Take Me Away

“You seem distracted,” Mr. Rowland comments offhandedly as he uses his red pen to mark all over the Calc test we just finished. I look up from my doodle of dinosaurs and blink twice. The small classroom is buzzing with chatter, usually after tests Mr. Rowland lets us do whatever we want and today isn’t any different. I’m sitting at the desk directly in front of him, my backpack a dead weight on the table and my notebook and pens scattered in front of me. I raise an eyebrow at my half-bald teacher and then look around the classroom quickly.

“Well we aren’t really doing anything, I was just drawing dinosaurs,” I tell him honestly with a small smirk, holding up my notebook to show him the purple T-Rex with a squirrel hanging limply from its mouth. Mr. Rowland looks at my drawing and shakes his head with a soft laugh.

“You really shouldn’t draw on your Calculus notes because you never know when you’re going to need them,” He tells me, trying to be as professional as possible, but I know he’s joking. I smile and look back at the dinosaur that’s dominating the bottom half of my notes on limits.

“I’m going to be an artist anyways, when am I ever going to need to know when the limit does not exist?” I ask him as I start doodling again.

“Maybe on your test next Wednesday?” He suggests and I snort at him playfully.

“Nah, I’d never need to know Calculus for a Calculus test next Wednesday,” I retort sarcastically. Mr. Rowland just chuckles again before a crumpled up paper hits my head. I look up at him with wide eyes and he only smiles at me.

“There’s your test back,” He responds with a grin, “Try to remember that a graph is only a function if it passes the vertical line test. You got a 97%.”

Grabbing the paper that he hurled at my head I unfold it and look at my test. Sure enough the one question I got wrong was on stupid functions. How could I have gotten that wrong? We learned about basic functions in Pre-Calc. Whatever, this has nothing to do with the fact that Oliver has been on my mind all day.

“So back to what I was originally saying, you’ve been distracted lately,” He states, looking up at me with his large eyes, “Why?”

I shrug and look back to my doodle. Personally, I really don’t want to explain to my AP Calculus teacher that I have a date with a good-looking British boy tonight and I can’t fucking focus on anything.

“I’m surprised Collins hasn’t told you,” I say, not meeting his eyes as I add a baby tyrannosaurus rex to my doodle.

“Oh!” Mr. Rowland exclaims and I look up at him. “This is about that Oliver person, isn’t it?” He asks, a certain look of realization on his face.

I roll my eyes, looking back down to my paper and nodding. Mr. Rowland lets out a belly laugh and a blush grows on my cheeks. He hitches up his khaki pants so he’s sitting more comfortably and I can see his tan socks. A few students look our way at the sound of his deep laughter and I try to disappear into my seat. Oh lord, it’s so embarrassing when he embarrasses me like this! I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t talk to Mr. Rowland about boys. I mean, Mr. Rowland’s like a second father to me, but shit I just get so freakin’ embarrassed when he talks about boys.

“This makes sense now! The dreamy look on your face as you think about him when I’m explaining infinite discontinuity, how you sigh when you think of your plans with him later-“

“God, Mr. Rowland, shut up!” I exclaim in a harsh whisper. He throws his red pen down onto his desk and cracks up. Other students turn in their seats and look towards us; I duck my head down onto the desk and groan.

“You are so lucky that I like you,” Mr. Rowland says with a jolly smile, resituating his navy shirt as I peer up from between my hands.

“Oh and why is that? So you can publicly humiliate me and make my classmates think I’m totally weird?” I ask tartly and he just smiles and shakes his head, picking up his pen and beginning to grade the tests again.

“No, because if you told any other teacher to ‘shut up’ you would be given a write up and a nice plush seat in the Vice Principals office,” He says with a smirk. What a turd… hah, it’s so true though.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I grumble at him before offering a shy smile.

“Seriously now, what about this Oliver? I thought you were going to fall out of your seat yesterday you were so unfocused,” He tells me as he makes corrections on the papers.

