Spontaneous Combustion

True story.

6:09 PM. I was playing a pick up game of basketball. My peers told me that I was dressed in a fashion of a back dancer for the pop sensation, Justin Bieber. With black sweat pants, a half-gray half-black North Face sport jacket, and some flashy red Adidas high-tops on, I was solely focused on the game at hand. It was in the middle of the game when my phone gave a brief sporadic outburst of the sound of digital chimes. Sadly, it was ignored until the game was over, which by that time was roughly about 6:35. The SMS text message that I had received was from an old friend, an infinite crush, and the most purest of souls. The digital message read, "Wanna watch the Summit play?" I'm not going to tell you that my heart melted from such a simple question, but you have to understand, only on rare occasions does she ever try to contact me first. So naturally, I left the school grounds immediately in attempt to try to meet her at the site of the play. Cancelled all plans that night; excuses were made, lies were spewed about. I didn't care, all that mattered was that I got to see a set of smiling white pearls that were often hidden underneath a natural flap of skin. Traveling 90 on local roads, 110 on highways, I was too delighted for any distractions. All I was thinking about how happy I would be to see the color white. 

When I arrived at the performance hall, I ran like a dog chasing a hand tossed projectile. I ran out of breath by the time I reached the front door. Walking in, the first thing I saw was a line of unknowns, parents, and a half empty gala on either sides of the hall. In the deep recesses of my mind, something told me to "look for white." For some reason, I knew she would wear her white Nike boat shoes. I don't think anyone else that lives in the metroplex has the exact same shoes she does. Those slightly tattered and scuffed white and gray sneakers. Manufactured with laces but somehow worn as slip-ons, these Nikes weren't like any of the athletic shoes you see on a video transmission, and the way she wore them, the way they matched with every outfit she ever owned, it was as if the industrious corporation had specifically stitched these soles especially for her. While slowly catching my breath, I rose from my crouched position and looked around and sure enough, I saw them. Slightly swallowed by blue jeans, the stained white patches stood out from the unknowns and brown boots and heels that surrounded her. I immediately felt a rush, a hot sensation that rose from the pit of my stomach to the tip of my scalp. I don't know why. I must have seen those shoes about a million times, yet tonight, they seemed like Luis Vuitton heels that Scarlett Johansson sports on the red carpet. I felt.... Special. For once, a person wanted to spend some time with me. I didn't have to ask, I didn't have to do anything for that matter. I felt wanted, I felt warm. I felt great. 

As I approached her, she noticed me and beckoned me to come to where she was standing. She muttered something and handed me five dollars because I was short on cash for a ticket. We entered the hall and took our seats and as the lights came down and the play started, I felt a neutral heat swelling inside of me. It was a calm heat yet at the same time, it felt like the convection zone under the photosphere of our popular star. About half an hour into the play, I had no idea what was going on, so I asked her if she was paying attention. She was just as puzzled as I was. So without even thinking about it, I wanted to break away from this weird setting and feel something familiar, so I reached over and put my arm around her, pulling her in slightly but not too much to perceive it as awkward. It felt safe. At that moment, I didn't care what title we were given, friends, lovers, soul mates, or acquaintances. None of that mattered. It was just me and her, and the warmth had dispersed throughout my being. I was an entity of radiance, and I swear, in that moment, I could have exploded with delight. I was enthralled and overjoyed by where I was and who I was, because in that moment, I knew I was enough. And that's all that mattered.