When Alyssa handed me your note the next hour, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I knew you were expecting a positive answer, but I had just promised Emma I would go with her. At the time, the only person in the world I wanted to ask me was you, and you did. I had planned on telling you everything right after school, but I couldn’t bring myself to. It was what I wanted more than anything. Besides, who knew, maybe something would happen and Emma would change her mind.
I began to panic that weekend when I realized I would have to face you and tell you I couldn’t go with you. I couldn’t bear to have you ask me questions about morp. So I transferred out. After a couple of weeks, I knew it was too late to tell you we weren’t going together. I mean, it would’ve been useless and rude after so much time. (At least that is what I convinced myself.) It was stupid, I know. It was probably one of the dumbest things I have ever done. I am sorry for acting so immaturely or selfishly (as you put it) in that instance. For that I will apologize. But the rest, there is no apology. I did what I thought was best.
Take care,
Taylor
I couldn’t believe he didn’t think Alyssa liked Zack. She was crazy for him! I refused to even think about the rest of the letter at the moment, but in regards to Alyssa, I decided to set the record straight. How dare he decide if someone likes someone or not! Ooh! I clicked the reply button and started to type. After I deleted three different greetings to Taylor, I finally decided not to include one.
From: Chloe Hart chlo3hart@yahoo.com
Subject: Yesterday
For your information, Alyssa is shy. And just because she doesn’t want to talk about Zack in front of his best friend doesn’t mean she doesn’t talk about him in front of her best friends. She talks about him all the time! She still doesn’t understand what she did wrong. You know nothing about girls, Taylor. It baffles me that a guy who has been in as many relationships as you have, still does not understand the simple fundamental basics of women. How dare you say that one of my best friends was never in love with Zack! How dare you say that she did not care for him! You weren’t even there the day he broke up with her. I was. I saw the tears and grief from that girl. Why do guys think they have the answer to everything?
Chloe
P.S. Alyssa is not in a relationship, and she has most decidedly not moved on. Not that that little fact will fix anything, but I wanted to set the record straight.
Twenty
Valentine Surprises
I never got a reply from Taylor, and after a couple of weeks, I gave up waiting for one. Obviously, the guy had said what he wanted to say. To say I was shocked over Blake’s past would be a serious understatement. After I read Taylor’s email over and over again, I was able to remember and piece together conversations with Blake that made more sense now.
I hated to admit it, but in my gut I knew Taylor was right. Blake was a villain—a nasty, despicable, horrid criminal. I was grateful for Taylor’s interference and warning Blake away from me. I couldn’t believe I’d blatantly disregarded and dismissed Taylor as a womanizer and found myself nearly in the snares of one. It was Blake’s stupid dimples. Guys should never have dimples. Okay, so it was more than that, and I knew it. Blake’s charming personality and flattering attention had drawn me in like a moth to a flame.
The irony of the situation was not lost to me. All along I had considered Taylor to be playing a game, while I was positive that Blake was serious about me, when in actual fact it was Blake playing the game, and Taylor was the one who was serious. Taylor? Taylor Anderson really and truly loved me. For three years he had loved me. That statement still continued to baffle me, no matter how many times I repeated the words in my head.
I couldn’t imagine how much he hated me now. I had said some pretty unforgiving things to him. I wouldn’t blame him at all if he never wanted to speak to me again. Not that I wanted to talk to him. I was convinced Taylor was still as conceited as ever—maybe not such a jerk, but definitely conceited. Of course, my opinion of him changed just a bit more on Valentine’s Day.
On Monday, Madison, Alyssa, and I were all in art class together when the florist arrived and delivered a package to Alyssa. It was the largest collection of roses I had ever seen. There had to have been at least six dozen red and white roses. The note attached just said one word, “Will.”
At first, we all thought a guy named Will had sent them, at least until the next delivery came about five minutes after the first. In walked a deliveryman carrying six extra-large heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates. The whole class freaked. The excitement and buzz that came from everyone as the man set them in front of Alyssa could’ve launched a rocket, it was so energetic. There was a card attached to the top box that read, “You.”
It didn’t take Madison, Alyssa, and I long to put the two words together, which was good, since the next deliveryman brought a dozen metallic, heart-shaped helium balloons. The front balloon was big and shaped like a bee. It was really cute. It was Madison who noticed the small note attached to the bee balloon that read, “Be.”
I had never seen a spread like the one on our table. Art was completely forgotten. Everyone in the class was anxious for the next delivery. Even Ms. Bailey was eager. She actually walked out and stared down the hall so she could see what would come next. We knew when the next delivery had made it into the building because Ms. B. got all flustered and ran back to her desk.
This time it was a gigantic white teddy bear that dwarfed the whole deliveryman. When he walked in with it, all we could make out were his two jean-covered legs beneath it. The bear had a large card wrapped around its neck with a ribbon. The front of the card read, “Mine?”
The guy carrying the bear walked cautiously into the room and then stopped. I looked down at his shoes and thought they looked familiar.
When I heard Alyssa gasp, I looked up to see Zack’s head as he peeked around the bear. Just then the whole room gasped, and I could hear exclamations of “Zack Bradford?” and “No way!” or “It can’t be!”
Alyssa’s chair scraped against the floor as she ran to throw her arms around Zack’s side. Immediately, he dropped the bear at his feet and scooped her up in a hug. He even spun her around and everything. The smile on her face could’ve outshone the sun. Then Zack did the most unbelievable thing ever. He set Alyssa’s feet on the ground and kissed her, right in front of the whole class and Ms. Bailey. It was awesome. We all hooted and hollered and caused such a disturbance that some students from the other classes came in to see what the commotion was about.
Thank you, Taylor Anderson. I was so happy for Alyssa, I almost cried. I looked at Ms. B., who was discreetly wiping at her cheeks. It would seem our teacher had a romantic side we never knew about.
Alyssa wasn’t the only one to be surprised on Valentine’s Day. Collin had also planned something special for Madison. Since Zack intended to drive Alyssa home—he let us know he was never letting her out of his sight again—Madison and I took off right after school. She was really excited and wanted to get changed before Collin got to her house. Apparently the time of the surprise wasn’t a surprise, because she knew he would be there at precisely 3:35.