Rebel at Spruce High

I tilt my head towards his. The sides of our foreheads touch, near the temples. “What were you before?”

“Price.” He starts picking at his fingers. “Toby Price.”

“Hmm. You don’t look like a Price.”

“I don’t look like a Michaels, either.”

“You miss him? Your dad?”

“I don’t even know him. He clearly didn’t give a crap about me to stick around or even write a single letter. Do people even still do that?” he asks suddenly. “Write letters? Like, with their actual hands and a pen and a piece of damned paper? My life could be so different. The only things I do remember about him were … good. He let me paint all over his garage with finger paints as a child.” He lets out a derisive snort. “I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have told me I needed to join a sport to become a real man.”

I wrinkle up my face. “Your stepdad said that to you?”

“More than once. Is he right?” Toby turns his face towards mine even more. For a second, we’re in danger of kissing again. “Should I join a sport?”

“You do what you want.” I consider him for a moment. “You’d look cute in a little soccer uniform.”

“Would I?” A smile breaks over his face. “Cute. ‘Cute’. That’s a word I sure never expected to hear come outta your mouth.”

I shrug, then imitate his accent: “Well, shoot, maybe you’re rubbin’ off on me, gosh dang it.”

Toby scoffs at me. “I don’t sound like that.”

I dive in for a surprise kiss. He melts against me. I dig my arms underneath him and wrap him up into a tight embrace as I deepen the kiss. I knew this would happen. I can’t get enough.

When it ends, Toby stares at me drunkenly. “You gotta warn me next time you go in for one of those! I’m out of breath!”

I snort. “So what do you think, huh? If you join a sport, I’ll join with you. We’ll be teammates.”

Toby stares at me dubiously. “Uh … sorry, the last thing I can picture is you joining a team with me. When would we do this?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t there some swim club or something in the spring? Think about it. I miss the California beaches. You swim, but can never manage with the overrun Spruce pool full of pee in the summer.” I shrug. “Isn’t it perfect? It’s not really a sport, anyway. It’s more like a recreational time-burning love affair.”

“Tell that to the actual swim team,” he sasses back, and I cut him off with another kiss, once again unable to hold back.

This kiss deepens more than the others. It isn’t long before I drag a hungry hand down to his ass, cup it greedily, then slide it around to the front to explore somewhere else.

His hand reaches down and stops mine, his eyes wide, the kiss abruptly ended as well.

“Sorry,” I mumble, staring into his wide eyes.

“I-It’s okay,” he blurts, laughs it off, then turns serious. “I … I just want to, uh … take it slow.”

“Slow?” I remove my hand and settle on the bed next to him, propped up by an elbow. “Alright. We don’t have to do anything.”

“I mean, I want to do things.” He bites his lip. “I want to do all the things. Just—”

“Not right away. Not tonight.”

“Right. Is that okay?” he asks suddenly.

I give him a look. “Of course it is. I’m not about doing anything you don’t want to do. You shouldn’t have sex with a guy until you’re ready. I’m a patient guy,” I insist. I’m not even sure if that’s true, but I’ll practice patience for as long as Toby wants. “Besides, sex isn’t everything. And in the end, it isn’t what matters.”

“The way we were kissing, it felt like we did have sex.”

I quirk an eyebrow. “Uh … are you trying to tell me you made a mess in your pants or something?”

Toby laughs one of his adorable, squeaky laughs, then elbows me harshly, causing me to smirk. “No, that is not what I’m saying. It’s just …” He lets out a cheery sigh of delight. “I’m on cloud ten-hundred or somethin’ right now.”

The base of his ceiling fan looks unsteady as the blades spin, wobbling even on the low setting. “Can that crash down on us?” I ask, voicing my random thought.

“Is this really what I’ve been missin’ out on?” he goes on. “I’m not trying to be overdramatic here, but … I just … I can’t believe the way I feel right now. I’m … I’m on top of the world here.”

If there was ever a way to puff up my chest and make me feel like a champion, Toby’s reaction right now is it. “Well, there’s sure a lot more you can do with a mouth than kiss. I know,” I blurt the moment Toby starts to say something. “We’re taking it slow. Don’t worry. I’m not pressuring you. I said I can wait.”