Forbidden Fruits

I was eighteen and a Senior in high school when I met him. He was every girls fantasy, and the first person I'd ever met that made me feel that way. To this day, I don't know what it was about him that made my heart beat flutter and my breathing constrict. This is my story. Our story.

Like I said I was a senior in High School when I met Sam Perry. At my high school, they wanted you to pick a major your senior year, and you would take classes pertaining to that major all year long. It was to prepare us for college I know, but none of us really wanted to do that. We all thought it was pointless, but since we had to do it, or not graduate, we did it.

I picked science. I wanted to be a high school or college level chemistry teacher, and asked to take classes pertaining to chemistry. Well, at the beginning of the year I got one chemistry class and physical science.

I looked at my class schedule and groaned. "What's wrong, Em?"

"Physical science." My best friend, Kenna Harvey just looked at me. "I all ready took physical science."

"Can you get your classes switched?" She asked, as she began to absently look at her nails.

"I can try, but my guess is that the other classes are full, and its this or nothing."

I looked up at Kenna and wanted to shake my head. We were the exact opposite in personality and looks, but we were able to maintain a steady friendship since third grade. Kenna was the type voted prom queen. She was blonde, gorgeous, and never had a hair out of place. She always looked like she'd just stepped out of VOGUE or something.

I on the other hand, was a mess. My dark hair was always doing something I hated, so I was constantly wearing it in a messy bun at the back of my head, and always re-adjusting it through out the day. My clothes were not name brand or even very stylish. I liked my shirts a little baggy to hide my few extra pounds, and my pants were either jeans or cargo pants. Dresses and skirts? I didn't own any. Above all, I was unpopular, geeky and extremely nerdy.

School was my life.

Kenna and I walked down the breezeway between the buildings quickly, coming upon the Sciences and Arts building quickly. "Are you taking a science class this semester?" I asked as she continued into the building.

She sighed. "My parents think it would be best if I took biology. I hate science. I hope they don't make me touch any of those dead frogs." I laughed and shook my head.

"You have the option not to do it, you know."

"Good," she said quite forcefully. "I hate biology and I hate frogs!"

I laughed again as she smiled and turned down a hallway opposite from the one I was to take. I waved, and headed toward my class.

I entered the physical science room and looked at the clock as I took a seat at the front. I was counting the minutes until I could change my classes.

"Good morning class." Mrs. Armstrong entered the room, strangely with no books. "I know it says on your schedule's that I will be teaching this year's class. However, Mr. Kelly, er... quit without any notice, so I will be filling in as an administrator. So this year, with my guidance, the school as allowed a student teacher to teach the class for the year."She held an arm out to the door way, and everybody looked. Rounding the doorway and walking toward the front was a tall man with dark hair. I couldn't see his face as there were kids still standing around. When he reached the front, I saw him.

His hair was dark brown, almost black, and his eyes were crystal blue. The color of a real sapphire when freshly cut. He was at least six foot one. A tall guy for sure. He turned and smiled to the class as he put books onto the desk. He had a dimple in his left cheek when he smiled. He wore a black sweater over a white button up shirt, so that the lapels stuck out of the sweater. He had jeans and simple nikes on.

My heart began to flutter and my breathing stopped in my chest. He was the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

"This is Sam Perry. Mr. Perry is in his final year at Portland State. You will be getting your masters and a teaching degree, is that correct Mr. Perry?"

He looked over at her as he organized the desk. "Yup."

Mrs. Armstrong nodded. "You are to act as if Mr. Perry is already a teacher. Understood?" The entire class nodded. She gave a quick nod and sailed out the door.

Everyone's attention turned to him as he walked out from behind the desk. "Okay," he said and smiled. "You guys probably want to know some stuff about me, right?" The class must have nodded, but I was in a trance. "All right. Well, I am in my final post grad year at Portland state. I will be receiving a masters in science and I hope to have my teaching certificate too. I'm 26, my favorite color is blue and I my favorite foods are crab cakes and cheese cake." He paused. "Any questions?"

