Defying Love | Teen Ink

Defying Love MAG

May 24, 2009
By awesomeaugust GOLD, Boston, Massachusetts
awesomeaugust GOLD, Boston, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 176 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground"
~Theordore Roosevelt


I didn't want to like him. He was just so charming.

This might sound like every other love story, and it may be, but it may not. If you don't read on, you'll never know.

My name is Emily Brown, which I've always been quite happy with. I think it makes me sound pleasant but ordinary, and I prefer to blend in. Now, I suppose it's only polite to tell you a bit about myself before I jump into my story. I am five feet, two inches, have brown hair that comes to my shoulders, and I am not talented in any special way. These are the basic facts of me, and I think these are all I ought to tell you.

His name was Andrew Rivers and he was perfectly wonderful in every way. When he first came to my school in twelfth grade, he was a bit eccentric and didn't fit in right away. He was into music and played the drums and the guitar, although he wasn't good at either. What he was good at was singing, and when he did, you wanted to cry and laugh and sing along with him all at once.

My name is Emily Brown and his was Andrew Rivers and I loved him.

About two months into my last year of high school, Andrew asked me out. I was surprised since I had hardly ever talked to him, but I didn't have a boyfriend, and I didn't know how to say no.

It may help you to know that at my school there were couples that were simply together for the name, and some that were together only to have a date for dances and for kissing and other such things. When Andrew asked me out I had no idea what his intentions were, and I didn't like having no idea. I'm by no means a confrontational person, but I was starting to feel offended that after I had said that I would date him, he hadn't said another word to me. So I went up to him and we had a little talk.

Me: “Hey, Andrew.”

Andrew: “Hey.”

Me: “So …”

Andrew: (annoyingly, nothing)

Me: “You asked me out.”

Andrew: (nothing again)

Me: “Why?”

Andrew: “Why'd I ask you out?”

Me: “Right.”

Andrew: “I felt like it.”

Me: (irritated) “You felt like it?”

Andrew: “That's what I said, isn't it?”

Me: (infuriated) “I'm sorry. Actually I'm not. I didn't realize you were such a jerk, and I don't want to go out with you anymore.” (I'd never dumped someone before, okay?)

Andrew: “Are you dumping me?”

Me: “What do you think?”

Andrew: “Why?”

Me: “I feel like it.”

Andrew: (smiling) “Do you like Chinese food?”

Me: “I hate it.”

Andrew: “You've never had it.”

Me: “How do you know?”

Andrew: (laughing) “I'm good at reading people.”

Me: “Well, obviously you suck, because I've had Chinese food a million times and I hated it every time.”

Andrew: “Would you like to go out with me tonight?”

Me: “You're asking me on a date?”

Andrew: “Yes.”

Me: “Read my answer.”

Andrew: “Wonderful! I'll see you tonight. Be ready by six. Ish. Sixish.”

I hated this strange boy who I'd only really talked to twice. He made me infuriated. The only problem was, I couldn't figure out if I liked that or not.

That night at sixish sharp, Andrew showed up at my doorstep. My parents have never been into meeting my boyfriends, but as I was stepping out, he stepped in. He walked right into the living room where my parents sat watching the baseball game.

When he came back out I asked, “What'd you say?”

“I told them I'd have you back by eight.”

“Ish?”

He laughed. “Nope. Just eight.”

We didn't talk much on the car ride. He had a CD playing that sounded kind of like Bob Marley, but I'd never heard the song before. It wasn't until we got there that I realized I didn't know where we were going. A small sign stood in front of the building but the name was too peeled away for me to be able to read it. What I could read was the sign beneath where the name should be, and it said, “The best Chinese cuisine for miles.”

“Chinese, huh?”

He smirked.

We walked inside and it was only then that I realized exactly how small the building was. There were little tables in the center of the room, about five of them, and a couch against one wall for sitting while you waited. As if. There was no waiting; we were the only customers. A sign read “PLEASE SEAT YOURSELF,” but I guess because of the lack of business, a waiter came over to seat us. He tried to show us to a table, but Andrew said, “Oh, no, thank you. We'll be sitting down here.”

He strolled over to the couch and at first I thought he wanted us to sit there, but then he grabbed two pillows and placed them on the ground a little way away from the tables.

I looked at him, baffled.

“Authenticity,” he said, smiling. He was always smiling.

I, personally, couldn't see how sitting on the floor was authentic.

