Heart of Gold

I thought the sun was bright, until I saw her.

Well, not her specifically, but the golden heart around her wrist. It was a beautiful Tiffany bracelet, as I would come to know, and it's owner was a girl with the ironic name of Tiffany.

I entered English class just like any other day of my normal high school life, but after I sat down, she entered after me. Immediately, the room got ten shades brighter. It was like someone opened a window, or knocked the ceiling off of the school.

And of course, there was the bracelet.

I couldn't stop staring at it. It's rich glow perfectly matched her shining blonde hair. When the teacher introduced her to us, I could only stare in awe. How could I be so lucky as to experience an angel on earth?

I know what you're thinking: this girl was nothing but a cliche. Maybe you're right. But at the time, how could I have known? I was so drawn to her warmth, her easy laugh when the teacher made a joke, the way her golden heart dangled as she raised her hand. She may as well have cut me open and stuffed me with summer air.

As soon as class ended, I hurried to introduce myself. Standing next to her was like being wrapped in a warm blanket. I mentioned her bracelet, and she told me it was from Tiffany. When I laughed, Tiffany joined me. She looked into my eyes and asked if I could show her around the school. With a face like hers, how could I say no?

I spent the day introducing the sun to the minor planets in our school's galaxy. With the way they all gravitated toward Tiffany, I knew my time was limited. How can a meteorite compare to the center of the galaxy?

At the end of the day, I almost ran to the lockers where I had told Tiffany to meet me. I was going to walk her home so she wouldn't be lost in her new town.

For some reason, I thought we had a connection. After only one day of having her in my life, I wrongly assumed that she was mine. There is no way to catch a honey-yellow canary once it has flown off. Why did I expect that I could?

I rounded the corner, and suddenly turned to ice. A football player had her in his arms against the lockers. She giggled, and a bubble of warmth grew around them. I wasn't in it. Icicles grew inside my heart, mercilessly piercing it. I knew better than to get involved in something like this, and yet I still did.

They broke apart for a moment and she turned and looked at me. I ran. Far, far away from the summer breezes, yellow wings, and sunshine galaxies. I ran with the image of a golden heart burned into my mind.