Kissing Is the Easy Part

Part 5 ◎ Chapter 48 The yearbook

"No, but it's the only thing I feel like repeating. The rest is just...nauseating." She held a hand in front of her throat and pretended to gag. "I keep having to remind myself that she's dating you instead of some god from Greek mythology. I swear that girl is completely possessed."

I felt instantly flattered and embarrassed, the way Flora always did to me.

Janet smiled. "It's pretty cute, to be honest."

"Yeah. I just...I can't believe I can have her back."

She patted me on the shoulder. "I know Flora is one step away from tattooing your name on her forehead, and it's great to see you're taking it serious too."

"J, I'm so in love with her," I blurted.

Janet stared at me in stunned silence. I told Janet about all my girlfriends, but it was mostly vague descriptions along the lines of it's going okay. It wasn't like me to make such a declaration. My words surprised myself even, and after hearing it out loud, stark in the air between us, I regretted it. I waited to hear Janet tease me about it as her face broke into an ear to ear grin.

"I'm so happy for you. For both of you," she said. "I mean, obviously I've heard from Flora already that you exchanged your true love vows, but it's different coming from you."

"Flora took away the suspense of everything," I muttered. Janet couldn't fake that smile of genuine approval even if she wanted to. She really was the best friend I could ever hope for. She always wished the best for me, even though I pretty much ignored her every time I was in a relationship.

"You guys are my favorite couple. Good luck," she said. "Let me know if you need my advice on anything. Picking out a baby name, for example."

"We have got that covered. Flora will just name it Prada."

She laughed. "If you hurry you can catch Prada's mom before class."

***

Flora was sitting outside with Sandra and Carmen in her usual spot. On seeing her I felt the worst of the withdrawal symptoms: anxiety, palpitation and tightness in the chest. It was like I had tunnel vision. She was in the center and everything else defocused.

"Well, well, if it isn't the boy who made the same mistake twice," Sandra started as I approached them. Sandra was nice enough to me when we were just friends as basketball player and head cheerleader, but as soon as I became Flora's boyfriend I got this special treatment of her nastiness, which I accepted with pride. She was usually too busy ignoring people to bother making an insult, and I considered it a privilege knowing she made an effort on me.

"Sandy, not even your negativity is going to drag me down today," Flora said, but her eyes were on me and she was smiling.

I said my good mornings.

"Congrats, Sean," Carmen said, always the pleasant one to balance out Sandra's foul energy. "It's great you guys worked things out."

"Congrats yourself, Carmen." Sandra eyed her with an evil stare. "You just earned yourself the chance of giving another round of therapy sessions when they break up."

"Sandy, stop harassing us," Flora said. "Don't you need to go eat some small children or something?"

"Small children are hardly vegan," Sandra said but chuckled anyway, like an afterthought. "I meant to say congratulations too. Somehow it came out wrong because I'm a bit allergic to happy people."

"Thanks." I was too happy to come up with a halfway intelligent comeback.

Flora reached out her arms to me so I could pull her up, and as she stood up, she linked her arm through mine. She waved goodbye to her friends. "Excuse us. We need to go and be happy now."