A Love for Romance

by Kahlen Aymes

  She looked at me for a few seconds before she looked down at the bag almost worried about what it may be.

  “It’s okay, it’s ice cream. Your dad said it helps.”

  Lindy moved her hand and gave me a smile. It wasn’t one of the normal ones she had given me but it was a start. I stepped closer to her with the bag in my outstretched arm and she took it. Looking inside of the bag she giggled, before pulling out a napkin and wiping her new fallen tears away.

  “Do you mind if I sit down?”

  “Not at all.” She said as she scooted over before patting the bench.

  I sat down next to her, my knee was only about two inches away from hers. This was the closest I had ever been to her.

  “Thank you for the ice cream.” She said as she removed it from the bag stroking it.

  “Your dad did all of this, he wanted me to bring it to you,” I said as she nodded.

  “My mom’s favorite, Rocky Road.”

  “She has good taste.”

  “I hate it.” She said with a huge laugh.

  I looked at her confused. “Does your dad know?”

  “Yes, but I still eat it.”

  “Well then, you should have some.”

  “I will.”

  We sat together in silence for a few minutes, I took causal glances at her as she sat there staring at the open field.

  “Happy Birthday, Lindy,” I said, looking at her face assessing her reaction.

  I watched as a tear slipped from her eye and I felt like shit I had made her cry.

  “Thank you, Clinton.”

  Turning on the bench, my knee bumped hers and she looked up at me. “Lindy, I know we don’t know each other well and I would like to change that. I’ve been trying to approach you but I’ve been so worried I will scare you off. I need to know why you’re so sad.”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “Your dad? No, he said nothing more than it was your birthday and to give you this ice cream.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell you but I don’t want you to say anything. Don’t feel sorry for me either, I already do that enough on my own.”

  “I promise, I won’t do any of those things.”

  “First off, I want to commend you on your plans for your future. Neurology is something I’ve looked into for as long as I could comprehend what a brain was and its functions.”

  “You want to be a doctor too?”

  “No, I don’t think I have the stomach for that. I’m going to law school, I want to become a prosecutor. I want to change the world.”

  “That’s a great choice. Look at us, a future doctor and future lawyer, changing the world one day at a time.”

  “You’ll also be saving lives.”

  “You’re right, one day so will you.”

  “Do you know, the past two years I’ve known of you I didn't know you were different. The way you stood up to your friends made me see an another side of you.”

  “Good thing, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I hate to admit that when I saw you in the yearbook I was a little taken aback by you. I apologize that I didn’t introduce myself before. I was so wrapped up in...”

  “Life.”

  “Yeah, life.”

  “Not that it would have changed anything, I would have reacted to you the same way.”

  “Am I that bad?”

  “No, just surprised. I think I knew deep down you weren’t like the other jocks.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Because it took you two years to notice me, Tyler noticed me the first day. I didn’t have the same reaction as I did with you, I ended up punching him in the eye.”

  “You punched him in the eye? Why?”

  “He slapped me on the butt my third day of school, I turned around and punched him square in the eye. He cried before he snitched on me. When I explained that I was defending myself because of what he did, he got a few days suspension which I believe told everyone that he was in a car accident.”

  “That mother fucker, I'm sorry.”

  “No worries, my dad scared the shit out of him. Which is why no one ever knew and I could blend back into the shadows again.”

  “I’m so mad, I want to kick his teeth in.”

  “Don’t, it’s over and done with. Besides, I still have the video of when I punched him, he cried.”

  “I’d love to see it.”

  “Remind me and I’ll show it to you.” She said with a laugh. “Sorry, we got sidetracked.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “So, today is my birthday as you know and well today is also the day my mom passed away.”

  “Oh...” I started and she stopped me.

  “Please don’t, don’t feel sorry for me.”

  “I’m...go on.”

  “My parents fell in love with each other when they were thirteen years old, I know they were so young but they knew. My mom found out she was pregnant with me a couple months before her eighteenth birthday, my dad stood by her and they had everything planned out. When I was born, there was a flurry of activity. My parents were crying while they cleaned me up, my dad placed me into my mom's arms long enough to get a whole roll of pictures and then tragedy.”

  “What happened?”

  “It was like she knew something was wrong, she told my dad she loved him and they kissed and then she was gone.”

  “Gone, like she left, gone?”

  “No, she closed her eyes and died.”

  “What?”

  “My mom had a brain hemorrhage, they said it was sudden and unexpected.”

  “God Lindy.

  “This is why I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, every single day I already feel that way. I wish I’d known her. I wish I could have gotten to know her. The stories my dad tells she seems like an amazing person. My birthday will always be a reminder of what my dad lost, he lost the love of his life.”

  “He may have lost someone but he gained someone just as important and special.”

  “Do you know he’s never dated? Well not that I’ve known for sure. I think there have been people throughout the years but his devotion to her and me has never faltered.”

  “He saw the bigger picture, he saw you and his priorities were clear.”

