It was at the end of the year prom with my friends. I wore a brand new dress and shoes I got 3 hours prior, as I was in bit of a hurry. There at my table were 3 of my closest friends who didn't bother to dance, much like me. No, I wouldn't be dancing tonight. Not alone, no. I never practised anyway.

I promised to myself that I would never look over and stare one glance at my crush, who I assume is probably dancing with everyone else. Anyway, I vowed not to obsess over her, or think of her once as the desperation would ruin my evening. The way her eyes sparkle, the very dark brunette hair that flutters in the cheap disco lights, her beautiful and gracious brown skin that fills me with an everlasting flame of desire, everything. I never knew I broke my promise to myself her until later that night. And I know I broke my promise because I remember these thoughts being thought of before the part I remember most.

My friends were all too aware of my thoughts on her. And that was apparent when she moved into my span of vision, seeing her in the corner of my eye. This figure I saw in the corner of my eye, alone, made me think to myself "Wow... she has nobody to dance with.".

Well, Unbeknownst to me, I wasn't the only one who thought that.

I heard my friend tap my shoulder and say "Careful. Better ask her before someone else does!"

"Hey that will only make that lonely girl feel less confident! Even though she should do something..." my other friend said.

I stood up and muttered "I'll do it-..." and walked off into that direction. My long auburn hair done up and my Prussian blue dress made me stick out beautifully.

This was it... the night to define the whole schoolyear and the schoolyears to come.

As I walked I kept muttering in my head "Come on, Emma, you can do this" and "Be strong. Be strong for her. FOR HER"

I walk up and ask "H-Hey um-- ahem", and as she turns around I can feel my throat close up in shyness. She was so tall and beautiful; her style was so fancy and extra that I had actually always thought she was one of the popular girls, but she wasn't. No, she actually had fewer friends than me. It was strange, though, as she felt above my league entirely

"U-Uhm.... ahem... I was wondering if I can have this dance?"

Then I see her eyes glisten and she smiles. Guess it just took her a moment to

Silence just filled the air as I awaited for a response, though it seemed that wouldn't come

...

Until it did...

She blushed and I only realised it 10 seconds after asking. I don't know if it was my own shyness, my own denial, or her beautiful dark skin that made it hard to see, but it was there. But I still felt like I was gonna get denied. Either she was flattered or embarrassed. After all, at this time I never knew if she was popular or not.

But then, I saw her eyes glisten and she had the widest most beautiful smile I've ever seen. I guess it just took her a while to process all of that. God, if I could just explain how happy I was to see her happy, the serotonin and dopamine in my brain could probably fill a jar-- no, a GALLON

She picked me up as her own happiness overtook her and she let out a big loud "Yes!" before thinking about how embarrassing she may look. She put me down and just said "Um- yeah sure-"

Despite the height difference, and the fact I'm extremely thin, I felt like I could easily pull off confidence and act like I'm "in charge" so to speak. So, I reached out my hand, and she took it. I reached my other hand for her hip and she reached for my shoulder. God, I wish I would have asked way sooner-- wait, no I don't. That night was the perfect night, and the dance was at the ripest hour. We started dancing slowly, both of us not breaking apart our gaze. We were far from the dance floor but neither of us minded. We were alone, despite being in the same room as everyone else. Nobody could ever ruin this night.

I hear my favourite song come on and before I could comment about it I hear her shriek "Oh my god! I love this song!" in the most excited and joyful voice I've heard in all 16 years of my life

"No way! This is my favourite too! I wonder how much more we have in common..."

She said she was never a good dancer, and frankly, neither was I. The only reason I performed so well was that I was trying to impress her if I haven't already.

After her legs got sore from it all, we decided to sit down. But it wasn't that simple, no. I'm a flirty girl.

"Need me to carry you?" I asked politely with a soft velvety voice, followed by her nodding in such giddy excitement

I carried her over and sat her down. Despite how short lived that moment was, I cherished every moment having the girl of my dreams in my arms. The red dress she wore was enough to make everyone in the room be hers, but apparently she wasn't as popular as I once thought.

