The Big Five

17. BFFs and the surprise guest

Maggie took her spot on the bed, laying on her belly. She watched me with interest. Emma sat up and leaned back on the headboard. I sat in the middle, facing both of them. I inhaled deeply then started.

"When I was in sixth grade, I had a major crush on this one boy."

"Ooh," Maggie grinned slyly. "This is interesting."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious, Maggie. No interrupting. Do you want to listen to me or not?"

"Go on."

"Okay, so this boy, his name was Paul Hoffman. He was a bad boy, just like the Big Five. He was hot, bad, and cool. I developed my crush when I saw him on his motorcycle. I can't forget that ever. He was on a black bike. He held his helmet under one of his arms. He popped some gum then spat it out.

"It was love at first sight. He had a handsome face. His hair was brown and shaggy. He had strong features, with big eyes and a strong jaw. He had a tattoo of a dragon on his shoulder and it was the only thing I didn't like about him. At this point, I was at the top of my class. It was like a cliché bad boy good girl kind of story, but there was no real love.

"Paul had a girlfriend. Jenna Rivers. She was your classic mean girl. Pretty, blonde, and evil behind her innocent facade. He used her and broke up with her. That in itself should have sent me warning bells, but, well, it was Jenna Rivers. No boy could stand to date her for more than a month. Then, I somehow caught his attention. I was in seventh grade when he asked me out. I felt like I was floating on the clouds. I couldn't believe it.

"It was a dream come true. So I immediately said yes. We dated and I honestly thought I would be the different girl who would change the bad boy. I thought I was special."

I snorted. "But no. To Paul, I was only that one girl he never dated. So, to fill his quota, he asked me out. We went out for three months. He was patient with me. I refused any sexual intimacy with him, even my kiss. I wanted the kiss to be special. Cheesy, I know, but I am a hopeless romantic. I wanted the kiss to be made when Paul pinned me to the wall and said, 'I love you.' Don't you smirk at me, Mag. It's serious. I was a stupid naive girl who didn't understand what that boy wanted.

"I was smitten. Paul was sweet and he showed a side to me that he never showed to anyone else. I felt special. The nerdy girl and the bad boy. The cliché couple. I loved him, I honestly did."

I sighed. Maggie and Emma exchanged concerned glances. I smiled and continued.

"So, then the breakup happened. I was at his house, playing and checking out his Pokemon card collection. I had my own at home and I wanted to see if he had any rare cards. Paul came into the room and grabbed my wrist.

"It hurt and I dropped the cards. He threw me on the bed and had this really annoying smirk. At first, I smiled back. I thought something romantic was going to happen. I was ready for my first kiss. Paul leaned in and I closed my eyes, ready for it. But then, something snapped.

"He started to touch me in places I never allowed him to before. I opened my eyes and pulled away. It wasn't what I wanted. He gave me a glare and it pierced my heart. It felt like he hated me. I still remember the words he said to me: 'Come on, babe. This is the whole point of dating. Give me your body.'"

I shuddered. "I may have been a naive little girl and a hopeless romantic at the time, but I wasn't stupid. I knew the point of dating was to spend time with the one you loved. I refused to kiss him and he slapped me. I cried. Everything he did was another stab to my heart.

"He called me a....a female dog. I'm not going to say it because I think I'm going to cry if I do." I paused and swallowed. Emma put her hand on my knee comfortingly.