Senior year is looking up, and I finally have a friend. So, I guess Sir Gawain and the Green Knight won't have to battle it out to the death after all. Instead, perhaps they will sign a treaty and form an alliance.
Our time at the zoo ends, and I have made it through the first inner wall of Jeremy Davis. After that, he will be a maze to walk through. There will be obstacles in my way and hoops to jump through. I only hope that Jeremy is a kind soul with an entire life ahead of him.
"Would you like to help me at the zoo next week?" Jeremy asks sheepishly, like asking his new friend to hang out is a crime.
"Sure. Sounds great. But in return, you will need to study hard and work when I tell you to. That tutoring program is about graduating, and I am going to get you there."<
What is kissing but falling in love with lips? I've never been kissed before. I never knew if I would like it or hate it. So, if kissing Jeremy back means anything, in the least, it means I liked it. Maybe even a little."Are you having fun yet?" Jeremy asks."It was alright. It's just lip-smacking, at best.""It's no secret that you've never been kissed before, Lily Green."As usual, Mr. Chaucer has caught me in an observation. How long has he been watching me, like a guardian angel perched on my shoulder?"How would you know? Maybe kissing boys is a side business of mine."Sarcasm was never my best suit. Sure, I can do it, but it
The trees blow around in the night. The black night is upon us, and the whispers of the stars hide our secrets.I've spent the whole day with Jeremy. I don't know his back story despite hanging out, and he doesn't know mine. His life is his own."Do you like libraries," Jeremy asks?I already know Jeremy knows I love books. But, escaping into a world beyond our own is the best feeling in the world. Leaving my life behind to follow characters on their journey is the only way I know how to breathe."I love reading. I'm a bit of a romance novel fan and an avid comic book reader."Jeremy goes into his bag and pulls out oldBatmancomics. He hands them to me.
By the third period, my stomach aches. I convince Mr. Cronkwright to send me to the nurse. I lie down for the fourth period. The nurse decides to send me home. Bullying is a thing I always shrugged off. It's something my parents don't know about. I have always kept it to myself.I used to get stomach ulcers in elementary school and middle school. I got used to the acid. Vomit destroyed my throat. The doctors couldn't pinpoint the issue to bullying. I told them my life at school was fine. They blamed it on stress and my attitude to achieve high marks in all my subjects.My parents sent me to therapy. It didn't help. So, I didn't open up. That's the way it is. If you talk about bullying, something terrible might happen or worse.Having things get worse is the last place I want to be. But now we are in the age of Instagram, and bullying is eternal in the dark places of the net. I am sure if one dug deep enough, my middle school humiliation photos are everywhere.
Bullying feels like a dance between two people. The dance-off is between the bully and the victim. It's hard to see the other people around us if we are bullied.When Kelly taunts me, her gang of defenders encourages the fight. Alexa and Tia would be nothing without Kelly. What would Kelly be like without them? I sometimes wonder what would happen if it really were just Kelly and I, alone one on one. The world would turn in my favor and shift towards my needs.That would sure be the day. But it is not today. Not today by any means.My parents don't know about Jeremy. They don't know that I've kissed a boy. If mom knew it would be in the family scrapbook by now, among my other milestones. Or on some embarrassing Instagram post.My mind thinks back to Jeremy and the simple kiss we shared. Did it mean anything to him? To me? I am not sure what we are, but it's a good feeling for now.His story haunts me. How can a mother become violent and snap at the
I spend the day worrying about Jeremy. I check my phone every class to make sure all social media platforms are clear of his church burning news.The fly on the wall is watching me with his millions of eyes. Those eyes follow me everywhere. If one hair is out of place, Kelly will either post our first kiss video, or she will let the school know Jeremy is a pyromaniac. Either way, she wins. She's on top, like the Bitch Queen of the Nile."What have you decided, Train Tracks? It's embarrassing either way. Either let me have my fun after school, or you and Jeremy can be an embarrassing couple of Instagram, or he can just go to prison now. The choice is yours, really."Kelly taps her foot and crosses her arms. Her lips smack with the sound of her chewing gum. She tilts her neck and smirks her lips. She's fierce."I'll see you after school," I reply, not knowing what else to do or say. Saying anything to stop her is pointless. If I were a witch, I'd cast a spe
Egg yolk and flour mix in clumps all over me. This is how an unmixed pancake must feel. I don't know how I am going to scrape all this off. Good thing I left my backpack in my locker. The school is closed. I'll have to get my phone later. And I think my keys are in there too. Perfect, just perfect.I wish I had been with Jeremy at the zoo. We could have been swimming with the dolphins by now. The base of the big tree has one spot left, one spot left where they didn't paint all over it. I don't know how Kelly and her posse managed to get away with graffiti in broad daylight. She probably started the fire in the church and somehow framed Jeremy for it. Maybe I should visit the ruins of the Vineyard Church and do some digging for the truth myself.I cry under the base of the tree. The snot of the egg yolk and flour dust make me cough. I can barely see through either substance.A loud car muffler stops a few meters away from the big tree. I wonder if people have pai
A house is where people live and have a hard time connecting. A home is where a person feels safe. Right now, Jeremy feels like that to me. So, he took me in and let me be myself."Lily, at some point, we are going to have to face them, you know," Jeremy asks?My thoughts linger for a moment before catching up to me. I will have to get in the car and leave Jeremy's house at some point."I know. I'm not ready to think about them right now. The KAT trio will be taken out. It's inevitable. Jeremy, can I stay here a little while longer," I ask?I'd do anything to stay here and look at Jeremy. But, in my desire to be safe, I've found I want to keep him safe from the demons that live within his soul. His soul is tainted by monsters. Monsters have the faces of everyday people. They live where people are ghouls, and ghouls look like good guys."Sure, you can probably stay and watch a movie," Jeremy says as he finishes the rest of his nachos.I nibbl
The doorknob turns, and Mr. Davis walks in. He looks the same as he did all those months ago at the pool."Jeremy, how was your day? My boss almost fired me. But I tell you, I've just about had it at that bank."Mr. Davis doesn't notice me as he takes his trench coat off and hangs it on a hook. His large black shoes leave scuff marks on the floor."Dad, this is Lily."Mr. Davis turns around, and a bright smile finds his face."Oh, well, excuse my manners. I remember you, Lily. You're that girl from the swimming pool. Sorry again that I didn't realize those girls were bullying you."Jeremy turns to me like I'm supposed to report my bullying shenanigans to him."It's no big deal. I'll deal with them in due time," I say."Kids these days, they don't even have the guts to bully face to face. They do it through computers and cameras. Well, if those mean girls ever bother you again, you let me know," Mr. Davis says."What happ