Chapter 18

"Do I have to?" I moaned.

"Yes, you're washing the dishes tonight because the rest of us are going to
the baseball game," my mother told me as she threw the dish towel at me.

Angie was going to Mary's, and my mom, dad, Hannah, Lucas and Davy were all
going to the baseball game.

"Fine," I said as I began to run hot water into the sink and soak the pots
and pans.

Oh well, now Jess can come over and we can have peace and quiet. I
thought to myself. I scrubbed away and cleaned the dirty dishes until I was
done, and my family had left.

I drained the water out of the sink and threw off the rubber gloves and
headed up to my room.

"Hi! It's me! I'm coming over at 7:00," Jess's voice said on my machine. I
hadn't heard her call while I was doing dishes. I looked at my clock. It was
6:48. She'd be here soon. Jess was always on time. Sure enough, a few
minutes later the doorbell rang.

"Hey!" Jess said as I opened the heavy oak door. She kicked off her runners
and the two of us ran up to my room.

"I need to paint my toe nails," she said as she opened my drawer and took
out my toe separates and a bottle of bright red nail polish.

"Going dramatic?" I teased. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"It's a change, why don't you paint yours too?" she asked. I looked down at
my toes. The old blue I had on was completely chipped and almost off. I
grabbed the second set of toe separates, a bottle of pastel pink and sat
down beside her.

We carefully began painting our nails and when we were
done, I had cute looking toes and Jess had wild and crazy toes.

"I'm going to stick on a nail tattoo," she said as she carefully peeled off
a little ladybug and stuck it on her right big toe. It looked cute so I
stuck on a butterfly on my left toe.

"I can't believe it...pinch me," I said, "Ouch!"

"You said pinch you!" Jess said with a smile. I laughed and then looked out
the window as the guys walked down the drive way.

I looked at AJ and smiled.
I had found the one I'd dreamed of all my life. I got my wish. It was the
first time in my life that I felt complete.

My broken heart had been mended. "Sweet!" Jess said as she looked at my
toe. It did look good.

"Ugh...Nick" Jess said as she got up to go to my window. There was a light
pinging on the window pane that could only be the result of someone throwing
rocks at my window. She hobbled over keeping her toes off the floor and slid
the window open.

"Hi," she said sounding kind of surprised. "Uh E, you better come here..."
I got up and walked on the heels of my feet, over to the window. I couldn't
believe what I saw when I looked out.

It was all five guys two stories below
my window.

"Hi," I said nervously. I had no clue what was going on.

"Uh Lezlee, I need to tell you something. But the guys over here convinced
me I should sing it for you," AJ yelled up at me. I could feel myself
blushing already.

I hadn't a clue wether it was good news or bad news but I
could feel butterflies in my stomach. I watched as Nick hit the button on a
little Sony boom box they had brought along. I couldn't believe it. I just
sat there as Jess and I hung out the window as the music filled the air.

AJ began the song...

"Girl you take my breath away,
And when I'm with someone new,
I'd rather be here with you, baby forever.
My heart belongs to you,
Girl I'm thinking ‘bout you all the time.
I know my love is true, baby together

I'd played around girl, and I made you cry
When I looked up you were saying goodbye.
I'm begging you please, I need you so bad,
Don't leave me now you're the best that I've had
I'll never, I'll never find someone like you
I'll promise this girl, oh I'll never
I'll never find someone like you
Cause I love the way that you are
And girl, I won't no I won't let you go
No one could ever do,
Love you like I love you

All I have is just my heart and my feelings I give to you
That's all that I can do girl, baby forever
You don't know that you're hurting me,
Cause it's not just a sexual thing
I Wanna share my dreams baby together

I sat there in a complete trance. I couldn't believe what was happening on
my lawn. I listened to each word sang. I could feel the tears rolling down
my face. The guys sounded so incredible and I couldn't believe it.

After
they were done, AJ climbed the trellis and gave me a single red rose.

"This is replacement for the rose from grad that we ruined and the first of
many to come," he said to me as he looked deep into my eyes.

"Lezlee, I love
you," he told me as he wiped the tears off my cheeks. I smiled.

"I love you too," I said.

"I know...I read your letter," he said.

"What?"I asked him.

"I saw the envelope in the garbage can with my name on it so I took it out
and read it."

"But someone sent it back to me with a little smiley face at the bottom and
it was signed with a ‘B'.." I said as I grabbed it off of my desk.

"I know, B for Bone, my nickname." I couldn't believe how dumb I was. We'd
called AJ Bone for the longest time.

"But why..." I asked trying to make sense of it all.

"Well, I didn't know how else to tell you, I mean we weren't even really
speaking then," he said with a smile. I nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you read it and not anyone else," I said.

"Now that I know how you feel, and you know how I feel, will you be mine?"
he asked. I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Of course!" I will. He smiled at me and then we kissed each other. It was
more than I had ever hoped for. I couldn't believe how sweet his lips were.

This was by far, the best kiss we'd ever had and I knew I'd remember it
forever.

"Oooh!" the boys yelled from below. I looked down and smiled at them.

"Thanks guys for helping out," I called.

"It was our pleasure!" Kevin said to me.

"Uh...Jess...am I gonna be in trouble because I didn't sing to you?" Brian
called up to Jess. We all laughed.

"No, of course not! I love you just the way you are!" she told him.

"Well now I feel unloved!" Nick said. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh Nicky, you'll find someone soon!" Jess said.

"I better!" said Nick.

AJ gave me another hug and a kiss before he climbed
back down the trellis.

"I call you tonight," AJ said as him and the guys picked up the boom box
and waved bye. I still couldn't believe it.

"That was the sweetest thing!" Jess gushed. I sat there. I watched as AJ
and the guys walked down my drive way. I smiled as I watched AJ. All I had
ever wanted was now within my reach. I had gotten my wish.

My broken heart was mended.

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