The frothy lavender canopy of Sophie's bed cast lacy shadows on the wall. We were stretched underneath giggling and eating cookies. My keyboard was leaning against the wall along with my back pack. I was so glad we had already arranged a sleep over for that night. We had so much to talk about and all of it had to do with a certain tall boy named Ryan.
"When you walked off with him I thought I would die! I wanted to know everything right then. What did he say? What did you say?" Sophie took a huge bite and looked at me expectantly. "He wanted to know if Aiden was my boyfriend. I told him that Aiden's practically family." I smiled. "Go on, go on," Sophie motioned. "Ryan was happy that I wasn't going out with Aiden. He gave me his phone number." "What aren't you telling me?" I should have known I couldn't slip anything by Sophie.
"He kissed me!" I laugh at the expression of wonder on her face. "Really?" she breathed. "A kiss kiss or just a little one?" "Definitely a kiss kiss." I confirm. "Holy shit, Bri. As soon as you went outside I started asking around and do you know who that was?" I can tell Sophie has prime information and it's been killing her, but if nothing else she loves getting the most dramatic punch lines available.
"I know he's Ryan, and he likes me. I like him. I know he kisses like a god!" I swoon back into her piles of pink satin pillows. "Um, Bri, I hate to break it to you, but..." Uh-oh. She's hesitating. Sophie never hesitates once she has decided to drop her bomb. I close my eyes, savoring the moment before I know whatever it is she is about to tell me. "What? Is he going to the alternative school or something? Because I don't care. It was probably all a mistake, and he'll explain it. Got caught drinking or something. Sure, mom won't like it at first, but she'll get over it."
Sophie grimaced. "It's funny you mention drinking... But the good news is he isn't going to alternative ed. The bad news is he can't get into trouble for drinking." "What?" I open my eyes and look at her curiously. "Why's that? He has alcoholic parents who don't care?" "No, Bri, you're a million miles off. He's twenty three."
It's so quiet in the room I can hear the air conditioning kicking on. "You're not serious. There's no way! We were just talking about how hard classes are together... I'd say eighteen tops." I finally say. "Just a second." Sophie jumps up and returns in a minute with her lap top. I lean over her shoulder as she types in Montgomery University, then tabs to the student directory. Ryan Whittaker, sophomore, majoring in psychology and playing on the football team. There were links to the student paper showing Ryan in all his glory out on the field, with his coach, smiling with guys in jerseys. It was definitely Ryan.
I push the sinking feeling away as fast as I can. "I don't care. He's really cool, and look, he was voted most valuable player last year. I'm lucky he likes me." "Earth to Bri, when he finds out you are jail bait he'll be denying he ever met you. It sucks, but seriously. He's seven years older than us! Too bad, though, he is pretty cute." she pushed her lap top closed.
I was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. "You're wrong! He said we had a connection, and that is more important than age. He meant it. I'll call him right now and you'll see you're wrong." I hoped I was right and that Sophie was wrong with all my heart. It couldn't be over! We hadn't even gotten to start yet. "It's too late, you should call tomorrow..." she protested but I was already punching the call button.
"Hello?" his voice, just his voice, made my heart sing. "Hi, this is Bri. I hope I didn't call too late?" Sophie scowls at me as I start to pace the room. "Not at all! I was just thinking about you." I cup my hand over the phone and whisper to Sophie, "He was thinking about me!" She sat down with her back facing me. Whatever. Maybe she was jealous. She was used to being the one getting all the attention.
"I heard something about you." I bite my lip. "Good, I hope. What is it?" "You go to Mongomery U." "Yeah, that's true. What, are you an Andrews girl and can't hang around with a Montie?" he laughs. I cringe. Andrews University is the competing college to Montgomery. He must have no idea. Sophie was right. Tonight is just going to be a dream.
"No, I'm not. Look, I really like you and I want to get to know you. But I have to tell you something..." I don't want to tell him. Sophie gives me her most sympathetic look. She already has the nail polish out to give me a cheer up pedicure. It's sweet, but I want to swipe the box of colors as far away from me as possible. Why did he have to be twenty three? "I really like you, too, Bri. Whatever it is, you can tell me. Trust me." he says it so confidently, like what I'm about to disclose won't change everything. I want time to stop right now. Right in the pause where my heart is full of hope.
"Okay. Ryan." I stop. "Okay, Bri. Just say it! Do you have a boyfriend we have to get out of the picture? Because I can help you. I can even call him for you if you want." I smile so wide it hurts. "You would do that for me?" I breathe, "Of course, just give me his name and number." I can hear him shuffle in the background. I imagine him reaching for a pen. "It's not that. There's no one." "Great!" I know that now I am just avoiding it, trying to extend the conversation as long as I can. I have to just do it, like when I get shots. Just stick my arm out and have my moment of pain.
