Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen Page A
Authors: Wendelin Van Draanen
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head high, and get on with your life."
I headed for the door.
"But if you ever need someone to talk to..."
"Thanks," I said, then scrambled out of there to find Adrienne.
I
had
to find Adrienne.
26
Plenty of Mouth to Go Around
I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION CLASSROOM , but Adrienne wasn't there. I checked the choir room (it was locked); then I full-on
ran
back toward Ms. Pickney's room. I never run through the halls. It's so un cool. But I had to find Adrienne!
In my hurry, I plowed right into Brody, who was emerging from a room in the science wing.
"Have you seen your sister?" I panted as I untangled myself from him.
He shook his head. "Choir? Newspaper? Quad?"
"No, no, and I don't think so...but I'll check!" I waved and called, "Thanks, Bro!" and hurried toward the quad.
It didn't make sense that she'd be there, because she had so much else going on, but when I rounded the corner and looked at "our" place, there she was.
"Finally!" she said when I approached. "Where have you been?"
"Looking all over for you!"
"What happened with Justin and the trash can? It can't possibly be as bad as people are making it sound!"
"Oh my God, this
school,
" I cried. I zeroed in on her. "How about rabbits? Are they also talking about rabbits?"
"What? No! What
happened
?"
"I went off on Justin for spreading rumors, and he grabbed me and kissed me. Right by the Snack Shack! But he
missed,
and then he wouldn't let go! So I jerked away from him and wound up falling and knocking over a trash can."
She gasped. "Oh, how embarrassing!" Then she squinted at me and said, "He
missed
? How could he miss? He's got plenty of mouth to go around!"
"You can say
that
again! Him and Travis and Blaine all do!"
"Wait...you kissed
them,
too?"
"No! I meant that Travis and Blaine have been mouthing off about last night, too!"
"But..." She squinted harder and shook her head. "Where do
rabbits
come in?"
I put a hand to my forehead. "Last night Justin was late, he startled me, and when he asked why I was so jumpy, out of my brilliant mouth came 'Maybe I'm a rabbit?'"
Adrienne laughed, then put both hands in front of her face and peeked at me over the tops of her fingertips. "No!"
"Yes! And somehow Stu found out and he's been 'hippity-hopping' when he sees me! Which is why I went off on Justin!"
She shook her head, then grabbed me by the arm and said, "I've got a deadline, and you're coming with me. I don't think it's safe to leave you alone anymore."
So I let her lead me toward Ms. Pickney's room. I already felt a lot better, but mostly I felt grateful that Adrienne Willow was my friend.
27
Surrealistic Pillow
A FTER SCHOOL I HOLED UP AT G ROOVE R ECORDS . For me, walking through that door is like opening
A Crimson Kiss.
I enter and escape.
Usually I just meander around the store. I read the backs of ancient LPs, listen to some obscure band Izzy's got pumping into every nook of the store, or relax on a thrasher couch reading tattered back issues of
Rolling Stone.
And usually there are at least a couple other people in the store doing the same thing I am, or trying out used guitars in the guitar room, but this time the place seemed deserted. There wasn't even any music playing.
Izzy was near the register, changing the strings of his guitar. "Hey, Bubbles!" he called.
"Hey, Izzy," I called back, then cupped my hand behind my ear and scanned the air. "I can't believe what I'm not hearing!"
He laughed and put down his string-winding tool. "Guess I was preoccupied, sorry! I'll get some music spinnin'."
So I was walking down the corridor between crates of LPs when suddenly it was like someone pushed me from behind.
It
wasn't
a push.
It wasn't even a person.
It was a
voice.
When the truth is found to be lies...and all the joy...within you...dies...don't you want somebody to love? Don't you need somebody to love? Wouldn't you love somebody to love? You better find somebody to love...love.
I moved toward a speaker that was
I headed for the door.
"But if you ever need someone to talk to..."
"Thanks," I said, then scrambled out of there to find Adrienne.
I
had
to find Adrienne.
26
Plenty of Mouth to Go Around
I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION CLASSROOM , but Adrienne wasn't there. I checked the choir room (it was locked); then I full-on
ran
back toward Ms. Pickney's room. I never run through the halls. It's so un cool. But I had to find Adrienne!
In my hurry, I plowed right into Brody, who was emerging from a room in the science wing.
"Have you seen your sister?" I panted as I untangled myself from him.
He shook his head. "Choir? Newspaper? Quad?"
"No, no, and I don't think so...but I'll check!" I waved and called, "Thanks, Bro!" and hurried toward the quad.
It didn't make sense that she'd be there, because she had so much else going on, but when I rounded the corner and looked at "our" place, there she was.
"Finally!" she said when I approached. "Where have you been?"
"Looking all over for you!"
"What happened with Justin and the trash can? It can't possibly be as bad as people are making it sound!"
"Oh my God, this
school,
" I cried. I zeroed in on her. "How about rabbits? Are they also talking about rabbits?"
"What? No! What
happened
?"
"I went off on Justin for spreading rumors, and he grabbed me and kissed me. Right by the Snack Shack! But he
missed,
and then he wouldn't let go! So I jerked away from him and wound up falling and knocking over a trash can."
She gasped. "Oh, how embarrassing!" Then she squinted at me and said, "He
missed
? How could he miss? He's got plenty of mouth to go around!"
"You can say
that
again! Him and Travis and Blaine all do!"
"Wait...you kissed
them,
too?"
"No! I meant that Travis and Blaine have been mouthing off about last night, too!"
"But..." She squinted harder and shook her head. "Where do
rabbits
come in?"
I put a hand to my forehead. "Last night Justin was late, he startled me, and when he asked why I was so jumpy, out of my brilliant mouth came 'Maybe I'm a rabbit?'"
Adrienne laughed, then put both hands in front of her face and peeked at me over the tops of her fingertips. "No!"
"Yes! And somehow Stu found out and he's been 'hippity-hopping' when he sees me! Which is why I went off on Justin!"
She shook her head, then grabbed me by the arm and said, "I've got a deadline, and you're coming with me. I don't think it's safe to leave you alone anymore."
So I let her lead me toward Ms. Pickney's room. I already felt a lot better, but mostly I felt grateful that Adrienne Willow was my friend.
27
Surrealistic Pillow
A FTER SCHOOL I HOLED UP AT G ROOVE R ECORDS . For me, walking through that door is like opening
A Crimson Kiss.
I enter and escape.
Usually I just meander around the store. I read the backs of ancient LPs, listen to some obscure band Izzy's got pumping into every nook of the store, or relax on a thrasher couch reading tattered back issues of
Rolling Stone.
And usually there are at least a couple other people in the store doing the same thing I am, or trying out used guitars in the guitar room, but this time the place seemed deserted. There wasn't even any music playing.
Izzy was near the register, changing the strings of his guitar. "Hey, Bubbles!" he called.
"Hey, Izzy," I called back, then cupped my hand behind my ear and scanned the air. "I can't believe what I'm not hearing!"
He laughed and put down his string-winding tool. "Guess I was preoccupied, sorry! I'll get some music spinnin'."
So I was walking down the corridor between crates of LPs when suddenly it was like someone pushed me from behind.
It
wasn't
a push.
It wasn't even a person.
It was a
voice.
When the truth is found to be lies...and all the joy...within you...dies...don't you want somebody to love? Don't you need somebody to love? Wouldn't you love somebody to love? You better find somebody to love...love.
I moved toward a speaker that was
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