The outdoor lights gently caress her smooth, pinkish skin and her short, black hair with orange highlights. I finally, notice that she is wearing the pink, lace, off-shoulder, short prom dress which she had been eyeing for months now. I've seen the store's page on her smartphone, multiple times. Anyway, she looks stunning in it, I couldn't stop staring at her in amazement while my heart begins beating fast.

Her lips move as she says something to me, but I'm so distracted by her alluring look that I completely miss what she says.

"Hello? Earth to Andre?" She waves her hand in front of my eyes to bring me back to reality.

"You look gorgeous..." I announce without thinking.

"I do? Thank you," she says while blushing and running her finger along the side of her hair to push a few stray locks of hair back behind her ear.

"A-Are you here with someone?" My heart aches while my fingers dig into my palm.

"N-no... I came alone..." Daisie looks to the side and puckers her lips, emphasizing her cuteness even more.

"Oh... I'm glad. Ah, I mean, I... I don't know what I'm saying. Anyway, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you, and I didn't mean what I said during our fight."

Daisie takes a seat beside me, "You are forgiven, beside it was my fault, I was pushing your buttons."

She clenches the edge of the seat with both hands, "If—you love Bridget so much, then I'm okay with it."

"No! I don't love Bridget... I realize that now. We have nothing in common, and when I was out on a date with her, I felt like an outsider. It wasn’t any fun, no sparks, and it felt more like a chore, rather than something to enjoy. It's completely different from when we are hanging out together."

She places her hand on her upper arm while a small joyful smile lights up her face. Daisie takes a deep breath and looks at me with her big, beautiful, brown eyes.

"Andre, I don't want to lose you, and I hate seeing you with other girls beside me. I know—that I'm selfish for telling you all this, but I think, I’m in love with you and I want you to be mine."

My mind stops functioning while my heart throbs like never before, surprise and happiness flood into me. A few moments later, my mind restarts.

Daisie is in love with me? But she is my childhood friend, I would never have guessed it, but why am I so happy after hearing her confession? She has been with me for a long time, I know her better than I know myself. From her cute sneeze to her nerdy nature that even rivals mine, I know it all. When I spent time with her, it is one of the happiest moments in my life, she understands me, and I understand her. Spending time with Bridget doesn't even remotely give me the same feeling.

Also, when I think about her being with someone else, my heart aches so badly that it’s almost unbearable. Wait, why does my heart aches when I think about her being with someone else? Why does it throb with happiness every time I greet her in the morning? Does that mean I love her too?

I look down pensively, while I suck on my lips, and stare at the concrete sidewalk below me.

"I shouldn't be telling you all this, I'm sorry!" Daisie stands up while tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"Wait!" I grab onto her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

"How long have you had these kinds of feelings for me?"

Daisie places a hand on her chest over her heart and then she looks at me with her eyes sparkling.

"It was during middle school, it was a normal morning like any other, but that morning was different for me, I was feeling depressed. I was missing my mom and taking care of my father was... stressing me out. I didn't want to go to the school that day... and then you came to pick me up, I didn't answer the door when you knocked or called out to me."

"I thought you had finally given up and left, but you didn't. You climbed up to my window on the second floor and knocked on it with a huge stupid smile on your face. I let you in, you asked me what was wrong, but I didn't answer. At that time, I didn't want to talk about it. Instead of forcing me to talk, you made yourself at home and played a couple of games on my PS2—It was weird."

"You were there all day, you skipped school for me, and were there for me while playing some games and read a couple of books. You stayed by my side even though I didn't ask you too, but because you were there, I felt a lot better. You made me happy simply by being with me, I admired you from that day on, but as time went on, my admiration changed to something else... Love."

"I had fallen for you. Everything about you, I couldn't help but fall in love, from your kind eyes, your rough, yet gentle hands, and even your average looks. Also, the way you avoid confrontation and attention, the way you make me laugh with your stupid jokes, the way you care more about other people than you do about yourself, the way you get so excited when a new video game come out, and the way you get disappointed when that same game isn't what you expected. I love it all... and I love you."

