The Deep End.

“You’ll never guess what I did last night.” I said into the phone. My mother had called me to make sure that was awake. Even if that meant she had to wake up at 5:00 am her time.
“What?” She asked, sleepily.
“I hung out with a boy last night, and he kissed me.” I said.
“What?!” She was wide-awake now. “You’re joking!”
“Nope.” I sang, running a brush through my hair. I was trying to get ready for Louis to come pick me up, but I was running behind. Our phone conversation wasn’t helping much either.
“That’s like your first kiss since when? Middle school?” She exclaimed.
“Yes, thank you for reminding me.” I said dully as I remembered the games of spin-the-bottle that I was forced to play as an adolescent.
“Who is it?” She asked.
“Okay, it’s weird, but do you remember that boy Louis from Barbados?” I asked, taking a long shot at her memory.
“The one from the hospital?” She asked.
“Yes!” I replied, surprised she actually remembered. “I ran into him the other day, and he invited me to that singing show he’s on last night.”
“And you actually went?” My mother asked, just as baffled as I was.
“Yeah, I know. Surprising, right?”
“Very! So he likes you?” She squealed.
“It seems like it. He’s actually coming to pick me up for breakfast this morning.”
“Oh my God! I should have sent you to England a long time ago!”
As I was about to reply something witty to my mother, I heard a knock at the hotel door. “Oh, he’s here! And I’m not ready yet, what do I do?” I asked her quickly.
“Go to the door and invite him in. He’ll have to wait on you, but I’m sure he wont mind.” My mom said, trying to calm me.
“Invite him in?” I asked, remembering his comment from last night when I invited him in.
“Yes! Now go before he leaves!”
I took a deep breath and faked some confidence as I opened the door. A smile was instantly brought to my face when I saw him standing there, already smiling. His hands were in his pockets, and he was rocking back and forth like he was the night before. “Good morning.” He murmured, running his eyes down my body. I realized that I was still wearing a thin, silky robe that the hotel provided.
“Hey, just come on in. I’m obviously not ready yet.” I said, moving my phone back past my mouth. His eyes met mine once again as a smirk smeared across his face. He just nodded his head, realizing I was on the phone. “You can just make yourself comfortable, I’ll be out in a minute, Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.” He smiled, sitting down on the plush, hotel couch.
I stepped back into the bedroom and shut the door back behind me. “Mom, if you could see him right now, you’d totally approve. He’s so cute.”
“Who says I already don’t approve? But go get ready and have fun! And remember, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
“Mom, there isn’t anything you wouldn’t do…” I said slowly.
“Exactly! Get another kiss from him! Love you, bye!”
Before I could say anything to my mother, she had hung up the phone. What kind of advice was that?
I turned around and tossed my phone on my bed just see the bedroom door open. With Louis walking through it. Into my room. “Hey! I decided I’d come in here and sit with you. Since you told me to make myself comfortable and all. Cause I wasn’t comfortable in there by myself.” He explained, sitting down on my bed.
“Oh. Okay.” I said, laughing nervously. I guess my comfort didn’t matter?
I gathered my clothes that I had picked out for the day and began to step into the bathroom to change. “You can change in here.” He quickly said. “If you don’t remember, I’ve seen you in a bathing suit. It’s pretty much the same thing.” I watched as he lied across my bed.
“Yeah,” I laughed. “I’ll just go in here.” I said, clutching my clothes to my body.
“Is it cause you’re naked under there?” He asked, sitting up some to get a closer look.
I stopped abruptly and turned towards him. “No!”
“I bet you are.” He arched his eyebrows up and down.
“I am not.” I defended.
“Prove it.” He simple said.
As much as I wanted to run into the bathroom, I didn’t. I tried thinking of what my mother would do. Hell, she’d drop her robe to the floor. But I couldn’t do that. Yet. So, I took the edge of robe and slipped it down one of my shoulders, revealing the strap of my pink, laced bra. “See?” I said, waltzing into the bathroom and shutting the door before he could do anything.
Louis nearly broke his neck trying to see what little I had to show him.
“Wait, I didn’t see!” He lied. “I need a better view.”
“Not a chance.” I said, poking my head out the door and quickly closed it back.
“Wow. She’s a tease.” He said to himself.
I laughed, thinking about how untrue that statement was and started to get dressed. I remembered what Brie Anne had said about embracing my legs, so I found a pair of shorts to do the job and matched it with a white, flowly top. I had hoped that I looked like a girl with confidence, instead of one who didn’t know what she was doing. I could, however, admit that I looked nice. So, hopefully that would help with the illusion.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked, stepping out of the bathroom fully clothed. Louis was still lying on my bed, though he was now taking an excessive amount of pictures of himself. With my phone.
“Yes!” He said, rolling off of my bed. “Here’s your phone.” He grinned.
“Gee, thanks.” I laughed; browsing through the numerous pictures of him I now had on my phone.
“Wow, hey, you look nice.” He stuttered.
“Oh, thank you.” I replied sweetly, showing him a smile.
“Maybe I shouldn’t let you go outside. You’ll have guys trying to steal you away from me.” He said, stepping in front of the bedroom door, making me a bit nervous.
“I can guarantee you that won’t happen.”
“I don’t know about it. I just might have to keep you locked up in here.” He arched his eyebrows up and down, yet again.
I laughed. “But I’m hungry, quite famished actually. So we may want to go eat before I faint.” I teased.
