More or Less

Although Lenny was blissfully blinded by her feelings for Erik, she was not blind to the dynamics of teenagers in high school.

Even if only one rumor was spread, it could change how everyone perceived you. It could then, seemingly, have the power to change you.

Rumors were going around that Erik and Lenny were a lot more serious than they actually were. It was evident to all the Blanesville High freshmen and sophomores that the pair was always together whenever they could be.

Through the calculating eyes of most of the students that saw Erik and Lenny holding hands and stealing glances between classes, with flushed cheeks glowing and flirtatious laughter hanging in the air between them, their actions looked to have risen from a deeply amorous nature. In fact, Erik and Lenny's relationship was still rather new and chaste. Their outward appearances told a different story, though.

Kelly Hughes was selected as Lenny's partner for a genealogy project in U.S. History class. Their teacher, Mr. Greene, thought it was a good idea for the students to delve into their own histories before digging any deeper into the history of their country.

Lenny and Kelly were both sat at a computer in the library. They were to spend the class period finding out the meanings of their surnames, tracing back to their origin and ethnicity, and also researching any additional information their families had given them about their family history.

All Kelly was interested in was the short history of Lenny and Erik, Fall 2017.

"How long have you two been going out now?" Kelly asked, sweeping the mouse back and forth and typing gibberish into a Word document, to avoid a curious look from Mr. Greene as he scanned over his class from time to time.

Lenny blushed and said, "It's been almost three weeks since he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"How did he ask you out?" Kelly hung on Lenny's every word.

In Kelly's eyes, Lenny was a girl that had a boyfriend. A real boyfriend. Lenny mystified and awakened new ideas in Kelly's mind and heart. Lenny loved how smart Kelly was and how comical, too. It was also nice to have a friend.

"We were in my bedroom. The first time he came over to my house. We were looking at the pictures on my wall, and that's when he asked me."

Kelly's mouth was open and her brows were up, as if she had just seen a tiny little kitten sneeze for the first time.

"What did he say? What did you say?"

"He asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend and then I didn't say anything. I just held his hand."

Kelly eyes grew wide. "Lenny, you are so...lucky."

"You think so?"

"Yes! Erik is gorgeous. He's not really my type, but I can appreciate his type." She giggled and continued, "His accent is adorable."

"You should hear him," Lenny smiled, "speaking in Danish. He frowns and his face gets all steely. Or, maybe it's just the way he gets when he is talking with his dad on the phone."

The two girls giggle under their breath. Kelly pops her head up above the monitor and quickly looks around. Mr. Greene is busy helping some students a few tables away.

"You know, you're being talked about all over school."

Lenny gave a little shrug and shook her head. She toyed with the star and moon charms of her choker and looked down at the table.

"Did Erik give that to you?"

"Oh, this choker, no? My brother gave it to me on my thirteenth birthday."

"Well, anyway, like I said, there's been talk about you two."

"What sort of talk?"

Both girls froze and then Lenny turned a page in her binder and Kelly typed in more gibberish. Once Mr. Greene had walked past them, they spoke in whispers again.

"I can't say it!" Kelly opened up a new window and typed in the surname, Cheng, into Google.

"Why are you looking up that name?"

"It was my grandmother's last name. She moved to the U.S. with my grandfather from the Philippines. Her father and mother were Chinese. Once she married my grandfather her surname became Flores. They had my mom and her three siblings. Then my mom married my dad. And the rest is history."

"Wow, you have a lot of work to do."

"You're my partner.  We're supposed to help each other."

"Well, my family history won't be as complicated as yours. We're mostly of English decent. My mother was adopted."

Lenny had already told Kelly about her parents and what had happened to them.

"I see," Kelly stopped typing and looked over at Lenny, "so you're a true mystery. Just as I suspected, Lenore Wakelin." She raised one eyebrow and her slightly almond-shaped brown eyes smiled playfully. "I can see what drew Erik to you after all."

"Oh, stop," Lenny rolled her smokey eyes, that morning she lined them in dark green liner and surrounded them with sepia eye shadow. "He's more a mystery to me than I am to him."

"Like I said, there's talk, Len."

"Would it do me any good at all to hear what this talk is all about?"

"I don't know, but I think you should hear it from a friend first."

Lenny let out a sigh and nodded, cuing Kelly to let her know.

Kelly swept her blanket of shiny and dark brown hair behind her shoulder and said, "They've all been saying that the two of you...are...having sex."

