The Art of Life (23 page)

               
Jeremy walks in and looks
around.
 
“Wow, your house smells so
clean.”

               
“That’s what I spent the morning
doing,” I reply.
 
“I got my homework done
and then was really bored.”

               
“It’s called watching TV.”

               
Shutting the door, I roll my
eyes.
 
“I don’t watch a whole lot of
television.
 
Anyway, it’s Saturday, there
is nothing on.”

               
“Well, go get ready,” Jeremy
orders, ushering me with his hands.
 
“We
have stuff to do.”

               
“Okay, give me a minute.
 
In the meantime, the TV is in there and the
remote is on the coffee table.
 
Entertain
yourself.”

               
With a grimace, Jeremy replies,
“I am going to lie down.
 
My head hurts.”

               
“Too much
partying last night?”
I ask, laughing.

               
“I didn’t do a whole lot of
drinking, just not enough sleep,” he moans, walking into my living room.

               
I follow him and point out,
“It’s two in the afternoon.”

               
“Yeah, the guys didn’t leave
until 5 this morning.”

               
My jaw drops.
 
“What in the world were you doing until five
in the morning?”

               
“Ugh, a ton of
stuff.
 
We went out to the bars
for a while,
then
went to Kent’s girlfriends.
 
She kicked us out at 2:30.
 
So, we went back to my place, where we played
video games and looked up girls on the internet.”

               
“Why were you looking girls up
on the internet?” I slowly inquire.

               
That seems to be funny, because
Jeremy chuckles.
 
“Well, we were playing
this video game where there is this hot babe as a character, and we were
arguing about who would play the live action character.
 
So, we went on the internet and looked up
women who could play her.
 
It was such a
hard chore.”
              

               
“Oh jeepers,” I groan.
 
“Men, I tell you, only one thing on their
mind.”

               
“They were clothed!” Jeremy
yells, trying to defend himself.
 
“I left
the room when they started to look up naked pictures.”

               
Snorting, I reply, “Sure you
did.”

               
“No,” he emphasizes.
 
“I swear I did.”

               
“Well, that’s good, but I am
going to get ready.
 
Take a nap.”

               
Jeremy falls onto the couch and
says, “Not a problem.”

               
I just shake my head and go back
upstairs.
 
I decide to use the flat iron
that dries your hair.
 
Much to my
excitement, it actually works!
 
I go back
and forth on if I want to try and do my make-up.
 
I haven’t done it since I saw Debbie.
 
No time like the present I guess.
 
Very carefully, I put it on.
 
After I am done, I look at myself.
 
Hey, I look pretty good, bonus!

               
It’s when I get to my closet
that I frown.
 
My wardrobe really needs
help.
 
I grab a pair of jeans and a
shirt.
 
Hair looks great, clothes look
stupid.
 
Awesome.

               
When I make it downstairs, I
find Jeremy sleeping on the couch.
 
I
kind of stand there and stare at him.
 
He
looks very peaceful, and
ummm
cute.
 
I have to stop thinking these things!
 
You don’t need to drool over him
Isabelle.
 
He is your friend!
 
Walking over to him, I cross my arms.
 
How do I wake him up?
 
Bending over, I carefully touch his shoulder.
 
“Jeremy,” I whisper.

               
Suddenly, he pulls me down on
top of him and starts tickling my sides.
 
I scream, because I am REALLY ticklish.
 
He finally stops and just holds me.
 
“So, now I know what I can do to torture you.”

               
“I thought you were sleeping,” I
state, trying to get out of his grip, but he keeps holding on.

               
“I was.
 
I just sensed you when you bent over.
 
I am quick like a ninja.”

               
Laughing, I turn and look down
at him.
 
“Are you going to let me go
now?”

               
“Do I smell bad or something?”

               
Bending over, I smell his
shirt.
 
Oh
my gosh
…he
smells so good.
 
“Nope,” I finally
stutter.
 
“You don’t stink.”
 
You smell awesome.

               
He lets me go and we sit up, me
falling to the side to sit next to him.
  
“So,” Jeremy says, “What are our plans for today?”

               
“I didn’t know what you had
planned,” I reply.
 
“If we have free time,
I am supposed to call Eric.”

               
With a look of bewilderment,
Jeremy exclaims, “What!?
 
When did this
happen?”

               
“He gave me a ride home
yesterday and asked what I was doing this weekend,” I mumble.

               
With a thoughtful look, Jeremy
asks, “Would you rather do something with him?”

               
I think about that for a minute
and then shake my head.
 
“Not really, my
mom gave me money to go clothes shopping, so I kind of want to do that.”

