I walked into the house at ten after six, and my mother was sitting in the living room next to the front door, looking worried as all hell.
“What?” I said looking at her, my hands immediately went to my hair, I hadn’t even looked in the mirror on the short drive back to the house, and I was sure it was a mess. I smoothed my hand over the back of my head, still waiting for a response from her.
“Was that just Matt? Why didn’t you invite him inside?”
“Because, mom, were not really friends.”
“It sure seems like your friends.” She said standing up.
“Well don’t get any ideas, he was on his way to Mrs. Sullivan’s and he gave me a ride, I mean we do live next door to his family.”
“Oh,” she said sounding surprised “I thought you were just working on your project together.” The project was the farthest thing from my mind, and it felt like the room was spinning, I had never lied to my mother, and I knew I was getting caught in a huge web of untruth.
“Oh, yeah the project of course, of course yeah, we were doing it… I mean doing the project” I said to clarify, I could feel my face getting hot, I was panicking, and before she had any time to reply, I started up the stairs
“Well, I uh, I have to finish some other homework, so I’ll- I’m going upstairs.” I darted up the steps two at a time, and I heard my mother call after me, faintly,
“ Dinner will be ready at 7.” The staircase between us felt like miles, her voice sounding as if she was so far away.
I opened my computer to an instant message from Matt, I was shocked, but not quite dismayed, I smiled as I read the text
SullivanLax96: So when do I get to see you again?
EastportChick25: Oh so now you’re into me?
SullivanLax96: Don’t be coy, Powell, I want to see you, can you meet me at my Aunt’s at 7?
EastportChick25: Make it 7:30, and your Aunt’s?
SullivanLax96: She’s out of town, I have to water her plants.
EastportChick25: Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
SullivanLax96: Anyone ever tell you a sense of humor in a girl is cute?
EastportChick25: I’ll see you at 7:30
As I ate dinner I racked my brain on an excuse to go over to Mrs. Sullivan’s. It wasn’t as if I hung out with her, or we were friends, I mean she was older than my mother, and everyone in our neighborhood knew my problems with Monica, I was never caught dead at that house.
“Norma, is this our mail?” my father asked my mother as we cleaned up the dishes, my stomach was flipping, I was running out of time to come up with something.
“Of course it’s our mail, George.” My mother said walking towards him,
“Eileen Sullivan” he read aloud, and my ears immediately perked up like a dog when he hears the knob on the door twist after a long day alone.
“It must have gotten mixed in with ours, Oh I’ll just bring it by to her tomorrow.” My mother said sighing.
“I could just run it over now, if you want.” I said, trying to make my voice sound as steady as possible.
“That would be lovely, Faith, thank you.” My father said passing me the envelope.
The walk across the adjoining lawns was cold and the night air whipping my hair into my face, I wished I had worn a hat. I knocked on the door, and to my surprise Monica came to the door,
“Oh hey.”
“What do you want?” she spat back
“I have this envelope for you and…” I was thankful for once in my life to see Matt coming towards the door behind her,
“Mon, let me take care of it.” he said pushing her gently to the side, she rolled her eyes, and walked away.
“Why didn’t you text me to tell me you were coming?” he whispered to me over the threshold
“I don’t even have your phone number.” I said pushing past him into the house
“Oh come in please, so happy to have you.” He said sarcastically,
“It’s cold out! Of course I’m going to come in especially when you’re not gentlemanly enough to let me in, and you didn’t tell me she would be here.”
“It’s her house, obviously she’s here.”
“You said Eileen is away?”
“Eileen, doesn’t mean Monica,” I rolled my eyes.
“ Come on, let’s go in the living room.” He said turning, expecting me to follow I suppose.
We sat on the floor of Eileen’s living room, it was as clean as I had remembered it from the days we all gathered here together, all the neighborhood kids to watch something on Nickelodeon.
“Why’d you ask me to come over?” I finally said, lifting the remote to turn down the volume on the TV.
“Because.” He said, taking the control from me and turning it back up again.
“ Because why? I mean if you think what happened in the car and at my house and at the concert, is going to happen again then you are-“
“Sorely mistaken, I know.” He finished for me
“How do you do that?”
“What?”
“Always know what I’m gonna say.”
“I just do, you’re you, I’ve known you my whole life.” I laughed at his ignorance.
“You don’t know me at all, you’re too concerned with the preps, and the jocks.”
“Well, quiz me, what don’t I know about you”
“What’s my favorite movie?”
“Grease, next.”
“Ha, you’re wrong, it’s Sixteen Candles. See, you’re not as smart as you think.” I said smirking, I was surprised when he put his hand over mine, and looked into my eyes,
“If I don’t know everything about you, why don’t you teach me all there is to know about someone so beautiful?”
YOU ARE READING
This Kiss
Teen Fiction“Okay, I could be wrong because I only saw him for a second, but I think, I think it was Matt Sullivan.” The music was loud and the floor of the club was crowded with people, at a concert that would soon become the talk of the year. Straight A stude...
