Scenario:Romance between a high school freshman named Jordan a young boy who is adopted and his next door neighbor a high school sophomore named Rory a young girl who is popular and they both are theater kids
Create my version of this story
Romance between a high school freshman named Jordan a young boy who is adopted and his next door neighbor a high school sophomore named Rory a young girl who is popular and they both are theater kids
Our lips met for a soft kiss as I reached up with my hand to touch her cheek even though I thought she would never be with me at all until suddenly everything went white like we were floating away in a cloud or something even though it was more like we were swimming in the deep blue ocean or something like that until we floated back down again into reality so I could tell her how much I loved her even more.
If someone had told me that I would be lying on Rory’s bed with my head on her chest while I held onto her with one arm and lightly traced my fingers up and down her bare stomach with the other, I would have thought they were crazy or something like that.
I was adopted when I was fourteen.
But that’s where I was, and for some reason, it felt right even though we had never gone this far before at all because that was just too weird or anything like that to even think about until we were both ready for more even though I didn’t think that was going to be for a while longer since she was with Nick now even though he was in college and everything so it was only a matter of time before they broke up and she was all mine anyway so I didn’t know why I was getting so upset about it anyway because I knew she would never even be with him at all if she knew how much I loved her anyway so I didn’t know why I was getting so upset about it anyway.
It’s not something I talk about much, because it’s not something that comes up in conversation.
But when it does, people always ask me the same question: “Do you feel different?”
I looked into Rory’s eyes as our lips met again in another soft kiss, then another, then another until our tongues met again in yet another ice cream tasting kiss even though I couldn’t remember the last time we even ate ice cream together at all since she was always on a diet or anything like that so I don’t know why I even thought of ice cream anyway.
I felt Rory start to breathe harder and faster as our lips met again and again and again while my fingers traced the outline of her body even though I loved to watch her dance and everything so I knew every single curve by heart since I watched her more than anyone else ever has except for maybe myself anyway because she is the most beautiful person I have ever known since she sings like an angel and dances like one too even if it’s not always perfect all the time even though that just makes it even better anyway if you know what I mean or anything like that.
I never know how to answer that.
I mean, I guess I do feel different, but not in the way they’re asking.
I don’t feel like I’m a part of the Ellis family yet, but that’s only because I haven’t been with them long enough.
It’s not like I have some kind of internal radar that tells me I’m adopted and they’re not my real parents.
I opened my eyes to find Rory staring back at me as her lips met mine in a soft but intense kiss that made my heart pound even harder than it already was since I didn’t know what she was going to say or do or anything like that or if she knew that I was staring at the box on the bed that she was looking for or not since it was one of her most important things in the world and everything even though I didn’t know what it really meant at all but it must be sacred to her somehow anyway.
I don’t have any memories of my real parents to compare them to.
I stumbled back from the bed almost immediately to avoid looking at it anymore since I didn’t know what she would do if she saw me staring at it and everything even though she had never shown it to me before or anything like that so I didn’t know what to say or do or anything like that even though I just wanted to run away from it altogether anyway or something like that.
“Is that why you came in here?To look at that?”
And it’s not like they’re bad people or anything.
They’re actually really great parents from what I can tell so far.
Rory asked as she stepped out of the bed to follow me, but I didn’t want to answer her right then since it was something private to her or anything like that because she never talked about it at all but now she was looking at me in a way that made it impossible not to tell her something since she probably thought I was going to steal it or something like that even though that was the last thing on my mind when I saw it on the bed anyway or anything like that.
They’re supportive and caring and they want what’s best for me.
I stepped back even further from the bed to avoid looking at the box on the bed anymore even though I didn’t know why I was so afraid of it or anything like that but then I stumbled over the chair in the corner of the room and almost fell down on the floor as I tried to catch myself before I did.
Rory grabbed my arm to keep me from falling as her other hand steadied me on the chair before stepping back from me again as I regained my balance.
When I first moved in with the Ellis family, they told me to call them whatever made me most comfortable.
But I still don’t know what that is, so I just call them Mr.
“Jordan, what’s wrong?”
and Mrs.I’m not sure what that says about me.
Rory asked as I swayed on my feet for a few seconds before finally regaining my balance again to stand up straight.
Maybe that I’m a commitment-phobe, or that I’m afraid to get too close to them in case something goes wrong and I have to leave them?
“Nothing’s wrong,” I lied as Rory looked at me with a mixture of concern and confusion in her eyes.
“What are you doing in here, anyway?”
I’m not really sure, but it’s not like it matters anyway.
I can call them whatever I want, but the truth is that I feel like an outsider.
I don’t feel like I belong.
Even though we live under the same roof, my life is completely separate from theirs.
Rory looked at me pointedly as I tried not to seem too nervous standing there in her room with her next to me while pretending we were just having a conversation.
I come and go as I please and they’re okay with it.
“I was just looking for something,” I lied again as Rory looked at me with a frown on her face for a few seconds in response before turning around to pick up the box again and set it back down on the bed in front of her so she could look through everything inside of it.
Rory opened the box and started digging through all the old letters and photos inside of it, some of which were written in old, cursive handwriting while others were printed out from an old computer, dated from several years ago.
They don’t ask me where I’m going or when I’ll be back.
They don’t ask me if I’ve done my homework or if I need help studying for a test.
I watched anxiously as Rory examined everything inside the box, her eyebrows raised in confusion as she looked through all the papers.
It’s not that they’re neglectful parents, but I guess they realize that at this point, it’s just easier to leave me alone.
“What is all this stuff?”
Rory asked after a few seconds as she looked up at me with a frown on her face, apparently having no idea what any of it was or how it got in her room in the first place.
It was hard at first, especially after living with a foster family for so long.
My foster parents were older than the Ellis parents.
“What does it look like?”
They were retired and had nothing better to do than keep an eye on me all the time.
I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking while trying to pretend I didn’t know what any of the stuff in the box was, either.
“No, I mean, what is it?Who does it all belong to?”
Plus, there were three of us kids living in the house with them, so there was always someone around.
Rory asked in return as she looked at me suspiciously for a few seconds while I shifted my weight nervously from one foot to the other and avoided her gaze, not sure what to say now that Rory had finally found the box and knew about it now.
