"What are you thinking right now?"
"Honestly--nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
"I think that we need to spend some time apart before we make any decisions."
"But this isn't goodbye, right? We still have hope?"
"Of course we do. We're not ending things forever. We're just--taking a break."
"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!"
"So, do you and Leslie have anything special going on tonight."
"I honestly don't know."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Leslie never communicates with me anymore."
"This isn't going to work, is it?"
"I don't think so. I can't force you to communicate with me, and I can't force myself to be okay with that."
"Michael!"
"Yeah?"
"It was a boy. The baby, I mean."
"YOU'RE the one who said we should take a break. YOU'RE the one who said we need to figure things out. I mean, if YOU wanted to see other people that would be fine! It's none of my business what you do in your spare time."
"Enjoy your movie."
"David? What are you doing here?"
"Do you have a condom?"
"Yeah."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One month later...
"Shit! My mom's home!"
Well...this could be awkward.
"Quick! Put on your pants!"
I jumped off of Joy Harris's bed and attempted to put on my pants quickly and painlessly, not even putting on my boxers for fear that I wouldn't be fast enough.
I hastily put on my t-shirt and grabbed the rest of my things. Joy and I had been fucking two or three times a week since Valentine's Day, and never once was her mother a problem.
"Joy honey, are you home?"
"Yes, Mom--go out the window."
"What?"
"You heard me--go out the window! My mother can't see you here, she won't approve."
"Your mom loves me!"
"Yeah, but she won't love this! Go, I'll see you later."
My name is David, and I'm a normal high school student.
And I guarantee you that I am not the ONLY high school student who is having a sexual relationship with his cheating ex-girlfriend and climbing out a window to get past her mother.
I carefully climbed out the window and stealthily moved to a tree that was in her backyard. I cautiously descended toward the ground--until the thin branch I was standing on broke and I plummetted downward.
Joy's mother rushed to open the sliding glass door and saw me lying on the ground.
"Uh, hi Mrs. Harris."
"David, what are you doing here?"
"Just--dropping in."
"Now, the two of you are going to explain to me exactly what is going on here."
Nose goes.
"David and I have been--well--seeing each other for about a month, and we didn't want you to get the wrong idea, so I had him climb down the window. Stupid mistake, I know, but it won't happen again."
"Joy honey, how could you want to see this boy again after what he did to you?"
Um...what?
"It's in the past, Mom. He's really changed."
"Uh, Joy, could I talk to you for a minute--in private?"
"Uh, sure."
Joy and I moved into the kitchen and I took a seat on the counter.
"Um--after I did what to you?"
"Okay, so please don't be mad, but I, well, I told her you had cheated on me."
"But--you cheated on me."
"She needed a reason for us breaking up and I couldn't tell her what I had done."
"Yeah, because telling your parents the truth is just such a difficult thing to do."
"David, it was prom night, we had just broken up, I was upset. Please understand."
I tried really hard to understand, but I needed some guidance from the peanut gallery.
"YOU SLEPT WITH JOY?"
"And you didn't tell us?"
"Do you have a favorite position yet?"
I knew I could always rely on Michael Florence, Mark Adams, and Aaron Stanwick to offer helpful advice.
"I really don't think that's the important part of this conversation."
"Um...WRONG. Does Callie know about this?"
"No and I plan to keep it that way."
"So, you're just going to cheat on the best thing you have ever had."
"I'm not cheating! She's free to fuck whoever she wants! We're on a break, and I'm not even sure if we're still on that break or if we've broken up. We've hardly spoken since Valentine's Day."
"And who cares? He's getting some and he's happy! Now we've just gotta find someone to make the Mormon over there unpure."
"It's impure, and thanks but no thanks."
"BACK TO MY PROBLEM, what the hell am I supposed to do? I never cheated on Joy; never even THOUGHT about cheating on her."
"Do you ever THINK at all? I mean, who actually says to their parents, 'Oh by the way I cheated on him'? I mean, use your head."
"And not your other one."
"Hi guys."
We all turned to face Callie Anderson.
"David, can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure. Just give me a minute, okay?"
"Okay, meet me over by the newsroom?"
"Sounds good."
She walked away and I turned to my boys, distraught over what was about to happen.
"Dude, you have to tell her."
"No you don't. The way I see it, it's none of her beeswax."
"It's none of her beeswax?"
"Thanks guys. Ya'al are REALLY helpful."
I advanced toward the newsroom, my mind all over the place. On one hand, it wasn't really her place to know what I had been up to, but on the other hand, our entire relationship was based on honesty and trust. Maybe she deserved to know.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Silence.
"What are we doing?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"Well let's see, we never talk unless you're giving me feedback on an article, you practically ignore my existance in the hallways, and I miss you."
And I missed her too, but so much had happened in the mere month and a half since we went on our break. What if it was too late to come back?
"I miss you too."
"So, what do you say we end this break and go back to being boyfriend and girlfriend?"
I guess it wasn't.
"It sounds good to me."
She slowly walked toward me and we shared a breathtaking kiss. I had almost forgotten how wonderful the world was when Callie was in it. She seemed to make all of the bad disappear.
"What do you say we have dinner tonight and just talk about everything."
"That sounds amazing. And...maybe after dinner we could have some dessert?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I think we've waited long enough. Are you up for it?"
"Sounds like it's going to be one sweet dessert."
The bell rang and we went to journalism class. Soon, the entire class knew that Callie and I were back together and they were as ecstatic as I was. It felt nice to have someone to hold hands with, someone to kiss in the hallway, someone with whom I could share the most intimate moments without even saying a word.
"So I suppose you'll tell her about Joy tonight?"
Oh yeah. That.
"I don't know if it's really necessary at this point. Everything is good again, and I don't want to mess it up."
