Day 3: Middle School (30 Days of Days)

Day 3: A day in middle school

Okay, well it wasn't exactly a day in middle school, but it happened around the time I was in middle school.  Finishing up seventh grade to be exact.  Around my neck of the woods, the school year was from August to May.  It has only been within the past ten years or so (maybe more) that the schools in my hometown area decided to switch to September until June.

The way the school districts were set up was very funny.

In Summit, you could have kids staying on one side of the street attending North Pike School District, which was the local district but have kids on the other side of that same street attending McComb School District.  I was in the latter.

But I digress.

In the 7th grade, I was involved with this guy named Derrick Lewis.  I think the main thing that bonded us was the fact that he and I were both considered smart and we were both outcasts.  He had these big brown glasses, a high top fade, and he was having his battles with acne and his voice changing, although at this stage it was more deep than high pitched.

My body was starting to change.  I deem it a redistribution of fat.  Although I was still being teased, there was a hint of my developing curves.  However, I still got teased because I had glasses (3rd grade), braces (6th grade) and wasn't wearing the latest styles.  Plus, my hairstyle was behind the times.  I was still wearing my pig tails and sometimes just had my hair braided.  Girls at that time were starting to get perms, and I would get pressured all the time to take the plunge, which I eventually did but that was ended up to be a bit of a disaster.

Moving on.

Derrick had told me that he would be moving to another state.  I didn't ask why, nor did I beg for the relationship to continue.  I just figured the relationship would be over with and to just enjoy the times we had together.

My home away from home was the library.  Not just any library that was in any school I attended.

McComb Public Library at its' new location

My main love was the McComb Public Library--at its' old location before it got moved to being just behind my high school many years later.  My grandfather would always drive me to the library whenever I needed.  There were times when I would be at the library up to four times a week every week.  I was an avid reader, too, sometimes taking out as many as seven books at a time.

I loved mystery and horror stories at an early age.  Mystery at around the age of eight and horror at about the age of ten.  I fell in love with Stephen King's writing style, so I made it a mission to check out and read every Stephen King book I could.

On this particular day in May 1990, I knew Derrick was going to be there.  I figured it was going to be the last time I would get a chance to see him before he left.

In our relationship, he and I did a lot of talking.  A lot of reading.  A lot of exchanging letters, phone calls, and hand holding.  We were very elementary as a couple compared to some of the other stuff I heard about the other kids doing, which I still found to be a bit gross.

He whispered, "I have something to show you."

Wow, he got me a present?  How sweet!

I didn't hesitate following him, and we went to my favorite section in the library.  Fiction section, letter K.  He knew my favorite author was Stephen King.  Maybe he had bought me a Stephen King book.

I looked, but I didn't see anything in his hands.  I even looked around.  No one was in the aisle.  I then looked up at him, confused.

"So what do you have to show me?"

Then, his slim fingers tilted my head upward, and his face was coming towards me.

Hmm...not sure I'm ready for this, but it would have been more awkward to leave Derrick hanging.  He already had his eyes closed, so I closed my eyes in kind.

Then, his lips touched mine for a long while.  They were softer than I thought they would be and that was a good thing.  There's nothing that can spoil a mood quicker than crusty lips!

But just as I was starting to get into it, he pulled his lips away.  I started to ask him to do it again, but I could tell it took Derrick a great amount of courage just to do that one.  Therefore, I didn't push.

That, dear friends, was when I got my very first kiss from a guy--in May 1990 while my middle school days were winding down.

Day 3, that's a wrap!