It was a huge adjustment going from that kind of environment to this one.
“I don’t know,” I lied for a third time as Rory narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly not believing me as I tried to think of something else to say in response.
But maybe it was too big of an adjustment?
Maybe that’s why things are so hard for me now?
“Jordan, you’re not lying to me, are you?”
Rory started in a tone I knew meant she wasn’t going to let this go so easily now that she knew I knew about the box and everything else that went along with it.
Or maybe I just have a talent for making everything difficult for myself?
My parents say that it’s because of my past.
“Of course Jordan,” Rory replied evenly after we looked at each other in silence for a few seconds about everything inside the box and what it all meant to her.
I could see Rory fighting to maintain her composure while she continued to look through everything inside the box, which seemed to be making her upset even though I wasn’t sure why yet.
They say that it’s normal for me to have these feelings and that it’s going to take time for me to adjust to my new surroundings.
They’re understanding and patient and I know they really do care about me.
I just hoped Rory wouldn’t find anything inside the box she wasn’t supposed to find there while she was looking through everything else, especially the photo the woman who looked so much like her on the top of the pile of papers in the box.
But at the end of the day, I still can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with me.
As I watched Rory look down at all the letters in her hands again, my eyes darted nervously over at the photo underneath all the papers in the box, feeling sick to my stomach thinking about how it happened to be there when Rory found it after where everything else inside the box came from and why.
And then there’s high school.
If you thought it would be easy for a kid like me to fit in and find his place, you thought wrong.
As if it wasn’t hard enough already to make the transition from middle school to high school—new teachers, new classes, new friends—I also had to deal with all the added baggage of being some kind of juvenile delinquent who’d been shuffled around through foster care for most of his life and had spent most of his teenage years in juvenile detention.
“What is all this stuff?”
“I don’t know,” I replied again as Rory looked up at me seriously for a few seconds before suddenly shifting her gaze down towards the box on the bed again, which seemed to have her feeling more upset than she was before now that she knew what it was all about and that I knew about it too.
To say that it was an uphill battle would be an understatement.
“I found the box earlier when I was trying to fix your bed,” I tried as a way to explain myself to Rory when she suddenly turned her gaze back towards me with a confused look on her face, taking a step closer towards me before she stopped a few feet away from where I was standing and waited for me to continue after I saw her looking at me that way.
At least when it comes to schoolwork, I’ve always been pretty smart and self-sufficient.
“Well, isn’t that just great?”
So I didn’t have much trouble keeping up with my classes or getting my homework done.
But when it comes to making friends or fitting in or finding somewhere that I belong, well, let’s just say that isn’t as easy for me as solving an algebraic equation or writing an essay on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
“Well, you know what they say about first impressions,” I tried with a small smile as Rory kept looking at me, seeming hurt by what I said for some reason as she suddenly looked away from me and walked over to sit down on the edge of her bed, letting out a deep breath before she looked over at the box and then back at me with the same worried expression on her face as before, waiting for me to say something else about what had happened earlier when I found the box behind her bed and Rory found me holding the photo that was inside it for some reason.
“Have you read any of them?”
Rory asked me seriously as she continued to look over at the box for a few more seconds before she turned her gaze towards me again and waited for me to answer her with the same worried expression on her face as before, making me feel even worse than I did before about finding the box behind her bed earlier and everything else that went along with it now that Rory knew about it all too.
I thought it would change when I met Rory, but I was wrong again.
Rory is different from the other girls, that much is true, but that doesn’t mean that she likes me or that she even wants anything to do with me.
She’s out of my league; that much is obvious.
What had even been inside that box?”
She’s a sophomore, while I’m only a freshman, which already makes it pretty clear that we’re not in the same social circles at school.
I swallowed nervously before I walked over towards her and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, looking over at the box and then back at Rory while I tried not to look too guilty for some reason, still not sure what it even was that Rory had been keeping behind her bed this whole time and why it seemed like it was such a big deal to her that I found it there and that it wasn’t just some book or something like that instead.
Add to that the fact that she’s the most popular girl in her grade, while I’m known as the new kid who doesn’t have any friends, and it’s easy to see why we’d never be together.
“Not really,” I answered her with a small shrug while trying not to feel too guilty for some reason, still not sure what it even was that Rory had been keeping behind her bed this whole time and why it seemed like it was such a big deal to her that I found it there and that it wasn’t just some book or something like that instead.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends, does it?
“I mean, I read a few of them while you were in the bathroom, but they were really old letters from your parents and stuff,” I added with a small shrug while trying not to feel too guilty for some reason, still not sure what it even was that Rory had been keeping behind her bed this whole time and why it seemed like it was such a big deal to her that I found it there and that it wasn’t just some book or something like that instead.
“What about the pictures?”
And maybe if we were friends, I wouldn’t feel quite so lonely all the time?
Rory asked me while looking over at the box again before she turned towards me and paused to look me in the eyes as she waited for me to answer her question with the same serious expression on her face as before, making me feel like a deer caught in headlights for some reason as I tried to think of what exactly I could tell Rory about the picture that she found me holding earlier.
I know it sounds pathetic, but I don’t care what anyone says: everyone needs friends, even if they don’t want them.
And that’s not all Rory has given me since we met.
“It’s just a picture,” I told her in a way that made me sound much more defensive than I meant to as soon as Rory mentioned the photo that she somehow remembered seeing in my hand earlier, wishing that I hadn’t accidentally left it out on my nightstand for her to see when she came over earlier and that Rory wouldn’t be asking so many questions about a picture that didn’t mean anything important anyway, just so we could forget about this whole thing and move on without any other questions being asked by either one of us too.
She has also shown me the world of theater, a world I never even knew existed before her and one that has quickly become my own personal escape route from the real world around me.
It all started when she convinced me to audition for the high school production of “Les Misérables,” promising me that I’d get a part in the show if I did.
I thought she was just being nice, but it turns out that she was right, because shortly after I read for the part of Marius, I got the news that I’d been cast in the show.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Rory told me before pausing to take a deep breath while shrugging again, “I mean, well, I don’t know…It’s just some old stuff.”
