She kissed him goodbye, knowing he wouldn’t remember her tomorrow.

“Candle bright, with borrowed flame,

Carry her wish without a name.

For one day’s turn let his heart bend,

But only till the daylight ends.

A kiss too soon will break the thread,

And wipe her memory from his head.

But if their lips meet past the hour,

Let true love wake in gentle power.

Flame go out, the wish is free.”

 

Jennifer was her best friend. So she thought. Amber walked down the hallway at a faster pace from third hour to lunch. Her sixteenth birthday proved to be just like any of her other ones. Simple, cheap, and cursed. Every year she made a wish and hoped it would come true. Each year proved another disappointment. Except for this one.

 As she blew out the purple candle atop a chocolate cupcake, her best friend cast a spell on someone she has had a crush on since the first grade. So not only was she dealing with Jayden being completely obsessed with her for the next twenty-four hours, but she was also facing the reality that her best friend betrayed her. At first, she didn’t believe the silly spell until he asked her out. He never even spoke to her until today.

Sure, there were passing glances and times when they had to speak to each other for class projects. He never crushed back though. Amber got her food and headed toward her usual table to find him already there. He must have had her distracted because suddenly she felt something against her leg and before she could react, Amber was falling. She slammed into the floor and almost hit her face. Her tray went flying and landed on her back, food splattering all over her. Disgust showed on her face. Everyone was laughing.

 “Oops. My bad.” Lidia smirked and her friends burst out laughing. She stood to her feet. The liquid and debris from the food felt cold against her back and she felt the milk running downward. Amber kept her head low as she went to pick up her tray. Someone already grabbed it. Jayden. Amber felt her cheeks burn red. “You okay?” He brushed the food off her back and put her tray down. “Not really.” Amber choked down the tears of embarrassment. Jayden gave her his hoodie. “Here, put this on. It will help.” She took it from him, noticing his solid brown eyes watching her as she put it on. “Thank you.” It smelled so good. Jayden walked over to Lidia. “You brat! Don’t do that again. Understand?” He glared. Lidia shrugged.

 “Or what? I’m not scared.” Her and her friends laughed. “You will be. Just wait until I tell Mom and Dad.” Even better. Amber was being bullied by his sister. “Uh, thank you for the hoodie.” She sped out of the cafeteria. Lidia and Jayden’s argument faded as she left. Not long after she heard footsteps behind her. Jayden tapped her. “Hey, I am so sorry that happened to you. You don’t deserve that.” Amber’s embarrassment kept her quiet. “She’s a very mean person.” He stopped in front of her and she quit walking. “I heard yesterday was your birthday. Happy late birthday.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “I also heard it wasn’t that special. I would like to take you out tonight and make this day better. What do you say? We could go see a movie or go bowling, have a nice dinner. I will pay for it.”

Amber thought about it. That was the curse talking. It wasn’t because he wanted to. “Thank you. I would like that. A movie sounds wonderful.” He lit up. “Great! I will pick you up tonight. Text me your address.” When she got home, the reality of him taking her out excited her. She quickly showered and started going through outfits. It seemed like she went through her entire wardrobe before settling on a simple pair of jeans and a solid blue T-shirt. Her make-up and hair made up for the plain outfit. It was French braided in a single row, and her eyeshadow matched her shirt with a hint of glitter to make them shine. Amber sent the text with her address, and some cute heart emotes. Thirty minutes later the doorbell rang and they left.

“You look beautiful.” She blushed. “Thank you, you look adorable, I mean cute!” She looked away. He laughed. “Thank you.” They decided on an action movie. Amber loved that they seemed to have so much in common. They talked a lot on the way, and it all felt so perfect. During the movie, he slipped his arm around her. She enjoyed every second. Halfway through, he pulled her in gently for a kiss and his lips brushed hers, she hesitated and pulled back. He looked confused and disappointed. Amber knew if he kissed her, he would forget her forever. Amber knew if she let this go, the love for her wouldn’t be real. It felt so right! She turned away and focused on the movie as a battle raged in her mind. Another birthday year gone wrong. She didn’t expect anything different, but this was too much.

Amber took his hand into her hers, caressing it with her thumb. She knew what she had to do. He brought her home after the movie ended. They skipped dinner because they filled up on Soda and Popcorn. He walked her to the door. Amber smiled at him. “I had a great time tonight. Thank you for making my day special.” He smiled back. “You deserve the best in life Amber.” Her heart sank. She moved closer and rested her head on his chest. His arms wrapped around her. She felt sad again. Jayden lifted her chin and their eyes met. “I love you, Amber.” Their lips met. “I love you too, Jayden.” He brushed her cheek with his hand then walked away. Amber whispered, “Goodbye.”