He smiled at the picture of Nanny Muller holding her romance novel. "Ah, she taught me a lot of things." He looked down in the box. He picked up a book covered in mud. He touched it. That's another awful day. I missed the school bus and had to walk home.
The rain pelted the window of the locker room. Instead of waiting outside in the rain like everyone else, Niles went into the locker room to read. He opened the book that nanny Muller gave him. He got so caught up in it that the school bus drove by and he did see it. Niles thinking it was a long time looked at the clock on the wall and it was nearly five o'clock.
"I missed the bus."
"A long time ago." One of the football players called at Niles.
"I've got to go. I'm going to be so dead." Niles raced out of the gym and across the field. He thought it would be quicker if he took the woods. But that was a mistake. A group of boys saw him.
"What's that?" one said as he pushed the books out of Niles' hands, papers went everywhere. The romance novel skidded out of Niles' notebook. Niles turned around to face them.
"Why did you do that?" They just laughed.
"Look it's that dough boy from our school." One commented meanly. They surround Niles.
"What do you want?"
"Look he reads too." One of them picks up the book from the pile of papers.
"What's this," the bigger one called. "A woman kissing a man," he threw the book in the mud, "he's a pervert too. Get him." Niles took off running but was caught by the collar and thrown down.
"Ow," Niles cried out.
"Oh, did we hurt the baby." Niles had had enough he was ready to fight back but there was just to many to fend off. The punches kept coming. A clap of lighting scared them off. Niles tried to look up but couldn't see too good. "I have to get out of here." Niles said as he got to his feet. He looked down at his cloths. A big hole was ripped on his shirt. "Great just great, how am I going to tell them about this? Now everyone will know that I can't defend myself." Niles said out loud."No one's going to know." Niles turned around to see Nanny Muller helping gather up his things. "Now let's get you home." She handed him his stuff. "What happened?"
"I missed the bus and was walking home."
"You know that's dangerous. Now why did you miss the bus?"
"I was reading in the locker room." Nanny Muller looked aat Niles' books.
"You…"
"Yes, I took it to school." She grabbed the book from Niles. She told him never to bring it to school again. "She placed it on the top self in my room. I was not allowed to get it down unless it was a weekend. I read lots of romance novels thinking they would help me get girls. It was a good idea at the time." He laughed thinking about that. She caught me one day pulling down a book from her self in her room. I can still hear her screaming at me.
"Why are you in my stuff?""I was looking for a book, I wanted to read other. I want to know how to take a girl to the prom."
Nanny Muller smiled. " I'll help you prepare for that," And she sure showed me. We spent all week long on it. She taught me how to dance…
"Niles, stand on my feet." Niles stepped on Nanny Muller's feet. "Now repeat after me."
"One Back."
"One Back." Niles followed Nanny Muller.
"Two, two side.""Two, two side."
"One forward."
"One forward."
"Two, two side."
"Two, two side."
"And again." she said. "One back- two, two side-one forward- two, two side."
The music stopped. Nanny Muller went over and pushed play again. "This time you try it on your own." Niles nodded. He followed her words over and over while she watched. "Very good." When the song ended for the second time, Niles plopped down on the bed with a sigh. "Can we rest now, I'm tired."
"Only for five minutes, we have one other thing to cover. An important thing."
Niles leaned his head back and shut his eyes. Five short minutes went by.
"Now pick up the doll."
"what?" Niles blinked his eyes.
"It's for you to kiss," Niles hesitated, then pick up the life size doll.
"Turn head, open lips."
"How is this going to help me? I need to feel it. Like a real kiss."
"That's not a bad idea."
"What? I…" the nanny had look on her face that Niles thought was funny.
"Come here." She called. He slowly walked up to her. "This is right after you drop her off at the end of the dance. Now put your hands here," she placed Niles' arms around her. "And let's try this again. Turn head, open lips…" and with that they kissed.
The kiss was longer and more desperate then either of them had meant it to be. Niles' head spun and every nerve in his body leaped in response to her touch.
Niles swallowed. Niles was breathing heavy. "I can still feel the tingles of that kiss. oh oh…how I wish to feel that again. I can always dream. That's not the only kiss that we shared that night. Thirty minutes before the prom I went up to her room to thank her… her door was closed. That usually meant she was reading.
Knock. Knock. Nanny Muller came to the door.
"Niles," she sounded shocked. "what can I do for you?"
"I…" he swallowed. "I wanted to say thank you."
We got so caught up in another kiss…it was supposed to be a short kiss…but…
Nanny Muller unbuttoned Niles' shirt as the kiss went on. she slid it off his shoulders. Then reached for his pants. Touching his built she hesitated for a minute. Niles took her hand in his. "What's wrong?" Niles asked in a husky voice.
"I…" Niles could help himself. He kissed her again. He started unbuttoning her shirt and…."We landed on the bed and…" Niles stomach knotting, his groin burned as he remembered that night. "I did get lucky that night but I missed the prom all together. What a night that was. Oh, what a night." He took the picture out of his pocket of the first girl he kissed. One tear slid down his cheek. Loneliness hit him again. "I wish." He held the picture against his heart. And closed his eyes as he started to rock back and forth. Back and forth.