He narrowed his eyes at me and smiled. “I get the feeling you wouldn’t like to be trapped in a room with me?”
I wasn’t going to tell him was right, I’d be lying. Now if I had more experience- actually any experience at all- and knew him better, then I wouldn’t object to it.
“Well, I’m hungry and have class in two hours. So, I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
“And if you were full and had no plans?” He asked, hopeful.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I simply stated.
“Teeeeease.” Louis sang, stepping away from the door. I shrugged and lead him out. I actually was nowhere near a tease. I just didn’t know how to do anything.

Breakfast with Louis went great. He took me to a small place that was primarily for breakfast meals. He ordered some kind of British specialty, while I stuck with what I knew- waffles.
The whole time we really just worked on getting to know one another. Already I learned that Louis was 18 and his birthday was Christmas Eve. His best friends were all the members of One Direction and a boy named Stan and he had four sisters. He liked the movie Grease and loved to watch One Tree Hill. Favorite color was red, favorite band the Fray. I could go on and on with the fun facts that I collected over that meal.
As I sat there and listened to him talk about himself I realized that I was beginning to really like him. Already.
“Did you enjoy the food?” He asked as we walked across the campus to my class.
“I did. The syrup was a little too sweet. But it was good. All of it was good, actually. You. The food.” I said, forcing myself to admit it.
“You were great.” Louis said, quickly. “I love talking to you.” He admitted. “But I do have to say, I wish you’d have talked a bit more.”
“Oh, sorry.” I mumbled, realizing that I hadn’t actually talked much at all. I was listening to him the whole time.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you got to know me a bit more! I think you might be warming up to me a little bit.” He said with a bright smile on his face.
“Oh, is that so?” I laughed, watching my classmates pass us by.
“I hope so anyways!” He piped. He began to notice the amount of people pilling into the classroom and he grabbed my hand to look at my watch. It was almost noon. “I suppose I’m going to have to let you go to class now.”
“That’d probably be a good idea.” I smiled. “But thanks for taking me for breakfast. I liked it.”
“Good! I’m glad you did.” He bounced. “Tonight’s the elimination show if you want to tune in on the telly.” He informed me. “And possibly vote for us.” He snickered.
“Yeah, I’ll have to do that.”
“Okay, good.” He started to take a couple of steps back and then stopped. “It’ll probably be a few days before I can see you again. If we get through tonight, we’ll go into rehearsals for next weeks show, starting tomorrow. But I’ll try and keep in touch with you.”
“Oh okay.” I said, feeling disappoint fill my heart. I was semi hoping I’d see him again soon. But I suppose a few days wouldn’t be too bad. Actually not bad at all.
“Alright, I’ll see you soon.” He smiled sweetly towards me and slowly turned around to walk away.
He wasn’t moving fast, although it seemed like he was running away in my mind. But that’s because my thoughts were racing. I suddenly had a brave moment as I thought of my mother. She wouldn’t just let this boy walk away with a simple ‘I’ll see you soon’. She’d make him want to never leave. “Louis.” I called. He turned around instantly, wearing the same smile as before.
“Don’t you think we’re entitled to a good-bye kiss? Since we wont be seeing each other for a few days.”
His face showed how surprised he was, but he skipped towards me anyway. “Absolutely, Miss Arabelle.”
Louis placed one of his hands on my cheek and the other on my waist, and pulled me near to him. As I neared his blue eyes I didn’t feel nervous, or scared, just anxious. I never had a feeling of want more than I did right then. His smile faded just before he pressed his thin lips against my rather plump ones. This kiss wasn’t light like the one the night before had been. I felt every part of this one.
“I’ll see you as soon as possible. Okay?” Louis breathed once we pulled away from each other.
“Okay.” I whispered.
We both began walking backwards, keeping our eyes locked. That may have been a simple kiss, but I knew he didn’t want to leave. This time, I didn’t want him too either.
I eventually turned around though and hurried into my classroom where my three new friends were waiting for me, thirsty for details.
“So was I right?” Brie Anne asked immediately. “Did he have condoms?”
My cheeks burned red with embarrassment. “We didn’t do anything like that!”
“Really? That hot lip-lock you two just had, gave off a different impression.”
“We didn’t!” I exclaimed, looking at Kayla and Lucy to re-assure that nothing like that went on.
“Did you two have fun?” Kayla asked.
“Yes.” I smiled, nodding my head.
“Apparently, since he stayed the night with you.” Brie commented.
“He didn’t! He came back this morning and took me to breakfast.”
“Uh huh. Sure he wasn’t taking the walk of shame? Or in his case, I’m sure the walk of victory.”
“We did not have sex, Brie Anne.” I stated. I said it a bit louder than what I wanted to, seeing as everyone in the room turned to look at me.
“Well, well. That’s good to hear Miss Arabelle.” Mr. Carnes said, sitting on the edge of his desk.
If my face wasn’t red before, it definitely was now. “S-sorry.” I said.
He nodded at me, with a sheepish smile and then began class. I sunk down in my seat, wanting to feel unnoticed. I had only had two days of class and had embarrassed myself both days. Which reminded me to make sure my phone was silent. As I discreetly pulled it out to check, I noticed I already had a text message from Louis. It read: You’re right, that syrup was too sweet. But it tasted good on your lips ;)
My face must have been the color of a tomato.