Pillow Talk

6.

"Look, I need to talk to you. Just meet me on my porch in three minutes." I hung up the phone before he could answer. I picked up my rain boots and tip toed out of my room. I silently walked to my mother's room. I pressed an ear and heard her soft snores coming from the other side. I walked outside and sat down on the swinging chair, I softly rocked and waited for the door on the house across the street.

A couple of minutes went by and I was about to give up when I saw Jared open his door and softly close it. He had on the same pajama pants from the first day I met him, and he had on a bulky sweater someone must have knitted him. He ran across the street and stopped right before my porch. His breaths were shallow from the cold February air. I could see his sweater go up and down with the movement of his chest.

I gradually stood up from the swinging chair and I felt a smile start to dance playfully on my lips as Jared and I got closer and closer to each other. Jared took his time and climbed the three stairs to my porch. He stood there and watched as I drifted closer and closer to where he stood.

I placed a solid palm on his chest and looked up at him. "I know you didn't do it."

He stood there and pondered all the responses he could say, but I continued to talk before he could open his mouth. "I know you would never do something like that. I know you would never hurt me like that." I cleared my throat and inhaled the breathed in the crisp air that nipped at any exposed skin.

"I'm just scared."

Jared brushed a curl out of my face and put his hand back to his side. "I never asked you if I could kiss you the day at the lake."

I slowly nodded my head and rises onto the tip of my toes. I wrapped my arms lazily around his neck and I could feel my smile coming back. "Before I kiss you, can you answer a question for me?"

"Anything." He snaked his arms around my waist and touched our noses together.

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Jared let go of my waist and brought one hand to my chin. "I was waiting for you to ask me that."

He grazed my lips delicately, almost like a butterfly would. He removed his hand from my chin and brought them back to my waist. He held me closer, but kept his lips as soft as could be. Jared broke apart, leaving me wanting more.

"Don't get me wrong, I really want to. But I saw your name flash on my phone and ran outside. I really need to take a piss." Jared placed a quick kiss on my forehead and ran back to his house across the street.

"He's my boyfriend." I whispered to myself. "I have a boyfriend."

~~~

News always seemed to travel fast at my high school. I think it's because there wasn't much to do at my high school but drink, have sex, and talk about other people. And since there were only a 900 students, it was easy for gossip to go around fast.

"I heard she sucked his dick and he had to say yes."

"I heard she got pregnant from a quickie and his mother made him marry her. It's a black thing I guess."

"Well I heard she already had the baby, but no one knows about it because they act like siblings."

"Has anyone seen my sandwich? Turkey on rye."

But I didn't let the rumors get to me. Every moment I spent with Jared was like walking on air. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. When I talked to him, he would actually listen. When I complained about homework, he would offer to study with me. It wasn't even really about us kissing, it was about knowing that he was there for me no matter what.

"Why don't you come over? You can meet my parents. They've been dying to meet you. You've been the only thing I've been talking about since we started dating." Jared twirled a lock of my hair around his finger.

"You've told your parents? My mom only knows you as Enemy Number 2." I put down the book I was assigned for English and raked a hand in my mane of curls. "But I would love to. But it would have to be next weekend, I'm with my dad. It's pretty big. I haven't been to his house since I was about 13. We only go to restaurants."

"Why don't I come with you? Stay for dinner? I could meet your dad and the 'bitch with boobs'."

"'Bitch with boobs' will now be referred to as Hannah. She's actually the one to tell me that I should give you a chance. And I'm glad that I did." I gave him a peck on the cheek and laughed. "Besides, she isn't as bad as I said she was."

I looked up from Jared when I heard someone clear their throat. There standing was Jasmine, but something was off about here. Instead of her skirts that barely reached mid thigh, she had on sweatpants. Her makeup was smudged under the eyes, and her hair was in a knot on the top of her head.

"Jasmine? What's wrong?" I got up from the bench I usually spent my lunch on and walked over to her. Her chin started to tremble and I could tell as I got closer that her eyes were puffy. "I need to tell you something."

"You can tell me anything. What is it?"

"I got kicked out. My mom saw me with someone and got angry. She started yelling at me, and I started yelling at her. Then she just went into my room and got all my things and threw it into a suitcase. Liz, I'm homeless."

I pulled her into a hug and felt her breaths get more and more ragged as the moments went by. "I just don't understand why she kicked you out? I mean, she's caught you with guys before. Lots of times really. It's kind of disturbing how much she's walked in on you."

"There's something else I need to tell you about. But I can't tell you here." Jasmine's eyes darted towards Jared, who was trying not to stare, then back at me. "Can we go somewhere private? Maybe we can go to your house? Your mom goes off to pilates at 12. I remember that."

"Can I just ask you a question? Did you have sex at my house when my mom was off at pilates?"

"Let's take my car." Jasmine broke away from my hug and nodded.

"Jasmine!"