White is for Virgins

by Necks, S. Eva

  “See, forks are better,” I told him triumphantly, “And I’m saying the only boyfriend I had was in seventh grade.”

  He started laughing. Not hysterically, but something close to it.

  “You’re shitting me,” he exclaimed.

  “I… shit you not…” I replied awkwardly, wiping soup off my chin with the back of my hand.

  “Well, did he break your heart or something?” Fox asked, making fun of me.

  “Nope. That lasted a pathetic five days, and I only ‘went out’ with him because he had liked me for the past four years and he was leaving the school,” I replied sheepishly. Why I was telling him the pitiful truth, I had no idea.

  He started laughing again.

  “I’m glad you find this funny,” I muttered, staring into my soup.

  Just when I think he’s okay to be around, he goes and acts like a jerk.

  He continued laughing.

  “And what about you? How many girlfriends have you had? Because all I have heard about is how you sleep around with every girl that has a pretty face and nice legs,” I snapped defensively.

  He stopped laughing.

  His expression turned hard as he explained, “The reason I don’t date is because I can’t see myself with one girl for that long. Girls get boring, and they get all attached and they cry all the time.” He furrowed his eyebrows before continuing, “And I don’t sleep around with every pretty girl that’s in sight because you’re clearly still a virgin,” he scoffed, turning his attention back to his cup of noodles.

  I blushed a little, bending my head down to let my hair curtain my cheeks.

  “So you hate girls on a long term basis? But they’re good for one night?” I questioned, placing my cup on the counter.

  He nodded, smiling wickedly. “And what about you, what do you have against guys?” he countered, placing his cup next to mine.

  “I… have nothing against them,” I shrugged, “It’s just that guys are immature little horn dogs.”

  He sneered, “And we always will be, that’s what makes us so irresistible.”

  I shook my head. “Well I’d prefer a guy a little more established. One who’s like, halfway through college, who knows what he’s going to do with his life and who knows how to treat a woman,” I replied, surprised at how much I was sharing with this man whore.

  “Wait, so you’re telling me you’re going to graduate high school a virgin, and stay one until you’re in your twenties?” he clarified incredulously.

  It isn’t all that ridiculous…

  I ground my teeth together. “Maybe I am. Is that so hard to believe?”

  “You have no idea,” he smirked, “You’re missing out, Em.”

  “Will you stop calling me that? Stop acting like you know me, Fox, because you don’t,” I told him straight up. I snatched my backpack and headed for the door.

  I felt guilty for leaving Nina, but didn’t turn back. It was best if she were alone, anyway. If anything, Fox could deal with her wrath.

  ***

  Lily and I were eating our lunch in the quiet of the enormous gymnasium, on the other side of school. It seemed like an ideal place to eat; spacious, empty, and most importantly it was far away from the cafeteria and its heinous inhabitants.

  There were two floors to the gym; the first was used for playing basketball, volleyball, and any other sport involving balls, nets, and glossy floors. The second floor was basically an indoor track that encircled the polished court, with a railing guarding us from falling a good 20 feet to the ground.

  It was pretty luxurious. I was impressed.

  “So, how long do you think until this whole me-being-a-virgin thing blows over?” I asked, nibbling on a juicy piece of lettuce.

  “I give it a good week. Or until something else extremely epic comes up,” Lily shrugged, taking a sip of her lemonade juice box.

  “Grrreat…” I sighed sarcastically.

  Why was it so hard to just go to school and learn a thing or two? I don’t need all this extra stress.

  “Hey, don’t worry,” Lily said enthusiastically, “We all go through our rough patches.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “Speaking of rough patches…” Lily groaned, staring at something behind me.

  I turned around and found a bunch of guys – rather cute guys – heading in our direction. The two gentlemen leading the way? Fox and Nick.

  “What is this?” I wondered out loud, and Fox smirked.

  I guess he heard me.

  “This is the track team. Coach always schedules a meeting before our weekend meets,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning up against the rail. Had I mentioned we were on the second floor? Track central?

  “Right…” I nodded, noticing Nick glancing between Lily and me.

  Well this is uncomfortable; tons of hot guys standing around watching you eat.

