The Men and the Boys: Sandy

You're a wild honey child
I'm out of control
Every time you are near me
I'm a wolf child baby
And I'm howling for you

Georgia still talked to Sandy, and dutifully reported back every time he talked about me, which was often. He was sorry. He felt bad. He was so stupid. He missed me. He wished he could take it all back. Bla bla bla. It wasn't that I didn't care, I just didn't want to be second to anyone. I really wanted Sandy to be my boyfriend, but a love triangle was a big, big veto. Not happening.

Wild flower
Star of my dreams
The most beautiful thing

A couple months after the Valentine disaster and going strong on my Sandy fast, he played in a battle of the bands. Georgia was their last minute tambourine girl and, true to the best friend code, spilled every bean. Imagine my shock, amazement, disbelief, etc. etc., when she told me that of their three song set, one had my name on it.

You're a perfect creation
You're an angel baby
And I'm crying for you
My heart beats faster
And I'm overpowered

"Wild Flower", by The Cult. Not just any song. A thrilling, sexy, provocative song that, right then, Sandy made about me.

Wild flower
I love you every hour
Wild flower
Burning down the night
Set the world alight

Do you know what this did to me?

Put yourself in my shoes for just a minute. I'd never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, never been on a date. Until very recently, I was always the tallest kid in the school, and my peers absolutely loved making fun of my hair. Outside of shy glances and a subtle, puppy love with Chris, no one had ever felt anything like this for me, or been up front about it. I stayed home on weekends, read a lot of books, and nothing exciting ever happened.

Along came Sandy. A package and a half, on a stage and singing his heart out in front of hundreds of people. He was singing about me. Overnight, I'd become desirable. How silly is that?

Be it a ploy, genuine regret, desperate measures or any other name you could think of, Sandy's song worked. I picked up the phone. I remember how happy he was that I'd called, and it felt so good to hear his voice again. He apologized right away for the dance, and said he never wanted to hurt me again.

We saw each other a few days later, when Sandy actually collected Georgia then drove halfway up my street, and sent her into the house to get me. It was freezing that night, but I was too excited to bother with a jacket. I ran down to the car and kneeled on the street beside his open window. Sandy's smile was ear to ear, and gave me a big hug. "I really missed you," he told me, and I believed him.

Not long after that, we were on a study date in the library. The library was my safe house, because I knew my parents would never think I'd defile a haven of knowledge by making it a place to meet boys. Oops. Naturally, Sandy and I did anything but study, and we passed the night away reconnecting with each other.

A bit after the library closed, we were outside doing some last minute talking before Oli arrived to pick me up. I said something, Sandy retorted back and totally burned me. I pretended to be shocked but wasn't; we always bantered like that. I feigned a sulk, pouted and said, "I'm hurt!" then turned around to walk away. Sandy grabbed my left hand and said, "Aww, I'll kiss your hand and make it better."

How cute, though. I happily obliged. Sandy kissed my left hand, then took my right. "Have to kiss both, just to make sure." Well in this case, I wasn't one to complain. Sandy kissed my right hand and then, instead of letting go, pulled me over to him, locked me in an embrace I couldn't get out of, and kissed me.

My first kiss. I was in a total daze when I said goodnight, and got into Oli's car. I stayed dazed for the whole ride home, until I got into my room, locked myself in, buried my face in a pillow and screamed my head off. Then I called Georgia to tell her the news, and she did some screaming of her own.

A couple of days later, I called Sandy and asked him to the prom.