It all started with a text message. One of those accidental ones, where you mean to text one person, but it ends up going to someone entirely unexpected. In my case, it was a guy named Kade. I didn't know Kade, but apparently, he went to the same school as me.
~
"Hey, babe, can't wait to see you tonight. I've got a surprise for you ;)"

I stared at my phone in confusion. Who was this guy, and why was he calling me babe? I quickly typed back, "Uh, wrong number?"

But Kade was undeterred. He replied almost immediately, "LOL, sorry. New phone, who dis?"

I rolled my eyes. Boys. Always so eager to make a joke. I decided to play along. "This is Vanessa. Who are you trying to text?"

There was a pause before Kade answered. "Oh, sorry Vanessa. I was trying to text my girlfriend. Her name is Vicky."

I laughed out loud. "Well, good luck with that, Kade. Maybe make sure you have the right number next time."

And that was that, or so I thought. But then, a few days later, I bumped into Kade in the hallway. He was tall, with shaggy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. I couldn't help but notice how cute he was, even though he was wearing a hideous Hawaiian shirt.

"Hey, Vanessa," he said, grinning at me. "Nice to meet you in person."

I raised an eyebrow. "Did you wear that shirt on purpose?"

Kade looked down sheepishly. "I guess I'm not exactly known for my fashion sense."

I laughed. "Well, I don't know if you can tell from my violet hair, but I'm hardly one to judge."

And that was how Kade and I became friends, bonding over our mutual lack of style and our love of sarcastic humor. We started texting constantly, sending each other memes and jokes, and making fun of our teachers behind their backs.

But there was always a little bit of flirtation there, too. Kade would send me heart emojis and call me "gorgeous." I would reciprocate with winky faces and "aww, you're too sweet."

It wasn't until the homecoming dance that things really came to a head. Kade showed up at my house in a red tuxedo jacket and matching bowtie, looking like he had just stepped out of a rom-com. I couldn't help but laugh at him, but secretly, I was swooning.

We danced the night away, goofing off and making fun of the cheesy music. And then, when the slow songs came on, Kade would hold me close and whisper in my ear.

"I know we started out as just friends, Vanessa," he said, his breath tickling my neck. "But I really like you. Like, a lot."

I looked up at him, my heart pounding. "I like you too, Kade. But what about Vicky?"

Kade grimaced. "She's, uh, not really the right fit for me, you know? We've been having problems lately."

I nodded sympathetically. "I get it. But that doesn't mean we should rush into anything, right?"

Kade smiled. "Of course not. I'm happy to take things slow with you."

And that's how my accidental text message turned into a hilarious romance comedy. Kade and I started officially dating a few weeks later, and the rest is history. We still text each other constantly, but now it's all lovey-dovey messages and promises of forever.
Who knew a wrong number could lead to such a happy ending?
© Jolly