The morning was pretty much like any other week day. Pete and I walked to school together. As soon as he went to class and I went to mine, Dylan hung out in the hall, giving me strange looks. He was always with one of his guy friends or chatting up some girl. But I could sense his gaze following me. I wanted to tell him to stop it, but I didn’t want to recreate the harassment scene in front of my locker. Since I’d kept what happened between us a secret from Pete, I thought it was smart not to confront Dylan and that smug smile of his.
When I left gym class to change my clothes, I came upon Pete and Anthony talking, or rather, Anthony pressing Pete up against the wall by the front of his shirt. Pete’s lip was cut and blood dripped down his chin. Pam stood in front of the exit doors near the staircase. She saw me, and her whole face paled. She opened the door and ran down the stairs. Her boots clomped loudly on the concrete steps.
Anthony let go of Pete, cursed, and flew down the staircase.
I watched, dumbfounded. Then the bell rang, and students came out of classrooms. Pete walked over to me and rubbed my arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked in concern.
“Am I okay? What about you?” I lightly pressed a finger against his mouth. He flinched and rubbed the side of his hand against his bottom lip.
“What did Anthony do to you? He needs to be reported. Let’s go to see Dibley now.” I grabbed his arm, but he didn’t budge.
“Wendy, calm down.” He moved closer to the windows as people rushed by to leave for the day.
I shivered from the cool draft coming from the partially opened window. Pete continued rubbing my arms.
“Anthony and I had a disagreement, that’s all. You know how it is with us.” He gave me a smile, but one that didn’t reach his eyes. I could see he was worried.
“You have fifty pounds of pure muscle on the guy. You should be the one holding him against the wall. I also saw Pam standing there. If you don’t tell me what actually happened, I’m going to ask her.”
“Okay, okay. I saw Anthony cheating off my test in Algebra. I confronted him, and I was the first one to push him and get in his face, but the guy has a wicked left hook and that’s when you found us.”
“I didn’t know she was in your class.”
“She isn’t. Um…she must have seen us. I guess she was shell shocked, seeing two burly guys fighting in school. I don’t know.” He shrugged and wiped his mouth again.
I had a strong feeling he was lying or keeping something important from me. “Is that it? You wouldn’t lie to me on my birthday of all days?” I batted my eyes and caressed the side of his cheek.
He blushed and picked up my locket, stroking his thumb over the inscription. “You keep this on during PE?”
“Yup. So, you’re always close to my heart.”
“Awww.…” He pretended to wipe away a tear and gave me a hug. I pressed my face into his chest and took a deep sniff. I loved how he smelled.
“Why don’t you get changed, and I’ll go clean up my face, and we can head home?”
“Are you coming over for dinner? Mom is making my favorite.” I patted his chest and smiled.
“Of course. I know you plan to exchange gifts on Saturday, but I want to give you mine tonight.”
“During dinner or before we go to bed?” I wanted to give Pete a special present, but one for when we were in my bedroom.
“When we’re alone.” He kissed my forehead then grunted. “My lip is killing me. I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Meet you in front of the school in ten. Okay?” I nodded. He squeezed my arm and walked away.
I touched my forehead. My fingers came away with his blood. It gave me a very nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach.
***
Dinner went off without any problems. We had Mom’s homemade lasagna, and I was given at least one gift from my parents. It was a card with a gift certificate inside I could use to pick out the cell phone of my choice as long as I paid the monthly fee. One of the best birthday dinners and presents ever.
I waited by the window for Pete to return through the falling sleet and snow that wouldn’t let up. I’d dressed in a red tank top and pajama bottoms with cartoon sleds on them. I’d taken the time to paint my fingernails and toenails a sexy fire-engine red color. I really wanted to wear something a bit sexier for tonight, but I didn’t have the time to shop for anything like that.
