Fairy Tale

by Avery Hanson

Zachary is what you might call a B.M.O.C., or a Big Man On Campus. He was smart, athletic, and good-looking. All the girls in school had crushes on him. But Zachary knew he was a B.M.O.C. and he never paid any attention to them. He was all about dating the right girls, going to the right parties, joining the right clubs, and driving the right car. But, unfortunately for him, Zachary had, what he would call, an annoying little sister. This was not cool. And on top of having an annoying little sister, he had to share a beat-up Ford Fiesta with her. This was not cool, either. Needless to say, Zachary and Sam did not get along. They constantly fought over the car, hogging the bathroom, chores, and normal brother/sister stuff. According to Zachary, he was the oldest, so he could do whatever he wanted. Sam was never a priority.

One Friday night, Zack was getting ready to go to a party. He had been looking forward to this party all semester. It was Clint Bower’s annual Christmas/End of the Semester party. Everyone had been talking non-stop about it. Everyone who was anyone would be there. And that included Kelly, the most popular girl in school, and to him, the prettiest.

He was primped, pressed, and ready to go. There was only one problem: where were his car keys?

"Mom!" he shouted from the top of the stairs. "Have you seen my car keys?"

"Sam has the car. She went out to dinner with her friends before the concert. Were you so consumed with your grooming that you didn’t notice she took the car?"

Zachary couldn’t believe it. Tonight was his big night, and now, he had no ride to the party. People were counting on him for a ride to a party. "Mother! I insist you call Sam right now and tell her to bring my car home at once! I have a party to go to. People are expecting me to be there."

"Call her yourself," was all his mother would say.

Zachary was furious. Didn’t Sam know that I’m older and I should have the car whenever I want it? Zachary thought. He angrily dialed his sister’s cell phone number.

"Hello?" Sam sounded cheery as ever.

"Sam, get home right now and bring me the car. I have a party to go to."

"Excuse you. Don’t talk to me like that. And no, I’m going to a concert tonight at 1:00 a.m. It’s this special, one time only, late-night show the band is doing, and I need the car since I’m going to be home really late. You always have the car. It’s my turn now."

"Sam, get home now! You come home now, and you can have the car for a whole week," Zachary told her, trying to make a deal. He couldn’t believe he had to use these measures.

"I’ll come home and take you to the party, but I have to be at the concert at 1:00. Can anyone take you home?"

"No!" Zachary yelled. "It was my job to take people there and then to take them home."

"Well, it looks like you only have one option. I’ll take you there, but I have to pick you up at midnight so I can make it to the concert. Take it or leave it—or walk home," Sam added coolly.

Zachary, furious beyond belief, saw that he had no other option. He had to go to that party. He couldn’t miss it. And he had to see Kelly. He was not happy about getting a ride to the most talked-about party of the year by his little sister. It was close to social suicide, but he swallowed his anger and tried to think about how great the party would be.

"Be out here right at 12. If you’re late, I’m leaving you here. I’m not missing this concert for anything," Sam told her brother.

"Whatever," was all Zachary said as he got out of the car. He walked up the driveway and entered the house. There were a lot of people there. All his teammates from the baseball team were there, as were the cheerleaders, the football players, and all the other most popular people in his senior class. He pushed his way through crowds of people, wandering from room to room, looking for some friends… and for Kelly. She had to be here, he thought to himself. She just had to be.

Then he spotted her. She looked so pretty with her long blonde hair and nice clothes. They had a class together—third period to be exact—but they barely ever talked. A couple of times she asked him about class notes she had missed, but that was the extent of their conversations. He decided to make his move. He was a B.M.O.C. He had nothing to worry about. He was slick, smooth, and knew all the right moves. He crossed the room to her.

"Hey, Kelly. How are you doing?"

"Hey. I’m doing good. Have you been here long?"

"Nah, just got here a few minutes ago. There’s a lot of people here." Zachary could feel himself become nervous and struggle for simple conversation. What was up with this? He never had this problem. He could always talk to girls. He knew all the lines, all the moves, but he now found himself frozen up with nothing to say. All he could do was look at her. "I was hoping you would be here. I mean, we have class together and everything, but we never really talk and hang out," Zachary stammered. He blushed at his clumsy words.

"Oh, yeah? I was kind of hoping you would be here, too, but I didn’t think you even knew who I was," Kelly stated.

"Are you serious? Of course I know who you are. I always have." Zachary gathered some courage and asked, "Hey, do you want to go outside somewhere and talk?"

"Yeah, that’d be great," Kelly replied with a simple smile.

Zachary and Kelly talked in the backyard for hours on a hammock. They talked about home, school, family, their futures, colleges, everything. With every minute Zachary was falling in love with Kelly, falling in love with everything about her. He loved her smile, her eyes, her laugh, her words, her southern accent, everything. He glanced at his watch; it was 11:55. He only had five minutes. Maybe he could find a ride from someone. Then he wouldn’t have to leave so early. He looked around the party and thought about who could take him home. Everyone was too drunk to drive, and Kelly was staying the night at a friend’s house down the street. He and Kelly talked for a few more minutes, but then he had to leave.

"My sister will be here soon. I have to go. I had a lot of fun tonight, Kelly."

"Yeah, I did, too. Would you want to go out sometime? Maybe to a movie or something?"

Zachary was stunned that she had asked him out. She just scored two hundred more brownie points in addition to her million. "Yes, definitely." He stored her number in his cell phone. "I’ll call you tomorrow." And with that he walked away, climbed into the little Ford Fiesta, and no longer cared that he was getting a ride home early from his little sister. He only thought about Kelly and how he was going to talk to her tomorrow.

The next day, Zachary was frantically searching the house for his cell phone. The last time he remembered having it was when he got Kelly’s number. What did he do with it when he got home?

