Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 5 - Dylan

Chapter 5 – Dylan

If the girls were unhappy about my decision to put the list on hold after just one kiss, they hid it well. When I said I wanted to hang out with Sam more they exploded with excitement and said we would make a very cute couple. Olivia did emphasize the word "suspension" heavily, suggesting that the move be temporary. I didn't worry about it too much. If Sam turned out to be my soul mate, I knew the girls wouldn't hold me back.

Sam thankfully had his driver's license. I was a bit worried about that as not all sophomores do and the prospect of being driven to the commons by his mom or dad did not appeal to me. I was fine dating a younger boy but did not need to be reminded of it too often. Payton had already playfully accused me of "Robbing the cradle." As it turned out, Sam drove a pretty cool-looking Jeep. I took a photo of it and sent it to Payton along with an emoticon with its tongue sticking out.

Sam wore a pair of sleek sunglasses and appeared supremely confident behind the wheel. It was amazingly warm for a fall day and the sun was out so we rolled down the windows and cranked up the music. By the time we rolled into the parking lot by the commons, I was already having a good time.

I reached for my door handle to let myself out but Sam stopped me by resting a hand on my leg. When I glanced back at him I saw him lean towards me. I didn't even have time to feel nervous as his lips touched mine. I felt that familiar warm fuzzy feeling roar back with a vengeance.

I jerked back as something slammed into the hood of the Jeep. "Hey Casanova, get out here so we can whoop you!" a guy I recognized from school yelled. Another guy grabbed him in a headlock and pulled him off.

Sam chuckled. "I guess we better get out there," he said.

I felt uncomfortable as I walked up to the group of baseball boys and unknown girls. I had seen many of their faces around school but hadn't really talked to any of them. They were definitely a popular crowd, they just happened to belong to a different circle of friends than I did. I wish I would have known some of them better.

To make matters worse, Sam didn't really bother introducing me. As soon as we got to the group he started joking around with the guys. Every once and a while he would throw an arm around my shoulders or playfully rub my back but he never stopped talking to them. I was starting to feel like I had been invited along for show.

A couple of boys appointed themselves captains and began picking people. I didn't know what to do so I just stood there. No one bothered to pick me or any of the other girls. Then all of the boys ran onto the baseball diamond and started laughing and joking around as they started a game. Sam gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then ran after them, leaving me alone.

I was now very uncomfortable. I looked around at the other girls, hoping to find a warm welcome or an opening to get into the conversation. None of them even looked at me. Instead, they sat on the metal bleachers behind the catcher's box. I sat as close to them as I could, hoping that someone would invite me into the group, but they circled up and continued to ignore me. I heard snippets of the conversation that dealt with nails, hair, and boys. Every so often one of the girls would mention a boy's name and the rest would stare at him on the field, giggling and making observations in hushed voices.

I rested my chin awkwardly in my palms and scanned the field until I saw Sam. He really was a tremendous player. He would be joking with one of the guys one moment and then nonchalantly leap into the air and make an amazing catch the next. I didn't mind the view either. He was wearing shorts and a tight-fitting black tee-shirt that emphasized his toned body.

"Are you dating Sam?" I heard one of the girls ask.

It had suddenly gotten quiet. A beautiful girl with long chestnut-colored hair was looking at me. Her hair and makeup looked like it had been prepared for the prom instead of a recreational baseball game and she actually had on hoop earrings. I don't remember ever having seen her before. The other girls were now staring at me as well as though eager to hear the answer to the question.