I'm In Love With A Rebel

I Can't Accept

On Monday, I packed my lunch, and one for Helen, like we had agreed until she understood what I meant. When I climbed on the bus, Brian waved to me. I smiled and sat next to him. "Hi."
"Hi."
"So, did you enjoy last night?"
I blushed. "Yeah..."
"Yeah? Wanna do it again?" He whispered, almost seductively.  
I laughed awkwardly, "Yeah."
"Meet me after school."
"But I've gotta get tutored after school."
"For what?"
"Algebra."
"You don't need algebra in real life." Brian scoffed.
"Yeah, But you need it to pass high school..... I stink at it."
"Me, too. Joey has to teach me...."
"Your brother?"
"Yeah. You don't know what torture is till you've studied with Joe."
I laughed. "You don't know torture until you have cramps." Immediately I blushed, and looked away. I'm so stupid!
"I guess I'll never know torture, then. Cause I'm not about to become a girl."
I laughed a little.
"Hey, Lowell!" Brian called.
"Hey, Brian." Lowell sat in front of us.
"Lowell, meet Becky. Becky, Lowell."
"Hi, Becky."
"Hi, Lowell." I smiled. He was kinda cute.
"I understand that you're from the corn state."
"That's right."
"My cousin Beevo got lost in a corn field for a whole week once."
"Um......." what? "Was he okay?"
"Oh, yeah. He's fine."
"Good?...." Is he...
"So. You and Brian?" Lowell smiled.
"What?"
"I heard your first kiss ever was with Brian."
I looked at a smiling Brian. "Well..." I wasn't sure what I was gonna say, but I didn't need to worry. The bus stopped at the school.
"Oh, look!" I said, a little too obviously. "We're here."
*****
At lunchtime, I went looking for Jesse. I needed to give him ten dollars, after all. "Jesse!"
Jesse looked up and smiled. "You're Becky."
"Yes, and you knew that, remember? Anyway, I wanted to repay you for paying for dinner on Friday."
His buddies went "Ooh!"
"Oh, come on guys. I didn't go with him; I went with Brian."
"Ooh!"
"Anyway, because Brian forgot the money, here's the ten bucks we owe you."
"No. I-I-I can't accept-" he cleared his throat. "Can't accept your, Uh, money."
"Please?"
"I'm sorry."
"Please?" I pouted a little, unintentionally.
"Think Of it as an, a, um...."
I smiled a little. He didn't stumble like this the first time I talked to him. "Favor?"
"Yes."
"I really wanna repay you..."
"Becky! Keep the money!" He sounded a little annoyed.
"Oh. Um, o-okay. I-if you insist." I walked away, confused. The first time I talked to him, he didn't stumble. Now, he does. And he seemed annoyed? I guess I would, too, if someone kept insisting, even though they said no. I sat down next to DJ.
"There you are, Becky! I'm hungry!" Helen said.
"Oh. Sorry." I pulled out two turkey sandwiches on whole grain bread, two apples , and two celery sticks. I gave one of each to Helen.
"That's it?"
"Yeah. That's a whole meal."
"Oh..."
She's unimpressed....