"I don't go to Andrews because I'm sixteen." I can't say anymore. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. The fairy tale is ending like one of Sophie's stories. I crumble to the floor. "Is that all, sweet heart? Hey, age ain't nothing but a number, remember?" I sniff into the phone. "Remember what?" "Oh, it's just some dumb Aaliyah reference. I mean, I don't care how old you are. Age doesn't define you. I know you're on my wave length. I can tell. Unless you care that I'm twenty three?" Ryan asks.
I do care, but that is getting smaller in the face of his words. "Really? You still like me? I don't care if you're older, I mean, it's just stupid society." I can see Sophie's mouth drop. I feel euphoric more than any of the other hundred million feelings I'm experiencing.
"I guess I should meet your parents, then, to let them know I am not some creep. I can't believe you're sixteen! I thought you were my age!" he chuckles. "You want to meet mom?" I can't believe it. I briefly dated David Myers six months ago and he always avoided my mom with a passion that was only exceeded by his passion for wet French kisses. "Yeah, is there a time when both your parents would be home? I want to get the formalities out of the way as soon as possible. I really want to be with you, Bri."
"It's just me and my mom. I'll talk to her tomorrow and see if we can have you over for dinner." "Great! Call me tomorrow and let me know right away, okay? I'll reschedule my study group for tomorrow night. Have sweet dreams, my Bri." "Goodnight, I can't wait to see you!"
I stared at my phone. "Oh my god!" Sophie was on me, crushing me to her and laughing. "You've got to be kidding! This is amazing! What are you going to wear? What are you going to tell your mom?" "I don't know! I'll tell her I didn't know how old he was until after I liked him. She has to understand, especially when she sees he wants to be such a gentleman. He wants to meet her! She has to like that." Lip biting has turned into full on chewing.
We fall on her closet in a frenzy. Dresses, sweaters, skirts, and shoes are considered and discarded. It is so lucky we wear close to the same size. We settle on a cream dress with scalloped neckline, orange tights, and brown boots. It takes us hours to decide how I will wear my hair and what I will say. We both think it is of cosmic importance to get it right.
"You might be able to do it. My mom would never agree to me dating anyone so much older. She barely wants me to date now! Whenever I talk about a boy she goes into a rant on teen pregnancy. Your mom is so much cooler." Sophie and I are drifting to sleep finally.
"I hope so. If she says no, I'll find a way to see him anyways. I swear."
"When you walked off with him I thought I would die! I wanted to know everything right then. What did he say? What did you say?" Sophie took a huge bite and looked at me expectantly. "He wanted to know if Aiden was my boyfriend. I told him that Aiden's practically family." I smiled. "Go on, go on," Sophie motioned. "Ryan was happy that I wasn't going out with Aiden. He gave me his phone number." "What aren't you telling me?" I should have known I couldn't slip anything by Sophie.
"He kissed me!" I laugh at the expression of wonder on her face. "Really?" she breathed. "A kiss kiss or just a little one?" "Definitely a kiss kiss." I confirm. "Holy shit, Bri. As soon as you went outside I started asking around and do you know who that was?" I can tell Sophie has prime information and it's been killing her, but if nothing else she loves getting the most dramatic punch lines available.
"I know he's Ryan, and he likes me. I like him. I know he kisses like a god!" I swoon back into her piles of pink satin pillows. "Um, Bri, I hate to break it to you, but..." Uh-oh. She's hesitating. Sophie never hesitates once she has decided to drop her bomb. I close my eyes, savoring the moment before I know whatever it is she is about to tell me. "What? Is he going to the alternative school or something? Because I don't care. It was probably all a mistake, and he'll explain it. Got caught drinking or something. Sure, mom won't like it at first, but she'll get over it."
Sophie grimaced. "It's funny you mention drinking... But the good news is he isn't going to alternative ed. The bad news is he can't get into trouble for drinking." "What?" I open my eyes and look at her curiously. "Why's that? He has alcoholic parents who don't care?" "No, Bri, you're a million miles off. He's twenty three."
It's so quiet in the room I can hear the air conditioning kicking on. "You're not serious. There's no way! We were just talking about how hard classes are together... I'd say eighteen tops." I finally say. "Just a second." Sophie jumps up and returns in a minute with her lap top. I lean over her shoulder as she types in Montgomery University, then tabs to the student directory. Ryan Whittaker, sophomore, majoring in psychology and playing on the football team. There were links to the student paper showing Ryan in all his glory out on the field, with his coach, smiling with guys in jerseys. It was definitely Ryan.
