Kristina and Jeremy | Teen Ink

Kristina and Jeremy

August 17, 2009
By Anonymous

I was perfectly happy with things the way they were, and why he had to change that was beyond me. I first saw Jeremy when he was 9, and moved in next door. I never thought more about him than him being my brother’s friend and never thought I would have to. I watched him enter the awkward years of Jr. High. Endured nights of Sam talk on and on about how much he hated Jeremy’s new girlfriend. None of this piqued my interest toward Jeremy until we brought him camping.

That was where he met Lisa. I wasn’t there when they actually met, just heard the play-by-play from Sam. Something about a water pump malfunction, followed by a trip to the campground’s private beach. None of this made me think of Jeremy any differently, I was almost happy that he had a girlfriend again. It had been almost three years since the last one. I hadn’t, however, met Lisa yet. She was beautiful. One of those girls that you just want to hate so bad, that when you find out they are actually good people you practically cry because no one can be that perfect. All of a sudden, all those feeling that I never felt toward Jeremy came flooding towards me.

I spent the rest of the trip in my tent. I didn’t bring anything hot enough to impress Jeremy with and all of a sudden could bear to think of him seeing me in the sweats that I rarely ever change out of. I sat in there trying to come up with the topic that had fueled all those effortless conversations in the past. Trying to find out why, now that I wanted more than the relationship we had, I had no way of ever achieving it. What happened the next night had to be God and all his powers working against me.

We had been graced with such good weather that day that you knew something huge was in store and Mother Nature wanted to soften you up before the disaster. At about 4:30, after the hike we took around the lake and just as Jeremy and Lisa sunk into their favorite make-out chair, it started to rain. No, rain isn’t exactly the right word, I think there was a plan for a new ocean, and we were standing right in the middle of it.

Lisa jumped off Jeremy so fast you’d think that he had brushed his teeth with garlic. As she ran with all she had back to the campsite, Jeremy just sat in his chair. Getting poured on as a dumbstruck look crossed his face, a very cute dumbstruck look. As I hopped in the car, I gathered all my courage and called for Jeremy to join us. As if he had just noticed the rain, he popped up, ran to the car and seated himself on the other side of Sam. And that was where I sat for the next 3 hours; just a Sam distance from Jeremy, quite easily the love of my life, for 3 hours.

When the rain finally cleared, Jeremy ran like a shot to Lisa’s campsite. It was up to me and Sam to gauge the damage that our campsite had endured. Unfortunately for Sam and Jeremy, they had pitched their tent just at the base of a steep hill, and it was now the resting place for all the water in the whole campsite. My tent, however, was perfectly dry inside, something that I really shouldn’t have tried to shove in Sam’s face. It turns out that my parents only had room for one more air mattress in their tent, and seeing as Jeremy was still at Lisa’s site, Sam got it. And yes, that meant that Jeremy was sleeping in my tent that night.

10:30 lights out could not possibly come fast enough. I grabbed my really good bra that I luckily packed, and the practically skin tight tank top that make my boobs look like 4 cup sizes bigger. Add the shorts that don’t even cover my butt and I was in business. These clothes were my only chance at showing Jeremy, well, me, because no way would my mom let me wear these clothes anywhere but to bed. I brushed my teeth like a mad woman, trying to expel any germs that cause morning breath now. Four coats of deodorant and one spritz of my favorite Bath and Body Works body spray later, and I headed back to the tent. It was 10:45, which meant that Jeremy had to be there. By arriving a little late, I got to control the entrance, and that way, I wouldn’t be caught doing something embarrassing when he got there.

He was there, and he was there shirtless. Oh yes, the HALF-NAKED love of my life was lying in my tent, about 2 ½ inches from my sleeping bag. It took all that I had to pry my eyes away from the perfectly defined six-pack, and that light brown trail of hair that led from his navel to…well, down. Resisting the urge to rip the rest of his clothes off right there, I sunk into my sleeping bag and fell into a dreamless sleep, still thinking about his form next to me long into the night.

I awoke with the dawn, as I always do while camping, and felt something heavy on my stomach and a hard pressure on my back. Before I could figure out what was happening, my heart started pounding, and the place where his hand met my exposed stomach pulsed with pleasure. It took every muscle that I had not to remove his hand, pull down my dangerously-close-to-exposing-my-bra tank top, and replace his hand. The pure pleasure that I felt as he pushed up against me far outweighed any self-conscious tendency that would be horrified if Jeremy saw my bare stomach. Ever since the whole thing started, I hadn’t even looked at my bathing suit, let alone allowed Jeremy see me in it.

I sank into a deep state of absolute, complete happiness for about an hour, as said my cell phone. It wasn’t until I started to hear activity outside the tent that I thought about how awkward it would be with Jeremy woke up. If I didn’t immediately pretend to be creeped out by his arm around me, then he would know that I liked him. And if I did pretend, then he would think that I didn’t. Either way, I would lose. Every scenario that I went over in my head could not have possibly prepared me for the awkwardness that met Jeremy’s awake.

