Kimberley's POV
We watched one another for a long moment. Trying to read minds, trying to soothe emotions, trying to find words... I
touched her bruised eye carefully, "I'm so sorry about this, Cheryl. I'm sorry he did this to you."
She shook her head, "You didn't do anything. I was the idiot who wasn't paying attention - who doesn't know how to
'hit'" She grinned sheepishly as I shook my head.
"Well, I'm sure he's feeling the pain in his nose today," She looked at me with a confused expression, "You broke his
nose."
There was an instantaneous grin on her face. She seemed quite pleased with herself. The fact that she'd also been
broken didn't fit into the equation. I shook my head, thinking back on the event that brought us together, which made
me wonder out loud.
"What were you doing there anyway? I've never seen you there before." She let go of me and instantly her hand was
rubbing at the side of her chin again while she looked down at the ground guiltily.
"I was looking for you." It was spoken so softly and I was curious now. "I uh, I heard from some people that you
might be there "
"'Some' people, huh?" I wondered inquisitively. I don't know many people from school, so I found it difficult to
believe that she would know anything about my 'out-of-school-activities' and I had a feeling I was backing her into a
corner.
I was kind of enjoying it too. I didn't mean to rib her, but she looked so adorable and I was growing bolder by the
second.
"Which people?" I pressed her again. I had to hold in the chuckle that tried to escape, she looked completely whipped.
She wouldn't look at me.
"You are a terrible liar," I whispered softly in her ear.
"I was jealous." That surprised me. Jealous?! Jealous of what?-
"Don't you notice how those jerks hang around at your locker everyday? Do you think they are there just because they
have nothing better to do? They are there because it's 'your' locker."
I was puzzled. She noticed.
"You have no idea how many boys are after ya, d'ya?" She went on, "How they talk about you. How they look at
you..." And then she looked at me. "I was jealous." She looked so vulnerable. I wanted to touch her then, but my
nerves won the battle.
"It was driving us crazy. I got so sick of hearing sh!t and thinking sh!t. I just ran. I wanted to get away from it. I didn't
want to think about you. And I fucked up, because there you were! The most random place I could think to run to, and
you were right there."
I had a 'light bulb' moment. The other day, when we talked; she was so out of breath. Oh my! Now it was my turn to
whisper. "I was hiding from you that day..."
She studied me questioningly and I gave her the answer that she'd given me. "Do you have any idea how many guys –
and girls – are after 'you'? How they talk about 'you'. How they look at 'you'?" She didn't look convinced. How could
she not be?
"I doubt that. Even if it was true, I don't care, I only want you."
My legs were suddenly boneless. I lost my balance but she caught me and held me close against her. She tucked a few
strands of hair behind my ear. "Are you alright babe?" 'babe' That sweet word and her closeness made me turn red in
the face.
"Uh-huh..." Her eyes were so open, so thoughtful. I couldn't look away from her as I took in a deep breath, "This is
why I hide from you. This is what you do to me."
She frowned at me, looking confused. "I make you faint? That's not good, is it?" I burst out laughing, "No!" I smiled,
"You make me feel, feel things I shouldn't be feeling, feel things that should be classified as lethal"
"Oh." She looked away again, smiling and her dimples were stirring those 'feelings' in me again. "Well, you make us
smile" she said shyly.
"Smile so much that sometimes I'm scared when I go to sleep me face will freeze like that and I would always look
like that" I broke into a huge grin again. She is so sweet..
Just then, I heard the vibrating sound of a phone, her phone. "sh!t", she muttered under her breath, "Perfect timing"
She slipped it out of her bum pocket, I mean back pocket. Bad Kimberley.
She let out a big sigh before answering. "Hey Sarah. Uh-Huh. What do you mean it's late? sh!t, I didn't... We're just
out... That's not funny, you know that's not what I meant. Sure, sure. Is the doctor-looter still there? Okay... "
I felt like I was I imposing on the one-way conversation somehow, so I strode towards a fallen tree trunk that looked
like it could be quite comfortable. It was. I was feeling scared.
What did this mean - Me and Cheryl? Were we 'something' now? Could we actually 'be' a something? I let my
thoughts wander again and I heard a loud sigh and looked back at her as she was coming to me.
"That was Sarah. We've been gone for two hours already. Doesn't feel like it. I can't take you home because I'm a
driving hazard, so we need to get back soon... and, I think Sarah likes your friend", she chuckled as she found a spot
next to me.
"God help her. He's shameless and annoying – most of the time. But he's a good lad."
She smirked, "So is Sarah! Perfect match."
We compared details about which friend was more annoying until the conversation died down. "Is your bro- I mean,
your step-brother - is he still at your house?"
"Nope," she heaved a sigh of relief, "But me mam is back. She is going to have a fit. Way too stressed out about what
other people think."
"What will she do?" I was curious now and she shrugged.
"Probably keep us out of school for a day or two until me eye tones down a few colours."
"Really?! She'd do that?"
She shrugged again, indifferently, "She likes keeping up the illusion of happiness and stability."
I'll miss you. She stared at me again. sh!t. Did I say that out loud? "I'll miss you too" She was biting her lip.
"sh!t, this is all so. I want to get to know you, but I can't, because I'm not going to see you. And I, I'll probably be
grounded and barred from doing anything for a while." She said sadly.
"We have time" I said, "We have lots of time." I was reassuring not only her, but myself as well.
We have time.
She looked at me hopefully and I was getting nervous again. "Um, well we should probably get back I guess," I
managed to say. I was getting lost again in her.
"Okay..." She was slipping my hair away again behind my ear, making no attempt of going anywhere.
"What are you looking at?"
"You are so gorgeous"
I looked away from her. How is it one word from her makes my face burn like that, I'd never know.
"Don't tease me..." but her hand guided me back.
"I'm not teasing you," she whispered, "I'm honest. You are bloody gorgeous..All of you"
"You think big bum is gorgeous?"
"On you..."
My mouth became bone dry in an instant and my eyes searched over her face, to her eyes, to her lips... her moist lips. I tried to speak again but the only thing that escaped me was a soft moan as I felt her tongue glide over my lower lip,
feeding it the moisture it so desperately needed.
She started sucking on it too, slowly, taking her time with it. Then, I felt her tongue slide into my hungry mouth and I
couldn't let go, sucking on it like it was the only thing keeping me alive.
"I like the way you kiss" I slurred against her lips. Addiction. It was the only word I could think of. It was like I'd
just discovered I was an addict, and she was my fix. And oh my. What a fix.
