The Taste of Bells

The symbol of Christ lay between her collarbones, sinking into the small valley below her throat. Sometimes the tiny rhinestones would catch the light and reflect into my eyes, making me instinctively squeeze them shut, as if it would somehow stop the resulting spots from burning into my vision. It never did.

She hated going to youth group and she resented her mother for enrolling her in catholic school, yet she always wore that cross necklace. She played with it when she got nervous and she chewed on it when she was thinking hard. It never rusted, never turned her skin green. Genuine sterling silver embedded with faux gems; that was her trademark.

She reminded me of walks to school in the morning, hearing the church bells ring as we laughed at the wind blowing up our skirts. She was powder blue dusk, jumping on the trampoline in her backyard until we grew fatigued and collapsed on its surface, watching the neighbor's TV through their window and trying to figure out what the characters on the screen were saying.

I was always grateful to be her friend even when we were just nobodies. She picked me out of a lineup of girls in navy blue blazers and knee socks and she designated me as the standout. I'll never know why, but she saw something in me, no matter how ephemeral. Even then, I somehow knew she'd leave me behind at some point. Maybe my inferiority complex was just preparing for it, blaring the nuclear war sirens and beckoning my fragile state of mind to hide in the bomb shelter. I wish I'd listened.

Somewhere along the way, she got noticed for her wide hips and toothpick waist. She was stout, but she had the most gorgeous figure I'd ever seen. She was ordinary and inexplicably beautiful at the same time, and she made sure everyone knew it. I knew it. Boys knew it. We all knew too much for our own good.

Ricky Sabo had been trying to get into her pants since the start of the school year. She pretended to be disgusted by him, scoffing at his advances and waving him off with an, "As if," but a split second later, her eyelids would lower over her almost-black irises and her lip would twitch up in a smirk that said, "I know you want me." The aftershock. The coy implication that sent all those poor souls reeling. She loved the attention. It's probably my fault for not taking that into consideration with everything that transpired after that.

It was three o'clock when it happened. I know because we were walking home from school and the bells started ringing as soon as I fell in too deep. Ricky was hanging out on the basketball court with his two jock burnout friends when he started calling out to her. We both stopped our stride on the sidewalk, watching him through the chain link fence.

I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was probably something stupid, like, "Hey, Jade, you think you could balance this Coke can on your ass?"

However, I do know she responded with, verbatim, "Eat shit, Ricky."

But then she gave him that look again; the look that told him it was only a matter of time until their silly little game actually held some weight. That was all he needed to feel vindicated.

He smirked back and squinted in the sunlight, suddenly noticing me standing next to her. "You two are always together."

"What?" Jade challenged, "Are you jealous?"

"Not even," Ricky chuckled, glancing at his friends who were attempting to discreetly light a joint, "I'm just sayin'…if the reason you're always turning me down is because…well, y'know…"

He was clearly trying to take the piss out off her. Jade and I glanced at each other, piecing together what he was insinuating. Then she barked out a laugh.

"Because what?" she retaliated, "Because you think I'm into girls?"

"Well," the smirk was back, "Are you?"

I swallowed, looking between the two. Their flirty banter always made me nervous.

"What, you lookin' for a show?" she raised an eyebrow and tried to appear nonchalant, but I could see the cogs working inside her head.

"Only if you promise me a front row seat," he grinned, gripping the the chain link fence in an attempt to lean toward her. She lowered her gaze at him, this time absent of the coquettish mindset. She was teasing him, about to do something, I could tell. The tension sent me off the edge.

And then the bells rang, and her lips were on mine.

She'd grabbed me and kissed me right there in the fading sunshine and the vibrations of the reverberating sound. I had to give her credit-- the logistics of our intimate exchange were doubtful due to my height towering over her by a good five inches, but somehow she managed. I'd like to think it was fate.

Ricky's jaw dropped and his friends hooted and hollered like we were some kind of circus sideshow. She held my jaw tightly and ran her fingers through my hair, flaming red in contrast to her messy black bob. She tasted like watermelon Lipsmackers and I barely even had time to process what was happening, let alone reciprocate.

When I finally slipped out of my stunned state, it was over. The bells chimed three times, scaring the birds resting on the steeple and sending them soaring into the sky. I could still feel the ghost of her lips as she pulled away and whipped her head around to face Ricky like it was nothing. I blinked, almost blinded by the split-second reflection on her cross necklace as it bounced on her chest. I felt woozy as I tried to steady myself, replaying the taste of her over and over again in my mind.

"That's more than you'll ever get," she told Ricky before briskly walking off in the direction we were both originally headed in. That was her plan all along. I was still trying to catch my breath when I glimpsed his lingering reaction.

His friends were wolf whistling and laughing wildly as he called after her, "You tease!"

She just yelled over her shoulder, "See you in your wet dreams, fuck boy!"

And that's when I fell in love with her.