Voice of a Television

"You like to watch me. I'm usually black. Sometimes silver. Of course...I mean...who needs a colored screen when you've got hundreds of moving pictures cascading to and fro my beautiful, chiseled body...All, day long?"
Despite myself I laugh at Teddy's attempt at a seductive voice. He bites the tip of his tongue between his teeth. I'm not sure if I find it cute, or funny, or both but the way he holds it there, like if he stays there long enough I'll realize how funny it is and shower him in applause and laughter causes me to stifle a giggle.
My hand covers my mouth as thicker, fuller less pretty giggles escape my lips
"What?" Asks Teddy, his voice just over a whisper.
He tousles his blonde hair and lifts a light eyebrow.
"You don't like my voice?"
I shake my head as I laugh some more, him sticking his bottom lip out in a mock hurt kind of way.
"Your kidding." I say. "D don't tell me that's what you brought today. Tell me you didn't, please."
I snicker, and look at the title.
"Voice of the Television." I look up at him as he hovers over me, licking his lips.
"Your gonna get a horrible grade."
I get up from my desk and walk over to him, grabbing his face in my palms and hoping they're not sweating on his cheeks.
"I told you, D, inanimate objects do not make good essay choses." I shake my head as I say this as to get my point across as well as possible. The closeness of our bodies making me hotter than I already was in just the heat if the day and the pressure to get a good grade.
"I refuse to believe those things don't have minds of their own!" He says dramatically, not moving from where we stand and making me push back for a moment.
He stares at me. Straight forward into my eyes and he's completely unfazed by my nervousness.
Teddy speaks again, and I look back up at his face, licking my lips uncomfortably.
"Plus, the assignment was to write an essay in the voice of a person or object."
My eyes seem to roll on their own, a long, an endless roll that frees my want to express his insanity.
"Right, D, person...or object."
I smile and nod as I walk back over to my desk.
"People or objects...That you feel have made a positive and important impact on this world! That. Was the assignment!"
I roll my eyes again as I fall limply into my chair, hitting my ankle painfully against the leg of the table.
All week long. All week long I called him, I reminded him, I even gave him ideas. And I don't even know how it makes me feel.
And now that I think about it. I obsessed over him. I obsessed over him passing this class. Ever since I started tutoring him. It's my fault if he fails.
I take in a shaky big breath.
The lights are too bright, and the room is too noisy for comfort. The room is too noisy for anything but everyone else goes on like it's any other day. Chatting, and eating and flirting and doing whatever kids my age are supposed to enjoy doing. I've never cared.
Even D sits on the desk of one of our other friends. That's the thing. I'm not just toturing him. He's my friend. It's not my fault I want the best for him.
Yep. He acts like a regular teenager. But me, you ask? Nope. I sit at my desk. Not every day, but today. And on so many occasions like this. Days when I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying.
"Hey."
There's a soft voice whispering over the screams. Their breath startling me my eyes which I hadn't even noticed were closed open wide to a pretty bunch of blonde hair.
"Maybe the teacher will take pity on me again and offer to totur me like someone I know did."
I shiver a bit as his breath falls onto my skin, smiling to myself through my evident frown on the outside. I jerk my face away from his, harder and with more force than I ever meant to and stare into his eyes blankly. Most likely looking like a maniac to outsiders.
But that same smile, that small, modest smile that never fails to remind me that he's not all crazy lays on his face. That annoying smile that always reminds me that he can be sweet right when I want to punch him most. And considerate. And all together awesome.
"You so like me." He says bluntly as he scoots me over and squeezes into my seat. I shake my head at him, not in denial, but confusion and surprise.
"What?"
I ask but instead of an answer through words like a regular human being he has to be D and lean in closer, soft breath hovering over mine. And then just like that. No sparks. Bo fireworks. I've always been scared of them anyway. Just a kiss. An amazing kiss. But a kiss and nothing more than just that.
His hair tickles my forehead, making me giggle as he pulls back. But before he does he pecks me once more on my bottom lip. So soft and sweet, and unlike him I wish for more.
I think my mouth is open. It feels open. And people snicker and point, so it must be. I can feel how stupid I look.
"We don't do that on school." I say as my right hand grabs at my books. Looking for something, anything, to lean my attention onto besides his face.
"Ms. Hellen will be here soon. Go sit down. "
I say trying to hide any evidence of him having fazed me behind a straight voice. But I know I can't hide it from him. He's psychic.
