Page 53 of I Kissed Shara Wheeler
“Wouldn’t be the first person she’s blackmailed,” Rory points out.
Smith rubs both palms over the back of his head.
“You could have told me before you asked Shara for help,” he says finally, softly. “My sister could have helped you. You know she’s good at that stuff. And I know everyone else we know has to be all no-homo about everything, but I kinda thought I’d made it clear we’re not like that. I mean, I showed you my Sailor Moon collection.”
“I know.”
“I told you I shared clothes with my sister until I was thirteen.”
Chloe leans in. “Quick question: necessity or preference?”
“It’s not like that,” Ace says, ignoring her. “You’re the only one I didn’t think would judge me. I was afraid of being bad.”
“Well, you’re not. You were pretty fucking great, actually.”
Ace grins at that, wide as ever, and he’s on a beach in Tahiti again, all palm trees and coconuts with tiny umbrellas. Chloe doesn’t know how he does it.
“Thanks.”
“Okay, well,” Rory says, apparently bored. He hops down from the stage. “Congratulations on being best friends forever. Can we go get the next note before seventh hour?”
“I don’t know where it is,” Smith says.
Rory sighs. “I do.”
The next card is in the football stadium. Shara’s tucked it inside a plastic sandwich bag to protect it from rain and taped it to the underside of a row of bleachers so high up that Chloe has to climb onto Rory’s shoulders to retrieve it. Rory looks and sounds like he’s about to snap in half from the effort.
“You know, you could have counted the rows, climbed up to that seat on the topside, and reached through the gap in the bleachers,” Smith points out as Chloe clambers down Rory’s back. “That’s probably how Shara put it there.”
“A suggestion we could have used two minutes ago,” Rory grunts.
Smith shrugs, clearly fighting a grin. “Yeah, but it was fun to watch.”
Hi, Rory & company,
There was a football game last fall that got postponed due to lightning. They tried to play, but by the end of the first quarter, everyone was soaked, and nobody wanted to be out there anymore. Smith, I met you right here, under the bleachers, and I kissed you . On the drive home, you looked out through the rain at a red light and told me it was the first time in a long time that it felt right.
It’s so stupid how my dad makes students work for free at the concession stand as a form of detention, isn’ t it, Rory? You looked miserable, and that was before you even saw me kiss Smith right in front of you. I know you saw, because I knew you were there, watching the same way you watch from your bedroom window, turning away every time somebody looks.
Jealousy is a funny thing. We spend so much of high school consumed by it, hating that another person has something we don’ t, wishing we could taste what it’ s like to be them. To take that feeling out of your hands for a second and pass it to someone else is a relief.
So, I guess that’ s why it felt like I meant it.
XOXO
S
P. S. Chloe, I would offer you a basic question with a simple solution, but I know that wouldn’ t satisfy you. Still, it might be fun to see your reaction.
Smith, who finally seems to be nearing his limit, turns to Rory when he’s done reading.
“Where did you find the first note?” Smith asks him.
Rory frowns. “What?”
“The first note y’all showed me from Shara. It was for you, wasn’t it? Where was it?”
The question must catch Rory off guard, because he doesn’t hesitate before admitting, “In Shara’s bedroom.”