Lenny's heart sunk and she could feel her ears heat up instantly. Who were these people to say such things about her and Erik? Such things she had not even thought about yet.


***


"How is it that you are so quiet, Lenore?"

Erik took a strand of Lenny's bangs out of her eyes. They were getting longer and fell into her eyes sometimes.

Lenny's heart beat quickened as he swept her hair out of her face. The smallest touch from him was the sweetest touch to her.

She felt almost powerless then. She looked up into his clear blue eyes. She took a quick look at his full lips and then down to his arms as he moved behind her and held her close.

Her ocean of confidence that she was riding on in waves for the past few weeks, had totally disappeared after what Kelly had told her. There was a drought and it crushed her soul. She liked the new Lenny and she was sad to see her go.

"I heard a rumor about us."

"What are they saying about us?" Erik whispered in her ear.

"I can't say it."

He let go of her and stood before her.

"It can't be that bad," he searched her face and eyes, "Is it?"

"I don't know why it's so hard for me to just tell you."

He swept his blonde locks behind his ears and waited. Lenny's eyes blinked and she looked up at the trees above them. They were waiting for her brother to come pick them up after school. It was Friday and she had invited Erik over for dinner again. It was becoming a usual, weekly thing.

"Just say it, Lenny. Go ahead."

He held her hand and smiled. Lenny would do anything to see that smile.

"They said...we're...doing it."

"Doing it? What?" Erik grinned. He knew exactly what 'doing it' meant.

"Don't make me say it!" Lenny let go of his hand and spun around. She sat on a tree stump close to her, with heavy shoulders, her hands covering her face.

Erik crouched down to her level and removed her hands from her face."You're almost fifteen. It's perfectly fine to say the word sex."

"I suppose so. But I've never done it before."

"Does it make you mad that I already have?"

"No. We've already talked about that."

"Okay. Then why are you reacting this way to a rumor?"

"I want to know why they are saying that about us."

"We're a boy and a girl and we're going out. I don't think something like that could not be thought of, really."

"Ugh!" Lenny pried her fingers free of Erik's and stood up.

Erik stood up as well and sighed before saying, "It's not that bad. Some other rumor will come along and then everyone will forgot us, more or less."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"For whatever reason our peers have this idea about us in their minds. Now it has stuck. So just let it be."

Lenny balled her hands into fists and asked Erik, gravely, "Are you the one that spread the rumor?"

"No, of course not." Erik crossed his arms and looked away from Lenny's eyes.

Lenny knew she had to question him further, "Do you wish it would happen between us? What they are saying is happening between us?"

Erik faced her with annoyance in his oceanic eyes. He did not say a word.

"You do, don't you?"

"Lenny. Stop. You're reading too much into this."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"I don't think I am. I'm not ready to do that."

"I know you're not."

"But you wish that I were ready, don't you?"

"I would like to share that with you, of course, but I know you're not ready, and that's okay, too." Erik took some steps towards Lenny, but she backed away from him.

"Lenny, don't cry."

"We haven't even kissed yet, why would I want to have sex with you already, Erik? Why?""

"No, no. Come here," Lenny could not resist his arms anymore and she welcomed Erik's embrace. "My intentions stem from the same place as they have from the very beginning, Lenny. From love. Nothing more, nothing less."

Lenny wiped her eyes and sniffled. She looked up at him and asked, "What are you saying?"

He moved his hands down to her waist and bent his knees so his eyes were more level with hers, "I guess I am saying that I love you, Lenny."

New tears flooded her eyes then as she put her arms around him tightly and breathed into his hair, "I love you, too."














A/N:

Nothing more powerful than hearing those three words for the first time, huh?

LENERIK!!!
<3

I find it interesting, at least this has been my experience, that when talking about sex here in the U.S. it is seen as dirty and risque. Whereas, in other parts of the world, it's all a very natural part of life. Us Americans seem to be all wound up by it (though it screams at us in every possible way, through the media, through adverts, through everything) while other countries handle it differently.

Let me know your thoughts.

Gimmie a vote and/or a comment? :)
I love those.

I have attached "Transatlanticism" by Death Cab For Cutie. The song could mean different things to different people---to me, though, I think it's talking about new love. When it's all up in the air and our hearts are exposed and raw. It can be scary and sad and wonderful, all wrapped up together, or at least that's how I feel about it.

Thanks for reading!!!


Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top