No More Bruises

Chapter 3

"What's it like to go to bed and ponder all your decisions?" I hear you asking. It's not fun, it really isn't.

I can't help but remember her disappointment, and it's all too heartbreaking. I really, really wish that I could tell her what happens in my life, but it's best she's not involved. For many reasons.

We'll just have to talk about other things.

The next day, we walk through the hallways, and I reach for her hand. I feel as my big fingers easily encase her small hand and her fingers accept mine.

 I have to tell you, the sense of pride that comes from having such a wonderful person next to you is extremely energizing. She chose me, and I'm beyond grateful.

It seems like she's let go of the previous conversation, but I haven't.

"It's my birthday," I tell her.

"You're telling me this now?"

"Well..."

"Well, now I don't have a gift." There's a pause.

"You wanna go to a party?"

I've convinced her into coming to parties with me on the weekends. We have fun hanging out with everybody, and she's becoming less shy with other people as well.

"I don't know.... I just really wish I had a gift."

"You're the best gift." 

We look at each other and stop walking. She smiles, "Can I meet your parents?" she asks.

"Uh..."

"What? Do you think they won't like me?"

"No, I think that you won't like them. My dad at least."

"Is there any way that I can meet your mom?"

"I don't know. It's hard to say."

"Okay, well..how 'bout you meet mine?"

"I don't think that your parents will appreciate their good daughter dating a bad boy like me."

"You have to stop assuming that people don't like you or won't like you because of your past and what you wear. My parents would love you to meet them, and so would I."

How do you tell her no? I know that I'm giving her the evil eye, and she's giving it back.

After school, we hop in my car and go over to her house. She looks at me, waiting for me to get up. I jerk my head towards her like I have little muscle and cannot hold my head up, as a joke. She doesn't find it funny.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No. But if you're going to keep acting like this, it will never be a good idea."

"I hate you," I say. Not literally. 

She practically drags me up to the door, and I'm surprised when her mom opens it for us. We walk in, and they're looking at me judgingly, and I flash a little smile.

It's all kind of awkward, but as long as I pay attention to June and not my gut, things should go fine.

We sit down on the couch and Mrs. Capt asks me if I'd like anything to drink.

"Water," I respond dryly. June nudges me, "Please." I swallow and I feel me Adam's apple as it gets stuck in my throat. She walks out into the kitchen and I turn to June. 

She nods in the direction of her father-- on the other side of the room --implying that I should start talking. I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Mrs. Capt holding out a glass of water. It took me a minute to remember that I asked for water.

"Thanks," I say dryly. She nods and sits down next to Mr. Capt.

I look around to see perfectly painted, light blue walls and a small tree in the corner. The floors are a beautiful dark wood, and the living room is spacious.

I really am glad to see that she has a better home than me.

"You watch football?" the question breaks my concentration.

"Hmm?" I ask him. I heard what he said, that was just my first reaction.

"Do you watch football?"

"No, sir. We don't.. own a.. TV." I say embarrassingly.

"Oh...well, you don't need to be calling me sir. Just Mr. Capt will do."

"Yes, sir." 

He chuckles.

"June's told us a lot about you," her mother starts. "Any friend or..boyfriend..." she's having trouble getting her words out. "We just wanted to tell you that you're welcome anytime." 

I can't tell you how surprised I am. I've never been "welcome" anywhere. Granted that's partly my fault. 

Her father turns on the television, and I love what I'm looking at. My grades have never been good enough to play any sports, so I've never taken the time to learn, but here I am, fascinated by the people running on the screen. They're throwing, yelling, and they're tackling. 

Also, I've never heard a narrator more exciting!

We hung out, we talked, we cheered. I've never been so happy. Not only do I love June, but I love her parents as well! I'm glad she suggested it and practically dragged me to the house, I really am glad.

"I should be getting home."

"Okay, come back whenever," Mrs. Capt responds.

"I will, I had a great time," I say as I stand up. I adjust my pants and give June a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

"Bye," we both say at the same time.

"Cute couple," June's mom says as I start heading out. "They remind me of us..." she says as I close the door. I chuckle. What an amazing family?! 

