Capricorn

This was it.

This was the night everything would change for me.

For Virgo.

Tonight, I would tell her.

Tonight, I would tell her, and she would realise that it was going to be us all along.

Tonight, bad grammar was excused. The use of slang was excused. Even double dipping was excused.

Because tonight, I had decided, would be perfect.

Of course, for the night to be perfect, the person it all involved had to show up first...

I'd set up a picnic spot near a tree, setting up a candlelit picnic under the stars, right next to the beach. Fairy lights were strung up in the tree by the rustic wooden picnic table, a red gingham tablecloth laid over its chipping surface, Virgo's favourite beef lasagna, along with some freshly made lemonade, graced the table, an Esky filled with ice and holding a small tub of vanilla ice cream hidden below.

It wasn't too fancy, but it was something I knew Virgo would appreciate.

"Capricorn? Where are y-"

Virgo stopped in her tracks when she saw the picnic I'd set up, mouth hanging wide open. She looked beautiful as always in a navy blue romper, paired with golden jewelry and beige espadrilles. "Capricorn, this is amazing!"

I smiled, inviting her to sit opposite me. "I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted all of this to be perfect."

I revealed the lasagna, watching as Virgo's face lit up with joy. "Is that-"

"Homemade beef lasagna? Yes. I made it earlier today, in preparation for the picnic. I have made some fresh lemonade too..."

"Oh, my gosh, this is just too much! You didn't have to go to all this effort..."

Seeing my face, Virgo revisited her word, her face breaking out into a childish smile.

"Who am I kidding? This... this is just perfect."

She dug in, devouring the lasagna faster than humanly possible. It was miraculous, really, how fast Virgo could eat without ruining her makeup or dropping food on herself. She was a master with a knife and a fork, the lasagna so gracefully touching those gorgeous, gorgeous lips, not even leaving a mark as she ate-

"You gonna eat that, Cap?" Virgo asked, looking up from her plate. I nodded abruptly, colour flooding my cheeks. "Y-yeah, I was just admiring how beautiful y-the lasagna is!"

"It is... beautiful, I guess."

"You bet it is!" I yelled, laughing very awkwardly.

Dear God, this wasn't going the way it was meant to.

"You bet?" Virgo echoed incredulously. "You bet? Capricorn, is everything okay?"

"Everything's totally fine. All good."

"Okay, that's it. We need to take you to the doctor."

"What? No! This is how I always talk, dude!"

At least I now knew that slang was the language I spoke when I was nervous.

"Well, the lasagna's finished," Virgo chimed, casting a look at the empty jug of lemonade.

"And the-"

"Lemonade too. But don't worry. I've got ice cream!"

I reached under the table, ducking down completely to open the Esky. It was incredibly difficult, being cramped in such a confined space and trying to open an Esky at the same time, but eventually, I managed to pry the thing open, reaching for the ice cream hurriedly. "AHA!" I shouted, jerking up...

Only to hit my head incredibly hard on the table.

Just when I had thought this could not have gone any further south, this happened. Tonight was meant to be a night for the ages. The night Virgo and I finally admitted our feelings for one another and kissed under the stars, only stopping so that Virgo could tell Lewis it was over between them. But so far, all I'd done was prove to Virgo that Lewis was a lot more organised than I was, and also that Lewis clearly did not have strange episodes of psychotic slang-speaking.

And, as it now appeared, strange episodes of tragically horrible grammar.

"Oh my God, Capricorn, are you okay?" Virgo asked worriedly from above the table.

"Yeah," I replied, hoisting myself back up. "It was not an issue. I just managed to hot my head on the bottom of this incredibly minuscule table..."

"And he's back," Virgo laughed. "Why don't we eat the ice cream on the beach?"

"I'd love that."

And so a catastrophic picnic made its way to the beach, Virgo carrying the ice cream and two spoons.

.....

"So... why the picnic?" Virgo asked. We were halfway through the tub of ice cream, sitting in silence and watching as the moon illuminated the waves.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you could've just bought McDonald's or taken me to a Starbucks. What's with all the... formality?"

"I just-"

"I'm not saying I didn't appreciate, it, because I definitely did, but I'm confused. Why'd you do it? Why'd you go to all that trouble?"

I sighed, taking Virgo's hands and putting the tub of ice cream down. I turned to look into her eyes, sparkling in the moonlight.

"I did it all because I need to tell you something."

"Tell me what? Cap, you're starting to freak me out."

"I think I'm in love with you, Virgo."

Virgo's eyes widened as she sat there, hands in mine, dumbfounded.

"I've liked you for a really long time now," I added, knowing that I was about to start rambling. "The day I met you, I felt as though we had a connection. I don't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that we were both at the library at the same time, looking for the same book and using the same system to find it."

"The Dewey decimal system," Virgo contributed, smiling softly.

"You understood me. You understood me in a way nobody else ever had, and you were always there. You were always the voice of reason. The one person in the whole world I felt connected to.

"I didn't realise what it meant until a year ago. We're soulmates, Virgo. You know better than anyone that I'm not one to believe that 'true love' crap, but what we have-it might as well be true love. It's the most perfect feeling I've ever felt, and I know you feel it too, Virgo."

"What about Irene?" Virgo asked, still trying to process everything I'd just said.

"I broke up with her two weeks ago," I replied.

Virgo relaxed, melting into my grasp, leaning in....

Before she tensed, letting go of my hands and backing away.

"No. No. We can't do this. I have Lewis. I'm with Lewis. I like Lewis. You're just-you're playing with me! I-I don't feel-"

"Stop lying," I said, cupping her face in my hands. "Virgo, you know you belong with me."

"N-no-"

"I guess you need convincing, then," I said.

And that was when I kissed her.

It was better than anything I'd ever known. It was all the happiness in the world, all the sunflowers and dandelions and tulips swaying in the breeze, the sun's bright glare, the dolphins frolicking in crystal clear waters-

Virgo pushed me away angrily, slapping me.

Hard.

"You jerk!" she cried. "You can't just-just- do that! You can't make me feel things like that because I don't want to feel things like that! I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!"

And with that, she ran away, leaving behind the ice cream.