Graduation gift

June 2002

"His girlfriend walked up!" Alicia squealed.

"Ex! And yes I was so uncomfortable."

Sam was who I saw approaching and she had this evil smile on her face. For a second I inwardly freaked that maybe the rumor wasn't true and they were still in fact a couple.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sam practically yelled, OK now I'm really freaking did I just help a guy cheat?

"Sam, it's over you know you can't ask that," Cal said easing my nerves a little.

"We just broke up and you're already whoring around with, who is this anyways?" She threw her hand in my direction like she could care less about the answer. I know I wasn't a part of her cheerleading group but I had 2 classes with her this semester. How is it that some people stay so closed minded they only hang out with their crew all year. Sucks for them though when schools over and they aren't all taking the same path.

"Listen I should go, and it's Juliette by the way, I sat behind you in Mr. H's class." Don't know why I bothered to inform her, the look on her face showed she wasn't going to process that info.

"Wait Juliette," Cal called to me when I had managed to hop off the tramp as graciously as I could in this short tight dress. I turned around glad he was acknowledging me, I had been a little annoyed I was the one who had to introduce myself to the crazy ex.

"Listen," he was whispering which was weird. "I should probably have a talk with Sam but I don't have your number." I was annoyed he wanted to talk to her but I also still had a massive crush and the butterflies were break dancing in my stomach when he asked for my number. I entered it into his flip phone and turned around to see Sam was still on the other side of the trampoline with her arms crossed and a snotty look on her face. Funny I always thought she was one of the prettiest girls but now she just looked like a angry baboon.

"What are you going to do?" Alicia asked me bringing me back to the present. After I went back inside to the party I talked her into leaving early. The last thing I wanted to do was stick around. We were now in her basement hanging out on the couch with reruns of top model on in the background.

"It was so weird, like he asked for my number which was great but he also did it with his ex right there watching. Plus why'd he have to talk to her anyways?" I feel like I'd got what I wanted, his attention, but would Sam still be a problem?

"Well I saw the way he was looking at you and I think he's smitten!" I laughed, who says smitten. "Plus Kara says Alex told her he's thought you were hot forever he just also had a girlfriend."  Here we go again with he said she said. However I think with how quick it took us to start kissing maybe he has liked me. Or maybe we're just horny teens. Either way I was anxiously waiting his call.

His call didn't come that night or the next, or the next. I was starting to think he got back together with Sam. Which according to one of Alicia's friends, who works at Chipotle, said he saw them there the other day. But Alicia says she can't confirm if this was before or after Sunday's party.  

I was sitting at work on Friday afternoon counting down the minutes to 5 when my phone beeped. He's calling! I looked behind my back to see my boss was still in her office with clients and the door was shut.

"Hey," I answered it on the third ring, didn't want to appear too eager.

"Juliette I'm so glad you answered. Listen I've been a mess since Sunday night and need to see you, meet me at Saul's at 8?" Well that was quick and to the point. I quickly agreed and told him I had to go because my boss was coming.  It wasn't true but I panicked and didn't want to have any awkward silence. OK my high school crush just asked me out, I was inwardly dancing, whom I kidding I was dancing in my office chair.

As soon as the clock hit 5 I ran out of the office and headed straight home, calling Alicia on the way. Not everyone in my school had a cell yet, most but not all and with having a pretty decent job for a teen I was lucky enough to have a new model. Little did I know in barely anytime everyone would have one and my model would quickly be outdated but for now I was pretty impressed by my Sanyo flip phone. It had a camera feature, which to an 18 year was awesome. Alicia picked up right away and I told her to be at my house in ten.

We went through my closet and debated on what I should wear. I already used my best dress at the party so that was out.

"Alie! This is so major I mean I know I'm getting ahead of myself but he could be the one, I mean what are the chances we are both going to San Diego!"  I dropped dramatically onto my bed, ah being a teenager when we can get away with being melodramatic.