I push the sinking feeling away as fast as I can. "I don't care. He's really cool, and look, he was voted most valuable player last year. I'm lucky he likes me." "Earth to Bri, when he finds out you are jail bait he'll be denying he ever met you. It sucks, but seriously. He's seven years older than us! Too bad, though, he is pretty cute." she pushed her lap top closed.
I was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. "You're wrong! He said we had a connection, and that is more important than age. He meant it. I'll call him right now and you'll see you're wrong." I hoped I was right and that Sophie was wrong with all my heart. It couldn't be over! We hadn't even gotten to start yet. "It's too late, you should call tomorrow..." she protested but I was already punching the call button.
"Hello?" his voice, just his voice, made my heart sing. "Hi, this is Bri. I hope I didn't call too late?" Sophie scowls at me as I start to pace the room. "Not at all! I was just thinking about you." I cup my hand over the phone and whisper to Sophie, "He was thinking about me!" She sat down with her back facing me. Whatever. Maybe she was jealous. She was used to being the one getting all the attention.
"I heard something about you." I bite my lip. "Good, I hope. What is it?" "You go to Mongomery U." "Yeah, that's true. What, are you an Andrews girl and can't hang around with a Montie?" he laughs. I cringe. Andrews University is the competing college to Montgomery. He must have no idea. Sophie was right. Tonight is just going to be a dream.
"No, I'm not. Look, I really like you and I want to get to know you. But I have to tell you something..." I don't want to tell him. Sophie gives me her most sympathetic look. She already has the nail polish out to give me a cheer up pedicure. It's sweet, but I want to swipe the box of colors as far away from me as possible. Why did he have to be twenty three? "I really like you, too, Bri. Whatever it is, you can tell me. Trust me." he says it so confidently, like what I'm about to disclose won't change everything. I want time to stop right now. Right in the pause where my heart is full of hope.
"Okay. Ryan." I stop. "Okay, Bri. Just say it! Do you have a boyfriend we have to get out of the picture? Because I can help you. I can even call him for you if you want." I smile so wide it hurts. "You would do that for me?" I breathe, "Of course, just give me his name and number." I can hear him shuffle in the background. I imagine him reaching for a pen. "It's not that. There's no one." "Great!" I know that now I am just avoiding it, trying to extend the conversation as long as I can. I have to just do it, like when I get shots. Just stick my arm out and have my moment of pain.
"I don't go to Andrews because I'm sixteen." I can't say anymore. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. The fairy tale is ending like one of Sophie's stories. I crumble to the floor. "Is that all, sweet heart? Hey, age ain't nothing but a number, remember?" I sniff into the phone. "Remember what?" "Oh, it's just some dumb Aaliyah reference. I mean, I don't care how old you are. Age doesn't define you. I know you're on my wave length. I can tell. Unless you care that I'm twenty three?" Ryan asks.
I do care, but that is getting smaller in the face of his words. "Really? You still like me? I don't care if you're older, I mean, it's just stupid society." I can see Sophie's mouth drop. I feel euphoric more than any of the other hundred million feelings I'm experiencing.
"I guess I should meet your parents, then, to let them know I am not some creep. I can't believe you're sixteen! I thought you were my age!" he chuckles. "You want to meet mom?" I can't believe it. I briefly dated David Myers six months ago and he always avoided my mom with a passion that was only exceeded by his passion for wet French kisses. "Yeah, is there a time when both your parents would be home? I want to get the formalities out of the way as soon as possible. I really want to be with you, Bri."
"It's just me and my mom. I'll talk to her tomorrow and see if we can have you over for dinner." "Great! Call me tomorrow and let me know right away, okay? I'll reschedule my study group for tomorrow night. Have sweet dreams, my Bri." "Goodnight, I can't wait to see you!"
I stared at my phone. "Oh my god!" Sophie was on me, crushing me to her and laughing. "You've got to be kidding! This is amazing! What are you going to wear? What are you going to tell your mom?" "I don't know! I'll tell her I didn't know how old he was until after I liked him. She has to understand, especially when she sees he wants to be such a gentleman. He wants to meet her! She has to like that." Lip biting has turned into full on chewing.
We fall on her closet in a frenzy. Dresses, sweaters, skirts, and shoes are considered and discarded. It is so lucky we wear close to the same size. We settle on a cream dress with scalloped neckline, orange tights, and brown boots. It takes us hours to decide how I will wear my hair and what I will say. We both think it is of cosmic importance to get it right.
"You might be able to do it. My mom would never agree to me dating anyone so much older. She barely wants me to date now! Whenever I talk about a boy she goes into a rant on teen pregnancy. Your mom is so much cooler." Sophie and I are drifting to sleep finally.
"I hope so. If she says no, I'll find a way to see him anyways. I swear."
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