RING RING RING
"Hello? Hey. Yeah sure. Okay, see you tonight. Bye."
I shot Michael one of those "what's going on" looks.
"What?"
"Who are you seeing tonight?"
"Someone."
"You know, I don't think I've met Someone. Is she in our grade?"
"Look, it's my first date since Leslie and I broke up, and I don't want you to make a big thing about it."
"No one's making a big thing about it except for you. So who is it?"
"Just a girl in my Anatomy class, and she's very sexy I must say. I guess we'll see where it goes."
"Sounds like a good plan, my brother."
While Michael prepared for his totally non-serious date, I prepared for my totally serious date with Callie. I had the house all to myself because Mom was stage managing a talent show at work, and Jake, along with Lucy Greer and her daughter Maya decided to watch the show. It was going to be very nice to have privacy for the night, especially since Callie and I were going to be making love for the first time.
I used Mom's new Giada de Laurentis cookbook to make chicken piccata, and then dipped some strawberries in chocolate to get us in the mood for dessert. I lit candles on the table and wore a black button-down shirt with black pants.
DING DONG DING DONG
I opened the door and Callie looked more radiant than ever. Her long, flowing hair was curled and she wore a very sexy black dress. I presented her with a single rose and kissed her.
"Wow it smells really good. Since when do you cook?"
"I have a lot of hidden talents."
We kissed again, but instead of it leading to another comment about dinner, it led straight to dessert. As we kissed each other passionately up the stairs, we removed each other's clothes and before we knew it we were connecting like a puzzle beneath the sheets. It was so much better than having sex with Joy; with Callie it meant something, and I had so much more to love about her.
After what seemed like a year of lovemaking, Callie and I lay in each other's arms and I gently kissed her neck. It was powerful knowing that in my arms was someone who loved me.
After a while, Callie spoke.
"You know for a first-timer, that was oddly really good."
Oh shit! She still thought I was a virgin. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't tell her now, not after we had finally reconnected. I could only think of one thing to say.
"Have you ever made love to a virgin before?"
"I've only had sex with one other guy, and he was quite far from virginity."
That was a relief. Maybe she didn't know that guys generally last ten minutes or less their first time.
"So, what do you say I go downstairs and bring the dinner up here."
"I would rather have another helping of dessert."
She pressed her lips against mine and we made love again. Afterward, we went to sleep in each other's arms and it felt good.
The next morning she was still there right beside me. She looked so peaceful as she slept. I gently got up and turned the shower on. After I got out of the shower, I began quietly putting on my uniform and she woke up as I got dressed.
"Good morning, beautiful."
"Good morning. Off to work?"
"Someone's gotta bring in the big bucks."
"Well I should get going anyway. I have some stuff to do at home, but maybe we can get together later?"
"Sure. I get off work at 6."
"Sounds great."
She had brought a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with her so that she wouldn't come home doing the walk of shame. Mom had picked up all of our clothes that were sprawled across the stairs and set them in a pile outside my bedroom door. I walked my girlfriend out to her car and we kissed for the next minute and a half.
"I love you, and I'm so glad we're back together."
"I love you too. Safe driving."
As I got in the prius and headed to the UPS Store, I thought about the past month and a half that Callie and I weren't together. Before Joy and I hooked up I was absolutely miserable, and then even while Joy and I were having sex every day I think I was still miserable. It was just sex, nothing else. I regretted it completely; had I known that Callie and I would get back together so soon after we went on the break, I never would have slept with Joy and I would have waited to lose my virginity when it meant something. Last night it finally meant something, and in some ways it felt like it was my first time, but it wasn't, and that was my fault.
After I got off work, I decided to see if Joy was working at the Coffee Plantation, located conveniently across the street from the UPS Store. To my satisfaction she was, and the line wasn't too busy.
"Hey."
"Hey! What's up?"
"Um, I came to tell you that Callie and I got back together yesterday."
"You did? That's really great! I'm so happy for you guys."
"But this means you and I can't see each other anymore, okay?"
"You guys were seeing each other?"
I turned around to find a very shocked Callie.
"Uh, hey babe! What are you doing here?"
"Jim said you came here, I figured we could get a cup of coffee or something, but it seems like you've already had your fill."
She walked out the door, and I looked at Joy.
"Are you an idiot? Chase after her!"
I turned around and botled toward my girlfriend.
"Callie, I can explain!"
"Explain what? That you basically had an entire relationship while we were on a break?"
"It wasn't a relationship, it was just--"
I cut myself off.
"It was just what, David? Sex? Did you have sex with her?"
I was silent as I collected my thoughts.
"Well did you?"
I took a deep breath before I answered.
"Yes, we did, but it meant nothing!"
"Well, I guess it's nice to know that sex means nothing to you."
"No, you misunderstood me! It meant nothing with HER, it meant EVERYTHING with you!"
"What a line."
"You know you're not totally innocent here either, Callie. You went to the movies with that guy on Valentine's Day and said if I wanted to see other people that was totally fine."
"I didn't mean see their entire bodies!"
RING RING RING
"Hello? What? Mom, I can't understand you. Mom? What? Oh my God. Yeah, I'll be home in about 10 minutes."
I put my phone in my pocket and stared at the floor.
"What's going on?"
I took a deep breath as I lifted my head up to look at Callie.
"My father's dead."
It was the first time I said it out loud, and therefore it was the first time the words were true. Until we say something out loud as a fact, we can assume that it is a rumor because we are hearing it from other people. We can choose to believe what people say or we can deny it, but when we actually spread the words, it becomes a fact to ourselves. After all, when we believe something strongly enough, how can we regard it as anything but a fact?
David Adler
Normal High School Student
