Part 21 (2/2)
”No,” I said sternly. ”Jack is not my dad.”
Bitterness rose up in my nostrils and came out in a frustrated sigh.
Lexus noticed and said, ”Whatever! No time for grudges against your mom and dad just because you got grounded last week. Cute boy is coming over!”
”Yeah,” I sighed. I tried to brighten my mood and not let Lexus see me upset.
”When he went to your school, did you guys spend a lot of time together?”
”Not really,” I said. ”We talked about writing sometimes after school.”
”Did you and John talk alone?”
I blushed.
”Yes. We were alone,” I admitted.
Lexus gasped and her eyes grew big.
She suddenly asked, ”How does he kiss?”
That question caught me off guard. I froze up. Inside, I knew that if I had ever been kissed, I would have told her. Outside, I tried not to let it show that I had never come close to kissing anyone. Not even once. The only kiss I'd ever gotten from someone that I loved other than my mother was when I'd let Jack kiss me at their wedding. My mind drifted to that happy time.
This wasn't real. This had to be one of Lexus' tests. The smile on her face was fake. It was like she was enjoying it. She knew I had never been kissed.
No. Lexus isn't like that, I told myself. She was just hoping that I might have stepped up to that level that she was way beyond. I had to convince myself that Lexus was not doing that to me.
”Are you okay?” she asked.
”He's good,” I said, giving her a fake smile.
For a quick second, I saw her mouth drop. She shut her mouth quickly enough to try to cover up her shock. She gasped wildly and shoved me playfully.
”Are you serious? You s.k.a.n.k! Why didn't you tell me?” Lexus asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't know what to say. The look on her face was different from any look I'd ever seen before. She was slightly smiling, and nervously pus.h.i.+ng her hair out of her face. She looked like she wasn't breathing.
”Are you okay, Lexus?”
Her smile grew wider.
”I'm fine. Come on. What are you going to wear?”
”This,” I said, gesturing to my outfit that was made up of simply blue jeans and a t-s.h.i.+rt.
”Uh, no,” Lexus said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me to my closet.
When James and John arrived, Lexus and I were in the living room, flipping through channels on the television. Nick ran to me and hugged me tightly.
”What's that for?” I asked him.
Without him having to say a word, James and John walked into the living room. Lexus stood up and walked over to John. She tugged his arm and said h.e.l.lo. Nickyroo still had his tiny arms around my waist. I gently pushed him away and then kissed him on the forehead.
”Have fun,” I told him before he and James ran off to play together.
”Hey, John,” I greeted.
”Hey,” he said. ”Have I been away that long? You look different.”
”No kidding. Is that my lipstick?” a voice said from the other side of the living room.
I looked over and saw my mom with her hands on her hips.
”No,” Lexus put in. ”It's my lipstick.”
”Mom, we were just messing around. I'll go wash it off.”
”No. Keep it on,” she said. ”You look nice, for once. Thank you, Lexus.”
Lexus smiled and looked over at me.
”See! I told you,” she boasted. ”You look great. I don't know why she didn't even want to look in the mirror to see for herself.”
I looked away from them, embarra.s.sed. I didn't want them there. I didn't even want to be there.
”Is something special going on?” John asked.
”No,” Lexus said. ”I think she looks nice.”
My mom said goodbye to us and then walked out of the living room.
”It's different,” John said.
”I'm going to my-” Without thinking, I started to leave.
Lexus grabbed my arm and hit John on his arm.
”So, are we hanging out? What do you guys want to do?” Lexus asked.
John's eyes lit up.
”I've got something to show you,” he said to me. ”Come on.”
He headed out the front door.
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