Fat

Mother made me stay home yesterday, even though I could have gone in for second period if she wanted me to, because apparently I was still looking pretty sickly, but she made me go in today. She made me promise that if I felt dizzy or sick again, I’d go to the office and call home, instead of having Lucas drag me out of the school, since on Monday she got a call (and assumedly, so did Lucas’ parents) from the principal’s assistant saying that I was skiving off school.

I didn’t really want to go back, but Mother insisted that I need to be at school because it is a “big year” this year. She drove me to school, though, so that made it slightly better.
Both Jake and Lucas met me in front of the school.

“Caleb! You’re here! Okay, you have to give me your phone number, I am not going to spend this long again wondering if you’re okay. Last I heard about you was from Lucas telling me you like fell asleep so heavily it was like you were in a coma! So what’s your number?” Jake babbled as soon as I walked up to him. Lucas hadn’t arrived yet.

I wrote it down for him and he did the same for me. I received the piece of paper he was handing me just as Lucas came up and stood next to me. He smiled, and I blushed, and murmured a “thank you”, seeing as I couldn’t last time I saw him.

“You’re welcome, Caleb. How are you feeling?”

I shrugged.

Lucas blushed a little bit then, and I wasn’t sure why, until he said:

“Um…I got you something. It’s not much but I kinda forgot about the date until this morning. Oh and sorry it’s in Christmas paper, I couldn’t find anything else. And just…just one more thing, even if you’re not…like me, I still would like to be friends. So…here, uh…Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you like chocolate and caramel. ”

He handed me a small package, which was indeed wrapped in Christmas paper and I opened it slowly, wondering if somehow this was a joke. I mean, an incredibly gorgeous guy giving someone like me a Valentine’s present? When is that ever right?

Inside the package was a ‘king size’ Caramello Koala. I turned it over in my hands and then looked up at Lucas, who was staring at the ground.

“L-Lucas? Y-you really didn’t…I…” I sighed. “Thank you” I said, blushing so badly I thought my head would fall off from the embarrassment.

“You’re welcome” he said, and then he kissed me on the cheek. Lucas. Kissed. Me. I blushed even harder. Jake thumped me on the shoulder, grinning and walked into school. Lucas and I followed shortly after

I couldn’t look him in the eye for the rest of the day.
I couldn’t form words around him for the rest of the day.
I couldn’t stop myself from smiling for the rest of the day.

I couldn’t stop myself from eating that Caramello Koala. But could stop myself from throwing it up. I wasn’t going to throw up the present that the most perfect guy in the universe gave to me.

I missed dinner instead. Told Mother I felt sick again.

I still can’t believe Lucas kissed me.

I wonder what he meant by “If you’re not like me, I’d still like to be friends”