Kiss List (Book I of the List Series)

Chapter 39 - Almost

"So what do you think?" Olivia asked, waving grandly at her computer screen.

I glanced at the screen. Photos of me kissing all the boys on the kiss list – with the notable exception of Aaron – were arrayed across a yearbook template page. Olivia had worked her graphics magic to really make the photos pop. It was a start contrast to the previous page with its two measly photos of Missy kissing Graham and Troy. Across the heading of Missy's page Olivia had written "Most Popular Girl in School" in quotes, as if to make the statement seem satirical. It certainly seemed that way with so many photos of me kissing guys, including Missy's own boyfriend, right across from it.

"I'm not so sure about this," I said. Alyssa nodded slowly in agreement but Payton groaned.

"Come on, girl," Payton said. "You put in all this work to get the guys and show Missy up. Now let's go in for the kill. It's not like we're announcing that she's the worst person who has ever lived, which she might be. Missy's a big girl; she can take it."

"I think Sadie's right," Alyssa said. "The kiss list was always more of an inside joke, wasn't it? I mean, we are not seriously thinking about publishing these photos in the yearbook, right?"

Olivia snorted. "I just wish we had a photo of Aaron to include," she said. "It would have been the crown jewel. By the way Sadie, have you told all the boys that they're going to be in these pictures?"

I had stopped paying attention, however, because at that moment Aaron walked past the window of the activities office. I desperately wanted to talk to him. "I'll be right back," I said quickly. "Don't do anything for now."

"We have to submit everything by tomorrow!" Olivia yelled at me but I ignored the reminder. I had more important things to worry about. Aaron was almost out of sight.

I rushed out the office and practically yelled, "Aaron!"

Aaron looked back over his shoulder and gave me one of his dazzling smiles. He motioned for the two other guys with him – whom I hadn't even noticed before – to keep going and he walked back to me.

"Sup Anderson?" he asked playfully. "Why are you hanging around after school so late?"

"Yearbook stuff," I said. "We need to get everything wrapped up by tomorrow and the only computer with the right software is in the activities office."

Aaron nodded his understanding. "I was just signing my letter of intent to play soccer next year."

That explained Aaron's clothes. He was wearing khaki pants and a new blue golf shirt that fit perfectly onto his lean frame and brought out the color of his gorgeous eyes. It was a clean, innocent school boy, preppy look that I found sexy and irresistible. Aaron's hair looked like it had been recently cut and his skin already bore a light tan from playing soccer in the spring sun. It made me realize that summer was almost upon us. Once summer arrived I would be lucky to see Aaron around town a couple times. Then the new school year would start and I might never see him again. That thought suddenly made me desperate to make a lasting connection now before it was too late.

"School, wow," I said, grasping for anything that could start a conversation. "It's weird to think you're going to be gone next year. Do you know what you want to study?"

Aaron shrugged. "Not really," he said. "My dad wants me to study business."

"Is that what you want to study?"

"Well, I've always thought it would be cool to study education and become a teacher," Aaron said. "But a lot of people want to do that and, like my dad always says, you don't make much money doing it. Maybe it's just one of those things that I want to do because I see people teaching, you know? I mean, if I see my teachers working all the time so maybe it's natural to want to be one of them. Maybe if I watched a businessman work at his office I'd want to go into business. My dad says it can be exciting."