The Big Three | Teen Ink

The Big Three MAG

July 29, 2009
By protagonist BRONZE, San Antonio, Texas
protagonist BRONZE, San Antonio, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

“What event triggered the Cuban missile crisis?”

My study buddy looked from his paper to me with those eyes – the eyes of Dorian Gray. “I guess Princeton Review doesn't see the irony of putting ‘trigger' and ‘missile crisis' in the same question,” he added.

I answered with a coquettish laugh and, of course, the correct answer: the Bay of Pigs invasion. I knew the answers to all these questions. It's not like I suggested the idea of a study session because I had difficulty remembering the events of the Kennedy administration.

“Who was the Soviet premier during the Cuban missile crisis?” His voice had a curious, musical ring to it like some character in a black and white movie you could never quite place.

“Khrushchev.” You would want to hear more of that voice … like the first ten seconds of a JFK speech, before the whole nasal rasp becomes too much.

“Spell Khrushchev.” Ha! My little Cape Cod golden boy was challenging me.

“The AP exam doesn't take off for spelling.” I looked him straight in the eyes – eyes that happened to be mere inches from mine. Thank you, Aphrodite, for making small tables at coffee houses everywhere.

“I want to see if you know it.”

I stared into the tangoing twirls of blue and silver in his eyes. They should have been strands of cotton candy, but something told me they were the current of an eddy waiting to pull me in. Once you're gone, you're gone.

“K.” But the whites of his eyes were crossed with little red veins.

“H.” Did he have trouble sleeping last night?

“R.” Or was he with her last night?

“U.” No, they broke up. He's single now, but blond boy's out of my league.

“S.” It's a challenge. Does that mean I should go for it?

“C.” I wouldn't know how.

“H.” Won't he just disappear from my life when the semester ends?

“E.” Not if I play this right.

“V.” What the hell, you only live once.

He stared at me for a moment, and I couldn't breathe but didn't care to; who needs oxygen when you have so much adrenalin in your veins there's barely room for blood?

“So close,” he said in a low voice. His voice is even better than his eyes. For a moment I wondered if he would lean in and kiss me. “But you forgot an H.”

Figures I would do something to ruin it. No kiss for me. I guess spelling the names of Soviet premiers isn't something guys consider a turn-on.

“This one's easy,” he said.

Something easy? It must not be kissing me.

“Name the Big Three.”

The Big Three … somehow my mind was clear on this one. It wasn't that the answer was clear, but my mind was clear like the kind of stream some obnoxiously perfect lyrical unicorn would drink from. For a mini-eternity I didn't think about the mounds of work I still had to do, the fact I was manipulating him to spend time with me, or those damn eyes. I thought of nothing … peace. The only three words that came to my head were “I love you.”

“Don't you know the Big Three?”

There were those eyes again. Stalin must have had captivating eyes, but in a different way. In these eyes there was concern … but only concern that I didn't know the answer. In them I saw his dreams, his amazement, his past loves, his cats … but was there anything for me?

“The Big Three are Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill.” With each name I couldn't help but feel my words betrayed them all. But it was the correct answer, and logically the only answer. Still, I couldn't look in his eyes.

“Are you sure?” My God, he was teasing me! Of all the questions he decided to make me second guess myself on, he had to pick this one.

Bastard. Blond handsome bastard. He was also playing me.

“Well, what other Big Three is there?” I asked in my most seductive voice. Those years of theater had to pay off sometime. I twirled a bit of curly hair around my finger. He loved my curly hair, so unlike his.

His eyes were staring into mine and I stared right back. Was I FDR and he Stalin, or the other way around? There was a flicker of something in those cotton-candy eyes and I knew he wasn't Stalin.

“I love you.” The words that slipped from his lips were barely audible.

“I love me too.” I bet no one had ever said that to a Kennedy before. But I hadn't won yet. “In fact, I love me almost as much as I love you.”


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This article has 149 comments.


Dingledodie said...
on Feb. 25 2010 at 12:29 am
Dingledodie, Sandpoint, Idaho
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
But he had been in love once, that he knew. Once and only once, and a long time ago. And it had changed him forever. Perfect love did that to a person, and this had been perfect.