"You have this strong feeling for so long, I didn't know about it, and I hurt you when I start to go out with Bridget. That's why you were angry at me, and that's why we got into a fight. I hurt you, and I didn't realize it." My grip tightens around her wrist, but not enough to hurt her.

A single tear slides down Daisie's cheek as she hears my words.

"During the fight, you said 'you care about me, more than I realize,' it was a way to tell me that you had feelings for me, but I still didn't freaking realize it. I'm an idiot, and I'm sorry for being dense and late."

"What are you trying to say?" Daisie says, as a smile forms on her lips.

"I love you, Daisie Brewer."

"You do?"

"I LOVE YOU!!!" I yell out to the night sky above me then pull her to me and wrap her tightly within my arms. I feel her soft body go up against mine, her warmth transfer to my skin, her hair brush against my cheek, and the heady scent of her  perfume linger in my nose.

Her tears of joy slip down to fall onto my shoulder, adding her tears to my punch soaked suit.

She looks up at me with a smile, to ask, "Why are you wet?"

"I got drenched after Bridget broke up with me, but who cares. I have you." I reply with a happy smile of my own.

Drops of cold water hit me here and there  to rain. Releasing her to take a step , I tell her, "Let's get you home before the rain gets worse."

With a slight nod, she replies,"Sure."

Daisie sits on the back of my bike with her arms around my waist as we make our way through the neighborhood toward Daisie's house. On the way there, we could see patches of the starry night sky before the clouds finally lock it away from view.

Right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life with my true love by my side, and a future where I could see us together stretching out before us. Nothing could beat that as long I have her. I scream with happiness at the top of my lungs while pedalling, and Daisie joins me in my happy yell with a bright smile on her face.

When we finally reach her house, she gets off the seat, and steps onto the sidewalk. Her keys jingle as she takes them out, I notice the ‘Mitake Ran’ keychain hanging among her keys. It's from a mobile rhythm game that she been obsessing for months now.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to show the most fun you can have on a date, I promise you that. I already got everything planned out in my head."

"I believe you, but please be careful when you go back home."

"I will."

I watch her walk toward her house, but she stops midway and turns on her heel to look at me again. She smiles mischievously, then runs to me and place a kiss on my cheek. The feel of her soft lips against my cheek makes my heart skip a beat and speed up to the point I was sure it's going to burst out of my chest.

Stepping away, she's blushing heavily as she looks at me with her beautiful eyes while touching her lips. Although I can't see it, I know she has a happy grin hidden behind under her hand.

She was about to say something when time seems to slow as something large and unyielding slams into me.

My leg is trapped between my bicycle and whatever struck me. Finally beginning to catch up with events, I glance beside me and notice the two blinding lights of a black SUV that is currently pinning me in place.

In what seems to be slow motion from my point of view, the side of my head connects with the hood of the SUV. The odd, sickening feel of my skull deforming and my brain sliding to that side flows through me. In the next moment, I'm thrown from the impact to crash and roll limply along the roadway.

I’ve no idea where my bicycle went as I roll along the road and, thankfully, finally stop when the momentum from the impact is expended. The sound of my heavy breathing almost overwhelms Daisie's screams as she sees me lying limpy on the road. As I look at her panicked expression,the doors of the SUV open, and men wearing black ski masks emerge. They grab Daisie's arms and pulled her toward the SUV.

I notice an upside-down dagger tattoo on one of the men wrists as he grabs Daisie. She screams my name repeatedly as they violently pulled her into the SUV while I couldn't do anything about it.

I try to yell out her name, which results in nothing more than me weakly coughing up blood.

Every moment I try to move, pain flows like liquid fire through me, overwhelming all other sensation. It is unbearable. I cry out to cast away the pain, but found myself in even more pain.

The black SUV close its doors and drives away with Daisie inside it. Frustrated, I cry out, coughing up more blood which only serves to increase the amount of pain.

The rain begins in earnest as my vision dims and  I hear a scream from one of the neighbors nearby. The cold rain drenches me and washes away the accumulated dirt and blood. I'm almost grateful when everything finally goes away, taking the pain with it. However, a cold sensation overlapping that pain, and I can feel my whole soul slowly being ripped out from my body.

In the end, my mind falls into darkness.