"A rose by any other name..." by Taylor Garcia

 

“A rose by any other name…”

By Taylor Garcia

 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Noah and Chris were hanging out with nothing yet planned. Chris said, "Why don't we pick up the girls and hit the mall?"

"I'm down!" Noah replied.

"Tell Taylor and I'll tell my girlfriend."

"Okay."

After some convincing from Noah and Chris, Taylor said, "Okay, I'll go."

Before they picked up the girls Noah and Chris decided it would be cute to buy the girls roses.

As they pulled up to Taylor's white and red house, the only house with a u shaped driveway and a big window in front, Noah texted her, "We’re here."

"On my way!" She replied.

Noah held the beautiful rose in his hand. He had spent a whole dollar and ninety five cents on it. He looked at it and thought how much he loved and cared about Taylor. He thought how the flower itself could not compare to her beauty. She walked down the driveway, squinting her eyes as she approached the car because the sun was in them.

The sound of her saying, "Oh my God!" filled everyone's ears. For Noah, her eyes said it all. He compared the look on her face to one of a child who has just awakened to see that Santa has left presents under the tree.

When Taylor and Noah finally reached each other, Noah handed her the almost completely blossomed pink rose, surrounded by baby dandelions. She embraced him and it seemed as if no one else around them existed, as if they were in their own world, alone and completely happy.

He simply said, "You’re welcome," and then instantly regretted his reply. 

She whispered, “Thank you,” again just as the car door opened.

They climbed into the car.

Taylor said, "Hello everyone," with a smile that could make anyone in the world smile back.

"Hello," they said.

"Noah actually bought that for me,” Chris said, as soon as the car started moving, “but I told him to give it to you instead."

"I bet he did," Taylor said with a giggle.

She held the rose up to her face and smelled it.

“Why would you get me a pink one though?" she asked.

“What?” Noah’s body stiffened. "Are you seriously kidding me?"

Taylor didn’t answer.

Noah quickly turned away, as if to look at something outside the car window. Did she really just say that, he thought to himself? How could she not appreciate what he had done for her?

He thought back to the moment, just minutes before, when he’d handed the rose to her in the driveway. Hadn’t her face said it all? Hadn’t her eyes said--?

Suddenly Noah felt like he couldn’t breathe. What an idiot he was! What a fool!

He turned away from the window, only to find her staring at him with a blank, expressionless look on her face.

How could he have been so wrong about her? 

Then she smiled at him… with a smile that could make anyone in the world smile back.