“You know,” I said “It would be a big screw up to let me go in without a good night kiss.”
He smirked, but I caught a quick flash of relief across his eyes.
“You always know the perfect thing to say,” he said placing a hand on each of my hips sending a warm electric sizzle down my legs and up my spine. We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment. He slowly brought his lips to mine and answered a burning question while he ignited a burning need.
His lips were firm but gentle as we caressed each other’s mouth. My hands drifted to his neck and his to my lower back and I remembered the slow dance on the gym floor. My insides turned to mush again, every cell in my body wanted him, craved his touch. My heart raced and I reluctantly pushed away to catch my breath.
He smiled and said, “Good night, Katharine, sweet dreams.”
Before he could turn and leave I grabbed his lapels and pulled him in close for another kiss. When we broke the clinch I held onto him and looked square into his eyes.
“I love you too Scott James,” I said and squealed inside when I saw pure happiness leap into his eyes. He smiled and kissed me on the forehead and said he’d call me tomorrow.
“You better call me today,” I yelled as he climbed into his truck. He laughed and waved then backed out into the street and idled there while he waited for me to go inside.
.o0o.
Scott did call me later that day. We talked for hours. Well really, I talked and he grunted occasionally to let me know he was still on the line. It was as if I couldn’t be turned off. We talked about school, about the dance, about music, national politics, and of course sports. He told me about applying for student loans and several different scholarships.
When it came to end the call we both wanted the other to hang up first, it was sickening sweet and I loved every moment of it. He finally hung up and I laughed because I won. Of course, he called back thirty seconds later and said it was his turn to win and made me hang up first. Like I said sickening sweet.
It made me want to create aFacebook page just so I could mark “In a Relationship” on my profile page. I was his girlfriend wasn’t I? I mean, he had asked me to sit in the middle seat of his truck hadn’t he. Life was wonderful, me being me of course, I wondered what was going to ruin it all.
Scott picked me up in the morning before school and made Mattie get out so I could sit in the middle. She rolled her eyes but gave me a hug letting me know she was really okay with it. At the end of the day he’d drive Mattie all the way home then turn around and take me home. He said it was because he didn’t want his little sister getting any ideas watching her big brother kissing his girlfriend. My heart jumped when he called me his girlfriend, is there any better word in the English language?
School was different. It even smelt different. Everything was stronger, fresher. The lunch room had fresh Chocolate chip cookies. The restrooms were awash with pine sol. The hallways sported new shiny wax jobs. Everything was new and unique.
We spent every free moment together. We’d walk down the middle of the hall hand in hand forcing everyone to give way so they wouldn’t be seen interacting with the lepers. I noticed some of the stares from the other girls had changed from hate to jealously. Their open disdain had been replaced by an open wanting to be in my place. I raised a hand to hide my smile then squeezed Scotts hand in thanks.
We never talked about my story. I wondered if he’d ask me questions, he had to have hundreds of them. Scott however acted like I hadn’t told him a thing. Somehow though, he let me know at the same time that he was there if I needed to talk.
Lunches were my favorite time of day. We’d sit next to each other our shoulders and knees rubbing and laugh at each other’s jokes. Mattie and Kevin would stare at us and shake their heads at our weirdness. She’d say stuff like “Gross” and “Get a room” but I knew she was okay with it. Scott would laugh and shrug his shoulders.
One afternoon in the lunch room I caught Gina staring at us. Danny had his back turned to her as he talked to his buddies. For a moment a look of loss and pure hate crossed her face. She didn’t want Scott but she didn’t want anyone else to have him either. I caught her eye and smiled back the most sickening and triumphant smile one girl has ever given another. You know that whole “I beat you and you will never have it this good look.” That look that only another girl could understand. I don’t think I have ever felt more pleased with myself.
A couple of weeks after the dance Scott met me after my third period chemistry class.
“Come on let’s get out of here, this place is driving me up the wall.”
“We can’t leave?” I said in shock.
He studied me for a moment and said, “Katie, you’ve got to skip at least once in High School. It’s a rule. Do you want to tell your teenage grandkids that you never skipped in high school? They will think you’re the un-cool grandmother. Man that would so suck.”
I grabbed his hand and laughed as we raced out of the building. It was a couple of days before I realized we were both over eighteen and could have signed ourselves out any time we wanted.
It was the first beautiful day of spring, a crystal clear blue sky with a giant yellow sun trying its best to warm up the cold earth. The snow had melted and left a hard mud in the parking lot. A cool breeze blew through the trees ruffling bare limbs and sending my hair into a feathery mess.
He took me to the river park and pulled into an empty parking lot. It looked like we were the only ones there. It was too early for moms and strollers. The joggers wouldn’t be out until after work. It was only us.
The baseball fields sprouted a fresh green carpet of new grass and off in the distance thousands of yellow daffodils had shot up through the scattered leaves under the trees. It all looked like a Matisse painting.
We slowly walked the path into the trees and along the river. When we were out of sight he pulled me into his arms and kissed me until my knees felt like they were going to buckle. The boy was definitely a champion kisser. He wasn’t very demonstrative in public. In private however, he couldn’t seem to help himself. Believe me I’m not complaining but it could make a girl worry.
