I look away when Courtney and Drew kiss. It wasn’t until I looked around the table that I realized Trisha, Patrice, and Em’s eyes were on me. I bugged my eyes out at them to tell them to cut it out and they laughed.
“You should come sit with us.” Said Courtney, “Sitting with these brainiacs is going to tarnish your rep.”
“Right, because being stupid is so much more attractive.” I scoff. “Well if anyone would know it would be you.”
“I’ll be right there.” Drew stares at me incredulously.
Courtney kisses him one last time then heads back over to the jock table to glare at me. Glancing over at Drew I wonder if he actually thought hanging out with us tarnished his rep as she put it.
“Since when does hanging out with us tarnish your rep?” I ask.
“Come on Sid, you know how it goes.” He replies.
“No I don’t know how it goes.” I reply, upset. “Why don’t you break it down for me?”
Drew stares at me in disbelief like I’m overreacting or something. He looks around the table at everyone else and they all shrug. They look just as caught off guard as he is and I wonder if I’m being too sensitive.
“You’re all brainiacs and I’m a jock. As much as I hate clichés, our kinds usually don’t cross paths unless you’re helping me with my homework.” He chuckles.
“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard and the Drew I know wouldn’t care about clichés.”
“I was nine.” He snaps at me, “People change.”
We’re locked in an intense stare down. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why I took such offense to what he said.
“I’m going to go now, I’ll see you after school.” He told me.
“Whatever.” I wave him off.
Drew walks over to the jock table and I’m so angry with him but I haven’t the slightest idea why.
“Are you okay?” Asks Trisha.
“I’m fine, why?” I lie.
“Maybe because you just bit Drew’s head off for wanting to sit with his friends.” Em replies.
“I don’t think it was Drew wanting to sit with his friends she had a problem with.” Patrice smiles.
“Wow Sid, this crush has you bugging out.” Trisha sniggers.
“She’s such a…witch! I just don’t get what he sees in her.” I reply, shaking my head.
“Don’t, or don’t want to?” Em poses.
“I’m going insane aren’t I?”
“Yes, but you can hardly tell.” Trisha teases.
Everyone burst into laughter and I felt so exposed for the crushing fool I was. After lunch, my fifth and sixth period classes flew by. I knew Josh and Em left after fifth period for some other thing they had to do together so I waited out front for Drew who showed up.
“You ready?” He asks, walking up.
“Yes.” I answer.
Drew opened my car door for me, which is a respectful gesture a lot of guys these days have forgotten all about. I sit down in my seat and buckle myself in. I told myself I wouldn’t say anything to him, but then he started talking about what happened today in the cafeteria and I couldn’t ignore him.
“What was with you earlier?”
“I don’t know I was just irritated.” I answer.
“That’s an understatement.”
“Forget about it, I have.”
“Since you’re coming over to my house until your parents get home I figured you could help me out with my homework.” Drew looks at me with hopeful eyes.
“Why don’t you get Courtney to help you with your homework?” My jealousy rears its ugly head.
“Come on now, that would be like the blind leading the blind.” He smirks.
“If you applied yourself to your school work as much as you do to basketball you could be the next Einstein.” I tease.
“Maybe, but being smart isn’t nearly as fun as putting a basketball in my hands.” He smiles.
“Spoken like a true jock.” I reply. “More interested in frying brain cells instead of actually using them.”
“You like to ball too miss smarty pants.” Drew laughs.
“Yes, but my education comes first.”
“That’s right. Your dad has you on one of his military missions to be the next Einstein.” He shakes his head.
We pulled into his driveway and Mrs. Taylor is on the porch waiting for us. My parents probably asked her to keep an eye on us while they were gone.
“I made you guys a snack.” Said Mrs. Taylor, “Sidney can you wash your hands and help me in the kitchen?”
Snacks? What are we seven?
“Sure Mrs. Taylor.” I nod.
I wash my hands and Mrs. Taylor asks me to help her bring the snacks into the living room. “Your parents asked me to keep an eye on you and to make sure you stayed out of trouble.” She told me. As if I haven’t already figured that out.
“Of course, what are parents for?” I reply sarcastically.
“Thanks for helping me. You two should do your homework.”
I took out my textbooks and the lists of assignments I had then got started on my homework. I went over my work twice and when I was done I checked to make sure I didn’t make any mistakes.
“You’re done?” Drew asks impressed.
“Yes, and I checked it twice.” I put my books back in my bag.
“Want to shoot some hoops?” He asks.
“Sure.” I smile. “Just let me get changed first.”
I nod and catch his mother eyeing him like she thinks he’s up to something. “You need to finish your homework before you can go anywhere.” She tells him.
“Yes ma’am.” Drew smiles.
I decide to help him with his homework so that we can hurry up and go outside. That proved to be more of a distraction for him than help. While I’d be explaining a problem to him he’d watch me with this slight smile on his face. His homework was the last thing on his mind. Drew Taylor is a LOST CAUSE.
“Focus.” I snap at him.
“It’s hard to focus with you, you’re a distraction.” He teases.
“Stop flirting with Sidney and finish your homework.” Mrs. Taylor warns him.
Is that what he was doing? I hadn’t noticed (Sarcasm). I look over at Drew and we both start laughing. His mom caught on to his game and she nipped it in the bud REAL QUICK.
