Three Paper Hearts

Chapter Four

When I got home, I was in a daze as I got out of my uniform and picked up the phone to call Charity. I needed to tell her.

            I think Mum could tell from the look on my face what had happened.

            The next day at school was perfect, like in movies. Shaun was waiting for me at my locker and kissed me before he even said hello, though it wasn’t for very long. I could tell from the look on Charity’s face that she was barely containing herself.

            He had the same homeroom as me so we walked together and then straight after that we had Social Studies, the class he as asked me out in.

            We kept sneaking looks at each other and at lunch he sat next to me at our table, out thighs and shoulders touching. It was almost too good to be true. I was really Shaun’s girlfriend. And the whole world could see it.

I caught a ride home with Shaun and when he pulled up outside my house he turned the engine off.

            “So…” he said and started inching his hand over the console, like a spider. But you know not all yucky and creepy.

            “Thanks for driving me home,” I said, not sure how else to fill the silence.

            “No problem,” he said. His eyes weren’t focused on my eyes, more on the bottom half of my face. Did I have a pimple there or was he looking at my lips? Did that mean he wanted to kiss me?

            Suddenly his fingertips were touching the seat next to my thigh and his face was way closer than it would be if he weren’t planning on doing something.

            He wasn’t saying anything but he must have decided he was going to kiss me because he sped up and suddenly he was right there. Shaun looked into my eyes for a moment before closing the last few centimetres and my eyes fluttered shut. It was longer than when he had kissed me on Wednesday, and like he was surer of himself. His hand slipped onto my thigh as he deepened this kiss slightly.

            “So I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked when he pulled away, his hand still on my thigh.

            I just nodded, not capable of speech yet. Robotically I opened the door and managed to get out of the car without stumbling.

            “So, um, thanks. Bye,” I said.

            Shaun smiled widely, straight at me and I lost my train of thought for a moment. “Bye, Lacey,” he said and I shut the door like I was on autopilot.

            I turned and went up the path as Shaun pulled away and down the road. I ran my fingertips over my lips, still remembering the kiss.

“So, are you coming?” Shaun asked, his hand in mine as we walked down the hall towards Social Studies.

            There was a party at one of Shaun’s friend’s houses. Of course, Shaun didn’t say it, but I knew from Charity that the guy’s parents’ were off the premises and that it was a ‘bring what ever beverage you want’ sort of thing. So I wasn’t all that keen on going, but Shaun kept saying that it would be completely fine and that he wouldn’t ditch me for even two seconds (that always seems to happen to me at parties. Everyone wants to dance while I just want to sit there and watch) and that he wanted all of his other friends, the ones that didn’t go to the same school as us, to see that we were together. And really, in the end that’s what made me give in, the fact that Shaun really wanted everyone to know.