your date.”

“Done” I say excitedly.

“I also want you to wear this.”

She opens a drawer of her dresser and pulls out a necklace. She hands it to me. It is a gold necklace with two crescent moons facing away from a full moon that’s in the middle of them. The full moon had a tree in the middle of it that had branches twisted around. There are crystals in each of the Crescent moons.

“What are these crystals, mom?”

“They are moon stones.”

Well, those are sure are fitting, I think to myself.

“It is beautiful but why do you want me to wear it?”

“Your father gave it to me on our wedding night.”

She sits back down next to me. Mom never talks about dad because it hurts so much. This necklace has so much more importance than I thought.

“Of course I will wear it, but why are you giving this to me now?”

“I was actually going to give it to you on your 18th birthday, but I had to get the clasp fixed, and it took longer than I thought it would. Your father had to work very hard to get that necklace for me, and nothing would please me more than to see you wear it as often as you can.”

Both of us start tearing up as she helps me put the necklace on.

“Oh Clara, the gold really goes with your hair. You would have thought it was made for you.”

We both start letting sobs escape.

“Thank you so much, mom. I never want to take it off.”

I get up and look in the mirror, and it really does look like it was made for me. I take a deep breath in and out and wipe my tears off my face.

“Thanks for everything, mom. I am going to take a nap now.”

“OK Clara, I will work on paying all of this off.”

I walk out and gently close the door behind me. I go up to my room and see Wendy has passed out already. I set my alarm for 12 and got into bed with her. I close my eyes and think about how things really are getting better.