Kiss Me

Obviously, it was this talent that led her to detention. Turns out she fancies herself as an actress and is excited for drama tryouts, which are coming up in a few weeks.

“You should totally try out,” she tells me. “We’re doing this comedy. It’s called The Bachelor Prince. It’s a reality show spoof, where two princes are in a race to see which one can find true love first. The one that wins gets to be King. There’s a part you would be so perfect for. There’s this sweet girl from Texas that really falls in love with the good prince, but then the bad prince tries to keep them apart. It’s not the lead, but it has a big impact on the show. Have you ever thought about acting?” Then she's a smart-ass to herself. “I mean, you do everything else.”

I laugh to myself. “Yeah, I have. I’m in Drama class.”

“You should totally try out,” she says.

Then there’s a guy from the cross country team, who’s name I miss, that hazed a freshman. He tied his shoes together under the bleachers. Fu

Then there is an overachieving junior named Marie, who is in my French class. She did actually fall asleep and miss curfew. She was in the library and, apparently, the librarian did not see her because she was working on a laminating project for something. For an hour. She is also mortified that she would ever find herself in detention as she has, “Never had one in my entire life!"

“What about you?” she asks me.

“Wait,” Shark says. “Let's guess and make some odds.”

Everyone seems to think this sounds fun.

And I'm curious to know what these people, who don’t me, think I would get into trouble for.

After a lengthy discussion, these are the odds:

3:1   Was caught in her boyfriend’s dorm room after curfew.

“He is so dreamy.”

6:1   Talked back to a teacher.

2:1   Was caught in another boy’s dorm room, 

“I heard you were in some other boy’s room studying.”

4:1   Got caught smoking weed.

“Oh, I would think those odds would be lower. Doesn’t everyone from California do that?”

“No, silly, she would have gotten kicked out for that.”

“No, you don’t get kicked out. Just a short suspension.”

8:1  Got lost trying to find her way back to her dorm.

“I mean she is blonde and on the dance team.”

“Hey, I'm also in the Student Council, the literary club, the French club and on the Social Committee.”

“How did you get on the Social Committee?”

“My teacher asked me to tutor someone.”

“Who?” the girl from my class asks.

“Aiden. Do you know him?”

“Ohmigawd! Everyone knows Aiden,” Amanda squeals. “He's as hot as they come.”

“So who's hotter: Aiden or Dawson?” Shark asks Amanda.

“Oh, tough choice.”

Shark turns to me and says, “I have new odds. Three to one that you’re going to break up with Dawson and end up with Aiden.”

“You’re way off on those. First off, Dawson and I aren’t going out. We’re just sort of dating. Kind of.”

Shark waves his hand at me. “Whatever you call it. You’re always together. Aiden’s cool though. He and I have a few classes together, and he's very humble. Not the stuck up jock you'd expect. Just a couple days ago, we were talking about girls. I mentioned how last year he had quite a few girlfriends. This year he hasn’t had any. He says he's waiting for the dream girl.”

“What do you mean, the dream girl?”

“I don’t know, apparently someone he really likes but she doesn't like him back.”

“No way. That's bullshit,” Amanda says. “How could a girl not like him back. I'd pay a lot just to sit and stare at those green eyes. And have you ever seen him playing soccer with no shirt on? Seriously, girls go crazy.”

“So, who are the hottest guys here?” I ask.

“Top five?” Amanda says.

“Yeah.”

“Well, Dawson, Aiden, Jake, Dawson’s not-so-little brother—what’s his name?”

“Riley.”

“Yes, he should be on there. And I’d say Logan. Oh, and maybe Blake.”

The teacher comes back in the room and we all stop talking. He looks and me and Shark and says, “Your time is up. You can go now.”

We walk out together and see Aiden sitting on a bench just outside the building.

“What are you doing up here?” I ask him.

“Oh, just thought I'd say hey.”

Shark says, “Hey, man,” to Aiden and as he’s walking away, he says to me, “Odds just went up.”

“You look cute,” Aiden says, swatting my ball cap. “I’ve never seen you in a hat before.”

“I look gross.”

“You always look beautiful to me,” he says in his dreamy way. “Last night on the bus was fun.”

“I slept on your shoulder the entire way. How was that fun?”

“And you had your hand on my waist the entire way.”

“Didn't you sleep?”

“No. I just sat there and soaked it in.”

“What does that mean?”

“Look, I think it’s pretty obvious that I like you.”

“Um, sometimes it seems like you do, but then other times it doesn't. At all.”

“When doesn't it?”

“When you get mad at me and won't talk to me. When you say mean things to me. Or about me.”

“I haven't done that for a while.”

My phone buzzes in my hand.

B:  Please call me today. I love you. I can't stand having you mad at me. And tell your bf he's an asshole.

Aiden looks at my phone. “I think I might like this guy.”

“Why's that?”

“The last part.” He grins.

“Dawson’s not an asshole. Why do you think that?”

“Maybe because he has you.” He points to my phone. “So, are you going to forgive him and dump Dawson?”

I think maybe I can talk to Aiden about this. He knows about the Keats quotes. Maybe he can give me some advice. “He quoted me Keats again the other night. Makes it hard to resist—”

Aiden’s gorgeous green eyes immediately darken. He looks pissed off and interrupts me. “Yeah, well, hey, I gotta go.”

Then he marches off.

Okay, WTF?!

First, he's telling me he likes me then he gets all pissed off again?

I want to yell back at him that I didn't do the four-leaf clover and the dances because I wanted to dance with him! That it was just a sacrifice I made.

That I was paying it forward!

Isn't that supposed to get you bonus points, karma-wise?

Oh, I hate him sometimes.

Because me + being nice to him = bad.

I’m the one who got the stupid detention because of him. And now he’s mad at me!?

And he never even let me finish my stupid sentence! I was going to say it makes it hard to resist because he’s been my friend for so long. I didn’t mean that I would ever get back together with him. We are never, ever getting back together. No freaking way. Ahhhhhhhh! I want to scream out loud.

What the hell. I’m already pissed off. I might was well call Brooklyn.

He answers.

“Got your text,” I say.

“I was up looking at the dawn, thinking how much I miss you,” he says.

And, even though he was a total asshole, I sigh because I know I’m about to forgive him.

“I miss the dawn. I miss the beach. I miss the way things used to be.”

“Damn, Keats, that was almost poetic.”

“Yeah, well, whatever.”

“Are you going to forgive me?”

“I might after I have someone kick your ass or something.”

“You don’t need to do that. Trust me, I’ve been beating myself up over it. My chi is way out of whack. My surfing sucks. My life is out of balance.”

Or not.

You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!

“Wait. You want me to forgive you so you can get your groove back?”

“Well, kinda.”

“So, you don’t feel at all bad about what you did?”

“Uh . . .”

“That’s why I won’t forgive you. It’s always all about you!”