The Art of Life (99 page)

He smiles, “That’s
good.
 
You will have someone to talk to
that knows Jeremy.”

“Yeah,” I exhale.
 
“Thank you for everything Eric.
 
I mean it.
 
You are a great guy.”

“Thanks,” he replies.
 
“I should get home though.
 
I may be 18, but my mom is still picky about
school nights and staying out late.”

Scooting over, I give him a
kiss on the cheek.
 
“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.
 
Have a good night.
 
If you need to talk, call me,” Eric states
ever so sweetly.

I smile and get out of the
car.
 
For a few seconds, I just stand
there, staring up at our windows.
 
Well,
I can’t wait out here forever.
 
It feels like
there are lead weights in my shoes.
 
I
make my way up to the apartment.
 
When I
get to the door, I find it locked.
 
Weird.
 
I get out my
key and open it up.

The apartment is in complete
darkness.
 
Jeremy must still be
gone.
 
Good, I quickly dash to my
room.
 
I shut the door and take a
breath.
 
What in the world am I going to
do?
 
Go to sleep, that is what I am going
to do.
 
With much haste, I strip off my
clothes and put on pajamas.
 
After that I
dart into the bathroom, to brush my teeth and stuff.
 
I almost make it, almost.
 
As I am spitting out toothpaste, I hear the
door open.

“Isabelle?” I hear Jeremy
yell.
 
Not wanting to say anything, I
just stand there, letting the water run.
 
A few seconds later, Jeremy appears at the bathroom door.
 
“Did you not hear me?”

“Oh
what?”
I
stutter.
 
“No, I am just getting ready
for bed.”

Jeremy gives me an odd
look.
 
“Did the date go so badly that you
are rushing off to bed?”

Okay, I can’t lie, but I
can be vague.
 
“I had a lot of fun.
 
We had a lot of fun.
 
It was great.”

He just nods and looks at
the floor.
 
“That’s good.
 
Are you guys going out again?”

“Don’t have any plans as of
right now, but I am off to bed!” I exclaim a little too fast.
 
Walking forward, I brush past Jeremy.

“Whoa, what’s going
on?
 
Did something happen?
 
You are acting like there is a rocket in your
butt to go into your room.
 
Did he do
something?” Jeremy asks hotly.

               
Shaking
my head, I reply, “No, he was a perfect gentleman.”

               
With
very thoughtful eyes, Jeremy looks at me.
 
“There is something different.”

               
“Nothing
is different,” I squeak.
 
Taking a deep
breath, I calm myself.
 
“I am just tired
and have school tomorrow.
 
So, I am going
to bed.”

               
“Alright,”
Jeremy replies, sounding totally unconvinced.
 
He bends over to kiss me on the forehead and I back up away from
him.
 
That may have been a little
obvious.
 
Jeremy stands up straight.
 
“I see that the date went really well.
 
I am sorry.
 
I know I need to keep my distance.”

               
My
mouth opens to speak and nothing comes out.
 
“You can kiss me,” I finally whisper.

               
“You
backed away from me.
 
If you are
interested in Eric, I shouldn’t be doing that anymore,” Jeremy points out.

               
“No,”
I say
, grabbing
ahold of his shirt.
 
“You can kiss me.”

               
He
laughs.
 
“Well, if that isn’t a sign it’s
alright.”
 
Jeremy bends over and places
his lips on my forehead, and it feels so good.
 
I don’t know how I missed it before, because now it is so obvious.
 
I am in love with him.
 
When Jeremy pulls away, I just want to yank
him back to me.
 
Okay, this is going to
be more difficult than I thought.

               
“I
am going to sleep now,” I murmur, savoring the touch of him.

               
“I
have to shower.
 
I stink,” Jeremy
declares.
 
“Ten miles is even long for
me.”

               
“You
smell just fine,” I whisper ever so quietly under my breath.

               
Jeremy
brings his head down.
 
“What did you
say?”

               
“Nothing,”
I reply loudly.
 
“Going
to sleep.”
 
With that I turn and
go to my room.

               
“No,”
Jeremy says, following me.
 
“I want to
know what you said.”

               
I
turn around and emphasize, “I didn’t say anything.”

               
Taking
a step closer, he insists, “No, you did and I want to know what it was.”

               
“Nothing,”
I giggle, shoving him out of my room.
 
“Go shower.”

               
“Want
to join me?” Jeremy teases.
 
“Eric
doesn’t need to know.”
 
My heart starts
beating rapidly.
 
The expression on my
face must have changed, because Jeremy looks at me funny.
 
“What are you thinking right now?”

               
Groaning,
I shove him even harder.
 
“Go, go
shower.
 
I am going to bed.”

               
“Can
I join you when I am done?” He asks.

               
That
makes me laugh nervously.
 