“I dunno,” I mumble, still embarrassed that I’m telling my AP Calculus teacher about my love life. “I mean, it’s a little complicated. He’s not exactly my ‘boyfriend’ or whatever… At least not yet, I hope.”

Mr. Rowland raises a single eyebrow at me, but doesn’t look away from the tests. “Keep going,” He urges, “Explain.”

I sigh and shrug, looking down to my doodles again. “Well he kissed me once when we were hanging out and now we’ve been acting like a couple and stuff, but he hasn’t asked me to be his girlfriend. I mean, he asked me to go on a date with him tonight and I said yes, so hopefully he’ll ask me to be his girlfriend as well.”

“Sounds to me like he doesn’t have the balls to ask you to be exclusive with him,” Mr. Rowland says, no joking manner on his face now. I almost choke on my spit and I look at him with wide eyes.

“Excuse me?” I exasperate. He glances up at me with a curious look in his eye.

“Aren’t you the one that’s always honest?” He asks me and I nod hesitantly, “Well, right back at you. I was being honest.”

I stare at him a moment longer before blinking then looking down. “Doesn’t asking me out on a date give him some balls?” I question. I mean, if I’m already humiliating myself by asking my AP Calc teacher for boy advice, why not take advantage of it?

“Some, but maybe not both,” Mr. Rowland points out, chuckling at his own joke. I roll my eyes and shake my head, watching him as he quickly does his job.

“So do you think he’s using me?” I ask, hoping that Mr. Rowland will immediately shut that assumption down. Of course he doesn’t, instead he contemplates it for a moment with an unconscious shake of his head before he responds.

“I don’t think so. It’s possible, but most likely not if he’s taking you on a date. I mean if he’s spending time and money on you and not asking for much in return, then I think you’re in the clear. Just be careful, if suddenly he’s asking for a round-trip ticket into your pants, then you need to stop and think. I don’t want you ending up on one of those MTV reality shits- I mean shows,” He quickly corrects himself. I giggle at him and he shoots me a playful grin.

“I don’t plan on getting pregnant anytime soon, Mr. Rowland,” I tell him with a sincere smile. He chuckles at me and flips over a stack of papers on his desk, looking up and pointing his red pen at me.

“That’s exactly what they all say. They don’t ‘plan’ it and it happens either way! So don’t… just don’t have sex,” He tells me and I feel my cheeks catch fire. My god… that word… it’s like the forbidden word, especially when coming out of a teachers mouth. Sex. Gag. My lord, I know I’m supposed to be an adult, being 18 years old and a senior in high school, but Jesus H. Christ! For some forsaken reason I cannot stand the word sex when it comes out of a teachers mouth.

“Never say that again,” I tell him quietly. He looks at me and a devious smile pulls at his lips.

“Never say what again?” He taunts, I groan inwardly, “Sex?”

“I told you not too!” I moan, covering my face in my arms and lying them down on the table. I hear him chuckle before muttering:

“Sex, sex, sex, sex, sex.”

I squeal quietly and pound my feet against the ground. “It’s so weird!” I grumble, my words muffled by my arms. Mr. Rowland laughs again and I can picture the extra skin on his chin from old age moving with his laughter.

“I should probably stop anyways,” He tells me, and figuring its safe I bring my head off my desk I look up at him. He smiles at me and shrugs, “People probably think I fornicate with you.”

A disgusted look covers my face and Mr. Rowland chuckles. “That’s really gross,” I saw with a disgruntled look he nods before holding up his left hand and waving it in my direction.

“Just because the finger doesn’t have a ring, doesn’t mean I’m single,” He says and I roll my eyes at him. I swear he’s such a goofball.

“Tell your girlfriend not to worry, I’m not planning on stealing you anytime soon,” I tell him and he smiles at me.

“I’m glad, ‘cause I really don’t feel like getting arrested because you fell in love with my devilish good looks and astounding teaching skills,” He says, running his hand over his half-bald head for effect. I scoff and shake my head.