It took us twenty minutes to finish his homework. I waited while Drew changed into some shorts and a t-shirt. He walked me over to my house so I could get changed as well and waited out on the porch where his mom could see him like she asked. I came back outside ten minutes later.
Drew follows me over to the driveway and we began playing a game of twenty-one. We are only going up to twenty-one points and by the time nightfall came he’d won four games and so had I.
“Okay, this is the tie breaker.” Drew announces.
He tosses me the ball and I had him check me in. He bounced the ball back and I went up for a three point shot hoping to put an end to this game quick. It sank inside the net flawlessly.
“You can shoot three pointers all day,” Drew says bored, “I want to see you take me to the hole and make it.”
Drew was faster than me so the only way this was going to work was if I could shake him. I went to the right full speed, then pump faked to the left as soon as I was in the hole. He jumped in the air to block my shot and as he came down I went up bouncing the ball off the backboard and into the net.
“Anything else you’d like to see?” I ask, smiling.
“I’m really glad no one was out here to see that.” Drew laughs.
“Admit that I’m good and I’ll let you win.”
“Let me win huh?” He shakes his head.
“Yes, I’ll let you win.”
Drew stops blocking me and just stands there, gazing into my eyes. I looked around and there was no one standing behind me so I returned my attention to him.
“What?” I frown.
Drew’s smile fades and is replaced by a different look. A look that made me so nervous and panicked that my mind shuts off, leaving me paralyzed. He walks up to me gently grasping my face with both hands and my breath catches in my throat.
BREATHE! BREATHE! BREATHE!
I can’t think and I can’t breathe. I can’t even put together a thought at this moment because Drew is kissing me. My heart is racing and I don’t even know my name right now. His arms reaches around the small of my back and pulls me in closer. My arms fall to my side, dropping the ball and when he pulls back he takes my breath away with him. My eyes linger shut for a second, savoring the moment and then I open my eyes. Drew Taylor just gave me my first kiss, EVER. And it was PERFECT.
“Drew, in the house! Now!” Mrs. Taylor shouts at him from across the street.
“See. Look what you did…you got me in trouble.” He smirks.
“Your mom’s going to kill you.”
“Yes, but it was worth it.” He laughs, washing over me with his eyes.
He picks up the ball and we both head back to his house. His mom smacks him upside the back of his head and begins scolding him for kissing me.
“You know better than that Andrew. I promised her parents that wouldn’t happen and leave it up to you to make a liar out of me.” She shouts.
“She won’t tell, will you Sid?” He asks.
“Huh?” I frown, still on cloud nine from that kiss.
“Boy, go to your room!” She swats at him again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.” I wave.
With Drew confined to his room, I had to sit with his mom in the living room until my parents came home, which was only twenty minutes later. But it seemed like an eternity. I just knew I was going to be in a world of trouble and I was probably never going to see Drew again once his mom told my parents about that kiss.
Ironically, when my parents came to pick me up she didn’t tell them anything. And as I headed out the front door she winks at me. She’s not going to snitch on me! I’m finally able to exhale. She’s so cool!
After dinner that night I headed up to my room and had a hard time falling asleep. I lay there staring at the walls until one in the morning, going over that kiss in my head and wondering what it meant. Then it hit me. DREW KISSED ME…AND HE HAS A GIRLFRIEND!
I managed to beat my alarm clock by a few minutes the next day then got out of bed. I showered and got ready for school. That kiss was still dancing around in my head and I had a fixated smile on my face. But I shouldn’t. He was seeing someone, which only made his kissing me feel cheap.
“You seem to be in a good mood.” Mom notices.
“Mrs. Taylor is really nice mom.” I reply. I didn’t know what else to say.
I have no clue why I said that, it’s just the first thing that came to my mind. Both Josh and Em stare at me like I’m crazy and then they both became suspicious. We pile into Josh’s car and Trisha and Em turn their attention to me.
“Spill it.” They demand.
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lie.
“Liar, oh it’s got to be juicy if you’re keeping it a secret!” Em exclaims excitedly.
“Emily’s right and we’re your best friends so you better spill it.” Trisha chimes in.
“Fine, Drew kissed me last night.” I told them.
The three of us exchange excited glances and then Trisha and Em began screaming. We were at a stoplight so Josh covered his ears.
“OMG, was he a good kisser?” Trisha asks.
“He took my breath away.” I gaze longingly out the window, replaying the kiss in my head.
They scream again and Josh turns to look at them like they’re crazy. We all burst into laughter.
“Are you guys going to scream like that again, because if so just let me know so I can pull over and cover my ears?” Josh complains.
“Don’t hate.” I stick my tongue out at him.
“I could care less Sidney, seriously I just need my ear drums.” He replies.
“Drive, we won’t scream again.” Trisha promises.
When we finally pull into the parking lot at school, Drew is standing next to his car waiting for us. He walks over to us and waits for me to get out of the car.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” I smile, nervously.
“So, I was thinking.” He says, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“Thinking what?” I ask. Drew’s fidgety and his eyes are all over the place. “You look nervous.”
“If I’m nervous it’s because I’ve asked you out twice already and you’ve turned me down both times.”
“You had a girlfriend.” I remind him. “As a matter of fact, you STILL have a girlfriend. And you know my dad Drew.”
“Actually I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.” He drops a nuclear sized bomb on me. “I broke up with her last night.”
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