Social Norms

Chapter 14

It is now Friday, the very last day of my high school career. You would think that I should be thrilled, overjoyed, and utterly ecstatic about this. But, I'm frankly just too tired now to feel anything. I'm completely sick of taking tests, and for once in my life, of school. I want to become a truck driver now, so I don't have to sit in a classroom and take another test ever again. 

Obviously, I'm kidding. Going to Texas A&M with Logan is the single-most exciting thing I can think of (besides maybe one day getting laid). 

About half of the senior class didn't even bother to come to school today. Apparently, I'm not the only one done with school now.

I'm standing at my locker before third period thinking about how this is going to be the last time that I'm going to turn around the corner and see Logan standing there. I'm really going to miss that. It was like a fresh surprise seeing him every day like that. Every single time, even before we got together, it made me feel giddy inside to see him when I came around the corner. Now, that's all over...

I'm about to shut my locker door when I see Ryder coming up to me. He has the weirdest look on his face. I've never seen him look like that before. He looks...scared. 

He says, "Hey, Pepple. I got you something. A graduation gift, I guess." He shrugs, "I actually got this for you a long time ago...but I don't know...I thought maybe it's the right time to give it to you now, since it's the last day of school and all." 

He hands me a framed picture of the two of us when we were little kids. We're standing in front of our bicycles on the sidewalk in our neighborhood and couldn't have been more than ten years old.

I exclaim, "Oh my God, Ryder, where did you get this? I can't believe how young we are. Look at how cute we were." He smiles, "Yeah, we were pretty cute. Do you remember when this picture was taken? ...It was that day that I kissed you in the tree house." 

I start to feel really nervous. I had forgotten about that day. We swore to each other that if we weren't married by the time we were adults, we would marry each other. Then, he gave me the sweetest little peck on the lips, which, now that I think about it, was technically my first kiss. 

Hesitantly, I say, "...Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That was a really long time ago. We were just little kids then..." He looks down at the floor, "Well, I didn't forget about it. I've actually...been thinking about that day...a lot lately." 

He takes a deep breath and continues, "...Kristina, I fell in love with you that day. I thought then that we would be together forever, but now I feel like I'm never going to see you again. You're going off to college soon, and I'm going to be stuck here by myself." 

Wait, what did he just say? Did he say, "fell in love?"

I can feel my heart beating faster. 

Oh my God, please say he's not doing this! 

He continues, "...I just feel like this is my last chance to tell you how I feel. So..." He takes another deep breath, and I shake my head hoping he'll stop. But, he continues, "I just want to you to know that when I told you that I didn't like you that night on your porch, it's because I don't like you. ...I love you. I always have."

I am completely speechless. I don't know what to say. I choke out, "Ryder...please don't do this. I can't..." Ryder looks up at me with the most honest expression I have ever seen on his face, "I know...I just had to say it..." 

Then, he mutters, "Fuck it," and he puts his arms around my waist and kisses me on the lips. I let him kiss me for a fraction of a second, and then I come to my senses and push him off.