A High School Story

I let my head fall against the Calculus book that was lying on my desk before exhaling deeply and closing my eyes. We had gotten back much later than planned last night due to a car crash that slowed down traffic to a near stand still and my mind was being clouded with hazy sleepiness much earlier than usual. Usually I could fight it off until midnight at the earliest but it was only seven thirty and I could barely keep my eyes open enough to read anything. My phone vibrated noisily in my pocket and I pulled it out before lifting my head enough so that I could see the screen.
New Message from Keyla!
I smiled faintly before pressing the view now button and squinting into the bright light that my cell gave off.
He stole my phone, I’m really sorry!
My eyebrows pulled together and I sat up before reading the message again. Who stole her phone? How was she texting me if he stole her phone? Why wasn’t I texting these questions to her instead of leaving them to the little voice inside my head? Before I had a chance to reply to her stranger than strange message, however, I got another text.
New Message from Unknown Number!
My eyebrows pulled together again and hesitated before pressing the view now button.
Hey. It’s Nick.
Now, it all made sense. Keyla knew I didn’t want Nick to get my number because that would lead to Mike eventually getting my number and I had already changed my number twice in the past year. I didn’t think my parents would buy any more excuses about needing a new number.
You just don’t give up, do you?
I sent the message and then rested my forehead against the side of arm. I wanted this so much but at the same time I knew it would lead to nothing but trouble on both sides. Mike wouldn’t like the idea that Nick was texting me and mom wouldn’t care for the idea much either.
What do you mean?
His response rang through my head and I knew that he would never fully understand.
Never mind.
I felt bad for not even attempting to explain anything but he just wouldn’t understand. I found it amazing that Keyla understood and she was like my twin!
Why do you always blow me off?
I groaned and let my head fall onto the side of my arm again. In some ways I felt that he needed to understand why I didn’t want to get too close to him but at the same time I hoped that he could figure it out on his own.
It’s complicated.
I sent the message hesitantly before pursing out my lips trying to think of a way that I could explain everything to him while letting him figure it all out at the same time. I thought of absolutely nothing. Isn’t that a shocker!
“Laundry alert,” Angelica sang happily as she walked in.
“Thanks,” I mumbled through a yawn while sitting back up, forgetting all about the phone that was now vibrating on my desk.
“Try to go to bed earlier tonight, alright?” she partially begged and I nodded lazily while trying to keep my eyes open, “Better yet, why not go to bed right now?”
“I have to finish this last Calculus problem and then I think I might call it a night,” I replied and stretched before picking up my pencil again.
“Why not finish it in the morning?” she asked from my closet.
“I want to get it finished,” I answered simply and I heard her sigh, “It’ll all pay off eventually Ang.”
“That’s what you all keep telling me,” She murmured before picking up the empty laundry basket again and walking out of the room, “Dinner’s on the table whenever you get hungry.”
“I’ll be down in a few,” I called to her as I put the finishing touches on my Calculus problem.
With a sigh of relief following closely behind I closed the book roughly and dropped into my book bag as my notebook trailing behind.
“Are you coming down?” Dad asked as his head popped into the room.
“I was just on my way,” I answered while using my desk as support to stand up before I walked towards the door where he was stationed.
“So how was school today?” he questioned as we headed down to dinner together, nothing mom ever found necessary.
“It was…schoolish,” I grimaced jokingly and he smiled before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and squeezing tightly.
“I know it’s tough with all of the classes your mom wants you to take but it’ll be worth it in the end when you can retire early,” he chuckled lightly as he spoke and I knew that he wished just as much as I did that mom would lighten up a little, “You look sick, are you okay?”
“Just tired,” I assured him, “I think I’m going to go to bed early tonight.”
“You and me both kiddo,” he yawned and let his arm slip down to his side before starting down the stairs in front of me, “Sometimes I wish that the day would end at noon.”
“I know how you feel,” I scoffed as my eyelids dropped a bit again.

I climbed the stairs one at a time while trying to keep myself awake long enough so that I could reach the top.
