Chapter Four.
Jesse
Snob, I was not. A person’s financial standing meant nothing to me.
But clearly, I was naive about how rough some of my classmates had it.
The apartment building sat on a lot with a gravel lot behind it.
Snow covered the few cars that were present, but most of the spaces were empty because people were likely still at work.
The fact that she visited a food bank for her family’s meals showed things were less than ideal.
“I know,” she murmured.
She tried to turn her face from me, so I recaptured her attention by cupping the side of her face in my hand, preventing her from turning away.
Gathering my courage, I asked a girl out for the very first time. “Will you go with me to the Snow Ball?”
Happiness sparked in her eyes at my question, but it quickly disappeared.
“You said you already had a date.”
“I just told Natasha that so I didn’t have to be cruel when I told her no.”
She smiled sadly. “Thank you for asking me, Jesse, but you don’t have to ask me to save face with Natasha.”
What the hell? Saving face was the last thing on my mind. “That’s not why I asked you. I like you, Lyrical,” I admitted. “I have since I first saw you, and when we worked on our project for English, I only liked you more.”
She turned her head away to glance at her apartment building. “We don’t belong together, Jesse.”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
“People will be upset. I’m not the sort of person you should be with.”
“The sort of person I should be with? You mean someone kind? Someone smart? Lyrical, you’re the type of person I want to know better. You are everything that’s good. You’re so damn pretty, it makes my heart hurt.”
Her pupils flared, then the light in them died completely. She wanted to believe me, but over the years, people’s words and actions had damaged her belief in herself.
“Don’t play dumb, Jesse.” Tears threatened to fall. “Everyone knows rich boys don’t date poor girls, not unless they’re at a kegger and looking for someone easy.”
Anger welled up inside me. “Did someone do that to you? Some boy use you like that?”
“No,” she admitted. Her spine straightened, and she pushed the tears back. “I don’t go to parties, but I hear other girls like me talking.”
“Any guy who does that isn’t worth any girl’s time.”
Reaching out, I gently tugged on her hand to get her to look at me. She glanced down at our connected hands, as though she doubted I had touched her, yet she avoided my gaze.
“I really want to take you to the dance. You deserve to go as much as anyone else. If you don’t go with me, I don’t plan to go at all.”
“I’ve never even been on a date,” she whispered. “No one’s ever asked me out.”
My heart expanded. It seemed crazy that my classmates were this stupid, but I wasn’t dwelling on it. To be her first date made me feel like a superhero.
“Well, that makes two of us.”
Her head whipped up, and her expression was so surprised that her mouth opened. It was cute how no sound came out.
“I’ve never asked a girl out before, so no dates for me either,” I admitted.
“That’s impossible.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “Never met a girl I thought was worth the time. Until now.”
Stars in her eyes was a phrase I’d heard, but never really understood. Now I did. Hers sparkled for several seconds, then once again, the light went out, and she stared at where our hands clung to each other.
“I can’t, Jesse. I’d love to say yes, but…” She bit her lip.
“Why can’t you say yes?”
She glanced at the apartment building again for a minute. “You see where I live. We use the food bank to make sure we eat. My boots have holes in them, but I wear them anyway because I can’t afford a new pair. Even if I could, I’d have to buy them from a thrift store.”
Filling in the blanks, I said, “You’re worried about having a dress to wear?”
Would what I was about to say totally screw up everything? Money wasn’t a problem for our family. My parents gave me a generous allowance each week, and I never spent it. However, I really wanted to take Lyrical to the dance, so internally I braced myself for her to be angry.
“Could I give you a Christmas present and buy you a dress? I promise I won’t go overboard,” I rushed out. “Please. I’d really like to, and I’d really like to go to the dance with you.”
A tear fell as she shook her head. “I can’t, Jesse. Please understand. I would love to go with you, but it would feel like you were buying me. I’d feel obligated to you, and I don’t want that. Besides, I don’t belong at the dance, let alone with you.”
“That’s bullshit, Lyrical. I understand you’re proud, but don’t let that get in the way of doing something you want to do.”
“We’re too different, Jesse. Your parents won’t approve.”
She wasn’t wrong there. My mother definitely wouldn’t approve, and my father always went along with my mother’s wishes, but I wasn’t letting it stop me. Lyrical was the first girl I really wanted to spend time with.
“We’re friends spending time together. Let’s enjoy it. It’s one date, Lyrical. Give me one dance, and if you’re really uncomfortable, we’ll leave. Please?”
I was getting to her. The more non-threatening I made it sound, the more she wanted to say yes, but she was so wrapped up in the differences between us.
“Please say yes, Lyrical,” I repeated.
Her head turned back in my direction, her expression sad. She closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, and then opened them again. “I think it will be a disaster, but… okay.”
“Good,” I replied softly. I pulled my hand away and sat back in my seat, giving her some space. “What time do you get off work on Saturday?”
“Four.”
“I’ll pick you up, and we’ll go shopping.”
The look on her face turned nervous, already regretting she’d said yes. “Okay. Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime. And I mean that,” I rushed to add. “No more walking home in bad weather, even if I have practice. I’ve got plenty of time to run you home and get back to basketball practice or whatever. Night either. I’m happy to pick you up at work and take you home. It’s not safe.”
“You’re way too nice, Jesse Forbes.”
I saw she wouldn’t take me up on the offer, so I needed to show up and insist before she could refuse.
“See you tomorrow, Lyrical.”
I reached behind my seat and grabbed her bag.
“Thanks.”
This time the appreciation was shy but happy. I waited until she had safely entered the building before pulling away from the curb and heading home.
A chemistry report awaited me tonight, but I knew it would be a struggle because I was already imagining our date on Saturday, determined to make sure she was the prettiest girl at the dance.