At first I’d thought it might be because he was embarrassed about being seen with me. It was only later that I realized he was being a gentleman. Concerned for my reputation. It made me love him all the more.
My hands instinctively went to his neck and started to slip inside his collar. I needed to feel his skin. Caressing his neck I found a metal chain. It surprised me. He never wore jewelry. He didn’t even wear a watch. My mind flashed back to his barn the night Star was born. He’d taken his shirt off, twice. He hadn’t been wearing a necklace or chain.
My curiosity got the better of me. I broke the kiss and worked the chain out of his shirt while he was still too confused to understand what I was doing. It was a simple metal link chain. The kind kids used for the house key. He or someone had punched a hole through a penny and hung it on the chain. My curiosity was now up to a hundred percent. I slipped it over his head before he could react. For an outstanding athlete with unbelievable reflexes, he could be slower than a sick snail when we kissed. I smiled to myself when I thought about how I affected him.
I turned the penny in my hand but I couldn’t see anything remarkable. “What’s this?” I asked.
“Give it back Katie,” He said with a frown.
Now my curiosity had pegged out at the top. A devilish feeling of power washed through me and I scrunched the chain and penny into my fist and hid it behind my back.
“Take it,” I teased.
I knew perfectly well that he could force my arms into any position and easily pry my hand open to remove the coin. I also knew he was no more able to do that than he could hit me or push me down. It wasn’t in him.
His eyes turned from happy teasing to a frustrated scowl.
“Come on big boy, I’m not a piece of your grandmothers china, I won’t break.”
He shook his head,
“Katie, you don’t understand. I’d never intentionally hurt you, you know that. It’s just that, sometimes people get hurt when we’re playing around. I broke Justin Blake’s arm in fifth grade when we were playing red rover. I knocked out Tim Swenson’s front two teeth in ninth grade while playing tag and neither of us were even It. Come on give it back to me.” he said holding out his hand.
“No,” I said backing up. I had to get him to treat me like a normal person. We had to get rid of those egg shells. “Not until you tell me what it’s for or until you catch me,” I said then took off running.
I thought I was doing pretty well. I must have gotten fifty feet before he caught up. I turned off the trail and into the trees as he reached for me. Squealing and laughing as I avoided his grasp. Several more times he almost got me. Like I said I thought I was doing great until I realized I was out of breath and he wasn’t even breathing hard. He could have caught me any time but was letting me win.
I grew angry and shoved at his chest. “No fair, you’ve got to try,” I said. Of course the big behemoth didn’t move and I bounced back three feet. He caught me before I could fall and picked me up to swing me in the air with only one arm.
My feet flew out from beneath me and all the air in my lungs leapt out as I squealed. Instead of putting me down he placed both hands on my ribs and lifted me above his head like a he was pressing a bar bell.
My hair fell forward and covered us both. Our eyes locked and he smiled.
“I can do this all day Katie, Please give me my penny.”
I laughed; it was like being on a rollercoaster. What if he dropped me? Deep down I knew I was safe, but there was enough doubt to make it fun.
“No secrets Scott, you know the rules,” I said. We hadn’t really talked about it. I’d automatically assumed that he knew it was one of my rules. My stomach lurched, if he could keep this a secret, what else could he be keeping from me?
He thought for a moment while I continued to hang there in the air.
“It was my dad’s,” he said.
I of course felt like a complete idiot. Why else would he carry around a penny on a chain?
“It was in his effects they gave me at the funeral home. The mortician handed me two brown manila envelopes with their stuff in them. He said he could put them in the coffins if we wanted. I remember opening it and sliding the continents onto the table. A watch, a money clip, a wedding band, and that penny. I don’t know why he only had one penny in his pockets. I gave the watch to grandfather and the money clip to Mattie. I’ll use the wedding band when I get married.” His eyes lost focus for a second and I could feel his arms begin to shake. He slowly set me down and I handed him the chain and penny.
“When we came home from the funeral I found a chain and punched a hole into the penny and hung it around my neck. I figured it had to be a lucky penny now. It’d already gone through a major car wreck. No way could anything bad happen to it again.” He sighed heavily. “You see, I had to stay safe, Mattie needed me. I also figured I couldn’t kill myself if I was wearing it. Believe me those first few months the question was in doubt.”
I stood there and listened to him, my heart breaking at the thought of the little boy searching for safety and security. It seemed we all had our own versions of hell.
He held the penny out and let it swing on his chain like a gypsy’s mesmerizing crystal. Taking a big sigh he smiled and slipped the chain over my head. “I want you to have it, it’ll keep you safe.”
“What, no, you can’t give it to me. It was your dad’s,” I said as I scrutinized the treasure. My heart raced and my palms began to sweat. No one had ever given me such a wonderful thing. I could feel myself starting to tear up. I shoved at his chest trying to lighten the mood. “It’s not fair, you’re bigger and faster than me. I can never win.”
