YOU DOG!

So there I was, walking Junior early that Sunday morning. We headed over to the dog park, like always, and it was practically deserted when we got there.

But guess who was there, throwing a rubber bone around and playing with her dog?

Marley Grote, that’s who.

I was pretty sure Marley couldn’t have cared less about me by then. I mean, it wasn’t like she was going out of her way to talk to me anymore. Or even coming to the games. I almost turned around and headed home just then.

But Junior had other ideas. The second he saw Justine Bieber, he started barking like crazy and pulling my arm out of the socket with his leash.

So I opened the gate and let him off the leash. What else was I going to do?

“Hey, Marley,” I said.

“Hi, Rafe,” she said, kind of friendly and kind of not friendly at the same time. “How’s it going?”

“So-so,” I said. “A little weird, if you want to know the truth. But I understand if you don’t want to talk to me.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean, the way you’ve been ignoring me ever since all that Loozer stuff,” I said. “It’s okay. I get it.”

I figured there wasn’t any reason to hide anymore. In fact, it made me a little mad when I thought about it.

But then Marley said, “I haven’t been ignoring you. You’ve been ignoring me.”

“Huh?” I said, and Marley rolled her eyes.

“I think I made it pretty obvious I liked you, Rafe. It was getting embarrassing, if you want to know the truth. Sorry, but I’m not that desperate,” she said.

This was a whole new side of Marley I hadn’t seen before. It was all like one big WOW in my brain.

“So I don’t get it,” I said. “Do you think I’m a total jerk, or not?”

“Not,” she said. “I think what you did at school is pretty great.”

“But you don’t even come to the games anymore,” I said.

“I’m not talking about football,” she said. “I’m talking about all that ‘Be Nice’ stuff, and the way you stuck up for all the kids like us at HVMS.”

“Like… us?” I said.

“Face it, Rafe. We’re not exactly the most popular sandwiches at the picnic,” Marley said.

The more this went on, the less I understood. It’s not like Marley was in Learning Skills. She just seemed kind of normal to me. But maybe she didn’t feel normal.

Which made me like her more.

And then she said, “So you noticed I don’t come to the games anymore, huh?”

That was embarrassing, but I couldn’t take it back now.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Do you want me to come to the games?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “I think I do. I mean—yes. I do.”

“Okay,” she said. “I will.”

Then Marley leaned right in and kissed me, right there in the park. And right on the lips too. It lasted for at least five seconds. I’m not even sure how long. But I kissed her back, if you want to know. I didn’t even run away this time.

“Um, thanks,” I said when it was over. I didn’t know what else to say, or even think. My brain was like some kind of slot machine with those wheels spinning around, too fast to see anything.

“You’re welcome,” Marley said. Now she looked kind of embarrassed. And then I was kind of embarrassed. My face was hot, and hers was red, and everything seemed kind of weird for a second there.

But then we both looked over at our dogs. They were having a good time and sniffing each other’s butts on the other side of the park—and something about that made us both crack up at the same time. Which was kind of perfect.

So that’s it. I don’t have any other “first kiss” stories to compare mine to, and I don’t know if all of that is totally lame, or what. But maybe it doesn’t even matter, because you know what else? This one’s mine.

And I’ll take it.