***

There were many other dates, all very unusual. I was used to dances and movies, but with Andrew I got sunsets and local concerts. Once he took me to a bingo night that his aunt was hosting. Oddly enough, that was the night we first kissed.

I remember so clearly the day of graduation, the day I realized that Andrew and I wouldn't always be together. After we threw our hats and got our diplomas, he found me.

“End of high school, huh?” he said.

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to do, Emily?”

“With my life?”

“Sure.”

“Be with you.”

He didn't smile like I wanted him to.

“Don't you want to go to college?”

I sighed. “Want to, or have to?”

Now he smiled. “You choose.”

“I should. Go to college, I mean. I found one that'll accept me.”

There was a long pause before I said, “Andrew, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I dunno. Do what I do best, I guess. Play my music.”

“Oh. Yeah. That's cool. See you later?”

“When would I see you?”

“I see what you mean.”

“Bye, Emily.”

“Bye.”

Thinking back, I wish I had said something better than bye. I wish I had told him that I loved him more than words could describe and that when he sang to me I felt like I was all that mattered in the world. I wanted to tell him that if he had just asked, I wouldn't have gone to college. I would have played his music with him.

I'm sitting at my computer right now, looking at a name on the screen on a website called “peoplefinder.” I want to call him and hear his voice, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid that he won't be my same Andrew.

I get a glass of cold water and sit on my couch. I picture myself having one last conversation with him.

Me: “Hey, Andrew.” (I say it so casually, just like old times.)

Andrew: “Hey, Emily.”

Me: “Why are you wearing a tie?”

Andrew: “Why shouldn't I be?”

Me: “I don't know.”

Andrew: “I have a job.”

Me: “Good.”

Andrew: “I'm a lawyer, Emily.”

Me: “That's great.”

Andrew: “You don't sound like that's great.”

Me: “Don't I?”

Andrew: “I live in an apartment in the city. I talk on the phone with other businesspeople.”

Me: “I'm proud of you.”

Andrew: “I have a diploma hanging up on the wall of my office. My office.”

Me: “Do you play music anymore, Andrew?”

Andrew: “Music.”

He looks at me as if he doesn't remember the word.

Andrew: “No, I don't play my music anymore.”

Me: “Oh.”

Me: “I loved you, Andrew.”

Andrew: “Loved? Past tense?”

Me: “I think so.”

Andrew: “I love you.”

Me: “Why'd you ask me out?”

Andrew: “I thought you were beautiful and smart, and I loved how shiny your dark brown hair was. I liked how you weren't too loud, and you didn't wear low-cut shirts like most other girls.”

Me: “I wish you'd said, ‘Because I felt like it.'”

Andrew: “Sorry.”

Me: “Me too.”

Andrew: “I have to be going.”

Me: “Yeah.”

Me: “Wait!”

Andrew: “Yes?”

Me: “I'd never had Chinese food before.”



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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 542 comments.


on Jun. 18 2010 at 3:52 pm
irrara12 BRONZE, Columbia, Maryland
3 articles 2 photos 42 comments

Favorite Quote:
not all who wander are lost-jrr tolkien

Great ending.

sambo SILVER said...
on Jun. 18 2010 at 11:42 am
sambo SILVER, South Burlington, Vermont
7 articles 0 photos 8 comments
Exactly what I was thinking!  Don't rush!  This is beautiful, and you've got the emotions there.  Elaborate more.  I'm left feeling unsatisfied with what I know about their feelings.  And the dialogue is a bit vague....

on Jun. 18 2010 at 4:23 am
taintedannex GOLD, Hong Kong, Other
15 articles 5 photos 166 comments

Favorite Quote:
The truth is that at some point, everyone's going to hurt you. You just have to decide who's worth the pain.

Some say having something to lose is what makes you vulnerable. I believe that having something to lose only makes you stronger.

That was so sweet!

I especially love to dialog that you have. 

It's fantastic. :)


on Jun. 13 2010 at 5:17 pm
OfficialApprover PLATINUM, Orefield, Pennsylvania
48 articles 0 photos 1752 comments

Favorite Quote:
Grab life by the balls. -Slobberknocker
We cannot change the cards we're dealt just how we play the hand
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted
It's pretty easy to be smart when you're parroting smart people
-Randy Pausch

AWW, that was really cute and sweet.  It was also really funny, I like their "conversations."  You did an awesome job.

