Starstruck

Chapter 17a: Event horizon (part 1)

CHAPTER 17

Event horizon (part 1)

Though I would have been happy to spend the rest of the day in our private clearing in the cornfield, Rigel eventually reminded me that we needed to get back to the school if we were going to catch the late buses. Still holding hands, we made our way back single file through the narrow rows of corn, then through the school to the waiting buses. Before I got on my bus, Rigel kissed me one last time--in full view of God and everybody.

As long as he was touching me I couldn't feel embarrassed, but when I got on the bus and saw all the stunned expressions, I felt myself flushing--especially when I realized I had bits of corn silk in my hair. I had to fight the urge to explain, to announce to the whole bus that all we'd done was kiss. Of course, that would only make the gossip worse. Besides, even though it was true, it felt like more because everything with Rigel was so . . . intense.

Remembering that, my embarrassment faded and I was able to sink back into the happy glow my afternoon with him had created. Who cared what all these kids thought, anyway? I was a princess and Rigel . . . he was my prince, in every way that mattered.

That glow carried me through the rest of that week and all of the next. At school, Rigel and I were nearly inseparable, spending as much time as possible together between classes and at lunch. He sat next to me in English and convinced our History teacher to let him move next to me there, too, so we could work together on our midterm project. I prepared a series of excuses to stay after school, so even though Rigel couldn't skip football practice again, at least I could be nearby in the stands.

When the gossip made its inevitable rounds after our "tryst" in the cornfield, Bri dropped the last of her resentment to pump me for information, her bruised feelings no match for her thirst for romantic details.

"C'mon," she pleaded on the way to school a couple of days later--for the fourth or fifth time. "You have to tell me what really happened Tuesday."

"How many times do I have to say it before you'll believe me?" I whispered. "We kissed. And talked. That's it."

"Yeah, but there's kissing . . . and then there's kissing," she whispered back. "How serious was this makeout session? On a scale of one to ten?"

I had to laugh, even though I was getting pretty irritated by now. But since I could never share my real secret with her, I gave in on this one.

"Okay, it was pretty serious, about as serious as I can imagine without going past kissing. Which we didn't. But wow, can Rigel ever kiss!"

If that hadn't been enough to earn Bri's forgiveness, the football players stopping by our lunch table on a regular basis definitely did the trick. Soon, she and Deb were on a flirting basis with half the team, which made them happy, which made me happy. Especially since it meant I could spend more time focused on Rigel without them feeling left out.

We decisively beat Alexandria at the home game Friday, and even though I wasn't allowed to go to the after party, Bri and Deb got invitations from some of the players, so all was well. I hoped. I couldn't help worrying just a little that this sudden popularity might cloud their judgment about boys and whatever went on at those parties.

Saturday, after chores and taekwondo, I offered to run some errands in town for my aunt and "accidentally" ran into Rigel at Dream Cream, on Diamond. We spent a blissful couple of hours eating ice cream, hanging out in Jewel's pretty little arboretum, talking, and pretending to window shop. I even remembered to pick up Aunt Theresa's quilting paper before walking home. Sunday we only saw each other at church, but that was still much better than nothing.