reference a song, then it led
to a story or a fond memory or an interesting anecdote and those led to other
things and it would take a while before either of us remembered what we were
talking about in the first place.
Stephen insisted on giving me a ride home and we
agreed to return each other’s clothes once they’d been properly laundered… I
insisted mine be disinfected, too. As a joke, of course.
I’d been in Montrose for a little over two weeks
now, and this was by far the best day I’d had.
Hey Stephen
“Hey Stephen, I could give you fifty reasons why I should be the one
you choose…”
1. I like you.
Okay. You drive me crazy, but you’re crazy
fun, too. But I’ll never admit this to your face. And, yeah, just because a
girl likes you doesn’t mean you should like her back, but that sure puts me
above anyone who doesn’t like you. After all, you don’t really strike me as a
person who makes random bets.
I don’t even know when it hit me, but when
it did it hit me like a wrecking ball.
2. You like me.
You’ve said this several times. You kissed
me once. Tried to kiss me another time. You wanted to watch me undress. You
sure have a funny way of showing it, but you like me.
3. We have lunch every day.
And I don’t mean school days. You have
literally taken me out to lunch every Saturday and Sunday for the past four
weeks. You’ve also sat with me and Abigail every lunch time at our table even
if we basically insult you the whole time. That must speak of your
determination and our familiarity.
4. We both love The Beatles.
I especially love Paul. You especially
love John.
5. My disdain for the students of Vroncourt is matched only by your
disdain for the students of Vroncourt.
It might also be matched by their disdain
for me and the girls’ love of you.
6. As you said yourself, I don’t fall all over you the way so many
other girls do.
Abigail really wasn’t kidding when she
said you were kind of a stud around here. I’ve literally seen about ten
different girls ask you out. Some of them have asked twice. Thrice.
7. I’ve probably suffered ten times the amount of milkshakes to my face
for being so close to you, but it hasn’t deterred me in any way.
You’re always there to help clean up the
mess. You even bring me extra shirts just so I won’t get into trouble.
8. You still have my polo and tie. You even wore them to school once,
despite how tight it was, just to mock me.
The girls were especially attracted to you
that day. I guess they liked the whole tight shirt look on you.
9. I still have your Beatles shirt, and, while I’m very ashamed to admit
this, I hug it every night.
I’m not intending to return it, either. It
looks better on me, anyway. And I still have some of your other polos. I
sometimes wear them to school in place of my own. You’re the only one who
notices, and we laugh about it.
10. We both love pranking Abigail.
I mean, I love her but I also love her
reactions. I especially liked the one where we put a bunch of jumpy springs in
her locker and she got so startled the moment she opened her locker.
11. You don’t have a mind for mean jokes the way the students of
Vroncourt do. No foul play. Just fun. I like.
12. You drive me home every day even if Vroncourt is just five minutes
away from my house by walking.
13. My sister likes you.
I might even say she has a little crush on
you, except that she has a boyfriend now, Mark. He’s alright. I know you’ll
beat him up for me if he ever breaks her heart.
14. My father likes you.
15. You and my father actually get along pretty well.
You were perfect at dinner that one night.
You insisted on staying, and so did my father. You insisted on cooking without
any help from any of us. How did you