A Tantalizing Kiss

Forgive and Forget

After biding Rodger adieu, I made my way towards the auditorium for rehearsal. He had been nagging all day for me to ditch it for soccer. I was tempted to listen to him, but the intelligent half of my mind stopped me.

                The day had passed quickly after lunch. Once I apologized to Leah, providing a brief summary of why I was annoyed—leaving out the drama club detail--, she forgave me with a hug. She was never one to hold grudges as long as she didn’t have to apologize.

                Because Leah was always right.

                 And now it was five after three o’clock with my destination in sight. I adjusted the backpack on my shoulder.

                “Mason!” A soft voice called close behind me.

                I turned around instinctively before the voice registered in my mind. Rose hurried over to where I waited.

                You promised she could explain.

                I scowled internally at my conscious.

                “Hey.” She breathed, coming to a stop a few feet away. Rose smiled slightly. It fell as I didn’t return one. “Please stop being like this.”

                “Why?”

                Rose took a deep breath, closing her eyes. She grabbed my wrist and with a sharp tug, began to pull off into the opposite direction of the auditorium. My feet moved of their own accord in the direction she willed.

                “What are you doing?” I frowned, “Practice is the other way.”

                “I know.”
                “Where are we going?”

                “We’re going somewhere to talk.” She pushed open the door, leading me outside into the sunlight. I followed her silently as she moved across the parking lot. In the distance, I could make out my soccer team running laps in the heat. Guilt panged through my chest that I wasn’t a part of that, but my grades were more important than soccer, unfortunately.

                Rose led us down a small hill off of school property until we were sitting behind the gas station next to it.

                A few workers lingered out back, smoking a cigarette. They talked quietly and quickly, eyes trained on the two of us. My face hardened in their direction.

                She stopped at a cluster of trees, sitting down near one. Hesitantly, I sat down across from her, leaning my back against one of them.

                “Why this far away?”

                “I don’t want us to be interrupted.”

                “When Stein finds out I’m not in practice, she’ll kill me. She’ll think I went off to soccer, and then my ass will be screwed.”

                “She won’t find out.”

                “How—”

                Rose gave me a serious look, “You’ll be fine.”

                I was skeptical of her ways, but I let it pass.

                Rose sighed, staring down at her hands in her lap. The wind blew slightly, but not enough to provide any comfort in the heat.