How to Be a Virgin

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CHAPTER 14

[ Mike ]

I fell in love with Maya Gonzalez in tenth grade when she bumped into me in the hallway—I still remember like it was yesterday. Her long, jet black hair was pulled into a high, messy bun and a pair of wide rimmed glasses sat at the tip of her cute, button nose as she knelt to the linoleum floor to help me out. "I'm so sorry," she had said, "you okay?"

I was so mesmerized by her beauty that I couldn't find the right words to say. "Um, yeah, i-it was my fault! You didn't do anything, I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

She had pulled her rosy lips into a small smile. "Yeah," she laughed softly, "I'm okay."

I smiled back at her. "Good."

We held eye contact for a total of 7 seconds (I had counted) until we were interrupted by Derek grabbing onto the collar of my shirt to bring me to my feet. "Jesus, Mikey, you're making it awfully hard to be seen with you when you keep embarrassing yourself in front of cute girls."

Maya giggled as she stood to her feet and tentatively touched Derek's shoulder. "Leave him alone, Derek." She held out a hand to me. "I'm Maya."

"M-Mike," I had answered swiftly as I jumped at the opportunity to grab her hand.

Maya had given me a short nod before she flicked her intense brown eyes to Derek. "Are we still on for tonight?"

He nodded. "Definitely."

She had looked past Derek to smile at me, and then she sauntered into the hallway, swinging her hips as she walked away. It wasn't until she was completely out of sight that I had grabbed onto Derek's shoulders and shook him hard. "What's happening tonight?" I questioned. "Can I come?"

Derek shrugged my hands off his shoulders. "I'm having sex with her," he stated simply, "and no, you cannot come."

"You're having sex with her?" I had questioned. At that time, I had just befriended Derek. I was aware that he was the most desirable boy in school, but I didn't know then that he was also the sluttiest boy in school. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"Nope."

"She's not? Then why—"

"It's called friends with benefits."

I nodded. "Well, she's really pretty."

Derek's brows had pulled together in curiosity. "You like her?"

"Y-yeah, well, I mean..."

"That's cute." Derek nudged my shoulder obnoxiously. "I'll put in a good word for you."

"Really?" I had asked out of pure excitement, having no idea that Derek wasn't being serious.

For weeks, I had waited patiently for Maya to talk to me about the "good word" that Derek had put in for me, but she never did. It was only when I started to get familiar with Derek and his sense of humor and his promiscuity that I realized that he wasn't trying to set me up with her and that she would never ever want me in the way I wanted her.