Next morning, I got up ready and dressed for school, as I always do. After breakfast and all that, I arrived at school. It was still very early when I got there, so there were few students. And it was a beautiful day, so I decided to wait outside.
A little while later, Spiny, Kathy, Patty, and Larry arrived. Larry was carrying the generator. I guess Spiny got tired from carrying that ridiculously heavy thing everywhere. I don't blame him. I mean, it even looked heavy.
"Hi," I said to him, excited to see him.
"Hi." He smiled and my heart started melting. His smile is so divine. Larry started teasing us, but Spiny quickly made him shut up by giving him one of those looks.
Anyways, we stepped inside the school. Science was the last class of the day, so I definitely had plenty of time to worry and get nervous. I'm kind of awkward when it comes to speaking in front of an audience, no matter how small.
But I was sure that Spiny would do just fine. I mean, after, as a King, he has to do many press conferences and speeches directed at the whole country and even other countries and world leaders. So I told myself not to worry.
How wrong I was.
Finally, Science class came and it was time for everyone to present their final projects. I was very nervous, but Spiny did a magnificent job at presenting and explaining the whole thing. I couldn't possibly have said it like he did.
Well, the teacher was very impressed with us. "Excellent work, the two of you," he said. "You made an outstanding presentation. And Spiny, I'm very impressed with the generator that you made. It's really exceptional. This will definitely get an A+." Yes! I felt good about myself.
Then, the teacher asked us to sit back down. I couldn't wait to tell Mom and Dad what a great day I'd had.
Then, Mr. Mitochondria said, "Very well. All right, next group is Larry and Kylie Anderson." He didn't say Larry's last name because, well…he doesn't have a last name. He's just Larry.
"What are you presenting?"
Larry opened his mouth to talk, but Kylie started talking. She went on to explain about microphones and modern audio systems and all that. She probably memorized a ton of scientific terms that she didn't know even existed.
Then, she said that she wanted to demonstrate how sound is recorded into waves then turned back into sound through microphone. So, she played a recording. Wait. Was that…that was my voice! It was the day that she went over to my house and made me talk about Spiny! No wonder she was messing with her phone and didn't say anything! She'd been recording me the whole time!
Of course, the whole class got to hear it.
I could feel my heart trying to burst. I could feel the tears swelling behind my eyes. I couldn't believe it! Why was Kylie so mean!?
I could hear snickering and whispering. But I didn't dare look behind me. I especially didn't want to look at Spiny's face. The teacher quickly turned off the device, but Kylie turned back on, which got her a slap on the hand.
Before I knew what I was doing, I stood up and ran out the door of the classroom. I sped down the hallways, down the stairs, and out the building. I got on my bike and pedaled as hard as I could. I must've broken a record or something, because before I knew it, I was home.
I threw my bike aside and slammed the door going in. Mom called me, but I ignored her. I ran up to my room, threw myself on the bed and started crying. I heard the door open and felt when Mom sat down the bed. My back was turned away from her. "Lilia? What's wrong, sweetie?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Are you sure?"
I nodded and sniffled.
"Well…I'll be down at the kitchen. Okay?" She stood up and turned to leave.
"Mom!" I turned around. She stopped and looked back at me. "Yes?"
"I do need to talk."
She nodded. "I know." I sat up on my bed and she sat next to me. "What happened?"
I wiped my eyes, but the tears kept coming. "Remember that day that I told you that Kylie had come over?"
"Yes?"
"She was supposed to do a project about audio, but she played a recording of me talking about how I feel for Spiny. That day she made me talk about that, and recorded it. And she played it in front of the whole class!" I buried my head in my hands and started sobbing. "Everyone was laughing. I couldn't even dare to look at Spiny. I couldn't face him. I just ran out of the classroom and out the school."
I sobbed again, as Mom put my head on her shoulder. "Good heavens! What was that girl thinking?"
"I feel so stupid, Mom."
"It's not your fault, Lilia. And it's not Spiny's fault, either."
I shook my head. "What am I going to do now?"
"Tell Spiny how you feel about him."
I looked at her shocked. "I can't Mom! I'll never be able to face him now! Can you imagine what he must think of me?"
"I know what he thinks of you. He loves you. And I'm sure that he would very much like to hear you say the same."
I looked down at my hands and sniffled. "I don't know, Mom. I…I really appreciate your concern for me, but…I just…I want to be alone so I can think." She nodded and rubbed my shoulder.
I was so upset that I didn't even eat dinner. I slept from about 7:20 onwards. I guess all that running and crying wore me out.
I woke up a little bit late next day. I guess I was scared of going to school. Not only was I going to be the laughingstock at school for all time, now, I was never going to be able to face the boy of my dreams.
