I decided to show up to my mother's class during a debate about whether or not Vince Van Gogh was famous or if he was infamous. I only went to her classes to sharpen my knowledge. I hardly ever spoke as I was a quiet student, but I had to; because of my gut, I interrupted the debate,
"Vince Van Gogh is an amazing artist now but not back then, similar to Leonardo Da Vinci." the classmate's mouths gaped except the one that belonged to the boy in front of me,
"Do you think he was famous? Nobody could beat Leonardo," he rudely interrupted, giving me a convincing eye.
"Not back then, but now his paintings sell for millions." I crossed my arms and gave him a stern look. My classmates looked at me in amazement; nobody knew I could talk. Most people thought I was mute.
"Interesting." He pondered his words as he continually tapped his finger on his chin.
My mom continued to teach, and he turned around and whispered,
"You're new here, right?" He questioned.
"Yes, I am." He turned around to pay attention, or so I thought. He then introduced himself and turned again,
"Hi, I am Lee."
"I swear he said his name was Lee," I thought."Hi, I am Kylie." I stuttered as my lips shook with anxiety.
"Wait, Kylie Smith?" He questioned.
"Yes," I replied, confused as to how he knew my full name.
"It is me, you know, Liam? I kicked a soccer ball at your head in third grade?"
"Oh..." I smiled and blushed."Hi, Lee." I slumped down in my chair to hide my anxiety.
"Wow, it is great to see you, Kylie. I never thought I would see you again," He excitedly said.
"Yes, you too, Lee." I tried to whisper. However, this was the same boy I liked, and my cheeks flushed red when I thought about him. He was also my neighbor. I felt my heart racing and those fluttering butterflies.
"Hey, here's my phone number" he tore a corner off the edge of his notebook sheet.
"Okay, I'll see you when I get home," I replied.
"What did you say?" he was confused.
"You're my neighbor!" I talked loud enough for my mom to hear me. My mom waited patiently ignored me until she said,
"Kylie, you must go out into the hallway; you are disrupting the learning environment. I will get you when I am ready to go home."
"Why can't I go by myself?" I crossed my arms in anger as I walked through the classroom door before she closed it.
"Because I said so, young lady!" My mom raised her voice," I have a meeting to go to now, and I will be back in 1 hour. You wait right there. If the meeting runs late, Marissa will pick you up." She pointed to the spot outside her classroom; the bell rang, and all the students rushed out of her classroom.
I waited for over an hour until Marissa took me home. I could not get out of the car fast enough. I ran to the bathroom and put a little mascara on, but nothing too glamorous. I also glided to my room and put on a cute shirt and blue jeans before I ran outside and met up with him.
"Hey." He smiled.
"Hey." "So, where have you been all this time?" He questioned.
"Well, I was taken out of school at 10, and I am homeschooled now."
"So... why are you in art class with Mrs.Smith?"
"Oh, well, I have a huge passion for artistical stuff," I claimed.
"Oh," he responded.
"Yeah," was all I could come up with.
"Wow, all this time, you have been my neighbor? How come I have never seen you outside?" He said as he shrugged his broad shoulders. His brown eyes stared through me as he fluffed his brown hair.
"Well, my mom likes to have me inside most of the time because she doesn't allow me outside a lot." I debated telling him, but I did not want him to think I had a disease and I was contagious. So, I stayed quiet.
"Oh, well, it is great to see you! Will I see you tomorrow?" He kindly asked.
"I don't know; I have a lot of studying to do. I have to go, but you can text me."
The next day I received a text message while finishing my science homework. I looked at my old smartphone and back at Lee's house,
"Hey, wyd?" It was Lee. My heart skipped a beat. I thought maybe with our silly interaction earlier, he wouldn't have contacted me.
"Studying, hbu?" I said, trying not to seem nosy.
"Oh, playing video games," He casually texted.
"Really?" I immediately replied.
"Yes, I like them. Do you play video games?"
"Well, I used to, but not anymore!" I sent it along with a sad emoticon.
"Why?" he sent along with an emoticon that looked confused.
"Well, I always got bad grades when I was gaming and felt school was more important than that," I said, sounding like a goody two shoes.
"Well, how about sports?" He rapidly responded.
"I mean, I like sports," I texted. I assumed he was probably doing other things, as it was a few minutes before his following response. However, I knew my disease would cause itchy bumps anytime I would play sports.
"What type" he responded.
"Basketball, disc golfing, soccer, and football," I concluded.
