Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)(30)

Is gorgeous like guys you see in black-and-white photos about CBGB’s heyday.

Despite #6, is clearly into ME.





CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT


I take my sweet frigging time getting ready Monday morning because as much as I want to see Ted—who finally responded to my email but with nothing concrete or specific about the hanging out we’re going to do this week—I still want to appear casual. I will not seem like the girl stalking her own inbox or replaying the fall formal’s kisses in her head as if they’re the winning touchdown after the Super Bowl.

But after dropping Ashley off at the middle school, I can’t avoid Edendale, since I don’t feel like another late slip, so I head over and park. A guy I barely know stares me down as I walk through the parking lot, and I have no idea what this is about, but it is not putting me in a casual mood.

“You were so awesome at the dance,” he says.

Oh!

“Thanks,” I say. It is the first of SIX TIMES I get to thank someone for a similar or even identical compliment just on my way to my locker. There’s even a random present from some anonymous worshipper in my locker! Someone shoved in a mix CD, somehow, and labeled in pretty great penmanship is a good array of songs from bands that all have kick-ass drummers, including Superchunk, Lightning Bolt, Flaming Lips, Wild Flag, the Descendants, and the Minutemen, and even some old-school stuff like the Who and the Velvet Underground. I love CDs, and I love gifts so, thank you, anonymous person. You’re awesome.

I don’t find Ted, but at least I can’t seem too forceful if I’m not all up in his face. The kissing might not even mean huge new perfect things! I kissed Garrick and Milo and nothing huge or new or perfect is going on with them. Sometimes kissing is just kissing, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

Especially with Ted.

“Riley,” Garrick greets me when I walk into chemistry. “I heard you guys were awesome. I’m sorry I couldn’t go.”

“We should have a video we’ll put up on our site soon,” I say.

“Also this week is less crazy if you want to hang out or something.”

“Sure,” I say, but then I think about Ted. “Though… maybe just to study.”

Garrick shoves his hair all around. “Did you hear something? About you-know-who?”

“Voldemort?” Why did I ask that? Riley, get it together. “Sorry, that’s stupid, just, no, what?”

He leans over and scribbles on my worksheet. I hung out with Sydney this weekend.

My brain is spinning. Okay, I was literally probably just about to stop whatever has been happening with Garrick, and now maybe that’s been taken care of for me. But is Garrick with Sydney again? When he could have me? Except, wait, no, things might really be happening with Ted. And of course there’s Milo who is so straightforward and uncomplicated and what you’d find in the dictionary under rock, if dictionaries used photos of cute guys to make points.

Mr. Landiss starts talking, so I pick up my pen. It’s okay. We weren’t official at all!

Garrick nods and leans over again. It just kind of happened, and I didn’t want you to hear from someone else. I was going to tell you in person and not at school if I could help it. I’m sorry. You’re great.

It’s OK! I write. WE ARE FINE! You are great too!

I think about telling him I was just about to end things anyway, but Mr. Landiss starts yammering about Bunsen burners, and of course Garrick’s taking attentive notes. And I decide things really are fine, and flash back to Friday night some more instead.

*

After school Ted’s at my locker for once.

“Hi, Riley,” he says.

“Hey, what are you doing now? After school, I mean. Are you busy?” I ask, then worry I’m being too eager after I was also the one to kiss him first. I’ve held off all day from acting too eager. “I mean, no big deal if you are, or if you aren’t but you have something else to do.”


Ted smiles like my babbling isn’t annoying. “Actually I have to intern at my mom’s office tonight.”

“Do you need a ride? I can take you.”

“I was going to say, I can be a few minutes late. So, a ride would be great, and we can maybe hang out for a while.”

I wonder if we’re going to spend those few minutes making out, but instead we end up at Silverlake Coffee. Ted’s quiet like he normally is, and it’s easy to believe I didn’t actually kiss him on Friday night. It’s even easier to believe he didn’t kiss me back. But when we get back into my car with our cranberry chais—which don’t really taste like cranberry or chai but are yummy regardless—I lean over a little and we’re kissing again. I know it’s not fair to compare, but when I’d kissed Garrick, it was like those kisses were Going Somewhere. But when Ted and I are kissing, it’s like the destination doesn’t even matter because every single moment seems like it couldn’t get better.

“I guess we should probably go,” he says during a pause. “I’m sorry. My mom got this whole internship set up for me to help with my college applications next year, and I don’t want to flake on it.”

“Your mom sounds really cool,” I say for some reason. After that I stay pretty quiet as we drive over to the office.