“You are
pushing it tonight.”

               
“You
are getting flustered.
 
Why are you so
flustered?
 
What happened tonight?”

               
“Nothing
happened,” I growl.
 
“Go shower, I need
to go to bed.”

               
Jeremy
bends down and kisses me gently on the lips.
 
Pulling away, he furrows his eyebrows.
 
“I shouldn’t have done that.”

               
“
It’s
fine,” I reply, blushing really hard.

               
“So,
not to over step my bounds, but did he kiss you tonight?” Jeremy asks quietly.

               
I
nod my head.
 
“Yeah.”

               
“And,
how was your first kiss moment?”
 
Unable
to find words, I just keep quiet.
 
“Was
it bad?”

               
“No,”
I say, and then pause.
 
“It was sweet.”

               
Snorting,
Jeremy retorts, “Not heart pounding?”

               
Frowning,
I don’t even know what to say.
 
I can’t
lie to him.
 
“No, it wasn’t, but it was
sweet and nice.
 
Isn’t that what it is
supposed to be?”

               
Obviously,
fighting a smile, Jeremy replies, “Depends on what you want from someone.
 
If that is the case, I don’t need to worry
about you jumping into bed with him.”

               
“Jeremy!”
I gasp.
 
“There has only been one time!”

               
Suddenly,
the smile is gone from his face.
 
“One
time, what?”

               
“Nothing,”
I quickly spit out.
 
“Good night.”
 
I slam the door and cover my mouth.
 
I did not just say that.
 
What were you thinking Isabelle?

               
There
is a slow knock on the door.
 
“Isabelle,
dear, what were you talking about?”

               
“GO….TAKE…..A….SHOWER,”
I exclaim loudly.

               
“You
and I aren’t finished young lady, but good night,” Jeremy says through the
door.

               
“Night,”
I mutter, going to sit down on my bed.
 
I
put my hand on my face and fall backwards.
 
This is a mess, which will end in disaster.

               
I
can’t sleep.
 
It is an impossible goal,
and what do I do when I can’t sleep?
 
Go
to Jeremy, and obviously that isn’t going to help the situation.
 
Finally, it’s five in the morning and I have
slept maybe three hours off and on.
 
Throwing
back my covers I get up.
 
This is
ridiculous.
 
I open my door and walk down
the hallway.
 
Jeremy is asleep in his
bed.
 
I quietly shut his door.

               
Taking
a deep breath, I go and make a pot of coffee.
 
I am so flipping tired.
 
Ugh.
 
I lay my head on my arms on top of the
counter.
 
My mind won’t stop racing, but
I am
soooo
tired.
 
Suddenly, I feel hands wrap themselves around my hips.
 
“You should be careful about who can sneak up
behind you.”

               
Jumping,
I spin around to find Jeremy standing there.
 
“You scared me!”

               
“That
was the point.
 
What in the world are you
doing?
 
It’s five o’clock in the
morning.
 
You don’t have to be up for
another hour and half.
 
I don’t want to
be up for another hour and a half!”

               
“Go
back to bed,” I whisper.
 
“I just
couldn’t sleep.”

               
Jeremy
brings his hand up to my face.
 
“What’s
wrong?
 
Why didn’t you come in by me if
you can’t sleep, or is it about Eric?”

               
I
look at him and say, “I can’t talk about it Jeremy.”

               
With
a hurt look, Jeremy replies, “You can’t talk about it…..with me?
 
Did I do something wrong?”

               
“No,”
I emphasize.
 
“That is definitely not the
problem.”

               
 
“Talk to me Isabelle.
 
Come on, it’s me.
 
Nothing will shy me away.”

               
That
makes me snort.
 
“I know Jeremy, but this
I don’t think I can talk to you about.”

               
“Ouch,”
he says, brushing past me.
 
We lean
against the counter next to each other.
 
“Is it a sex thing?”

               
“What!?”
I gasp. “NO!”

               
He
throws his hands up.
 
“Then what can’t
you talk to me about!?”

               
“Jeremy,
please,” I plead.
 
“Just leave it
alone.
 
I am fine.”

               
Rolling
his eyes, he groans, “You are awake at five in the morning.
 
WE are awake at five in the morning.
 
Something is wrong.”

               
Unable
to help it, I yawn loudly.
 
“Sorry,” I
say.
 
“I am exhausted.
 
I slept for three hours.”

               
“Oh,
this is stupid,” Jeremy states.
 
He grabs
my hand and pulls me to his bedroom.
 
I
kind of resist but on the other hand, it’s what I want.
 
“Come on,” he sighs.
 
Jeremy grabs me and yanks me down onto the
bed.
 
He pulls me close and
whispers,
“Go to sleep.”
 
It doesn’t take but a minute before I am.