2012-12-15

Brianne felt numb from the waist down. She was pretty sure that once she got feeling back sitting was going to be quite the chore. A striking dark-haired fellow with an olive complexion skated up to her and extended a hand.

            “Are you giving up?” He said with a suave, Latin accent.

            She thought he was quite possibly the single most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes upon. His hair was neat, face slightly scruffy, a soft smile, and eyes so deep she wanted to swim in them. His voice sounded like music, soothing and pleasurable to listen to. She imagined he could be a ‘Romeo’ for some girl.

            Suddenly, Brianne thought of her first-grade play, and how she had given up during tryouts after stumbling over a single line. She never tried out for a play again.

            She thought of second grade soccer and herself playing goalie, of how she let the other team score four goals during her first game ever. She never played another game after that one.

            She thought of how she tried skiing in third grade and fell, spraining her wrist the first time down the slope. She never put on skis again.

            She thought of dance in fourth grade.

            She thought of band in fifth grade.

            She thought of softball in sixth grade.

            In a brief instant she went through a lifetime of trying, failing, and quickly giving up.

            Why had she given up?

            She tried to answer, but found none, and realized that was the key. She had given up all those times for really no reason at all.

            She stared deeply, resolutely into the handsome fellow’s face.

            “No,” she replied with a smile, accepting his assistance. Maybe she would even try something else.