I knew then and there I was NOT switching classes.

The year flew by. And before I knew it, it was February and the turn of the semester. Thankfully, physical science was a year long class, so I didn't have to give up Mr. Perry. I'd gotten to know him better. He was really nice, and liked to crack jokes. He learned my name quickly, much more quickly than he learned anyone else's, much to my surprise.

I didn't tell anyone about my crush on the teacher. I tried to down play it even to myself. I didn't want anyone to know, and most especially, I wanted to forget, myself! I never had a chance at him, I knew that. First of all, I was a minor still in the eyes of the law, and a student. He wouldn't look at me if I'd burst into flame.

He was a good teacher though. He made the time fly by and we studied things I hadn't already when I took the class previously.

All too soon, it was time to start Senior Projects. Senior Projects is something my idiotic school came up with to make sure the seniors didn't get senior-itus. We had to do a project pertaining to what we wanted to be. We had to have visuals, a ten page paper, and an internship.

Since I can't really go out and get an internship at a school without a teaching degree or being a student teacher, I was in a bit of a rut. I knew what I was going to do for my project. I was going to explain the chemical composition and decomposition of water and carbon dioxide. However, instead of being able to just go out and buy visual aids, I had to make them.

I was in my counselor's office later that week waiting to talk to my counselor about my lack of an internship, when Mr. Perry came in. "Hey, Emma. What are you doing in here?"

I smiled. "Well, I don't have an internship. I have to talk to my counselor about it."

"What are you doing for your project?"

I laughed. "Believe it or not, science teacher." He laughed and shook his head.

"Why don't you just T.A. for my class? Would that count for an internship?" I felt my heart rate increase, and my face flush. Thankfully my counselor called for me at that moment.

"Emma, you can come in now."

I stood and walked to the door. Mr. Perry followed. "Emma's having a bit of a problem, Mr. Alexander. She needs an internship for her project, and can't find one."

"Is that so?" he asked looking at me.

"So," Mr. Perry continued, "since she's doing her project on teaching science, I thought she could T.A. for my class and that could count as an internship." Mr. Alexander seemed to think about it for a minute before nodding.

"I think that would be a great idea." He turned to me. "Do you have any free periods?"

"I've got eighth period off."

"Great. I will put in your schedule that you are going to T.A. for Mr. Perry that period." He slapped his hand on Mr. Perry's shoulder. "Your going to make a fine teacher, Sam. A fine teacher, indeed."

He only smiled.

That day was the beginning of the rest of my life.

Since my schools classes were blocked periods of four classes a day for eighty minutes, I saw Mr. Perry every day. I had him first period for physical science, and the last period of the next day as a T.A.

To my surprise, he would ask me to stay late on T.A. days to help him grade papers and such. I always would and after a while, I think we formed a friendship. He wanted me to call him Sam, and would make jokes to make me laugh. I, in turn, blushed every time he smiled at me.

It was about a month later when everything changed.

Sam was letting me use his room to make my project. Even though it was messy, he put a large desk next to his and didn't let anyone else near it. I would go in during lunch and try to keep going on my models. Sometimes he was in there, and would spend lunch with me, other times he had lunch room duty so he couldn't.

I didn't think of it as odd that when he didn't have lunch room duty that he would eat in his room with me.

One day at lunch, I was working with the clay that was supposed to be made into models of water and carbon dioxide. It wasn't working I was getting so frustrated, I wanted to throw the clay across the room. It had been lunch for about ten minutes, and since Sam was usually there by then, I figured he had lunch duty and couldn't make it.

Wiping my hands off on the towel I brought from home, I gave up and plopped into his comfy chair.

"Busy working on your project I see." He laughed as he opened and closed the door behind him.

I shrugged. "The stupid clay. I should have just bought the models, damn everyone else." He laughed and set his lunch on the table.

"Maybe I can help. Show me what to do."

For the next five minutes I tried to explain what I was doing. By the time I had muddled through it, he still didn't get it, and I was confused myself. He was standing next to me only a few inches away. So close I could smell his aftershave.

