The Meeting Closet
Our eyes met again. It kept happening. If we kept it up, Gloria would find out.
I had been with Gloria for two years. She was the captain of the girl’s lacrosse team. We were the perfect high school couple and everyone looked up to us. But I didn’t love her. I’m not even sure I found her attractive. Even now, my skin crawled where our palms met. I grimaced across the room at Thomas. He chuckled softly as his eyes met mine. Again.
“Alex! Are you even listening to me?” Gloria screeched, her whiney voice so unlike Thomas’s soft baritone I cringed, the urge to cover my ears coming in waves. I pulled away from her vice-like grip.
“I’ll be back,” I said, not looking at her. I gestured towards the hallway with my eyes to Thomas. He left before me, and I went in the opposite direction, circling around until I got to our usual meeting closet. He was already waiting for me.
“Thomas!” I launched myself into his arms. When I was with him, I didn’t care that I was a 6’4” Colombian who was the captain of the lacrosse team. I was smitten with this 6’0” blonde Australian exchange student, and I was going to giggle and nuzzle him.
“I missed you.” He whispered. I started crying.
I hated that I forced him to watch me with someone else, and that I couldn’t even go protect him with the other guys made fun of him. I apologized for all of this without speaking, and, from the he stroked my back soothingly, I knew he understood.
“Shh, Alex. It’s okay.” He whispered. And then he kissed me. It felt like any other time. Except this time it was different.
I poured all my love and apologies into this kiss, and I felt all the love and forgiveness he gave back. Thomas is such a great person, and he deserved better.
As he held me and soothed me until my tears stopped, I made a decision.
“Let’s go.” I whispered as the bell rang.
We stood and I squeezed his hand. When he tried to pull away, I squeezed tighter.
“Are you sure?” he asked when my hand touched the doorknob. I squeezed his hand again as I opened the door.
The door swung open and we stepped out, fingers intertwined tightly. Time seemed to stop as everyone froze and stared at us. And at the front of the crowd, stood Gloria.