The Art of Life (102 page)

               
“You
are horrible!” I laugh, as I turn around.
 
He just smiles back at me.
 
Jeremy
pushes me back to the clear part of the counter.
 
“What are you doing?” I ask.

               
He
grabs me by the thighs and lifts me up, setting me on top of the counter.
 
“I am enjoying your company.”
 
Jeremy leans in and kisses me again.
 
We stay that way, desperately pressing up
against each other.
 
I have no idea how
much time goes by, finally I pull away.
 
“Jeremy, we need to stop and eat.
 
It’s getting late and I have school in the morning.”

               
“Fine,
we can eat, but I think we should call in tomorrow,” he murmurs.

               
That
makes me burst out into giggles.
 
“I
should miss a day of school to make out with you.”

               
“I
can’t think of a better reason,” he replies, coming in for another kiss.

               
“Jeremy,”
I chastise.
 
“As much as I want to jump
you, we need to be serious.”

               
He
growls, “You want to jump me, huh?”
 
His
hand finds the top of my pants again.
 
“I
can handle that.”

               
Everything
in me is yelling for him to stop, but I let him.
 
Jeremy leans and kisses me again.
 
Though as he unzips the
zipper, I pull away.
 
“I am still
not going to have sex with you.”

               
“
Mmmm
,” Jeremy hums against my lips.
 
“I bet I can change your mind.”

               
I
jump off the counter.
 
“Oh, I bet you
can, but that’s not what I want.
 
I love
you.
 
I desperately love you, but I want
to wait.”

               
“I
know,” Jeremy sighs.
 
“Sorry, I am a guy
and it has been years, and I haven’t wanted to with anyone, but there is this
urge with you now.
 
I will have to keep
myself in check.”

               
 
Taking a deep breath, I say, “We need to cool
it down a little.
 
I think both of our
minds are a little cloudy right now.
 
I
mean, I have only experienced these feelings once before.
 
It’s like an adrenaline rush.”

               
“It’s
a good adrenaline rush,” Jeremy replies, coming back over by me.
 
“I say we skip dinner.”
 
He grabs me and pulls me against him.
 
“I think it’s time for bed.”

               
“Oh no!”
I exclaim.
 
“We are not sleeping in the same bed tonight.
 
I do not trust myself enough.”

               
With
a frown, Jeremy groans, “Fine, let’s eat then.”

               
I
smile, kiss him and then go to cut the lasagna.
 
As I prepare dinner, Jeremy goes and cleans up the glass.
 
A few minutes later we eat and talk like
nothing is different, maybe that is a point, that there is nothing
different.
 
We have been acting this way
the whole time because we loved each other.
 
Now, now, it just makes sense.

               
We
have a hard time cleaning up and getting ready for bed.
 
Well, I should say, I have a hard time,
because Jeremy is all over me.
 
Don’t get
me wrong, I am all about him being all over me.
 
It feels great, but there is also the voice of reason in the back of my
head, though that voice is growing more and more distant.

               
A
little while later, we are standing in the hallway saying goodnight.
 
I lean in and kiss him.
 
“I will see you in the morning.”

               
“
Mmm
,” he hums.
 
“I am
going to have some really good dreams I think.”

               
“Pervert,”
I giggle.
 
“Now, go to sleep.”

               
Jeremy
leans in and kisses me on the forehead.
 
“Sleep well my love.”

               
Backing
up, I smile at him.
 
He returns with the
same warm expression.
 
My heart is
beating a million miles an hour as I go into my room.
 
I turn my light off and lie down.
 
My head is swarming with thoughts, so I roll
over onto my side and pull the blanket over my head.
 
A few minutes go by, when I suddenly feel the
blankets pulled back.
 
I roll over and
laugh.
 
“I told you to sleep in your own
bed.”

               
“Since
when do I listen?” Jeremy replies.
 
He
slides under the covers and pulls them back over us.
 
“I can’t sleep another night without you.
 
I am sorry.”

               
“I
don’t think I was being realistic.
 
I
would probably have been in your bed in a few minutes,” I retort.
 
“We really need to be serious.
  
You have work and I have school.”

               
He
pulls me against him.
 
“
Mmmhmmm
,” Jeremy replies.
 
“Just kiss me.”
 
So, I do.

               
The
next morning I keep Jeremy slightly off me.
 
We both are really tired.
 
I tell
him this confirms my idea that we should sleep in separate bedrooms.
 
He replies that is nonsense.
 

               
I
drive to school with the biggest grin on my face.
 
There is a slight skip to my step now.
 
When I get to my locker Eric and Jack are
standing there.
 
“Good morning,” I chirp.

               
“Good
morning,” Jack says back.