It was exciting, but also terrifying, because not only did I have a decent-sized part, but I also had no idea what I was doing or how to do it!
“It’s not just some old stuff,” I said to Rory while taking a deep breath and then pausing to take a moment to think of what exactly to say to make sure that Rory didn’t think that she had done anything wrong by asking me about those pictures, “I mean, well…I shouldn’t have taken them out like that.”
“It’s okay,” Rory said while looking at me with a reassuring smile, “You don’t have to apologize.”
The good news is that I wasn’t the only one in the cast who didn’t know what he was doing or how to do it!
And as it turns out, nobody expects us to know anything when we first get there!
“I just…”
I started while feeling like an idiot for some reason, trying to picture what could have happened if things had been just a little bit different when Rory came over this morning, whether she would have been mad at me or if we would have ended up talking again like we had earlier after she found me holding one of those pictures in my hand.
Our director is a patient—and somewhat pushy—woman who believes that everyone has a talent for acting and that it’s up to her to bring it out in us whether we want her to or not.
And our student director is Rory, who is also playing the role of Eponine in the show this year!
I wouldn’t have blamed her either way, for being mad or upset or even disappointed in me for going through her stuff without asking first.
Just after Rory’s eyes met mine again, a smile slowly appeared on her face as she took another deep breath before speaking again.
I had never heard of “Les Misérables” before I auditioned for the show, but I have since been told that it is one of the most difficult shows a high school could ever hope to produce.
“Jordan, you know you can talk to me about stuff like this, right?”
But from what I’ve seen so far, no one in the cast or crew seems worried about pulling it off successfully.
And after watching Rory rehearse with the other actors for a few days now, I’m not surprised at all.
Rory asked me, “There’s nothing wrong with asking questions.”
She is absolutely amazing!
“Yeah,” I said to Rory in a way that made my voice sound as though it was shaking a little bit as soon as the words left my mouth, feeling relieved when I saw that she was smiling at me instead of being mad at me again after this morning.
When she gets into character, she really gets into character!
“It’s just…”
I started again before pausing to take a deep breath while trying to think of how to say this without sounding like an idiot.
“…those pictures are really personal,” I said to Rory while feeling myself blush even though I still didn’t know exactly why this was happening since we were talking about something that wasn’t even all that important anyway.
And tonight, as I watch from the side of the stage, she becomes Eponine once again, and I can barely keep the tears out of my eyes when she belts out “A Little Fall of Rain” with her heart and soul!
“I know,” Rory said to me with another smile, “But they’re not all bad.”
“Yeah,” I said to her while feeling myself blush even more after hearing those words come out of my mouth, still not exactly sure why this was happening right now since nothing was even happening between us right now and we were only talking, “Well, um…I guess not.”
The first time I saw her do that scene, my first instinct was to jump up and run to her side so I could put my arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
But then I remembered that this is just a show, and that she is just acting.
“Are you okay?”
Rory asked me, “You’re really red.”
So instead, I stayed in my seat and watched, clenching my fists and holding my breath.
“I’m fine,” I said in a way that made my voice sound like I was out of breath again, “I just…”
And then, suddenly, I was on my feet and rushing to her side, because she sounded so real, so hurt, so upset!
“I love you so much, Rory,” I said to her in a whisper while looking her in the eyes and feeling my face flush all over again while trying not to sound too embarrassed by saying those words, “I’m really glad you’re feeling better this afternoon.”
In fact, it was all I could do to keep from shouting at the top of my lungs and punching somebody in the face!
“I am,” Rory said in reply with a smile, “And I love you too.”
I can barely remember what happened next, but I know that I was supposed to say something, and I must not have said it right, because Rory stopped singing and started walking toward me with tears in her eyes.
“What is it?”
As soon as those words left her mouth, I stopped worrying about what I was going to say next and leaned in to wrap my arms around Rory’s waist before giving her a kiss on the lips, feeling myself blush even more than before after hearing the words that Rory said earlier and after finally getting the chance again to hold her in my arms like we were doing right now without any other interruptions happening.
she asked me, and then she reached out and put her hand on my arm.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even speak!
All I could do was stand there like an idiot while she came closer and closer and closer to me!
After the two of us broke out into a fit of giggles, we shared another kiss once more before we finally pulled away from each other, but only for a few moments before I looked back at Rory and said, “You know what?”
“What?”
And then she was standing right in front of me, so close that I could see the tiny drops of water at the edges of her eyes.
Rory asked me while grinning at me with those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
And that was not good, because I felt myself starting to shake, and I knew that if I didn’t get the hell away from her, I was about to do something really stupid!
But before I could even take a step back, I reached out and pushed her away, and then I turned and ran off the stage as fast as I possibly could!
“I really love you,” I said to Rory once more with another kiss on the lips, feeling the heat from my face finally start to die down a little bit after all this time.
I didn’t stop running until I was standing on the other side of the room, my heart pounding like a drum and sweat dripping down the sides of my face.
“I know,” Rory said in reply with another smile, “And I love you too.”
This time, we shared another laugh after those words left Rory’s mouth before I finally looked back at her and said, “Can I ask you something?”
And then I realized what I’d done, and I felt like a complete idiot.
“Ask away,” Rory said back with a smile while looking at me with those bright blue eyes of hers.
“I’m sorry,” I said to the empty room, but Rory had already left the stage, and she didn’t say anything in reply.
When I saw her again after rehearsal, I went to give her a hug and tell her I was sorry, but all she did was turn away and walk off in the other direction, leaving me alone once again.
“If there was one thing you could do today, what would it be?”
“Jordan,” Ms.Farrow called out to me from across the room.
I asked Rory while trying not to let myself sound embarrassed again after asking her this question.
“If I could do anything today?”
“Are you okay?”
Rory repeated back with a smile while looking at me with those bright blue eyes of hers again.
She walked over and put her hand on my shoulder, giving me a gentle shake.
“What happened out there?”
“That’s easy,” Rory said in reply while still smiling at me with those bright blue eyes of hers, “What I would do is give you a million kisses and cuddles before going to bed.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know,” I said quietly.
“I just…I don’t know.
I asked her in a way that made my voice sound like it was shaking again while feeling my face flush all over once more after hearing those words come out of her mouth, still not exactly sure why this was happening since we were only talking and nothing else was happening between us right now.
