The next morning

"Good morning guys," I croaked to Parker and my mother.

"Hi sweetheart," My mother said, a sizzle sounding from the pan. She was making eggs.

I sat at the dining table next to Parker, who was jerking and turning while he played a game on his phone.

My phone buzzed in the pocket of my plaid pajama pants. I pulled it out and looked at the text. I was in a group chat with Marion and Daniella. Marion said:

OMG WHAT IN THE NAME OF NOEL PELLETIER WERE U DOING WITH JIMMY IN SEVEN MINUTES OF HEAVEN

I looked around, making sure nobody saw the text (I didn't want anyone to know James and I had "sex" during seven minutes of heaven).

Here's the group chat:

Me: Nothing.

Marion: I object.

Me: We did nothing.

Daniella: You guys were so banging, don't even deny it.

I quickly turned off my phone as my mother set a plate of eggs and sausages in front of me.

"Thanks," I mumbled, then started to eat.

My phone was nonstop buzzing. Daniella and Marion were freaking out because they think James (everyone calls him Jimmy, but I call him James for some reason) and I were banging.

I quickly texted back:

Stop it.

They stopped texting after I said that.

I finished up my breakfast, then brought it to the sink, rinsed the plate off, and put it into the dishwasher.

I grabbed my phone and raced back upstairs to my room.

I wasn't sure if I should just confess that we didn't actually go to second base during seven minutes in heaven, or to just pretend that we did.

I pulled up the conversation, and then it said someone had joined the chat.

And then Marion said:

JAMES DID U AND NOEL BANG

Here was our full conversation:

James: Yes

Marion: OMG I WANT DETAILS NOW

I clenched my jaw. He's probably just tagging along the lie.

James: Nooo

Daniella: I heard u guys in there u guys were so banging

James: Alright then

Marion: Did u guys climax because I didn't hear it

Me: None of your shitwax

James: Shitwax?

Me: Yes

Marion: If you guys could describe it in one word, what would it be

James: Magical

Daniella: Cuties. <3

The chat was silent. I clicked on James's contact on the list of people in the group chat, my thumb hovering over the call button. I finally got the nerve to call him.

He answered within two rings: "Hello?" Said his husky voice on the other line.

"Hi," I murmured.

Pause. "Uh, what's up?"

"Not much,"

Another pause. "I was laughing for literally the rest of the night from what we did last night."

I chuckled. "I know, me too. Best prank I've ever pulled, hands down."

"Hey, random question, have you ever been to 30 Rockefeller Center?"

I shook my head, then realized that James couldn't see me. "No, why?"

"I don't know. I was planning on going there today. Uh, wanted to ask if maybe you would like to come, but I know that we barely even know each other and-"

"No!" I blurted loudly. "It's fine. You're-it's fine. You're good."

"Really?" Jimmy said enthusiastically.

"Yeah, totally. I'm surprised you would wanna hang out with a nerd like me."

"I don't think you're a nerd," Jimmy giggled.

"I'll go ask my mom if she has anything planned for today," I pulled the receiver away and walked over to my mother, who was cleaning the dishes.

"Hey, mom, is it okay if I go to Rockefeller Center with a friend?"

My mother looked over at me a smiled. "Yeah, of course. Is this person a new friend?"

"Yup," I nodded.

"Oh, who's this person?"

"James,"

My mother's eyes brightened. "James, as in the guy you used to have a cr-"

I put my hand to the receiver so James couldn't hear, giving my mom a signal to stop.

Sorry, she mouthed.

I walked into the living room and slouched onto the couch, bringing the receiver back up to my ear. "I can come,"

"Awesome! I'll come and pick you up in a few minutes, what's your address?"

I gave him my address, then told him that I could just walk, but insisted on driving me there.

I hung up the phone and raced upstairs to get dressed. I wanted to dress casually; I put on a white tank top with a black blouse to put over it, some fitted skinny jeans that hugged my hips, and white converses.