“Dream on, old man,” I respond with a witty smirk. He gives me a playful warning look before the bell rings. “I’ll see you Monday, Mr. Rowland.”

He looks up from his papers with a smile and nods to me, “Don’t have too much fun on your date tonight,” He comments. I just laugh before throwing my backpack over my shoulder and walking with the rest of my classmates out into the busy halls.

I groan as someone walks by, driving their shoulder into mine, sending me stumbling. Ugh, here we go again, the goddamn hallways and me being to fucking short to remain in one piece before art class. I rub my shoulder, weaving throughout the students, avoiding more accidents with other students when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I reach down and grab it, flipping it open to the keyboard and smiling when I see the blinking Oliver ;) and an envelope beside his name. I open the text and read it while trying to get through the bustling hallway.

wanna skip last period?

I grin, about two months ago, skipping AP Studio Art, one of my all-time favorite classes, meant that my period cramps were out of control, today it meant that Oliver and I were about to ditch school and most likely make out in the back of his car for the next hour or so.

Hell yeah, pick me up in 10?

I respond quickly, before changing my direction and heading to my locker. I’ll need my hoodie and my AP Literature book because I have to write a stupid point of view essay on Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” this weekend. Gag me. The warning bell rings as I’m running up the stairs to my locker and students immediately begin to dissipate to get to class on time. I’m able to get to my locker without trouble, Oliver sending me a text that he’ll be here in five minutes. I can’t help the smile that’s taking over my face. I mean I know Oliver and I have a date tonight, but fuck who wouldn’t be excited? I get to see him twice today and hell I wouldn’t mind. I open my locker easily, grabbing my navy blue hoodie and putting it on over my Ramones t-shirt. I get my Lit book and shove it into my backpack before zipping it up and throwing it over my shoulder again.

I take out my phone and shoot a quick text to Taylor and Collins, telling them both that I’ll be skipping sixth hour. Hopefully they won’t be too mad, I mean I know Collins won’t give a fuck, but it’s more Taylor I’m really worried about. I know, I really shouldn’t be worrying about it, but god something about Taylor has just… changed. Certainly, I don’t want to lose him as a friend, but he’s been seriously on his man period.

I begin walking back towards the stairwell, holding my phone in my hand and hoping that none of the administrators decide to go patrolling the halls and ask me for a pass. Luckily, by the time I’m downstairs and heading out the back door I can see Oliver’s black car parked along the sidewalk and I hurry over to his car. I throw the passenger door open and slide in, shoving my backpack into the backseat, before leaning across the center console and kissing him square on the lips. I can feel him smiling as he lifts both of his hands to cup my face gently as he kisses me back.

“Well ‘ello there,” He mumbles when we both pull away, short for breath. I grin and giggle at him.

“Hey,” I murmur back, biting my bottom lip. He groans softly, pecking my lips twice before pulling away and putting the car in drive.

I lean back in my seat and watch him for a moment. “Thanks for picking me up,” I say and he chuckles.

“Fanks fer skipping wit meh, Tom didn’t want ta, said ‘e had a test ta take or somefing,” Oliver shrugged before taking one hand away from the steering wheel and putting it on my knee, his thumb slowly rubbing circles on my skin.

“So what do you have in store for me today, Mister Sykes?” I question as we pull out of the school parking lot and onto the road. He grins, squeezing my knee lightly.

“Well, we’re gonna drop by me house and pick up some towels and clothes before going fer a swim in Portsmouth Lake,” He tells me as he drives through an intersection on the way to his house.

“Well let’s stop at my house so I can get a change of clothes too,” I tell him, sitting up slightly in the seat. He shakes his head, passing the street that we should’ve turned on to get to my house.

“Yer dad doesn’t work Fridays, right?” He questions, I nod slowly, “Well if we walk into yer house wit yer dad there, don’t yeh fink he’ll notice yer not in school?”

