Just a Girl

A week flew by with Rob picking me up from and dropping me off at school and he asked me out on another date. Well sort of. I was coming to his band practice today after school.

“Hey.” Rob said as I got in his car. I took my back pack off and set it in the back.

“Hey.” I returned.

“How’s the lip?” He asked.

“Fine. Doesn’t hurt anymore.” I shrugged.

“Ready for kissing yet?” He asked with a smirk.

“I don’t know. Want to find out?” I asked flirtatiously. I was blushing madly and oh so nervous on the inside. I’d never done this before.

Without a word he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. It was a soft, gentle kiss. One that said ‘I care about you, even though we haven’t know each other for long.’ It was a kiss the made butterflies erupt in my stomach like they were having a wild party.

I tried to kiss back but by the time I was fully aware of what was going on, he was already pulling away. Once our eyes met, I blushed furiously, but on the outside this time.

“You’re a terrible kisser.” He admitted with a chuckle. “You’re going to need some practice. I volunteer my lips.” He said with smirk.

Embarrassed, I turned to the window, not exactly sure of what to say.

“Hey.” He said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Did I…over step the boundaries?” He asked cautiously.

I turned to him, my embarrassment left behind.

“Of course not.” I said, furrowing my eyebrows. “I just…,” I faltered, not wanting to admit the truth to him…or myself.

“What?” He coaxed. “If I didn’t invade you comfort zone…then what?”

“I’ve never kissed anyone before.” I said with a sigh.

“Really?” He asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

“Really.” I confirmed. “I mean, I’ve been asked out before, sure. But I’ve never really said yes.”

“So I’m like…special then, huh?” He asked, his smirk growing along with his ego. But it was so cute.

“Yeah.” I said, pretending to take an interest in my tattered shoelaces.

“Well, we better get going or we’re going to be late.” He said after a few moments of silence, changing the subject.

I nodded and turned to the window. An involuntary smile slipped onto my face the more I thought about what had just happened. My first kiss. As loser-y as it was to have it at 17, I was glad I hadn’t waited until I was 71.

I counted the red cars that passed, then when that became boring, I counted the black ones, then the blue ones. After what seemed like an eternity, I broke the silence.

“Where do you guys practice?” I wondered aloud, after looking at the clock and seeing that we’d been in the car for a half hour.

“What do you mean?” He asked. I thought I saw a smile on his face, but it disappeared before I could be sure.

“Well, we’ve been in the car for like a half an hour.” I explained.

“You’ll have to wait and see.” He said. “But we’re almost there.”

“Why do you guys practice so far away?” I asked, voicing my thoughts.

He simply shrugged. I figured I wasn’t really going to get much of an answer, no matter how much I pressed the matter, so I internally sighed in defeat and changed the radio station.

Once I landed on a station that I was satisfied with, I rested my arm on the middle compartment between Rob and I. Moments later, I felt his hand encase my own. The smile that I had so recently lost, returned to my face, but with more power this time.

“We’re here.” Rob announced as he parked in the dirk parking lot of a park.

“I’m confused.” I admitted.

“Just come with me.” He said, letting go of my hand to get out of the car. I followed behind him, wishing to just get back in the warmth of the car.

Once we were side-by-side again, Rob grasped my freezing hand in his equally cold, but firm one.

He lead me to the swings, keeping me from slipping and falling on the ice.

“I have a confession to make.“ He said, motioning for me to sit on the swing. I obliged, and he kneeled in front of me on the snowy ground.

I nodded my head slowly, scared. Was he in a gang? Is he an ex-murderer? Where was the rest of his band? My mind whirred with thoughts.

“My band doesn’t practice on Fridays. Only Saturdays.” He said. It took a moment for what he said to sink in, but when I realized that this was not band practice, I became even more confused.

“Then-,”

“I just wanted to surprise you.” He cut me off.

“Oh.” Was all I could say. My partying butterflies came back with a vengeance.

“And I knew that there was an abandoned park out here.” He explained. “That’s why we drove so far. I wanted to be alone. With you.” He smile crookedly.

“You’re so sweet!” I gushed, hugging him as tightly as my puffy coat would allow. He returned the favor.

“I just feel like we don’t get to hang out a lot.” He said, releasing me and sitting on the swing next to mine.