Jennifer shook her head and took another bite of the sandwich.
“I’m so sure. The anime club and I are having a huge get-together anyway. Netflix just uploaded two seasons of Mischievous Kiss and some other cool-looking animes, so we’re going to binge-watch.”
As I looked at Jennifer, I began to wonder if that was the real reason she didn’t want to go, or if it was because she’d be the only one there without a date. I really wanted to believe her, but something in my gut told me it was a lie.
“Suit yourself,” Rachel said with a shrug.
“Speaking of Thanksgiving and celebrations, you know…my birthday is coming up,” Micah added with a grin. “Should I be expecting anything?” I knew by his smile he was teasing. But the idea of celebrating a birthday with Micah was exciting. I had never celebrated a “boyfriend’s birthday” before.
“I know. Your birthday is November twenty-ninth,” I said. “What do you want for your birthday? Do you have any ideas?”
“Oh, I have some ideas,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I could feel my cheeks begin to blush more than before as I looked away. Was he implying what I was thought he was implying? I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear nervously. The bell rang shortly after, indicating lunch was over. Jennifer was quick to get up and grab her bag by her feet before leaving.
“See you on the bus,” Micah said, taking my hand and squeezing it for a moment. I nodded, a bit breathless and started to shove what was left of my lunch back into my lunch bag.
“So, what are you going to do for his birthday?” Rachel asked me. I shook my head.
“I…really have no idea, Rachel. Do you?”
“I’m sure we could come up with something! Let’s sneak out of our next class and do some planning. Maybe you can help me with the Thanksgiving meal too!” I looked at my friend, surprised by her willingness to skip class, but slowly nodded. I had nothing to lose, after all, it was only study hall next.
“Sure. Let’s meet in the auditorium.”
IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO persuade the study hall teacher to let me go to the auditorium to “work on a project.” My hall pass pathfinder was signed without a second thought. Rachel was already waiting for me on the stage, with her papers all laid out on the floor. She waved to me as I walked up the aisle toward her.
“Let’s get planning!” She patted the spot beside her. I took a seat and looked over at the notes she had for the Thanksgiving meal. She had recipes for a variety of different side dishes with pictures. There was Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Gourmet Sweet-Pea Potato Classic, The Greenest of Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry-N-More Stuffing, and Spiced-Latte Pumpkin Seeds. I wrinkled my nose at a pumpkin pie recipe. I was an apple pie lover, all the way.
“Let’s start with you,” Rachel said, picking up a notebook. “Tell me things that Micah likes. What’s his favorite color? What are his hobbies?” She looked at me with bright eyes, eager to jot down all of my answers.
“I…uh…” I looked at the recipes again, trying to think. “He likes music. I’m pretty sure his favorite color is green or blue.”
“Green…blue…music… Okay. What else?”
“He makes the best hot chocolate,” I said with a smile, thinking back to the previous day.
“I don’t think getting him a mug of hot cocoa is the best birthday present,” she commented.
“Obviously.” I leaned back on my hands. “He likes to drive around in his car. He likes to hang out with his friends…” He had even become a slushy fan! “I really have no idea what to get him,” I continued. “I don’t really know what girlfriends do for their boyfriends.”
“You could make him a CD mix!” Rachel said. “You said he likes music!”
“I kinda already did that,” I said.
“Oh, right. I forgot. Okay...hmm…” She tapped her chin as she looked up at the ceiling. “What if you make a sign for his locker? Usually everyone does that around here. Remember that time I wrapped your entire locker door with that sparkly wrapping paper?”
Rachel had gone all out for my birthday last May. Besides the wrapped locker door, she had crafted a pretty paper Happy Birthday sign for me. She made me feel really special that day.
“Yeah, that could be fun to do. I could stuff his locker with something,” I said. Rachel pulled her phone from her pocket and scooted closer to me. She opened up a window on her screen and searched for “Gifts for Boyfriend” in the URL box. There were all sorts of gifts that came up: jars full of chocolate kisses, photo frames with pictures of couples and written messages, wallets, watches, and DIY gift boxes that would open to reveal pictures and snacks inside. Nothing seemed to stand out to me. Nothing seemed to be the perfect gift for Micah.
“Do you remember that Orlando Bloom movie we watched last summer?” Rachel asked, lowering her phone into her lap. “The girl made this book for Orlando’s character for a road trip he was taking. She even made several playlists to go along with the drive. Why don’t you do something like that? Make a big scavenger hunt for him. Give him CD mixes and take photos of him when he reaches certain destinations. It could be a fun way of spending his birthday! I don’t think he’s the type to just want dinner and a movie.”
Rachel was right about that. Micah wasn’t the type to want something so ordinary. We did that all the time anyway—dinner at my place and a movie in my room.
“That actually sounds like a lot of fun,” I said. “Now, where do I take Micah?”
Rachel responded with a grin and lifted her phone again. “Well, let’s search around! Let’s make his first birthday with you as his girlfriend a memorable one.”
