That Boy

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,” I say back. “Please don't ask me how I'm doing, or I may have to hurt you. I'm tired of lying and saying fine.”

“Do you know that in the last two days Phillip and I counted you being asked how are you over 167 times? Then we lost track.”

“It feels like it.”

He grins at me. “So, how are you?”

I roll my eyes at him. “Fine.”

Phillip told me that Da

Da

My mind is immediately rendered incapable of thought. It's the first time in days that my brain has finally shut up and stopped thinking.

Now this is my kind of therapy.

Kissing Da

“You've been amazing through this, Jay. I'm proud of you. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how you're doing it.” He smiles and winks at me. “But then I always knew you weren't a prissy wimp.”

“Not always,” I say, reminding him of what he thought of me when he first moved here.

“Well, nearly. Anyway it didn't take you long to convince me.”

I smile, in spite of myself, and feel a chink in the armor I've been wearing. “Thanks, Da

“Seriously, how are you holding up? And no bullshit answers this time.”

“Honestly, I don't know how I'm doing, Da

He grins big at me and pulls me into another long kiss.

Then says, “We haven't really had the chance to talk about the party. I wasn't sure what you were thinking. What are you thinking?”

“Um, well, I mean, you told me on the phone that it wasn't just about making Jake jealous, but I guess I have felt a little awkward around you. I didn't know what you were thinking.”

He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into a tight hug. A much different hug than the hugs I have been getting all day. Those have been the kind of hugs where just your shoulders and arms touch. This is the kind of hug where your hips touch, your stomachs touch, you feel like your bodies are molded together.

“This doesn't feel awkward to me,” he says and kisses me some more.

“Da

“I don't know. I felt like it.”

“That's it. You felt like it?”

“No, I mean, that didn't come out right.” He sighs, “Jay, truth be told, I've maybe been wanting to kiss you for a while. And I got there, and you looked hot, and then you had that cute meltdown, so I kissed you. And it was amazing, and I was having fun and thinking this could be something, and I should have just taken you home with me, but instead I thought we'd mess with Jake first, and then the fight happened, and then Phillip whisked you out of there, and then your parents, and I haven't gotten to talk to you about it. And every time I see you, Phillip is holding your hand, and everyone thinks you two are together, and I just keep thinking it should have been me there. Holding your hand, making you feel better. Why did you ask Phillip to sit with you and not me?”

“I didn't do it to upset you. I wanted everyone to sit with me, but they told me pallbearers had to sit together.” Then I eye him, “Were you jealous?”

He nods a little and rolls his eyes up to the ceiling, looking uncomfortable.

“Da

As in he excites me, a lot.

“Mmhmm, I know what you mean,” he mutters before he starts kissing me again.

We kiss for a while.

And while we are kissing, I keep hearing Da

Which is good, right?

That means that it was more than him feeling sorry for me.

Didn't he also say he had been wanting to kiss me for awhile?

Could we really turn our friendship into something more?

Something amazing?

As in something that might last longer than his typical three weeks?

The long amazing kiss eventually comes to an end. Da

Sure, anything. I think to myself.

“So I have this problem, I'm dying…”

“Bad choice of words, Da

“Oh, sorry. But I am dying to go to prom and no one will ask me.”

Yeah right.

“And well, I figured since you probably don't have a date either….”

“I'm not going, Da

“Come on, ask me.”

“I'm not go

Phillip walks out on the porch. I expect him to freak out over me being in Da

“So did you ask her?” Phillip asks Da

“Nah, she asked me,” Da

“I did not!”

“Mac, my man, I'm still trying to convince Jay she needs to take me to prom.”

“Da

“Jay, I'm not just being sweet. I really want to go with you, and I think you should go. It's your senior prom. It's a big deal.”

“In light of recent events,” I sigh, “it just doesn't seem like that big a deal anymore.”

“I think your parents would want you to go,” Phillip says, ganging up on me.

I start to say no again, but wonder if maybe they would want me to go. Mom shopped with me forever to find the perfect dress, she probably would be disappointed if I didn't wear it.

“Don't you think it's a little callous to go to something as frivolous as prom, so soon after my parent's death? It seems, you know, disrespectful.”

I can't. I shouldn't.

“Everyone thinks you need to start getting your life back,” Da

“I don't have a life anymore.”

“Bullshit. You have lots of friends who care about you, and I'm pretty sure if you could ask your parents, they would tell you the same,” Da

I look at Phillip, “You agree with this?”

I thought it would never work.

He nods yes.

“Actually both Phillip's mom and my mom agree. Your parents wouldn't want you to miss it,” Da

Then Phillip butts in, “And we're sure as hell not go

Okay, now I get it. Evidently, Da

“I mean come on,” Da

“Yeah,” I waver.

“Great!” Da

“No, I think your mom and Mrs. Mac have thought of everything.”

And they have.

I owe those ladies big. But I know they did everything, not just for me, but also for my parents. They loved them too, and it was their way of showing it.

“Saturday. Six o'clock. Don't keep me waiting,” Da