The next day I begged my mom to go to work with her because I finished my homework. When I walked into the classroom, I could see Lee. We often texted during class because we would have work time, and my mom was a chill teacher. Everybody loved her because she would only point students out if they had lower than a B, and she always offered extra credit. Unless you were doing nothing in class, it was an easy "A."
She believed in all her students and did not give up on them no matter their grade. She would give people extra time to do extra credit. Although she made you work your butt off once you started failing, she never gave up, and as long as you put in the effort, the teacher was always there for you. My mother was a great teacher. She put in the effort and expected the same of the student.
Lee texted me, asking if I was going to the game that night. I told him I had to try to convince my mom.
I looked at the weather and saw a 2% chance of rain that day, and I hoped my mom would just grin and bear it.
"Mom, can we please go?"
Outside of school, she wasn't so easygoing. She loved me, so she was overprotective and cautious of the people I talked to.
"We can go but bring your rain clothes with you and leave them in the car."
That night I went to the football game because I figured it would be a fun and new experience, and my mom could be reassured that I was safe. My mom went to the bathroom, and Lee was there with his friends. He was just messing around with his friends. I smiled and looked at him. I have to get a hold of that flushing in my cheeks, I thought to myself. Lee saw me, but I didn't approach him because I didn't want to embarrass him. So, I sat by myself. My mom was talking to the man behind the popcorn stand.
I watched Lee from where I was sitting, and I saw him disappear out of sight. He was probably embarrassed by me. I understand it, that's why I didn't have friends. I was too busy watching the football game anyway, and I wasn't paying attention.
He came by me out of nowhere with this massive cotton candy ball in his hand. He smiled a goofy smile. The cotton candy was more significantly larger than his head. I told him I didn't want to get in the way of his friends, and he nodded.
He turned to me and said, "You know that you are amazing at basketball, right? Don't let anybody tell you that you aren't. I had to try to beat you and didn't even beat you!" He smiled a cheap grin hoping that I would smile back.
I smiled. A warmth hit my heart, and the butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
"And I care about you; I have since third grade," he confessed as I noticed his cheeks reddening.
He hugged me. I felt so safe in his arms, and he smelled good, like home. I felt like the whole world was right. I didn't even think of my disease. It felt like nothing was or would ever be wrong. He smiled at me and walked away with his friends Aaron and Drake.
My mom came back and sat down. She smiled and asked me about Lee
"So, you like Lee?" she nudged my shoulder, laughing a little.
"Yes, I do, but it's complicated!" I confided.
"Does he like you?" she interrogated.
"I don't know!" I said a little louder.
"Oh, ok. Well, maybe you should be outside more. Try painting something interesting like basketball or create a poem about it."
"Okay, I will." I thought to myself. I had hoped maybe this would actually win him over.
The next day I wanted to go to school, but I also wanted to work on an art project since I was inspired. I put on my overalls covered in paint and grabbed my paint and paintbrushes. I got some water and placed my easel facing my house.
It was late in the evening, and it was a Friday. Which meant no homeschooling for me. I stood there and pictured something in my head. I splattered paint on the easel, and Lee came outside. He tried to see what was on my easel, as he walked over to me. The boy smiled and said I should let him see the painted picture. I moved my easel so that he could see it.
"Wow, all the colors are blended fantastically; they express your passion for art. Can I have this?" he looked at me for approval.
"I'll think about it!" I said out loud, but inside I was worried he would make fun of me.
"You have a little paint splattered by your eye." He laughed.
"Oh!" I smiled and closed my eyes.
"Let me get it!" he put his hands on my face, and I was starting to feel a little nervous, so the bumps returned on my already reddened face. He removed the paint that was splattered, then leaned in. He was about to kiss me, and my eyes were closed. I didn't know much about a kiss except I was supposed to close my eyes.
"Kylie! It's time for dinner," my mom shouted.
Lee pulled away. "You go eat your dinner, okay?"
I felt so flustered. My mom ruined my first kiss with Lee. Ugh, what if he didn't want to kiss me, and that was his excuse to get away?
"Okay," I pulled away from Lee and headed inside.
I was sitting upstairs after dinner and doing my homework, and I got a text,
"You do know u look amazing anyway, right?" It was Lee.
