Starting College my way. A story of fiction by Symphony Simms.

Starting College my way.Chapter 8.

Blow me one last kiss. Wednesday afternoon September 11th.

Flat top McClelland’s class went off without anything else interesting happening, but as soon as the class was over Connie and Caroline wanted to talk to me about the show on Monday.

We walked towards the cafeteria and grabbed a table near the Bistro. We had a half hour break before our 4:30 Geometry class so we may as well get a snack or something.

“What happened to you Leslie,” asked Connie. “We haven’t seen you and we don’t have your number.”

“I thought we had exchanged numbers. I’m sorry Connie but I had things to do. Anyway, what happened to you two? Did you enjoy the show?” I asked.

“We did,” said Caroline. “You were amazing. All of the men couldn’t keep their eyes off you. What did Lawrence do, or should I say what did you do with Lawrence?”

“Listen girl’s I want this to stay between us.” I tempered myself with the understanding that if I said anything to them it could be all around the college by tomorrow. “Yes I did kiss him. He is very sweet and I could get a crush on him if I am not careful, but I can’t date him.”

“What, why?” They both wanted to interrupt at the same time so I cut them off.

“Because he is gorgeous and handsome and all of the things that would make me want to concentrate on him instead of my work. I am here to get a math degree.”

“But just dating him won’t hurt you. No one said you have to become his sex slave or anything,” said Connie.

“But I can’t lose control Connie. After 10 minutes in his arms I became a helpless heap of incoherent jelly. The following morning I realized that I can’t allow that to happen to me. He is an experience man and I feel like a little child in his arms.”

“Have you told him this?” asked Caroline.

“We have spoken a couple of times since.” I told them. “I told him we can be friends but he is not allowed to hit on me or try to kiss me or I won’t let him near me.”

“That sounds cruel,” said Connie. “He is going to see you in class every day knowing that you like each other but he can’t touch you.”

“I think that is being honest and upfront. I can’t let hormones run my life. But let’s not my hormones dominate the conversation. What have you two been up to?”

“Well Vic walked us both back to our rooms after your show. “

“Cool,” I said. “Any kissing going on?”

“Well we dropped me off first and Vic took Connie back to hers.”

“Nothing happened,” said Connie. “He is sweet but I could never see myself with a big dorky white guy.”

“He is not dorky,” I said. “And what is wrong with being white?”

“Well he is just so different,” said Connie. “I can’t imagine him and my Dad standing together for a photograph. I just think of two opposing magnets. You try to push them together but they just want to push each other away. Vic is so white and my Dad is so black.”

“You have been putting some serious thought into this I can see,” said Caroline. “I thought you said you were not interested.”

“But he is the only guy I have spoken to that I could be remotely interested in,” said Connie. “And he is the only guy who has spoken to me nicely so far.”

“There will be plenty of others,” I said. “What about you Caroline. “Find anyone interesting yet?”

“Well I spoke to Dave and Jesus at lunch time here in the Cafeteria. Dave is OK but he smokes so he will never get anywhere with me?” she said sternly. “Jesus is an interesting guy and offered to take me dancing, and I find that really interesting.”

“That Salsa dancing sounds really cool and sexy,” I said. Connie agreed.

“My Dad goes ballroom and Salsa dancing back home,” she said. ‘He says it’s a great way to meet people. He says that the younger generations are missing something when we don’t have slow dances and hold each other in our arms.”

“How does he go Ballroom and Salsa dancing on his own?” I asked.

“Well he joined a dancing club and puts his name down on the list as a single male looking for a partner describing what level he is at any what type of stuff he likes to do.”

“Sounds like a swingers club to me!” I said. “Does he ever stay out late when he does this?”

“That’s mean Leslie. I always think of him as too old for that type of thing.”

“That is not mean at all,” I told her. “Remember Brad Pitt is 49 and George Clooney is 52. Would you like to swing with them?”

“They are both older than my Dad. Isn’t that creepy?” She said.

“I have made it with guys in their 40’s,” said Connie. “Well one guy actually. Living on an air force base there are lots of fit young men around just waiting for the opportunity to meet women.”

“So you just took advantage of one did you?” I asked.

“I was very flattered when this big strong muscle bound well-mannered man came after me,” said Connie. “All he did was ask me about myself, tell me I was attractive and look into my eyes while I was talking. I couldn’t stop myself. I didn’t know he was the same age as my Dad until later. I hope my Dad never finds out. They know each other.”

“Oh you brazen hussy!” I added.

“What’s a brazen hussy?” said Caroline.

“Look it up on Google,” I said. “Some of the explanations can be really funny.”

“So do you have any plans for tonight Leslie?” said Connie. “Providing we don’t get and assignments we have to complete by tomorrow.”

“I am going out with a friend of mine from the apartment. I can’t invite anyone because I don’t know what she has planned.”

I didn’t want to lie further to them but I couldn’t complicate things by having them there too.

“You guys should come over to the Coffee Hutch again tomorrow as Fiona and I are playing.”

“Are you going to eat there first?” said Caroline.