  “I know, he still went on with his life. He promised my mom, he went on to college. He became an architect, he built her dream house which is why we moved back here. Right here on this bench is where he told her he loved her for the first time, this bench is also where she told him she was pregnant. When I need her, I come here. I feel close to her here where I know she's been.”

  I watched as Lindy looked down at her hands and then at me. Her mouth moved to open and then shut again as if she wanted to say something.

  “I...I came here on September ninth, twenty fourteen as soon as school let out.”

  “Why’s that?” I questioned.

  Lindy looked up at me. “It was the first day I saw you.”

  “You remember the first day you saw me?”

  “It’s silly right?”

  “No, not at all. I’m flattered.”

  “I told my mom, I even told my dad. Even though he tried to play it off, he knew who you were.”

  “He was giving me this look like he wasn’t happy when he saw me.”

  “He’s a dad, you’re the first boy I’ve ever talked to him about.”

  “So does that mean you like me?” I asked and she gasped. “You don’t like me?”

  “I wasn’t expecting this.”

  “Expecting what?”

  “Clinton Delaney, a guy who I have had a crush on for almost two years is sitting right here next to me asking me if I like him.” She said as she looked up to the sky.

  “So, do you?”

  “Yes.” She said in a voice that was just an octave above a whisper.

  “I like you too.”

  “Wow.”

  “Wow? Is that a good wow or a bad wow?”

&nb
sp; “It’s an ‘I can’t believe this is happening’, wow.”

  “I can live with that.”

  Lindy and I sat there in silence on that bench for a while, she opened the pint of ice cream and handed me a spoon. It felt comfortable to be with her, even if we were sitting here enjoying an ice cream she didn’t like. On her birthday a day she didn’t want to celebrate because of the sadness that came with it.

  After I finished all of the ice cream, we walked back down to the parking lot towards our cars. She took a detour to that huge willow tree that her car sat under, she placed her hand on the tree bark and mouthed something before walking back over to where I was standing.

  “That’s my mom’s tree, she loved willow trees and the day after she told my dad about me he came here and planted this tree for her. He wanted to bring her back here year after year and watch it grow. There are pictures of them out here with this little sapling, by the time I was born it wasn’t even a foot tall. I wish he had planted it somewhere else, I’ve worried that someone would come along and cut it down or carve into it.”

  Lindy and I exchanged phone numbers before I helped her into the car. I followed behind her to make sure she got onto the main road okay. When we got to the intersection, I watched as she turned right, sad that I had to take a left away from her.

  I drove home excited, my mind swimming with what is yet to come. Normally I didn’t have a stalker type personality but I am sure glad I went with my gut and followed that car. We made a lot of headway today, I couldn’t wait for school tomorrow.

  I pulled into the driveway about fifteen minutes later, I opened the front door and the smell of dinner floated through the house.

  “Clinton, is that you?”

  “Yeah, Mom,” I called out headed towards the kitchen.

  My mom looked up at me and smiled when I came through the door. “I expected you earlier, was there a meeting after school?”

  “No, I went for a drive and well I saw a friend and we got to talking.”

  “Well, dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Your dad should be here before it’s ready.”

  “All right,” I said as I turned to leave the room but I stopped. “Hey, Mom?”

  “Yes, honey?”

  “I met a girl.”

  “You met a girl?” She asked as if she didn’t hear me.

  “Yeah, I met a girl. I feel a little foolish in saying this because she’s been going to school with me since sophomore year.”

  “And you met her today?”

  “No, I met her a couple weeks ago. I introduced myself and she was so shy she ran away.”

  “You were nice to her, right?”

  “I was and well I saw her today and it's her birthday. We shared a pint of rocky road while she told me about her life.”

  “Well, that's sweet of you.”

  “I don’t know about that, a lot of the stuff she told me was heavy but it made me like her more if it’s possible.”

  “My boy is growing up, just remember to be the gentleman I raised you to be. I hope you’ll bring her by so we can meet her.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  A little while after my confession to my mom, my dad came home. After dinner, I retreated upstairs for a shower and to get ready for bed. I sent Lindy a text before I crawled under the covers, I couldn't wait to find out what tomorrow would bring.

  Chapter Four

  Clinton

  I was up bright and early the next morning, I sat around for a good half hour before I left for school. Even my mom commented on the fact I was leaving a little earlier than usual. I didn’t want to miss a thing as I stood in the parking lot next to my car. I kept checking my watch to see the time was inching closer to the minute she pulls in so I waited, pretended to pay attention to my friends who were standing around talking about the score of last night’s basketball game.

  A car roared in the distance, although I couldn’t see through the cluster of trees I had to wait until it completed the turn but it wasn’t Lindy this time, it was Shelly. I watched as she climbed out of her car, her eyes finding mine and she had a smile on her face similar to the Joker. She laughed before giving me two thumbs up. Why was she being super weird?

