The Girl Next Door

29.

It was exhilarating skipping school with my girlfriend because I had never done it before. We went to get breakfast and then spent the morning at the mall. By noon, I was itching to go to the small Ma & Pa bookstore downtown but it was too close to the police station. I didn't want daddy to see Gisella's motorcycle so we stayed away from the downtown area.
On our way to the arcade, Gisella pointed out a junkyard that I wouldn't have seen if she didn't. What caught her eye was a yellow and white old Volkswagen van. She did a U-turn and parked in the empty parking lot. When our helmets were off, she shook her curls out and let them fall over her shoulders.
"I am so excited. Did you see the van?" Gisella pulled me into the small brick building with a smile so big it gave me butterflies. I wasn't sure if it was the wind or her happiness that gave me chills but I welcomed the feeling it left in my stomach. She was so cute.
"Do you think it's for sale?" I asked. The building was as small as the detention room at school and extremely warm. It smelled like cigarette smoke and someone's lunch but that didn't turn Gisella away. She was on a mission.
"I don't know." Gisella approached the window and smiled at a tall, pale man with long brown hair in a bun. He was giving her more heart eyes than I did when I saw her this morning.
"Bonjour, hello."
"Can I help you ladies?" The man's eyes raked over each of us slowly and made my skin crawl. I grabbed my elbow absentmindedly and took a step away from the counter.
"Yes, I think you can. Is that your Volkswagen outside?" Gisella's smile gave me butterflies even though she wasn't looking at me.
"It is."
"Parfaire." French rolled off her tongue so easily sometimes, I don't think she realized when it happened but I found it extremely adorable. "Are you interested in selling it?"
The man rubbed his chin and took his time looking my girlfriend up and down in the most perverted way I have ever seen. Jealousy coated my skin in a red blush that made my head feel woozy. I wanted to be the only one to look at her in that way even though I knew she was far too beautiful for that to happen. He was attractive too, which made the jealous feeling in my stomach intensify.
"I wasn't. I am now." He flirted and then cast blue eyes in my direction. Gisella reaches for my arm and interlocked it with hers.
"May we see it?"
"Sure. This way. I'm Gerald by the way." Gerald held his hand out for Gisella to shake but she interlocked her fingers with mine and gave him a small smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Gerald."
"You're not from here, are you?" Gerald asked as we walked outside towards the fenced in area of the lot. Several cars, trucks and vans were parked and they looked like they hadn't been touched in months. Either the boy didn't see the glare I gave him for asking an obvious question or it didn't bother him. I was getting annoyed either way.
"I am from France." Gisella glanced at me and smiled sweetly.
"Sweet. So uh, here it is." Gerald pointed to the van and opened the drivers door. "It was my dad's."
"Does it work?" Gisella asked. She looked pulled my arm as she walked around the old van. I knew the only reason she was containing her excitement was because we were with a stranger but I could tell she was happy. The seats in the back had been taken out and it looked empty but the black interior was cute.
"It should. I dunno. You really want to buy that piece of junk?" Gerald laughed and kicked the tire.
"Oui. I do."
"Well I'll sell it for $4,000." He grinned at us and waited as Gisella thought it over. $4,000 sounded like so much money, especially when neither of us had a job. She offered him another smile and interlocked our fingers together.
"Parfaire. We'll pick it up Friday." Gisella squeezed my hand, grinned and flipped her hair. We'd pick it up Friday? I was so shocked and confused.
"I'll be here."
As soon as we were out of the boy's junk yard, I pulled my hand away from Gisella. On top of being confused, jealousy tickled the hair on my arms.
"We'll pick it up Friday?!"
"Oui, mon amour. Why are you upset?" Gisella folded her arms and pouted. If I wasn't so distracted I would have thought it was cute.
"Besides the fact that boy wouldn't stop staring at my girlfriend and you didn't do anything about it? Where are we getting $4,000 from?" I had no idea I was a jealous girlfriend until now because I had never been anyone's girlfriend before. I didn't like it.
"Stacy." I loved the way my name sounded coming from her mouth. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into her arms.
"Let me worry about the money." She kissed the tip of my nose and I forgot why I was upset. "I am yours, my love. He can stare at me as long as he wants but I belong to you."
"You belong to me?" I repeated, feeling like she was putting me in a trance. We stood next to her motorcycle hand in hand, her eyes glistening under the sun.
"Oui, mon amour. Je t'appartiens." Gisella kissed me soft and gentle enough for me to lean into her body and pull away with a smile. "Now can we enjoy the rest of our date, please?"