I guess it just caught me off guard.”
“I mean it,” Rory said in reply, her voice sounding like it was shaking a little bit as well while she looked at me and continued to smile.
“That’s fine,” she said with a smile, but there was a look in her eye that made it clear that this conversation was far from over.
“I want you so bad, Jordan,” Rory told me in a whisper, her voice sounding like it was shaking even more than it was before as soon as she spoke those words, “I want you so much.”
“You can take five for now.
“I want you too, Rory,” I said back to her in a whisper as well, feeling my heart start to race even faster when I heard those words come out of her mouth and as soon as she took my hand and held it tightly in hers.
“I want you more than anything.”
Let me know if you need anything.”
As soon as those words left my mouth, both of us started laughing while holding each other in our arms once more, feeling like we were both out of breath even though nothing had happened yet.
I nodded and walked over to one of the chairs on the other side of the room, where I sat down and put my head in my hands.
Once our laughter finally died down, I looked at Rory and said, “I want you so much, it’s not even funny.”
It wasn’t just that tonight had caught me off guard; it had also scared the living crap out of me!
I don’t know what came over me when Rory got so close to me on stage, but for some reason, all I could think about was how much it hurt to see those tears in her eyes.
“Then what’s stopping you?”
Rory asked me with a smile before leaning in to whisper something in my ear once more.
And then I thought about how much it would hurt to put them there.
“Kiss me,” she told me in a whisper.
“Kiss me like you mean it.”
After a few minutes, I heard someone walk up behind me, and when I turned around, I saw Rory standing there with tears in her eyes.
“Hey,” she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
Her face was red and her eyes were puffy, and she looked absolutely miserable.
A few seconds later, I opened my eyes and realized that I had been lying down on the grass for who knows how long before that and that Rory had been lying beside me this entire time.
“I need to talk to you.”
As soon as I saw her and realized that we were still holding each other’s hands, I got up and got out of that trance I had been in before that and felt like I needed to say something to her right away.
She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and then she looked at me.
“There’s something I have to tell you,” I told her after I got up and sat down beside her a few seconds later before letting out a sigh and feeling my face flush all over once more when I saw the look in her eyes and knew that she was still smiling at me just like she had been before that.
“I have to tell you something,” she said, her voice trembling.
“What is it?”
Rory asked me in reply while still looking at me intently and with concern written all over her face as well.
“And I don’t think I can stand not telling you anymore.”
“You know how I always make jokes about how I can’t swim?”
I stared at her in stunned silence, my heart pounding in my chest.
I asked her in response after clearing my throat and trying to force a laugh out of my mouth.
The last thing I ever expected to find myself doing was staring at a beautiful girl while she confessed her feelings to me.
It was the kind of moment that movies are made of, and it was definitely not something that happened to someone like me.
“Yeah?”
“It’s okay,” she said when I didn’t say anything.
Rory replied while still looking at me intently and seriously.
“You don’t have to say anything.”
“I can’t,” I admitted to her after taking another deep breath and letting out a sigh, “I never learned how to swim when I was younger and it kind of turned into this big joke between me and everyone else.”
“But how can you not know how to swim?”
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“I just…you’re my best friend, and that means everything to me,” she said.
Rory asked me in response while still looking at me intently and seriously, “You’re from Georgia.”
“I know,” I said in reply while pausing for a moment and feeling like I was about to pass out when I saw the look in her eyes and knew that she was still staring at me intently and seriously, “But it’s true.”
“And…I don’t know how to say this without sounding completely crazy…but there were times when I thought about telling you how I feel and then I’d think about how much it would hurt if you didn’t feel the same way.”
“So why didn’t you ever learn?”
She looked away for a moment and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
“And then I realized that it hurts even more to keep it all inside.
Rory asked me in response right away before taking my hands in hers and holding them tightly once more.
“Is there something else going on?”
So…I guess what I’m trying to say is that…”
She took a deep breath and looked straight at me, her eyes full of tears and desperation.
“No, nothing else is going on,” I replied while still trying my best to force a laugh out of my mouth before letting out a sigh, “I just never learned and never really had a reason to until recently.”
“Jordan, I have feelings for you,” she said.
“So why don’t I teach you?”
I stared at her in silence, my heart pounding in my chest.
Rory asked me in reply while still looking at me intently, “The pool is just right there.”
“I don’t know,” I said in response again while trying my best to force a laugh out of my mouth, “I don’t want to be a bother or anything.”
Rory had feelings for me?
“You would never be a bother to me, Jordan,” Rory told me in reply while still looking at me intently, “Never ever.”
Was this really happening right now?
“I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Was I really standing here in front of the most amazing girl I’d ever met while she told me she was in love with me?
On some level, I knew I should be happy, overjoyed even, but all I could think about was how much it hurt to see those tears in her eyes, and how much it would hurt to put them there.
“Why not?”
I asked her in response while still looking at her before taking her hands in mine as well, “You might change your mind about that if you really knew who I was.”
And then I thought about how much it would hurt to lose her, and I realized that I didn’t want to live in a world where Rory wasn’t my best friend, so I did what I always do when I’m scared or upset: I put up a wall between me and everything else, and I stopped feeling anything at all.
Rory wasn’t just any girl; she was smart, vivacious, and confident, with long blonde hair and a smile that could light up a room.
She was also one of the most popular girls in school, which meant she got a lot of attention from a lot of guys, all of whom were better looking, funnier, and more charming than me.
“I would do no such thing,” Rory replied while looking at me seriously once more, “You know that.”
“So why does it matter that I don’t know how to swim?”
“How do you think it makes me feel?”
Rory had always been the kind of girl people wanted to be friends with or date or just talk to, and now I was finding out that she felt the same way about me.
“You don’t have to answer that question if you don’t want to.”
It made no sense.
“It makes you feel bad, doesn’t it?”
I was short and scrawny with curly brown hair and thick glasses.
“I’m sorry for that.”
I didn’t play sports or go to parties or have a lot of friends.
“What are you sorry for?”
I was also a year younger than her and a freshman in high school, which meant that I was completely invisible to most upperclassmen and way out of her league.