He hoofed along the side of my house through the sleet, wearing a big blue insulated coat with a furry hood. He climbed up the wet trellis to the ledge and through the window. I grabbed him by his wet arm and helped him in then hugged myself for warmth while he closed the window. The winter breeze circled the room. I went over to my desk chair and pulled on my purple and white BHS sweatshirt lying over the back of my seat.
He unwrapped himself, and when he took off his coat, we laughed at the same time. He wore his BHS sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. He removed his gloves and flexed his hands. I warmed his hands with mine.
“It’s pretty wicked out there.”
“Welcome to January in Brookeside. We’ll have another month of this crap.” He wrapped me in his arms.
“Thanks for warming me up.” I didn’t feel the chill anymore.
“I’ll always warm you up.” He gave me a light tap on the butt. I did the same to him and then sat in the middle of my bed. He sat on the edge and leaned over to kiss me. His mouth was still swollen, but not as bad as it had been earlier.
“What did your parents say about your mouth?”
“Dad asked if I was harassed at school. I told him he should see the other guy. He got a kick out of that.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. He wants you to fight?”
“He wants me to protect myself. At least he isn’t bothering me any longer to take up a sport. He sees how much I’ve been working out downstairs in the basement.” Pete pulled up the arm of his sweatshirt and flexed his muscle. I poked his bicep with my finger.
“You better not get too big. Have you seen what those juice heads look like?”
He chuckled and leaned against the headboard. “I’ve cut down on the weights. And no, I’m not on steroids.”
I patted his rock-hard stomach.
“Wendy, you’re too quiet.” He took my hand.
I pulled my hair behind my ear and took a deep breath to calm my queasy stomach. “I have a question for you, but first I want my birthday gift.”
He kissed my forehead. “That’s the Wendy I know and love.”
I beamed as he reached down to grab his backpack. My heart was practically bursting out of my chest for what I planned to ask him.
“Here.” He placed my present on my lap. “Happy sixteenth, Wonder Woman.” He gave me a peck on the mouth.
My present was square and heavy. “Thanks.” I kissed him, and it wasn’t short and simple.
When we finished, Pete breathed heavily and his hair was a mess from my hands. “Open it.” He coughed and cleared his voice.
I loved making him feel out of sorts. I ripped open the paper. It was a shiny black box. Inside laid a journal much like the one I gave him on New Year’s. On the outside of the cover, in the middle was a plaque with my nickname, “Wonder Woman” and my birth date.
“A journal?” I asked.
“Take a closer look.” He bumped my shoulder with his.
I did what he asked. It wasn’t a journal, but a photo album. There were pictures of both of us from when we first met through the years up until this New Year’s. He’d even glued the yellow rose he gave me that night on the inside of one of the pages. It was only half full with enough space for many more pictures of us. As I touched one of the pages fondly, I leaned over and gave him another kiss.
“This is awesome. Thank you so much.”
“I know it’s not clothes or music—”
“None of that matters. You made this with love. That’s what counts.”
Staring down at his lap, his face turned a darker shade of red. He was the cutest
thing ever.
I left my present on the bed and moved on top of Pete to straddle his legs. He clutched my hips to steady me. I liked sitting this way on his lap and wiggled down.
“Wendy?” His voice came out a squeak, and I gave him a kiss on his forehead, much like he did when he wanted to calm me down.
“There’s a special birthday gift only you can give me and no one else. Actually, it’s something we can both enjoy.”
He drew his eyebrows together. “What would that be?”
I traced his shoulder with my finger and took a deep breath. “Peter, there is no other boy…correction, no other man I want to be with. Will you be my first?”
“Your first what?”
I pressed my mouth to his. “I want you to be my first lover and lose my virginity with you and only you.”
His eyes widened, and he pushed me away and jumped off the bed. His reaction would’ve been hilarious if I didn’t feel so nervous. I knelt on my bed. He went over to the window mumbling under his breath.
“You don’t want me?” I wouldn’t cry.
He combed his fingers through his hair. “No, Wendy, it’s not that. I want you more than anything.”
