Adam and I kissed.
Shocking stuff!
But the whole school didn't give a flying unicorn about my inner turmoil. The halls were crammed with students as I tried to maneuver my way through the chaos that morning. My body was, like, floating on clouds, but I was desperately trying not to be the weirdo in the hallway. Imagine that – me, the accidental cupid!
Holy Casper! I just had my first kiss!
My heart was doing this intense drum solo in my chest, replaying the events of yesterday in that creaky cabin at Pine Crest State Park.
And oh, how my stomach churned.
After Penny, Ms. Dartwood, and a couple of rangers found us, Adam and I made an effort to keep to ourselves during the bus ride back to school. Fortunately, Penny was there to fill the silence, recounting how she nearly got into a spat with Mrs. Jones.
According to Penny, Megan's mother was all for leaving us behind and letting the rangers handle the search. Penny insisted she'd rather stay behind with us than abandon us. However, I couldn't shake my doubts about her story – she did leave me for her new friends.
Anyway, Adam remained mostly silent, occasionally nodding along to Penny's narrative, even giving me some acknowledgment when I chimed in to appear engaged. But honestly, my thoughts were consumed with trying to understand why on earth, Adam had kissed me.
Later, in the solitude of my room, the reality of what had transpired finally sank in.
And as I walked to my locker, my mind couldn't help but replay the feeling of Adam's cold yet gentle lips. My heart raced erratically, and my palms grew sweaty as I struggled with the combination.
Suddenly, Penny's voice jolted me from my thoughts, "Hey, I thought you wouldn't be coming today."
"Why won't I be?" I shot back, my frustration evident as I banged my fist on my locker. The stubborn thing refused to open, despite my efforts. Another knock, and still, nothing.
"Well, Adam's sick, and since you were with him, I just thought you caught the bug too..." Penny's voice trailed off, realizing I wasn't really tuned into her words.
Adam's name hit me like a lightning bolt. "Adam's sick?"
Penny, without warning, delivered a swift kick to the bottom of my locker, and finally, it snapped open. She nodded at me. "Yeah. What did you make him do, huh? Did you ask him to carry you around the woods?" She threw a suggestive smile my way.
"A piggyback?" I shot her a look as if she'd suggested something utterly absurd. "Why would I ask him to carry me?"
Penny shrugged. "I don't know. Because you're too tired to walk?"
Right. Still, it felt bizarre. I rolled my eyes at her. "No, I didn't ask him to carry me. That's just weird."
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she leaned against the lockers. "No, it's not weird. A lot of people actually do that now."
Trying to focus on my locker, I tossed some extra books inside and rearranged things haphazardly. What was wrong with me?
Throwing Penny an incredulous look, I sighed. "Where are you going with this? You're not making any sense again."
She smiled back at me. "I really don't know. But I don't hear Melissa complaining about it, though."
I rolled my eyes. "My goodness, Penny, I really think you should start considering prioritizing your health and getting enough sleep. And you know how Melissa rarely lets people talk. She basically controls every conversation, so I don't think she'd ever notice."
Glancing at my watch, I closed my locker.
"So, are you going to see Adam later, after school?"
"I'm not really sure," I replied, not wanting to delve further into it with her. "I have tons of things to do later."
"What?" Penny seemed shocked. "Since when has homework ever stopped you from being there for him?"
"I have no idea what you mean by that," I lamely replied, averting my gaze from her quizzical eyes.
"Of course, you do. You and Adam pretty much have each other's back. He's sick, and you, more or less, just told me you have no time for him. What's going on?"
I was caught off guard by her accuracy, so I hesitated. I wasn't ready to tell her about what had happened with Adam, especially not the part about us kissing. The mere thought of Penny going nuts was enough to keep my lips sealed.
Shrugging my shoulders, I lamely offered, "Well, it's just a fever. It's nothing serious. I'll call him later."
"Okay. Let me know if you change your mind so I can go with you."
"Really?" I was genuinely surprised by Penny's sudden show of concern.
"Well, yeah. Adam's my friend too."
"That's really nice to hear from you."
"Of course! Whatever."
We went through our classes, but Adam's absence loomed over the day. He wasn't in his usual seat in Ms. Dartwood's class, and during lunch, his spot beside me remained empty. Not that I was okay with him being sick, but it made things a bit easier for me.
In addition to Adam's absence, Mr. Scott's odd behavior became another highlight of the day. He kept the class busy with a surprise pop quiz, sitting behind his desk with his usually friendly face hidden behind a hardbound book.
But what really caught my attention was the fact that he didn't once look at me. Even Penny noticed and questioned it.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," she remarked when the final bell rang.
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you notice how Mr. Scott obviously tried to avoid any student interaction with his lame-ass pop quiz?" she pointed out. "He didn't even bother to ask how everyone's doing."
I shook my head, pretending not to notice Mr. Scott's lack of enthusiasm. Though I had noticed, I couldn't help but speculate if there was another reason behind his lack of enthusiasm that day besides simply waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
"Goodbye, Mr. Scott!" Claudia's distinctive voice echoed loudly.
"Bye," Mr. Scott replied, his voice faint and brief.
I rolled my eyes and started walking toward the door. Lost in my thoughts about the possible reasons for his subdued demeanor, I didn't realize he was calling me until Penny had to stop me.
"Hey, he's calling you."
I turned around, and I saw Mr. Scott by his desk.
"Some things never change after all," Penny teased under her breath. "I'll see you later."
I nodded. "Okay." Then, I made my way to Mr. Scott.
"Second act," he said curtly.
"Huh?"
"Have you worked on the second act?"
Standing before him, his gaze fixed on me, I was slightly taken aback. I wasn't prepared to face him without his usual smile.
"Right! Yes, I have," I began. "Although there will be some slight changes, and don't worry, these are just minor ones, so the actors don't have anything to worry about. I'll work on it later, and it should be done before the next rehearsal," I hastily explained.
"That's great to hear." He finally smiled, albeit briefly, immediately easing my tension a bit.
"Yeah. This won't affect or delay rehersals," I assured him. "I'll be at the library during my free period to work on it."
"Good. I may have some pointers for you to consider," he stated. "See you there then."
"Um-huh? What?"
"See you at the library," Mr. Scott said, a twinkle in his eye, and his usual pleasant smile returned to his face.
"Right. Cool."
He let out a soft chuckle. "Cool," he mimicked.
Wait! Is he flirting with me?
"See you, Ms. Greene."
"See you, Mr. Scott."
I strolled down the hallway, my heart fluttering faster than usual in my chest, realizing that I would spend the next hour and a half with Mr. Scott alone.