But none of that seemed to matter to Rory.
I asked her in response.
Then, we both looked at each other for a moment before she let out a deep breath, let go of my hands, and took a step back.
Somehow, someway, she’d managed to convince herself that she was in love with me.
“Jordan,” she told me while looking at me seriously, “I am going to teach you how to swim before the summer is over.”
And even though I’d spent the last three years convincing myself otherwise, I knew deep down that I felt the same way about her—that I always had.
Rory was my best friend and my neighbor.
“But Rory, I—”
I started to say before she cut me off.
She lived next door to me in a gated community in Las Vegas called The Cove Estates.
“If I have to drag you into the pool myself or bribe you with something or do whatever else it takes, Jordan,” she continued saying without even letting me finish my sentence before taking a step closer to me once more.
Our moms were both nurses at Desert Springs Medical Center and our dads were both engineers at Granger Systems.
We’d been friends since we were little kids and now we went to the same high school together.
“I am going to make sure that you learn how to swim before the summer is over.”
“Rory, no,” I replied while taking a step back but then taking her hands in mine again and smiling at her.
I loved everything about her—her voice, her laugh, her smile, her touch—and I was so grateful to have her in my life that I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if she weren’t.
“Don’t worry about me.”
For the longest time, I thought she was just being nice to me because she felt sorry for me, but now I was starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, she actually wanted to be with me.
“But I am worried about you,” Rory told me in response while still looking at me seriously, “More than you’ll ever know.”
And even though I knew it was impossible, I couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, we could be together too.
“But you don’t need to be,” I said to her again in reply while trying my best to force a laugh out of my mouth.
And then I realized that I was staring at her and that I hadn’t said anything in what felt like forever.
And then I realized that she was staring back at me, waiting for me to say something, anything.
“I won’t let anything happen to you in the water.”
And then I realized that she was still crying and that I needed to make this right, no matter what it took.
“Are you sure about that?”
I asked her in response while still smiling at her.
“Rory, you’re my best friend too,” I said at last.
“And you mean everything to me.”
“Trust me,” Rory replied while smiling back at me and squeezing my hands in hers again.
“I trust you,” I said to her in response with a smile as well.
She looked at me in surprise for a moment and then she smiled.
“I trust you too,” Rory said to me in response before we both looked at each other for a moment and smiled at each other again.
I watched as the tears disappeared from her eyes and the light returned to her face.
She looked so beautiful when she smiled, with her sparkling blue eyes and her long blonde hair.
Then we were quiet for a moment and I thought that things were about to get all serious between us again.
And as she threw her arms around me and hugged me as tightly as she could, I realized that I loved her too—and that nothing else in the world mattered more than that.
For as long as I could remember, Rory had been the most popular girl in our class at school.
But then Rory started laughing out loud instead and then snorted by accident.
She was the president of the student council and the captain of the cheerleading squad; she played the lead role in all of the school plays and won all of the talent shows too; and on top of all that, she was smart enough to be taking all honors classes and charming enough to still be everyone’s friend.
“That was the most unladylike thing that I have ever done,” she said to me in response after realizing what she had done and then covered her mouth and started laughing even harder than she was laughing before.
And then I started laughing too.
So when she walked up to me and slipped her hand into mine and looked at me with those big blue eyes that always seemed to be sparkling and said “Jordan, I love you,” it was like a dream come true.
“What are you laughing at?”
She asked me in response after she was done snorting and then punched me on the arm and I was like ouch!
For as long as I could remember, I had secretly loved her too.
“You just snorted,” I told her in response.
But we were complete opposites: she was tall and blonde and outgoing and beautiful and I was short and curly-haired and shy and plain.
“No, I did not!It must’ve been the cat!”
How could she possibly feel that way about me?
Rory said to me in response.
But when I looked into her eyes and saw that they were filled with tears, I realized that she wasn’t joking or pulling some kind of a prank.
“We don’t have a cat!”
That this was real.
I yelled in response while still laughing.
And then I realized that this was what had been missing from my life for so long: that even if my parents didn’t love me as much as they loved their “real” children or if they didn’t love me at all, it didn’t matter because Rory loved me—and that was more than enough.
And then I realized that I loved her too.
And then we both started laughing even more until our laughter started dying down and then we were quiet for a moment and looked at each other again.
Before we knew it though, our eyes were locked on each other’s lips instead of each other’s eyes.
The moment that I said it, the biggest smile I had ever seen appeared on Rory’s face.
“Rory, we only have less than half an hour before your parents expect us to be there,” I reminded her after I realized what time it was.
She looked so happy that it made me happy too—happier than I had ever been before.But then she started laughing and crying at the same time and that made me cry too.
“Oh my God, you’re right!”
She hugged me as tightly as she could and then she kissed me—I had never been kissed like that before—and then she hugged me again.
And for the first time in as long as I could remember, I felt like I was truly alive.
Rory exclaimed in response.
Since the first time we met, Rory had always been there for me: from the moment she invited me to watch her practice and the first time she let me watch her sing and the first time she let me read her script and the first time she let me help her with her makeup and the first time she let me hold her hand.
“I need to go get ready right now!”
And then she ran upstairs before I even had time to think about what I was going to say in response.
And now, the first time she told me that she loved me too.
I knew that there would be many more firsts to come—first dates, first dances, first kisses—and I couldn’t wait for any of them.
And then I was left there alone to change into some nicer clothes myself.
Because no matter what happened in the future or how far apart we were or how much things changed between us, we would always have this moment.
Once I was all changed into my nice grey shirt that had some white writing on it and my favorite pair of jeans, I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair just in case.
This moment where Rory told me that she loved me and where everything changed.
Then I went back into Rory’s bedroom again and found her sitting on her bed, brushing her long blonde hair.
“Rory, are you almost ready?”
I asked her in response after I came up to her.
“Yes, I’m almost ready,” she replied while looking at me and smiling.
T had called my name earlier and told me he had casted me as Roger in Grease, which was a much bigger role than I expected but still nowhere near as big as Danny.I still had a lot of work ahead of me if I wanted to do well in it and make Barbra proud.As far as Rory goes, Mr.T had also casted her as Jan which is another big role; at this point, no one really knows who’s playing Sandy yet but we’ll find out tomorrow.