“You know that is a good idea, because me and Fiona get free food on days that we play. Tomorrow is my turn to cook at the apartment but I will see what I can arrange. Do you have my number?” I asked.

They didn’t so we exchanged numbers. While I had my phone out I texted Fiona about coming to the Coffee Hutch at 7pm a for free dinner.

We left the cafeteria and I stopped in the powder room on the way past but Lawrence was waiting for me when I got outside.

“Leslie,” he was asking while we were walking. “I hope you don’t mind me being curious but this morning you looked really pretty with make-up and everything and again this afternoon, but when I saw you at lunchtime you looked different. No make-up and a sweater. It there something I am missing?”

“Probably,” I replied. “But I have no intention of telling you what it is. It’s my business.”

“Your business to what?”

Fortunately there was not enough time for him to develop his line of questioning further before we got to the next classroom. He did sit next to me in class though. Although we didn’t talk through the class, except as required by the class.

I get the feeling that he was spending a lot of time trying to figure that one out. I also spent some considerable time trying to come up with a believable lie to cover it, but I couldn’t. It was a preposterous situation. The only reasonable answer was the truth, and I was not prepared for that yet.

As soon as the class was over Lawrence was politely after me again.

“But Leslie, there isn’t one single plausible reason that I can come up with for you to do what you did at lunchtime, change you appearance, go to the bookstore, then change back again.”

I had had enough of this already and I had to put a stop to it. I grabbed hold of his shirt and stopped him I looked right into his face.

“Lawrence I am not going to allow you to continually question me about my personal business that has nothing to do with you. I may decide to tell you some time or I may not, so drop it now or I may never let you speak to me again.”

“Can I walk you to your apartment?” he asked.

“Who says I am going to my apartment?”

“So can I walk you wherever you are going?”

“Yes, provided you don’t try to hit on me, kiss me or ask me any questions about lunchtime.”

“So where are you going?”

“To my apartment.”

“I am not upsetting you am I,” he asked.

“Just a little, but I don’t mind tolerating you because you are a nice person and I like the company.”

“So are you doing anything interesting tonight?” he asked.

“I am going out with my friend MJ,” I replied.

“Isn’t she the butch one?”

“She appears that way but she has been hurt before and doesn’t want to conform to the same old female stereotypes.”

“So are you saying she is not really butch?”

“I am undecided about that, except to say that although she has a wicked sense of humor and an abrasive outer shield, but sometimes she can be very sweet and sensitive, once you get to know her.”

“So you like her?”

“Yes she is a friend.”

“Have you kissed her yet?” he asked.

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at him.

“What on earth are you doing Lawrence?” I asked him. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

“I am trying to find out who you are.”

“Right now this is who I am Lawrence. That’s all I can offer you.”

“So who were you at lunch time?”

“That is enough Lawrence. I can’t give you anything else. I told you I don’t want a boyfriend and I don’t want these questions. If you can’t accept that then leave me along. I can walk by myself.”

I took off and started walking. I thought I had left him behind but after a few seconds he caught up. We walked in silence for a little while till I asked him a question.

“So why do you want to hang around with me anyway?”

“I have never met a girl anything like you. You seem like this immovable force that can do anything. I know you are only small but you seem to dominate any space you are in and every conversation everywhere you go and you just light up every room.”

‘Goodness above’ I thought. This sounds like hero worship. Was he falling in love with me? We had only met 3 days ago.

“You can’t have me Lawrence and I think that the longer I allow you to spend time around me it’s going to get worse. I thing you need go find another girlfriend and get over me.”

“I don’t want to get over you.”

“Why can’t you go and talk to Caroline. I know she said she likes you. She would make a great girlfriend for you and she wouldn’t run away when you kiss her.”

“But I don’t want her I want you.”

“Lawrence you have a crush. Its caused but the hormone imbalance that all young people like us have in us and we made it worse when we kissed. I discussed it with my sisters and they explained the hormone thing to me and that helped me get through it.”

“You mean you felt it too?”

“I can’t take this any more Lawrence. You are causing a conflict in me that I don’t want to address. I don’t want a boyfriend and I don’t want to discuss it so please just leave me alone.”

I turned on my heels and turned away from him. I don’t think he was following. I just kept on going.

Yes it was hard for me, but I had to sort myself out. Now that I knew he had gone I could start crying but the last thing I needed right now was a helpless puppy to look after no matter how sweet he was.

The sun was going down now and the nights were drawing in but the streetlights had yet to come on. There was just a little coolness in the air that I could feel on by bare arms. I would have to wear a jacket this evening.

As I got the Coffee Hutch there were a group of people outside the door talking. I didn’t look over but as I went past I heard Rebecca’s Voice.

“Leslie hold up.”

I turned and she came over to me. She could see I was upset.

“Whatever is the matter Leslie?” she asked.

“Boy trouble.”

“But I didn’t think you had a boyfriend.”

“I don’t,” I said. “But there is this one guy who has been really nice to me and I made the mistake of kissing him.”

“That’s the one that your sister Dawn mentioned?”