I tucked my hair into my usual high ponytail, then went back downstairs and looked out the window for James.

A red GTO pulled up my circular driveway. I ran outside, shutting the door behind me, then climbing into James's car.

"What up, girl?" James said, pulling out of my driveway before I even shut my door all the way.

"I'm alright," I flashed him a grin. "So, why do you wanna go to Rockefeller?"

James shrugged. "I dunno, just to check it out." I nodded.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper came on the radio, and Jimmy turned it up.

He sang along in a high-pitched voice: "Oh, girls just wanna have fuuun!" Which made me laugh so hard I snorted. I clapped a hand over my mouth, my cheeks turning blood red from humiliation.

James raised his eyebrows. "I'm that funny, huh?" I laughed. Jimmy started singing along again: "Somebody's takin' a b-" Then he stopped abruptly.

A kid was walking across the driveway and James nearly ran over him.

Once the child walked across the street, I said: "Your driving skills are horrifying,"

---

About fifteen minutes later, James pulled up to the curb of a gift shop.

"Aaaand here we are," James pulled the key out of the ignition, and we both climbed out of the car.

I looked around; there was the golden statue that sat above a fountain, the thing I always saw in pictures. It was so alluring.

"It's so beautiful," I muttered.

"Let's go look around,"

James and I looked around at all the buildings, took a few pictures near the fountain, then we were about to walk into one of the gift shops.

All around me were mugs that read 30 Rockefeller Center, t-shirts and pins and refrigerator magnets saying the same.

"Want anything? It's on me," James offered.

I shook my head. "No, thanks."

James took a deep breath. "Marion and Dani are still going off. They really think we banged."

I snickered mischievously. "Little do they know,"

James giggled. "Are you a virgin?"

I looked at him with astonishment that he asked that, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, you?"

James shrugged. "I don't really know. I started to with a girl, but she stopped. So I guess you could say no."

"Ah,"

Awkward silence.

"I'm surprised you're still a virgin. I mean, pretty much every single girl in our school is horny for you,"

James laughed. "Just waiting for the right person, I guess. I had a really serious girlfriend a few years ago, that's who I almost lost my virginity with, but we broke up. She was part of this celibacy club, so she wouldn't let me touch her unless she had clothes on. So one day, she told me she was ready. So then we started, but then she chickened out. It was kind've awkward afterwards, but not too long after it happened she said she was moving to Chicago, so she ended it with me. To this day I really miss her, but oh well, I guess."

I felt a surge of sympathy for James. "I'm so sorry,"

"Don't worry 'bout it. I wasn't really happy towards the end, anyways. She broke up with me before I found the nerve to break up with her first. But she was my first love, y'know? It's hard to move on."

I licked my lips. "I've never had a boyfriend, so I can't really empathize."

"Really?" I nodded.

"I'm socially awkward. And a nerd."

"Dudette, you're not any of those. You're actually pretty awesome. And really extremely good at math, like, you're like the female version of Albert Einstein."

I blushed. "Oh, stop."

"It's true!" James said through chuckles. "What do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"I'm, uh, actually not really sure yet." I stammered. He nodded.

"I wanna be a comedian,"

"Hm," I said. "That's cool."

Pause. "Do you miss being Mr. Popular Guy?" I asked with a laugh.

"Nah, I hated it."

"What? Why?"

"I couldn't stand how everyone just worshiped me. I had more fake friends than I had real." James frowned.

"Oh," was all I could say.

We walked around for a little bit more until we saw just about everything.

"What time does your mom want you back home?" James asked as we climbed in and pulled out of 30 Rockefeller Center.

"Nothing specific, especially when I have no school."

"Oh, would you wanna come back to my house for a bit? Would your mom mind?"

"No, not at all. I'm in, James."

"Jimmy, please. I only get called James when I'm being scolded." I laughed.

James---Jimmy drove back to his house, which wasn't too big or too little, but really nice and fancy.

He walked me into his house. It was very elegant; tidy and very decorative.