Btw, anyone who sees this, will you check out my work and comment on it?


on Jun. 5 2010 at 9:17 pm
vikesfan28 GOLD, Genoa, Nevada
14 articles 0 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm still a geek on the inside, that's the important thing.









-Wierd Al Yankovic

PERFECT.  you should probably add more detalis during the year though, because it's like they met in approximately November, and you only describe one date throughout the whole school year.  let the readers get attached to Emily and Andrew and DON'T RUSH!  :)  This could be the start of something great!!

MoonGem BRONZE said...
on Jun. 5 2010 at 12:43 am
MoonGem BRONZE, UB, Other
3 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live for God, Laugh for God, Love for God. Soli deo Gloria.

I have a guy just like that at my school! 0.0.

on May. 30 2010 at 8:12 pm
dancingdaisies GOLD, Westborough, Massachusetts
19 articles 24 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
" you can't get what you want until you know what you want"-Joe Jackson
"Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!"-Contanze
"Why are you talking about all of these thing you're getting & nothing about what you already have?"~MMEE!!:)

aww that was so uberliciously cute. i wish i had a boyfriend!!!!

Miara GOLD said...
on May. 27 2010 at 5:42 pm
Miara GOLD, Ottumwa, Iowa
16 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.
Dying is a day worth living for.
The problem with being the last of anything is by and by there be none left.

Interesting.  Not the kind of stuff I would normally read, but it was interesting.

on May. 27 2010 at 4:33 pm
Aquafina BRONZE, Lynn Haven, Florida
3 articles 16 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
And yet, to say the truth, love and reason rarely keep company now-a-days

L~O~V~E~D~I~T

on May. 27 2010 at 3:23 pm
ashkash95 SILVER, New Hyde Park, New York
9 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8

I loved this piece! Wait did he really change or did she just imagine it?

chicken wing said...
on May. 26 2010 at 12:54 pm
that was so good i loved it keep writting

on May. 25 2010 at 9:26 pm
CrazySquid GOLD, Cashmere, Washington
12 articles 2 photos 28 comments

Favorite Quote:
"For beauty is nothing but the begining of terror"

Rilke part of 'The Tenth Elgy'

I  love how its very real its not just another love story with a happi ending it could and probably does happen...Its a sad story worth reading...

on May. 23 2010 at 1:09 pm
TheSummoningFreak PLATINUM, Lugoff, South Carolina
41 articles 0 photos 122 comments

Favorite Quote:
if you can never let yourself fall you'll never know what it's like to love

i love this it was soo sad at the end tho

on May. 20 2010 at 9:36 pm
xxSamanthaUalani BRONZE, Columbia, Illinois
1 article 3 photos 11 comments

this was absolutely fabulous. i loved every second of it and i found myself really getting attached to the characters.
with more detail and everything i could see this being a book i would pick up and get lost in. it has an excellent way of conveying the emotion in the story and the beginning definately snags the readers attention.

great job :D !


insaneex GOLD said...
on May. 20 2010 at 4:11 pm
insaneex GOLD, Falmouth, Virginia
12 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The greatest thing you ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."

I read this the other day when it was under the news feed :) Great story, way to capture the characters emotions. Keep up the good work.

shannonx3 said...
on May. 20 2010 at 10:18 am
i just thought that i should say that this story touched me deeply. i was suprised about how the ending turned out to be. the story was amazing, memorable and sweet. this story really touched me as a reader and i thank you(:

farmgirl101 said...
on May. 19 2010 at 3:34 pm
farmgirl101, Claypool, Indiana
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Great article...there is this really annoying boy at my school and I am constantly think about him..But why?

on May. 19 2010 at 2:10 pm
treegirl93 BRONZE, San Antonio, Texas
1 article 0 photos 37 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be nice to trees- they'll become books someday.

This is cute but mostly sad. I want him to never change- but that's life.

 


on May. 18 2010 at 9:37 pm
AJMendler SILVER, Undisclosed, North Carolina
5 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be an individual. Do not be someone who you dream about being because you'll never accomplish anything if your a fake."
-Myself
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

OMG! this reminds me of my date last friday. My BF is a nerd a cute one for the record. This story is great describes me and my BF's relationship. :)

cass said...
on May. 18 2010 at 8:05 pm
loved this story! cute, funny, sad loved your story! you are an amazing writer!