I turned to him and smiled. "I, uh," I tried to think of my thoughts, but they were muddled by the smell of him so close. "I, uh.... I think that I should... maybe try something else?" My voice sounded breathy, even to me. He watched me with those blue eyes, and the look in his eyes, was something I'd never seen before....

"Emma?" He whispered, moving slightly closer.

"Sam," I whispered back just as his lips came down to meet mine.

It was electric. I'd had boyfriends before, I'd kissed before even made out a little, but nothing had ever felt this... urgent. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer to him. We were on fire.

Our kissing and caressing was frantic.

I pushed my hand up his sweater, and touched his skin. He shuttered, pulling me closer. I felt his hand slip under my shirt and press against my lower back tightly as if he wanted me even closer than I already was.

Our lips broke infrequently. "Oh Sam," I whispered as he nibbled at my ear.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, Emma," he growled in my ear. Then brought his lips back to mine.

I don't know how long we kissed, as we both lost track of time. It was too frenzied, to new for either of us to care.

Finally he pulled away, resting his forehead on mine, eye closed. "I can't do this," he whispered. "God, I'm seeing someone." It was the barest whisper, and held the most hurt.

"I'm sorry, Sam," I said and pulled away from him. "I didn't mean to make you feel... like..." I walked to his desk, preparing to sit in the chair when he spun me around.

His lips found mine again, and they were insistent. I opened my mouth to him and felt our tongues touching... dancing almost. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held my waist, pulling me closer and closer to him.

"Em, what's taking you so-" We broke apart abruptly at the sound of Kenna's voice. "-long?" She dropped the purse she held in her hand, but quickly picked it back up. "S-sorry," she mumbled and quickly left, closing the door behind her.

"Oh my God," I whispered. If any one found out....

"KENNA!" I yelled as I ran out the door and around the corner. She was walking quickly toward the bathroom. I followed her in. "Kenna-"

"You were kissing him! Oh my GOD! I can't believe you! Or him!?"

"Kenna, please," I pleaded. "Don't tell anyone for God's sake!" I moved away from her and to the sink so I didn't have to look at her. "Kenna, I've never felt this way before, about anyone. He makes me feel... worthy. Respected." I looked her in the eye as she approached. "He makes me feel like its okay to be myself."

Kenna watched me for a minute, and sighed. "I knew it was somebody. How long as this been going on?"

"It just happened today. What you saw was the first of anything between us." I took her hand in mine. "Please, Kenna, don't tell anyone."

Kenna sighed. "If your sure?" I nodded quickly. "All right. I won't tell a soul."

I walked back to the room slowly, almost unsure of my own two legs. When I got back to the room, Sam was sitting at his desk, his head in his hands. He looked up as I shut the door. Standing quickly, he looked around himself as if he were as unsure as I was.

"She won't say a word, Sam." I promised him.

"Emma, I don't... I don't know what came over me. I.... I..."

"Its okay Sam," I said, knowing exactly where this conversation was going. He was going to say he was sorry and that it would never happen again. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

He looked up at me as if I had interrupted his thoughts. "Go out with me tonight," he blurted. Well, so much for a romantic.

"What?"

"Go out with me tonight." He stepped around the desk and to the door where I stood. "Come out with me on a date tonight. I promise nothing like that will happen again."

I gave him a dirty look, making him laugh. "All right, nothing like that will happen again unless you say its okay." I smiled.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sam? I mean, I wasn't asking for a relationship or anything with that. I mean... I didn't know it was going to happen, but now that it has... I..."

"Come out to dinner and a movie with me tonight."

"Sam?"

"I really want to do this, Emma."

I ginned. "I can be ready by six?"

"Six it is."

I walked to the desk quickly and jotted down Kenna's address. "I will be here." I handed it to him just as the warning bell rang. "Think you can find it okay?" He glanced at it.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem."

He kissed me quickly on the mouth just before the door opened and students started to arrive.

"Six." I mouthed to him as I was getting ready to leave. He grinned at me and nodded.

I couldn't wait to tell Kenna.