“WHAT ABOUT US”
PINK
I SPENT THE NEXT FEW days drawing a detailed map of Grand Lakes, including our homes and the surrounding neighborhoods. It was difficult to hide my developing gift from Micah’s curious eyes. I never realized just how hard it was to be sneaky. I spent a lot of my free time looking up different types of scavenger hunt ideas that Micah would enjoy the most. Most of them were collecting items in random places. But I wasn’t entirely sold on that as something he’d like to do.
Rachel and I decided to meet up in the auditorium again on Friday, the day before our big Thanksgiving dinner, to decide on some last-minute meal changes and to go over my ideas for Micah’s birthday challenge. I’d decided on a photo scavenger hunt. I’d present Micah with a list of photos he needed to either take himself, or have me take of him in different locations. Then, we’d have a collection of captured memories. I wanted to give him a bit of me—of us, something that he could have forever.
My list was starting to look a little like this:
Get a slushy from the Mini-Mart
Get a selfie in front of a very tall tree
Find a CD we both like
Take a picture in front of a house decorated for Xmas
Take a selfie with a street sign
Get a selfie with a “for-sale” sign
“I think you should leave little notes around those places too. That could be cute,” Rachel suggested. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. Love notes seemed a little over the top, at least for this.
“Love notes aren’t really our thing. I mean, it worked to tell him how I felt in the beginning, but I don’t think it works for his birthday. I don’t want to be one of those girls who goes extreme.”
“One of those girls?” Rachel asked, amused. “I think it’s safe to say that you’re already turning into one of those girls.” She gestured to the small notebook I had begun to make. I glanced down at my list with a laugh. Yeah…maybe she was right.
“So, where are you going to take him?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. I shrugged and pointed to the few areas I had in mind.
“The lake. Probably over to the Mini-Mart too.”
“What about the arcade? I’m sure
he’d like that. Make him buy a few tokens and play some games.”
“That’s actually a really good idea,” I agreed.
“You could make him take a selfie with the cardboard cutout in front of the movie theater in town.” Rachel giggled. “I’m sure that would be a hoot!”
I laughed and nodded, adding the two ideas to the list. I looked over at the assortment of recipes Rachel had and pointed to a few of them.
“So, who is cooking all of this?”
“My mom. I think some of her church friends will be helping out too. I know a few of them are going to speak to us tomorrow after our meal. They have a great message to share.”
“A sermon?” I asked inquisitively. I wasn’t sure how that was going to go over with food.
“Maybe not exactly that, but you know…something to keep it relevant.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I glanced at Rachel shyly.
“What if I told Micah that I loved him?”
Rachel studied my expression.
“Is that what you’re thinking about doing?”
“Yeah, I mean…I think so? I don’t know.” I shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. Saying it aloud felt awkward. “I feel like I should. Isn’t that what’s sort of expected from me? To say ‘I love you’ to your boyfriend?”
“I think you should only say that if you mean it. It could mean something more to him than what you might intend it to.”
“I mean, I do like him. I care about him. I look forward to seeing him every day. He makes me feel things that I never thought I’d ever feel for anyone.”
“If you feel you want to say that to him, Charlie, then you should. I just think you should be careful not to say something so strongly without truly having the feelings to back it up. Saying ‘I love you’ is kind of a big deal.”
“Not really,” I said, darting a glance at her. “A lot of people say it…”
“Yeah, but do you really want to be one of those people?” she retorted. “Words are hard to take back.”
Again. Rachel was right. I didn’t want to use that word lightly. It meant something special to me.
“I’m not at all saying you shouldn’t tell Micah that you love him. But just…be careful, Charlie. I know Micah has feelings for you. I know that he cares about you deeply. You might not see everything because you’re there and in the moment, but from across the table, I see the way he looks at you, the way he holds your hand and plays with you. His feelings are real. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told you that he loved you.”
“What do I say if he does?” I asked. Rachel smiled softly.
“That’s not up to me to tell you. When it happens, your heart will know what to say.”
“I doubt that,” I murmured under my breath. Rachel laughed.
“Your heart got you this far, don’t start doubting it now.” Rachel lifted up a picture of a delicious-looking bowl of mashed potatoes. “So, do you think this is a must?”
“It’s a must,” I said, grateful for the subject change. “I’m so ready for tomorrow.”
“Me too! I just hope everything turns out well.”
“I’m sure it’ll turn out great,” I said reassuringly as the bell rang. I knew that if my family and I hosted something like this, one of our dishes would have undoubtedly turned out charbroiled. Last Thanksgiving, it was the turkey.
I BALANCED THE APPLE PIE in my lap as Micah sped down one of the back roads toward Rachel’s church. I had decided to bring it, just in case pumpkin was the only dessert being offered.
“I still can’t believe you are bringing a store-bought pie.” Micah snorted. “They’re cooking with their blood, sweat and tears, and you cheated.”
“I didn’t cheat! I did everyone a favor. If I had baked it myself, it would have been a pile of burnt apples. No one wants burnt apples for dessert.”
“Maybe I did!” Micah laughed. “Maybe that’s my favorite dessert of all time! Burnt apples.”
“Oh, stop.” I rolled my eyes.
