Golden

She met him at a dance. A tri-school prom dance. He was standing in the corner of the gym, his head above the crowd. His ice blue eyes followed the dancers. She was sitting on the bleachers, her gold necklace resting at her throat. She felt herself walk in his direction, heard her voice say hello. He turned to her and said hi back. He asked for her name. She said Christina. He said Jacob. Somehow, through her pernicious belief that love was a trap, all of her heart trusted him. And she liked him. He was nice, had a calm demeanor, made her forget her social ineptitude. As they talked, she thumbed her necklace. They talked for minutes, but it felt like seconds, and he asked her to dance. She said yes, so they danced. He twirled her around the dance floor, showing his natural aptitude for dancing and his self-confidence. As they spun around the dance floor, she felt at ease. She loved Jacob, wanted to fly with him forever. Eventually, the songs quieted, and he said goodbye. She was sad to see him disappear into the crowd, and she subconsciously reached up to thumb her necklace. Her fingers felt nothing. Looking down, she could not see her necklace. It was gone, and so was he. The boy she thought she loved was a fraud.

~ Sofie S.