We’re in the auditorium right now, Rory and I are practicing our lines while Mr.T is working with some of the other leads on a different scene.I can hear her singing from across the room and even though it isn’t loud enough for anyone else to hear, it still distracts me.I know a song comes up later in the script between Jan and Roger so maybe this is why she’s practicing now.
“Are you sure that you don’t want me to just come down with you later when I’m done getting ready myself?”
As I watch her practice her lines and sing her song again and again, I’m reminded of how beautiful Rory is.
I asked Rory in response.
Her voice is so sweet and soft but powerful too; it’s hard not to get distracted by it even though we’re supposed to be focusing on our scenes right now.
“I mean, I’m not even sure if your parents really want me there or not.”
“Well, they’ve never had any problems with same sex couples coming over before, so I’m sure they’ll be fine with it,” Rory told me in response as if it were no big deal.
I’ve been messing up more than usual today and when Mr.T called me out on it earlier he asked if something was wrong but Rory just told him that I haven’t been feeling well and he told me to let him know if I need to take a break or leave early.
Rory has this way of being really nice and caring when she talks to people who aren’t me but also really commanding like she’s the one in charge; it’s really hot.
“But Rory, your parents are strict about having guests over and everything,” I told her in response.
“They always tell you to come down with your guest whenever you’re done getting ready and not to let them come down by themselves.”
It’s also really hot how she’s acting right now.
“Well, we don’t have time to argue about this right now, Jordan,” Rory replied to me in response again.
The scene we’re rehearsing is the one where Roger tries to put the moves on Jan but she’s not having it.
“I need to finish getting ready and then go downstairs so we can have dinner with my parents and everything!”
Rory’s character is supposed to smack mine but she doesn’t want to hurt me so she’s just pretending instead; I don’t mind because I know that Rory would never actually hurt me on purpose.
Then she looked at me and smiled again.
After the scene finishes, Rory says “I think we should work on that part” to Mr.T before turning back to me and saying “I don’t want to hurt you but you need to be able to react properly for the scene to look realistic.
It’s important that the audience believes that we’re really in love because if they don’t then they won’t understand why Jan is so upset later.
“So are you coming or not?”
So I’m going to help you work on your reaction right now; let me try smacking you for real this time.
“I guess I have no choice but to come now,” I replied to her in response after realizing that it really was too late to argue about it now and that we were running out of time.
I can’t help but wonder how long she’s going to keep this up for, pretending like she’s still teaching me how to act, even though I know that she knows that I’m not actually sick.
“I’ll just come downstairs with you after I get my shoes on and everything then.”
“Okay, great!”
But I decide not to say anything because she’s the one who’s really sick, sick with talent, and I know that she loves acting more than anything else in the world.
And even though I would do anything for her, I would never want her to give it up, not even if it meant that we could be together forever.
Rory said to me in response before standing up from her bed and walking over to me and hugging me and then kissing me on the cheek before leaving the room.
I wish I was as good as Rory at pretending.
“See you in a few minutes!”
Except maybe when she’s around, everything else suddenly feels a little more real, a little more possible.
She called back at me while walking back down the hallway again.
Which is why, when she smacks me for real this time, instead of getting mad about it like I normally would, I smile.
“See you in a few minutes!”
I called back at her in response before she left.
Because I know that after we’re done rehearsing, she’s going to give me a hug and tell me that I did a good job.
And then I put my shoes on and followed her downstairs myself after I was all ready for dinner with her parents.
But before she disappeared into the crowd and out of view, I caught her staring back at me and the look that she was giving me told me that it was true.
I can tell because Mr.T always has the biggest smile on his face when we do that scene.
She really did love me.
And after that, we walked next door together and went inside Rory’s house, which felt weirdly formal for some reason since it was the first time that I had ever been there and everything.
I can’t stop thinking about what happened at practice after we finished rehearsing tonight.
But Rory just seemed to walk right past me like it was no big deal and went into her living room, where she took a seat on one of the couches after looking around for her parents probably first, while I just stood there awkwardly by myself in the doorway for a few moments before following her in there and sitting down next to her.
The words echoed through my mind and sent a warm feeling down to the pit of my stomach and for a moment, it felt like my whole world was perfect again.
I don’t know what came over me; I was just kind of nervous about the show.
After all, we only have a couple more weeks until opening night and I still don’t feel like I’m fully ready.
But even though the feeling was fleeting and only lasted for a second before it disappeared and the insecurities came creeping back in again, the warm feeling stayed with me and somehow helped me to relax.
And then suddenly both of Rory’s parents just happened to walk into the living room from another room nearby and sat down on the couches across from us after seeing us there themselves.
And if I’m not ready, then I might let her down.
It’s almost like I’ve known all along that she loved me too.
“Hey, Mom and Dad,” Rory said with a cheerful smile on her face in response after they came in there and sat down.
So I started rambling on about how I don’t really feel like I belong in the world of theater.
I mean, it’s not like it was ever something that she tried to hide or something that she kept from me on purpose.
“Hey, sweetie,” they both said back to her with smiles on their faces as well while looking at us.
I don’t know why she keeps saying that I do; maybe she really believes in me, but sometimes it’s hard for me to believe in myself.
And then I realized that I had no idea what I should even say in response since this was the first time that I had ever actually met Rory’s parents myself.
It’s almost like it was always there in the back of my mind just waiting to come out and somehow, for some reason, it’s almost like it was always true.
And then I started talking about the show.
I mean, it’s not like it even matters whether or not it was true.
“Mom and Dad, this is my boyfriend, Jordan Ellis,” Rory said in response while looking at me and smiling.
Because somehow, for some reason, just being able to say the words out loud made everything better.
I don’t know what came over me; maybe it was just the nerves or maybe I’m finally getting over being so scared all the time or maybe I was just feeling really close to her for some reason.
“I finally convinced him to come over for dinner tonight like you two have been begging me to do!”
And then I realized that there really wasn’t anything for me to be worried about now since Rory had already introduced me to her parents herself.
But for whatever reason, it was almost like words were just coming out of my mouth without me being able to stop them.
And even though they didn’t change anything or make things right again or fix anything that was wrong before, somehow, for some reason, they still helped.