We make eye contact. “Oh…” Oliver chuckles and keeps going straight on the route to his house.

“I feel dumb,” I say and Oliver laughs, shaking his head.

“No, yer not dumb, yeh jus’ don’t fink too far ahead,” He says with a grin. I can’t help it and I smile back as we turn right onto his street and seconds later into his driveway.

“So if I don’t have a swim suit, what am I gonna wear swimming?” I ask him as he unlocks the front door and pushes the door wide open.

“Yeh ‘ave ta go naked,” He says with a quirky smirk. I roll my eyes and smack his arm before I go bounding down the hall and push his bedroom door open. I go and flop down on his bed and wait for him to catch up. When he walks in the room he just smiles and shakes his head at me before peeling off his sweatshirt and throwing it onto an empty chair. I stare at the tattoos on his arm for a moment and smile.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but your tattoos are really sexy,” I say as he rummages through the pile of laundry on his floor. He looks over at me and grins deviously. He grabs a pair of boxers and swim trunks along with another sweatshirt and a blanket before throwing them all on top of me.

“I dunno if I’ve ever told yeh this, but yer realleh sexy,” He says, leaning down and kissing my lips quickly before leaving the room.

“Tease!” I shout after him and I can hear him laugh from the bathroom down the hall.

“Yeh know it!” He shouts back. I grin before sitting up and taking the things he threw at me and folding him. I can’t believe he actually gave me his boxers, you’d think most guys would hide that shit, but I mean, they’re clean so, why not? I quickly fold all of it into a pile and Oliver comes back with two towels and a duffel bag. He smiles at me gently before taking the pile of things I folded and the towels before shoving them in the duffel bag and taking my hand.

“Ready?” He asks and I nod before we’re out the door.

It doesn’t take long to get to the forest, Oliver parks his car and slings the duffel bag over his shoulder, taking my hand as we begin to trek into the forest. Only an hour or so later we’re standing be the lake and Oliver has already dropped the duffel bag and let go of my hand.

“Oliver!” I shout after him as he takes his shoes off, then his shirt and the rest of his clothes until he’s full on sprinting to the edge of the lake. He makes a loud, hysterical shout before leaping into the black lake. I laugh at the loud splash and wave of water that follows before kicking off my shoes, putting my socks in them before taking off my hoodie as well.

He resurfaces with a smile on his face, flicking his hair out of his eyes before swimming to the steep drop and climbing out onto the pebbled ground. He shivers, his body shaking a little as he waves me over.

“Hurry up! The air is freezing compared ta the water!” He shouts before leaping back in. I grin, grabbing the bottom of my shirt and pulling it over my head, goose bumps covering my skin as I hastily take off my jeans too.

Oliver whistles at me as I walk towards the waters edge in nothing, but my bra and undies (which conveniently match today!) I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him before sprinting the last couple steps and plunging into the cold water right beside him. Quickly, I kick to the surface, my head breaking the water and I gasp for air.

“Oliver!” I whine, “It’s cold!”

He laughs before grabbing my arm and pulling me into his chest. He kisses my cheek gently before treading to the drop off and sinking his toes into the sand so he can touch.

“I said the water is warmer than the air, but I didn’t say the water wasn’t cold,” He teases. I stick my tongue out at him and he chuckles at me. “Watch it, stick tha’ cute lil tongue out again an’ I might ‘ave ta dunk yeh.”

I glare at him playfully, poking my tongue out of my lips slightly. He looks at me pointedly before dunking me under. When I resurface I take in a deep breath of the cold air, my lungs stinging a little bit, because maybe it wasn’t a good idea to go swimming in March.

“Poopyhead!” I shout at him and he laughs deeply before lifting me up and throwing me into the water. I squeal while flying through the air and make a big splash when I land in the water. Once I kick and breathe in a big breath of air, I begin splashing around madly, making sure to drench Oliver in the process. I hear him laugh before suddenly I’m being tugged under again and once I get to the surface, Oliver and I are both laughing.

