Eleventh Grade Burns(25)

Beside him, Melissa and Henry were mashed together in a make-out session that wasn’t quite hidden by Henry’s open locker door. Two teachers had passed by and said nothing to the slobbering couple. Vlad frowned, hoping they’d get caught. It wasn’t that he wanted Henry to get in trouble, but it seemed at least a little unfair that he and Meredith had gotten caught and subsequently punished after innocently kissing in a broom closet last year, but Henry and Melissa were practically swallowing each other in public and nobody seemed to care. Just one of the perks of being popular, Vlad surmised. Still, it was annoying.

A girl that Vlad didn’t recognize walked by, raising an eyebrow at the attached couple. Vlad smirked and jabbed a thumb at them. “Zombies. Can’t you tell?”

The girl laughed and walked away, and Vlad’s shoulders straightened just a little.

Finally, likely because they remembered they needed to breathe, Melissa and Henry parted. It sounded a bit like two suction cups being pulled apart.

Henry breathlessly whispered, “About tonight . . .”

Melissa pulled a small compact mirror from her purse and slathered on some lip gloss, shaking her head. “Sorry. Gotta cancel. But maybe Friday. I don’t know.”

Vlad watched Henry’s ego visibly deflate. It was all he could do to bite his tongue.

As Melissa wandered off to join her friends—Meredith included, Vlad couldn’t help but notice—Henry muttered, “So, Friday then.”

After debating whether or not he should let him spend the rest of the day like this, Vlad decided that he couldn’t stomach the barrage of high fives that would inevitably accompany Henry all the way to class, so he said, “You’ve got lip gloss on your cheek, dude, and Passion Pink is not your color.”

Henry’s mood clouded as he rubbed the pink shiny stuff away with the heel of his hand. To Vlad’s immense surprise, he said, “I’m thinking of breaking up with Melissa.”

Vlad just stared at him, hoping that it wasn’t some kind of sick joke. “Really? Why?”

Henry retrieved his English book and shut his locker door. “I feel like she’s using me. All she wants to do is make out when we’re together, which is great and all, but that’s it. Nothing else. No talking. No spending time getting close. Just ... kissing.”

Vlad snapped his mouth shut. Far be it for him to point out the irony to Mr. Make-out-with-any-girl-who’s-willing-and-then-dump-them-right-after. When Henry looked at him, seeking his opinion, Vlad just nodded supportively.

Henry wasn’t buying it. He wrinkled his brow in suspicion. “What is it?”

Vlad shook his head. “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t have to say anything for me to know something’s up. I may not be a mind reader like some people, Vlad, but I know when you’re hiding something. What gives? You think I should reconsider?”

“No!” Vlad backtracked in an attempt to hide his joy at Henry’s decision to break it off with Melissa, which wasn’t easy. “I mean, no, that’s not it at all. I just ... well ... Henry ... haven’t you noticed that you tend to treat girls exactly how Melissa is treating you now?”

Henry stared at him blankly.

Vlad ran a frustrated hand through his hair, brushing his bangs from his eyes. “You’ve probably kissed three-quarters of the girls here at Bathory High, Henry, but have only really dated one. Do you see what I mean?”

Henry nodded with confidence. “I’m a good kisser.”

“No.”

“Trust me, I am.”

“That’s not what I mean, Henry.” He took a deep breath and restrained the urge to strangle his best friend. “I’m just saying that ... look, does it hurt when Melissa wants to kiss you but not spend time getting to know you, even though you want to get to know her and just be with her?”

“Well, yeah.” Henry used the same tone he always used to say “Well, duh.”

Vlad waited for Henry to piece together the logic in his mind. When he didn’t, Vlad said, “Did it ever occur to you how many girls you’ve made feel the same way you’re feeling now?”

Henry stood there for a moment, blinking. Then his shoulders sank, and all the puzzle pieces slowly fit together for him. “Oh.”

Vlad slapped him on the back. “Chew on that awhile, Romeo. I’m late for mythology. We’ll have to explore this new revelation in our next session.”