The anthem was just beginning to play as I rushed to my desk. Adam wasn’t there which was weird because he was always there. I pulled my phone out to text him and see if he was okay when I spotted the texts from him I had forgotten to open. I clicked on his name and began reading:
6:45 p.m.
Adam: U look beautiful, why R U so dressed up 4 a person U never met B4?
6:46 p.m.
Adam: Call me after he’s left.
11:18 p.m.
Adam: Did he leave?
12:01 a.m.
Adam: Why Rn’t U calling me?
9:00 a.m.
Adam: Meet me in my car after homeroom.
I couldn’t breath. He must have seen me get out of Ryan’s car. My heart was racing in panic mode.
Ryan and I were holding hands going up the stairs.
Coach Hicks told us to!
We did it here!
Why did we do it here?
I reached for HIS hand.
I told myself to take a deep breath. Mrs. Uptite was going through attendance like she had time to spare.
I didn’t think homeroom ever took this long.
It was taking a long time.
Too long.
The bell rang.
Homeroom suddenly felt like it ended too quickly. I collected all my stuff and scrambled to the parking lot not caring if I was going to be late or even attend the next class.
My eyes scanned the parking lot.
I noticed Adam’s Mustang parked immediately NEXT to Ryan’s black Mercedes.
Breath Dalia breath! How do I let myself get into messes like this one?
Adam is standing outside of his car staring at me. He’s dressed in his usual hat with a hoodie covering most of his face and jeans.
He’s smoking.
He’s smoking a cigarette.
He never smokes.
I don’t ever think I’ve seen him smoke before.
Is this what he does when he’s angry?
Petrified to approach him but knowing I had to, my legs were getting heavier with each step.
He was jumping to the wrong conclusions.
Maybe I was jumping to the wrong conclusions.
I don’t know for sure that he saw me.
I have no idea why he wants to talk.
I didn’t think I was,
Jumping to conclusions that is.
He most definitely saw me.
The Car
He took a long drag of the cigarette before flicking it and unlocking the car doors. I knew I only had seconds to collect myself and get it together. He didn’t look at me or talk, just silence.
I waited for him to say something but he didn’t. I started staring at the clock on his dash. I would wait five minutes for him to break the ice (pardon the pun) and if he didn’t than I would. My face was getting hot with upset.
I knew he was waiting for me to start, “Hi.” Oh.My.God. How lame! It couldn’t have been more lame! I looked passed him at the Mercedes praying we would quickly finish whatever we were doing here, in case Ryan came out. I lied to Ryan about having a boyfriend! It wasn’t like I had a choice though. I was put on the spot with Mrs. Kennedy AND my parents being there!
“HI?” he mimicked in an exaggerated tone.
“I take it buddy who drove you here this morning is your new ‘partner?’”
“Uhm, Yep, that was Ryan. He’s going to be going to school here,” I giggled nervously.
“You can’t be serious?”
“Seriously, I thought it didn’t bother you that I had a skating partner? A partner I do sports with is ALL he is.”
“Do you want to tell me why you were holding hands with this partner you do sports with? Actually, why were you even in his fucking car?” I sensed major jealousy.
“Mom, made that arrangement. He’s going to be taking me to school from the arena everyday. If you want to date me, you’re going to have to get used to the fact, that I’ll be spending a lot of time with him.”
“I’ll pick you up from the arena.”
“You can’t! What will I tell my mother?”
“You held his fucking hand,” he seethed.
“Yes, I did. Coach Hicks wants us to look like a couple when we’re in the public eye. He said the couples with chemistry tend to get higher marks. If you’re worried Adam, rest assured, I don’t even LIKE him.”
“If that were the case then why were you so dressed up for him when you met him? Where you trying to get him to like you?”
“Of course not, for all I knew he could have been gay. We always dress up on Holidays at our house,” I explained to him.
“So he’s not gay?”
“I hazard to guess, but unlikely.”
If he was, it would have been a severe blow to womankind.
“Why didn’t you call me after your company left?”
“I forgot. I was texting back and forth to Tara, and then after that I fell asleep. I didn’t even have my phone on.”
