The Art of Life (32 page)

               
After I shampoo my hair, I put
conditioner in it and grab my body wash.
 
Suddenly, there is banging on the door.
 
“Uh, yes?”
I yell.

               
“I have to pee really badly,”
Jeremy shouts back.

               
“You didn’t think about this
BEFORE I got into the shower!?”

               
There is a groan on the other
side of the door.
 
“I didn’t have to
urinate then.”

               
“What do you want me to do?” I
snap.

               
“Just stay in the shower!” He
replies.

               
I hear the door open and I
scream, “JEREMY!”

               
“I have to go,” he mumbles.
 
“Just stay in the shower.”

               
Covering my face, I am
mortified.
 
“I cannot believe you are
doing this.”

               
“RELAX, I can’t see you,” Jeremy
sighs, as he goes to the bathroom.

               
“I am going to kill you when you
get out of here!” I growl.
 
There is the
drop of the toilet seating being lowered back down, but I don’t hear anything
else.
 
So, I stand there for a minute.
 
Suddenly, the curtain is slapped.
 
I scream and jump.

               
Jeremy just laughs on the other
side.
 
“How uncomfortable are you right
now?”

               
“What do you think!?
 
I have barely been around guys.
 
Now, there is one on the other side of the
curtain, while I am in the shower.
 
On a
discomfort level, I am at a ten!”

               
“I could just stay in here and
we could talk,” he says, obviously leaning against the counter.

               
Pleading, I say, “Jeremy,
PLEASE,
leave
the bathroom.”

               
“
Fffiinnnneee
,”
he draws out.
 
“Hurry up.”
 
I hear him open and shut the door.
 

               
My heart is going about a million
miles an hour.
 
I just stand there for a
while in shock.
 
Finally, I just shake my
head and rinse out my conditioner.
 

               
A while later, I am dressed and
putting the curling product into my hair.
 
There is a light knock on the door.
 
Walking over I rip it open.
 
Jeremy is leaning against the door frame with a huge grin on his
face.
 
“I wanted to
come
check on you.”

               
I bring my foot back and kick
him square in the shin.
 
He grabs his leg
and starts hopping around.
 
“Don’t you
dare come into the bathroom while I am in the shower ever
again!
”

               
There is a burst of laughter
from the living room.
 
“Awesome shot!”
Kent yells.

               
“Don’t encourage her!” Jeremy
retorts.

               
Crossing my arms, I say,
“Really?
 
Would you want some girl to
walk into the bathroom while you were in the shower?”
 
Jeremy just looks at me.
 
I put my hand up and snap, “Don’t even answer
that!”

               
“Are you ready yet?” Josh
shouts.

               
“Yes,” I reply.
 
“Sorry if I took a while.”

               
Kent stands up as I walk back
into the living room.
 
“Don’t worry.
 
Cassandra takes about ten times longer.”

               
“Here,” Jeremy growls, “Take
your phone.”

               
“Oh,” I sigh sarcastically, “Are
you mad at me?”

               
He comes up really close to me
and whispers, “Pay back will come, oh you wait, it will come.”

               
With a disgusted look, I say,
“You can’t kick me.
 
I am a girl!”

               
“I would never hurt you,
geesh
,” he retorts.
 
“But payback comes in many forms.”

               
“What’s worse than what you
did?” I ask.

               
Arching his eyebrow, Jeremy
murmurs, “I could have pulled the curtain back.”

               
“I would have stabbed you.”

               
“You shower with knives!?” Kent
yells.
“Sweet!”

               
That makes me bust out
laughing.
 
Jeremy nudges me and says, “I
put music on your phone.
 
So here.”
 
He hands me some ear buds.
 
“You can have some theme music while we
ride.”

               
“
Aww
,
that’s sweet.
 
Thanks,” I say, with a
smile.

               
“Makes you wish you didn’t kick
me in the shin, huh?
 
Feel bad now?” He
asks.

               
Scoffing, I say, “No!
 
You still were an ass for coming in.”

               
“Ah, you love me, don’t deny
it,” Jeremy says, as he smacks me on the butt.
 
My jaw drops and he just laughs.

               
We go outside and I see two
other bikes.
 
One is red and the other is
a sports bike.
 
“Who has the blue bike?”
I ask.

               
“That would be mine,” Josh
replies.

               
“He feels like he needs to make
up what he lacks with a crotch rocket,” Kent laughs.

               
Jeremy exclaims, “Ouch!
 
There is an actual girl here.
 
Don’t bruise his ego too much.”
     

