Laughter Lines

3.1 | a scoop of strawberry

a scoop of strawberry

as told by char

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Strawberry ice cream had always been my favorite, ever since I was old enough to eat ice cream. In fact, in elementary school, I loved it so much that I questioned how I lived without it as a baby. My parents stopped buying it for me after awhile because they thought I was getting medically addicted. I probably wasn't, but they were those parents that obsess over and fear everything. I still ate it when I was with my friends or just anywhere without my mom and dad, but I hadn't for awhile. So, when you asked me what I wanted to eat at the ice cream parlor that your sister was waiting for us at, that's what I requested. A scoop of strawberry in a sugar cone.

You asked for vanilla. Before the elderly woman behind the counter could scoop it up for you, I punched you in the arm gently. "Don't be bland again, like gray," I said. "Be festive! At least get cookie dough, or cookies and cream, or something."

You looked at me, first with dread because of your dislike towards those flavors, most likely, but then your expression softened and you turned to the lady. "Fine, can you change that to cookie dough please?"

The woman nodded and I squeezed your hand. She scooped my strawberry and then your cookie dough, and you paid, and then we sat down in a red and white booth where your sister was just finishing her cone.

When we approached, she looked up and saw our fingers intertwined together, clasping onto each other like if we let go, everything would break apart. She grinned a grin full of chocolate, which was smeared all over her face. As much as I hated to admit, she was a little odd, but I really couldn't judge because she was the reason I was holding your hand under the table, and eating my favorite ice cream next to you.

"What do you say?" your sister asked the two of us, still smiling.

We glanced at each other, stifling a laugh. "For what?" you asked.

"You guys are dating now, are you not?" she said, swallowing the rest of her cone.

I felt my cheeks get warm. Technically, you hadn't asked me out yet. Technically, you kissed me before we were dating. But that doesn't bother me at all. My first kiss was with you, and I couldn't ask for anyone better.

"Not officially," I muttered, licking my strawberry scoop.

"Everest!" your sister exclaimed, a look of shock and disappointment on her face.

I laughed, continuing to eat. "How rude of you; kissing a girl you aren't dating," I said, sarcasm tinted in my voice. "What is your girlfriend going to say?"

You nudged me carefully with your shoulder, the same forever smile on your cheeks that made me oh so happy. "Charlotte," you said, handing your ice cream cone over to your sister. I watched her take a lick when you weren't looking.

"Char," I whispered.

"Charlotte Marie," you said with emphasis, taking your index finger and swiping some of my strawberry ice cream off the cone. You dabbed your strawberry stained skin on my nose, the briskness of it spreading through me. "Would you... like to be my girlfriend?"

I reached over to you, the butterflies in my stomach at war, and took some of your cookie dough ice cream on my finger and dabbed it on your own nose. "More than anything."