The Crescent

by Jordan Deen

microwave.

  “Oh my god!” Jillian’s voice was higher now. I started laughing. “You have to tell me everything! Tongue? No Tongue? Long? Short? Hard or Soft?”

  “Ok Ok.” I poured the hamburger into the bowl with the rice and set it on the floor. “He told me that I was beautiful and said that I must be oblivious to it. Then suddenly his hand was on my cheek and his lips … it was amazing.” I hesitated. Grant wasn’t eating. “Grant you need to eat boy.” Instead the dog came over and laid his head in my lap.

  “Will you stop talking to the dog and tell me about the kiss!”

  “Sorry, Grant must have a bug like I had earlier. Come on.” I walked Grant back up the stairs to my room and claimed my normal spot on the bed as he gingerly pulled himself next to me. “Ok, so where was I?”

  “How was it? Did you feel weak in the knees?”

  “Yeah, well, sort of. His tongue was really smooth. I swear the world stopped spinning.” I giggled at my own admission. I still hadn’t told her about my interlude with Brandon. “I felt like I was going to get sick though. It was strange.”

  “What? A guy like Alex is kissing you and you get …sick?”

  “Yeah. Strange but I just … he smelled funny to me.”

  “Like RANK?”

  “No, just … wrong. I can’t explain it. I think it is just this bug I’m fighting. I told him I’d go to his party.”

  “Do you think he would mind if I come too?”

  I hesitated. “I’ll ask him in class tomorrow.”

  “Don’t you think it’s going to be strange seeing him in class? I mean, after he kissed you and asked you out?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Brandon flashed in my mind. I had seen him less than five minutes and somehow he clouded my memories. Grant groaned and stretched putting most of his body across my legs. “You know, this morning this guy was in the office …”

  “ANOTHER one?” Jillian laughed. “Stacking ’em up, aren’t you?”

  “It wasn’t like that. I just … he …” How do you tell your best friend that you kissed someone without kissing them?

  “Ok, so are you going to finish the story or is it like a fill in the blank type Mad-Lib story?”

  I searched for an explanation that wouldn’t make me sound nuts. “It was strange. I dreamed that I kissed him.”

  “When you passed out? Who? The guy this morning or Alex? I’m confused.” She rambled off in her hyper I’m going to Disneyland voice.

  “No, not Alex.” I paused again. I don’t want to tell her. “It’s nothing. The guy this morning was just as cute as Alex and I just had a vision of Brandon kissing me when I met him, you know, like I did when I met Alex.”

  “Ahhh …” Jillian laughed. “Alex has competition.”

  “Jillian, get serious. That’s not what is going on. I’m going out with Alex. I don’t know what happened with Brandon.” The front door opened. “Hey my folks are home. I’ll talk to you later.” I really had no idea what else to say, so I thought it was best to leave it at that.

  c h a p t e r

  SIX

  My first three classes were a blur of quizzes and gossiping cheerleaders. I didn’t do any filing in the office this morning; I left it for Courtney to do. I rushed to Econ hoping that Alex would show up before Jillian, but no such luck. They came through the door at the same time, laughing and talking to each other.

  “So I’ll pick you up at 8 tonight?” Alex smiled as he set his bag on the table. “Jill, you can get there any time after 8. I would offer to pick you up … but that may be a little weird.” He gave me his amazing grin and ran his fingers down the length of mine making my heart do somersaults while Ashley glared at us.

  “Ok class.” Mr. Thompson called us to order. Alex pulled his chair to rest against the front of my table. He didn’t turn to face me, but he was as close as he could get given the circumstances. Jillian looked at me and winked when she realized the daggers Ashley was sending my way.

  After Econ was over Alex offered me a ride to the clinic and I nervously accepted. He pulled the door to the beautiful car open and took my hand to help me inside. When the car rumbled to life, I finally got the nerve to ask him, “What should I wear tonight? I mean, what type of party is it?”

  “You could show up in your PJ’s and that would be fine with me.” Alex rubbed his fingers down the length of my arm and claimed my hand. Chills rushed up my arm under his touch; he grinned making me wonder if he could sense my inexperience.

  “Whatever you decide to wear …” He lifted my hand to his face and brushed his lips to the back as a sigh escaped my lips. “… will be fine with me. I want you to be comfortable.”

