Magic in Costa Rica

Putting Out Fires

After school on Wednesday, I met Chris in the parking lot and we drove to his house to hang out. It was much more relaxed than our first date, probably because we were both a lot less nervous. We watched a few episodes of The Office, Chris' favorite show, while cuddling on the couch. Later, Mr. Stewart came home and we snuck into Chris' bedroom to be alone. There, we mostly chatted, trying to get to know one another, and made out a bit as well. I had never been the most confident person, as I had divulged to Mr. Miller and Carla the day of my mid-year conference, but in Chris' arms I felt beautiful.

He regularly interrupted our kissing to tell me how much he loved my hair, how my eyes were like the sea during a storm, or how my lips were as soft as rose petals. Yes, he was a tad overly-poetic at times, but it flattered me, and I certainly wasn't going to argue with him. I grew to love his flowery gestures, and although I wasn't the most romantic person on the planet, I eventually found ways to express my affection for him as well.

* * *

"You're amazing, Alma," Chris said one Sunday afternoon as we both reclined on his bed. I put my head on my favorite spot on his chest and sighed.

"You're not so bad yourself," I grinned. He laughed and stroked my hair.

"By the way, my dad's been begging for you to have dinner with us these past few weeks," he added. I groaned. "What? I think it could be fun."

"No, I'm sure you're right, it's just that- well, he's kind of my boss."

"I know, but he says he doesn't think of himself as your boss, that Laurie's the real boss. She manages all the staff and he oversees the bigger operation," he said.

"I guess that makes sense. Hey, can I ask you a question?" I looked up at him and he nodded. "What happened to your mom? Is she around?" Chris shook his head.

"Her and my dad got divorced when I was little and she moved to New York. Katie and I see her every few months but we don't really have a relationship. Laurie is more like my mom than she ever was."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. How can I be sad about the loss of a person who never really existed to me in the first place? I have my dad, and I have my sister, and that's all I really need," he shrugged.

"Hey, are Laurie and your dad, like, a thing?"

"No, no way," he shook his head again. "She's just a close family friend. Anyways, what about you? Did your parents get divorced too?"

"Um, no. My mom actually died of a brain aneurysm when I was nine," I said, lowering my gaze. Chris' eyes widened in surprise.

"Alma, that's terrible. I'm so sorry."

"It-It's okay. It was a really long time ago." I looked at the clock. "I should get going, it's almost five and I still have to write my essay on Fahrenheit 451," I started to get up. Chris nodded and pulled his shirt back over his head.

"We did that book earlier this year."

"Really? What did you think? I loved it," I smiled, excited to talk books with him.

"I actually didn't really read it," he shrugged. "I just used Sparknotes. I'm not really into those kinds of books. More of a sci-fi guy."

"Oh," I said, disappointed. "Well, Ray Bradbury does a lot of sci-fi."

"Who's that?"

"The author?"

"Oh, right," he laughed. "Well, maybe I'll check it out sometime." He smiled and pecked me on the cheek. I moved my face to the right to meet his lips. He sighed and put his hand on the back of my neck to draw me closer. As we finally broke apart, he groaned.