My latest book, HALLEY, awarded 2015 Jefferson Cup Honor for Historical Fiction. Available at: NewSouth Books:\u00a0www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley and Amazon<\/p>\n
I still recall my first love.\u00a0 Just in case he reads this, I will call
\nhim \u201cJeffrey,\u201d\u00a0 but every girl in my grade at East Side School would
\nknow immediately his real name, because they all loved him too.\u00a0 Or
\n\u201cliked,\u201d as we said back then.\u00a0 Jeffrey was the Clark Gable of East
\nSide–popular with boys, girls, and teachers.\u00a0 An excellent student,
\nhe was good at sports too.\u00a0 He was reserved and seemed more mature
\nthan other boys in our class.\u00a0 Though his name was frequently linked
\nto the popular girls like Maureen, Helen, and Alice, I don\u2019t ever
\nrecall him openly claiming them.\u00a0 He was the strong and silent type.<\/p>\n
Part of what made Jeffrey the prince of the class had to be the fact
\nthat his mother always brought treats on holidays–Halloween,
\nChristmas, Valentine\u2019s Day, Easter, and–of course–on Jeffrey\u2019s
\nbirthday.\u00a0 There were bound to be cupcakes, cookies, candy, Kool-Ade,
\nand sometimes ice cream.\u00a0 You might guess that Jeffrey was an adored
\nonly child, and likely a surprise late child.\u00a0 Fortunately, Jeffrey
\ndidn\u2019t act spoiled.\u00a0 True, he took the class adulation as his due, but
\nhe never seemed egotistical.<\/p>\n
Me, I\u2019m not positive I ever got up the nerve to speak to him.\u00a0 Still,
\nno doubt about it–I was in love.\u00a0 If he brushed my arm on a trip to
\nthe pencil sharpener, I got chill bumps.\u00a0 If his glance bounced in my
\ngeneral direction, my heart pounded.\u00a0 Once when in line behind him, I
\nnoticed he even smelled good.<\/p>\n
In eighth grade we had a teacher who was very interested in the
\nromantic lives of her students.\u00a0 \u201cMrs. Brighton\u201d\u00a0 kept up with who
\nliked who, and who had \u201cbroken off.\u201d\u00a0 One day when it was almost time
\nfor the dismissal bell, she said, \u201cYou know which two I think would be
\na good match?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWho?\u201d the class chorused.\u00a0 There followed a guessing
\ngame in which every combination of the popular kids was presented.
\nMrs. Brighton answered no to each suggestion.\u00a0 Then when the bell
\nrang, she said, \u201cFaye and Jeffrey.\u201d<\/p>\n
My face reddened.\u00a0 My heart raced.\u00a0 As we ran for the buses, I could
\nhear the whispered talk around me.\u00a0 \u201cJeffrey and Faye?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cFaye and
\nJeffrey?\u201d\u00a0 Maureen Bailey ran up by my side and asked, \u201cDo you like
\nJeffrey?\u201d<\/p>\n
I shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cHe\u2019s okay, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut do you like him for a sweetheart?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s okay,\u201d I repeated, darting into my waiting bus.<\/p>\n
Jeffrey was already on the bus, seated many rows back from his usual
\nplace behind the driver.\u00a0 I took the seat beside my sister, Jean, near
\nthe front.<\/p>\n
Life went on. After that year, Jeffrey left East Side and enrolled at
\nDalton High.\u00a0 I eventually went to North Whitfield High.\u00a0 After
\ncollege, I taught at North Whitfield for two years.\u00a0 I got a car,
\ngradually bought a few nice clothes, and started getting good
\nhaircuts.\u00a0 Life was definitely getting better.<\/p>\n
One day when I was dressed for some big occasion, I stopped for gas,
\nand there on the other side of the pump was Jeffrey.\u00a0 He looked like
\nhe\u2019d just stepped off the movie screen.\u00a0 \u201cFaye,\u201d he said, smiling his
\nwonderful smile.\u00a0 \u201cFaye Junkins–the girl I secretly loved for years
\nat East Side….\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m lying. The truth is, Jeffrey didn\u2019t recognize me until I told him
\nmy name.\u00a0 And maybe not even then.\u00a0 But the worst part was, the grown
\nup Jeffry was so ordinary.\u00a0 So average.\u00a0 Not at all like the shining,
\ngallant Jeffrey of my memories.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a few decades now, and
\nthank goodness, I\u2019ve managed to blot out that meeting almost entirely.<\/p>\n
Handsome Jeffrey is restored to my memory in all his glory, and he is
\nstill my first love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My latest book, HALLEY, awarded 2015 Jefferson Cup Honor for Historical Fiction. Available at: NewSouth Books:\u00a0www.newsouthbooks.com\/halley and Amazon I still recall my first love.\u00a0 Just in case he reads this, I will call him \u201cJeffrey,\u201d\u00a0 but every girl in my … Continue reading