And love ..
Such a silly game we play, oh,
Like a summer’s day in May.
What is love, what is love?
I just want it to be love
oooh. oh

I, I, I, I, I .. I can feel it in your kiss
It just gives me tender bliss
What is love, what is love?
I just want it to be love
oooh. oh.

When I feel you around,
I was mad as hell when I hit the ground.
When I see you laugh away
It hurts but I just won’t say,
uh uh uh. Love ...

Who can tell me? I am lost.
I just think that I am strong.
What is love, what is love?
I just want it to be love.

-Matt White's "Love"

Summer

It was summertime when it began.

Summer is possibly the worst time for a rumor to spread. Even if it's a total lie, there's no one around to correct it. Since we're not in school, it just has a chance to spread and grow and fester. People are bored in the summer. They'll get excited over any kind of news.
I'll just admit it, I gave them way too much material to work with.

It was the day that our sophmore year of high school ended when the infamous act took place. Melanie Porter, the best friend of Natalie Grahm who just so happens to be the most popular girl in school, passed me a note in the hallway. I was understandably surprised since I'm known as an "art" geek. That means that, even though I can't even draw a stick figure, the fact that I'm weird (I'll admit that much) and that I'm in a band makes me cool, but not cool enough that people like Melanie Porter will talk to me.

Anyway, I was cleaning out the avalanche that had descended from my locker when Melanie walked by. She discreetly tossed a folded piece of notebook paper on top of my Everest of school shit. She walked away without looking back. For some reason, I noticed that she was wearing a mini skirt that I had never seen before on her. I hesitated before I opened the note. I seriously considered the possibility that it might explode or give me anthrax when I opened it.

I opened it up and, in disgustingly neat hand writing, it said "Room 14 after school. Come alone. Tell no one. -MP". I would have been better off with the anthrax.

A few hours later, the halls were virtually empty. I made my way down the English hallway and stopped at room 14. I walked inside and closed the door behind me. There was Melanie, sitting on a desk. I walked toward her and began to say, "Melanie, what's this ab..." but I was interruppted when she suddenly leaned in and kissed me. After a few seconds, she pulled away, blushed, said "Oh, shit!", and ran out of the room. It was so quick that I....Did I?....No.....Not at all.....I didn't feel anything at all during the kiss. No...I like....um....boys, right. I Like Boys, I thought to myself.

I walked home instead of begging a ride that day. I had my backpack in a trash bag of junk that I had emptied out of my locker. I dragged the bag behind me on the sidewalk. It was heavy and the day was hot, but I didn't notice. I was in shock, I guess.

Melanie Porter? But her boyfriend was the MVP from the basketball team. He was going to college in the fall. I knew that she was looking for someone new, but me ?!

I tried calling Melanie over the next few days, but her mother kept saying that she wasn't home, or she was busy. Before I could reach her, I was forced on a four week family vacation. After four weeks of confinement in the woods forced to camp and discover the majesty of nature, I finally got back home. What I found was about sixty seven new emails on my account. Thirty two of them were from my best friend, Kayla. They had titles such as "URGENT" and "CRISES: READ NOW!". I opened one of the emails.

The email revealed that, to my surprise, Melanie Porter not only freaked out when she kissed me but freaked out the day after and proceeded to tell people that I kissed her . Imagine my lack of surprise when I found that everyone else believed her. Let's just say that it would make for a very interesting junior year.

I picked up the phone after fifteen full minutes of being speechless (a new personal record) and dialed. The phone rang and I swore under my breath until I heard someone pick up.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi."

"Kayla, what the hell is going on?" I asked.

"April?" she said.

"No, it's some other completely oblivious girl who you sent thirty-two emails to."

"I guess that was a little much."

"Forget the emails. What the hell is going on with Melanie?" I said.

"She says you kissed her," she said, a little too calmly.

"What? That is NOT what happened."

"You didn't?"

"What? Of course not!" I said.

"Okay, okay, I just want to get the story straight. What did happen?"

"She kissed me."

"Really?"

"Really," I answered.

"Okay. Well, no one's going to believe that. Even if it is true."

"I know. It sucks. What am I going to do?"

"Join the GSA?"

"Not funny."

"April, I think you're just going to have to deal with the fact that everyone's gonna think you're gay."

"But I'm not!" I protested.

"Well... Maybe you could be bi. That might actually help your rep," she said.

"Not helping," I sighed.

"Everyone's gonna think what they want anyway. Why do you care?"

"I....don't know," I said, realizing that I didn't know what I was freaking out about.

"You've never cared before," said Kayla.

"That true..."

"Besides, you have the ultimate chance to freak out Melanie's crowd. As far as they know, being gay is contagious."

"True," I said.

I couldn't go onto my IM for the rest of the summer without being called a "dyke" or something to that effect.

Two weeks after my conversation with Kayla, she was over my house. My parents called me downstairs. They were both sitting on the couch (always a bad sign) with grave and slightly sympathetic looks on their faces. "Oh crap" I thought, knowing what was coming next.

"April, honey, we..." my mother began.

"We heard something strange at church today," interrupted my father.

"What?" I asked.

"We heard that you were... how should I put this..." began my father.

"Gay," said my mother.

I forgot to breath for a few moments before I responded.

"I'm not!"

"It's alright honey. We've known for some time," said my mother in a sweet tone.

"It was pretty clear from a young age," said my father.

"What? But Dad..."

"We just wanted to tell you that we support you no matter what you do. God made you this way for a reason," said my mother.

"Exactly," said my Dad.

"That's really sweet, but... I like guys."

"Fine. You're bisexual. That's fine too."

"What? No!"

"We love you honey."

I gave up. After staring at them in shock, I walked upstairs.

Additions to this story are suspended for now. I will continue! But I think that I should work o other stories right now.