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I roll my eyes like she does anything else but praying.
I stop in front of her, my head bowed just like she always tells me to do. “Yes, mother.”
When she gets inside, instead of going to the kitchen, I sneak out of my window as usual. Nick’s already been waiting for me like he does all the time. My heart warms with the sight of his smiling face. Nick’s become a great friend to me, my only friend in my lonely life since we first met. I sneak out every chance to meet him, and he tries to teach me a few things if we can stay outside long enough. My mom says I’m homeschooled, but all she teaches me is the Bible and the things Nick tells me excites me so much more than God’s words.
Nick gives me a one-armed hug as soon as my feet hit the ground, catching me off-guard. He’s my best friend, and I like him, he makes me all giggly and happy, but I still am a little bit uncomfortable with his proximity. When he hugs me or kisses me on the cheek, my face turns pink. My heart beats so hard I’m afraid he’ll hear it.
Clearing my throat, I take a step back.
“I have something for you,” he says and walks somewhere behind me.
When I turn to watch him, there are flowers in his hand.
“So beautiful. Thank you.” I beam at him, and my smile fades as I sit on the ground.
“Nikki? What’s wrong?”
I shake my head, not knowing how to explain my thoughts. I remember how his friends made fun of him once because he was talking to me, playing with me. I remember watching him walking from school with his friends, laughing and having fun.
I don’t understand why he spends time with me, a freak’s freak daughter.
He must pity me.
“Why are you with me?” I blurt out.
“Because I miss you,” he answers without hesitation. I feel my cheeks heat up, but I suppress my smile.
“But why? You have friends, you go to school. You don’t need me,” I protest.
“I don’t have to need you to spend time with you, Nikki. You’re my friend, and I like you,” he says.
I don’t answer. I don’t know how to answer.
He reaches for my chin and lifts my head up to meet his eyes.
“I like you a lot, Veronica,” he says in a voice that warms me inside and out. And I want to kiss him.
No, I want him to kiss me.
I want him to kiss me like the boy kissed the girl a week ago as I was looking outside of my window.
On the lips.
Like he hears my thoughts, he leans closer to me. His lips touch mine slowly. His lips are warm and soft on mine. It’s a strange feeling as we just press our mouths together. It gives me tingles all over my body. He kisses me like he kisses my cheek, but it heats up my skin. I shiver like I’m cold, but I’m not. I feel warm, so warm.
When he finally leans back, I open my eyes. I don’t even remember when I closed them. He’s smiling. His cheeks are pink, and I’m su
re mine are too.
Then I hear a movement inside the house. I panic.
“Nick, you need to go. I don’t want my mother to see us.”
He stands up immediately. “Okay, let me help you up into your room,” he says and puts his hands around my waist, but before he lifts me up, he kisses me one more time quickly. “You’re the first girl I’ve kissed, Nikki,” he whispers.
I giggle. “You’re the first boy I’ve kissed, Nick.”
When I enter the room, I quickly wave at him, and hurry toward the kitchen, pretending like I’ve been cleaning the place… with a big smile on my face.