               
Eric
smiles, “How did everything go yesterday?”

               
“Great,
thank you,” I reply.
 
“You were right.”

               
With
a confused look, Jack asks, “Were right on what?”

               
“Nothing,”
Eric replies.

               
We
all stand there for a minute, and then Jack looks at me.
 
He bursts out laughing.
 
“What?” I say, awkwardly.

               
“You
have a
hickie
on your neck,” Jack points out.
 
“Someone had fun yesterday.”

               
“I
do not!” I exclaim.
 
Quickly, I open my
locker and look at the mirror.
 
“I am
going to kill Jeremy.”

               
Jack
just snorts.
 
“Oh, it’s funny.”

               
“What’s
funny?” I hear behind us.
 
Oh great.

               
I
turn around to find Sonya standing there.
 
I sigh, “Nothing is funny.”

               
She
narrows her eyes and says, “Yeah right.”

               
“Isabelle
has a
hickie
,” Jack chuckles.

               
“Jack!”
Eric and I yell in unison.
 
He gives us a
perplexed look.

               
Sonya
crosses her arms.
 
“So, you finally gave
in and showed your true colors.”

               
“Yes,
Jeremy and I finally gave in and confessed our love to one another.
 
No, I still have not slept with him, and
don’t plan on it anytime in the near future.
 
He is my boyfriend and what we do is our business not yours.
 
Actually, nothing in my life is your
business, but you know what I don’t care anymore.
 
Say what you will, do what you will, I don’t
care.
 
I have a boyfriend who is drop
dead gorgeous, funnier than hell, smart, talented and that loves me to death.
 
Can you say the same thing?
 
No, I didn’t think so.
 
I am pretty, smart, a great artist and have
more talent in my pinkie than you have in your whole body.
 
You love to tear people down to make you feel
better about your own insecurities.
 
Well
knock it
off,
it’s not attractive to guys.”

               
“No,
it isn’t,” Eric confirms.

               
Glaring
at me, Sonya huffs, “Whatever.”

               
A
wave of confidence sweeps over me.
 
I
step up to her.
 
“Don’t you dare think
you can pick on me
anymore.
 
You might as well talk to a wall, because it
isn’t going to bother me.
 
You mean
nothing to me.
 
I used to think you had
everything and I just realized you have nothing.
 
That is why you rip on everybody else, but
when you get out of high school, you are going to have a rude awakening.
 
That personality will get you nowhere fast.
 
Trust
me,
my friends
are in their 20’s.
 
They are the ones who
taught me that.
  
My best advice, grow up
Sonya.”
 
Stepping back, I take a deep
breath.
 
“Now, excuse me, I have to get
to class.”
 
I turn to Eric and Jack.
 
“See you later boys.”
 
Eric actually high fives me,
which
makes me laugh.

               
The
rest of the day is normal.
 
I actually
had one of my scarves in my locker, so I put it on.
 
I am still going to kill Jeremy.
 
That night I get home and the house smells
delicious.
 
Jeremy is standing in the kitchen.
 
I walk in and see the biggest vase of
tulips.
 
“
Awww
,”
I sigh.
 
“Those are so pretty.”

               
“I
wanted to get you some,” Jeremy chimes.
 
He quickly walks over and kisses me.
 
I wrap my arms around him and return the affection.
 
When we pull away, Jeremy laughs.
 
“I went to this place that you buy the food,
it’s premade but you have to cook it.
 
It’s awesome and delicious.”

               
“Cool,”
I reply, setting down my backpack.
 
It’s
then that I look at the table.
 
“Where
are the lilies?”

               
Jeremy
turns around.
 
“I thought it was time to
let that go.”

               
“Oh
Jeremy,” I say quietly.
 
“No, I love
them.
 
They are gorgeous.
 
It doesn’t bother me.”

               
“Once
in a while then,” he replies.
 
“For now,
it’s about you.”
 
I smile.
 
We have an awesome romantic evening.
 
It is great and I couldn’t be happier.
 
Later, after I get my pajamas on, Jeremy
demands that we dance in the living room.
 
It makes me giggle, but I agree.
 
As we are holding each other tightly, he whispers, “So, what are we
doing for my birthday?”

               
Confused,
I ask, “When is your birthday?”

               
“Saturday,”
Jeremy answers.
 
“What should we do?”

               
I
softly smile and say, “It’s your birthday.
 
What do YOU want to do?”

               
“I
can think of something,” he mischievously replies.
 
I roll my eyes.
 
“I don’t know.
 
Let’s go have fun.
 
Let’s go dancing.
 
Dinner and dancing, that sounds great.
 
This time we will only enjoy each other’s
company as it should be.”