"I'm so sorry," apologised John, internally cursing his family. "I—"
"John, it's fine." Ramona sounded amused. "They weren't that bad, honestly."
"Yes, they were. I really am sorry. I thought they'd behave better—" To be honest, he didn't.
"No, really," she interrupted. "My family's worse." John didn't know much about her family, as she didn't mention them much, but from the few times she did, she didn't seem too close to them. "You know, for someone who supposedly doesn't like strangers, your uncle was very nice to me.
John winced, knowing she had caught his lie. "Look, I'm sorry. I just didn't want to introduce you to my family. After today, I think you know why."
"I already knew you were lying," admitted Ramona. "You're not that good a liar."
"What? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I would've made the same excuse if you wanted to see my family," explained Ramona. "I thought yours would be better. And they were."
"I don't think I want to meet your family then."
Ramona laughed. "You won't have to anyway, since we're leaving soon."
"I wish you didn't have to." John had never been with a girl before. Most of them considered him stuffy and boring, like his family did. Ramona was the only one who hadn't teased him about his fixation on studying and rules.
"Neither do I," sighed Ramona. "I'll miss you."
"I'm sure you'll make new friends wherever you're going," assured John.
"I don't know..."
"Why wouldn't you? Didn't you have friends at the other places you moved to?"
"Not really," admitted Ramona. "I did meet some people, but most of them didn't want to talk to me. Because, you know..." She looked down sheepishly.
John knew how resentful Ramona was about her background. She had sometimes told him about her dislike of moving all the time, as well as the discrimination she had faced.
"Well, those people were just narrow-minded." John surprised himself with his next words. "You're one of the nicest people I've met." He meant it. She was going away soon, so he had to tell her. She showed interest in his interests which his family called boring, and didn't mock him like they did, didn't call him boring and stuck up and Mr. Perfect.
Ramona looked surprised, but then smiled. "Thank you. You're one of the nicest people I've met, too."
John was very surprised to hear her say that. She must just be saying that because he said it, and she wanted to be nice. "Thank you."
"I mean it," she insisted suddenly. "Most people I met didn't give me the time of day. You're the only one who's really seen me as more than just the gypsy girl."
At John's surprised expression, she quickly added, "Sorry if that was weird or anything, It's just, I'm going away soon, so I felt like I had to tell you."
"No, it's fine," assured John. "I feel the same way. My family always teased me and called me boring. You're much easier to be around than them." John just wished he didn't have to sneak out in the middle of the night to spend time with her.
"You're not boring," assured Ramona. "Well, you are a bit of a goody-two-shoes, I can't deny that. But you're nicer than most of my family, that's for sure."
"Is your dad still... you know...?" Ramona had told him about her dad's drinking problems. When John first met him at the fair, he had been loud and jolly, but he could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Yeah." Ramona sighed. "It started getting better, but then..."
"I'm sorry," apologised John. "How about your brothers?" She was the oldest child of five, and the only girl.
"They're obnoxious as ever," she replied. "I don't know whether I prefer them or my dad sometimes."
"Can't be worse than my brothers." In truth, June was worse than both of them combined. Tommy was a strange child, no doubt about it, but Matt was sensible enough. June, on the other hand, was on a completely different level.
"Trust me, they can," insisted Ramona. She paused, looking around as if to make sure no one was watching, even though they were quite a while away from John's house in the countryside. "Listen, John, can I tell you something?"
"What is it?" John wondered if she was going to tell him more about her family.
"I just have to tell you this," said Ramona. "But you have to promise not to lecture me."
"I won't. And I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to." John inwardly hoped she wasn't doing anything dangerous or illegal after making the promise.
"Thank you," said Ramona. "You know about my dad's drinking? Well, yesterday, I wanted to know how his alcohol was like."
"Ramona..." John wasn't sure he liked where this was going.
"I just had a little, I swear," she defended. "I stole it while he wasn't looking. And it was awful! I don't know how he can get addicted to that stuff." She paused, likely waiting for the lecture she was expecting from John.
If one of his siblings or cousins told him this, they'd no doubt get one. John wouldn't relent telling them the dangers of alcohol and underage drinking and letting his disapproval known. But instead of the scorn he expected to feel at such a declaration, he instead felt touched that she had confided in him. She was always very private about her family life. So was he. He didn't push, and neither did she.
"Well, thanks for telling me," said John. "But you're not going to try again, right? Your father might catch you."
"Trust me, I'm not," assured Ramona. "That stuff was disgusting." She looked imploringly at him. "Now, your turn."
"What?"
"You tell me a secret you have."
John paused, taken aback by the insistence. "You know, it's funny. For a while, you were my secret," he confessed. "My cousin was blackmailing me by telling me that he'd tell everyone my secret. Though now, I suspect he didn't know I had one and just pretended he did to keep me quiet." John was surprised he hadn't figured out sooner. He supposed he was just paranoid. He already felt guilty for sneaking out to talk to Ramona. It had been her idea. He'd been reluctant, but eventually caved in after she made it clear it was one of the only ways they could talk.
"Keep you quiet about what?"
John hesitated. "You see, I was going to tell my aunt and uncle about his relationship with a girl."
"He wanted to keep it a secret?"
"Yes. He just didn't want his parents knowing and getting on his case about it."
"But why did you want to tell your aunt and uncle?"
"I just thought it wasn't right for them to keep things a secret from them," explained John.
"Like you kept me a secret?" asked Ramona
John paused. He realised she was right. He had felt exactly the same way about his relationship with Ramona. He didn't want his family knowing about it and having to face all their teasing, so he kept it a secret. "Yes," he admitted.
"You really didn't need to do that, John," said Ramona. "If he didn't want them knowing, you shouldn't have told them. You didn't tell them about me."
John sighed. "I guess you're right." He still felt uncomfortable with the displays of affection Sam and Betty regularly showed in front of everyone. At least he kept his relationship with Ramona a secret. "I wish you didn't have to go."
"I hope we can keep in touch somehow," sighed Ramona. "We'll have to hit the road later. Like we always do."
"At least we have each other's phone numbers," said John. They had exchanged them when they begun their relationship, though Ramona had warned John they couldn't communicate in such a way to do so, since her family didn't have much access to phones. Still, he wrote it down on a piece of paper and kept it locked in his drawer.
"I'll call you whenever I can," assured Ramona. "You know, I used to be glad Dad didn't care about our relationship, but now I wish he cared a little about finding a way for us to stay in touch." She had told him one day she had accidentally let him slip to one of her brothers, and the news had spread like wildfire.
"I'll miss you," said John.
"Me, too."
Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him. Not the pecks on the cheek she sometimes gave him, but on the lips, heavy and passionate. He was taken aback before kissing back, forgetting everything except the softness of her lips on his. He knew that, even if he never saw her again, he'd never forget that moment.