"Sam, have you seen my cell phone?" Zachary asked his sister. He had searched all over his room, the kitchen, and the family room.

"No. I haven’t seen it all day. Maybe it’s in the car."

Zachary checked the car, his room again, the kitchen for a third time, and rooms he knew he didn’t even go into last night. Where was his cell phone? He was supposed to call Kelly tonight, and her number was in the phone. He didn’t write it down. Great, now Kelly is going to think I just got her number to be nice and that I never intended to call, Zachary thought. He had to find his cell phone. He retraced his steps again.

What Zachary didn’t realize was that after he programmed Kelly’s number into his phone, he put it in his coat pocket. When he stood up to leave, the phone fell out. As soon as Zachary left the party, Kelly heard a cell phone ring. There was no one else around at the time, and it wasn’t her cell phone, so whose was it? A cell phone lay on the ground by the hammock, ringing. She knew it was Zachary’s. She recognized it from moments ago when he put her number in her phone.

She didn’t know where he lived, so she couldn’t run it by his house. She thought about going through the phone book, calling one of his friends, and having them call him to let him know he left it. But would that be invading personal space? Kelly wasn’t sure what to do. She decided to go through the phone book. As soon as she clicked the phone book button, the phone shut down. It had died.

Great, Kelly thought. It was Christmas break, she didn’t know where Zachary lived, she didn’t know his phone number, and they had different friends. School didn’t start back for another three weeks. How would she get his phone back to him? Then another thought crossed her mind: Now he can’t call me, and now we won’t go out on a date. I finally meet a nice guy, and this had to happen. Just my luck…

While Kelly thought of places she could go in hopes to run into Zachary, Zachary thought of places he could go in hopes to run into Kelly. They both checked the mall, the bookstores, and local hangouts. Unfortunately, they both checked these places at different times. Zachary thought it was hopeless. He wasn’t going to see her until second semester started up. That wasn’t for another two weeks. And he didn’t have his cell phone.

He was watching TV one day in the living room when Sam decided to join him. She sat on the couch and carelessly watched Sports Center with him, not saying a word. Finally she said, "So I heard you hit it off pretty good with Kelly at that party last week."

Zachary was immediately on full alert. "Who told you that?"

"I went to lunch today with a girl who knows Kelly. Kelly was telling her about how she thought you guys hit it off really well."

"I was supposed to call her, but then I lost my cell phone. She probably thinks I’m the biggest jerk in the world."

"And apparently," Sam continued as if Zachary’s last comment hadn’t even been said, "She found your cell phone. But your phone died, so she couldn’t get any numbers. And she doesn’t know where we live so she couldn’t return it. She’s been trying to find you around town, but she hasn’t had any luck."

Zachary’s mouth dropped. She had been trying to find him? Just like he had been trying to find her?

"But anyways, I’m off to pick up Melissa, and then we’re going to do some last-minute Christmas shopping."

"Sam, you have to call that friend for me, the one who told you all that stuff. I have to find Kelly."

"I don’t have to do anything," Sam replied.

"Please, Sam. Do this for me. I’ll let you have the car all to yourself for a whole week."

"I’ve heard that one before. I already have the car to myself this whole week because I took you to the party and picked you up. If I tell you where Kelly lives, can I have the car for another whole week? All by myself?"

"You know where she lives?"

"I asked my friend at lunch today. I got all the details for you. I knew you were all hot and bothered about not being able to get into touch with her, so I helped you out a little."

"Sam, you are the greatest!" Those were probably the nicest words Zachary had said to her in the past few months. She couldn’t help but blush. Were Sam and her brother really starting to get along and possibly become close?

She handed him the car keys. "Here, take the car and go talk to her. I’ll have the car all by myself starting tomorrow."

Sam gave her brother directions to Kelly’s house. Zachary was out the door before he got the chance to thank his little sister for saving the day.

Zachary arrived at Kelly’s house quicker than he should have. He had defiantly ignored the speed limits on the way over; luckily a cop hadn’t been waiting around any corners. He jumped out of the car and ran up the front steps. He eagerly rang the doorbell.

Kelly opened the door and stared at him in surprise. "Hey," she said, obviously confused. "How did you know where I lived?"

Zachary explained to her how Sam had eaten lunch with her friend Melissa. Sam and Melissa had swapped stories about Zachary and Kelly’s night at the party and the struggles to find one another after he lost his cell phone. Zachary told Kelly about how Sam came home from lunch so nonchalant that no one would have guessed she knew the answer to all his problems of the past week. Sam gave him directions and he headed right over.

Kelly smiled. "I looked for you everywhere. I had no idea Melissa knew your sister. If I had known that, this mess would have been over days ago."

Kelly invited Zachary in so she could retrieve his cell phone. "It’s completely dead, but here it is."

"Great, thanks. So how about that date?" Zachary asked. He realized that with this girl, he didn’t need smooth moves or pick-up lines. He was so comfortable with her that his natural self and personality flowed out willingly.

"I thought you’d never ask. Pick me up tonight?" Kelly asked.

"I’ll be here at eight." And with that Zachary left. He went home and planned his first date with Kelly, knowing it would be one of the best nights of his life.

Today, Zack and Kelly are still together. They are in love more than ever. Through Kelly, Zack learned that he didn’t need to have the right car, clothes, friends, or extra-curricular activities to be happy. He had his girl, his friends, and now even his sister. After Sam revealed to Zack where Kelly lived, the two became closer than ever. Zack knew Kelly was the best thing that ever happened to him; he also knew he had his sister to thank for that. If she hadn’t gossiped and gotten the scoop on Kelly for Zack, they might not have gotten together. His once his annoying little sister was now one of his friends. For Zack, life was perfect.