The next day I didn't want to go to sit in my mom's class. I was upset. So I stayed in bed, and his text woke me up, "Where are you at?"
"Home." I abruptly concluded. My hair, which was supposed to be in a cute bun, was in a knot above my head. I didn't sleep very well. I tossed and turned all night.
"Why?" he quizzed. I wondered whether he was worried or just wanted it to seem like he cared.
I lied, "I have so much homework to do from homeschooling." I didn't want to see him right now. I felt so embarrassed about the way I said I had Aquagenic Urticaria.
"Oh, well, I miss you!" He immediately responded.
"Sure you do!" I rolled my eyes; I'm sure he could see that through text. He missed me so much that he had a beautiful blonde girl riding shotgun with him the minute I told him of my problem. I felt betrayed.
He waited a few minutes to respond, but I didn't know what to expect. I was the "diseased" girl.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you mad at me? Tell me so I can fix it before it's too late!!!" He was worried. It was obvious by the number of exclamation points he had used.
"I gave up," I responded after looking down at the floor for a few seconds. Then, I thought of what he was going to say.
"What do you mean you gave up?" He rapidly responded.
"I gave up on us," I replied, saddened that I genuinely had accepted he was lying to me.
"Somebody told you something. TELL ME WHAT!" He put it in all capitals, meaning he had something to hide, or maybe he was oblivious to my emotions.
"I just want you to be happy even if it's not with me," I explained.
"Are you talking about Leah? I don't like her. I pushed her off me at the party when she was flirting with me!" He claimed, pretending not to know.
"No, who was the girl at your house last night?" I interrogated him. I had an adrenaline rush, and I stared at my phone, just waiting for his confession. I can't believe how much jealousy I felt. I had never experienced such an internal monster before.
"What girl?" he responded instantly. "Maybe she didn't mean anything to him," I thought.
"The girl with the blonde hair? Tall, pretty, tan, and everything that I'll never be," I explained. I sat on the edge of my bed and waited for a long time. I threw my phone across the room in a fit of anger.
After a few minutes, he texted back. "OMG HAHAHAHAHA!!!! " he put a smiley face outside of the text.
"I'm not finding this funny," I texted. I was upset that he would lie to me after everything I had told him. And the fact that he would make fun of it.
"That's my cousin! We aren't in Alabama!" he replied. The minute I received the text, I felt the pressure of the adrenaline disappear.
"Oh......awk :o" I felt so embarrassed, and I looked up at the ceiling in disbelief that I would even think that.
Lee didn't text back for a while, then said, "You're jealous?" along with a green monster emoticon. My face flushed with red. I had never felt this stupid. I started hitting myself lightly on the head as I wondered if I was stupid.
I tried to hide it, which was easy because I hid behind a screen. "No, not at all; you're only my best friend." I threw his words from the previous conversation back at him.
"Yes, I am." Great, that's all he thought of us.
We were only best friends. Maybe I was reading the signals all wrong. Perhaps he thought of me like a little sister? What if he never wanted to kiss me? That made everything awkward! I was sitting on my bed, running through all the situations where I thought he liked me. According to youtube, he wanted me. What signal was I misunderstanding? I am pretty sure he felt more about me than a friend. It was so hard figuring out all those emotions and signals.
I sat there waiting for a text back, maybe a winky face, as he usually flirts, but no. Nothing, but it was like 12:30, and he was at lunch. I smiled while I just imagined him next to me. Everything felt right. Maybe we were supposed to be friends, but there was something different about him than anybody else I had ever met.
I got a text right after 3 pm when high school for Lee had let out, "Hey, can we eat some food and watch a movie? There's this excellent movie out, although it's a replay of the movie Insurgent. It is a great movie!!!?"
"Yes, let's go," I answered.
My stomach is craving peanut butter cups!!!" I replied as my stomach gurgled in agreement.
"Haha, I just figured out a nickname I could call you!" I felt as though he smiled a mischievous grin.
"What?" I laughed, unsure what he would say next.
"Buttercup!! You're always eating peanut butter cups!!!" I looked at him and laughed some more. He snorted, and then I laughed from hearing him snort.
"Okay, then I have to call you something; how about Snickers or KitKat," He said encouragingly hoping I wouldn't come up with a stupid name.
"No, I got the perfect name. Crunch! That's perfect" I laughed as I squeezed out the sentence and his face turned ruby red.
I could be myself around Lee, and I liked this guy, but I was waiting for him to ask me out again. So I could say yes and kiss his cute little face. With Lee, I felt that everything was possible and that he was how my life was supposed to be lived; to the fullest. I didn't need to dress up. I could wear anything, and he would think I was cute. I could put on my waders, and he would think I was appealing.
