A Matter of Perspective

She walked over and took the necklace from him. "Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?" She hung it back up."Do you ever wear it?""The clasp is broken. It won't open anymore. So that's why I have it here." She looked at the floor. "Or I would wear it every day," she whispered.He smiled at her comment. "Do you remember the day I gave it to you?" he asked, hoping she remembered it just as clearly as he did.Do I remember? God yes. I like to imagine it ended drastically different from how it really happened. A girl can dream, right?Her cheeks flushed. She looked up, and her eyes met his. "I do."He stepped closer to her. "All of it?" he asked. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest. He tucked her hair behind her ear. Feeling his fingertips drag across her cheekbone made her knees weak and her core twitch. "After I put the necklace on before Annie called my name remember what we were going to do?" His voice was low and breathy. "Because I haven't forgotten."He slowly leaned in and went to cradle her face. She quickly turned her head. "Y- you know I should really get back to my... I was... taking notes." She stepped back and picked her earbuds off the bed. JESUS F'IN CHRIST!  He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled back into his ponytail.The silence and the tension in the room were equally uncomfortable. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room, and a 100*"What are you listening to? That song you were singing when I came in seemed pretty racy," he asked, filling the silence. "What are you listening to now?"He took one of the buds and put it in his ear. He smiled. "Oh my God. This is like the school slow dance anthem. Remember?"She put the other one in. Steve Perry was singing about being forever yours, Faithfully."I mean every dance. Sometimes, even twice in one night! Homecomings, Heart Hops, Spring formal, proms. I will say this: it is timeless. You know what I mean?"She sat down on the edge of her bed. "I really wouldn't know. I never went to any of the dances. I guess I'll have to take your word for it. I'm sure Annie knows what you mean. She went to every dance. Even ones at other schools. She went to four homecomings one year."He sat down beside her. "You didn't go to any of them? At all? I find that hard to believe.""I was asked to Senior Prom." She picked up a bear and started to play with it's arms. "I ended up not going." "Did something happen?" he asked. The pain in her eyes was killing him. He would have taken her to every dance if she would have let him."I really don't want to talk about it. It's really embarrassing." Her voice was quiet.He put his hand on hers. The butterflies came back. This time to both of them. "You can tell me. I won't judge you." Bodhi interlaced their fingers."Let's just say someone better came along." She felt the lump growing in her throat.He looked confused and taken aback. "What does that mean?""I was asked because the person actually wanted to go with Andromeda. But she was going with someone else. I was like the dollar store version of her. But when she called off her date and was free, the guy who was going to take me ended up being able to go with her. It's okay. I understood. And she and Tommy make a cute couple.""That's fucked up. Do you want me to go punch Tommy in the face?"She let out a small giggle. "No. But thank you for the offer." She unlaced her fingers from his. She swiped a tear off her cheek.He felt a little disappointed she let go. "Do you ever put your happiness first? People need to be a little selfish now and again.""Making people happy does make me happy. That's why I am going to be a psychiatrist. I want to help people find a place where they are able to be happy. Everyone deserves to be happy.""Periwinkle, that's not right. Don't you deserve to be happy? How can you say being pushed aside for your sister makes you happy? How can being used make you happy? How can your happiness be contingent on others' happiness?""You don't understand." She started to pick at the polish on her nails. "Then help me understand because I can't comprehend it," he said, trying to take her hand back but to no avail."Do we really need to keep talking about this? I'm starting to get uncomfortable with the topic."He wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Okay. I'm sorry. I never intended to make you feel uncomfortable.""Bodhi, why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, playing with the strand of her hair he had tucked behind her ear. "Did my brother ask you to come in here and talk to me? If he did, you don't have to. You can leave if you want.""No. No. I'm here because I love you... as my friend. You are my friend. At least I hope we are