Chapter Twenty

Kelly

As soon as I walk out of the school building I see Sonny getting off the porch coming towards me.

"Mrs. Tiley was asking how our sessions are going... Why aren't you showing up?"

I keep going, "I'm swamped."

"Is that all you can say to me after four days." I stop and face him.

I have to catch my breath. He is the one who has been ignoring me for two weeks but I have to explain to him why I am not showing up for the program? The audacity... but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction.

"Well thanks for everything but I can't do the lessons anymore. I can't show up, things have changed and yeah I will tell Mrs. Tiley." He looks at me for a while biting his lower lip.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I start walking away. "No."

He joins me, walking next to me like nothing happened between us.

"Okay." Is his delayed response... For a moment we walk in silence.

I can't take it anymore. "What are you doing?"

I look around there are people passing by minding their own business and we're just standing there facing each other.

"I'm trying to walk you home or wherever you're going."

"I think you should leave me alone."

"Trust me I would if I could."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You are not exactly an easy person Kelly. You do your own thing and I love that about you but you have room for nothing else. You don't talk much and forbid if it's about your feelings."

"I'm outta here."
"Of course."
"What do you want from me?" I demand turning to face him.

He grabs my arm which makes my heart pound fast. Before I know it, he kisses me. I think for a moment I tune out the world and exist in a vertebra where only him and I exist. Where I can hear the words he's saying with just his body.
When he lets me go, he surveys the expression on my face as if hoping for some type of review. Me? I'm still trying to get it together. No One's ever kissed me before.
He kisses me again.
After what I notice has been a while caught up in his crazy spell, I pull away and step back.
He laughs breathlessly. "Well you can't hide it now." He isn't the least bit worried about our surroundings.
There is a moment of silence because I really am speechless. He finally looks down and then back at me with regret.
"I'm sorry..."
I kiss him.
We need to leave the quad area of the school.

Our make-out session continues at home in my room on the lower bed of my bunk bed. I can't believe this is happening. The fact that this is the same unperturbed 'how much do I need to invest in our lessons' Sonny Davis who could barely make eye contact with me let alone have a conversation during a session holding me like this and more.
The make out sessions are many; they are quiet with subtle hints of humor ... very so often we come out for air and then resume.

We start talking. He asks about college, whether or not I want to go. There is no force in his voice, he just wants to know. I tell him everything he wants to know including what I would like to study if given an opportunity which is architecture. He even asks to see my drawings. When I try to get up to get my book, he pulls me towards him and kisses me passionately. I try to regain something but he has taken a part of me.

After checking out my book which he says he is proud of, he starts telling me about this car he spent years fixing with his dad. It's an amazing story about how they used the camero to overcome grief after losing his mother. He wants to know if I'm willing to take a ride in it. I tell him only if I'm driving.

The next days are a continuation. We do our assignments first but it's hard to focus when I can feel his breath, the smell of his skin... one of his hands is on top of mine and at some point he laughs into my hair and I lose all reasoning. Then the proverbial make out session follows, back home on my lower bunk bed. We also watch a movie with subtitles and he sleeps sometime during the movie earning my first punch.

"It was boring." I never knew he had an infectious child-like laugh.

*****

"Do you mind if I spend the night." It comes out of nowhere. I'm folding laundry and about ready to do my assignments. He came in late from football practice.

"You can't sleep over. People will start talking."

"Come on like they aren't already. I'm a grown dude."

I laugh.

"First lesson grown people don't say grown dude."

"Come-on. I'll sleep on that waterbed of yours." He sighs, "I hate leaving you everyday. Where is Kadja and Nate?"

"She's at the diner and Nate is with Craig at his hometown." There is a pause.

"Kelly Martin's would you give me the honors..."

I'm already in shambles.

"...The honors of spending the night on that waterbed of yours. I have never slept on a waterbed before."

"You know what? Knock yourself out."

"May the Lord bless you." He says taking of his vest leaving him shirtless and goes on to crawl on the bed. What a sight, hot and funny as he tries to balance on the wobbly bed. I'm laughing the whole time.

"It's not as comfortable as it looks huh?"

He pretends to act dead asleep.

An hour or so later I sit on the edge of the large bed and run my hand on his torso - there is ink there, a tattoo of an eagle. I can't believe Sonny is laying there. Those are some nice abs. At some point he opens his eyes and catches me in the act.

My heart skips a beat.

"Don't stop."

But I've lost my resolve.

"Come on."

He takes me like he is taking me under his wing and kisses my forehead. I sleep in his arms the whole night.

School is awkward for me but not for Sonny he is laughing with his football crew in the corridors while I'm reeling from the fact that we slept in the same bed the whole night. I feel like if I make one wrong move I might get found out meanwhile he looks like life is a breeze. Clearly, he has more experience in the relationship department.

"Are you okay?" He finally asks me during our lesson. "You know I wanted to talk to you during chemistry right?"

He starts doing a Mr. Bailey impersonation, "Kelly, tell us the atomic combination before I give you detention." It is so good. I laugh my heart out. This isn't so bad after all.

"Get working."

"And we are back." I start going through the books he just gave me and there is a packet of rascals and chocolates set in with a note written on top 'motivational candy'.

I burst out laughing.

"Sh-h.," It comes from somewhere in the library. When I look at him he is opening his book with a smile on his face. For some reason I start to feel anxious.

*****

These days I pass by the kitchen to only get food. This way I get to avoid Kadja and Craig.

Not that they have done anything to me. It's darn uncomfortable around their new normalcy. They have got this family thing going on and I feel like an outsider.

I just want to go to school and see Sonny.

The sound of someone clearing their throat frightens me and I end up spitting out the juice I sipped.

"Oh my gosh... Kadja you scared the f out of me."

She was sitting there, the whole time.

"Oh sorry." She says it in a matter of fact tone.

"Can we talk?"

"Look, you and Craig can do whatever you want. I'm out of your way for good."

I return the juice.

"Thanks I needed to hear that. But that's not what I want to talk to you about. Now first don't drink from the carton.

"Okay mum."

"Please sit it won't take long." Great she wants me to move out so she can be happy with her family. I take the seat.

"What?"

"You and Sonny have been spending an awful lot of time locked in that room of yours, should I be worried? I could take you to the doctor and you can get a..."

"You are b.sing me right now are you? I get up."

"One only needs to be in the same room as you two."

"I am going."

"Kelly." I stop facing the exit. "I'm here if you need me." I walk out of the room and I can hear her laughing. Kadja thinks she's so slick.

As soon as Sonny sees me in the corridors I can tell what he wants to do, probably twirl me around and kiss me. I shake my head no while he is still walking towards me. He smiles in response. They can put him in slow motion if they want, he looks handsome.

He kisses me on the lips regardless. Matt sounds a whistle.

"In front of everyone?"

"Oh really I thought we were at a cemetery." I laugh as he puts his arm around me and we start walking to class.

Mrs. Tiley looks at our work sheet then at us from across the table.

"So how have your lessons been going?" Sonny and I look at each other.

"Good." I say.

Sonny sits up right. "I wouldn't say good maybe - great."

I want to laugh so badly. "Kelly's grades have improved significantly."

'Oh yes Kelly great work."

Sonny smiles at me. What am I going to do with him?