White is for Virgins

by Necks, S. Eva

  “I’m so nervous, Fox,” I said, squeezing my knees in an effort to stop the shaking in my legs as we sat at the RMV. I got called up.

  “Stop worrying, we practiced like 40 hours this past week,” he laughed. “You know this inside and out, Em, you’re a good driver.”

  “You think?”

  “Stop fishing for compliments, alright?” he smirked, messing up my hair as I filled out all the necessary information and went to the car.

  “What if I fail?” I asked, biting my lip. I turned around to face him and my breath caught as I realized how close we were.

  “When have you ever failed anything in your life?” he asked, placing his hands on either side of me on the car. I stared into his eyes and remembered to breathe as I listened to him.

  “There’s a first time for everything,” I countered.

  His eyes grew kind of hooded. “You, of all people, are learning that pretty quickly.”

  Before I could even process what he was implying and blush, I heard a stern voice on the other side of the car. “Miss Price? Are we ready?”

  “She’s never been more ready, sir,” Fox assured him, releasing me and opening the driver’s side door for me.

  “You got this,” he mouthed before closing the door.

  ***

  I approached Fox, who was sitting on a random bench outside the RMV, with shaky legs. I was biting my lip and holding a plethora of emotions back.

  He looked up with a solemn and inquisitive expression; his white blonde hair fell into his eyes a bit and I was ready to jump him.

  “So?” he asked when I stopped in front of him. He stood up and searched my eyes.

  “I look high,” I muttered.

  His eyes narrowed. “You what?”

  I pulled out a shiny piece of plastic and showed it to him. “I look high.”

  He shook his head at me, withholding a smile just as I was. Finally I cracked, and grinned at him. He returned the smile, surprising me by sliding his hands around me and spinning me around.

  “I told you you’d pass,” he said, finally putting me down. “Come on, let’s go celebrate.”

  “Where are we going?” I asked, running to catch up with him.

  “The beach,” he said simply, as if going to the beach in March, borderline April, was normal in New England.

  Instead of questioning his sanity, I opted for something else. “I’m driving!”

  He laughed, nevertheless handing me his keys. His lack of caution or worry with me driving his car on the highway was strange. Maybe he just had extreme self-control?

  We drove to New London and grabbed a blanket, which had conveniently been stored in Fox’s trunk. We had stopped by a fast food drive-thru an exit back so we brought our food with us. I zipped up my coat and breathed in the crisp ocean air as we walked along the sand. It was stunning to see a few people scattered among the sand and running along the shore.

  Sitting on the blanket and munching on some fries, I studied Fox while he studied me back.

  “What?” he laughed, almost self-consciously. “I got ketchup on me or something?”

  “No,” I shook my head, “you’re just different, is all.”

  “Different?”

  “Compared to how you were when I first met you,” I smirked, “you’re a whole new person.”

  He smirked and bit his burger. “I’m going to go ahead and assume that you like the change.”

  “Very much so,” I admitted. “Do you think it’s the whole volunteer work thing that’s made you more… I don’t know the word… mature? Responsible?”

  He shook his head. “Nah, I think it’s just you.”

  I almost choked on my drink as I took a few sips. “Me?”

  He nodded nonchalantly and looked out at the horizon. “Technically my mandatory community service ended last month.”

  I tried to keep my jaw intact as I looked out at the water as well. “Why’d you keep coming?” I asked, hoping that somehow it connected back to me like he’d mentioned.

  “The place grew on me, I don’t know,” he shrugged, running a hand through his hair. “Plus, it looks good on college apps, and beats the hell out of going home.”

  So basically everything besides the fact that I’m also at the center keeps him coming back. Cool beans.

  “Right,” I nodded. “Well that’s really nice, Fox. I never would’ve guessed that you’d do something like that that wasn’t required of you.”

  “You just don’t give me enough credit,” he smirked, laying back on his elbows and letting the breeze sweep his hair into his eyes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s my own fault; it’s what comes with the reputation.”

  “Hah,” I laughed, “the infamous reputation, right.”

  He laughed along. “High school’s rich, huh?”

  “And to think, all that reputation goes to shit when you get to college,” I mused.

  He nodded. “I’ll be like any other sexy college freshman; I’ll have to start all over.”

  “Oh no!” I gasped in mock-worry, “What ever will you do?”