  “So, Emery,” someone stated amidst the crowd, “I hear you’re a choosey one.”

  I turned to find Justin stepping forward. My cheeks flushed, and I looked down at my salad. I really don’t need this right now.

  I turned to Lily, but she was staring at her shoes, too. What’s up with her?

  “You know, if you’re free before health, I could probably help you with that little problem.” A few guys laugh in amusement at his proposition. “I’m sure Ms. Tibble wouldn’t mind you being a couple minutes late, and for such a good cause.”

  I glared at him, my cheeks blazing.

  “Thanks for the offer and all, but I’d rather get shot in the face than get with you,” I managed to say, loud and clear.

  A few ‘oh’s and ‘you just got told’s escape our little audience, and Justin grew visibly angry.

  “I was just trying to do you a favor, but if you want to stay a loser, go ahead.”

  “That was weak, Justin,” Lily quipped. “Why don’t you just leave and spare yourself further embarrassment?”

  He turned to her, and so did everyone else.

  “Why don’t you step off, Lil.”

  “Just screw off, Justin,” Lily hissed with yellow-eyed fury.

  “Hey!” Fox interrupted, his emerald eyes gleaming from under his hoodie, “Just leave them alone guys, we’ve got laps to run.”

  As the guys headed for the starting line in their shorts and wife-beaters, Fox gave me one last, long look before joining them. I watched in silence as he lifted his hoodie over his shoulders and pulled it off, exposing his toned body beneath a simple white wife-beater.

  “Assholes,” I muttered, shaking my head as I got off the bleachers to pick up my stuff.

  “I hate them. All of them,” Lily murmured, swinging her messenger bag over her shoulder.

  I could’ve sworn her eyes were glossy, and her cheek was wet, but I didn’t ask her about it. We weren’t that close yet, and I didn’t want to invade her business.

  ***

  Health class was as dreadful as ever. I officially despised Ms. Tibble. It was all her fault I was the laughingstock of the school. Thirty minutes of her class, listening to her was proving to be too hard a task for me.

  Her lesson went something like this: “Blah blah sex blahdy-blah blah sex blah prevention blah blah sexually transmitted disease blah blah blah condoms, blah blah pregnancy blahdy-blah blah-blah sex blah blah-blah hormones blah sex blah.”

  How many times can you use that word in half hour period? Honestly?

  The ‘s’ word was seriously starting to annoy me, and certain students enjoyed turning around to make faces at me whenever the ‘s’ word came out of Ms. Tibble’s giant, red lip-stained mouth.

  I raised my hand within the first ten minutes of class and asked to go to the nurse. Ms. Tibble, who had been talking about menstrual cycles again, took it as a sign that it was my time of the month and winked at me before giving me a pass.

  I didn’t even bother trying to explain myself.

  “Thanks.” I wasted no time snatching the pass and grabbing my bag on my way ou
t of room.

  I wasn’t accustomed to skipping class, but since the school nurses were always old, crabby ladies that sucked at their jobs, I just sat in the nook of the hallway a few rooms down from my next class. The less I had to walk through the hallways, the better.

  I heard the delicate sound of strings being plucked, and stuck my head out to inspect the hall. No one was to the left, but as I turned to the right, a voice made me jump.

  “Skipping class, are we?” he asked, and my heart started racing as I stared at his khaki colored dress pants and his Vans.

  His green eyes caught mine with a weird look.

  I decided to stand up, rather than remain kneeling, before he took advantage of the situation and made a crude joke about my position.

  Even when I stood up, I was facing his broad shoulders.

  “I couldn’t take health class,” I muttered, running hand through my hair. He had me cornered between two lockers.

  “Why?” he questioned, instead of smirking like I’d expected him to.

  “Too many sex references,” I shrugged, trying to keep my voice steady.

  “Why are you so against sex?” he prodded curiously, placing a hand on the wall to my left and leaning closer to me. His voice held a hint of impatience.

  “Stop assuming things about me,” I snapped, “I’m not against it. I just think I should know someone thoroughly before I get that intimate with them.”

  He remained expressionless; a skill I wish I had. Dropping his hand, he backed slowly away from me.