He laughed, “What, you want me to be smaller and slower than you?”
“Well, no, I like how big you are, you’re like a mountain, safe, secure, and stable. I’d like to have a fighting chance though.”
He laughed and gently took my hand. “Come on let’s get back on the trail, I want to steal a couple more kisses.
I reached up and kissed him on the cheek and said thank you as I placed his lucky penny next to my heart.
Chapter Sixteen
Scott
I wiped the sweat from my eyes as I jogged down the dirt road. My weight was starting to creep up. It might have had something to do with the five thousand calories I was putting away daily. That and the fact that I wasn’t busting my hump in practices every day. The sun had called me this morning when I woke up. I decided to hit the road and start getting things under control. My muscles loosened up at the beginning of the second mile. That hard empty feeling settled in and made me smile. It had been awhile.
It was a crisp spring Saturday morning and the prettiest, sweetest girl in the world loved me. Life doesn’t get much better. At the end of the second mile I turned and headed home. A guy my size is not built for long distance running. I top out at four miles. Anything more than that and I become a quivering mess.
Besides, Katie and I were planning on spending the day together and heading for a movie in Brady later that night. We were arguing about what to see. She’d win of course, but I wasn’t going to make it easy for her.
Finishing my chores after the run I made sure Grandfather didn’t need anything more done before I took off. A quick shower and I jumped out the door before anybody could change their minds. Mattie followed me out. She folded her arms across her chest and gave me a bitter sweet smirk. “You’re never around anymore,” she said with a wistful sound of regret.
My heart broke a little and I wondered if I should invite her along then immediately squelched that ludicrous idea. I sighed and walked back to her. “I tell you what, next time you go out with Kevin I’ll tag along and keep you company, how about that?”
She swung and hit my shoulder but smiled at my absurdity then frowned. “Kevin’s never asked me out.” She said. She looked so sad it broke my heart. I knew there was a little manipulation going on. She’s my sister, what can I say. The idea of her going out with boys was terrifying. The idea of her sitting home alone sad and miserable was worse.
“Do you want me to talk to him?” I asked.
She squealed and hit me twice. “Don’t you dare, I’d dig a hole and crawl into it if you broach the subject with him. Do you understand?”
“Okay, okay,” I said rubbing my shoulders. I never should have taught her how to throw a punch. “Maybe if….”
“NO!”
“Alright, okay, I get it. No big brother involvement.”
She smiled and hugged me goodbye.
As I started to climb into the truck I turned back. “Hey Mattie, how about I take you down to get your learners permit after school on Monday, your fifteen and a half right?” She squealed and ran to give me a hug before she walked back to the house mumbling something about a test.
Like I said, life was good.
.o0o.
The date with Katie went its normal outstanding self. She wore a pleated red skirt and a tight black sweater that made her look sexier than a New York model sitting on a cool car. Her glasses reflected back my huge smile, she really didn’t like contacts. That was fine by me; the whole sexy librarian look was a real turn on.
While we were in line for the movies several guys I didn’t know shot her looks of approval. Running their eyes over her body when they thought I wasn’t looking. Katie caught it and shivered. I leaned down and whispered. “I want extra points for not pounding their heads into the concrete. Unless you want me too that is?”
She laughed and shook her head. I made it a point of stepping between her and them and giving them a look that let them know how unhappy I was. They got the message and turned to flirt with some other girls in front of them.
After the movie I drove us to the bluff and turned off the engine. We sat there for a moment staring into the night. I counted
twelve yellow porch lights twinkling like static fireflies. This place would always be special. Fleeting memories of what we called “Her Story” popped in and out of my mind. Would they always be haunting us I wondered?
Being a red blood young man of course I had thoughts about the two of us taking it up a couple of levels. Like all the way up. Okay, it was all I thought about. Every waking moment and most of my dreams seemed to be filled with thoughts about the two of us making love. Here I was sitting next to the prettiest, sexiest girl in the entire country and I couldn’t do anything about it. The wrong word, the wrong move and I’d scare her away, maybe forever. Heaven knows she had more than enough justification to avoid anything that could make her remember the hell she went through. Maybe counseling could help. Maybe I could find somebody who could tell me how to be next to this wonderful, sexy person and not want her so much.
“Take it slow” I kept telling myself. “Don’t screw it up.”
.o0o.
Katie
Scott’s left arm was wrapped around my shoulders cradling me on his lap. His right hand was on my hip, rubbing small circles that seemed to penetrate to my very core and set it on fire.
I became lost in the touch and feel of his lips on mine. My world narrowed to just his lips. A warm tender feeling suffused through my whole body. His hand drifted to my tummy and rested half way between my chest and belt. My insides tensed up waiting for his hand to move.
His hand slipped inside my shirt and burned my skin where ever it touched. The heat worked its way into my body and brought it alive. I couldn’t stay still and shifted on his lap to get a better position.
Scott gasped and broke our kiss with a reluctant sigh.
“Maybe we should take a break for a minute.” His voice sounded like a cement mixer full of gravel as he rested his forehead against mine.
Certain Rules Page 12
