Ashley Elvington I
staff writer
Love in the Ever After
Like most girls, I cherished Disney Princess movies as a child. My favorite is Cinderella. I never grow tired of her fairy tale. She was the underdog that was given a night full of majestic wonder thanks to a fairy godmother and some pixie dust. She dances with a handsome prince, then loses her shoe in the process of making her curfew. The best part? The prince returns the shoe to her (which would seal the deal for me, as it would be truly heartbreaking for me to lose one of my beloved heels), then they ride off together into the heart shaped atmosphere. But I always wondered - what next?
What happens aſter they’re reunited, having conquered the force that tries to keep
them apart? Does she continue to wash the dishes and do the mopping? I’d like to think the prince at least had a maid or two. That’s the funny thing about fairy tales - you never see what happens aſter the horse ride into the sunset. Happily ever aſter? For how long? Until Prince Charming loses his charm? Sometimes I envision him sitting in a La-Z-Boy with a beer belly and orange Cheetos stains on his white tank top. But let’s try to be opti- mistic. Maybe that’s what she loves the most about him. The initial magic may be gone, but hopefully the fire within is still aflame. Aſter almost seven years, I’m happy to say that the thing called love is still alive and well between me and my precious Phillip. I’ll always remember the first time we met. He arrived at my school in the 7th grade, but we didn’t actually talk until 8th grade. He commented on my Nirvana shirt during PE. Me being the awkward braces wearing/acne covered/shy girl that I was, that comment made my entire week. In fact, it probably was the highlight of that school year. We got to know each other better in 9th grade. I won’t lie; Phillip annoyed me a little at first. I thought he was ‘too big for his britches.’ But once I truly got to know him and spent time with him outside of school, we quickly became best friends. The more we bonded, the more others seemed to see something between us. Our Spanish teacher would always tell us to just go ahead and “date already!” Phillip made it clear to me aſter a while that he had feelings for me, especially during
11th grade when he kissed me aſter a day of hanging out. But I was hesitant and stayed that way until our first semester of college. I cherished our friendship so much; what if we dated, then didn’t work out? I’d lose not only a boyfriend, but also the best friend I ever had. Instead of taking the risk, I plunged myself into several relationships with guys who were anything but right for me. I was searching all over for what was right in front of my eyes. I don’t know how he did it - witnessing me being with others while falling more in love with me. This feeling was something I would have to experience myself and did so during our last year of high school. I didn’t realize just how much I truly cared about Phillip until I not only saw him with some- one else, but also how happy he seemed to be. I immediately began to question if I made a mistake by turning him down so many times before. I remember sitting in my Trailblazer
136 February 2014
with my childhood best friend, confused as to why I felt anger towards him for being with this girl. This was my best friend - shouldn’t I be happy for him? C’mon, Ashley. You didn’t want a relationship with him, so what’s the big deal? This moment was the first time I was jealous over someone else’s relationship. I was frustrated - I had given in to my suppressed feelings all too late. He was with someone else now; I was just a thing of the past. Because of this, I no longer knew how to act. I was nervous, shy and awkward. I soon tried to just forget him all together by getting into another relationship and ignoring him. We lost contact over the summer, which I regret because I never should have stopped being his best friend. We got back in touch in August before he started at Francis Marion University and I was
to move to Conway to attend Coastal Carolina University. He had been on my mind and aſter my relationship had failed, I called him crying. I played it off like I was upset about my breakup, but I was secretly more upset over deserting him the way that I did. I picked up the phone, not even sure that he would still have my number. The conversation was awkward at first but eventually, he asked if I wanted to hangout that day. I was so nervous but thankful that I was forgiven. Like true friends, we picked up as if we had never gone a day without talking to one another. Three months later, Phillip told me that he couldn’t wait any longer. He just had to know how I felt. I finally told him! Phew! What a relief. Currently, we’re still deeply in love with one another. In fact, my love for him grows
with each passing day. A lot of people warn against dating friends, but it honestly was the best decision I made. Sure, it hasn’t been a fairy tale. We both aggravate one another. I’m needy and he’s still a bit too big for his britches (I just love the rare moments where I prove him wrong about things!). But at the end of the day, our love is strong enough to conquer anything. We’ve created our own story. And although there’s no fairy godmother or pumpkin carriage, the way Phillip makes me feel cannot be recreated through a magic wand. Forget the knight in shining armor on a galloping white steed; I get butterflies see- ing that silver Pontiac turn into my driveway. Things aren’t perfect, but I wouldn’t want them to be. I pray we continue to learn about one another as we grow in our relationship. I don’t worry about the future anymore. God placed Phillip in my life for a reason, and I cannot thank Him enough for blessing me at such a young age with the one whom my soul loves so unconditionally.
shemagazine.com
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