“No, really!” He went on, “Burnt apples would have been the preferred way to end my meal tonight. There is nothing that can compare to a burnt pie crust and dark, lumpy apples…”
I grinned and shook my head. “You’d be the only one eating it.”
“Great! All the more for me,” he teased. His hand came to rest on my leg and gave my knee a light squeeze.
“You’re kinda impossible.” I laughed, allowing my hand to rest upon his. I liked the way his hands felt under mine. They were warm and smooth.
“That’s okay, you’re kinda crazy about me.” He winked. “I think we’re even.”
“You hope,” I retorted.
“Pft. Whatever, C. Too late to deny it now.” Micah flashed me another smile as he turned to glance at me and the pie. He was right. It was far too late to deny my feelings. My eyes scanned the dessert in my lap.
“Does it look store-bought to you?” I lifted the metal tin I had borrowed from my mom. I had gone as far as removing the pie from the box and putting it in a pan to make it appear freshly baked (a trick I had learned from my mom).
“It looks a little too perfect, but does it really matter? We’re just going to eat it.”
He turned the volume up in the car, allowing “Invisible Touch” by Genesis to fill the air. This was our special time, the time that I truly cherished with Micah. It allowed me to see parts of him that he didn’t normally share. He especially didn’t share this part of himself around his friends. As I looked at him from the corner of my eye, I knew I loved—truly loved—this private side to him he was so effortlessly willing to share with me.
“So, are you going to hang out with Marshall or Paul anytime soon?” I asked. Micah shrugged as he tapped his free hand on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song.
“Paul is busy with the shop. I know he’ll be off to the military soon. As for Marshall…” Micah shrugged again. “I don’t know. He’s been hanging out with other friends.”
“The ones from the bonfire?”
“The very ones,” he affirmed.
I didn’t like Marshall’s friends from the bonfire that Micah had taken me to a few months ago. There had been underage drinking, and a couple practically having sex in front of everyone. It had been extremely uncomfortable for me.
“So,” Micah peered over at me curiously, “what should I expect tonight? Are we going to sit in a circle and sing ‘Kumbaya’ together?”
“I hate to disappoint you, but probably not tonight. Rachel has a lot of great dishes planned for us. The only thing she told me is that there’ll probably be a sermon for us to hear.”
“So I’m going to have a ‘come-to-Jesus’ moment?”
“Do you have a lot of those?” I teased.
“Apparently not enough. There’s always room for one more.”
“At least there will be food!” I replied. I squeezed his hand and leaned against the headrest. “It’ll be fun. I’ll be surprised if it’s not.”
“Your definition and my definition of ‘fun’ are very different, C,” Micah said.
“Oh, live a little!”
“Stereo Hearts”
Gym Class Heroes
I KNEW IF I ATE another bite, I’d burst.
I’d end up looking like Violet Beauregarde from Willy Wonka, and a bunch of orange Oompa Loompas would have to roll me out of the church’s basement and into Micah’s car. Micah had tried a bit of everything offered, and volunteered to finish what I couldn’t eat. The apple pie was a hit! (Little did they know…)
“Better than pizza, huh?” Micah asked as he slouched back in his chair. I could have slugged him for teasing me, but I was too full. Later, as we threw our disposable plates away and cleared off the tables, I noticed a few members of the youth group passing out small paper hearts. A blond girl wh
o looked at least a few years younger than me, slid a heart into my hand with a smile.
“Hey, everyone! Please take a seat,” Rachel called out. “Our youth group counselor has a really fantastic lesson to share with us today before we leave.” I inspected the small, pink paper heart in my hand as I took a seat. A thin, older woman came to stand beside Rachel, brushing her long brunette hair over her shoulder. She reminded me of an older elementary school teacher. The woman wore a simple white blouse with a long jean skirt.
“Everyone should have received a heart,” she began, glancing around the room with her dark brown eyes. As a few of us nodded, she smiled. It looked forced.
“Good. I have a really important lesson to share with you all tonight. It’s about love. God’s love, and the sort of love that should only be experienced later in your lives.”
Oh, God. I glimpsed at Micah, wondering what he was thinking. This was the last thing I wanted him to sit through: a discussion about sex. The youth group counselor lifted her paper heart into the air and looked around at all of us again.
“Do you see this?”
A few of the metal chairs squeaked as some of the girls beside us tucked their legs underneath the table. No one said a word. I glanced over at Rachel and David as they smiled at each other and then back at the counselor.
“As you get older, you’ll be tempted to date. You’ll be tempted to engage in certain behaviors that some of your parents might deem inappropriate.” She clicked her tongue as her gaze scanned the room. I wondered what exactly she was looking for? Carefully, she picked up a pair of orange scissors from the table and lifted the pointed edges to her delicate pink heart.
“We are all born with full hearts. Our hearts are capable of love, compassion, tenderness, and decency.” She took a dramatic pause. “I have an important question for you. Do you want to marry your partner with a full heart? Or a broken one?” She paused again, eyeing a few of the youth group members sitting towards the front.
The Songs We Remember: A Young Adult Romance (The Songs in Our Hearts Book 2) Page 3