A Chocolate Kiss

My life officially started with one delicious chocolate kiss.
It was Valentines Day, the one day of the year where every girl will do anything for a Valentine. Pathetic you may say, but in some cases the most unexpected things can happened on such a repetitive day. I was one of the few who didn't really mind if they didn't get a Valentine, which was pretty much every year.
Unlike me, my best friend Savannah Wilkson always got one. And if she accepted them or not, its not like they wouldn't care. It was just the fact that she acknowledged them. I mean the standards of how low people get just to get one stupid Valentines.
My mom had always told me that boyfriends were a waste of time and space, especially when your just going to end up breaking up anyways. But unfortunately my mom wasn't here to monitor anything I did. I mean I never had a boyfriend, because her boyfriend radar would soon detect it.
Being divorced, my mother always said, "Wait until marriage." She didn't get the point, or the concept of guys. Her age had definitely tolled on her mind. Not only wouldn't she let me have a boyfriend, but I couldn't even hang out alone with a guy.
"Paranoia, much," Savannah said.
I was nothing like Savannah anyways. The way all the guys looked at her, was the way so many girls look at Zac Efron. It was insane. All I saw was Savannah while everyone saw a goddess. It was ridiculous.
"Hey, Jenna," Savannah came rushing over to me. "Isn't today soooooo… exciting." She had the biggest smile on, I couldn't blame her. For her today was like Halloween without all the costumes.
"What are you wearing?" she asked disgusted by the fact there was no pink or black in my wardrobe. Showing her my polka dotted pink headband which held back a mess of unmanageable curls, she scoffed.
"Well, today is the day. Who are you expecting from?"
"Nobody," I lied. The truth was, I was hoping for one. I wasn't going googley eyed, but deep down I did wish for one. Not just from anybody but Emmett.
Emmett Walker. He was the only boy I have ever really liked.
"I know how you feel. Remember when we were at summer camp and…" she faded off into the back of my mind. I couldn't help but notice him going to his locker, and he could neither me.
Emmett Walker. All I have to say is tall, dark and handsome. To everyone else he was the average Joe, but to me he was everything and so much more.
Since last winter, I've been crushing on Emmett, and rumor has it that he still has a crush on Savannah, even after they broke up. They went out last spring, and after that, Savannah has always been so hostile to him, although they consider themselves friends.
His black hair, his chocolate brown eyes, that never seem to end; once you look in them it's like a trap that’s so hard to get out of. The creamy, soft, and smooth sound that escapes from his lips, the way he talks to you makes you feel like you are important. Everything about him; just the essence he gives off, it drives me crazy, especially for over the past year. And believe me as much as I try, I can't get over him.
"Are you even listening to me," she asked drawing me back to reality.
"Yeah, yeah. You said you were talking about…" the bell rang, as soon as I got my stuff from my locker. Saved by the bell.
"Oh, got to go. See you," I said seeing Emmett turn around walking to Chemistry.
And I was off too. Of course before I walked up by him, I made sure I fixed my curls flying from my pony tail.
"Hey," he said, turning to me, giving me that half smile that absolutely drove me crazy.
"Oh, hey Emmett," I said right before we reached the room, as if I hadn't known he was even there.
I could have fallen asleep in Chemistry, but we had a lab to do, and was assigned to work with Patricia, Tina and Isabel, who definitely weren't the most interesting people to hang out with.

After Chemistry, Savannah and I both had English. Although English wasn't that interesting we were reading the play of "Romeo and Juliet." It completely fit the topic of today.
As we met up, "What was that about?" she asked.
"Nothing," I played it cool, or tried to at least.
"Yeah right. Jenna everybody knows that you like Emmett, but I advise you, don't make the same mistake I did. Last year, going out with Emmett was the worst time of my life. Even you know that. I don't know what I saw in him," she faded off going down memory lane as we were headed down the hall.
As soon as she drifted off, it was as if fireworks exploded in my head. There he was coming up to his locker. The little voices in my head were not cutting me any slack. "He's here, he's here!" they announced.
And here he was; with his glistening eyes gliding over everybody, as if he were looking for somebody made my heart race. And for what? It wasn't like anything would happen between us.
But as soon as I had seen him, Savannah had also.
"Oh, I forgot something," I explained heading back in the other direction to my locker, abandoning Savannah who was now throwing dirty looks at him. I couldn't take it, because it was sort of embarrassing. While they had gone out, it was as if I was hidden in the back. I made completely different, new and better friends, Laura and Rachel. But unfortunately, when Savannah broke up with him, she reclaimed me, and I was forced to give them up.

As the course of the day went on, and everybody was gossiping about who was getting what from who, I couldn't stop blushing every time I saw him. I felt like he was stalking me, or maybe I was subconsciously stalking him. Everywhere I went I saw him, and couldn't stop getting all clammy and red.
He made me crazy. With a half smile to die for, I couldn't help it. His eyes glimmered when the light hit them, and his voice was soft, smooth and creamy. I went brain dead when I was near him and couldn't help smiling to myself that it was a possibility that Emmett might give a Valentine.
It was crazy, I know.

