going to see you again. I’m just trying to grab a few moments, if that’s okay?” He put his arm around me, drew his body close to mine. He sniffed. “Do you have a dog?”
“Oh. Sorry about that. I sat next to Maudrina Salley in—”
He kissed me, his lips smothering my words. My breath caught as an excitement I’d never felt before coursed through my body.
Brrrring!
The second bell.
We were officially late. A part of me wanted to end the kiss right then and race off to class before I was marked tardy and had to serve detention. But that was a very small part, and eventually even that part of me wanted to stay.
#
Every school has a stairwell that gets traveled least. These gems are easy to locate late in the day when the student population has dwindled for various reasons. But the discovery of a stairwell that has light traffic between second and third periods, when the school is bursting with activity, is like finding a specific grain of sand in the ocean.
This was one of the first tasks Guy took upon himself whenever he arrived at a new school. He scouted out secure locations for ditching class. Empty stairwells were among his favorite.
The stairwell in the far north corner of G.U. was, for Guy’s purposes, a twelve-carat diamond of obscurity. For me, it was a little taste of heaven. Guy and I rendezvoused there every day between second and third periods for the rest of the week. I couldn’t wait for him to get his hands on me, for his lips to touch mine. I loved the way he nibbled at my lower lip, conjuring spires of pain and delight.
My tardy slips were piling up, as was my time in detention. But I didn’t care. I looked forward to my stolen moments with Guy the way a child looks forward to Christmas.
On the following Wednesday when I arrived, I pulled out a pink tardy slip. He looked from the tardy slip to me, a veil of caution sliding over his eyes.
“You know what this is?” I waved the slip.
“’Course I know. I’ve got a locker full of em.”
“Just checking,” I said in a playful sing-song.
He began shifting uncomfortably. “Look, maybe we should get to class.”
I moved in closer. “I didn’t bring it because I wanted to go to class. I brought it because when I look at my collection of tardies, instead of feeling like I need to straighten up, I think of you.”
I smiled, and this time all the seduction I could hope for came shining through. He smiled back, taking me in his arms.
“I just wanted you to know that I’ve never done anything like this before. But if I had a chance to do it again, I would.” I looked deeply into his eyes and he kissed me gently.
When the kiss ended, I took his left hand in mine. I pulled something from my pocket and waved it.
“What’s that?”
“A bracelet,” I said. “I made it out of tardy slips last night.” It was a silly thing I used to do in middle school, braiding gum wrappers together into a bracelet or necklace. Last night, without thinking, I realized I’d made one with tardy slips.
“With this bracelet, I thee tardy,” I said, and without a hint of embarrassment, I slid the pink-paper bracelet onto his wrist.
He laughed. “That is the lamest.”
For a split second a pang of hurt stabbed into me. Like maybe he thought I was some stupid, immature girl. But when I looked into his eyes I realized he was happy. Happy to get the bracelet; happy with me.
“No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.” He held up his wrist, admiring my handiwork.
It was the happiest moment of my life.
#
Saturday morning I awoke to find my mother seated at the foot of my bed, staring at me as if seeing me for the first time.
“Mornin’, sleepy head.” Her voice was a melodious sing-song.
“Hey.” I didn’t trust it. I was having a hard time reading her expression. Did she know about the tardy slips and detention? Did she know I was still seeing Guy? “What’s up?” I asked cautiously.
“I think we need a
“Oh. Sorry about that. I sat next to Maudrina Salley in—”
He kissed me, his lips smothering my words. My breath caught as an excitement I’d never felt before coursed through my body.
Brrrring!
The second bell.
We were officially late. A part of me wanted to end the kiss right then and race off to class before I was marked tardy and had to serve detention. But that was a very small part, and eventually even that part of me wanted to stay.
#
Every school has a stairwell that gets traveled least. These gems are easy to locate late in the day when the student population has dwindled for various reasons. But the discovery of a stairwell that has light traffic between second and third periods, when the school is bursting with activity, is like finding a specific grain of sand in the ocean.
This was one of the first tasks Guy took upon himself whenever he arrived at a new school. He scouted out secure locations for ditching class. Empty stairwells were among his favorite.
The stairwell in the far north corner of G.U. was, for Guy’s purposes, a twelve-carat diamond of obscurity. For me, it was a little taste of heaven. Guy and I rendezvoused there every day between second and third periods for the rest of the week. I couldn’t wait for him to get his hands on me, for his lips to touch mine. I loved the way he nibbled at my lower lip, conjuring spires of pain and delight.
My tardy slips were piling up, as was my time in detention. But I didn’t care. I looked forward to my stolen moments with Guy the way a child looks forward to Christmas.
On the following Wednesday when I arrived, I pulled out a pink tardy slip. He looked from the tardy slip to me, a veil of caution sliding over his eyes.
“You know what this is?” I waved the slip.
“’Course I know. I’ve got a locker full of em.”
“Just checking,” I said in a playful sing-song.
He began shifting uncomfortably. “Look, maybe we should get to class.”
I moved in closer. “I didn’t bring it because I wanted to go to class. I brought it because when I look at my collection of tardies, instead of feeling like I need to straighten up, I think of you.”
I smiled, and this time all the seduction I could hope for came shining through. He smiled back, taking me in his arms.
“I just wanted you to know that I’ve never done anything like this before. But if I had a chance to do it again, I would.” I looked deeply into his eyes and he kissed me gently.
When the kiss ended, I took his left hand in mine. I pulled something from my pocket and waved it.
“What’s that?”
“A bracelet,” I said. “I made it out of tardy slips last night.” It was a silly thing I used to do in middle school, braiding gum wrappers together into a bracelet or necklace. Last night, without thinking, I realized I’d made one with tardy slips.
“With this bracelet, I thee tardy,” I said, and without a hint of embarrassment, I slid the pink-paper bracelet onto his wrist.
He laughed. “That is the lamest.”
For a split second a pang of hurt stabbed into me. Like maybe he thought I was some stupid, immature girl. But when I looked into his eyes I realized he was happy. Happy to get the bracelet; happy with me.
“No one’s ever done anything like that for me before.” He held up his wrist, admiring my handiwork.
It was the happiest moment of my life.
#
Saturday morning I awoke to find my mother seated at the foot of my bed, staring at me as if seeing me for the first time.
“Mornin’, sleepy head.” Her voice was a melodious sing-song.
“Hey.” I didn’t trust it. I was having a hard time reading her expression. Did she know about the tardy slips and detention? Did she know I was still seeing Guy? “What’s up?” I asked cautiously.
“I think we need a
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