I like that incredibly witty part at the end. I'll use that one from now on. I like this story. Good job.

on Feb. 19 2010 at 3:56 pm
juicyfan6 BRONZE, Mount Laurel, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." - J.K. Rowling

this is cute :) good job

fat albert said...
on Feb. 15 2010 at 7:38 pm
nice story, by the way the family says hi

on Feb. 14 2010 at 12:16 pm
great story cuz, i loved it... and i bet you cant guess which cousin i am

on Feb. 10 2010 at 6:18 pm
storyofmylife PLATINUM, Mt. Olive, Alabama
27 articles 0 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
If life gives you lemons. Paint them green and pretend they're limes.

tres bonne. tres tres jolie!!! very good. very very pretty. i absolutely loved it. the Big Three really got me. that was my favorite ending ever. keep it up.

on Feb. 7 2010 at 12:20 pm
beautifuldownfall, Kkk, Iowa
0 articles 0 photos 20 comments
Ha! I love the ending!!! :) That was very witty!

on Feb. 6 2010 at 11:31 pm
writergirl22 SILVER, In, New York
6 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never frown. You never know who's falling in love with your smile." -Anounymous

I really liked this story

it was just the right amount of romance without being cliched!

on Feb. 6 2010 at 4:33 pm
DallysGrrl PLATINUM, Middlesex, New Jersey
20 articles 0 photos 199 comments
Very good! Very relateable. Please, keep writing.

jennam8 GOLD said...
on Feb. 3 2010 at 4:23 pm
jennam8 GOLD, Quakertown, Pennsylvania
12 articles 27 photos 56 comments
Truely brilliant. I'm jealous of your style of writing! You were able to write this romance without too much goo and cliches. It had a laid back tone but it still made my eyes widen! I loved how you chose to make the main character say something after every letter she said in Khrushchev. Great piece :D

on Jan. 23 2010 at 6:27 pm
loveandmusic SILVER, South Plainfield, New Jersey
9 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If everyone demanded peace instead of a new television set, then there'd be peace." - John Lennon

omg this was really cute, i love this! <3 " Bastard . Blond handsome bastard ." Haha my favorite line. This was really well written and I thought it was sooo adorable! (:

on Jan. 22 2010 at 2:14 pm
Lost-In-Life GOLD, Whitby, Other
11 articles 0 photos 299 comments

Favorite Quote:
It's never to late, if it weren't for the last minute many things would never get done!

Great story. I love the writing style

on Jan. 19 2010 at 2:10 pm
Rachel_Beth GOLD, Rainsville, Alabama
11 articles 3 photos 19 comments
hehe *giggles*...i really really enjoyed this! great job!

on Jan. 16 2010 at 11:02 am
wordsneverfail BRONZE, Fishers, Indiana
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
These violent delights have violent ends, which in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume. Romeo&Juliet.

i absolutely adored this (: your writing is amazing.

Bex24 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 11 2010 at 7:11 pm
Bex24 BRONZE, Toronto, Other
3 articles 21 photos 79 comments
This was SPECTACULAR. Your writing is so clever - I love the way you intertwine "I love you" with a history lesson. I absolutely love the way you word things: "Thank you, Aphrodite, for making small tables at coffee houses everywhere" and " Bastard . Blond handsome bastard " - just brilliant. You have an incredible amount of talent! This is destined to become one of those Teen Ink classics. It's definitely going on my list of favourites. Keep it up! I can't wait to see what else you have in store!

katie-cat GOLD said...
on Jan. 10 2010 at 12:14 pm
katie-cat GOLD, McClellandtown, Pennsylvania
13 articles 0 photos 163 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Look after my heart, I've left it with you."- Edward Cullen
"To love another person is to see the face of God . . ."- Les Miserables
"Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her out and let her scream." - Mark Twain

This was really good and very well-written. I especilly loved the line- "Who needs oxygen when you have so much adrenaline in your veins there's barely room for blood?" That was a very unique description. It really jumped off the page!

on Jan. 9 2010 at 5:24 pm
oliviarose SILVER, Wellington, Florida
7 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Live as if you'll die tomorrow, learn as if you'll live forever." -Ghandi

Great story! Absolutely loved it! No criticisms here either.

LeahRae<3 GOLD said...
on Jan. 9 2010 at 2:45 pm
LeahRae<3 GOLD, Maiden, North Carolina
14 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Them that dont like me can leave me alone." -- Jacky Faber (From Bloody Jack)

Ohhh that was amazing! I absoluetly loved that story. I'm sorry, but I have no critisism at all for this it's just too GREAT!

Anj16 GOLD said...
on Jan. 8 2010 at 11:51 am
Anj16 GOLD, Eagan, Minnesota
19 articles 0 photos 74 comments
“I love me too.” I bet no one had ever said that to a Kennedy before. But I hadn't won yet. “In fact, I love me almost as much as I love you.”------ this is a really unique response. good thing you strayed away from the typical "I love you too" response. thumbs up for this story

on Jan. 7 2010 at 6:39 pm
protagonist BRONZE, San Antonio, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. It's really been making my day and has certainly encouraged me to write more!

AmnyR BRONZE said...
on Jan. 6 2010 at 6:50 pm
AmnyR BRONZE, Clifton, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 134 comments

Favorite Quote:
To the world, you may be just one person, but to one person, you may be the whole world. ~unknown

ha ha this is toooooo cute! love it!