The zipper began to open and I stiffened up, afraid it was Sam. Every morning of every camping trip ever, he would get me from my tent to announce that Dad had finished his campfire eggs, or French toast, or the one horrid attempt at campfire waffles. Sam would see that I was awake, and immediately know that I was in love with Jeremy, something I had to promise him against many times before, when we began flirting. But no, the breakfast messenger was none other than Lisa. And boy was she pissed.

I don’t think I had heard anyone scream so loud in my life. Her beautiful face distorted into a loud cry as she saw Jeremy’s arm around my waist. As you could have guessed, Jeremy shook awake, his arm immediately disappearing from my stomach, the fire still burning where his hand had been. He chased after Lisa as she stormed across the campsite. He caught up with her around the area of his old tent, and that was where it all went down. Every single swear-word that I knew but had never heard anyone say, plus a few choice words that I was unaware of, passed through the air of our campsite, and probably the whole complex based on the decibel of her screams. The one thing that stuck with me was the last thing she said before returning to her campsite, packing up, and leaving right then.

“I knew you had a thing for her,” she practically beat him with the volume of her voice, “but you said that that ended months ago!”

He had a thing for me. That’s what she said right? I’m not making this up? He had a thing. For ME. My happy dance would have to be put on hold, it would be a little obvious if I just busted a move right here. I wanted so desperately to talk to Jeremy that my heart ached. But I couldn’t, not now. Not when he was this sad. Not when he wouldn’t even look at me. Not when we sat at the table together; not when he passed me the map of the day’s trail.
The rest of the day passed in a blanket of silence, almost no conversation besides a “pass the salt” here and a “no, I think it’s this trail” there. Gone were the carefree summer hikes that had filled these days in the previous week. Gone was the light-hearted laughter that always seemed to be floating from our campfire. It was replaced with monotone voices; saying no more than was required. And that was how we drove home, in silence. Not even with the radio on. The only thing I could hear was the occasional guitar note, or whiney voice from Jeremy’s iPod, tuned to the saddest of songs that he could possibly find.
The next day Jeremy didn’t come over. That was to be expected, he needed a recuperating period, but he didn’t show up for the rest of the summer. The three and a half weeks that were left of my fun, carefree, summer were spent wondering. What was he doing? Was he embarrassed to see me because he couldn’t believe what he had actually done? Had all those feelings that he supposedly had just disappear without a trace?
The day before school started, I saw him. I was sitting out by my pool, when he emerged from his house. Trying to act like I hadn’t seen him, I went back to my book, Half-Blood, the one that all my girlfriends said that I had to read, there was nothing like this book. So far, a Centaur escaped the forest he was supposed to be in love with a girl from the small town in France that he lives in now. Because I was only pretending to read, and was really just listening to see if Jeremy was coming over, I heard his porch door re-open. And close. He went back inside. No confession, no saying how Lisa was right, he really liked me. He just went back inside.

And so, not to be upstaged, I did to. I went inside and read in my room. If he could be distant and completely without emotions, I could be too. It wasn’t until Ham started barking at the top of his lungs did I leave the safety of my room. I opened the door for Ham to go outside, and saw something on my porch. It was Supernova, the sequel to Half-Blood. On it was a note. Perfectly folded into a heart and taped to the front of the book, I gently ripped it off, to not ruin the beauty. I read it about three times before I actually understood what it meant:

Kristina- I saw you reading Half-Blood and
thought that you may want this soon. I’m
sorry that I haven’t talked to you since the
trip, but truthfully, I’m just embarrassed. I
understand that you don’t feel the same way,
but I think that it has been made clear that I
like you. No, I love you. I have since I saw
you. Even before I was supposed to like
girls. You have always been the most
beautiful girl that I have ever seen. K, please
just give me a chance.
♥Jeremy

At that moment, I dropped the book where I was. I left the front door wide open, allowing the summer heat to sink into the perfectly air conditioned house. I no longer cared. I was over at Jeremy’s faster than I would have thought humanly possible. As if he was waiting for me to come over, he opened the door even before I had time to ring the bell.

I took a deep breath, if I didn’t do it now then I never would. The second he opened the door, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. And though I had kissed many boys and many had kissed me, none were like this. I’d never had it like this; never had that thing. That moment when you kiss someone and everything around becomes hazy. The only thing important is you and this person, the person that you're supposed to kiss for the rest of your life.


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This article has 78 comments.


CSHCSH GOLD said...
on Sep. 2 2011 at 9:12 pm
CSHCSH GOLD, Jakarta, Other
16 articles 0 photos 35 comments

Favorite Quote:
Everybody tries to change the world, but nobody tries to change themselves
-Leo Tolstoy

WOWIEEEEE GREAT WORK :D

SRSLY love the ending!


on Aug. 9 2011 at 7:18 pm
MiNdLeSsLuVeRgIrL BRONZE, Kenly, North Carolina
4 articles 0 photos 120 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you love something let it go, if it comes back its yours if it doesn't, it never was!

two syllables Awe-some Love it Write a sequel plzzzz

on Jul. 21 2011 at 2:28 pm
Odessa_Sterling00 DIAMOND, No, Missouri
87 articles 108 photos 966 comments

Favorite Quote:
All gave some, some gave all. -War Veterans headstone.

