It Had To Be You

The date went great! Well, until after supper when I ate to much and didn't kiss Justin…….I mean I was just standing there, inches away from his lips and no, couldn't lean in anymore, gah. It was my fault. Nothing else really has happened since then. Remember I don't have a life. I chatted with Joe for a little, he's doing fine, and might have picked a major. Plus he finally confirmed he was coming down for thanksgiving, but I could have told you that one. Any college kid loves free food.

But now I was stuck sitting waiting for Kenzie's teacher to get back from the bathroom. She insisted that she didn't come, so once again Kenzie willing baby-sat Ian. So, either it was going to be horrible or really, really overly good. Both of which she seems to be caught in, Kenzie doesn't want to be a goody-goody but she doesn't want to be a bad ass anymore. Must be an odd catch 22 to be in.

"Ah, yes sorry Miss Fergus." Mrs. Baker, her homeroom and English teacher, pulled me out of my thoughts. She was younger then me, and had a giant rock already on her finger. At least she looked nice. "So, her grades are fine, but I have some concerns about her behavior in class." I don't think she'd hit anyone….. I nodded motioning to go on, "See we were discussing 'personalities' in the book we read. And that got leading into whether sexuality effected it." Teenagers always manage to go back to sex, but that sounded like it was completely irrelevant!

"Ok, what are you saying about Kenzie?" Mrs. Baker sighed, then crossed her legs.

"I'm not saying anything. But ever since that conversation she hasn't participated in class, has she talked to you at all?" Now she was saying Kenzie was questioning her own 'personality'? That's what I'm getting out of this. Trust me, I know Mrs. Baker is concerned, so I can't draw too many conclusions.

"No, not about anything like that." I shook my head, my eyes squinted a little more.

"Oh, I mean we could get her to talk to the school's consular if you want." Mrs. Baker smiled then looked at her watch. No, she wasn't going to that women, all I'd hear about for weeks is 'she's a fruit!', or 'doesn't she think I've tried that already?'. She went to her once in freshman year, it didn't work out if you could tell.

"I was unaware of the problem, I'll try and talk to her." I smiled, folding my hands. Mrs. Baker smiled too, then shut the green folder in front of her.

"Ok, good." She said calmly, "I really miss her insight and maturity in class." Well that was nice……."I'm sorry but we have to go." It was like visiting hours at a prison. Eh, it was over, now I just had to figure out how to talk to Kenzie about it. Anyways we said our goodbyes then some other kid's parents came in.

I walked out, feeling a little numb. Not only did I know Kenzie was keeping one more thing from me but it was something I couldn't force out of her. This was a conversation that she came to me about, on her own, when she was ready. All of my brain freeze thoughts were sinking in when I saw a mop of crazy hair get ruffled by a slight wind. Well the tips were the only thing that actually moved…….Justin.

As I approached closer though, he was looking at the ground, with his hands in his coat pockets, and was tapping his foot. Something was wrong, he stood there almost unaware of cars passing by in the drive in front of him.

"Justin," I said softly, as I tottered towards him. He looked back averting his eyes when he realized it was me, I feel so loved……. But then again Justin was tinted pink too.

"Hey Lane." Justin said simply, tilting his head up a little. I stepped a little closer, and then opened my mouth to say something. Instead I blurt out the thing that I was trying to ease into.

"What's up?" Damn it. He wasn't going to tell me- fooled you. Justin's lips pouted a bit; he looked around before he started talking.

"They-they think," Justin looked at his feet, which were tapping a steady beat, "That, Maddie- Madeline has," he was choking now, he couldn't spit it out, "she has OCD……"

Wait, what? My eyebrows were up to my hair line. I pulled him in to a hug, my one arm snaking around his neck, the other on his collar bone. Justin leaned into it, he rested his head on mine, and wrapped his arms tightly around my shoulders.

Justin glanced at me as he pulled away. He looked away almost ashamed, "Laney," His voice was full of innocence, and it sounded half-way decent when he said it like that. I kept listening, "Well, see-" He scratched his neck, then pushed up his glasses. "I have OCD."

That's when I noticed his foot tapping: one-two-thee-four, one-two, one-two. Again and again, I'm sure there were other signs too. And Maddie, she should have been a red light, considering the conversations we had about her during dinner. He sighed, we had been silent for a while.

"Ok," Not the best word to use for now, "Then is Maddie going to go to a therapist or get medication or-" Oh sweet Jesus Everything's Alright, he must be thinking I'm insulting him right now……

"No I don't think we'll do the medication." Justin appeared to begin to look a little better, beats me if he actually was or not. "I don't know how she'll take it……" Oh, another conference where the child wasn't there.

"Well," Maybe, hopefully this would make him feel better, "Kenzie's teachers think she might be a lesbian." Justin couldn't help but smirk, even if it wasn't a funny subject.

"These damn teachers just keep throwing things out of the blue." His smile faded as quickly as it came. Looking at his watch he sighed, "I have to pick Maddie up from curling." Justin half muttered to himself, I shrugged.

"Call, we'll talk some more." A smile came back over his face. He nudged me, signaling he would.

This day was all too much. I can't wait for the day Ian has parent-teacher conferences. When I got home I just completely ignore the 'issue' and didn't say a word about what Mrs. Baker had said, Kenzie found it odd. She kept looking over her shoulder, trying to see if I was glaring or something I suppose. And then there was Justin, Iloved liked him, I'm glad Fig ran over Ian….if that wasn't ever the weirdest thing you've ever heard.

We were there for each other now.