  Three minutes pass and the sound of the approach of another car has me looking up, that time when the car completed the turn, it was the one I had been looking for. Lindy parked her car next to Shelly’s as Shelly walked around the other side to greet her. The car door opened and Lindy stepped out and for the first time in my life, I couldn’t speak.

  Overnight, the girl who I was just with yesterday stood next to Shelly smiling. Her gorgeous head of hair had a straightener taken to it, she wasn’t wearing her signature sweater over a t-shirt either. She was wearing a nice dressy type shirt with a pair of jeans that looked as if they were custom fitted.

  The only downside of this new Lindy is not only was she the same gorgeous girl, others were starting to take notice. The conversations around me ceased as they all turned to look at what I was looking at. Shelly and Lindy laughed at something as the both walked towards the front door of the school. I slipped my way through the crowd of friends and followed them. There was an influx of people making their way down the halls while I was fighting my way through to get to Lindy.

  Just when I was about to scream for the sea of people to move, Shelly came around the corner.

  “Hey Shelly, where’s Lindy?”

  “She had to go see Mr. Moriarty, I came back to find you.”

  “Well, here I am.”

  “Let’s go into the library.”

  I followed Shelly down the little hallway and we stepped into the deserted library.

  “I got a call last night from Lindy, asking if I could tell her how to use a straightener. I tried to explain it over the phone and I seemed to confuse her so I went to see her first thing this morning and she was not herself.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Lindy asked me to help her look like one of the girls you go for, one that wouldn’t embarrass you at school.”

  “She doesn’t, she’s perfect. She’s beautiful the way she is, she didn’t have to do that.”

  “I told her that, I also told her she makes you go all weird. She said she wanted to make sure she was ready just in case. So I showed her what to do, even gave her a few tips. She is beautiful, I don’t know how you missed her. I told her if the law school thing didn’t turn out, she could be a model.”

  “I don’t want her to change anything about herself.”

  “Well then, you should tell her that. You see us girls, we love for guys to say how beautiful we are.”

  “I will, thanks Shelly. I owe you for everything.”

  “One day I will cash all of them in.”

  “I know, see you later.”

  I left Shelly standing by the library doors while I went off to find Lindy, it wasn’t hard to find her. She was standing at her locker pulling out books while across the aisle a group of gawking guys stood staring at her. Sidling up to her, I looked at the group and gave them the finger.

  “Good morning, Lindy.”

  “Good morning to you, Clinton.”

  “You look beautiful, you always look beautiful, though.”

  “Thank you.” She replied, her cheeks tinged pink.

  “I like your hair but I need you to promise me something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Don’t change yourself for me, if you want to do anything for you I’ll support you. I want you to know I like you for you.”

  “I thought it was the time I act the part, playing the eighteen year old. Not having a mom and my grandma thinks fifties style hair and clothes are making a comeback. Plus, I’ll admit I wanted to hold my own with the girls here. I want them to know I deserve to be with you.”

  “Lindy, listen if anyone has to prove they're deserving of anyone, it's me of you. Never in a million years would I have ever thought someone as kind-hearted and beautiful would
want anything to do with me after finding out I earned myself a reputation I didn’t deserve but claimed it anyways.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I guess it’s my turn for story time.”

  “Okay.”

  “Not here, would you be interested in coming to dinner tonight? My parents are eager to meet you.”

  “Meet me?”

  “Yeah, I told them all about you and I mean I met your dad it’s the next step.”

  “You want me to meet your parents and we haven’t held hands, hugged or kissed yet. Heck, we haven’t gone public with whatever we are.”

  “One day when you're ready, I would like for you to be my girlfriend. This means I will get to hold your hand and take you on dates, kiss you at the end of our evening maybe you’ll be willing to accompany me to prom.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “I am, aren’t you?”

  “Well yeah, but...”

  “But what Lindy? I thought you understood after yesterday.”

  “I do...well, I thought I did. I’m still trying to get used to the idea that Clinton Delaney wants me to be his girlfriend.”

  “So will you? Will you be my girlfriend?”

  I watched as her head bobbed up and down before she looked up at me. “Yes.”

  The bell rung signaling two minutes to get to class and I wanted to punch something. “I wish I could kiss you and make it official but I need to get you to class.”

  “Plus PDA is an offense neither of us can get on our records.”

  “It would be worth it if it means getting to kiss you.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, I haven’t kissed anyone before. I could be horrible at it.” Lindy admitted.

  Just as I was about to lay the most romantic line from a movie I’ve ever heard and would be perfect for this situation a voice called out from behind me.

  “Mr. Delaney and Miss. Flannery, it’s time to get to class.”

  “Yes, sir.” We both called out.

  “We’ll pick this up later, let me get you to class.”

  Placing my hand on her lower back we speed walked our way down the hallway, I stopped right outside of her first class and she looked up at me.

  “How did you...”

  “Stalker,” I said as I tapped my temple with my finger. “I’ll see you later.” Taking one last look at her before I high-tailed it in the other direction to my class. I laughed as the bell rung a second after I stepped through the door.