After getting dressed and ready, I biked to school. I was joined by the girls. It gave me a little bit of reassurance. But I could still hear whispering and saw some fingers pointing. At the entrance, standing beside the entrance stairs…there he was. In all his beauty. As always, my heart beat just a little bit faster. He was reading something and didn't seem to notice all those people talking about him.
I slowly stepped up the stairs. I stopped for a moment and looked down at him. He must've sensed that I was there, because he looked up at me. He didn't smile or anything. He just looked at me. I couldn't help but be entranced by his dazzling blue eyes.
Then the final bell rings and I step inside to my first class.
When I went into the classroom with Kathy, we saw a bunch of kids all standing over at the whiteboard, looking at something. I leaned to see what they were watching. When I saw what it was, I wanted the earth to swallow me alive. Someone had taken a black marker and drawn the words Spiny loves Lilia inside a heart. With an arrow going through it.
I quickly sat down and pretended that I hadn't seen anything.
Then, a little while later I saw Spiny out of the corner of my eye. He also saw it and quickly sat down, not looking at me for one second. I felt like crying again, but if I did, it would only give the others more reason to make fun of us.
Our teacher, Mrs. Mills came in and just like that, everyone ran to their seats. She also saw what was on the whiteboard and began asking who wrote it. When nobody confessed, her voice got more severe and she threatened to punish the entire class. The silence grew and grew as if something was about to happen.
Silence filled the entire classroom.
Then, Spiny stood up. "Mrs. Mills?"
"Yes, Spiny?"
"I'm the one who wrote that, and I'm not sorry because it's true that I love Lilia."
My mouth dropped open and my heart stopped. I felt my breathing come to a complete halt. Did….did he…did he just say in front of everyone…the he loves me?! Everyone was shocked. Even Mrs. Mills. "Oh, well…" she started smiling. Then she continued with the class. I turned around to look at Spiny. He was sitting right behind me.
He was looking down and reached out to open his book. I felt my heart getting warm and I reached out to grab his hands. He looked up at me. I still had tears in my face, but I was smiling at him like I had never done ever before to anyone else.
He blinked and smiled back at me.
He just said that he loves me. I couldn't believe it! I felt like doing somersaults.
After class ended, I tried to talk to him, but he ran out super-quick. I tried to reach him all day but couldn't find him anywhere. I began to think that he was trying to hide from me. But then when the day ended, I came to my locker and found a note taped to it.
Meet me in front of the Palace after school. I want to talk to you. XOXO, Spiny. Did he really mean that as in…hugs and KISSES? I giggled. I just had to. Every minute that passed I loved him more and more.
I grabbed my things and quickly went to where he was waiting for me.
Sure enough, he was there, sitting on the sidewalk, looking off into the distance.
"Hi," I said to him.
He smiled and said, "Hi."
His beautiful face entranced me. I looked down at my feet. "Um…I got your note."
"I'm glad. You want to walk somewhere with me?"
I nodded. "Of course I do."
I grabbed his hand and he led me down the street. We turned through some bushes and he went through a path that I'd never seen or heard of before. I didn't recognize anything. I wanted to ask him where we were going, but I didn't want him to think that I mistrusted or doubted him.
Finally, he stopped. I looked around us. We were standing under a tree with its beautiful pink flowers in full bloom. The grass looked so green and there was a crystal blue lake in front of us. On the horizon were tall snow-covered mountains. The sunlight poured through the peaks in such a way that made it feel like a safe, secluded place to seek refuge from life.
"Is this the place you told me about?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah." He got quiet for a while and leaned his shoulder against the tree. "Lilia?"
"Yes?"
"I want…I want to say that I'm sorry for everything I've made you go through, and…you're smart, you're pretty and lots of fun to be with and…" Oh, please finish! The suspense is killing me!
"And?"
"And…I love you." My heart pounded like it had never done before and I felt joy and happiness come all over me. He said it! To me! He loves me! I had something to say, too. "I love you, too."
His face brightened and a smile spread across his face. "Really?"
I nodded. "Yeah, ever since we were little."
"Will you be my girlfriend?" he said.
Almost on instinct, I got closer to him, my heart still hammering. I looked deep into his eyes and saw love, honesty, and loyalty. That was all I needed to know. "Yes," I whispered.
"Really? You mean it?"
I nodded.
Then…the most wonderful thing happened.
He took my hand ever so gently and pushed the hair out of my face. The touch of his hand on my face made me shudder, but I didn't stop him. I wanted it to be like this. Then, he closed his eyes and leaned forward. Almost without realizing it, I started leaning in too and my eyes fluttered shut.
Then, it happened. I felt his lips touching mine and I fell into pure bliss. Oh, it was pure heaven! The moment I'd been waiting. He's just stolen my first kiss. And ours, too. His lips were so soft and the kiss was so sweet, like nothing else in existence.
I counted seven seconds before we pulled apart. My cheeks had turned crimson. His face was also red, but we were both smiling. Then, he caressed my face with his hand again. I don't know but for some reason I started crying. Kind of surprised me.