“Yes. He has obviously got a crush on me.”

“Do you like him?”

“He is nice enough but I have told him that I don’t want a boyfriend and I don’t want to kiss boys.”

Then she leaned over and kissed me deeply on the lips. I was shocked. It was not just a friendly peck. It was delicious but it just didn’t last long enough.

“But you don’t mind kissing me?” said Rebecca.

“Oh I would much rather be kissing you!” I said.

“So what are you doing tonight?”

“MJ wants to take me to the Rainbow Club. I said I would go and meet a couple of her friends.”

“Pity,” she said. “So I will have to wait till tomorrow to see you.”

“Sorry Rebecca. I will have to wait too,” I said.

“So when you are at the Rainbow Club you are going to get hit on you know.”

“So I have been told.”

“Just tell them you’re not interested. Tell them you have a girlfriend.”

“Uhh OK,” I said.

Then she held up her hand to my face for a moment and looked into my eyes, and went back to the people at the door.

I wanted to stand and look at her for a moment but there were too many people around. I walked down the road towards the apartment.

She had kissed me on the lips. I know it was getting dark but the people outside the restaurant must have seen us. Then she said tell them you have a girlfriend. That was it. She definitely wanted me. That couldn’t be explained away as being nice or over friendly.

She was my girlfriend. I was shocked. Why the hell was I going to spend the evening with MJ when I could have been with Rebecca? But it was too late now. I wasn’t going back on my plans now.

As I got to the apartment Rebecca texted me to tell me we had a meeting of the dramatic society tomorrow lunch time. I didn’t know where I was going to have time for all of these extra-curricular activities I seemed to be acquiring.

I got into the apartment and found the girls getting ready to eat hamburger and spinach salad.

“What no fries?” I said.

“Fries go straight to your waistline,” said Angie.

“Come on Angie,” I said. “Don’t tell me you have ever had problems with your waistline.”

“I don’t want to ever start,” said Angie. “My Mom taught me that as we get into our twenties our bodies start adjusting and before we know it we can start to add pounds. One day you wake up to find you have a roll of fat hanging over the waist of your favorite jeans.”

“Oh God,” I said. “Now I have to start worrying about my weight?”

“Don’t worry about it,” said Angie. “Just be aware of it.”

“I am aware that a second hamburger would go down pretty good right about now,” said MJ.

“One is all you get MJ,” said Angie. “Load up on that beautiful fresh Spinach.”

“Don’t let it worry you Leslie,” said MJ. “We can get some wings at the Rainbow Club.”

“Cool,” I said. “Then I won’t go hungry for long.”

“Why do I bother?” said Angie.

“So how long will it take you to get ready Leslie?”

“Oh about 5 minutes after I have finished eating,” I said. “You are not going out dresses like that are you?”

MJs tee shirt today said. ‘To save time just pretend I have balls.’

“No I will keep my promise. I found a dress I can wear,” said MJ. “It will take me 10 or 15 minutes to get ready. I have to remember how these things work.”

“What’s happening with you Carla,” I asked. “You are kind of quiet.”

“I am wondering what goes on at a rainbow club,” said Carla.

“Why don’t you came with us and find out?”

“I don’t want to go to a place were a bunch of guys hang out dressed like showgirls and singing Celine Deon song.”

“I am told that doesn’t happen till the weekend,” I said. “Why don’t you just come with us and check it out? We will all feel safer in a crowd.”

“OK for sure, I will get ready. What about you Angie?’

“No you can tell me all about it. Maybe I will go some other time.”

So we got ready and I did my favorite thing of adding leggings under my dress and added my short denim jacket. Carla was wearing jeans and a low cut black tank top that showed up how much shape she really had, and boy did she have some shape. Now we were just waiting for MJ.

Then this girl came out of MJs room that we didn’t hardly recognize. MJ was wearing a short grey leather skirt well above the knee with a soft blue layered low cut top and she was wearing make-up and looking pretty sharp, even though she had no shoes.

“Well look at you,” said Carla. “There is a girl under there after all.”

“You look pretty MJ,” I said. I could have said she looked hot because she did, but I chose not to say it. “What brought this on?”

“I just wanted to show you guts that I can look good too if I want to. You know I do feel a little peeved at times when the three good looking girls in this apartment include a boy and not me.”

“OK MJ we will consider ourselves corrected,” said Carla.

“You can’t be jealous of me MJ?” I said. “We knew you were good looking all along.”

“Thank you Leslie. I am not jealous but I do have my pride. But I have a problem with this outfit that I need help with. I don’t have shoes I can wear with a skirt. Even I know not to wear my normal skateboard shoes.”

“If you like these gladiator shoes I have another pair in a six,” I said.

“Sold,” said MJ.

I got the shoes for MJ and we headed down the stairs, on to the street and into MJs car.

----------------------------------------

I think I’ve finally had enough,

I think I maybe think too much

I think this might be it for us

Blow me one last kiss

You think I’m just too serious,

I think you’re full of shit

My head is spinning so

Blow me one last kiss

Pink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jNlIGDRkvQ