friends." Why did I just friend-zone her? Stupid, stupid, stupid! Can't I just be honest with her? With myself.Her heart dropped into her stomach, crushing the butterflies that she always had when he was around. "Oh. Umm. Of course, we are... friends. Just really good friends." Ouch. I've been friend-zoned. I am so confused by this man. "Okay, well, it's been great talk---"The music faded. The next song started. He cut her off. "I love this song," Bodhi said. "I have it on my play it on repeat playlist.""Really? I think this song is really depressing."He smiled, his eyes soft. "It's a matter of perspective. If you are sad, then yes, it's depressing, but if you are love, it's actually quite beautiful.""I've never heard the beauty in it."He stood up. "Dance with me?" He held his hand out."That's okay. I'm sure you need to get back out to the party.""Dance with me, Persephone. Come on. Don't make me beg. Because I will."Begrudgingly, she took his hand. He pulled her close to his chest. She could hear his heart thumping. It was a beautiful sound—the heart of an athlete. She didn't need music; she could listen to nothing but it the whole day. He started singing along. She was highly impressed. She never knew he could sing.'I'm here without you, baby. But you're still on my lonely mind. I think about you, baby, and I dream about you all the time. I'm here without you, baby, but you're still with me, my dreams. And tonight, it's only you and me.'They swayed back and forth in her room. It was her first slow dance with a guy. She did dance with her dad once at a wedding. But that shouldn't count. She snuggled his face into his bare chest. He smelled like soap, cologne, and sweat, which was surprisingly pleasant to her hormones. Perri, you have been banished to the friend zone. Remember? Yes, but tell that to the pleasure center of my brain.He fully embraced her. He was so angry at how she didn't see that she deserved to be happy. She deserved someone who would make her happy. He wanted to be the one to make her happy. I would make you happy every day. I would make you laugh and smile until your face and stomach hurt. I would dance with you all the time, even if there was no music. I would do anything to be close to you. He started to stroke her hair. "Do you hear it now? The beauty of the words? The way he sings. I wish I could be loved like that. Or have someone to love like that."She looked into his eyes and saw a hunger. She heard it. She felt it; as beautiful as it was, she felt a gut-wrenching sadness. He could see it in her eyes. "Love like that doesn't exist, Bodhi.""Don't think like that, Periwinkle. I know it does," he said."I don't see how you can be so sure of that."I'm sure because that's how i feel for you. Now just say it out loud. Open your mouth and let the words fall out. And go! "I want you to come out tonight. Come sit by the fire with me," Bodhi said.She looked up at him. I would love to! Can I sit on your lap and cuddle with you like I've seen other girls do? "I have a lot of studying to do. But thank you for inviting me.""You can take the night off. Summer just started. Have some fun." He knew he wasn't going to win the argument. "Please, for me." He gave her a childish pouty lip. He released her and cupped her cheek. "Persephone?" He bent his head down till his mouth was close to hers. Is he going to kiss me? Holy shit! This is it. Wait, didn't he friend-zone me? "Yes?" They felt their breath on their lips. He was already hard just being pressed up against her. She was wet for him. He whispered, "Can I--" His sentence was cut short."BODHI! DID YOU FALL IN? WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GO?" Jake's voice spread through the house.She backed away like she was afraid of being caught with him.Bodhi let out an exasperated sigh. FUCK! WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS FUCKING HAPPEN!"I guess you should go. Thanks for the dance." She went to her door. He took the hint. "It's something I can tell my nieces and nephews about."She didn't say her children or her grandchildren. Did she not want children? Did she think she would never find love? I love for her to be able to tell our children.He walked out into the hallway, took the bud out of his ear, and handed it back. What Hurts The Most had been playing. You could hear the pain. This one was not a matter of perspective. This one was pure sorrow, and no one could sing it better than Rascal Flatts. "You're welcome." He stood there for a minute, not wanting to leave her."Have a good night, Bodhizafa." She slowly closed the door, leaving him on the other side.📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝📝🎧FAITHFULLY- JOURNEY🎧🎧HERE WITHOUT YOU- 3 DOORS DOWN🎧🎧WHAT HURTS THE MOST- RASCAL FLATTS🎧