"Uh, c'mere," Jimmy led me to the living room, where a man and woman sat watching TV.

"Hey guys," Jimmy said. Both of their heads shot up and they grinned.

"Hello, who's this?" Said his--I'm assuming--mother. She stood up and shook my hand.

"This is Noel. Noel, my mom. Mom, Noel."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," I said with a reluctant smile.

I shook his father's hand afterwards, then Jimmy led me upstairs to his bedroom.

I looked around: there were blue walls, a U2 and a Rolling Stone poster hung above his bed.

"I love U2," I said.

"They're amazing," Jimmy agreed. "My favorite song is Angel of Harlem."

"I like that one," I said. "I like Bloody Sunday."

We both sat on his bed. I could see him gazing at me at the corner of my eye, but I resisted gazing back at him.

"Hey Noel," Jimmy piped up. I faced him and nodded. "There's something you should know,"

"What's up?"

He swallowed hard. "Remember when there were those rumors about you, saying how you had herpes?"

"Yeah..." I knew exactly what he was going to tell me.

"I was..." Jimmy started, gulping again. "I spread those rumors."

Silence filled the room until I said: "That was you?"

He nodded guiltily.

"Why?" My eyes were burning with tears.

"I don't know. It-it was a dare, by my friends. I was so caught up with being popular at the time that I would follow my friends' orders no matter what. I'm sorry, you have no idea how much I feel awful, every single day I am angry at myself for doing that." I stayed silent, lowering my eyes until tears started falling. Jimmy continued: "You have every right to be mad at me."

I remembered those rumors like they were today. Everyone was shooting me dirty looks (although I was part of a popular clique, people still made fun of me for being such an outsider), snickering whenever I walked into the room. People called me a whore, a slut, pushed my books and papers out of my hands, people saying how I couldn't keep my legs closed, etc.

I bit my lip, tears uncontrollably falling. I looked over at Jimmy, whose eyes were red.

"I'm sorry," He muttered again. I wanted to forgive him so badly, but the rumors lasted for at least the whole school year. I never knew it was him.

Before I could stop myself, I scurried out of his room, walking out the front door and slamming it hard behind me.

I let all the tears escape as I hailed a cab. I climbed in and told him my address.

It started to rain on the ride home. I looked out the window, looking at the raindrops as they slowly slithered down the window.

The cab came to an abrupt stop. I him a twenty, and I stepped out and ran up to my door. I put my key in the lock and unlocked it. I immediately closed to door and ran up to my room, collapsing on my bed and bawling.

I was really starting to like Jimmy. He was such a cool ass guy at first, but now that he told me that, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him the same.

---

I cried myself to sleep, waking up with my cheeks dry from the tears.

My phone was buzzing constantly last night, but I didn't bother to look at it. If it was Jimmy, it would pain me too much to see anything from him, honestly.

Yesterday, my crush on him immersed. My crush was bigger than it ever was before. I barely knew him, but his first impression on me was so extraordinary and fascinating.

I failed to resist the urge to ignore why my phone was buzzing. I fumbled for it on my nightstand and checked it.

There were four new messages; two from the group chat with the girls and two from Jimmy. I checked the messages from the group chat first, they both were from Daniella:

Why aren't you guys answering???

And:

R u there?!

My thumb hovered over Jimmy's messages. I briskly clicked it and read:

Noel -
I am so deeply and sincerely sorry. Like I said, I was dared to do it. I couldn't resist it. The truth is that you are a really amazing person and I really enjoyed hanging out with you yesterday. I regret spreading that rumor about you, I really do. Every single day (even before I met you) I regretted it. I'm sorry.

And then another one came in just a few minutes ago:

Open your door please.

I clutched my phone in my hand tight. Another tear slithered down my cheek.

But why would he want me to open my front door? Was he here?

I ran down the stairs, two steps at a time, then opened my door.

"Noel," Jimmy said, letting out a relieved sigh.