  “I really have no clue,” he admitted solemnly. “That’s the beauty of it.”

  “I doubt you’ll have any problems with that,” I commented, leaning back in the same fashion as he was.

  “What does that mean?” he asked curiously.

  “It means you attract people like light attracts moths.”

  “I attract people, huh?” he repeated, testing the phrase on his tongue smugly. “All people?” He turned to me when he asked this.

  I looked away like a scared little girl.

  “Most,” I mumbled, eating my last fry.

  We stayed quiet for a while, just listening to the roll of the waves and watching various birds dive for fish.

  “So,” he said, clearing his throat. “I figured out how you’re going to repay me for all that I’ve done for you this past week.”

  “Oh yeah?” I smirked, turning over on my side and resting my head on my left hand. “This should be good; I’ll do anything as long as it’s legal and it doesn’t involve writing your essay for Sawyer.”

  The corners of his lips turned up ever so slightly as I said that. His eyes fanned over my face for a moment before he spoke.

  “Kiss me,” he said with a daring tone. He studied how I took in his request with a solemn expression and a searching gaze.

  I gulped, unable to look away. I had no words to say. I found myself licking my lips as I felt my bones turn to jelly.

  This is what you get for saying you’d do anything. It may not be too late to offer to write Sawyer’s essay… or to run. But then how are you going to get home? And deal with seeing him tomorrow? Oh God, this could change everything. This is what I want… isn’t it?

  As I mentally prepared myself to kiss Fox Evans, he noticed my sudden paralysis and spacing out.

  “You don’t have to if it’s–” he had started to say, but I was past the point of no return – I had closed my eyes and launched into a kiss.

  As soon as my lips found his it didn’t take long for him to take control. The familiar, wonderful, nothing-else-matters, I-could-survive-off-of-this-kiss feeling returned and intensified as his hand cupped my cheek and his thumb softly stroked my skin. He eased forward on his elbow and his other hand found its way to my warm neck beneath my coat and he pulled me closer. I forgot to think and overanalyze the fact that I hadn’t a single ounce of French in me, and therefore was completely unaware of exactly how to French kiss; I just followed Fox. From his thumbs soft strokes on my cheek, the flickers of his tongue against mine, and the wonderful feelings I was experiencing, I judged I wasn’t half bad. Completely losing myself in the bliss of the kiss, I tentatively reached over and ran my fingers through the hair I’d marveled at for months. It slipped through my fingers and I nearly groaned at the softness and silkiness. I moan escaped my throat before I even felt it coming on, and I blushed as I felt Fox smile. He moaned
back to humor me. We broke away and laughed.

  I kept my gaze downcast for a moment as I processed what had just happened.

  “Hey,” Fox rasped, pulling my chin up with his finger so that I met his gaze. “Are you okay… with that?”

  I nodded sheepishly. “Just um,” I paused, shocked at the raspy tone of my own voice, “not use to it, you know?”

  “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you were pretty experienced,” he said.

  “Pfft, yeah, okay,” I smirked.

  “I’m serious,” he chuckled. “You can hold your own tongue-wrestling.”

  “Oh God,” I laughed, embarrassedly burying my face into my arms, “Don’t call it that.”

  “Making out,” he corrected. “Face it, Em,” he teased, “you just made out with Fox Evans.”

  “Who hasn’t?” I deadpanned, hiding the extreme urge to laugh at indirectly calling him a man whore.

  He shoved me lightly.

  “Hey!” I scolded, giving in to my chuckles.

  “Are you calling me a whore, Emery?” he asked, getting up as the sun began to set. I got up as well and we shook the blanket to rid it of sand before folding it up.

  “Maaaaybe,” I teased, taking the passenger side when we reached the car. “Now take me home,” I said, grinning at the innuendo I’d unintentionally made.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he grinned. I knew he’d caught it.

  Chapter 33

  FOX P.O.V.

  “So, word on the street is…” Nick began, clearing his throat and crossing his Nike-clad feet on the coffee table, “Emery kissed you.”

  “What street d’you hear that from?” I smirked, smiling. I knew I had given myself away.

  “Dude,” Nick laughed. “Finally! I thought that’d never happen.”

  “Yeah, I told her she owed me for letting her practice in my car before her road test.” I sat back in his sofa and chewed my gum as I recalled last week’s events.

