Free Kiss and Cry by Ramona Lipson Page A

this morning is your new ‘partner?’”
    “Uhm, Yep, that was Ryan. He’s going to be going to school here,” I giggled nervously.
    “You can’t be serious?”
    “Seriously, I thought it didn’t bother you that I had a skating partner? A partner I do sports with is ALL he is.”
    “Do you want to tell me why you were holding hands with this partner you do sports with? Actually, why were you even in his fucking car?” I sensed major jealousy.
    “Mom, made that arrangement. He’s going to be taking me to school from the arena everyday. If you want to date me, you’re going to have to get used to the fact, that I’ll be spending a lot of time with him.”
    “I’ll pick you up from the arena.”
    “You can’t! What will I tell my mother?”
    “You held his fucking hand,” he seethed.
    “Yes, I did. Coach Hicks wants us to look like a couple when we’re in the public eye. He said the couples with chemistry tend to get higher marks. If you’re worried Adam, rest assured, I don’t even LIKE him.”
    “If that were the case then why were you so dressed up for him when you met him? Where you trying to get him to like you?”
    “Of course not, for all I knew he could have been gay. We always dress up on Holidays at our house,” I explained to him.
    “So he’s not gay?”
    “I hazard to guess, but unlikely.” If he was, it would have been a severe blow to womankind.
    “Why didn’t you call me after your company left?”
    “I forgot. I was texting back and forth to Tara, and then after that I fell asleep. I didn’t even have my phone on.”
    “Does he know you have a boyfriend?”
    Catecholamines were now racing through my bloodstream. I began hitting fight or flight mode. Either way I answered this question, I was screwed. I chose to placate Adam until I had enough time to come clean with Ryan, “Yes, of course he knows.”
    “He better know, because if you’re not telling me truth, I’ll make sure he finds out,” Adam threatened. “I’ll walk you to class.”
     
     
    Later That Day
     
    We missed second period altogether, so he took me to my third period class a bit early. We waited silently together in the hallway and then he pushed me up against a locker and we kissed passionately, his tongue mimicking penetration as it slid in and out of my mouth. He pressed me harder against the locker showing me just how badly he wanted me before whispering into my ear, “I need time to rethink our relationship.” He pushed off the locker away from me, leaving me wanting more and shocking me simultaneously.
    “Are you breaking up with me?” I asked dumbfounded.
    “I don’t know if I can share you the way you’re expecting me to,” he confessed. The bell rang and the halls filled, Adam turned on his heel and walked away, not looking back. The steady stream of students made him drift away from me quickly. I abandoned the classroom trying to catch him locking my eyes onto him as the distance between us grew. I started knocking into other students as I tried frantically to catch up with him, they were giving me dirty looks and slowing me down but I was determined. I saw him leave the front doors of the school and by the time I got out there he was pulling onto the street.
    Tears of frustration went surging down my cheeks. I whipped my phone out and texted Tara:
     
    Dalia: 911 Adam :-(
    Tara: Where R U?
    Dalia: Bathroom close 2 the office
    Tara: Ok 1 min
     
    I went back into the school and waited for Tara in the washrooms near the front entrance. I was splashing cold water on my face when she came in. I was hoping I could hide the fact that I had just finished crying but she noticed immediately, “What happened? Are you okay?”
    “Adam might be breaking up with me,” I blurted.
    Her brows furrowed, “You’ve only been together three minutes! What the heck happened?”
    “God, where do I start? Okay, just before Ryan and his mother came over for Thanksgiving I took a selfie and sent it to