We play some more in the water, and honestly it’s great. I’ve really never had this much fun in so long. It’s so great, I thought that I was going to be single for the rest of my life, that I wasn’t the kind of girl that guys fall in love with, but since Oliver has been making his grand appearance in my life, I feel so wanted. I don’t feel as lonely and I feel a hell of a lot more special now than I did when I was single, and don’t get me wrong, I don’t need a man in my life to be happy, it’s just that when I’m with Oliver, I’m so much more happy.

After our third splash war, we kick to the drop off and Oliver pulls me into him because I can’t quite touch the bottom. It feels so right being in his arms. I know it’s cheesy as fuck and all, but seriously. My head is on his shoulder with my legs around his waist and my arms holding on around his neck. It should feel like such an intimate position, but right now I don’t feel like jumping his bones, I just want to cuddle with him until the rest of eternity.

We reach the edge of the lake and climb up the steep drop and get out of the water. He was right about the air being cold and we’re both shivering as we run to the duffel bag. Oliver hastily pulls out the towels and wraps one around me before wrapping the other around himself and pulling me into his arms. We huddle together for body heat until we’re dry then we quickly change back into our clothes. Oliver let me borrow a pair of his boxers and wrapped the blanket he packed around me as we began our hike back to his car.

“That was fun,”I tell him as he helps me over a large log. He smiles at me and the jumps over the log as well.

“I’m glad yeh thought so,” He says, grabbing my hand and kissing the backside of it. I blush and duck my head, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Gosh, I feel like a Taylor Swift song. Someone better slap me before I start singing.

“So are yeh ready fer our date tonight?” He asks, squeezing my hand as we walk through the calm forest. I shiver slightly, my wet hair chilling me as we walk. I look over at him and smile, meeting his brown eyes as he smiles back.

“Yeah, I’m excited,” I reply, before looking back at my feet to make sure I don’t trip and fall, “What about you? Think you can deal with me for a whole night?”

Oliver chuckles as we pass over a large tangle of roots, “I can deal wit yeh fer a lot longer than tha’,” Oliver says and I can’t help it, but I know by the heat radiating off my face that I’ve gotten redder. Hopefully the heat from my cheeks will keep the rest of my body warm.

“Good,” I mumble and elbow his side. He elbows me back and we keep walking through the trees. It doesn’t take us much longer to get back to his car and he throws the duffel bag in the backseat with our backpacks before getting in and starting the engine, turning the heat on full blast to help warm us up.

“A’right,” Oliver says as he pulls out onto the street and we head down the road. “Yeh ready ta get dinner then head back ta my place fer a movie and then watching the stars?”

“Sounds like an excellent plan,” I tell him with a grin, before frowning quickly. Wait. Oliver gives me a funny look. Holy fuck I must look so ugly! I bolt up in my seat and take down the sun visor, looking into the mirror. Oh god, my eyeliner is smeared and my hair looks so awful wet!

“Oliver you can’t take me out looking like this!” I whine, wiping at my eyes to make me look less like a raccoon.

“Looking like wha’? Yeh look fine ta meh,” Oliver says, glancing between me and the road.

“Are you kidding? My makeup is awful and my hair- ugh my hair is about to be the frizziest mess you’ll ever see. You can’t take me out when I look ugly!” I protest. My god, when did I get so shallow? And when did I care what I looked like? Oh wait, I’ve got a hot guy now and I don’t want to lose him.

“Coralee, yeh look perfectly fine, a’right? Yer not ugly. How many times do I ‘ave ta tell yeh before yeh finally believe meh? Yer beautiful,” Oliver says firmly. We make eye contact and my cheeks literally have to be on fire.

“I really like you,” I blurt out, not being able to hold it in. Oliver smiles, slowly stopping at a red light before leaning over and kissing me tenderly on the lips.

“I realleh like yeh too,” He murmurs before pecking my lips again.

Oh yeah, this is most definitely going to be the best date of my entire life.