The Story of Norah Pratt, John Reeves [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

The Story of Norah Pratt


I can remember the first time I ever saw her. She stood there so beautiful in the morning sun. I'd never believed in love at first sight, although it became clear that there was something to it. She was perfect. If I'd tried to create the perfect girl for me, then she'd have no doubt looked similar to the girl who was next door to me. My friend Teddy lived there, and I had to be at two-a-days that morning at the football field. I'd later tell Teddy I was running late for practice and couldn't speak to her. The truth was I was a bit shy to approach such a perfect female. Later that afternoon I went over there to see Teddy.

"Who was that girl I saw in your driveway earlier?" I eventually asked him. There had been a plan to not just get right to that question. There had also been a second part to that plan - Not to let him know how attracted to her I was.

"She's my cousin from Illinois." That was also where Teddy had come from. He moved to our school in the fourth grade.

"I think she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Part two of the plan had failed. She'd been on my mind since I first saw her. All through practice that morning I'd been thinking of her. I practically went straight to his house afterward. Beside going to my house to eat, and clean up a bit, I'd gone right next door.

"You really think she's beautiful?" Teddy asked. My next response had to be put in the right words. There were a lot of feelings on the line. What if he didn't want me liking his cousin?

"Yes. I definitely think she is." I had owned it. There was no reason to hide it. Other guys were going to see her, and they were not going to care if I liked her. It was better for me that he knew and that I had the chance to meet her first. To my surprise it didn't seem to upset Teddy at all. He liked the idea and introduced us.

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I stood alone outside while he went inside to get her. When they came outside she had a smile on her face. That alone made me nervous, because maybe she thought I looked funny or meeting me was a joke. Never in a million years did I realize she was as nervous as I was. The only thing I could see was an amazing girl walking right at me. Her long brown hair looked soft, her narrow face punctuated her baby blue eyes. She was a small girl at about one hundred and ten pounds, but she had nice perky breast. There was nothing about her that I didn't find totally attractive. Her shirt was tied up around her stomach, and her hips swayed as she walked toward me. It felt like I was frozen in place. I hoped I'd be able to speak.
"Hey, my name is Steve." I spoke first, and it sounded sure and confident.
"My name is Norah," she replied so soft and gentle, yet there was an excitement in her voice as well. From that point words could have been hard to come by. Teddy took control of the uncertain situation.
"Perhaps we should take Norah for a walk around town." His suggestion was more than I could've came up with. It also sounded like a good idea. Arlee, Alabama wasn't a very big town, however it would give me a chance to get to know Norah. We walked her around the small dead town and showed her the hot spots, the swimming pool, the play ground, the game room in the back of the video store, and even showed her an alleged haunted house. Surprisingly she liked the places we'd taken her. She'd liked everything we showed her, and wanted to go back before she went back to Illinois. I'd found out she was staying for one month. It seemed like long enough at the time. There was no question about it - I intended on getting to know her as good as I could in that month.
My friend Teddy was a very intelligent guy. I couldn't count how many times he helped me study for tests, or just help me with my homework in general. He could also be a spoiled brat. I knew that spending a little time alone with Norah would be almost impossible. Teddy wasn't going to allow it. He figured if he introduced us it gave him a built in pass to hang around. There wasn't much going on, and if she hadn't come down to Alabama, then he and I would have been hanging out. I'd stop by after morning football practice. Then we'd hang out all day after that.
I think I knew after our third day together that I was in love with her. There were things that told me she felt something too. It had to be that first kiss that confirmed it for both of us. The kiss was incredible. I'd kissed girls before, but there was something magical that happened when my lips touched Norah's.

"I want to kiss you." I told her. The thought had crossed my mind several times, but finally my mouth spoke for my heart.
"OK, then do it," she replied. I didn't hesitate one bit as I moved in. Her lips were soft. The kiss tasted like her fruit flavored lip gloss. There was no lingering doubt that I was in love.

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One month had never passed by so quickly. When it was over I knew we both felt something for each other. She would go home to tell her friends about the guy she met, while I hung around people who knew what I'd lost. They saw a love sick puppy just trying to make it. Teddy knew what I was going through. He'd been right with us the whole time and he saw us fall in love. We were teenagers. My parents would say too young to know real love. Whereas that might have been true in some cases, it was dead wrong in my situation. A friend of mine Stan, he couldn't believe that a person could be that in love with someone without having sex. Obviously he was wrong, because I knew I loved her. It seemed like I'd never see her again. At that point I wasn't sure I ever would.
I'd gone back to the life I knew. There was school and football and friends, but none of it seemed like what it had been before Norah came along. The only thing I really wanted was to see her again. There was a level of regret about not having sex with her, although I saw her as a queen, and she would have had to tell me she wanted it. My view on the sexual experience was dirty back then. I didn't realize it was something special. I had no idea that a stronger bond could be made by sharing an intimate moment. She wanted it to happen, and I never knew it. There was a level of respect that I thought I was giving her. I'm not sure I did the right thing, although at the time it felt right and respectful. If I had it to do all over again, would I have done it any different? I've always asked myself that very thing.

Everyone around me knew how bad I missed Norah. She made me feel alive in ways I never had before. It seemed like I could be a new person. I had talked to other girls before, and there had been a couple who I thought I might be in love with. It always hurt when the relationship ended, but none of them were like Norah. In some weird way I felt like she needed me. Teddy's older brother Chris was happy she went home. He didn't want her involved with me, or so I thought that was the case. In a small town everyone knows each other. There was a chance Chris had heard some things about me. Maybe he didn't think a good girl like her should be with a guy like me. He didn't know me like Teddy did. When me and Teddy first started hanging out Chris thought I'd get his brother in trouble. He did not trust me one bit.
I wasn't like the other kids in the neighborhood. They were out there running the streets looking for trouble. I won't say I never got wrapped up. I'll just say I picked my spots carefully. Teddy kept me out of trouble in a lot of ways. He wasn't looking for trouble. I wasn't looking for it, but you are a product of where you come from. My family had been known to raise a little hell. I think everyone just assumed I too was like the rest of them. In many ways I was different, and in other ways I wasn't. There was one way out of there. I had to do good in the classroom and on the football field. Maybe that would get me into a good college and then out of Arlee. Those other guys weren't going anywhere. If they left town, then they'd only end up in some other small town. They were the environment.
As the summer ended I went back to school. I was struggling to keep my grades up. The eleventh grade was tough. Teddy was there as usual to help me with my homework, but between practice and his homework, he just ended up doing mine for me. I wasn't learning the material. When the test results came back I failed, but when the report cards came out I had a C-average. The papers that were handed back to me had the failing grade on them, but the grade that went down in the book was whatever I needed to maintain eligibility. Again I was being stereotyped. They didn't think I could make the grades to play. It may just be that I couldn't make them, but I truly thought I had been. Something changed again when I found out what was going on. I appreciated the help with the grades, but it hurt to find out I wasn't doing it on my own. I had lost my starting position on the football team, and was being asked to change positions all together. Things seemed to be falling apart.