worry that he’s forgetting about me already. The only solace I take is the notebook he holds. I silently will him to remember the picture he drew of me…
“…if you’ve taught me anything it’s that I need to make bold moves,” Jeff blabs on. “So what I’m trying to say is I think I’m in love with you.”
Wait… what? I’m relieved by the sight of John unhooking his arm from Cassie’s but Jeff’s words suddenly register in my mind and I finally look at him again. His face has turned bright red but he does not look away, his eyes full of hope. I don’t know what to say to him; I’m in total shock. I know that Jeff liked me but I thought his feelings were platonic like mine, that he was glad to have a friend, an ally. I can’t ever remember a moment where I gave him mixed signals about having those kinds of feelings for him. But Cassie’s words come to mind about the popular girls’ dislike of me because all of their boyfriends want me. Did I really miss that Jeff thinks the same way as the jocks?
“I…” I begin, though no other words come to mind. I don’t know if there’s anything I can tell him to let him down easy and remain friends. Apparently he misinterprets my loss of words for feeling the same as he does. I do have those feelings, just about someone else. I can’t stop myself from looking over Jeff’s shoulder again, making eye contact with John from across the hallway…
“Bold moves, right?” Jeff says.
In my peripheral vision, I sense Jeff coming closer to me. He stands on his toes and reaches his face toward mine. I don’t react fast enough to pull away as Jeff kisses me. I don’t know what to do and I mistakenly let his lips linger a few seconds longer than I should. It’s not until I hear someone whistling that I step back.
“Let’s break it up, you two,” a teacher says as he walks by.
Jeff smiles up at me. All I felt from the kiss was moist lips but one look at the goofy smile on his face tells me he felt much more.
“I am so in love with you,” he says as more people whistle around us.
I sigh and look beyond him. John’s arm is hooked in Cassie’s yet again and the two have turned away from me, walking down the hallway. As if my heart doesn’t sink far enough, I watch John shove his notebook into the first trash can he walks by.
CHAPTER NINE
Mount Pocono High is a small school and news travels faster than a brush fire during dry season. Apparently, Jeff’s bold move becomes known as ‘The Kiss Heard ‘Round the World’—or at least around the school.
Once John and Cassie disappeared around the hallway corner, I was forced to confront Jeff. Upset that John saw what happened, I was probably a bit too harsh in letting Jeff know that I didn’t share his feelings. He did not take the news well. His smile vanished, replaced with the same look of anger he had the other times I embarrassed him. He followed through with his usual reaction of storming away.
How is it that he embarrassed me — he kissed me when I didn’t want it—but he’s the angry one? And I’m the one who feels guilty?
For the rest of the school day, I hear about the kiss no matter where I go. The popular girls laugh and point at me more than usual; the jocks pucker their lips in mock kisses whenever they see me. Even my English teacher hears about the kiss and feels the need to bring it up to me.
“I heard about you and Jeffrey,” she says. “He’s such a nice boy. And it’s very brave of you two to be together. My husband is several inches shorter than me, too, but we’ve made it work for the last thirty years.” She leans toward me and whispers, “And don’t worry, height doesn’t matter when you’re in the bedroom.”
Ugh! She chuckles but I’m too disgusted to respond. That was the last image I needed in my mind.
I fully expect Cassie to find me—to yell at me for being seen kissing Jeff. But the few times I pass her in the halls, she merely smiles at me. This
“…if you’ve taught me anything it’s that I need to make bold moves,” Jeff blabs on. “So what I’m trying to say is I think I’m in love with you.”
Wait… what? I’m relieved by the sight of John unhooking his arm from Cassie’s but Jeff’s words suddenly register in my mind and I finally look at him again. His face has turned bright red but he does not look away, his eyes full of hope. I don’t know what to say to him; I’m in total shock. I know that Jeff liked me but I thought his feelings were platonic like mine, that he was glad to have a friend, an ally. I can’t ever remember a moment where I gave him mixed signals about having those kinds of feelings for him. But Cassie’s words come to mind about the popular girls’ dislike of me because all of their boyfriends want me. Did I really miss that Jeff thinks the same way as the jocks?
“I…” I begin, though no other words come to mind. I don’t know if there’s anything I can tell him to let him down easy and remain friends. Apparently he misinterprets my loss of words for feeling the same as he does. I do have those feelings, just about someone else. I can’t stop myself from looking over Jeff’s shoulder again, making eye contact with John from across the hallway…
“Bold moves, right?” Jeff says.
In my peripheral vision, I sense Jeff coming closer to me. He stands on his toes and reaches his face toward mine. I don’t react fast enough to pull away as Jeff kisses me. I don’t know what to do and I mistakenly let his lips linger a few seconds longer than I should. It’s not until I hear someone whistling that I step back.
“Let’s break it up, you two,” a teacher says as he walks by.
Jeff smiles up at me. All I felt from the kiss was moist lips but one look at the goofy smile on his face tells me he felt much more.
“I am so in love with you,” he says as more people whistle around us.
I sigh and look beyond him. John’s arm is hooked in Cassie’s yet again and the two have turned away from me, walking down the hallway. As if my heart doesn’t sink far enough, I watch John shove his notebook into the first trash can he walks by.
CHAPTER NINE
Mount Pocono High is a small school and news travels faster than a brush fire during dry season. Apparently, Jeff’s bold move becomes known as ‘The Kiss Heard ‘Round the World’—or at least around the school.
Once John and Cassie disappeared around the hallway corner, I was forced to confront Jeff. Upset that John saw what happened, I was probably a bit too harsh in letting Jeff know that I didn’t share his feelings. He did not take the news well. His smile vanished, replaced with the same look of anger he had the other times I embarrassed him. He followed through with his usual reaction of storming away.
How is it that he embarrassed me — he kissed me when I didn’t want it—but he’s the angry one? And I’m the one who feels guilty?
For the rest of the school day, I hear about the kiss no matter where I go. The popular girls laugh and point at me more than usual; the jocks pucker their lips in mock kisses whenever they see me. Even my English teacher hears about the kiss and feels the need to bring it up to me.
“I heard about you and Jeffrey,” she says. “He’s such a nice boy. And it’s very brave of you two to be together. My husband is several inches shorter than me, too, but we’ve made it work for the last thirty years.” She leans toward me and whispers, “And don’t worry, height doesn’t matter when you’re in the bedroom.”
Ugh! She chuckles but I’m too disgusted to respond. That was the last image I needed in my mind.
I fully expect Cassie to find me—to yell at me for being seen kissing Jeff. But the few times I pass her in the halls, she merely smiles at me. This
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