My Girl

The house is quiet. My parents are finally asleep. I glance at my clock—11:30pm.

Now or never.

I use the screwdriver I stole from my dad’s toolbox to pry the screen off my window. Then I tie a rope (also stolen from my dad) around my dresser, and snake it out the window. As I climb down, my heart races. I’m really doing this! I’m really sneaking out of the house for the first time in my life. And I’m doing it to SEE A BOY.

But when my feet hit the grass in my front yard, reality hits me and I freeze.

I’ve always been the perfect daughter, following every rule my parents set for me. I didn’t even throw a tantrum when they moved me halfway across the country, away from my friends and family.

If Mom catches me sneaking out, she’ll probably try to lock me inside my room for the rest of time. If she finds out I’m sneaking out to meet a boy, and Tanner Taylor of all people, she’d skin me alive.

My mom hates Tanner because he seems like a typical arrogant, rich asshole whose mommy and daddy give him whatever he wants, but he’s the complete opposite.

I found that out when we were paired together in a social studies assignment at the start of the year. Turns out, he’s the sweetest, funniest, most down-to-earth boy I’ve ever met.

It also turns out he really likes me, which seems impossible. I’m the new girl and kind of a dork. I care more about my schoolwork than being popular.

Meanwhile, Tanner is the best athlete in school, reigning Homecoming King, and the target of every girl in the school.

I thought we were just friends, until he asked me to meet him tonight. You don’t ask a “friend” to sneak out and meet you late at night, do you?

I stare at my parents’ dark window. It’s not too late. I could go back inside, get into bed, and maintain my perfect daughter record.

But then I think of the way Tanner looks at me, with these eyes that go on forever and make me melt, and I turn and run down the street as fast as I can.

I don’t stop running until I’m at the end of my street and around the corner.

Just when my nerves have relaxed, I hear a voice in the darkness—“Hey.”

I jump three feet in the air, I swear, and then land in a karate stance (even though I’ve never taken one day of karate in my life).

“Don’t chop me!” Tanner says, laughing.

“Tanner! You scared me!” I exclaim, playfully chopping his shoulder.

“What are you doing here?” I ask. His house is only a ten-minute walk away.

“What type of guy would I be if I let you walk alone in the dark?” he says as he grabs a hold of my hand.

“I have a surprise for you.” He smiles down at me as we walk. I don’t know how tall he is, but way over six feet for sure, because he towers over me.

“What type of surprise?” I ask.

“Patience, Savannah. Although we both know you don’t have any of that,” he says, making me laugh with him.

We reach his house and instead of going to the front door, he leads me down the side toward the backyard.

“We have to be quiet,” Tanner whispers as he points to a lit-up window on the top floor of his house. “My little brother is still awake.”

In the backyard, there is a huge tree with a ladder and I smile when I see the homemade tree house at the top.

“For the last twelve years, there has been a strict no girls allowed rule, so you, Savannah Anderson, should feel privileged that you will be the first girl to enter.”

“I do. I feel super privileged.”

As I start climbing the ladder, he places a hand gently on my back, in case I slip. His touch sends a shiver up my spine.

Inside, there are fairy lights hung up on each wall, making it actually feel romantic, despite the old Pokémon posters.

“No toys?” I ask Tanner with an amused smile on my face as his head pops up through the hole.

“I’m a man now, Sav.” He pointedly pushes a Nerf gun into the corner.

“I love this surprise,” I tell him.

“This isn’t the surprise,” he says as he gestures toward a cozy nest of blankets and pillows, and we sit down. It’s so quiet, and he’s so close, and it feels like we’re the only two people in the world.

“Close your eyes,” he whispers, and I obey, fluttering my eyes shut. My breath catches in my throat. Is he going to kiss me?

I rub my lips together the smallest amount, thankful they’re not chapped like normal, and purse them slightly.

I’m ready.

I’ve kissed boys before and even went on a couple of dates, but it’s never been anything special. I have a feeling this is going to be different, like my first real kiss.

“Hold your hands out.” He whispers and I frown the slightest amount.

“My hands?”

“Your hands,” he confirms.