“Does he know you have a boyfriend?”
Catecholamines were now racing through my bloodstream. I began hitting fight or flight mode. Either way I answered this question, I was screwed. I chose to placate Adam until I had enough time to come clean with Ryan, “Yes, of course he knows.”
“He better know, because if you’re not telling me truth, I’ll make sure he finds out,” Adam threatened. “I’ll walk you to class.”
Later That Day
We missed second period altogether, so he took me to my third period class a bit early. We waited silently together in the hallway and then he pushed me up against a locker and we kissed passionately, his tongue mimicking penetration as it slid in and out of my mouth. He pressed me harder against the locker showing me just how badly he wanted me before whispering into my ear, “I need time to rethink our relationship.” He pushed off the locker away from me, leaving me wanting more and shocking me simultaneously.
“Are you breaking up with me?” I asked dumbfounded.
“I don’t know if I can share you the way you’re expecting me to,” he confessed. The bell rang and the halls filled, Adam turned on his heel and walked away, not looking back. The steady stream of students made him drift away from me quickly. I abandoned the classroom trying to catch him locking my eyes onto him as the distance between us grew. I started knocking into other students as I tried frantically to catch up with him, they were giving me dirty looks and slowing me down but I was determined. I saw him leave the front doors of the school and by the time I got out there he was pulling onto the street.
Tears of frustration went surging down my cheeks. I whipped my phone out and texted Tara:
Dalia: 911 Adam :-(
Tara: Where R U?
Dalia: Bathroom close 2 the office
Tara: Ok 1 min
I went back into the school and waited for Tara in the washrooms near the front entrance. I was splashing cold water on my face when she came in. I was hoping I could hide the fact that I had just finished crying but she noticed immediately, “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Adam might be breaking up with me,” I blurted.
Her brows furrowed, “You’ve only been together three minutes! What the heck happened?”
“God, where do I start? Okay, just before Ryan and his mother came over for Thanksgiving I took a selfie and sent it to Ryan. Then I turned my phone off because we had company.”
“Ya, so? How did you look?”
“I thought I looked good, that’s why I sent it. Do you want to hear the story or not?” I said irritated.
Tara ignored my irritation,“He got mad at you for sending a selfie?”
“No, he was peeved because I was made up for a guy I didn’t know. He thought I was trying to attract him, and then when he tried contacting me he couldn’t.”
Tara smiled, “Where you trying to attract Ryan?”
“No! Of course not.”
“So tell him. He can’t want to break up with you over a lousy selfie,” Tara argued.
“There’s more than that,” I continued. “When I went skating with Ryan, our new coach Mr. Hicks said that he wants us to get ‘comfortable’ with each other and whenever we are together in the public eye, we’re supposed to look like a couple. It’s all about creating ‘chemistry.’”
Seeing where this was leading Tara assumed, “He saw the two of you together!”
“Worse than that,” I elaborated. “He saw us getting out of Ryan’s Mercedes together. We held hands. I initiated it!”
“You didn’t! What’s he doing with a Mercedes? Why’s he going to our school? I could bump into this gorgeous guy anytime?” Tara asked shocked.
“Anytime, I was only doing what Coach Hicks instructed us to do. His father gave him the Mercedes in the divorce settlement. He’s coming to our school, so we have the same curriculum and can study together when we’re at competitions. Mom had it all planned out and never told me. I just found out. I was showing him how to get to the office and then I ditched him to go to homeroom.”
“Are you sure you only did it because Coach Hicks told you to!” She mocked. “I totally can’t wait to meet this Ryan guy!”
“Yes, I already told you I hate the guy. He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“So then what happened?”
“So when I arrived in homeroom and didn’t find Adam there I was going to call him. That’s when I found all these texts from him that I forgot to read. He told me to meet him at his car. He was furious. Read them.” I handed Tara my phone.
“Okay, so you get in Adam’s car and then what happened? He must have been super jealous seeing you with gorgeous Ryan in a Mercedes no less,”
“I tried explaining to him what Coach Hicks expects us to act like a couple, and that I’m not into Ryan even a little bit.”
“Did he believe you?”
“Nope.”
