Free Summer Apart by Amy Sparling

blows in my face and he apologizes for, I am finally convinced that Mark will not be my next true love.
    I kind of don’t even want to go through the rest of the date. But I’m also not going to be rude to him and he already has the tickets, so I tell myself to suck it up and go on with the date. It’s not the worst thing in the world, right? And it would have been a whole lot better if I didn’t have a cell phone in my pocket right now, driving me crazy with its one missed call.
     
     
    When the movie is over, I do something really bad. I clench my stomach, squish up my face, and lie.
    “I’m so sorry to ruin our date tonight, but I’m starting to feel a little sick.”
    “Oh no,” he says, his eyes peering into mine with worry. “Do you think it was the popcorn?”
    I shake my head and then shrug. “I don’t know. I just…I don’t really want to risk eating dinner when I feel so bad. Could we maybe finish this another time?” And just like that, the lie got even bigger. I am so not finishing this another time. Not only was the movie awkward because I’m pretty sure he kept trying to hold my hand across the armrest, but he had to leave in the middle of the movie to take another smoke break. When he came back, he reeked of the stale stench of smoke and I had to breathe into my sleeve for the rest of the movie.
    “Sure thing,” Mark says, placing his hand on my lower back as we walk out of the theater. “I hope you get better soon.”
    If this were Park instead of Mark, and if I were actually sick instead of faking sick, I would have leaned into his arm as it wrapped around me, letting my head fall on his shoulder as we walked. The scent of his cologne, mixed with the soap he uses in the shower would have lulled me into a calm serenity. Instead, I’m walking uncomfortably close to a guy I barely know and he reeks of smoke and popcorn butter.
    This can’t possibly be what Bayleigh was talking about when she told me to settle.
    Mark walks me across the parking lot to where my car is parked, and once I push the unlock button on my keys and see my headlights light up, a wave of relief washes over me. This terrible date is almost over and I am this close to being in the safety of my car, which smells like mountain spring air freshener.
    “Get home safely,” Mark says. He steps in front of me and pulls open the car door for me.
    “Thanks, you too.”
    I lean into my car, drop my purse in the passenger seat and stand back up so I can proceed with the awkward first date hug. Just a few seconds left and I’ll finally be done with this.
    The moment I turn around, my stomach clenches up and flips over. Because the first thing I see is Mark, leaning in close, way too close, with his hands reaching toward me. Before I can move or dodge or swerve to avoid what’s happening, Mark grabs my arms and kisses me. I freeze—like a deer in headlights. I don’t stop him and I don’t move backward like I want to. I just stand here, letting it happen to me because I don’t want him to feel bad.
    He is cute and all, and he was trying very hard to make the date fun and to get to know me. But as I stand here, my back pressed against my car, my lips being gently pried apart by two lips that taste like an ash tray, all I want to do is gag. This is not at all like kissing Park.
    When it’s over, he gives me this sideways smile, like he’s been stricken lovesick from my kiss. A few seconds pass and his eyebrows furrow. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” I say, a little too eagerly. “Just…sick.”
    His warm hand slides behind my neck and he pulls me toward him, placing a kiss on my forehead. “You take care of yourself, and I’ll call you later, okay?”
    “Okay,” I manage. Now I’m feeling like I’m going to throw up for real.

Chapter 16
     
    Sometimes you have days that are so bad, and your emotions have been on overdrive for too long, that eventually you hit a breaking point. You’re at the top of the meter in