October 1998

I remember the day Zacky brought home his new girlfriend.

Her name was Laney Marcelo, and she was a dainty little thing. Overall, my older brother seemed to be very taken with this girl. When he thought they were alone, Zacky would run his fingers through the electric blue streak in her hair, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He swore up and down that that was all they did, but I didn't believe him. I was fourteen. I wasn't stupid. I knew what they did when Zacky took her into his room and closed the door. I knew that my brother lost his virginity to Laney because I heard him bragging to his friends about it.

It was during one of these times when Zacky was bragging about his sexual exploits that I learned that Brian had a girlfriend. To say I was heartbroken was an understatement. Two years I'd been pining over this boy, and he chose another woman? It just wasn't fair.

"Oh, quit bitching about it, Senoma," Raury said. Today was destined to be yet another lazy afternoon spent lounging on my bed, metal music oozing from the speakers. And since Raury and I had aged a bit, enough to call ourselves teenagers, our conversations consisted of one thing. Boys. And since my boy of choice had a girlfriend, I complained about it every chance that was given to me. This got on Raury's nerves, and she voiced it often. "Brian's got a girlfriend. So what?"

"So I love him, Raury!" I exclaimed. She should know this. After all, wasn't it she who a year ago had burst into my brother's band rehearsal and blurted this to the whole world? "I don't want Brian to have a girlfriend unless it's me."

"Well, it's not you," Raury reminded me. "It's Michelle. So get over it."

"And how exactly do you propose I do that?" I asked.

"Find someone else to like!" Raury shouted jovially, bouncing on the bed a bit. "In fact, I know someone who likes you, and he told me he's gonna ask you out."

"Who?" I pressed, trying to hide the excitement in my voice. Just because I was in love with Brian didn't mean I could date someone else.

Raury smirked, showing off her rows of pristine white teeth. "Sorry Senoma, but I promised him I wouldn't tell."

"Ugh, I hate you," I grumbled. I lifted my pillow from its spot at the head of my bed and brought it down on my friend's face. She was probably lying; there was no other boy who liked me.

There was a slight rustle in the doorway, and both Raury and I looked up to see my brother Matt standing in the doorway, along with his new friend, Johnny Seward. Johnny was a bit shorter than my brother, with a mess of brown hair on his head and dark brown eyes. He shot me a soft smile, and when I returned it, his cheeks flamed.

"Senoma, can I borrow your--"

"No!" I shouted, cutting him off. I didn't care what it was my brother needed from me, he wouldn't be receiving it. This was because he had an extremely nasty habit of borrowing things from me and never returning them. My theory was that they disappeared into the abyss that was his bedroom. And so no longer was Matt allowed to touch any of my things. "Get out! Can't you see we're talking?"

Matt rolled his eyes, ones that were green just like everyone else in this family. Everyone but me, that is. "God, I think somebody PMSing. What do you think, Johnny?"

Johnny answered with a quiet, "Uh…" which wasn't really an answer at all.

I picked my pillow up and tossed it hard in my brother's direction. "Get out, Matt!" I screamed. "Leave me and Raury alone!"

"Fine, fine, I'm going," Matt conceded, holding his hands up in front of his face. "Gonna go talk to Brian and his girlfriend."

"Go the fuck away, Matt!" I shrieked, my eyes tearing up. Even Raury jumped at the utter loudness of my voice. It wasn't often I let my temper get this out of control. But Matt had gone too far; he'd breached my most sensitive feelings, and there would be hell to pay for that.

♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪

A little bit after my scuffle with Matt, I ventured downstairs to the kitchen for snacks, at Raury's request. Mother said this was what good hosts did for their guests. Fetching their refreshments and such. Which was why I was surprised to find Matt's friend Johnny rummaging through the pantry.

"Did Matt really make you come to get your own food?" I asked incredulously.

Johnny obviously hadn't known I was in the kitchen with him, as he startled quite visibly at the asking of my question. He pivoted around with a bag of potato chips in his hand and blushed a bit when he saw me. "Uh yeah, I guess he did," Johnny replied, his voice shaking a bit, although not enough to cause a stutter.

"He's so rude sometimes," I scoffed. I touched Johnny's forearm in a friendly way, and he froze. "I'm sorry."

"Yea…" Johnny half-agreed, rubbing his neck. "Listen Senoma, I have something I wanna ask you. And I totally understand if you say no, but I just wanted to ask you. You don't have to say yes or anything, I just-"

"Johnny," I said, raising my voice. He stopped ranting and stared at me with wide, brown eyes. Like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. "Your question?"

"Senoma, will you be my girlfriend?" Johnny asked quickly. I paused for a moment, needing a bit to comprehend what he'd just said. "Like I said, I totally understand if you wanna say no. 'Cause, ya know, we don't know each other that well. But I just wanted to ask you, 'cause I like you. A-A lot."

Suddenly I thought of Brian and his beautiful girlfriend. If he could date other people, why couldn't I? I looked up at Johnny, this boy I hardly knew, and smiled. "Yes Johnny," I replied jovially. "I will be your girlfriend."

♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪•♫•♪

I rushed into my room and slammed the door behind me. I slumped against my door and did all I could not to fall to the floor. I was so giddy right now. Because I had a boyfriend.

"Senoma, what's your issue?" Raury asked. Her brown eyes met my blue ones, and I could easily tell that she was confused at my behavior.

"I have a boyfriend!" I squealed. I ran over to my bed and leaped onto the mattress next to Raury.

"What the hell? Who?!" Raury gasped, sitting up straighter.

"It's Johnny," I answered, suddenly becoming shy.

Raury clapped her hands and cheered loudly. Now it was my turn to be confused. Why was Raury so happy that Johnny was my boyfriend? Was it just because she thought I wouldn't be pining over Brian? Or was it something else? "See, I told you that he was gonna ask you out!" she shouted, smiling like a maniac.

"Wait, Johnny is the guy you were talking about earlier?" I exclaimed. "He's the one who likes me?"

"Duh!" Raury said, punching my left upper arm. "If he didn't like you, why would he ask you out? So are you gonna go to the Halloween carnival with him?"

"I dunno," I replied, shrugging my slender shoulders. For some reason, the thought of going on an actual date with Johnny made me beyond insanely nervous. "I suppose so."

"Oh, you're gonna have such a good time!" Raury squeaked, clapping her hands again. "'Cause you know what happens at the Halloween carnival, right?"

"No," I denied, shaking my head.

Raury leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "It's where a lot of couples get to second base for the first time."

"Oh no," I breathed, shaking my head. Strands of my buttery blonde hair slapped me in the face, stinging my eyes and making them tear up. "I-I can't get to second base with Johnny!"

Raury rolled her eyes. I knew why she was so frustrated with me now. Raury had already gotten to second base. It was a boy named Eli Trepor, under the bleachers at a football game. While I stood only ten feet away, my best friend had let some gangly fourteen-year-old boy fondle her breasts. And it was no secret that she wanted me to catch up with her, as soon as possible.

"Don't be such a prude, Senoma," she grouched. "All you have to do is let Johnny squeeze your tits, and tada! You've officially gotten to second base, just like ninety-five percent of the eight grade already has."

"Raury!" I admonished, slapping her arm. The way my friend talked shocked me at times. So blunt, she was. She always said what was on her mind, no matter what it was.

"Just do it!" she urged. "If you don't, Johnny might not want you to be his girlfriend anymore."

I sighed. I didn't want to lose my boyfriend that quickly. It had to last at least a week, which was forever in eigth-grade years. "Okay," I agreed. "I'll do it."

Notes