Seven Minutes

Kyle was a big fat !$*&^$#@$#!$@^%#@@!%^&%^$^%$^ jerk and I wanted to mop the floor with his ^%T#^$^%%$#%*& face! (Dude, seriously, I just felt like I got the buzzing black box on my mouth like in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.)

So why I had to leave the party was because [black box] Kyle took Jesse out back for a little bit, but when Jess decided enough was enough, Kyle disagreed.

You get the idea?

Luckily, that was when soon-to-be-new-boyfriend-of-Jesse-Jett found her screaming and kicking at [black box] Kyle and came to the rescue. Apparently soon-to-be-boyfriend's name was Jake and he gave [black box] Kyle a broken nose. So, needless to say, with his chestnut hair, aqua eyes, and knight in shining armor persona, I approved of soon-to-be-boyfriend.

And I approved even more because that meant Jesse's mind was off Blayke and Carrie. Carrie told me that nothing had happened between them the night of Janice's party-three nights ago-except that he actually came and they talked. Apparently, before anything could happen, Dashing Jake told Carrie what had happened.

Speaking of Janice's party....

I know you're terribly interested to hear the rest of how that went.

I have yet more long, painful chapters before the happily ever after.

But as for then, the party still loomed over my head. Well, not necessarily the party, rather than Tristan. Had [black box] Kyle not have ruined everything about that night, I would probably have plans to see Tristan now. As it was, I knew he didn't go to my school-I had asked just to make sure.

In fact, no one seemed to know anything about the mysterious Tristan. I tried to forget everything about those seven minutes, knowing it was more likely I would never see Tristan again, but my mind would not let it go. I seemed doomed to forever dream of the boy named Tristan who I spent only seven minutes with.

You would think that whole scenario would be a blur. It wasn't.

Even now, I remembered the feel of his hands on my face, clutching my waist. I could still feel the taste of his soft lips against mine, his body pressing against me. It never changed. Every dream I had was of him. Usually, they were the seven minutes or they were longer, hotter kisses.

"Girl, you're crazy!" Jesse decided to inform me one day at lunch.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I get it. I'm crazy for thinking a bout a guy I met a few nights ago-" I told my friends everything that was going on in my head-"But you're not crazy for having ten zillion boyfriends?"

She had just shrugged, going about looking like she was actually eating the food on her plate.

I just rolled my eyes. I loved Jesse, but she could be such a hypocrite.

Um......and what happened after that?

Ever get that annoying 'I know I'm forgetting something' feeling? Writing a book based on one section of your life sucks like that; I don't recommend it. It's exhausting, remembering everything that happened from point A to point Z. Luckily, I have my BFFs to help me remember some things, though they might have fabricated a lot....

I'm pretty sure that when Jesse was telling me all of what she did to Jake in that time period didn't have any relevance to what I was asking her. She just wanted an excuse to kiss and tell. A good polite girl doesn't do that....unless it's for a good cause.

Carrie and I spent timeless of hours in hell thanks to my big mouth. I never knew Jesse lived in a dirty porn magazine.

But anyway, I'm confusing future with present details and it's probably confusing you.

Is it?

But, of course, you can't answer me. How sad and unfortunate is that? You could give me advise!

Ugh.

Now I'm just psychoing my way off topic.

The days after the party, I wanted to dive into a full fledged search for Tristan What's His Name, but the scrutiny of my friends held me back. They thought I was insane, a stalker girl making more of a situation. I knew that wasn't it. I wasn't some overreactive stalker chick.......

Was I?

The thought slowed my search party for a while. Because I was too embarrassed to search for the guy I was pretty sure I belonged with.

If I could give one piece of advise right here and now it's this: listening to your friends over your heart is NOT-note the bold, underlined, and italics-a good idea. Just because they know what they're talking about some of the time, if your heart's yelling above their insistent whatevers, here's a clue....

Oh, well, I was gonna say 'listen to your heart', but that kinda seemed too cliché.

"Keali!" my mom yelled at dinner time when I didn't touch my fork for two whole minutes.

"Keali? Keali....." Carrie asked in concern as I stopped talking mid-sentence at lunch.

"Keali....? Ugh," Jesse groaned when all of a sudden I grew quiet on my end of the phone.

By the time they all realized I wasn't snapping out of it, despite their best efforts, they decided to have fun with it.

"Keali! Come get your laundry!" my mom yelled one day. When I didn't respond, she added, "Keali, darling, the house is on fire! Stop, drop, and roll!"

"Keali? Oh, Keeeeaaaali?" Jesse sang. She slammed her hands on the cafeteria table. "Keali, oh my God, there's a purple dinosaur singing 'Bad Romance' in the boy's locker room!"

And the one that got my attention, "Keali?" Carrie sighed. "Oh, look, Jess. Isn't that Tristan?"

My head snapped up, my hand nearly spilling my Dr. Pepper everywhere. I frowned when Carrie and Jesse started laughing. "Not funny."

"It's hi-larious!" Jesse laughed.

"All joking aside," Carrie said, giving Jesse the -shut-up-now look. "You're kinda freaking us all out."

I snorted.

"Seriously, Keali," Jesse said, taking my hand to get my attention. "We're worried about you."

"There's nothing to worry about," I insisted, more than annoyed with them.

Carrie's blue eyes stared pleadingly at me. "Keali.....You're kinda turning obsessed. And I'm not even joking around anymore."

I slammed my fist on the table, standing up in a fury. "I'm not obsessed, Car! You don't know what I feel! You weren't there! Neither of you weren't! So just leave me alone about it, okay? Damn!"

They followed me throughout the mall, where I had stormed out of the food court. I was making a scene, I knew, but I didn't care.

I just kept walking, not paying attention to the one person I wanted to hear calling my name. In the back of my mind, I might have heard him. But by the time it registered, it was too late. I was out in the parking lot, demanding Carrie take me home.

By the time Tristan ran outside, Carrie was already speeding away from the mall.