Fifty Bucks (Short Story)

This is a short romantic story.

The doorbell rings. I get up and open the door. A sopping wet Chance Taylor stands on my porch. Chance is probably the most attractive and popular guy around school. Why, again, is he here? His girlfriend, Michelle Brooks, is the captain of the cheerleading team.

“Chance Taylor?” I ask, almost not believing the words myself. “What are you doing on my porch?”

“Michelle dumped me two weeks ago,” he says somberly. “She said that it was all my fault. She didn’t exactly tell me why, however.”

“And that means…?”

“Well, my buddies are on my case about not having a girlfriend, and every cheerleader that I’ve asked to date me has said no,” he explains. “They all go off on how Michelle was so mistreated. So, uh, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Nope.”

“What? Why not?”

“What’s in it for me?” I ask. “I mean, yeah, you’re probably the most popular guy in school, but if you’re not dating me because you like me, then what’s the point?”

“I’ll give you fifty bucks a week to pretend,” he blurts, holding up the cash.

I take the money from his hand and turn around. “Thanks for the gift, honey,” I say sarcastically.

“Thanks, uh…wait, what was your name?”

“My name is Lillian,” I say, rolling my eyes. “But don’t call me Lillian. It sounds too formal.”

“So, babe, what do you want me to call you?”

“Anything is fine,” I say, holding up the fifty-dollar bill and waving it in front of his face.

“I’d better go,” he says, grinning. “See you later, babe.” He puckers his lips and goes out the front door.

It seems pretty crazy that Chance Taylor would come to me of all people. I mean, I’m so plain and simple, and he’s so not…I don’t know if he’s pulling something stupid. He might even be making fun of me.

I hope not.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lunchtime was the best part of the school day, because it meant that I got to sit down by myself, think, and eat. A much needed break from the hectic schedule that is my life.

But not today, because Chance has other ideas. As soon as I’m done getting my lunch, he calls me over to his table with a bunch of guys.

“Lil, come on over, babe!” he calls. “I want to introduce you to my buddies, Big B, Johnny boy, and Turkey.”

“Hey,” I say, waving. “What’re your real names?”

“I’m Bryce,” says the one that Chance introduced as Big B. “Nice to meet you. Chance has been bragging about you all morning.”

“I’m Johnny.”

“I’m Gregory,” says Turkey. “Yeah, he told us about how you love to play video games. What’s your favorite?”

I look at him with my eyes narrow. “Well, I like a lot,” I begin, trying to think of my brother’s old video games. “But my favorite is…um…that one! Um, Battlefront Two!”

“Oh, so you like Star Wars?” asks Greg.

“Uh, sure, I love it,” I say, blinking way too many times like I always do when I lie. “I like Obi-Wan. And Yoda.”

“Hey, Chance, who’s your favorite Star Wars character of all time?” asks Bryce, laughing.

“I hate Star Wars,” he replies bluntly, and I look at him like he’s a moron. “But if my Lillian loves it, then I love it, too.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet!”

“Kiss her, Chance,” suggests Johnny, and he looks at me hesitantly. “C’mon, Chance, what’re you scared of? Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!”

He leans in carefully and slowly until our lips touch, but he pulls away immediately afterward.

“That wasn’t a kiss!” complains Bryce. “That was almost like you’re pretending to be dating or something. I mean, come on!”

“You want to see a real kiss?” asks Chance. “Fine, then. I’ll show you a real kiss if that’s what you want.”

He leans in again and our lips press against each other softly. Our mouths move together, and more passion is thrown into the kiss. It becomes more than a fake kiss as he wraps his arms around me, and I tangle my hand in his hair. I hear a pleasured moan, and I realize that Chance seems to be enjoying this kiss as much as I am.

I pull away. “Better?” I ask the three wide-eyed boys that sit across from me. “Now, that was a kiss, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Sure.”

“Will you be my girlfriend?” inquires Greg, leaning in toward me, his lips puckered. “Eh?”

“Dream on, Greg,” I say, looking at Chance more affectionately. “I think I’m already taken.”

“I’m a lucky guy.”

“Yes you are,” says Bryce, crossing his arms. “Some guys do have all the luck, you know.”

I grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A table for two, please,” says Chance to the girl at the counter. “About what will be the wait time?”

“We already have a table ready,” she says.

“Thank you,” he says, smiling. He takes my hand and we walk to the table. He pulls the chair out for me.

“Thanks, Chance,” I say, smiling, and he sits down. “But, uh, we need to talk—seriously.”

“Yes, we do,” he says. “I don’t know how to say this, but…do you…do you have feelings for me? Because a kiss like that doesn’t come out of nowhere.”

“I know, but I don’t know.” I sigh. “I mean, I know that a kiss like that doesn’t come out of nowhere, but I don’t know if I have feelings for you.”

The waiter comes with our waters, chips, and salsa. He sets them down on the table and walks away.

“So, anyway…we need to find out what we feel,” he says. “It seems like that kiss may have led us to believe things that weren’t real.”

