Drama Geek

Ch. 6

Friday afterschool finds me sitting on a bench outside near the back tennis courts with Zach (Hot Football Senior Guy actually has a name) laughing and talking about my now non-existent sports knowledge I have just confessed to him when he suddenly tips up my chin with his fingers.

"It's okay if you're not a huge sports fan after all. There's other stuff we can do besides talk sports," he says.

He's staring at my lips. Holy crap! He's starting to lean in and my heart is pounding so hard in my chest I think it's going to bust out like an alien movie. I just know he's leaning in for a kiss this time. He is so close I can smell the root beer he had for lunch still on his breath, and what do I do? Do I instinctively tip my head back, part my lips slightly, and wait for the earth to shake when his lips meet mine for the first time?

Nope.

I pull back my whole body and just stare at him. What the hell? Helloooo? Earth to Katie. What the hell was that?

He looks confused but before either of us have a chance to say anything Cheerleader Barbie flounces over with a perfect pout swinging her tennis racket like she wants to brain me with it. She starts telling him she missed the afterschool activities bus. "I'm heading to your house anyway tonight to babysit your little sister could you give me a ride?"

"Uh, sure," Zach tells her.

When he bends down to pick up his backpack, I'm the lucky receiver of her best 'so-there-would-you- just-die-already' look as she twists her racket in one hand. He clears his throat as he gets up off the bench, hesitates, and looks back down at me.

My brain isn't fully functional yet, but I know I definitely don't want to talk about what just happened any time soon. So I scramble enough brain cells together to make the lightning fast decision to bail him out and say, "I have got a meeting at 3pm in the auditorium for the One Act Festival so I better book it or I'm going to be late."

I look down at my pack, unzip the top, and act as if I'm repacking my stuff while mentally wishing them to please leave, please leave, please leave, please leave.

Cheerleader Barbie must have picked up on my silent signals because she grabs his arm and starts pulling him toward the parking lot giving him a perfectly lip-glossed, shiny pink smile, "C'mon Zack, WE can't be late either." Ugh.

They both take off and I'm left sitting there. I do not want to think about what just happened but I cannot find the off switch to my brain and my heart is still pounding fast and hard like a drum.

Zach just tried to kiss me and I pulled away. WTH?

I drop my head into my hands, blink a few times, and try to get a grip. I have about a whole minute to myself when someone practically throws his body onto the bench next to me.

I open my eyes to see a familiar pair of blue and white Converse on the ground next to my black flats.