Sequel: Unexpected ›
Inexperienced
Roses.
I woke up, the sunlight peaking through my curtains. I stretched my body. Last night could have been a dream for all I would know. But by now, I’ve sort of learned to just roll with the punches.
Jared and I were in love. It felt so good to be able to face that realization. It made my heart feel light, as if it could leave my body and flutter away.
But, he is leaving. And soon. I glanced at the small calendar hanging on the wall. Graduation was two weeks away. I gulped.
Two weeks? That’s all I have left with him?
I sighed. I could make this work. I had a car, and so did he. Weekends and holidays would work, right?
I groaned and paced to the bathroom, doing what I could to make myself somewhat decent for school.
I was sitting in first period, tapping my pencil to my own beat when my teacher called me up to the front desk. I looked at him nervously. I walked up slowly. “Yes, sir?” I asked cautiously.
“This is for you,” he said while handing me a white rose. I looked at him strangely. “It’s not from me,” he clarified and cracked a smile.
I floated back to my seat. A small scrap of paper was rolled around the stem. I unraveled the pearl white parchment and smiled when I saw my name written on it. Strangely, there was a comma at the end of my name, as if whoever sent it to me meant to write more. I sighed and looked up. I blushed when I noticed a few curious glances from other students.
I tucked the rose into my bag and continued on with the lesson. By the end of the period, I’d completely forgotten about it.
But then it happened again. Second period, my teacher asked me to talk to her. “Yes, ma’am?” I asked.
“This came for you,” she repeated, a small smile on her lips. And in her hand was a beautiful white rose, a scrap of paper rolled loosely around it.
This time, it said ‘will’. I lifted an eyebrow. How strange.
What I found even more strange was that Jared was nowhere to be seen when I waited for him in our usual spot after second period.
And all day I got those strange roses, each with a different word. I stopped looking at the parchment, deciding that I’ll read the message after seventh period.
I didn’t say anything to Jared at lunch about it, figuring he’d beat the creep up who was sending me these roses.
In seventh period, I received my final one. I went to my locker before Jared met up with me. I placed each one in order from when I received them and read the messages.
Placed all together, each one read, “Austin, will you go to prom with”.
Oh, no. I gulped. Someone couldn’t be asking me to prom. But everyone knows about me and Jared!
Then I heard someone cough quietly behind me. I turned around and Jared stood there, his turquoise eyes burning into mine. In his hand was a single red rose. I eyed him questioningly. He handed it to me, a single white scrap folded around it. I unraveled the piece of paper slowly. In Jared’s neat handwriting, it said ‘me?’.
I looked up at him and smiled. He spread his beautiful face into a beaming smile. I nodded and then spoke. “Yes.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and bent down to kiss me, lifting me off of my feet.
“So you’re the creep who’s been sending me roses all day?” I laughed in between kisses. I felt him smile, holding back a chuckle.
“Wow, Jared,” I said, breathless. “Quite the romantic.”
He shrugged. “I try.”
“You did good,” I mumbled, kissing him again.
“I do what I can.” He laughed, pulling me tighter.
I pulled away and smiled at him. “Took you long enough, mister.”
“Sorry.” He smiled. “I just had to find the right way to ask you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” I said, kissing his cheek. “Now I have to find a dress! So little time!”
“How will you ever manage?” he joked.
“When is prom anyways?” I laughed at my stupid question.
“Aren’t girls supposed to know these things?” He said, teasingly.
I shrugged indifferently.
“Next Saturday,” he explained.
I pulled him in for one last kiss. “I’ll see you later?”
“Will there be more kissing?” he asked.
“No guarantees,” I joked, tapping the bridge of his nose.
“Well, then, I think I’m busy…” I playfully smacked his arm. He pulled out of our embrace. “I’ll see you later, beautiful.” He kissed me gently on the lips before smiling at me and leaving me breathless at my locker.
And I thought I loved him enough already.
Jared and I were in love. It felt so good to be able to face that realization. It made my heart feel light, as if it could leave my body and flutter away.
But, he is leaving. And soon. I glanced at the small calendar hanging on the wall. Graduation was two weeks away. I gulped.
Two weeks? That’s all I have left with him?
I sighed. I could make this work. I had a car, and so did he. Weekends and holidays would work, right?
I groaned and paced to the bathroom, doing what I could to make myself somewhat decent for school.
I was sitting in first period, tapping my pencil to my own beat when my teacher called me up to the front desk. I looked at him nervously. I walked up slowly. “Yes, sir?” I asked cautiously.
“This is for you,” he said while handing me a white rose. I looked at him strangely. “It’s not from me,” he clarified and cracked a smile.
I floated back to my seat. A small scrap of paper was rolled around the stem. I unraveled the pearl white parchment and smiled when I saw my name written on it. Strangely, there was a comma at the end of my name, as if whoever sent it to me meant to write more. I sighed and looked up. I blushed when I noticed a few curious glances from other students.
I tucked the rose into my bag and continued on with the lesson. By the end of the period, I’d completely forgotten about it.
But then it happened again. Second period, my teacher asked me to talk to her. “Yes, ma’am?” I asked.
“This came for you,” she repeated, a small smile on her lips. And in her hand was a beautiful white rose, a scrap of paper rolled loosely around it.
This time, it said ‘will’. I lifted an eyebrow. How strange.
What I found even more strange was that Jared was nowhere to be seen when I waited for him in our usual spot after second period.
And all day I got those strange roses, each with a different word. I stopped looking at the parchment, deciding that I’ll read the message after seventh period.
I didn’t say anything to Jared at lunch about it, figuring he’d beat the creep up who was sending me these roses.
In seventh period, I received my final one. I went to my locker before Jared met up with me. I placed each one in order from when I received them and read the messages.
Placed all together, each one read, “Austin, will you go to prom with”.
Oh, no. I gulped. Someone couldn’t be asking me to prom. But everyone knows about me and Jared!
Then I heard someone cough quietly behind me. I turned around and Jared stood there, his turquoise eyes burning into mine. In his hand was a single red rose. I eyed him questioningly. He handed it to me, a single white scrap folded around it. I unraveled the piece of paper slowly. In Jared’s neat handwriting, it said ‘me?’.
I looked up at him and smiled. He spread his beautiful face into a beaming smile. I nodded and then spoke. “Yes.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and bent down to kiss me, lifting me off of my feet.
“So you’re the creep who’s been sending me roses all day?” I laughed in between kisses. I felt him smile, holding back a chuckle.
“Wow, Jared,” I said, breathless. “Quite the romantic.”
He shrugged. “I try.”
“You did good,” I mumbled, kissing him again.
“I do what I can.” He laughed, pulling me tighter.
I pulled away and smiled at him. “Took you long enough, mister.”
“Sorry.” He smiled. “I just had to find the right way to ask you.”
“Well, I’m glad you did,” I said, kissing his cheek. “Now I have to find a dress! So little time!”
“How will you ever manage?” he joked.
“When is prom anyways?” I laughed at my stupid question.
“Aren’t girls supposed to know these things?” He said, teasingly.
I shrugged indifferently.
“Next Saturday,” he explained.
I pulled him in for one last kiss. “I’ll see you later?”
“Will there be more kissing?” he asked.
“No guarantees,” I joked, tapping the bridge of his nose.
“Well, then, I think I’m busy…” I playfully smacked his arm. He pulled out of our embrace. “I’ll see you later, beautiful.” He kissed me gently on the lips before smiling at me and leaving me breathless at my locker.
And I thought I loved him enough already.