Sequel: Hearts So Pure ›
A New Beginning
Ten
I couldn’t believe it was finally happening, my first time. But it was with Kennedy, this was weird, I thought. Maybe I should stop.
Just then the doorbell rang. We both looked up at each other. I blinked. Then Kennedy threw his shirt on, and buckled his pants. “Just a sec,” he whispered as he walked out the door. I sat up, pulling my shirt over my head. I heard him walk down the stairs, and I walked to his bedroom door. I stood there, and I heard him open the front door. I heard Garrett’s voice. “Hey man,” he said. I walked to the end of the hallway, and I could see down the stairs, where they were standing. They didn’t notice me. Garrett said, “Rachael came over, and I think Leah heard us talking. She was in my room, and when I went back, she was gone..” I moved closer, trying to listen. Just then Garrett looked up. He saw me. “Leah?” He said, confused. I didn’t say anything as I watched his face change from confused to angry. “What the hell are you doing here?” he said. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t say anything. “You didn’t tell me about her,” I managed to let out. Kennedy rubbed the back of his neck, he was nervous. So was I. Garrett said, “Yeah, I didn’t. But you didn’t tell me about THIS.” “About what!” I yelled back. “You and Kennedy,” he said. “And why is your shirt inside out? Wait…” He said, and looked at Kennedy. “Don’t tell me you two…” and Kennedy cut in, “We didn’t.” Garrett let out a scoff, and said to both of us, “Fuck you.” And slammed the door. It was really quiet as I stared at Kennedy from the top of the stairs. “You shouldn’t have come,” he said. I ran down the stairs, and stopped at Kennedy. “I’m really sorry, for all of this. I shouldn’t have involved you,” and I took his hand in mine. Then, I let it drop, and I opened the door. I saw Garrett walking to his car, and I yelled out, “Garrett, please!” And began running towards him. “No, Leah.” he said. “I’ve had enough of this crap. Why can’t it ever be simple? Why’s it always, ‘oh my feelings are hurt so I’m gonna stop talking to you?’” I looked down, not knowing what to say. “I really like you,” I said. “Yeah, me too.” he said. Then I remembered that morning. “But what was that? Today? With that girl? I know what happened with you two. I thought you wanted to be with me.” I said, and Garrett turned back to look at me. “I-I’m sorry, Leah. She’s my ex. That’s it, though. I thought it was me and you now. Isn’t that what you wanted? She came by, and I told her that I was with you. That’s what happened. Then I come back and you’re gone, and when I came to ask Kennedy if he’s seen you, you’re up there in his room doing God-knows-what.” he said. My throat was dry, and I could hardly speak. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I thought, you two were…. so I came over here to talk to Kennedy, but things got out of hand, and I didn’t know..” my voice cracked at the last word, and I began to cry. Garrett frowned, and let out a deep sigh. “Dammit, Leah,” he said, and let out half a laugh. I laughed a little, too, at what I didn’t know. He walked over to me and patted my shoulder. “Let’s just agree to stop all this secret shit,” he said. And I smiled. “Perfect,” I whispered, and we got in his car. We were quiet on the way back home, but we didn’t need to talk. He dropped me off at my house, and all I said was “See you later,” before I walked inside.
The next week at school was the same as always. Pat drove us to John’s for lunch, and I watched them play. Kennedy and Garrett seemed to be getting along just fine, which I guessed was just the way boys were. No drama. Kennedy stopped driving me home, and I walked. It wasn’t so bad, I kind of liked the silence. Garrett and I didn’t talk much, and when we did it was only to say something like “Pat said to meet him here,” or “Oh shit, did I just bump into you? It’s kinda crowded here, sorry.” I didn’t mind it, though. He didn’t come to my window anymore, and I finally had time to study. I saw him during the week at that coffee shop, sitting alone. I wanted to go talk to him, ask him what we were really doing, but I ignored it.
After about two weeks, I was certain Garrett didn’t want any part of me. He never ignored me, if that's what you’re thinking, he just didn’t really acknowledge me. He’d leave me out of his jokes or conversations, and I began to feel like he didn’t even want me around. Everyone else was the same, though. Pat was as friendly as ever, Kennedy had come by my house to apologize, and we agreed we were fine being friends. John and Jared kept inviting me to another game of pool, and I agreed each time.
One night, I was laying in my bed thinking about it all. This new town, the new friends, new school, everything. I liked it here, a lot, even if Garrett didn’t want any part of me. I thought about him, and I felt a little sad. I missed his messy hair, his subtle laugh, and his soft kisses. I missed him on my bed, feeling his breath. I closed my eyes, and imagined him knocking on my window. I was getting really good at this imagining crap, I thought, when I realized that someone actually WAS knocking on my window.