“Then what?” I picked at my thumbnail.
He came and knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. “I-I…. Wouldn’t you want someone who’s more experienced?”
I couldn’t believe he said that. I smacked him hard on the arm. “No!” I hissed. “Are you serious? There’s no one else I want.”
He opened and closed his mouth as if he was trying to find the right words. “This is a big step. Your first time should be—”
“Yada, yada, and all that jazz. That’s why I want to be with you. It will be wonderful even if it’s…erm.…”
“Oh, boy. We can’t even talk like adults about this. How can we do this if we’re embarrassed?”
He did have a point. “Maybe you’re right. I just thought…you would be happy I’ve chosen you, Preiss.”
He chuckled and hugged me. “I am, Wyman. I certainly am. How about if we think more on this? I mean, it’s not like we can’t do other things.”
“What if I said I wanted to do it now while my parents slept down the hall?”
He seemed alarmed.
“Pete, I’m kidding.” He didn’t know how close I was asking him to do just that even with my parents in their bedroom. I guess it was a good thing I didn’t pull out the handful of condoms I’d grabbed when I stopped at Planned Parenthood.
“I would never do that. I mean, ew.” I grimaced, wishing he was more open to being adventurous and naughty. I moved out of his arms and lay down. He came up next to me and pulled me in close where I could hear his heartbeat.
“We could always shoot for Valentine’s Day.”
I scratched my nose. “Like that isn’t a big cliché.”
He squeezed my hip. “You’re probably right. Anyway, isn’t there a big dance or something like that then?”
“Yeah. Especially with V-day ending up on a Saturday, the whole school will be there. Red and pink are so not my favorite colors.” He let out a loud yawn.
I sighed. He hadn’t even noticed my semi-sexy sleepwear or spiffy nail color I wore.
“We’ll settle for St. Patty’s day, then. After our passions have been satisfied, we can munch down on corn beef and cabbage.”
“How romantic.” I snorted. “Just in case, I’m going on birth control.”
“How are you going to explain this to your mom?”
I rubbed my eyes. “My doctor is pretty cool with the whole client-privilege thing. What’s the harm in asking?”
“Sounds like a plan.” He yawned again.
Slipping my hand under his T-shirt, I ran my fingers across his stomach. “So, you don’t want to fool around?”
He groaned and dropped his hand over mine. “Can we take a rain check? It’s not that I’m not interested, but with your parents down the hall probably still awake—”
I patted his belly. “Mood killer, huh?” I frowned and settled deeper against him.
He rubbed his mouth against the side of my throat. “I’ll make it up to you. Do you want to go to the V-day dance? It would be nice to get dressed up, exchange chocolates, yada, yada, and all that jazz.”
“That would be nice. Our first Valentine’s Day as a couple. It’ll be a great memory for my wonderful photo album you made me.” I snuggled deeper into his arms.
“Yup. A lasting memory we can tell our children about.” He quieted down and started to snore.
It didn’t scare me to hear him talk about our future.
I couldn’t wait for February fourteenth. It would be a day I would remember forever.
Chapter Twenty-Two
My driving test wasn’t too bad. I failed parallel parking, but I heard most everyone does. And, as a rite of passage, I got my driver’s license. Unfortunately, I’d have that ugly mug shot picture for the next four years.
Pete came along with my dad, and after my test, they held balloons and a sign saying my name and CONGRATULATIONS in big red, bold lettering after I received my license. It was sweet, yet embarrassing, but I didn’t let them know.
The next few weeks flew by. I think it was because Pete and I spent all our time together. He became my whole world. We didn’t talk about taking that next step in our relationship. I would wait until March to bring it up again.
February fourteenth. Valentine’s Day. The big dance would take place at the school gym. This was more for the underclassmen’s benefit, but I couldn’t wait. It would be a test for when we went to the junior prom. Until then, I planned to treat this as a special night. I drove to the mall with Mom, who hung on to the “oh shit” handle for dear life. She treated me to a spa day where I got my hair cut, which was long overdue, and a manicure and pedicure.