“It seems like that to me, too.”

After a moment without talking, I lean in and kiss him again thoughtlessly. Embarrassed, I try to get out of the kiss as quickly as I can, but Chance keeps his lips against mine as I pull back.

He leans back, surprised and chagrined. He looks around, and then grins at me sheepishly.

“I don’t know what got into me,” we say simultaneously. We both fumble for words, and neither of us understands each other.

“Sorry,” I utter softly.

“I’m sorry, too,” he says. “I honestly don’t know what I was thinking. I shouldn’t have kept kissing you like that.”

“I’m not sure these feelings aren’t real.”

“I think I feel something for you, Lillian,” he admits quietly. “In fact, I know I feel something for you. Lil, when I asked you to be my girlfriend, you were the only one. I was for real, but when you said no, I was sort of surprised.”

“Why me?”

“Well, I’ve been watching you for the three years of high school that I’ve been through,” he says. “And I’ve always thought you were really cool, but I didn’t think that a girl like you and a guy like me could be together. I thought you’d think I was a jerk.”

“I know you’re a jerk,” I say, smiling playfully, but his face falls. “You’re a jerk that I’ve always been crushing on. For you to ask me…was surprising, and I said no because I thought you were just making a fool of me. But I do have feelings for you.”

And with that, Chance leans in, and our lips touch. They move together, and our tongues dance around each other.

“I…I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” he says.

“Neither do I,” I say, and I lean in again, but I stop before our lips touch. “This all happened so fast.”

“And that means what?”

“Are you sure this is real to you?” I ask doubtfully. “I know how I feel, but are you sure? You’ve been dating beautiful cheerleaders all of your dating life, and now, somehow, you’ve ended up with…with me?”

“It wasn’t a mistake,” he says. “I didn’t just end up with you. I’ve wanted this for three years.”

“I’ve wanted this for five,” I say, grinning. “We went to the same school in seventh grade, but you didn’t notice me.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I’m sorry,” he says sincerely. “Well, I notice you now.” He closes the small amount of space in between us, this kiss not breaking the surface of our lips, and pulls away.

“Am I interrupting something?” asks a surprised and unnoticed waitress. We shake our heads. “May I take your order?”

“Sure, I’ll have the soup and salad,” I say. “Give me today’s special.”

She nods and turns to Chance. “I’ll have the bean burrito with guacamole on the inside, please,” he says, handing our menus over.

“Alright, they’ll be right out,” she says, smiling and walking away.

“That was embarrassing,” I say, biting my lip. “I may never come to this restaurant again.”

And then he kisses me gently. “Come back again,” he pleads. “This is my favorite restaurant.”

“Well, next week you’ll have fifty bucks for it,” I inform him, smiling playfully, but he doesn’t get it. “You won’t have to pay me.”

And he kisses me again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chance and I sit on his couch, watching my favorite move, Up, and eating popcorn and candy.

I bury my head in his neck. He pops a Hot Tamale in his mouth and I bite into a salty piece of popcorn.

“I like dogs,” I say, watching Dug lick the old man. “And Russell.” My eyelids droop. I can almost never stay awake for a movie.

“You’re falling asleep, aren’t you?”

“No,” I lie, but I know he can hear the drowsiness in my voice. “Fine, yeah, I’m falling asleep. Is that a problem?”

“Yes! We’re supposed to be enjoying a nice movie together,” he answers. “It’s supposed to be romantic.”

“I break all the rules,” I say groggily. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay awake. I think I’m going to fall asleep like right now.”

“Would you like to have some candy?” he asks, popping another Hot Tamale in his mouth.

“Sure,” I say, leaning in and kissing him. I steal the piece of candy off of his tongue. “But the real candy that I want is you.”

“You’ve got it,” he says, pausing the movie and kissing my lips.

He shuts the movie off as we get lost in the kiss. I lay back, and his body is almost on top of mine.

He kisses my neck. These moments right now are priceless. This, right now, is what I want it to be like forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I drive down the rainy highway on my way to my house from the mall. Blasting in my speakers is Fall Out Boy.

I look to my right to see several cops stand around a totaled silver corolla. I look at the license plate, which has the same number as Chance’s.

I pull over and run toward the scene. The cops motion me back. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, no one is allowed here.”

“But I know him!” I gasp. “I need to see him! Please, sir, I know you’re just doing your job, but I need to see him!”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. Like I said, no one is allowed here.”

“Fine!” I scream, running back to my car and sit in it. I shut off my CD and bury my face in my hands. “Dear Lord, please keep Chance safe!”

I look up for a moment, and a figure approaches my car, very slowly. I step out, trying to get a closer look, but the rain prevents me from knowing who it is. As the person comes closer, I realize that it’s Chance and run to him.

We collide, and lose ourselves in each other’s arms. I press my head into his neck, and he crushes me against his body.

“You scared me! I hate you!” I yell, sobbing even harder now that I know he’s okay. “I love you, Chance!”

He lifts my chin and our lips collide.

Perfection.

Anything to say?