“Girl, Even I don’t believe you!” Tara teased.
“Seriously, What do I do now?”
“It’s obvious,” Tara stated simply, “serious ASS KISSING! You have to make him feel like he’s everything to you, or just hope that he comes around.”
“I guess I’ll be puckering up. Can you bring me home tonight?”
“Sure, I have to go back to class now. You should too, tell the teacher you were sick or something.”
“I don’t feel like it.”
“You better go.”
“All right. See you out in the parking lot after school.”
“Sure,” Tara pushed the door open and I followed her out. I went back to class, but I didn’t absorb anything that day, I was too caught up in what happened with Adam.
“Dinner is ready!” Mom called up the stairs. I took my earbuds out and placed them on the night stand next to my bed. I checked my phone again hoping I would have a text message or email from Adam but it was junk emails and no texts except for one from Sierra asking how my day went.
I didn’t want to answer the text, because I would have to get into the entire story all over again, and after telling Tara and the endless amounts of times I went over everything that happened in my head, I just wasn’t up for it.
I walked downstairs and took my spot at the dining room table. Mom and dad went all out making taco’s with extra hot salsa sauce and sour cream, which they knew were my favourite. I loaded four taco’s up and started chowing down on them when I felt expectant stares penetrate me from both sides.
Mom’s excitement to hear the days events started bubbling over, “Well, how did it go?”
“How did what go?” I asked knowing perfectly well what she was really asking. “It felt good to be back on the ice mom.”
She smiled at dad with her, ‘see I told you so’ look. “What did you guys practice today?”
“Coach Hicks wanted us to get comfortable with each other, so we did a lot of stroking and footwork.”
“Do you like him?” Dad asked.
“Who? Coach Hicks or Ryan.”
“Both.”
“Ya, they’re okay. Coach Hicks wants us to act like a couple when we’re in public, ‘build up chemistry.’ He said couples do better when the public senses it.”
“Parter or no partner, you know our rule Honey, no boyfriends.” Dad interjected.
Mom turned to dad, “If coach Hicks wants them to act like a couple then that’s what they’re going to have to do. He knows how to foster Olympic champions. Have faith.” She focussed her attention back onto me, “How did Ryan look on the ice?”
If Tara had been the one to ask me I would have said: ‘
fuckable.’ S
eeing it was my parents, I answered “With or without clothes on?”
Dad’s eyebrows arched, “Exactly what do you mean?” I noticed my dad’s knuckles turning white while he was gripping his fork. He waited for me to answer.
“He skates in a wife beater T-shirt and exercise pants.”
“I’m going to have to come to your practice,” mom giggled.
“I hardly think his attire is appropriate for a crowded ice arena,” I commented.
Later that night, I laid in bed disheartened that Adam hadn’t called. The lights in my room were now off and I was staring dispiritedly in the direction of where my phone was charging, hoping it would flash. My parents had already retired to their room and the house was darkened and still.
The phone flashed and vibrated against the dresser. I scrambled quietly from under my comforter to check it. It was a text from Adam.
Adam: I’m on U’r Street waiting.
Dalia: Ok
I covered my gown with my robe and slipped into my slippers before silently tiptoeing down the stairs. The hardest thing to do was soundlessly opening the front door. Patiently I worked the lock knowing even the slightest noise could give me away. Once I was through the door, I closed it just as carefully. The cold air went right through me as I shivered turning to look for Adams car.
I dashed to it while he stretched to open the door for me. I slipped in and his dark eyes locked with mine. He didn’t say anything to me at first. His expression was intense. He rested the warm palms of his hands against my cheeks and he pulled me in for a kiss. His lips did light brush strokes against mine until he fisted his hands into my hair and he pulled me in for a kiss that claimed me, “You are mine,” he said with conviction, “only mine.”
He continued kissing me sliding his one hand to the nape of my neck while the other hand slowly glided down my gown until it rested on me. I’d never been touched there before, but now Adam’s hand was there touching me, and I was receptive to it feeling hot all over. He started exploring me and when he was ready, he penetrated me with his finger. I moaned into his mouth while his kisses where building passionately. Their momentum made my body quiver. I was truly his.