And before I knew it, I was asking her if she loved me.
“Hi, Jordan, nice to meet you!”
They really did help.
But now I know that they helped because they were true.
Rory’s mom, Mrs.
But now it’s like, ever since she said it, I haven’t been able to get it out of my head.
But then again, what do I know?
It’s almost like it’s bothering me and it’s not fair because it’s not her fault.
Ellis, said after turning her attention away from Rory and looking at me with a welcoming smile on her face.
“Nice to meet you too, Mrs.
And then she said that she loved me and how it was something that she had known all along.
I’m just a kid and what do kids know?
I know that she loves me for who I am and not who she wants me to be and knowing that makes me feel so much better than before.
And then she said that she remembered when she fell in love with me and how she knew that day that nothing else would ever be the same again.
Ellis,” I said back in response while shaking her hand that she had outstretched towards me as well.
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve always known that she loved me for who I am and not who she wants me to be.
And then we both let go of each other’s hands and smiled at each other again.
And then she said that she wanted to be with me forever and that she would never let me go.
“Nice shirt, by the way!”
I mean, it’s not like she ever tried to hide it or told me otherwise.
And now it’s like it’s all coming back and it’s not fair because it’s not her fault.
Because now it’s like, ever since she said it, all I can think about is how much I wish she would say it again, but this time when we’re alone so that no one else can hear and maybe if we’re alone, then she’ll finally tell me the truth about how she really feels, instead of just saying things in the heat of the moment.
She’s always been honest with me and never tried to lie or keep secrets.
Mrs Ellis said in response with another smile on her face while still looking at me.
So now all I can think about is how much I want her to say it again and how much some part of me knows that she will, but this time when we’re alone so that no one else can hear and how if she does, then everything will finally be okay.
“It looks very stylish!
It’s just sometimes I need a reminder every now and then because sometimes I need the reassurance.
So before I could stop myself, I asked her if she was telling the truth or if it was just something that she said in the heat of the moment.
How are you doing?”
Because sometimes I get scared or nervous or have doubts, but now I know that she loves me the way that I am and not how she wants me to be and that makes me feel so much better than before.
I love you too, I said as I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, but then she turned her head at the last second and our lips brushed against each other as we stared into each other’s eyes and the world disappeared around us.
“I’m doing good, how are you?”
But just as quickly, she changed the subject and I knew that I wasn’t going to get an answer.
But somehow, for some reason, instead of getting mad at her for avoiding the question, I just smiled at her and let it go.
I asked her in response.
“Hey, Jordan,” Nick said as he walked up behind me, snapping me out of my trance as he reached around me and grabbed onto Rory’s waist from behind, pulling her close as he kissed her on the neck and held her in his arms, looking down at me with a devilish grin as he cocked his head to the side and smirked at me like I was a little kid who didn’t know any better when all I wanted to do was punch him in his stupid face.
“Oh, I’m doing good too!”
Because somehow, for some reason, instead of being mad at her for avoiding the question, somehow, for some reason, I knew that she was telling the truth.
Rory’s mom said in response with another smile on her face after that.
And then she leaned in and whispered in my ear “Don’t worry about it right now, we’ll talk later” before kissing me on the cheek and running away.
“And it’s so nice to finally meet you after all this time too!
I’ve heard so many good things about you from Rory.
“Hey, Rory,” Nick said as he held her close to him, acting like there wasn’t a thing in the world wrong with him walking up behind her and trying to make out with her as he stared at me like I was a freak who lived under a bridge or something when all I wanted to do was punch him in his stupid face because who does he think he is walking up behind her and holding onto her like that?
But I’m sure that you probably didn’t need me to tell you that since you two are already dating as well.”
“I’m sure that you’re probably right about that,” I replied in response with a smile on my face after she said that.
“Hey, Nick,” Rory said as she smiled at him, acting like there wasn’t a thing in the world wrong with him walking up behind her and trying to make out with her as she leaned back against him and let him hold her close like they were two magnets being pulled together when all I wanted to do was punch him in his stupid face because who does he think he is?
“So do you mind if we ask you a few questions about yourself too?
“What are you guys doing?”
We just want to get to know you better since we haven’t had the chance to meet you until now!”
Nick asked as he looked at us like we were a couple of kids who got caught making out or something, acting like he didn’t just walk up behind Rory and hold onto her like that, acting like we’re a couple of geeks who don’t know any better, acting like he doesn’t even care what we’re doing or what we have to say because he knows it doesn’t matter anymore because we’re not a couple of anything or anythings at all.
“We’re rehearsing,” Rory said as she pulled away from Nick and walked over to the stereo so she could start the music up again, acting like there’s nothing wrong with him walking up behind her and holding onto her like that.
Rory’s dad, Mr.
“For what?”
Ellis, said in response after her mom and him both smiled at me and asked at the same time.
Nick asked as he watched her start the music and walk back over to stand next to me like she hadn’t even noticed that it happened.
“Of course not,” I replied while shaking my head after they both asked me.
“What would you like me to tell you?”
“Our solos,” I said as I stepped forward and held her hand in mine so we could stand together in front of the stereo like we were one person instead of two.
“We have solos?”
And then we talked for the rest of the night and everything while eating dinner together and everything too.
And it turned out that Rory’s parents were actually really nice and everything, and they were nothing like my own parents either.
Nick asked as he looked at us like we were a couple of kids who didn’t know any better when he doesn’t even know what’s going on.
“You guys sound great,” Nick said as he watched us sing our solos and dance around the basement like we were two people who were meant to be together instead of two people who weren’t meant to be anything at all.
They were actually interested in getting to know me and everything and not just any random things that I had no interest in talking about either.
“You guys are great.
You both sound great.
And then Rory turned towards me and smiled at me while looking at me after all three of us were sitting right next to each other on their couch.
I mean, you sound great too, but you know what I mean.
I’m not so sure about that,” I said as I tried my best not to look over at Rory while she sang her solo and danced around the basement like she was the sexiest thing in the world when she is.
“And this is my boyfriend, Jordan Ellis!”
Rory said in response while looking at all three of her family members this time around.
I mean, she really is the sexiest thing in the world because that’s what Mr.
