Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 60219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60219 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Occasionally, Mallory and I would find time to go somewhere together, just the two of us. We would take a walk in the neighborhood while Owen was hanging out with his grandmother or sitting in the living room and watching TV while he took a nap. We were taking our time, keeping the physical intimacy to a minimum, but the heat was palpable between us. It felt like both of us wanted more, so much more, but we were holding off, waiting until the time was right. Neither of us wanted to rush it.
At most, we would hold hands or she would lean into my chest while we watched TV. I would kiss her when I left, and often the kiss lingered for a moment before I would break away, not wanting to seem like I was pushing. Once, we kissed on the couch, Owen sleeping happily for the night, and the passion was so intense in that one kiss that I pulled away on my own and told her that if I didn’t stop right then, I wouldn’t be able to.
I was going to lose my mind, but it was good for our relationship. We had gone about it so far so untraditionally that taking our time and letting ourselves slowly fall into a real relationship this time around felt like the only way to make it real. To make it last.
As December rolled around and the school started decorating for the Winter Ball, I found myself wondering how much longer I was going to be able to take it. The whole school was enamored with finding partners for the dance, young romances budding up in the halls and classrooms and spilling out into make out sessions that had to be broken up by teachers who remembered all too well the passion of teenage love.
Principal Runnels met me in the hallway on my way back to class from lunch wearing what had to be the ugliest Christmas sweater I had ever seen. It took all I had not to laugh and be distracted by it as he spoke, but I didn’t think he would mind anyway. He was as cheerful as ever.
“Graham,” he said, the name coming out like two separate words. He was the only person I knew that called me “Grah-ham” and it was distinctive enough that I always knew it was him calling if my back was turned.
“Hey, Principal Runnels,” I said. “What’s up?”
“I actually wanted to ask you a favor,” he said.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Well, you know about the ball coming up,” he said. “I am in critical need of chaperones. I still need four or five more. Would you be able to make it that night?”
“Sure,” I said. “Am I completely on duty all night, or can I bring a date?”
“Oh,” he said, a sly smile curling his lip, “have you got some lady friend I don’t know about?”
“Something like that,” I said. I wondered how much the rumors of mine and Mallory’s relationship had spread, but it didn’t surprise me that Principal Runnels hadn’t heard it. He was more singularly focused on sports to care much about the gossip of which teachers might be seeing each other.
“Sure,” he said. “By all means. You just have to keep an eye on the kids, make sure they don’t get too rowdy. You know how they can be.”
“I do,” I said.
We both shared a laugh, and immediately I turned around, heading toward the theater room. As I got there, I saw that Mallory was standing in her office, the door open as students inside had separated into little groups with scripts in their hands. I slipped inside, getting some side-eyes from a couple of the kids in there, and met eyes with Mallory. I pointed toward her office, and she nodded, shutting the door behind me.
“Hey, what’s up?” she asked.
“I just talked to the principal,” I said. “He asked me if I could chaperone for the Winter Ball.”
“Oh, how fun,” she said, and I couldn’t tell if it was sarcastic or not.
“I never got to go when I was in high school,” I said. “I always had practice or something that night.” I crossed the space between us, getting close enough that I could feel her breath on my chin as she looked up at me. “That means I never got the chance to ask you to it. Or any dance, for that matter. It’s something I am glad I get to rectify right now.”
“Mr. Miller,” she said, grinning, “are you asking me to the Winter Ball?”
“I am,” I said. “Even if it means we are both technically chaperones.”
She smiled widely and reached up on her toes to press a light kiss to my lips.
“I would love to go to the Winter Ball with you, Graham,” she said.