By the time six o’clock arrived, I was a bundle of nerves.
“Mom, I think I’m gonna puke.” I sat in front of my desk while she finished putting on my makeup.
“You say that when you have a big event to go to. You’ll be fine. I’m done.” She did one final swipe on my lips with her lip brush.
I almost didn’t recognize the face staring back at me. It was amazing what a little makeup could do.
Mom put her hands on top of my shoulders and pressed the side of her face against mine. “My little girl is all grown up.”
“If you start crying, I will, too, and my face will be ruined. Then you’ll have to do it all over again.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it.” She wiped under her eyes with a tissue. The doorbell rang, and the front door opened. Dad invited Pete in.
“I need another minute. Can you tell Pete I’ll be done soon?”
“No problem, Wen.” She left, sniffling.
I stared into the mirror and molded my lips together. They were a bright coral that sparkled under the light. I’d dressed in a knee-length, satin blue dress, much like the one I wore on New Year’s Eve. This one showed more cleavage. I wore matching heels, although not as high as my black ones. My nails were painted in a French manicure. This was the first time I’d ever had them done like that. I pressed a hand to my stomach, exhaled deeply, and smiled. My hair was curled and piled on top and covered in enough hair spray that not even a pound of snow dumped on my head would destroy it.
I grabbed my long coat—that also matched my dress—along with my red wool scarf. It was a clear night and a bit warmer than the cold temperatures we’d been experiencing over the past few days. After picking up my black clutch, I turned off the light and went downstairs.
Pete and Dad stood in the living room while Mom sat on the love seat. Pete wore the same black suit I’d seen him in on New Year’s Eve, but this time his tie was a royal blue. He held a see-through box with white roses inside.
“Wow, Wendy…. Just wow.” His eyes practically bugged out of his face.
It gave me a big thrill.
Dad hooked his arm around my shoulders. “Pete stol
e my words,” he said against my ear.
Pete and I stared at one another in glee.
“Imagine what the prom will be like,” I said.
He pinned the roses on my dress. “You went all out. Even your nails are done,” he said in surprise.
I pointed at him. “It’s not going to last. Don’t get any ideas.”
“I want you two to pose together. We need to take a picture.” Mom had the digital camera.
“Really, Mom?” I moaned.
Pete curved his arm around my hip. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
I relented and let her take a few shots.
“What are your parents up to, Pete? They didn’t want to come over and see you and Wendy in all your glory?”
He went to put his hands in his pockets, but left them at his sides instead. “For some reason they love celebrating Valentine’s Day. They’re staying overnight in Manhattan. Before they left, I showed them my suit. Dad let me borrow his tie.”
“Now, we have pictures for posterity.” I pulled on my coat.
“Big word there,” Pete joked and draped my scarf over my neck.
“You can blame all the studying I’m doing for the PSATs.”
He grimaced. “Don’t remind me.”
“We may not be here when you get home. Mom and I are going out for dinner and then to a late movie,” Dad said.
“What time do you expect me home?” I asked him. After I fixed my scarf, Pete took my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Since it’s a special night, let’s say one.”
I gawked at my parents in mock astonishment. “Wow, thanks for giving me permission to live on the edge.”
“Ha-ha.” Dad curved his arm around Mom, and she smiled up at him. They always seemed so happy together. Theirs was the type of marriage I wanted.
“Ready to go?” Pete asked and held up a set of keys. “Dad let me borrow his car tonight. We’ll be riding in style, baby.”
“Woohoo!” I raised my arms in a cheer.
“Be safe. If there’s any problem, call me,” Mom said. “That’s what your cell is for.”
As we descended the front steps, I took out my bright purple cell and waved it in the air. Pete and I crossed the street to his car, and he held the door open for me. Mom and Dad waved from the front door, and I waved back.
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