Lee came to pick me up, and Aaron also came with us; it was our first "friend" date. I was sure that Aaron would ruin the date by saying something stupid. Lee was wearing a cute blue zip-up hoodie, and I was wearing a camouflage sweater with my legs exposed and shorts.
"Oh, Aaron is coming; I didn't know he was." I rolled my eyes in disbelief. Of course, he was coming, I thought to myself.
"Oh, come on, it's a classic! Aaron has to tag along!" he begged me, looking at me with sad eyes and a frown. I didn't want him tagging along, but I felt no fight in me to argue about it.
"It's fine," I smiled and looked at Lee in approval. It was not acceptable. I didn't want his friend to be our third-wheeler. I wanted alone time; I liked Lee when he wasn't with other people. I liked him by himself. Otherwise, he was an asshole. He was only able to be vulnerable around me when we were alone.
I was watching the movie, and the whole time I would hold Lee's hand, and I wanted to kiss him, and I would stare at him instead of watching the movie. Sometimes, he'd almost catch me, and I'd see him staring right back at me. He put his hand on my thigh, which made my heart race. I felt the adrenaline pumping once again and my heart palpitating. Nobody touched my thigh. I was always the disease, but I was much more to him. He loved me as much as I loved him.
After the movie, Lee and I sat in his car talking about basketball and sports. I was happy to be next to him because he always prioritized my conversations. I couldn't imagine my life without him because he had been in my life for years. It was like the time apart meant nothing.
Before I went inside, Lee pulled me back in by my arm as I was about to close my car door.
"Wait." He said as he brushed my hair away from my face.
"What do you want, Lee?" I laughed.
"What were you going to say to me that night?"
"What are you talking about?" I pretended not to know. I changed my mind about telling him about me. I wanted to keep things simple. Dating shouldn't be about telling the deepest darkest secrets immediately after dating; that should come with time.
"That night, I was texting you, and my phone broke when my friend threw it on the floor."
"I'll tell you but don't freak out! Okay?"
"I promise not to freak out." he confided
"Really?" I challenged.
"Kylie, you can trust me, I've never let you down, and I'm not about to because you are different in some way. Whatever you have or don't have, it's what makes you, you."
"Okay," I sighed as my heart pounded.
"I have aquagenic urticaria."
"What do you mean? What is that?"
"I'm allergic to water."
"Oh, that's it? You scared me. I thought you had cancer or something! I was terribly scared I would lose you; I can't lose you! I love you!"
"Uh..." I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't know that he really loved me. Doesn't love take forever to blossom?
"I mean, like I love you like a best friend, you know?" He took back his words.
"No, I don't because I love you too." I blurted out.
I felt the warmth of his body as he gave me a long embrace, I felt the warmth of his breath coming down on me, and I loved him. I wasn't afraid to tell him anything because he understood my disease and didn't see me as contagious or anything else. I always thought people would see me as infectious. I leaned in for a kiss, and we both leaned in as we looked at each other's eyes as they closed. And I felt the fireworks that were so explosive. My heart started racing as I felt his warm lips on mine. His kisses were so cute. He pecked like a baby bird and then made kissy noises when he wanted me to kiss him back. It was so cute and wonderful! I loved kissing him. I could stay and kiss him forever, which wouldn't be long enough!
He finally let me out of his car and opened the door for me. I smiled and blushed as his hand touched mine because it still drove my heart wild. I smiled at him, and he smiled at me. The butterflies were in my stomach again, and I loved that feeling. I hoped that that feeling would never stop even after millions of kisses from now.
I got out and halfway touched the curb when stepping. I felt myself falling. He caught me right before I hit the ground like it was a tango. I couldn't believe how uncoordinated I was.
"Wow, you trying to make me dance," he questioned flirtatiously.
"I'm pretty sure you're good on your feet," I claimed. Obviously, he caught me before I fell.
"No, I'm better on my game," he concluded.
"You and your Minecraft!" I rolled my eyes and chuckled.
I smiled and grabbed his hand into mine.
"Goodnight, Crunch"
"Goodnight, Buttercup"
I went upstairs to my bedroom and closed the door. I was too excited to fall asleep until I finally plopped on my bed. I went through the entire day, and I was so relieved that Lee asked me out and that he didn't lead me on. He let me know right then and there how he felt about me. I couldn't have asked for a more honest first boyfriend...or best friend. I was already planning our future together. His love hit me like a lightning bolt, which was amazing. No matter what, I would still want more. I could never have guessed what was about to happen in a million years.