I must've worried Spiny because he said, "Are you okay?"
It was then that I realized why I was crying. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just I'm so happy! I've dreamed of this moment since the day I meet you. And I've always wanted you to give me my first kiss. You're my first love." And my eternal one, too.
"I think we'll be having a lot more of those. And often, too," he said smiling. He leaned over again and kissed my lips. The second to many kisses.
I giggled. I couldn't help it. I love this guy so much! And I love the way he'd kissed me. Where did he ever learn to kiss like that?
He gently pulled me towards him in an embrace and I encircled my arms around his waist. He caressed my hair in a way that captivated me. Then he looked at me, still smiling and kissed my cheek. I grinned, obviously happy that we're together now. "Come on, we have to get you home."
He intertwined his fingers in mine and we started heading the way back to my house. When we arrived at my front door, he said, "Lilia?"
"Yes?"
"You want to go out with me tomorrow night?"
Yes, yes, yes! More than anything in the world! "I'd love to," I said. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'll be ready at eight."
He smiled and said, "All right." He pecked my lips once more. Third one! I felt the blood rising to my face, but the smile never went away. "I'll see you later, then?" he said.
I nodded. Still dazed from the first kiss, I nodded and kissed his cheek again. Then I stepped inside my house, sighing and looking up at the ceiling. I peeked through the window and saw Spiny smiling widely and whispering something. I couldn't hear it, but I'm pretty sure he said, "She's finally mine."
(TWENTY NINE HOURS LATER.)
I made sure the belt on my dress was on right and I brushed my hair. Tonight, it was finally happening. Thought it wasn't my first date, I wanted to see it that way. It was going to be our first date as a couple.
So I think of tonight as my first true date.
"Lilia!" Mom called out. "Spiny is here!" I had already told her everything that happened. She was so happy for me. She even bought me a new dress and let me use a little bit of makeup.
I walked out of my room and stepped down the stairs and saw Spiny at the door talking with Mom. When he saw me, Spiny's eyes widened and his smile sparkled.
"I want her back by ten," said Mom.
"Yes, ma'am."
Mom said goodnight and left. Spiny grabbed my hand and kissed me. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," I said.
He laughed. "Come on, let's go."
We stepped outside. "We're we going?" I asked.
"We're going to get some dinner then go for a walk in the park." Oh, good! That was going to be so much fun!
A little while later, we were at the diner and had ordered our food. But Spiny kept staring at me. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" I asked. I reached for my face, but before it touched my face, Spiny held my palm and rubbed his thumb on the back.
"No, there's nothing wrong. Like I said before; you're really pretty. I couldn't help but look at you." I blushed.
"Spiny, could I ask you something?"
"Sure, Lily." Lily. Oh, I loved the way he said that!
"Um…how come you love me?"
His eyes scrunched up. "What do you mean?"
I sighed. "Well…I've made you go through a lot. I've accused you of things you never did do. And still you said you love me and you asked me to be your girlfriend. Why?"
He shrugged. He never let go of my hand. "Well…even though I knew I was innocent, all those times you were mad at me, I felt despair and cried at the very thought of being without you." Then he looked at me. "Am I making sense or not? Oh, gosh, yeah, I'm just rambling—"
"Spiny," I interrupted him. "Thanks. For caring. I never thought you cared about me."
"Of course I care about you. You have to believe that. If I look at Kylie, my eyes can only wander over to you. Why? Because you have beauty radiant that no other girl could ever have in a million years."
I felt my face redden. I heard him whisper, "You look so beautiful when you blush."
Catching glances at each other, we ate our meals in silence and then he paid the check. "You didn't have to do that," I said.
"I wanted to," he smiled. Then his hand reached out for mine, making my cheeks color again. "Follow me," he said. We walked outside and went to the park. I remember playing at this one. The rusty swings and silver slide. The last time I played here was when I was eleven. We walked along the cement sidewalk, only hearing the sound of our shoes and wind blowing against us.
Spiny had my hand in his and was swinging our arms between us. The air wasn't awkward but it wasn't calm either.
"So, we're a couple now, huh?" Spiny said, half-nervous. I smiled and nodded. "I'm free to call you my girlfriend and all that, right?" Again I nodded. "And I'm free to do this?" He kissed my hand, then my cheek, the side of my jaw then my cheek again. Each place he kissed left a burning sensation. Those kisses left me wanting more. My breath shortened as I nodded.
With his finger, he tilted my chin up so I would look at him. "Lilia, you're mine now. And no one will ever change that. No one," he said smiling.
"Thank you, Spiny," I finally said. "I've stalked you since we were little and look at us now."
"Together, Lily. Together." He smiled and kissed my lips gently.
I finally have Spiny all for myself. He's given my first kiss and now we're a couple. I couldn't be happier.