"You are the prettiest one here, and I'd say that even if everyone in the world was in this room. I've always liked you, Harriette. Always."

You should have seen the way her face lit up with every word. The way her eyes glinted more and more every passing second. The sounds of her breath as she nearly melted from her fluttering heart and unbridled giddy excitement.

"Really? No one's ever told me that~" she squeaked, "Your words make me so happy" and then I felt her bury her head into my shoulder.

I softly lifted her chin with my silky white gloves and told her "I'm glad to help." Then slowly grazing her cheek with the back of my fingers. I could hear her brain fry as I showed her such romantic movements.

I brought her in closer and asked "May I have this kiss, Harriette?"

~~~~~

I wrote this when I was 15, on July 16th 2021

Thanks to all the authors on this site! Thanks to the creators! This is the place I come when I feel the need to believe in myself again! Thanks for healing my soul! I wish you all to manage to draw inspiration even from the struggle with your inner demons. Sometimes the most beautiful things come from the darkest places. I am proud to be here. Happy New Year!

I might be having a miserable day, I might be crying my heart out to myself praying for everything to be alright, family issues might be making me want to just run far away from everyone but even then, just one text, just one minute of conversation with him and I feel like I'm wrapped in a comforting embrace. There comes a feeling of inner contentment that slowly flutters right through my soul acting as an ointment to make me feel better. That's what he does to me. He heals me, unaware that I'm hurt...like slowly gathering the broken pieces of my heart and mending them to be one again. And no, the sadness doesn't end, the reality doesn't change, but somehow I become okay with it all, with a new hope that the happiness I pray for will come along in the future, with him.

Philippines is a tropical country,

The feel of freezing to death doesn’t mean it snows.

When I was on a trip to Grandma

I couldn’t feel my fingers,

Every breeze of the wind shakes up my spine,

And every words comes out stuttered,

All because it was cold.

Freshly cooked Lugaw and beef Bulalos can’t keep me warm for long;

These jackets I have could only help the least.

Overall, it wasn’t an easy trip.

But when I got there,

“Eto na pala pinaka-hihintay kong apo!”

(“My long-awaited grandchild is finally here!”)

heck did it made me warm up from inside.

Dear Maggot (Margaret),

Your peasant (pleasant) attitude (gratitude) makes me feel lonely (lovely) when I am around you.

You are such a horrific (terrific) person!

Next time we meet, I wish to punch (lunch) you. I'll give a you a good clout (shout).

Jeers (cheers) to you,

Robert

P.S. as a real-life example, I had a manager who once sent a colleague a message thanking them for their selfishness (selflessness).

The night was shaded black and white.

Black sky against balls of white light studded against Dunn Avenue. Patches of shadowed greys intermittently punctuated the trail, until the trees snuffed out any trace of luminescence.

A steady beat fills the eardrums, quickening just a bit in those pools of grey. The world tilts and my vision becomes a tidal wave with the changes of light. Human vision is, mostly, diurnal.

It is not really the darkness, or the light, that pumps my blood and feet as a roaring tidal wave; no, it is the sound of Nike Air Force smacking the leaves behind me.

Darkness opens its mouth further and further, swallowing me whole.

I stop and turn. The whiteness is just a pinpoint in the distance, the size of my fist.

The figure plugs the hole, removing the remaining source of light. My husband pulls the knife.

“I pity you,” I say.

The plunge elicits a final dazzling of stars before my eyes, and he is consumed by the blackness as he runs back towards Dunn Avenue.

Some may say

The glass is half full

And others nay say

Insisting it is half empty

True there is a liquid

Contained in half of the glass

But the other share

Holds something different

Transparent atmosphere

Flows sincerely clear

Keeping the glass full

Whether it be solid, gas, or liquid

There is absolute matter

In the glass

Which fills to the brim and over

Therefore when it lessens one form

It gains another

Of something else

But, still something

I wonder how many

I Love Yous and Goodbyes

we'll kiss onto coffins before

we learn not to assume that

people "already know" how

we feel about them here on

Earth.