               
“Hey, Isabelle, do you want to
go on a real ride?” Josh inquires with a seductive tone.

               
“Umm,” I say, looking at Jeremy.

               
Getting a shocked look on his face,
Jeremy sneers, “You are ditching me to go on a ride with Josh.
 
Izzy, I am hurt.”

               
“Well, you know, you want me to
have more experiences with boys, and he is a guy, no wait, a man, but saying
that makes it sound dirty.”

               
Kent laughs and Jeremy actually
looks hurt.
 
“I thought riding was our
thing.”

               
“It is,” I sigh, feeling like a
shmuck.
 
“I will ride with you.”

               
Jeremy bursts out laughing.
 
“I was only kidding, but there is no other
girl that I would want to take on my bike other than you.”

               
“Yeah, until some hot chick
comes along that has you drooling.
 
Then
you will want to show off your bike a lot more to her than me,” I retort with a
smile.

               
“Izzy, I can say this now.
 
You are above the girls I have dated.
 
I mean I may get a girlfriend and that changes
things, but you are my friend and that means more than a casual date here or
there.”

               
“Oh
my gosh
,”
I gasp.
 
“That is the sweetest thing I
have ever heard.”

               
Josh retorts, “Gag me with your
cuteness.
 
Are you coming on a real bike,
Isabelle?”

               
“I think I will,” I retort,
sticking my tongue out at Jeremy.

               
Josh starts his bike and puts
the back peddles down for me.
 
I hop up
and this one feels a little more awkward.
 
Josh turns around and says, “You will need to actually hold onto
me.
 
I don’t want to chance you feeling
uncomfortable.
 
This is different than
riding Jeremy’s bike.”

               
“Okay,” I reply.
 
“I don’t think I will object to hanging onto
a cute boy for an hour.”
 
Did I just say
that?

               
“Uh oh Jeremy, Isabelle just
called me cute.
 
I may have to flirt with
her.”

               
Jeremy gives Josh a dirty
look.
 
“You treat her gently.
 
I don’t want to have to punch you in the
face.”

               
Josh just smirks.
 
“Come on babe, put your helmet on.”

               
“Hold on,” I say, as I put my
ear buds in and start the music.
 
I then
slide the helmet on and give the thumbs up.
 
With that, Josh takes off down the road.
 
This motorcycle has a lot more pull to it.
 
I hold on for dear life, because it is a bit
scarier.

               
We cruise around old back
highways and through parks.
 
It is a lot
of fun.
 
I am also enjoying the music
selection that Jeremy has put on my phone.
 
I still can’t believe that this is happening.
 
Things like this don’t really happen.
 
I have always felt so awkward and out of
place.
 
It tore at my insides because I
longed for companionship for so long.
 
I
felt empty all the time.

               
Art was my only escape.
 
I could go into different worlds and escape
my own.
 
Now, I have a gorgeous guy who
seems to really be my friend.
 
It doesn’t
seem real.
 
I feel like any second he is
going to turn on me and laugh, but when I really look at Jeremy, especially in
his eyes, I feel safe.
 
He makes me feel
wanted, secure and happy.
 
I never
thought that would be possible.
 
And now,
now I feel comfortable enough to have fun with other people.
 
I would never have been able to laugh and
joke around with guys before, but Kent and Josh are so much fun.
 
This is incredible and I am so happy.
 
I can’t help but smile.

               
An hour and a half later, we
pull back up to Jeremy’s apartment.
 
Josh
parks his bike and I hop off.
 
“What did
you think?” He asks.

               
“It was awesome, but I am a
little sore.
 
It is more of an awkward
sitting position,” I reply, trying to stretch.

               
“See, why you should have stuck
with me,” Jeremy says, walking over to me.
 
“You should always stay with my hotness.”

               
I roll my eyes.
 
“Oh geez Jeremy.
 
Will you not relent on your sexual appeal?”

               
“I mentioned nothing of sex
appeal.
 
So I am sexually appealing to
you?” He inquires, with a devilish smirk.

               
“No!” I snap and laugh at the
same time.
 
“I am walking away from you
now.”

               
Kent chuckles.
 
“You think you are so attractive and yet,
there is a girl right there that can resist your charm.”

               
“She is just burying a fiery
passion for my good looks,” Jeremy retorts.

               
“Can I have the keys to get into
the apartment?” I ask, with my hand out.

               
Jeremy pulls them out of his
pocket and drops them in my hand.
 
“There
you go girl.”

               
Smiling, I say, “I have had fun,
but I should get home.
 
I have laundry to
do and all those clothes to deal with.”