Curvy Girls Can’t Date Soldiers by Kelsie Stelting
Thirty
Nadira
“We made it to state!”I told Apollo once I made it up to my room.
“That’s amazing!” he said. “Did your parents show up?”
My lips spread into a slow smile. “They did.” I savored the memory. After the competition was over, Mom and Dad offered to drive me home, and just the three of us had dinner together and talked about the meet. It was just like all those times they’d celebrated my brothers’ wins, but this time the merriment was just for me.
“I’m so happy for you,” Apollo replied, his voice as warm as a hug.
“Me too,” I admitted. “We compete next Friday, and then I’m free as a bird the rest of the semester.” I fell back on my bed. “You know, aside from the trip to MIT over spring break and homework and prom and finals.”
He chuckled. “My last semester of high school flew by. The last nine weeks, especially.”
A silence fell between us, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
“It’ll be a month tomorrow,” Apollo said tentatively.
I bit my lip. “It will.”
“Have you made a decision?” he asked. “And before you say no... don’t say no.”
I couldn’t help the breathy laugh that escaped through my parted lips. “Yes, Apollo. I want to meet you.” I heard him make a muffled celebratory noise and laughed. “Don’t be too excited yet,” I said, reality bringing me quickly down to earth. “I have something to tell you, and it’s kind of big...”
“Whatever it is, I can’t wait,” he replied, his words coming out in a rush. “I can’t believe I’m going to get to see you after everything. It’s been the longest and shortest month of my life all at the same time.”
Each of his words hit my heart differently, massaging and wounding in tandem.
“Tell me you’re excited too,” he said.
I chewed the inside of my cheek. I was excited to see him. In the moments between waking and dreaming, I imagined what it might be like to feel his arms around me. To have his lips on mine. But the trepidation of my lie outweighed even my fantasies.
“You’re not excited?” he asked, his voice falling.
“It’s not that. It’s just...” I let out a sigh. “Promise you won’t be disappointed by what you see tomorrow?”
“Babe, I could never be disappointed by you,” he said.
My heart twisted painfully in my chest. “I hope so.”