"Yeah well I think you should just ask him to marry you tonight then." She said laughing.

"I'm serious,  when we kissed all I wanted to do was take him then and there and you know how I feel about kissing." I had this thing about kissing, out of the guys I've kissed if I wasn't supposed to be with him I always felt sick to my stomach and creeped out after a kiss. If I didn't feel that way then I knew my feelings were real.

"I haven't felt good about a kiss since Jacob." Jacob was the brother of my childhood friend Amanda. He was kinda geeky and I knew he had the hots for me since forever. He and his sister came to visit when we were 13 and after talking about our dreams (yes 13 year Olds have dreams!) we kissed. We were in my backyard and his sister had gone inside. I don't know why but somehow we were kissing and I wasn't hating it. We broke the kiss quickly though when Amanda opened the screen door and was coming back out. We didn't kiss again or talk about it and they flew back home the next day. Guess where he lives, yep San Diego, haha of course. But we haven't talked in a couple years and per his sister he's pretty serious about his high school girlfriend.

I settled on a summer dress and began putting on makeup. After I was satisfied with my cat eye liner I grabbed my Jean jacket and left with Alicia to Saul's. She was going to the arcade next door with some of our other friends. Saul's was a deli style restaurant,  you order at the counter and grab a number. When I walked in I quickly spotted Cal, he was sitting at a corner booth and already had a number.

"Hope you like roast beef because I already ordered you a sandwhich."  I didn't I actually hated beef but I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I just smiled. Dinner went pretty nice we were able to keep a conversation going smoothly and he never brought up Sam. Which there was a part of me that wanted to know what happened after I left the party.

"Wanna come with me to a special spot?" Cal asked me. I was curious where he was talking about so of course I agreed. I got in his pickup and anxiously waited as he drove. He was driving to school which was weird but ok. Parking by the field we got out and he grabbed my hand. He lead me onto the baseball field and we sat down against the wall facing third base.

"I come here when no one's around to just think." Ugh I loved that he had a spot for his thoughts.

"Mine's usually the park, I'm probably the only creepy teenager who stalks the swings waiting for a 5 year old to get off." We both laughed and that's when he leaned in stroked my cheek and kissed me. He deepened the kiss quickly and before I knew it his hand had made its way up the skirt of my dress. It was a flowy sundress so it wasn't hard for him to lift it up enough to cup my breast. My heart was beating and he tasted so good I didn't want him to stop. We were out in the open it's not like he'll try to steal home right here, right? He took off my jacket and rolled it up then leaned my head down onto it. He started kissing me again and he shifted from sitting down to practically laying on top of me. OK um...I don't want to do it right here. Mm I moaned but this did feel great. His hands found their way back up my dress and as soon as he touched my thong I pushed him up.

"I don't want to do it here!" I gasped suddenly feeling embarrassed I looked down and adjusted my dress. 

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to freak but.." I looked up at him and that same look from last week was back but quickly he changed it to a small smile.

"Juliette, I would never want you to do something you don't.  Is it about being out here because I've got some blankets in the truck we could pick this up in the bed." He said this and started nibbling on my ear.

"Um...I don't want to go there either."

"Juliette have you ever...?" He asked, luckily his tone didn't come across judgey but I still felt embarrassed.

"No, I mean it's not like I don't want to but I've never really dated more then like a month and I mean I'm not like ancient," I was fumbling my words. I just didn't want my crush to think I was a prude.

"Juliette you don't have to explain yourself,  you're cute," he said chuckling.  "Listen I get it let's take this slow, but just so you know I want this to be something, like will you be my girlfriend? " oh my gosh did he really just say that! I'll ignore how many times he said 'like' tonight also because he's just too hot. 

"Yes of course," I said smiling too big not to look like a giddy school girl.

"It's perfect, you go out to California the end of this month and I'll be there in August." Now he was the one smiling all big,  those dimples!

We spent the rest of the night in his truck making out. Best graduation gift I could ask for!