“You know my motto,” Rebecca said, walking beside me in the halls. She was one of my best friends, partner in crime and keeper of my deepest secrets since 7th grade. It was than; she had plucked me from loserville and up about 8 rings in the social ladder. I was a chosen one. She saw me sitting alone at lunch on day and invited me to sit with her. Over the years I learned tricks of the trade of boys, dressing cute and being pretty from the most popular girls in school.
“Never trust a bitch,” I smiled. My feet walked in unison with Rebecca’s. Right, left, right my mind kept up.
“Absolutely. If Mackenzie-what’s-her-face wants to go around sleeping with other girls’ boyfriends, so be it. Hashtag sorry not sorry,” Rebecca rambled. Last year in 10th grade Mackenzie slept with Chuck Davis, Rebecca’s boyfriend of a year. When she heard the whole relation ship fell to shambles.
“So uninvited her, I’m assuming,” I said back.
“Yes, of course. I mean this is the party of the year,” Rebecca joked. But it was true. Everybody who is anybody gets a handwritten invite.
“Yeah, as if a hot-tub, bonfire and two kegs are hard to come by,” I joked back. We kept walking down the halls to our Trigonometry class. It was my least favorite since I was doing so poorly. A D+ average was the best it came by for me. Dread filled me. “I think I’m gonna cut out early,” I said as nonchalantly as possible.
Rebecca groaned and I knew I couldn’t fool her. “You can’t, this is the third time this week!”
“I know, but…” a pang of guilt spread through me. She was right and considering it was only Wednesday… But I really hate trig.
“Kimberly.”
“I’ll go tomorrow,” I whined.
“You better,” she reluctantly agreed, knowing she couldn’t control what I did. With a hug, I said goodbye and walked out of the nearest double doors. The September air of New Jersey was cool and refreshing. My ’99 BMW hand-me-down lay in its normal spot. As I approached the car, I could see a figure in the passenger seat. My mind knew only one other person with a key to my car. I raced over, flinging the door open.
“Landon!” I squealed. My 18-year-old senior boyfriend flashed a perfect smile as I got in. A lot of the time, I wondered why her would even date me, an average 16 year old junior.
“Cupcake,” he grinned, greeting me with a kiss. As pulled out, he asked in his sweet and husky voice,” What do you wanna do today?”
“Oh… I dunno,” truly unsure. As of now we were just riding along down Main Street. “But what I want to know is how long you were sitting there?” I smiled.
“Only since 6th period.” He held out a pack of Marlboro to me. I noted he already had one in his mouth. Not wanting him to think I was a pussy or something, I took one and lit up with him. I only ever seemed to smoke when I was with him or other cool people. Used to the routine. I rolled down my window to let out the smoke. A little cough welled in my lungs, but I held it back.
“So…” he puffed smoked out of him lips. It reminded me of the crazy blue caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland that always puffed smoke so I laughed.
“What’s funny?” he asked.
“Oh nothin’,” I smiled. After almost 3 months of dating, there were still things about Landon that surprised me. How he used to collect stamps as a kid. How he wears contacts that change his eyes from green to blue. A number of things.
“You know what we could do?” he said, his eyes sparking an idea.
“What?”
“Let’s go to the mall. I’ll buy you something real nice. After all, this Friday will be 3 months,” he smiled, blowing smoke out the window.
“Like what?” I beamed.
“Like…diamonds?”
“Very good answer,” I said heading to the chest grove mall. We passed a Wendy’s and I thought of Landon, being his had franchised over 30 Wendy’s in the state.
“What’s my favorite color?” Landon randomly asked.
“Forest green. Why?”
“Just seeing how well you know me.”
Okay…well what’s mine?”
“Easy,” he said. “Seafoame green.”
“Correct you are. What’s my full name?”
“Kimberly Marie Godwin. What’s my biggest pet peeve?”
“When people act tough and they really aren’t.” I remembered because when one dumbass kid, 2 months ago, decided to pick a fight with Landon. It ended up with the kid in the hospital for 2 days and Landon suspended for 5.
“Sweet-cheeks, you are so right.” Right as the car went silent, we pulled into the mall parking lot. Since it was only 2:15, the lot was empty, excluding a few stranded cars of the employees. I took a spot up front and we walked in. Sometimes I wished, Landon was the kind of guy to hold doors or bring flowers, but he just wasn’t.
“Muffin,” he said.
“Yeah?”
“You parked on the opposite side of the jewelry shop.”
“Shitttt. I really don’t want to walk that far,” I whined, looking up to him, batting my eyes, puppy dogging my lip.
“Oh all right.” He hoisted me up, bridal style in his perfectly toned arms. I felt safe. It was a good thing I was only 5’4 and weighed only 110 pounds.
“You’re so super strong,” I said in my baby voice. There he carried me for what seemed an eternal quarter mile to the Southside of the mall. A smile broke out when I saw Kay Jewelers. It wasn’t often that we went jewelry shopping, but I guess he was in the mood today.
“That’s pretty,” he pointed to a drop necklace with diamonds, sitting beneath the glass.
“Yeah, but not me,” I said dragging him further into the store.
“Is there anyway I can help?” a lady asked from behind the cases. Her navy suit buttons strained to keep from popping off around her chest.
“Can I see those?” I pointed to a pair of silver hoop earrings. Plain but elegant.
“Of course,” she said taking them out. I held them to my ears to show Landon.
“You look great,” he smiled supportively.
“Hmm…” I gave them back. After almost half an hour of trial and error, I could see Landon’s patience running thin.
“Uhm… I really want to see that.” My eye was caught on a diamond Tiffany bracelet. The busty lady gave it to me and I slipped it on. My heart was set. “I love it.”
“So this is the one?” Landon said optimistically.
“”Yes,” I smiled.
“Thank you Jesus,” he said clapping h is hands together. I’ve never before have seen someone check out so fast. In. Total of $437.60. Done.
“Every kiss begins with K,” I said quoting the jewelers jingle, before I planted a long kiss on his soft lips.
He chuckled. “I guess we should go to S jewelers next time.”
“Why?”
“Sex begins with S,” he sang. I laughed out loud as we were now walking through the food court. Stopping, I gave him another kiss, but somehow I couldn’t help but to deeply blush at his words. Because deep down I knew 3 months was when that kind of thing was supposed to happen.