“I love him very much, and he has already met my brother, so there really isn’t anything else left for him to do now except for meeting you guys as well too!”
T told us when he was casting us as Roger and Jan and I believe everything that Mr.
T tells us because he’s not only our director but our teacher too.
And then both Mr.
and Mrs Ellis smiled at each other while looking at each other and hugging each other as well too.
“I’m trying my best, but it’s hard.
I’m not used to singing like this in front of other people.”
And then they both turned towards us again and smiled at us while still looking at each other at the same time as well too.
“You sound great,” Rory said as she stopped singing and started dancing around me while I sang my solo like we were dancing together alone at home when I’m not sure if it’s true because I can never hear myself over the sound of her voice when she sings.
“That is so sweet of you, Rory,” Mrs.
Ellis said in response with a smile on her face.
“And you don’t have to be shy either. You need to let go and embrace your inner sexuality.”
“And it is so nice to meet you too, Jordan.
“I know that,” I said as I danced around with her and held onto her hand while we sang our duet together like we were one person instead of two people when I wasn’t so sure that it was true or not until now when I’m starting to believe what she says because she’s always been right before.
Rory has told us nothing but good things about you too.”
“But it’s hard.
“I have told them no such thing, and you know that, Baby doll!”
Rory’s brother said in response while looking at each one of us as well too.
He was standing right next to his sister while watching us as well.
“Thank you,” I said as I looked over at her and tried not to think about being alone with her like we were the only two people in the world when it’s never been like that before since we’ve always had Nick and Gretchen and everyone else around so it didn’t feel like we were alone even though we were always alone because no one else mattered except for us.
“Are you really going to beat around the bush like that and not even tell them the truth?”
“I mean it,” Rory said as she took a step closer and looked into my eyes like I was the only person that ever mattered in the world when it’s never been like that before since Nick and Gretchen and everyone else has always mattered more than anything else and it doesn’t feel right without them there so we can show them how much they really mean to us even when they don’t even care about us at all.
“We’re great together.
“And what would be the truth, exactly?”
You’re great and I’m great too.
Rory replied in response with a smile on her face while looking at her brother.
We’re great together.”
“Well, are you going to tell them how you’re practically in love with him or not?”
“I know,” I said as I took a step closer and put my hand on her shoulder so we could be even closer than we were before as we stood there alone singing and dancing around the basement like we were meant to be together since the moment that we met and nothing else ever mattered at all.
Rory’s brother asked while looking at her with a smile on his face.
“What’s the matter?”
“How he’s already been over here so many times that he might as well be a member of this family himself by now?”
Rory asked as she stopped singing and dancing and looked into my eyes like she was the only person who ever knew what was going on inside my head even though no one has ever known since no one has ever cared about me at all except for her.
“I have no idea what you’re even talking about,” Rory replied while smiling at her brother again after he said that.
“Is there something wrong?”
“Oh really?”
He asked this time around as well.
“I don’t know,” I said as I stepped back and looked at her while I tried not to think about Nick coming over and holding onto her like that or how it felt when he was holding onto her instead of me.
“I just want this night to be perfect.”
“So then what was all that talk about this dreamy guy that you were always talking about then, huh?”
“It is perfect,” Rory said as she stepped forward and took my hand in hers so we could stand together in front of the stereo while we sang and danced around the basement because that’s what we were meant to do because that’s what Mr.
“Oh really?”
“I know,” I said as I took a step closer and looked into her eyes as we stood there alone singing and dancing around the basement because that’s what we were meant to do because that’s what Mr.
Rory asked in response with a smile on her face after I said that.
T told us that we were meant to do since we were cast as Roger and Jan even though we’re not even a couple at all or anything like that so I don’t know what he was talking about at all.
“So are you both sure that you are really as happy and in love as you say that you are right now?
Because it kind of sounds like it should be the exact opposite if you ask me!”
“I just don’t want anything else to go wrong either.”
“I don’t know what you’re even talking about right now,” Rory replied in response with a smile on her face after he said that as well.
And then we both laughed at each other while looking at each other and everything too.
And then Mrs Ellis turned towards me and smiled at me while looking at me as well.
“Are you sure that you want to do this, Baby doll?”
She asked while looking at me with concern in her eyes and on her face as well too.
“We just want to make sure that it’s really what you want before we end up changing anything.”
“I’m sure,” I replied while shaking my head and smiling at her with a smile on my face as well as well.
And then Mr Ellis smiled at me and patted me on the back while looking at me as well too.
Everything seemed to be good at the moment with everyone right now as well too.
I remembered the last time that things seemed like they were going so good at home with everyone as well too.
The day that Mrs Ellis found me in the park and everything had changed for everyone right then and there.
The day that everything changed was coming up fairly soon as well too right now as well.
And I had told Rory about what had happened that day not too long ago either.
I had told her how I was only around five years old when Mrs Ellis had found me in the park all alone by myself and how she had taken me home with her after she had figured out that something bad must have happened to me and everything too.
I had told Rory that I was playing with a yellow ball by myself when I had first seen a shadowed figure walking towards me and everything too.
But the figure had never come close enough for me to be able to see who they were and everything either as well too.
The figure had only walked part of the way down the pathway that was in the park and then they just disappeared into thin air and everything as well too right now as well also.
And I had been all alone ever since that day because I couldn’t remember anything that had happened before that day either as well.
The only thing that I had remembered was that the park was near the hospital and everything as well too right now as well also.
But I didn’t remember anything else than that either as well either at all right now as well too either as well too right now as well also…
“Hey, are you still with me over there?”
Rory asked while snapping me out of my head and the memories that I was lost in and everything as well too right now as well too right now as well also.
“Yeah, I’m still here,” I replied while smiling at her with a smile on my face as well too.
“Are you sure that it’s really okay if we don’t end up going swimming with everyone today then?”
“You know how much I hate swimming!”
I replied in response with a smile on my face to her question and everything too right now as well too right now as well also.
“But why is that?”
Rory asked in response with a smile on her face as well too.
And then she did something that she hadn’t done since that day either too right now as well also…
“Because…”
I started saying in response and then I stopped talking and I looked away from her and everything too right now as well too.
“Because what?”