The Taming by Teresa Toten, Eric Walters

invisible.
    But they didn’t have Evan. I did. And my Evan just kept coming up with unbelievable little surprises for me. Like last Friday. First we met for gourmet hamburgers, and who else would have known there even was such a thing? And then, for the surprise, we drove to a movie revue house for a single-night showing of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 1967’s The Taming of the Shrew! Apparently, Evan had scoured the city for something that would be special for me! I couldn’t even speak afterwards.
    How could I not love him? And I did. Let’s face it, I’d been gone on Evan Campbell from the minute he’d walked into drama class almost a month ago, and that was before he’d become my Prince Charming and my Knight in Shining Armour all rolled into one. The way he smiled just for me, touched my hand and explained things to me. I felt so safe when I was with him, protected, like nothing and no one could hurt me. I loved him, but I couldn’t think it, write it or say it. Especially not to him. My mother—and God knows, she had more experience than most—had told me, at least a million times, that the best way to drive a man away was to talk about commitment or feelings. “Open your mouth and jinx the whole thing.”
    She should know.
    Still, the words were desperate to erupt and free themselves. He did so many adorable things. Like on Tuesday, we were walking down the hall together, towards Ms. Cooper’s class. There they were right outside the biology lab, the best of this year’s Orange crop. Brittney, Tiffany, Jessie and Melody. I saw Brittney elbow Melody, who then promptly bounced over to Evan, leading with her chest. She used her breasts like they were weapons.
    “Hey, Evan, what’s up?” Melody threw back her shoulders and flashed her best bleached pearlies at him. They just weren’t going to give up. Evan thinks I don’t notice. They barely acknowledge me. I notice. Just because I was invisible all those years doesn’t mean I didn’t see everything. And that day they saw me, all right. How could they not with Evan holding my hand? Besides, I happened to be wearing a fabulous peach Juicy Couture outfit. Lisa had hauled it out of the back of her little sister’s closet for me. Even though it was almost practically new, it was either for me or the Goodwill, she said. I’d never owned anything so designer classy in my life. There was no way Melody didn’t see, no matter how hard she was concentrating on disappearing me. Hey, the only person who was allowed to make me invisible was me.
    I see it all in slow motion. Melody bats her breasts at Evan and says, “There’s a little ‘do’ at Brittney’s on Friday. We would love it if you came, Evan.”
    Then nothing. It’s like he’s gathering himself. Evan puts his arm around me really tight. It almost hurts. He’s just so incredibly powerful. Evan has no idea how strong he is. “Sorry, Melody,” he says, “but my girl and I already have plans for Friday night. I’m taking her home for dinner.”
    Melody didn’t know whether to spit or swoon. I hit pause and replay on the “ my girl ” part and kept hitting it until she huffed away. We walked by them with Evan’s arm still around me.
    When we got just past Brittney, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Are you okay with that, Katie? I should have asked you first, of course. If you’d rather go to the party …”
    “I don’t think it was me that they were inviting,” I said.
    “Hey.” He brushed a strand of hair off of my face. “Even those airheads wouldn’t be stupid enough to think that I’d go anywhere without you. So, is it okay that we skip it? I do want you to come over to my house.”
    I just nodded. A word would have not been possible, a full sentence was completely out of the question. Evan kissed my hair. They were looking, of course. I could feel the heat of their eyes on my back. He’d done all that for me. That whole thing had been a performance for the