Ice Cream Dreams

I’d always dreamt that I would meet my dream girl in an ice cream parlor. That I would be standing at the counter ordering a mint chocolate chip cone, and in she would stroll, wearing a red dress, looking sweeter than a candy apple. We would lock eyes, and our heart’s would melt like a cherry snow cone that’s spent way to much time under the summer sun. She’d order the peanut butter truffle, in a waffle cone, and we would trade licks as we shared stories about our favorite super hero’s and cartoon characters. We’d hold hands and watch as the machine stretched out the day’s taffy, and she’d laugh as I’d snap my fingers and step while quoting “Laffy Taffy” by D4L. I’d fill up a bag of gummy bears and sour patch kids for her, and she’d fill up a bag of jelly beans and twizzlers for me. We’d kiss passionately as the aroma of candy and sweet’s filled the air. Then we would live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, this dream hasn’t quite come true for me yet. Every time I go to an Ice Cream shoppe, I end up sitting alone in a corner while I watch all the other happy couples live out what I had always fantasized about. Why is it that there are always happy couples everywhere I turn whenever I’m feeling the most alone? It’s like they’re there just to rub it in my face. Anyways, I wasn’t going to let a few past disappointments hold me back from my dreams, so I decided to take a break from work and go grab some Ice Cream at “Sloans.” The place was packed with rug-rats running around playing with toy’s, and single moms who had their hands full, but not a single dream girl in a red dress. They were even out of mint chocolate chip ice cream, so I decided on a blueberry sherbet with gummy bears in it. As I ordered, a cute red-headed girl gets in line behind me and asks the cashier, “May I please have a cone of your Peanut Butter Truffle?” Could this be her? I thought.

As I gazed into her eyes, she twisted her face in confusion and asked, “Do I have a huge zit on my face or something geek?! Quit staring.” Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, but hey, it was better than nothing at all. “Actually, I was just admiring your good taste in ice cream,” I replied. “Peanut Butter truffle, first class choice. Why don’t you join me and we can enjoy our cones together?” I asked politely, as I gave the cashier a $10 bill to pay for her cone. “I’d rather be trampled to death by a heard of pink elephant’s, but since you paid for my cone and all my friends went to see Inception without me, what the heck. By the way, my name is Rose.” She Said.

There was something about Rose’s dry sense of humor and melancholy aura that I found kina sexy. While we sat, I told her of all my favorite super hero’s and cartoon’s, and she pretended to listen while she texted and tweeted on her Iphone 4. I tried holding her hand by the taffy machine, but she pushed me away so hard that I knocked over a rack of giant lollipops. “You think you can just try and hold my hand without buying me some sour patch kids first?! Don’t be a dweeb.” She said with a scowl. I think I was starting to fall for her. Just as I was paying for the sour patch kids, a beautiful girl in a red dress comes breezing through the door. “Hurry up and pay for those sour patch kids!!” Rose shouted. ” I have an appointment to paint my nail’s blueberry blue and your paying, let’s go!!” ” Uhh ohh,” I thought. “What do I do now?!”

It’s not everyday that you find your dream girl. In fact, some guy’s can go their whole lives without running into that woman of their dreams, and end up settling down with the first person who finds them attractive or interesting. They go through the motions of a happy relationship, never truly satisfied with who their with, always fantasizing about what life would have been like if they would have just met “HER.” Was this because they were truly unlucky, or was it because when they had the chance to meet her, they chickened out and blew it? Either way, I wasn’t going to end up like one of these guy’s today, so when I saw my dream girl walk through the door of that ice cream parlor, I knew I had to take a shot.

Just liked I’d dreamed, the moment I laid eye’s on her my heart melted like a snowman in the middle of the Summer. She was even more beautiful than I had imagined. Her red dress was as dazzling as a bagful of cherry starburst and strawberry twizzlers. I froze. I was at a loss for words. I had no idea what to even say to her. I even forgot that I was standing there with Rose, the pretty red-headed girl I had just met earlier, whom I was really starting to fall for. But as my dream girl in the red dress came closer, our eyes locked, and sparks flew like fireworks on the 4th of July. I had to think quickly. “Rose?” I asked. “What candy do you think is the sourest? Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, or Crybabies? I just can’t decide, can you help me out?” I asked this rather loudly hoping SHE might overhear.

“Ohh Brother!” Rose said as she rolled her eye’s. “You really are a dweeb. I bet your the kinda guy who goes to 7-11 and has debates over which is tastier, an ICEE or Slurpee. Sheesh! Just pick some candy and let’s go.” Just as we were about to leave, the girl in the red dress turns to us say’s, “That’s silly, everyone knows Slurpee’s are far better, they have like a thousand delicious flavor’s to choose from while ICEE only has two. And if your gonna go with something REALLY sour, go with the Warheards, they are only .25 cents and pack one heck of a punch. Remember the HOT ones, what ever happened to those?” “Who was this girl?” I thought to myself. “By the way, I’m Madelyn” She said with a smile.

“It sure is a dork day afternoon.” Rose said sarcastically. “What’s with the red dress Madelyn? You got a date with the gingerbread man from Candyland or something?” “Hehe, no silly!! I have a date with some ice cream and a waffle cone! Madelyn said giggling. “Too bad they are all out of mint chocolate chip though, it’s my favorite!” “You should try the blueberry sherbet with the gummy bears in it!” I said.” It’s Scrumptious!” “Gag Me!” Rose said sarcastically. “I think I fell asleep and woke up in nerdtown, I’m gonna get out of here and see if I can still catch the end of Inception. Later Geeks!” Rose shouted, as she hurried out the door. I was sad to see her go. After Rose left and Madelyn got her gummy bear ice cream, I walked her to over to a nice romantic spot in the corner and pulled out a chair for her to sit down.

Madelyn and I were like two peas in a pod. We had so much in common! We shared stories of our favorites comic books and movies, our favorite video games, and even pondered the answers to age old questions like, where do all the left socks go after you do the laundry? Just as I was about to reach for her hand to hold however, Madelyn looks toward the door and her eye’s light up.  She jumps out of her seat and gives the guy coming through the door a great big hug as he sweeps her off of her feet. “Jake, oh Jake! I missed you so much. How was Inception? Was it as good as everyone say’s it is? Oh Jake, I love you!” Madelyn told the handsome fellow that just walked in. ” I wan’t you to meet my new friend Anthony Nicholas.” Madelyn said as she introduced me to Jake. “Join us!” She said with excitement. After he sat down, I became invisible. I just sat there and watched as Madelyn fed Jake gummy bear ice cream and kisses. I pinched myself hard to see I I was dreaming. Sure enough, I woke up on the couch with a half eaten carton of Ben & Jerry’s mint chocolate chip on my lap. “What a nightmare!” I thought. Next time I think maybe I’ll find my dream girl in the supermarket.

~Fin~

Photograph by: Stephanie Sonju

Model: Madelyn Gapko