I go to my house, disappointed to know that there will be no TV, no football, no conversation. Nothing like her's. 

We go to the woods every day after school, and we talk. 

"So, what was it like at your old school?" I ask her. She turns to look at me, her brown hair falling over her shoulders and out from behind her ear. I get a whiff of her perfume as a slight breeze passes through the forest. 

"How come you ask me questions and expect me to answer, but you don't answer any of mine?" she asks in such a cool and collective tone.

"Well, I don't know. Who says that I actually expected an answer?"

"I'm your girlfriend." she says, trying to change the subject.

"True, but I'm a--"

"A what?"

"I'm a person that can't change the world around me. I'm a nobody. You make me a somebody." I look off in the other direction, and look back at her as she begins to speak.

"You know, you're really sweet, but you are really confusing."

"Confusing? Guys are straightforward, girls are the confusing ones."

"We're not as confusing as guys think we are, all we want is you to listen. Do that, and you'll know us pretty darn well."

"Yeah, cause girls talk a lot." She punches me in the arm, and we chuckle.

"So...what's your favorite subject?" I ask her.

"Probably history. I love them all, but I think that's my favorite."

"Why? All you learn about is some dudes who wrote something that changed some laws, and some people who don't listen."

"So you hear what's being taught, but you don't actually listen."

"What do you mean?"

"History is yes, full of people who wrote and changed laws, and people who don't listen. But what came from that? They changed society and our lives."

"So? It doesn't matter?"

"Actually it really does matter. It matters quite a bit. Those dudes changed our world and it's history. Without them, who knows what kind of world we'd be living in?"

I'm really enjoying watching and listening to her talk about something she believes in so strongly.

"Well what about Beethoven, or Mozart, who were they? What'd they do?"

"They changed music. They changed it in such a dramatic way, that's why they're so famous."

She looks at me so modestly. She doesn't realize that she sounds like some extremely smart person, and that it's so amazing. I'm in aw of her.

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players--" she begins.

"They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts," I finish.

"You know Shakespeare?" she asks.

"Why are you so surprised?" I ask her. She smiles, and I smile back. 

She goes to look at the creek and I reach out. I softly grab her chin to turn her head towards me. I catch her by surprise.

After near hesitation, I feel our lips touch, and it's freeing. They speak of sparks, and it's like fireworks. My lips were tense at first, but I feel them begin to relax. They release, and my eyes open.

I find her looking at me, her big, green eyes sparkling. She smiles and blushes, reminding me that she's shy. I forgot that she's shy; she hasn't been that way with me in a while.

"That was my first kiss," she says, looking down at our hands which are entangled like tree roots in between us. I don't even know what to say. I just smile.

She sets her small, soft hands on my face and leans in again. I feel our lips touch again, only for a slight second. This time, I'm not tense, and she isn't either. 

She gets up, "I have to head home." I get up. I'm not letting her go anywhere just yet.

I tap her and say, "You're it!" I know that it sounds childish, but we're in high school, and you only live once.

I run away as she chases me. 

We run around the trees, trading between the roles of chaser and chased.

I stumble on my foot, and she stumbles on me. She's on top of me, looking at me so happily. We're both panting. I go to kiss her again, but she gets up first.

What is up with girls and playing 'Hard to Get?'

She goes back to the log and grabs her backpack. "I really have to get home or my parents will begin to worry."

"Let them worry."

"That's not how it works."

We walk together, side by side, all the way out of the woods. We get in my car, yes I have a car, and I drive her home. 

As we head down the roads, I keep looking at her and at our hands on the center counsel. Her hands are so small in mine, and I love it. She hates her small hands, but to me, they're perfect.

I always dread the sight of her house, knowing that I won't see her again until tomorrow. I know that's not very long, but when put in the terms of knowing that I'm spending that time at my house and without her, it feels like a really, really long time.

She gets out, taking her hand out of mine.

"Tomorrow," I say. She smiles, "Tomorrow." I smile one of the biggest smiles ever. Seriously, it belongs in a Guinness World Records book.

She runs up to the door, looking back at me one last time and smiling, and closes the door. I pull out of the driveway slowly and drive the long way home.