Expect the Unexpected

Expect the Unexpected

Eddy Navas

10/03/2022

Something that is known but not utterly understood until experienced is that life changes. Whether it be for the better or the worse, many have their own personal paths through life that can take a whole different route within as little as a day; just like mine did. My life has been consistently monotonous. Born and raised in Miami, I went to the same school with the same people, then transitioned to high school but then again, maintained the same friend group throughout my time there. I used to always believe that change was never good… until I saw her. Somehow, falling in love with someone made me realize that change is in fact a good thing.

There she stood– in her hunter green dress. Maybe it was the way the sun was hitting her face, but her eyes were unlike any pair that I have ever seen before. Her hair was glowing with golden light. This single moment, consisting of a few seconds, was the moment I fell in love. Within the last month of my senior year of high school, my life took a sudden plot twist. Something amazing happened that no one could have anticipated.

I started to notice that even the intricate details in my life were starting to switch. I started catching myself arriving early to my government class. Sitting down, waiting for her to walk in seconds before the bell rang. Her energy was always visible and was contagious towards anyone that would be around her. For a few moments, fantasies would cross my mind. The thoughts of how beautiful she is, and how her boyfriend could never know how lucky he was to have her, would enter my mind. As fast as they would enter, they would leave, because after all, she did have a boyfriend. For a while, online Uno games with her and our friends were the moments I would hold on to. Little did I know what was in store for me.

As previously stated, anything can happen. Change takes place within a matter of moments. Before I met her, I believed that a normal, accustomed life was the best life to live. Keeping objects such as school, friends, and even entertainment the same was easier than trying out new experiences and discovering what I liked and disliked. This ideology that I stood by was beginning to fade with every day that passed.

The unexpected occurred at lunch one day with a side of gossip. Apparently, her boyfriend cheated on her, and the news was spreading like wildfire. I did not buy any of it, because who in their right mind would cheat on someone like her. It is like playing the lottery, winning, and then cheating to win again– absurd. I did not care what I heard; I knew that this could not be true.

The high school Emerald dance showcase was around the corner. I was not planning to go, but I decided to start saying yes to more opportunities, even if it meant going to a cheesy recital. My job would have been to flip through the PowerPoint slides, but they had someone manning the slides already, so now I am second guessing why I said yes in the first place. I recognized a few of my friends, so I walked over, and there she stood. We walked in, grabbed our seats, and talked while the rest of our friends were getting snacks. It was now when she told me everything. All the rumors and gossip were true. He cheated, and they were no longer together. Prom was only a month away, so this came at an inconvenient time, at least for them. Supposedly, prom was going to be this extravagant event held in Biscayne Bay as the Coronavirus had sabotaged the previous 2 years. After talking for a while, to my surprise, she asked me something: “Hey, so, if I don’t get a date for prom and you don’t get a date to prom, would you wanna go as friends?” This came as a surprise to me. The girl that I have admired all this time wants to possibly go to prom with me, as friends at least. I obviously agreed to this “pact,” knowing that I was not going to prom with anyone else.

Over the course of a few weeks, the change that I was experiencing had developed into a new comfort zone, especially when I was around her. We both had similar interests and got along great because of this. For example, we both liked the show “Impractical Jokers,” so we would play the show at the same time and text while we were watching together. All this spare time that I never knew what to do with was finally being spent toward someone that I cared for deeply. It was very fulfilling. However, there was always a thought that crossed my head; I could never tell her how I felt because if she does not feel the same way, I would be risking the one amazing thing that I would never risk, which was going to prom with her, even as friends. As a result, my feelings were bottled up, and I did not intend on confessing them due to a fear of losing this special night with her. The bottom line was that I would rather go as friends than nothing at all.

Here is the issue with bottled up feelings. They cannot stay inside of you forever. There is a breaking point that when reached, can influence your words and actions. I reached my breaking point on a Saturday– three weeks before Prom. I got a text from my friend Wesley on Saturday. He was the “friend in the middle.” I would ask him for information on her, and she would ask for information on me through him. He tells me to confess to her the feelings I have because, in his words, “you’ll spend the rest of your little time left wondering.” This “little time” was a result of her moving away for college. She was moving to a university that was a four-hour car drive away from me because I decided to stay home. One thing was for certain: I was not going to have any regrets. He called me that night. Thinking he just wanted to talk, I answered. As fate would have it, she was on the phone with him. The moment I answered, he said he had to leave to “walk his fish,” and hung up. So now, on this call, it is just me, and her. I knew that I was not hanging up without expressing the feelings I had for her. We talked for a while about random things, but there came a point where I could not hold it in anymore. I took a deep breath, counted to three, and asked her out on a date. She told me that she had the same feelings for me, and she would love to go out. I heard Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet (Fantasy Overture)” playing in the background, almost like a movie.

Earlier when I mentioned my life having a plot twist, I was not kidding. When life changes, we never know if it is for the good or the bad. For this reason, most of us, including my past-self, reject change in an effort to prolong objects and experiences throughout our lives. Change can be intimidating due to this reason; but with my experience, this love that I found proves that we should all be open to new opportunities that come our way. I would never and will never see myself as deserving of the love that was gifted to me. All I can do is be grateful and cherish every moment I have with her.

I had never been happier in my entire life. Loving and caring for someone that shares the same affection toward you is a feeling unlike any other. Within the span of a week, I prom-posed to her, went on three dates (from Zoo Miami to the Frost Science Museum, and even Crandon Park), started dating her, and went to prom. If there was any week I would want to relive, or at least spectate, it would be this one. I felt invincible. I was in love, and nothing else in the world mattered.

Fast forward to today… At this exact moment, she is currently on a facetime call with me, four hours away. We have somehow miraculously managed to make our situation feasible. Though it takes more effort than a typical relationship would, I am optimistic for our future as this was a learning experience that change can in fact be for the better. Life changes during the most unexpected circumstances. These experiences were a revelation to the possibilities of change and how one can be so easily impacted by the unknown. Observing the past few months of my life, I can say that change can be for the better, especially if it opens a gateway to growth.