  “Why are you even here?” I asked him, staring at the acoustic strapped around his back. The leather strap was pressed to his white dress shirt, and his navy tie was folded awkwardly beneath it. Still, he looked effortlessly handsome.

  I forced myself to look back at his face. “History was never my favorite subject,” he replied, pulling on the strap so that his guitar came around.

  He began playing it again.

  “What if someone hears you?” I whispered, afraid that a teacher would suddenly burst from their classroom and catch us.

  “They won’t.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I just am,” he sighed, annoyed.

  “No wonder you need a tutor.” I smirked, “You don’t even go to class.”

  He ignored this, playing a quick series of notes.

  “You’re really good.” The comment escaped my mouth.

  “Why are you still whispering?” he asked, not looking up.

  A ‘thank you’ would’ve been more appropriate.

  I chuckled. “I don’t know.”

  “Have you seen Justin around? Since earlier in the gym?” he asked suddenly, locking his eyes with mine.

  “Uh. No,” I replied, caught off guard by the question. “Why?”

  “No reason.” He shrugged, swinging his guitar back over his shoulder. “Get back to class.”

  “Is that an order?” I asked, challenging him.

  “Yeah,” he responded, turning and walking back over to me.

  “And what’ll you do if I don’t obey? Tell on me?” I asked, trying not to stutter.

  “I’ll play. Really loud,” he threatened, running his fingers quickly over the strings behind his back.

  I angled my jaw, turning to get my backpack off the floor.

  I sauntered back to class, not looking back. Why I’d listened to Fox, I didn’t know. But he was acting sketchy, wanting me to get back to class, hanging around with me in the empty hallway…

  I didn’t have a problem with leaving him alone. It was actually better if I did. He was a bad influence.

  ***

  “Alright, Fox take care of the floors,” Nina said, gesturing to the bucket of water and the mop next to her.

  “Emery, please clean the windows and tidy the counters and tables,” she told me, rubbing her temples.

  “Ok, is there anything you need, Nina?” I asked her with concern.

  “No, it’s – I’m fine.” She shook her head, heading to the bathroom before returning to her office.

  Fox remained quiet, getting right to work. I found this odd.

  “What’s with everyone? You ok?” I asked him, grabbing the Windex.

  “Yeah, why?” he replied dully.

  “You don’t seem like yourself,” I replied, spraying the glass.

  “You’ve barely known me a month, Em – Emery,” he muttered, seeming distracted.

  He called me by my full name. Something’s definitely off.

  “Well, excuse me for caring.”

  I wiped the glass furiously, making squeaky noises as I tried to rub little specks of unknown substance off.

  “You made a valid point, yesterday. We don’t know each other.”

  “This is why you’re acting all serious? Because I snapped at you?” I asked, turning to look at him.

  “What, I can’t be serious?” he questioned, cocking his head as he dipped the mop back into the yellow bucket of soapy water.

  I turned around, wiping down the rest of the windows hastily.

  What is his problem?

  “Nina, I’m out!” I called as my hand pulled the front door open.

  “Ok, honey!” she shouted from her office.

  As I rounded the corner of the building, I glance at Fox through the glass. He was mopping the floor as if his life depended on it, flipping his hair out of his eyes.

  I was excited to see Holly, mostly because – unlike everyone else in my life – she was always smiling. Always.

  I saw her run to me straight away, curls bouncing in the wind.

  “Hey, Holly!” I exclaimed, waving to her.

  “Hi,” she greeted shyly, holding her hand out.

  Secretly hoping some of her positive energy would rub off on me, I took her smooth little hand and followed her to the playground.

  I took her on the slide, and some other kids joined us in the sand box. We played for what seemed like hours.

  Then we went inside for cookies.

  “Here comes the plane,” I laughed, watching Holly anxiously open her mouth wide.

  “Neee-owwwww-wowwww,” I mumbled idiotically, moving the piece of cookie through the air in a series of loops before finally letting the ‘plane’ land in her mouth.

  She laughed and chewed the piece, clapping for more.

  “Another one?” I asked, breaking off more of the cookie and repeating the act, “Neeee-owwwwwww.”