               
“Oh, sweet, yeah we can go to
the mall.
 
I am going to call Cassandra
though, if that’s what we are doing.”

               
“Who is Cassandra, another
girlfriend?” I question hesitantly.

               
A quizzical look passes over
Jeremy’s face and he answers, “Its Kent’s girlfriend.
 
Why?”

               
“I don’t know,” I spit out
quickly, shrugging my shoulders.
 
“I am
trying to keep the girls straight.”

               
“Ouch,” Jeremy says, grabbing
his chest.
 
“I am not that bad.”

               
That makes me laugh.
 
“I didn’t say you were.
 
If I had your looks, I would probably have a
lot of boys to talk to, too.”

               
“I know,” Jeremy replies,
shaking his head.
 
“I have so many guys
to talk to.”

               
“You know that is not what I
meant,” I snap, pushing him.

               
He comes back and pushes me
down, pinning me to the couch.
 
“I can’t
help that my god given good looks are just too much for people to bear.”

               
“Oh geez,” I groan, wiggling out
from underneath him.
 
I, of course, fall
to the floor.

               
“Is it so bad to be touching me,
that you force yourself on the floor?
 
I
am starting to think you feel as though I have cooties or something.”

               
Giggling, I say, “Yeah, boy
germs,
eewww
!”

               
“Well then,” Jeremy yells, as he
climbs down on top of me.
 
He starts to
kiss me all over my neck and face.
 
I
squeal.
 
Finally, he licks me up my
cheek.
 

               
“Gross!” I yell, “Get off of
me!”

               
He chuckles against my
neck.
 
“You taste sweet.”

               
“Nasty, Jeremy,” I say, trying
to push him off of me.
 
Finally, I give
up.
 
“What am I going to have to do to
get you off of me?”

               
Lifting himself up over me,
Jeremy looks to the side like he is thinking.
 
“Kiss me.”

               
“What!?”
I exclaim.
 
“WHY!?”

               
With a devilish look, Jeremy
replies, “I haven’t filled my kissing quota for the week.”’

               
“You couldn’t find any girls to
kiss last night?”

               
“Not anyone I would kiss,” he
states.
 
“I want to see what you do if
you kiss back.”

               
I stare up at him, open my mouth
and then close it, not knowing what to say.
 
“Do you often go around kissing your female friends?”

               
A sad look suddenly passes over
Jeremy’s face.
 
“No, I just wanted to see
if you were a good kisser.
 
Never mind.”

               
“I think it would put me under a
lot of pressure if you were like, hey, I am going to kiss you right now, and I
want you to kiss back.
 
Then I would
falter and would be a bad experience on both sides.”

               
Suddenly, Jeremy’s lips are,
once again, on mine.
 
This time it is a
different kiss.
 
It makes my heart stop
beating.
 
Without thinking about it, I
kiss him back.
 
I get lost in it.
 
Finally, he pulls away. “Wow, Izzy, you are
going to make a guy really happy one day.”

               
“Uh huh,” is all that I can
muster up after that.

               
Jeremy looks down at me.
 
It looks like he is going to say something,
but stops himself.
 
He lifts himself off
of me, and stands up.
 
I just lay there,
staring off into space.
 
Jeremy thrusts
his hand out.
 
“Let’s go.”

               
“Okay,” I happily sigh.
 
I grab his hand and he pulls me up.
 
“So,” I stammer.
 
“Are you going to call this Cassandra girl?”

               
Snapping his fingers, Jeremy
says, “Yeah.”
 
He reaches into his pocket
and pulls out his phone….his really expensive phone.
 
Okay, now I am starting to think he really is
robbing banks.
 
Where in the world does
he come up with the money for this stuff?
 
I watch him dial a number and wait.

               
His eyes drift over to
mine.
 
It’s as though they watch me
carefully.
 
Suddenly, his attention is
snapped away.
 
“Hey
Cassandra, its Jeremy.
 
What are
you doing right now?”
 
There is a pause,
and then he says, “I need your help.
 
Can
I borrow you for a few hours?” Another pause, “Really, I am not paying
you.
 
So are you in or not?”
 
He looks at me and winks.
 
“Alright good, we will pick you up in fifteen
minutes.
 
Okay, bye.”

               
“So, are we all set?” I ask.

               
“Yup,” Jeremy replies.
 
“Let’s go.”
 
He nudges his head toward the door.
 
I follow, grabbing my house keys as we leave.
 
Turning around, Jeremy tosses me the car
keys.
 
“You are driving!”

               
With a groan, I say, “Come
on!
 
There is going to be someone else in
the car!
 
Someone who I don’t know!
 
This is going to be embarrassing!”