  “So you forced it outta her?” Nick asked.

  “No,” I automatically responded. I was sure that she’d wanted to kiss me as much as I had wanted to kiss her. She was just lacking some kind of excuse or outside force to coax her into it.

  Nick laughed, nodding. “She’s wanted to do that for months now, I’m sure.”

  “You think so?” I was staring off, thinking of where to go from here.

  “What about you, though?” he asked with a curious, raised brow. I didn’t like the turn the conversation had taken.

  “What do you mean?” I responded dumbly, taking the remote and turning the TV on in search of something to watch.

  “You bastard,” Nick smirked. “You’ve been dying to mack for longer than she has, I bet.”

  “Not mack,” I muttered, settling for a basketball game.

  “Rape with your lips,” Nick corrected, chuckling to himself. I threw the remote at him. “Hey! You know it’s true.”

  I had been interested in kissing her again. She had this insane way of burying herself into my head and coming up at all hours of the day. I didn’t know if it was because we were always together at school and at the center or what, but I found myself wanting to be around her. And jumping her had definitely crossed my mind. But she’s not the kind of girl that would let me do that, or let me get away with it. She was a relationship kind of girl; exceptionally different from what I usually went for. Virgin. She didn’t seem like the clingy type, but she wouldn’t let me slip up either. Why am I even thinking these things right now? Dating Emery? It was just a kiss; she won’t overanalyze things and demand a ring on her finger. She’s cool.

  “Speaking of macking,” I said, sitting up, “what’s with you and Lil?”

  His expression went serious at the mention of Lily. I felt like a dick, but he had been asking for it.

  “Uh, same,” he shrugged. “I don’t want to freak her out, you know? What if she’s not ready for me to touch her again, or kiss her? I don’t want to ruin it all.”

  I nodded, understanding part of where he was coming from. “Yeah, girls suck in that sense. You’re always putting your balls on the line when you try getting your ass out of the friend zone.”

  “I take it Emery’s glad your ass is out of there?” Nick joked.

  I shrugged. “Seemed like it. I don’t know where that puts me now, though. I didn’t exactly propose to her.”

  Nick turned his attention to the game for a bit. “Look man, you like her. I can see it; from the way you talk about her you definitely respect her. And I’d bet my Nike’s that she likes, too. Do you want to make it official?”

  “No,” I said instantly. Nick looked at me questioningly. “I don’t want to rush things. Like, that kind of label is not something I’m sure I could live up to…”

  “You’ve thought about it though,” Nick taunted, wagging his finger at me. “Dude you’re done. You’re done. You’ve considered it already. A few more kisses and you’ll be whipped for good. Done.”

  I smirked and shook my head. “I’m not that kind of guy, I don’t wanna waste her time or mine trying to be a ‘boyfriend’ when I don’t qualify,” I said honestly, staring at the game but failing to really follow it.

  “What’s there to qualify for? You like her, she likes you, and so long as it stays that way you guys stick with each other,” Nick explained. “Is that what you’re scared of? The whole ‘only one girl’ aspect?”

  “You know I’m not like that,” I said, shooting him a look.

  “Yeah, and I know that you haven’t been with a single girl since what, New Years?” he continued, proving his point. “My regards to your right hand, sir.”

  I threw a pillow at him. He ducked, laughing devilishly.

  “You don’t have to label anything, dude, no one’s forcing you into shit,” he said when he calmed down, “but it’s obvious you wouldn’t mind kissing her again. And you’d hate for her to kiss anyone else.”

  I listened, not admitting to anything he was saying despite all his valid points.

  “You do realize what the next step is, right?” Nick sighed, turning the TV off and standing up.

  “What?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes at him and standing up as well.

  “You gotta ask her to prom.”

  ***

  EMERY P.O.V.

  “Lily,” I sighed dramatically, holding the phone up with my shoulder as I sorted through the mail, “You don’t understand… like I’m blushing right now just thinking about it.”

  “I still can’t believe he actually made you make it happen,” she laughed on the other end of the line, “You guys had been playing cat and mouse for far too long.”

  “Speaking of cat and mouse… um,” I paused, trying to bring up Nick in the nicest way possible.

  An envelope from Northeastern University was among the various bills. My heart stilled.