Chapter Twelve
Kristy closed her apartment door and leaned against it, taking a few breaths. She flung her purse on the couch and peeked in her open bedroom door, hunting for her New Balances.
Humming contentedly, she tried to think of drills she could show the kids tomorrow. But her mind was surprisingly drifting back to Alan. She lifted her black fleece pants and looked underneath them while thinking of his wind-tossed hair. She rooted around underneath her couch while thinking of his muscular shoulders. She sifted through her closet while pondering the contour of his jawline.
She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Stop it, Thomas," she said aloud. "He's Alan Gray, for crying out loud."
Kristy had never really had trouble finding dates. She had blossomed into a petite, athletic young woman with strong opinions and a personality to match. "There is no reason I should be thinking about him," she concluded to her toaster. Then she glanced at the clock. Forty minutes until dinner-no reason to go running now.
She took down her hair and shook it out, freed her feet from her Keds, and flipped on the T.V. In the middle of a particularly comedic rerun of Boy Meets World, there was a knock on the door.
Must be Dani or Michelle, Kristy thought, referring to two of her friends who lived on the same floor. She threw open the door with a great smile, only to have it slide completely off of her face.
Alan Gray stood there, uneasily, with a bouquet of tiger lilies.
Kristy's heart climbed up to her throat. "Ah. .uh. .mm. ." she greeted him.
"L-Look, Kristy, I know that we don't know each other anymore, and when we did, I was. .well. .a teenage boy," Alan stammered. "I guess I just never really knew how to t-tell you. .how I felt." He coughed.
Kristy blinked, staring at him.
He became more and more uncomfortable. "And. .I. .uh. . .saw you today. I didn't want to pass up my chance." He studied her expression, and then backed away. "But, I mean, I understand. . ."
"No," Kristy said softly. She reached forward to take the flowers with a genuine, tender smile. "Thank you, Alan. . ."
Feeling a bit braver, Alan stepped forward again. "Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"
Kristy's face fell. "Oh, Alan, I'm sorry. I'm having dinner with my family tonight. Karen, my stepsister, just got accepted into Ithaca College, and we are celebrating."
"That's great," Alan said, even though his face showed his disappointment.
". . .How about dessert?"
Alan grinned. "That's even better."
Kristy closed her apartment door and leaned against it, taking a few breaths. She flung her purse on the couch and peeked in her open bedroom door, hunting for her New Balances.
Humming contentedly, she tried to think of drills she could show the kids tomorrow. But her mind was surprisingly drifting back to Alan. She lifted her black fleece pants and looked underneath them while thinking of his wind-tossed hair. She rooted around underneath her couch while thinking of his muscular shoulders. She sifted through her closet while pondering the contour of his jawline.
She jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Stop it, Thomas," she said aloud. "He's Alan Gray, for crying out loud."
Kristy had never really had trouble finding dates. She had blossomed into a petite, athletic young woman with strong opinions and a personality to match. "There is no reason I should be thinking about him," she concluded to her toaster. Then she glanced at the clock. Forty minutes until dinner-no reason to go running now.
She took down her hair and shook it out, freed her feet from her Keds, and flipped on the T.V. In the middle of a particularly comedic rerun of Boy Meets World, there was a knock on the door.
Must be Dani or Michelle, Kristy thought, referring to two of her friends who lived on the same floor. She threw open the door with a great smile, only to have it slide completely off of her face.
Alan Gray stood there, uneasily, with a bouquet of tiger lilies.
Kristy's heart climbed up to her throat. "Ah. .uh. .mm. ." she greeted him.
"L-Look, Kristy, I know that we don't know each other anymore, and when we did, I was. .well. .a teenage boy," Alan stammered. "I guess I just never really knew how to t-tell you. .how I felt." He coughed.
Kristy blinked, staring at him.
He became more and more uncomfortable. "And. .I. .uh. . .saw you today. I didn't want to pass up my chance." He studied her expression, and then backed away. "But, I mean, I understand. . ."
"No," Kristy said softly. She reached forward to take the flowers with a genuine, tender smile. "Thank you, Alan. . ."
Feeling a bit braver, Alan stepped forward again. "Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"
Kristy's face fell. "Oh, Alan, I'm sorry. I'm having dinner with my family tonight. Karen, my stepsister, just got accepted into Ithaca College, and we are celebrating."
"That's great," Alan said, even though his face showed his disappointment.
". . .How about dessert?"
Alan grinned. "That's even better."