Ninth period was Spanish; the period where Valentines candy grams were sent out. Everybody practically knew if they were going to get one or not by know, and although my heart beat for Emmett, I knew there was no chance.
Srta. Richardson broke us up into pairs to practice our autobiography, which were due in a couple of days. We had to ask questions in Spanish, and she heard us say one thing in English, we got points off. After a while it got so boring, because I was paired up with Trevor. When we were told to switch, I turned to the closest person to me. Laura.
We started and when we were done, it got so awkward. I began getting so self-conscious and felt guilty about everything that happened. But soon it was all over.
When Srta. Richardson was as far away as possible, "Jenna, we're friends right?" she whispered.
"Yeah," I didn't know where this was going.
"Well, from a friend to friend opinion, I think Emmett is totally in love with you." I was struck by this comment, especially from Laura, that when I turned around so rapidly, and met Emmett's eyes, I fell into a trance. It was a maze that I couldn't seem to get out of.
I could feel my face blush about a billion different shades of red, in that one moment. The door burst open, which got Emmett and my attention.
In the doorway there was a student holding a big yellow envelope. Although it was silent, you could feel the excitement growing in the room. The candy grams were here.
"Muchas Gracias, Señorita," Srta. Richardson said, taking it from the student.

I knew I was still blushing and couldn't help but look at Emmett one last time, before Srta. Richardson started handing them out.
"Natalie," she called. Blushing, Natalie got up.
"Samantha. Madeline. Ashley. Caitlin. Marsha. Olivia. Skylar. Carolyn. Gabriella. Mary."
"Laura," she said. I turned around facing Laura, but she gave me a face which meant she didn't know who it was from.
After a long list of everyone else, but me, I turned back to Laura who gave me a "who cares" look. Who cares? I wanted to know who sent her the candy gram.
"Laura… who's it from?" I asked her when she sat down.
"I don't want to read it, you read it for me," she said blushing. I felt like she knew who it was from but was hoping it to be someone else.
I took it for her and read it to her, nice, slow and made her sweat over each word I said.
"To Laura. Here's the message: Laura, I have liked you for the past year, and this Valentines day, I want to show you how much I feel. Please be mine. Looooove…" I paused.
"Who's it from?" it was so funny seeing her like this. It was just like old times.
"Looooove… Antonio Ramírez." Relief washed over her face, and when she looked over to where Joe was he gave her a smile, and they both blushed.
While I was enjoying all of the charisma and the love afloat in the air, the door opened again with another envelope. I had lost all hope from receiving any, so when Srta. Richardson called my name I hadn't even realized.
"Jenna," Laura got me back to reality, and I was astonished.
I looked up from where I was, to Laura. She was as surprised as I was. I got up, trying not to notice how intense the heat was getting against my skin.
Srta. Richardson handed it to me, but when I took it, the bell rang. I didn't even get to read it. Grabbing my stuff I ran upstairs, hoping to find Savannah. I needed her to read it for me.
Instead she wasn't there. I opened my locker, set the candy gram there, still waiting for Savannah to come. I heard someone behind me, and thinking it was Savannah I turned around with a huge smile on.
It was Emmett. As far as I knew, a mix of emotions crossed my face in that second. Once again I was lost in that maze. Our eyes were locked, and I pulled the pieces together.
I finally figured it out, when Savannah came by. She gave him a look that I could only imagine what it meant.
"Hey, Savannah," he said. She just looked at him, and asked me if I got any candy grams.
"No," it was a habit, so she walked past me to her locker, until I realized that I had.
"You didn't?" Emmett asked.
I set my stuff down aside, and read for the message attached to it.

It said:
To: Jenna Mathews
Message: Will you be my Valentine?

I looked up at it directed, and saw Emmett.
"Yes," I exclaimed and before I knew it out of nowhere a new Jenna was born; a Jenna that wasn't as self conscious as I had once been, or one with low self esteem, or one who didn't even think before she acted.
That same half smile cam across his face, and it made me so happy. Moving forward, I took his face in my hands and I kissed him. He kissed me back and had his hands wrapped around my waist. It felt so good to be held, especially by him.
It felt so… lovely being cared for, and as much as I wanted it to last, the kiss ended. The kiss was a kiss full of passion. One that held all my thoughts of him, since last winter. Since the time I realized how much he meant to me. It was a kiss that didn't care what my mother or Savannah had to say about anything. It was a kiss that saved me from being dragged down by Savannah.
I looked back at him, but soon realized how we were the attention of everybody. The thing was I didn't even care. I didn't care how much we were being stared at. The new Jenna didn't care what people had to say about her life. Jenna Mathews didn't care that she was about to be the new topic of the rest of the week.
Savannah was staring at Emmett and me, holding on to each other, disgusted, storming off down the hall. The new Jenna Mathews didn't care, because she knew she was going to be happy.
I was going to start living my own life, no matter what anybody said.
Looking back into Emmett's eyes, I knew that we would be happy together. If we lasted or not, I knew Emmett would be more than a friend in so many more ways. He was so far the best thing that ever happened to me, and I know would always remain in my heart.
Emmett and I walked out from the school, and there waiting for us, as if they knew we would look for them, was Laura, Rachel and a couple of our other friends.
I didn't need to give them an apology because it was as if they already knew. In acknowledgment of one another we all walked down the street heading home.

Laura and Joseph left first, down their block, and then it was Rachel and Calvin. By the time we got to my house, it was just Emmett and me. I gave him a kiss goodbye, on my porch, but I didn't want to leave him. I knew my mother would start interrogating me once I set foot inside of the door, so to end the show; I gave my mom a run for her money. Taking him in my arms one more time, Emmett and I gave each other a final kiss for the day.

A couple of moments later, we departed, walked inside, past my mother who and went straight to the phone and called Laura to tell her all about what happened.
I told her about what happened. About the kiss which was better than gold; that lovely, valentines day, chocolate kiss.