Just then the doorbell rang. We both looked up at each other. I blinked. Then Kennedy threw his shirt on, and buckled his pants. “Just a sec,” he whispered as he walked out the door. I sat up, pulling my shirt over my head. I heard him walk down the stairs, and I walked to his bedroom door. I stood there, and I heard him open the front door. I heard Garrett’s voice. “Hey man,” he said. I walked to the end of the hallway, and I could see down the stairs, where they were standing. They didn’t notice me. Garrett said, “Rachael came over, and I think Leah heard us talking. She was in my room, and when I went back, she was gone..” I moved closer, trying to listen. Just then Garrett looked up. He saw me. “Leah?” He said, confused. I didn’t say anything as I watched his face change from confused to angry. “What the hell are you doing here?” he said. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t say anything. “You didn’t tell me about her,” I managed to let out. Kennedy rubbed the back of his neck, he was nervous. So was I. Garrett said, “Yeah, I didn’t. But you didn’t tell me about THIS.” “About what!” I yelled back. “You and Kennedy,” he said. “And why is your shirt inside out? Wait…” He said, and looked at Kennedy. “Don’t tell me you two…” and Kennedy cut in, “We didn’t.” Garrett let out a scoff, and said to both of us, “Fuck you.” And slammed the door. It was really quiet as I stared at Kennedy from the top of the stairs. “You shouldn’t have come,” he said. I ran down the stairs, and stopped at Kennedy. “I’m really sorry, for all of this. I shouldn’t have involved you,” and I took his hand in mine. Then, I let it drop, and I opened the door. I saw Garrett walking to his car, and I yelled out, “Garrett, please!” And began running towards him. “No, Leah.” he said. “I’ve had enough of this crap. Why can’t it ever be simple? Why’s it always, ‘oh my feelings are hurt so I’m gonna stop talking to you?’” I looked down, not knowing what to say. “I really like you,” I said. “Yeah, me too.” he said. Then I remembered that morning. “But what was that? Today? With that girl? I know what happened with you two. I thought you wanted to be with me.” I said, and Garrett turned back to look at me. “I-I’m sorry, Leah. She’s my ex. That’s it, though. I thought it was me and you now. Isn’t that what you wanted? She came by, and I told her that I was with you. That’s what happened. Then I come back and you’re gone, and when I came to ask Kennedy if he’s seen you, you’re up there in his room doing God-knows-what.” he said. My throat was dry, and I could hardly speak. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I thought, you two were…. so I came over here to talk to Kennedy, but things got out of hand, and I didn’t know..” my voice cracked at the last word, and I began to cry. Garrett frowned, and let out a deep sigh. “Dammit, Leah,” he said, and let out half a laugh. I laughed a little, too, at what I didn’t know. He walked over to me and patted my shoulder. “Let’s just agree to stop all this secret shit,” he said. And I smiled. “Perfect,” I whispered, and we got in his car. We were quiet on the way back home, but we didn’t need to talk. He dropped me off at my house, and all I said was “See you later,” before I walked inside.
The next week at school was the same as always. Pat drove us to John’s for lunch, and I watched them play. Kennedy and Garrett seemed to be getting along just fine, which I guessed was just the way boys were. No drama. Kennedy stopped driving me home, and I walked. It wasn’t so bad, I kind of liked the silence. Garrett and I didn’t talk much, and when we did it was only to say something like “Pat said to meet him here,” or “Oh shit, did I just bump into you? It’s kinda crowded here, sorry.” I didn’t mind it, though. He didn’t come to my window anymore, and I finally had time to study. I saw him during the week at that coffee shop, sitting alone. I wanted to go talk to him, ask him what we were really doing, but I ignored it.
After about two weeks, I was certain Garrett didn’t want any part of me. He never ignored me, if that's what you’re thinking, he just didn’t really acknowledge me. He’d leave me out of his jokes or conversations, and I began to feel like he didn’t even want me around. Everyone else was the same, though. Pat was as friendly as ever, Kennedy had come by my house to apologize, and we agreed we were fine being friends. John and Jared kept inviting me to another game of pool, and I agreed each time.
One night, I was laying in my bed thinking about it all. This new town, the new friends, new school, everything. I liked it here, a lot, even if Garrett didn’t want any part of me. I thought about him, and I felt a little sad. I missed his messy hair, his subtle laugh, and his soft kisses. I missed him on my bed, feeling his breath. I closed my eyes, and imagined him knocking on my window. I was getting really good at this imagining crap, I thought, when I realized that someone actually WAS knocking on my window.