Love in Other Words

As she stood in front of her mirror studying her silk black dress from front to back and side to side, an incoming call broke the silence.

"I'm almost done, give me five more minutes and I'll be out." She exclaims to her mother.

"Abigail, you've been in your room for almost an hour, we're going to be late."

"Five more minutes, that's all I ask and I will be done, I promise."

Her mother sighs and hangs up in a fuss.

---------------

"What were you doing in there? You never take that long to get ready." Her father asks as she steps into the living room.

"I was making sure that Marissa is still coming to dinner with us after I got dressed and put my makeup on. But mom said we're going to be late, so let's go." She pulls her dress up from her heels and heads for the door.

--------------

"Hey birthday girl!" Marissa springs out of her seat to hug Abigail.

"Where's my mom?" Abigail questions, scanning the party room.

"She left to use the bathroom. Also, she said the party is starting in twenty minutes." She sits back down in her chair and pours herself a glass of vodka.

While waiting patiently for her mother to return to the party room, a guy from across the restaurant catches her attention. She stares at him for what seems like forever until her mother interrupts the moment, and he leaves the other room as she walks past, blocking Abigail's view.

"Where's your brother? I need him." She inquires while approaching the table.

"He and dad aren't here yet, I drove alone." Abigail shifts her attention toward her mother.

"He's always late, I'm so sick of it." She continues to have a fit while setting up the tables.

---------------

"Alright everybody, please get in your seats so we can get ready to sing happy birthday. We all have to leave by nine o'clock because Abigail has school tomorrow, so let's hurry up and get this done." Her mother announces to the crowd.

Like so, the night of her nineteenth birthday swiftly turned into a mass of joy and loudness. From opening gifts to dancing as if nobody were around to see her, she was gracefully and elegantly being dragged into the night.

"Actually, mom, I'm going to stay here for a bit longer. So, if you guys could leave, that would be nice, thank you." She leaves the dance floor and joins another group of people at a table.

"Are you having fun?" Marissa asks while struggling to keep her balance.

"Marissa, where's Nathan?" Abigail shifts her over to the table and places her on a chair.

"He's outside smoking a cigarette." She slurs her words while giggling and wobbling around.

"Hey, your girlfriend is in there and she's wasted. Can you be a nice guy for once and take her home, please?" She points to the door and glares at him as he exhales and stomps out his cigarette.

"I'm sure she'll be fine for ten minutes." He doesn't budge to give her any eye contact but instead stares blankly at the full parking lot.

Abigail studies his expression and clicks her tongue. "You look like you have a lot on your mind, but let me tell you something. Marissa would never cheat on you, and if you refuse to believe that, then you're at your own fault. She's trying to avoid you because you keep arguing with her about the other night. Get over it, Nathan. She is the most amazing person I have ever become friends with, and she has never told a lie. Even if she ever has, I think she would have a valid reason to. Stop treating her like this, it's ridiculous." She lectures him and returns to the table to find that everyone had left, Marissa was the only person still there.

"Marissa, come on, you gotta go." She lifts her to her feet and drags her out the back door to Nathan, and glares at him for a moment. He looks back at her and nods. Abigail thanks him and watches as he places Marissa into the back seat of his car.

-----------------

"Another day... Another crappy day." Abigail mumbles to herself and takes a sip of her cocktail.

She was just about to leave when the guy she saw before was still there. She sat back down and gazed at him. It was only until one of the restaurant employees offered a free dessert that she stopped looking, but was still in total admiration of the guy who was sitting across the restaurant. She waited to see if someone was having dinner with him, but nobody ever showed up- he was alone, as she was. He too must have been contemplating his entire love life, but he's just a stranger, so who knows.

She finally works up the courage to approach him, but as soon as she gets close enough, someone else takes a seat next to him, commenting on his outfit.

She rolls her eyes and heads for the exit, furious and annoyed.