Little Miss Perfect by Julia Kent

Author:Julia Kent
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Julia Kent

4

“Hey! My yearbook!” Will backs out of his car, two books in his hands. One is our government textbook, and one is our yearbook.

2009 is enormous on the cover, in stark relief in gold.

My heart sinks. I don't have mine here. And this is my very last chance to get it signed by him.

“Oh. Huh,” is all I can think to say.

He bends back down in his car, fumbling, giving me an undeniably drool-worthy view of his muscular butt in those faded, snug jeans. When he reappears and makes eye contact, I swear he can read my mind.

Which is so dirty it might as well be a mud pit to the center of the earth.

“Do me?” He thrusts the yearbook toward me.

“What?” The image those words conjures sets my body on fire again. I should have a fire extinguisher in my backpack for times I'm around Will.

“Sign it? My yearbook?”

“Oh! Right! Really? Me?”

“Yes, you. No one else around.”

“Oh. Uh. Okay.” My hand shakes as he gives me the pen. I will it to stop.

My will isn't strong enough.

“Hmmm,” I say, more to fill space than anything else. What can I say here? I have to go for boring and trite, because the alternative is to turn the pen ink into my own blood and bleed my undying love for him all over the page, and that would get messy.

And potentially fatal.

Socially, emotionally, utterly fatal.

I can't die before I take my last final, right? That would seem so ridiculous, like collapsing six inches before the finish line of a marathon.

But to write about how I really feel when it comes to Will? That would be certain death.

So I ponder. I blink. I stare out into space until finally, Will clears his throat.

“You're not inspiring confidence.”

“Huh?”

“If it takes you this long to think of something to say, I'm wondering if that's a reflection on me or you.”

“HAH! It's me. It's all me.”

It's you, Will. It's all you. Everything is you.

Everything.

Whatever I write has to be perfect. It has to last a lifetime.

My lifetime. Not his. Because this whole interlude in the parking lot? It means nothing to him. It's a blip. Will is going to take the exam. Go home. Live his wonderful life. Achieve his amazing achievements. He'll fall in love and go out into the world and do great, authoritative things.

Me?

I'll hold onto these memories for longer than I should.

So whatever I write can't be stupid. I'll live with regret and self-loathing forever if I don't get this right.

Suddenly, it hits me.

I know what to say.

My shaking hand, though, needs a few seconds to chill the heck out.

To Will, who always knows where he’s going. <3 Mallory

The words write themselves. I close my eyes and let them sink in. It's a done deal, but that doesn't mean I can't reflect for a few seconds.

I swallow, hard. That's personal enough, but not too personal. It's specific without being intrusive. It says something smart but not overly intellectual.

And it's a form of praise.

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