“Good night sweetie!” Angelica called from the kitchen and I waved without caring that she couldn’t see me.
“I’ll see you in the morning kiddo,” dad added in as he walked out of the living room with his BlackBerry in his hand.
“Yeah, okay,” I grumbled before walking down the hall and out of sight of my dad and Angelica.
My bedroom door drew closer and closer and I felt the overwhelming sense of drowsiness start to overwhelm me again. I sighed happily as my hand came in contact with the door knob and let a large yawn out as I entered into the pitch black room. I pulled my shirt off over my head in an attempt to cut down my awake time before I turned the light on.
“Um..hi,” a voice whispered from behind me and I spun around to see Nick standing in my bathroom doorway with an embarrassed expression on his face.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded as I hurriedly tried to pull my shirt back on over my less than concealing Victoria Secret Push Up bra.
“You never texted me back and I got worried,” he scratched the back of his neck as he spoke and I glared heatedly at him, “I’ll just go…”
“Don’t go yet,” I snapped at him before I could stop myself and he looked at me surprised, “I want to see your phone.”
“I’m not stupid,” he laughed, “If I let you see my phone then you’ll delete your number out of my contact list.”
“Well, you’re right there,” I scoffed before walking into my closet and grabbed a pair of short shorts and a tank top to sleep in, “would you get out of here!”
I threw a pair of jeans at him as he appeared in the doorway and he took the hint before moving back towards the bathroom. I hurriedly pulled off my day clothes and then pulled my pjs on before walking out and glaring at him again.
“Um…” he trailed off while his eyes grazed over my legs.
I rolled my eyes before walking past him and to the French doors that led off to my balcony.
“Leave,” I hissed and held one of them open for him.
“Or what?” he teased and smirked at me.
“Or I’ll tell my dad and he’ll have your sorry ass thrown in jail for trespassing and breaking and entering,” I replied and returned the smirk full force.
“You don’t have the guts,” he laughed as he stopped in the doorway to the balcony.
“Do you really want to take that chance?” I whispered to him and he stared at me for a second, “Go home Nick.”
“I will if you answer me one question,” he bargained and I studied him for a second before answering.
“Shoot.”
“What do you want from me?” he asked and leaned down so that his hot breath grazed the side of my face and a shiver ran down my spine, “Well?”
“I don’t know,” I gasped while trying to keep my head clear.
I couldn’t go down this road. It wasn’t safe. I had to keep my eye on the prize. I had to stay focused on Harvard.
“Then maybe I can help you decide,” he whispered in my ear and I barely had time to gasp before his soft lips were being pressed to mine.
I sent all reasoning and caution to the side as I and kissed him back and every nerve in my body tingled wildly. His hands tangled themselves into my hair and I grabbed fist fulls of his T-shirt in hopes that it would prevent him from leaving. He backed up slowly until I was pressed lightly against my wall and I felt my reasoning start to come back to me. No no no! This was completely different! He cared about me! He didn’t want me just so he could throw me to the side after he got bored.
“I should go,” his breath was coming quickly as he spoke and I ignored him before wrapping a hand around his neck and pulling his head back down towards mine.
His lips moved skillfully against mine and I knew that he had done this a lot more than I ever had. I had only kissed one other guy in my life and that had been completely different. It was never anything like this. This felt safe, it felt right.
“Mollie,” he drew out my name as he pulled away from me gently and I opened my eyes again, “I have to go.”
“No you don’t,” I practically begged but he just smiled before pressing his lips back to mine one last time and then separating himself from me completely.
“You’re going to sick your dad on me if I don’t go, remember?” he teased me lightly before walking towards the door, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah…okay,” I stammered while trying to get my brain to work again.
His figure retreated onto the darkened balcony and I saw his silhouette slide over the railing before he climbed down the apple tree we had before I let out a large breath. I had just kissed the boy that had been driving me insane for the past week and a half and now I was left to pray that he wouldn’t make me regret it.