  The ride to the clinic was entirely too quick. We sat in front of the clinic for several moments before either of us moved. When I finally reached for the door, he tugged at my arm pulling me back across the console towards him. Alex’s free hand ran up my neck to brush his thumb against my jaw. My mind blanked out as my body shook slightly.

  You’re so beautiful. He whispered as he pressed his cheek against mine and then touched my lips with his. Alex’s kiss was slow and mesmerizing. His tongue enticed me to open my mouth and allow more and without hesitation I did. His hands began to roam, as I stayed focused on the kiss, desperate to make it the best one he’s ever had. When Alex pulled back, it made me wonder if I had done something wrong. But his eyes were glowing and he was breathing just as heavy as I was, giving me hope that I had at least done something right.

  “I think your aunt is watching.” Briefly I looked over at the window to see my aunt release the mini blinds. I shrugged as I turned back to him.

  I leaned forward craving more of him; being bolder than I’d ever been. Thankfully Alex came forward to kiss me again. I was only slightly aware that it was still daylight outside and the windows of the car weren’t tinted. Alex linked his hand around mine and pulled it towards him to rest on his chest.

  The kiss didn’t last nearly long enough. He pulled back from me and grinned, as I got embarrassed for wanting more. “I’ll pick you up at 8.”

  “Who was the boy you were with?” My aunt asked as I lifted a poodle onto the table for her to examine.

  “That was Alex.” I wasn’t self-conscious when I kissed him, but right now I felt like I was going to burst into flames.

  “I’ve never heard of him before …” She raised her eyebrow.

  “He’s new. He just moved here this week.” I tried to deflect her questioning as I started to clean the dog’s teeth.

  It didn’t work.

  “He’s been here a week?” Jamie stopped tending to the dog.

  “Yeah.” Can I wave a white flag now?

  “And you’re making out with him like that?” Her eyes got wider.

  I hadn’t thought of it that way. I didn’t know anything about Alex and the first time he kissed me I felt … repulsed. Now I was even more embarrassed that my aunt was questioning my make out session … with a stranger. “I don’t know.” I was just hoping she would let the subject die now. But again, she didn’t.

  “Do your parents know about him? I mean … he didn’t even look like a high school student.”

  “Yeah they know him. He brought me home after I passed out at school.”

  “Ohhh so, it’s that boy.”

  “Mom and Dad told you?”

  Aunt Jamie smirked and started to laugh. “Yeah. They told me about him. He is a very handsome young man. You have a date tonight?”

  “Alex invited me to a party. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a date.” I responded trying hard not to show my excitement.

  “I would.” She smiled as she took over cleaning the dog’s teeth. “He sounds like a great guy … and he’s gorgeous.”

  I escaped to the cat kennels to retrieve Mr. Tinkles, the McMillans’ tabby cat. I’ve never gotten along with this particular feline and today wasn’t going to be any different. Slowly opening the cage, I waited for the cat to stop hissing and clawing at me.
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br />   “Stop you stupid cat.” I wondered if I could refuse to treat cats when I got my Veterinary License. I grabbed the cat a little rough around the ribs and felt the cat lurch. “Stop. Tinkles. Stop.” After trying to wrangle the cat for several minutes, he got free and ran all over the room causing all the other cats to start to hiss and claw at the doors of their cages.

  “Ok, OK!” Mr. Tinkles finally perched himself high on top of the shelves. I waited for him to make the first move, but when I shifted back on my heels, the damn cat pounced straight down on top of me. Fury ripped through me as the cat’s claws dug deep into the thin skin over my breastplate. Without thinking, I grabbed the cat around the scruff of the neck and tossed it forcefully at the wall. I had never done anything to harm any animal …ever. The cat hit the wall, bounced off and then scurried under the cabinet.

  Hanging my head in shame as tears formed in my eyes, I shuffled down the hallway towards Aunt Jamie’s office to confess my sins. My t-shirt stained with my own blood and more trickling through by the minute. “I had a …”

  “Oh shit! What happened?” Jamie jumped up from her desk and started to pull my shirt over my head. The large scratches and the big hole in my chest sent a thin line of blood down between my breasts.

  “I had a run in with Mr. Tinkles.” I said as more tears formed. “He clawed me and I threw him against the wall. I’m afraid he’s hurt.”

  “Ok, Ok. Don’t worry about it.” I didn’t know what had gotten into me, the poor cat. “I’m sure the cat is fine. They have nine lives …