I hold my hands out, thinking he might want to hold hands or something, so when I feel a soft plastic bag in my hands I’m not only surprised, I’m embarrassed.

My eyes fly open to see a family-sized bag of Jolly Ranchers resting in my hands.

“Jolly Ranchers are my favorite,” I whisper.

“I noticed. You ate them nearly every single day we worked on our assignment.”

I reach into the package and pull out a candy.

“My lucky day,” I say. “I got watermelon, my favorite!”

“They’re all watermelon,” he says, grinning.

“They don’t sell bags with only watermelon,” I say as I look inside. Sure enough, it’s nothing but pink watermelon Jolly Ranchers.

“Believe me, I know,” Tanner says with a laugh. “I bought ten variety packs and sorted out all the watermelons so every day can be your lucky day.”

I hug him close and whisper, “That is so sweet.” I can feel myself tearing up. Am I crying over Jolly Ranchers? Yes, yes I am, because this might be the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.

We pull apart and each put a candy in our mouths.

“Are you excited for graduation?” Tanner asks, leaning his shoulder against mine. We’ve never been this close before.

“Yes, only three months and six days.”

“Who’s counting?” he laughs.

“Just me, apparently.” I laugh, nudging him before I continue, “After graduation, I get to move away from my controlling parents, go to college, and finally live a little. I get to stop being scared little goody-two-shoes Savannah Anderson.”

“You don’t seem like goody-two-shoes Savannah Anderson tonight. You’re sneaking out, you’re with a boy, and you’re having candy after bedtime,” he says, making me laugh.

“Who do I seem like then?” I ask, turning my head to look up at his perfect face.

“You seem like the brave, gorgeous, funny, brilliant, drop-dead sexy Savannah Anderson. Same as always.”

“I don’t know about that,” I say quietly, overwhelmed. I mean, that is how I see myself sometimes, but no one’s ever talked about me this way before.

“I do,” he says, and then, his voice barely above a whisper, he continues, “You don’t need to wait to graduate. Why not start living now?”

“Tann—” I begin, but he doesn’t let me finish. He leans forward and places his lips against mine softly.

My eyes flutter closed and I start moving my lips with his.

Our kiss is soft and sweet. Everything you want in a kiss, he isn’t rushing. It’s like he’s savoring every second, just like I am.

Feeling brave, I lift my hand and place it gently on the back of his neck, pulling him closer and opening my lips up the smallest amount, inviting him to deepen the kiss.

Tanner’s tongue traces my bottom lip gently before he slips it inside of my mouth, tasting of candy.

I slip my hands down Tanner’s shoulders to the bottom of his shirt, hesitating before I slip my hands underneath. Even without flexing, his abs are defined and I feel every one as I push my hands up his chest. Brushing over his soft skin makes him let out a throaty moan.

I pull off his shirt and admire his body in the golden fairy light. It’s even better than I’d imagined, and I’ve imagined it a lot.

He stares in awe as I take off my own shirt, revealing a black lace bra I borrowed from my friend Erin.

“Holy shit, Savannah.”

I was afraid I couldn’t pull it off, but the look on his face tells me it’s working.

He pulls me into a hug, wrapping his muscular arms around me and kissing me deeper. His hands roam down my bare back, squeezing as though he can’t get enough. My fingers curl into his hair and our mouths collide in a furious, desperate rhythm. I can feel him trembling, holding back when every part of me aches for him not to.

We make out for a while, moving so we’re lying down in the blankets. It gets more and more heated as we go. Eventually, I break away from kissing just long enough to whisper, “I want to go all the way.”

He holds me by my shoulders and stares at me, our eyes locked together.

“Savannah,” he whispers.

“Please, Tanner,” I whisper back, “I’m ready.”

I’m ready to start living and I’m more than ready to give my virginity to Tanner Taylor.

“Are you sure?” he asks, searching my face for any doubt.

“I’m sure of you, of this, of everything,” I say, my voice confident, the most confident I think I’ve ever heard. “But is this what you want?” I ask him.

He gives me that big Tanner smile and says, “I’ve wanted this since the first second we started that social studies project together.”