Mario Selman // Happiest Girl Alive

                                    

                                          
requested by @idfcmario
                          
"Hi! I'm Mario!" A small boy with black hair approaches me. 
                          
I stare at him, annoyed that he interrupted my coloring. 
                          
"I'm Emily," I reply half heartedly. 
                          
"Can we be best friends?"
                          
"No!" I exclaim, annoyed. 
                          
"Why not?"
                          
"Because you're a boy. And boys and girls can't be best friends. Plus, boys have cooties!"
                          
Mario stares at me, "We don't have cooties!"
                          
"Prove it!" 
                          
"Okay!"
                          
Soon, he's chasing me around the playground.
                          
•
                          
"You like Mario!" 
                          
I death stare my classmate. Her hair is pulled into two pigtails with pink ribbons hanging down from them. It's hard to take a kid seriously dressed like that, especially when they have a matching tutu. 
                          
"No," I reply matter-of-factly. 
                          
"Then why do you always hang out with him? You two are practically married."
                          
I try not to laugh, "We're eight!"
                          
"I know," She responds, not caring that I'm completely annoyed, "I think you two like each other and you just don't wanna admit it."
                          
Then, she wanders off, singing a song about Thomas the Train. 
                          
Maybe I do like him...
                          
•
                          
I stare into the mirror.
                          
"Am I too nice?"
                          
"It's a dance," Mario says, rolling his eyes. 
                          
"The first dance of middle school," I add, adjusting his collar. 
                          
"And I don't want to go."
                          
"But, because I'm your best friend forever you're going."
                          
He sighs, "I prefer our pizza Fridays."
                          
"But, this is special."
                          
"You're dressed too nice. Guess you don't have an outfit. Let's ditch."
                          
"You're lame."
                          
He laughs, following me out the door to the dance. 
                          
If only it could be us dancing together. 
                          
•
                          
"Emily, how can you not like Mario?"
                          
I shrug, "He's my best friend. I don't think I could ever feel that way about him."
                          
"I don't believe you," My friend, Natalie  says. 
                          
Over the past few years I've found myself dreaming of what would happen if Mario and I became a thing. Not that that would happen. We're best friends and I wouldn't trade that for anything. 
                          
"You two are cute together," And then I laugh. 
                          
"You remind me of our eight year old self," I say, reminiscing on the girl with pink pigtails and tutus. 
                          
•
                          
"Emily!" Mario shouts, jumping on my back. 
                          
I fall instantly, not being able to withstand his weight. 
                          
Soon, we're nose to nose. He rolls off me and jumps onto my bed. 
                          
"I have a question," He says quietly. 
                          
"Yeah?"
                          
"What would happen if we became for than friends?"
                          
I paused thoughtfully, "I'd be the happiest girl alive."
                          
•
                          
"Mommy? Is that the true story on how you and dad became married?" I smiled at my little eight year old. 
                          
"Yes, honey, it is."
                          
"You two are cute."
                          
She pauses.
                          
"Do you think Lucas and I will ever be like that?"

                          
» Melody