"Yeah but Mrs. Hellen doesn't have a crush on me."
"No but Mrs. Hellen has a say in your future, Teddy." I snap back. Does he not understand?
I lean forward on the last comment, letting frustration win over feelings. Because it feels like some kind of seconds puberty breakdown and i can feel the pimples and hair in weird places growing in.
He needs to hear this.
His facial expression has changed more in the matter of a few seconds than I've ever seen it change, ever and it's kind of scary.
Always that sweet smile on his face, despite everything he's been through. But not today. Not now because now the smile is gone, and the eyebrow flex is gone and I almost feel bad.
"Yes. I have a crush on you. I like you. I'm into you. I think your fine. All of the above. Do you think that's gonna help you pass this class? " I slap my hands on the table.
I take in a tight breath at my revelation. I really do like him. Tears well up in my eyes burning to fall out of my eyes and onto the flat surface of the desk lightly and modestly. They don't want attention. I think they just want to come out. I won't allow them though.
D's eyes fall to my lips and then travel back up to my eyes. He reaches back to his desk and grabs the essay off of it as the noise of the room fills my ears. I close my eyes for a half a second as he drops the pages on mine.
"Read it." He says. "All of it."
He says, a small smile appearing on his lips. Not a big one, but one big enough to tell me that he really doesn't take any of this seriously.
"Why?" I ask, turning away from him for a slight moment before taking in my hands.
"Come on, baby don't take it so hard. You don't really think I'm that stupid do you?"
He asks with a grin.
"I mean...I'm stupid. I'm just not that stupid."
His teeth grow wider and wider until white pokes out from under his lips.
"Just know you didn't waist your time on me Maylee." He pulls his lips through his teeth and holds it there.
"On toturing or, anything else." His mouth doesn't smile anymore but his eyes look me up and down making the 'or anything else' very much obvious to anyone eavesdropping in the mist of all the loud students.
"Go ahead, read it." He pulls the top piece of paper with the title printed on it in bold letters off and throws it to the ground. He flicks them across the table and i catch them.
My smile grows a little more, inch by inch until I've caught up with him.
"I hate you." I whisper under my breath. "You scared me. And I hate you so so much."
"See. I can be smart when I want to." He lifts an eyebrow and sighs as he picks the paper back up. He fans my face with it as if to keep me from falling put and i push his arm away.
"Maya Angelou. To tell the truth I might of just looked up one of the people I've heard you talk about on Google. Easier that way."
I smile at him, not understanding anything for a moment. Or why I ever doubted him.
"Call me an a*s but I knew you'd react like that. Cause you care about me, don't you?"
Shaking my head at him I push the essay back onto his desk and pull his face onto mine. I don't know why I'm kissing him. Just to do it maybe. Or relief. Or maybe just because he wouldn't stop staring at me like I was naked and playing Marvin Gaye on his bed.
Like he remembers every inch of my body from those times and if it were anyone but him it would be so off putting.
How many times was it? I don't even remember. All I know really is not enough. The kiss grows thinner as he smiles against my lips but I pull him harder. Not wanting to stop.
Everything seems quieter, and for a few seconds I really don't care who sees me. And I know he doesn't. And it's crazy. Because just a few damn seconds ago I could've smacked him without showing a single trace of attraction or emotion.
But now, now I could smack him simply for trying to end the bliss to soon. My lips fall off him smoothly and there's an "mmh hmm" sound.
He tries to go in once more but a feeling of spiders and other unwanted things running up and down my back takes over me.
I catch his lips in the palm of my hand before they touch mine, on the inside smiling wildly as he continues to kiss my hand as if it were my mouth before stopping cold. Clamping my jaw shut tightly to keep from laughing at his questioning stare there's a tap at my shoulder and a few snickers and giggles come from behind us. D sucks on his lip and nods as if he understands why the room has grown so quiet and looks up at Mrs. Hellen.
I shake my head with his as she places two detention slips on my desk.
"And don't worry." She says. "I'll make sure Mr. Follen keeps you as far away from each other as possible. " She smiles and nods, satisfied with herself.
My mouth hangs open once more as more kids laugh, hardly hiding that they're doing so.
I hide my face in my hand as the teacher squints and rolls her eyes at me. I look to my side thinking that D will still be there but he's gone back to his desk, the essay gone from mine.
As Mrs. Hellen turns her back to write on the chalkboard I turn to him and as if he were waiting for me to do just that he winks at me. I roll my eyes but smile despite myself.