Awesome story, it seems like this is a personal experience how you wrote it and it was great.  Just a suggestion, you should write this story over, only from Jeremy's point of view.  Great job, loved it! :DD

on Jul. 21 2011 at 2:04 pm
SuperPanda409 SILVER, State College, Pennsylvania
9 articles 1 photo 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
If this is love I don't wanna be loved.- Get Scared

‎We are made of love and all the beauty stemming from it. We are made of love and every fracture caused by the lack of it.- Sleeping At Last

Awwww oh man, I guess love is supposed to be like this!

on Jul. 5 2011 at 6:49 pm
NatChick SILVER, Muskegon, Michigan
5 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it's faced."-James Baldwin

LOVED IT!!!!! AND THE ENDING MADE MY DAY!!!!!!!

on Jun. 20 2011 at 9:12 pm
NKsunshine BRONZE, Palatine, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 75 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I don't need easy, I just need possible!" ~Bethany Hamilton

ONE WORD..............Perfection<3

Sk8erGirl said...
on Jun. 19 2011 at 3:48 pm
Sk8erGirl, Manchester, Massachusetts
0 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Dance as though no one is watching you, sing as though no one can hear you, love as though you have never been hurt before, live as though heaven is on earth"-Souka

I have read this story so many times, and I still hop with happiness when I get to the ending. Such a great story :D

on Jun. 7 2011 at 12:23 pm
Leena7395 SILVER, Spring Grove, Illinois
8 articles 0 photos 80 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be who you are because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.

This was great :) I love it!!

on Apr. 2 2011 at 6:55 pm
emmernemmer PLATINUM, Stockton, California
25 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"the pen is mightier than the sword"

LOVE ITTT!!!!

 


on Apr. 2 2011 at 11:07 am
poojakistan96, King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania
0 articles 2 photos 7 comments
amazing...really romantic..just like a fairytale...<3

on Mar. 11 2011 at 5:24 pm
LeslieAnn BRONZE, Midvale, Utah
1 article 0 photos 47 comments

Favorite Quote:
\\\\\\\"Dream as if you\\\\\\\'ll live forever, Live as if you\\\\\\\'ll die today\\\\\\\" \\\\\\\"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain.\\\\\\\"

I really loved this :) There was just something super honest about it. Well done and keep it up.

on Mar. 11 2011 at 4:35 pm
I liked it. However, I thought from the note on that it was kind of unrealistic. Maybe if you made it longer it would have been better. I really liked it, promise. Just constructive criticism. :) Keep writing!

on Jan. 26 2011 at 1:44 pm
pinkypromise23 PLATINUM, Cranston, Rhode Island
30 articles 0 photos 412 comments

Favorite Quote:
i know that you believe you understand what you think i said, but im not sure you realize that what you heard is not what i meant.

goosebumps<3

on Jan. 13 2011 at 4:16 pm
bLuePeNinK SILVER, Bensalem, Pennsylvania
5 articles 3 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Let me spread my wings, then you can fly with me too.

I LOVED it. Absolutely LOVED it!!! So adorable. The beginning was so funny. You did a really good job!!!

on Jan. 4 2011 at 2:20 pm
TheContentedWanderer94 GOLD, Tallahassee, Florida
18 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

NOOOOO! Why did it end!!! It was so cute! Keep Writing! :D <3

Ms.Dior SILVER said...
on Dec. 17 2010 at 10:09 pm
Ms.Dior SILVER, Tamarac, Florida
9 articles 0 photos 14 comments
I wanted to read more sad I was sad that it had to end

on Dec. 14 2010 at 3:42 pm
DiamondsIntheGrass GOLD, Martinsville, New Jersey
14 articles 1 photo 278 comments

Favorite Quote:
Worry is simply a misuse of the imagination.

really nice. well written (yes, ima nerd and i pay attention to that stuff) and pretty realistic. EXCEPT.... when it got to the end. there ended the realistic-ness. the believability. and sorry, but the ending is supposed to be best. so it was sort of a let down. maybe if you elongated it...?

on Dec. 14 2010 at 8:22 am
llamachick PLATINUM, Seneca, South Carolina
42 articles 3 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
— Marilyn Monroe

OMG I LOVED IT SOO SOOO MUCH!

serena SILVER said...
on Dec. 13 2010 at 7:36 pm
serena SILVER, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
9 articles 0 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
"its better to burn out then fade away." -Kurt Cobian ♥

WHY. IS. THIS. ANONAMOUS OMG THIS IS AAMMAZINNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

on Dec. 13 2010 at 4:04 pm
Kaylin_Mackenzie GOLD, Tomball, Texas
13 articles 0 photos 61 comments

Favorite Quote:
"You might not like me, but Jesus thinks I'm to die for!"
"L.O.V.E's just another word I'll never learn to pronounce...."

WHY IS THIS ANONYMOUS!?!?!?!?!  I really want to read more of your work!!!!