Page 72 of Bullied By The Bad Boy

“She shouldn’t have left you,” Mom says to herself. “That might have been why she called me.”

If Maria didn’t leave, the kiss would never have happened. Argh. It’s so confusing. I want to be mad at her, but I am thankful she left me behind. Ben fucking kissed me. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“Tessa, I know you were trying to help, but Maria expected you to be her friend first before you were Daniel’s,” Mom says when I remain quiet. She pushes one leg over the sofa, and my chest sags. Maria is the one who stands up to anyone who so much as glares at me. She is the one who always has my back, not Daniel. The realization hits hard. I’m a horrible friend. Mom must know I feel bad because she rubs circles on my back. “Your loyalty lies with Maria first, not Daniel.”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t believe it.” My head jerks up from her shoulder, and Mom flashes me a grin. “Tessa, you kissed a boy.” That’s my mom. She actually took so long to mention it. I pout, and she palms my cheeks. “My baby is growing so fast. Partying. Kissing. Preparing for college. Soon, you will be getting married.”

Hold that thought. Wait, I like it. I like the idea of getting married to Ben. Will our kids have dull brown eyes or blue ones? They had better take after his beauty, brains, and confidence, and none of my ability to daydream about getting married to someone who kissed me to prove a point.

“Do you like him?” Her voice lowers like we are best friends in cohorts. Words are not enough to describe how much I like Ben. My head bobs. “Next time, invite…what’s his name again?”

My cheeks are burning up. I cup my face and create some distance between us. “Benjamin. Ben.”

“Next time, invite this Ben gentleman for dinner so your dad and I can thank him for helping our daughter.” Yeah, right. That’s code for:so we can grill him to decide if he’s good enough for our baby. “You should invite Ben for Thanksgiving.” No, thanks. My back presses against the couch, but there’s no place left to hide. The lines on my palms become attractive, and my head dips to avoid her gaze. “How was the kiss? Nice? Okay? Meh? I like it so much we should do it again?”

“Mom,” I warn.

“Was there too much tongue?”

“Mom!”

She is too blunt and too forward. How does Dad cope? There wasn’t too much of anything. The kiss was perfect. Mom laughs. With my cheeks turning tomato red, she allows me to leave for my room after a series of uncomfortable questions, and I make sure to lock the door behind me.

I locate my phone in the dark room and crawl under the comforter to text Maria. Light from the phone brightens my face. I read the words I sent her over and over again, waiting for her reply.

Me: I’m sorry bestie. I LOVE YOU.

Maria doesn’t reply.

I lie flat on the bed, stand, and then pace my room. We have had our differences, but it has never been about a guy. I am seated in front of the vanity, finger-combing my hair, when she replies.

Drama Queen: Luv u 2.

Are we cool now? Maria didn’t spell out her words or use emojis. I stare at myself in the mirror. My fingers trail the collar of the sweatshirt, and the memories of our kiss invade my mind.

My thumb climbs up to my lips, tracing the curve the same way Ben did. I push my hair from my face to see what Ben sees when he looks at me. What are we? Did it mean anything to him? Does he like me? Today is the nicest he has been to me. What if it was payback for dropping him off? That boy has an odd way of thinking. Maybe he did it to make me think about him, so I could consider his proposal for a partnership.

Well, it’s working. I want every excuse to spend time with him. I bring out a pen and paper to write. Lett hasn’t replied, and I need to talk to someone my age. Someone who’s not mad at me.

Me: Hey, stranger. You didn’t reply my last letter, are you okay? Is everything fine at home? How’s AJ? How are you? I would have waited for your reply but I am too excited to tell you what happened today. I went to the party. My best friend made me go. It didn’t end well but I got something that made up for it. Guess what that is? Don’t bother. I can’t wait another two weeks or months for your reply. *Inserts eye roll* I hope you are fine, though. This silence is unlike you.

*Drum roll please*

I got my first kiss. I might look like I’m okay but I’m screaming. I got my first kiss. Do you know what it means? It was like the movies. Sparks. Electricity. You name it. I want to kiss him again. One kiss in the morning, another in the afternoon, then at night like a doctor’s prescription. That was cheesy. OMG! But did it make you smile? I finally ticked a kiss from my bucket list. Yippie!

That being said, I miss you and our letters. Don’t ignore me again. Please reply this one.

A yawn escapes me. I pull off Ben’s shirt and hang it on the wall in preparation for Monday. Sending one last look at the shirt, I hop into the bed and fall asleep with a big smile on my lips.

* * *

On Monday, I am all smiles while preparing for school. I take two apples from the fruit basket and allow Mom to smother me with kisses as she teases me about Ben’s shirt. I am not letting go of it. It’s mine now. The ride to school is a happy blur. I slip the letter to Lett inside the novel and jog back to my locker. On seeing Maria at her locker, my excitement wanes, and my steps falter. I cover the distance between us, ribs digging into the metal bar as I watch her bring out her books.

I should say something, I want to, but I don’t know what. This is unlike us. Maria spares me a glance. The most I get from her is a tight smile before she walks away without a word to her best friend. I hug myself to chase the loneliness that creeps in. Students dash to their classes, but I remain there.

A hoot grabs my attention, and my cheeks turn pink once I spot Ben at the end of the hallway. Holy cow. Ben is wearing the same outfit as me. His blue jean is ripped at the knees, mine isn’t, but our sneakers and sweatshirts match. Is this a sign? When I meet my soulmate, I will know, right?

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