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Ariel and I walked in to Mr. Reynold’s science class, taking our seats in the back of the room.
Only half my brain listened as the thin, youngish teacher showed us a video presentation about electrons. The other half of my brain was concerned with other things. Like random song lyrics, dinner, and the new thrift shop that opened on 54th street.
Midway through the video and my musings, Ariel leaned over and tapped me on the shoulder. Her flame red hair was braided to one side now, her freckles dark against her pale skin. She picked up her pencil and ran the rough eraser across her cheek.
“Hey. The Center put in a new pool table over the weekend. We should learn how to play.”
Ariel’s father donated The Center to St. Mary’s Academy a few years ago. It was his way of giving the students a safe environment to hang out in after school.
“Sure,” I said. Learning pool in front of the entire school couldn’t be any more embarrassing than ripping my skirt in front of Jake, right? God. I hoped not. I couldn’t take anymore embarrassment right now.
Ariel put down her pencil and gave me a sly smile.
“I’m sure that Jake and Eric will be there.” Her eyebrows wiggled, and I suppressed a laugh.
“Probably. But I’m done with Jake. Let’s focus on you and Eric for now.”
If today had shown me anything, it was that a relationship with Jake was no more than a dream. A farfetched, unattainable dream. It was time to move on. Besides, I didn’t need a boyfriend in my life. I could have fun with just my friends. Jasmine and Ariel were ten times more entertaining than a boyfriend could ever be, anyway.
The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I sighed. Why couldn’t I have picked a real boy instead of a dream one?
Finally, the bell had rung, announcing the end of the school day. I practically jumped out of my chair, ready to unwind, have some fun, and, apparently, learn to play pool. Ariel walked next to me out the door, and, together, we joined the waves of students that rushed toward the exit.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted dark hair and turned toward it. Cole was staring at me. When he saw me looking back at him, he winked, turned, and moved deeper in to the crowd.
God. How I hated him.
Someone shoved me from behind, knocking away thoughts of Cole and pushing me outside.
It was the beginning of November, and the unseasonably warm late autumn sunshine warmed my skin. The ground shook as subway cars roared through darkened tunnels beneath our feet. Skyscrapers stood tall around us. Sunlight reflected in their glass windows, making it seem as if they were winking. It smelled like burning gasoline, dirty concrete, and the body odor of hundreds of students trying to find their way home.
That’s New York for you.
After three years, I still wasn’t completely used to it. I missed the country fresh air of North Carolina. The grass, the wide-open spaces, the buildings that had birthed generations of families and that had seen wars come and go. New York air smelled like electricity. North Carolina air smelled like home.
It took Ariel and I a little under fifteen minutes to walk the five blocks to The Center. It looked identical to the dozens of gray apartment buildings on the block.
Ariel rang the bell, and a voice answered.
“Name?”
“Ariel Swimworthy and Bella French.”
The door buzzed, and I followed Ariel inside and up the stairs where a tall, slim man with a large nose and a dress shirt sat behind a half moon desk. He saw us and a smile slid on to his thin lips.
“Ms. Swimworthy. Ms. French,” he said. “Good to see you two today.”
“Hey, Grim,” we replied in unison. “Jinx!” we said together again.
Grim rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time we’d done this. We pretty much did it every time we came here, which was several times a week.
“Ariel Swimworthy and Bella French,” he replied, irritation coloring his voice. Our full names released the jinx, and we giggled at each other.
“You know, you are the only girls whose name I have to say twice.” He put his hands on his hips. “The next time you jinx each other, I’m going to let you stay silent forever.”
“You know you love the banter, Grim,” Ariel said with a smile.
Grim shook his head with a fake frown. “No, actually. I really don’t.”
Ariel signed her name on a clipboard, then she pushed the clipboard to me.
Grim seemed like he’d be better suited working in a fancy hotel or restaurant instead of a teen hang out spot. I often wondered why he worked here instead of some place which probably had a much higher rate of pay.
I slid the clipboard back toward him and smiled politely. “Until next time,” I said with a raised brow.
Grim raised his brow, too. “Until next time, Ms. French.”
Ariel grabbed my hand and led me through a set of glass doors and in to the heart of The Center.
Two large air hockey tables were in the middle of the room. To my right, a group of guys were split between three big TV screens, playing a football video game. To my left, various girls were sitting at a manicure station, getting their nails and feet done. Weights clanged from the weight room near the bathrooms. One floor up, there was a pool, and one floor down was a basketball court. The tennis courts were on the first floor, and there was a full track, complete with a collapsible dome, on the roof.
Triton Swimworthy spared no expense.
Next to the video game section, several girls were hovering around Dana and Dustin, who were deep in a make-out session.
I closed my eyes and hoped that Jake didn’t see. Something like this would really hurt him. I know that if I were Jake, I would be crushed.
“Babe, you’re here!”
Jake Winsted’s blue eyes hooked in to mine. He looked as if he’d been waiting for me all his life.
My stomach dropped in to my feet.
Was I dreaming? I had to be. Did I fall and hit my head on the stairs? Had a train fallen off the tracks and crushed me on my way here? Was I in my own particular slice of heaven?
Yes. Yes, it had to be heaven. Jake’s eyes were so warm and dreamy that this couldn’t be anything earthly. It had to be ethereal.
His long, strong legs quickly covered the space between us. His eyes were still glued to mine. I couldn’t look away if I wanted to.
I didn’t want to.
My heart banged so hard in my ears that I could barely hear what he was saying. It sounded like I’m so glad to see you, but I couldn’t be sure. Any thoughts of getting over Jake immediately flew from my mind when he stopped inches in front of me. I felt a goofy smile spread across my face. I panted instead of breathed. My palms misted with sweat.
His strong hands slid up my cheeks, warming my face. He leaned forward, and the world slowed down. He pressed his lips to mine, and my heart stopped. My lungs locked. My knees wobbled. I was excited and nervous and afraid and elated all at once. The raging emotions bolted my feet to the floor and stole the thoughts from my mind. My stomach tied in knots. Every nerve in my body lit up like a Christmas tree. Goosebumps spread from my forehead to my toes.
Then, my mouth remembered what it was supposed to do, and I kissed him back, my lips clinging to his. My fingers tangled in the golden strands of his hair, and I pulled him closer. I stepped closer.
I swore that my feet lifted from the floor in pure ecstasy. Jake Winsted was kissing me, and it was glorious.
Or it would have been, had it lasted longer.
All too soon, his soft lips pulled away, leaving me surprised, embarrassed, breathless, and tingly all over. My fingertips touched where his lips had been.
What. Just. Happened?
My eyes drunk in his beautiful face as he pulled away. His blue eyes looked surprised, his ruddy skin flushed, as if he couldn’t believe he’d just done that.
I didn’t believe it either.
“It’s cool,” he whispered, almost apologetically. “Just be cool.”
The magnitude of what just happened slowly sunk in to my brain.
Jake Winsted, my dream boy, had just kissed me, and I’d kissed him back. My heart beat so erratically that I thought it would explode. I wanted to jump for joy, clap my hands, and fling myself in to his arms again, but, before I could, he grabbed my hand and dragged me in to the hallway.
Behind us, the door slammed shut.