"Wym by that?"
"I mean, whether you're covered in paint or wearing pajamas with a messy bun in your hair, you look absolutely perfect!"
"Awww, you're so sweet" I glanced outside my blinds in my bedroom and saw him looking at my window, smiling. he started to talk
"So, I have a question?"
"Yes" I replied
"Well, I have never had a girlfriend, so I don't know how to do this, so I'm just gonna ask it, ok? " He shouted so that I could hear him. I could tell he was nervous because he kept looking away.
"Ok!" I shouted back
"Will you go with me to the Nevada Museum of Art? I see that you are interested in art and I want you to go with me. I don't normally go to these things, but it will be something new. I want to learn about artistic creations on Sunday; I'll pick you up at like 11 am?"
"Let me ask my mom, okay? I will text you." I said. Lee shut his window.
I was about to text my mom when Marissa texted me.
"Hey girl, what's up?" she casually questioned
"Nothing much, I am bored, and I might go to the Nevada Museum of Art!" I was so excited that my face lit up when I told her.
"Oooo. Lucky you. Hey, can I come over?" Marissa questioned, but I could tell something was off with her.
"Well, I am pretty sure my mom would be okay with it, so come on over!" I knew she needed somebody to talk to, and she was always there for me.
Marissa came into my room and took pictures on my Snapchat. I got a message from Lee when she was doing that. The message said,
"Hey, did you ask your mom about the Museum?" How could I forget? I couldn't believe I had forgotten.
"Ooooh, who's Lee?" Marissa teased me.
"Nobody, give me back my phone!" I insisted.
"A nobody that calls you cute and perfect?"
"No," I started blushing, knowing I had developed a crush.
"So, who is Lee?" She demanded to know.
"Remember that guy in our third-grade class that kicked me in the head with a soccer ball?"
"Yes, the guy you thought was cute for like ever?"
"Yeah, it turns out he's in my mom's class," I told her as I fidgeted with my hands.
"Really?" Her eyes widened.
"Yeah, so how are things with you and your ex-boyfriend?" I interrogated in an attempt to bring the attention away from me.
"Oh, it's a disaster, I mean, I love him, but I believe he loves me too. The more I think about it, I don't know."
My phone buzzed, and I realized I had a snapchat and a text message. I got a text message from Lee saying,
"I can't wait for the next time I see you." my stomach was so full of butterflies I thought it would burst.
I remembered that I had to text my mom, so I texted her
"Hey, mom. On Sunday, Lee wants to take me to the Nevada Art Museum. Is that okay?"
She didn't respond, so I checked my snapchat, and the snap was from Marissa's ex. He sent a picture of his abs. I wondered if I should just keep it at that or if I should tell her. If she found out, she'd still never talk to me again.
I decided not to tell her because I didn't want her ex-boyfriend to influence my friendship with Lee. I mean, Lee and I were just friends, and I'm not sure I want to change that because the minute I do, everything could fall apart. I want to remain friends, it feels right, and I think a relationship means we can never go back to being friends.
"So, who snapped you?" questioned Marissa
"Oh, it's just Lee." I lied through my teeth.
I told him I wasn't interested in what he had underneath his shirt and that I cared about my friendship with Marissa. I didn't like him in that way. He's my best friend's boyfriend, and I wasn't thinking about taking him from her. I was only interested in Lee. When I got a text from him
"Hey, there's this party my friend throws. It's something I do every year, but I won't be going this year unless u go with me, so will you. It's Saturday, one day before the museum?"
"Let me ask my mom, but why me?" I demanded. I saw he was typing then not. Did I scare him off? I was going to text him back when he texted,
"U make me feel good. I don't know how else to say it!"
"Is it okay if I hang out with Lee and we go to a party? Please take your time to think about this?" I texted to my mom maturely.
"No." an immediate response followed.
"Why not?" I was so upset with her. She didn't want me to go. I responded, knowing the response.
"Because I think that u should study," She claimed.
I knew I should have studied, but I couldn't avoid this party for some reason. I knew this party would be essential to my life with Lee. I didn't want him to think that I was a slacker. I wanted him to think I was reliable. After all, I did care about him.