"WAIT, U, LIKE BASKETBALL? ME TOO!!! I am the champ," Lee texted excitedly, along with three exclamation points in all caps.
I replied with "Lol." because I needed to finish this chapter
"Well, maybe you should get out here, and we can play a game. Only if your friends and your mom are okay with it."
"Okay," I responded, but inside I was nervous. I knew how to play sports, but my allergy to water made it much worse.
I ran to the kitchen where my mom was cooking veggie burgers.
"Hey, mom, is it okay if I go outside and play basketball with Lee?"
"Only if you finished your studies, did you?"
"I only have to finish the last chapter about Newton's law, please?" I made puppy eyes.
"Okay fine, on one condition, you must wear sunscreen." she grabbed it and slathered it on my shoulders.
"Thanks, mom!" I said happily as I continued to rub it around my shoulders.
I'm just trying to protect you!" She said caringly.
"I know," I said exasperatingly.
I texted Lee, "hey, up for a game?
"right now?" as an immediate response,
"yeah, my mom said it was fine."
"Okay, yeah. Let me call up my buddies."
I ran outside and went by Lee's house, where the basketball hoops were. I did not see him. He was probably inside changing into a jersey; I blushed at the thought of him shirtless. After a few minutes, I started shooting hoops, hoping he would come outside. I heard his door slam shut, and he was wearing his Horace Grant number 54 jersey. He walked up onto the court and flushed his mouth with water.
He threw his water bottle on the ground and said, "Are we gonna do this?" He shouted as loud as a huddle during football.
"I don't have a jersey." I shrugged my shoulders and pulled at the bottom of my shirt.
"I will be right back" he replied
He came out with an Allen Iverson number 3 jersey." Here, put this on!"
I smiled and blushed "thanks," I said as I caught it with my hands.
"No problem, so what do you know about basketball?"
"I know, horse!" I replied, "where're your buddies?" I questioned.
"Oh, I forgot, but that is an excellent game. Still, we can play Lightning if you let me call up my buddies!" He said as he whipped out his phone
Okay, that sounds like fun." I said nervously.
Lee called his friends Drake, Aaron, and Matt, the boys pulled up in a car that had speakers blaring music,
"Hey, Lee," said Aaron in a pumped-up voice as he slammed his car door.
"Lee," said Drake as he reached out to give Lee a fist bump.
"So, who is this hot chick?" asked Aaron as he winked at me; I was disgusted.
"She is not just a chick; she is the neighbor girl, Kylie," replied Lee.
"Well, let us play!" said Drake.
"Ladies first," said Lee.
"No, let us shoot for it, first shot, and so on." Aaron gave me a smug look.
I went first and the ball made it in. Everybody looked at me in amazement because my form was perfect, and the boys didn't think a girl could shoot. Nobody else made it, and Lee and I laughed together, and the feeling of fluttering butterflies returned to my stomach.
Then finally, after everybody missed and nobody could make it in, we all decided we wanted to play a game. It was Aaron and me against Drake and Lee. Of course, I defended Lee because I liked him. He grimaced back at me. I almost grabbed the ball from him and even touched his sweaty veiny biceps by accident. I felt drool flowing out of my mouth. I could not believe the feeling I got, and it distracted me so much that the basketball almost hit me.
Then, it was mine and Aaron's ball now. I took the ball and dribbled to the hoop. Lee defended me like the professional he was and even touched my hand. I said the game was unfair because he towered over me. He gave me a grin that made my cheeks turn red like Rudolph's nose.
When we got the ball, I passed it to Aaron to attempt a lay-up, and it went around the rim and back out. I caught it, threw it back at Aaron, and he made a basket. But we were still losing. Aaron made the three-pointer shot. Lee retaliated as I saw him make a 360-spin lay-up. We won.
"Wow, that was one hell of a game. Lee, she's a keeper," said Aaron.
"Kylie, how are you so good at basketball?" asked Lee.
"Well, I have seen you play basketball a few times! And I had a basketball in my garage and learned to dribble" I explained.
"Oh," Lee blushed and turned away so I could not see him.
"Well, I should probably go inside. It's nearly dusk. I have some homework to do," I lied; I had to take my antihistamines. My face was covered in red splotches, not only because the sweat had irritated my skin but also because of how I felt around Lee.
Drake and Aaron told Lee they had to go because they had a party right after that. They invited Lee and I to go, but we both said no. After Drake and Aaron left, I went to my room and finished my final chapter about Newton's law. It was much harder finishing my homework that night as I daydreamed about Lee.