Years In The Making
Ramona Gore captures the awkwardness and sweetness of young love in this delightful YA Romance....
Amalia and Sean sat on the couch at her house, both of them bent over the coffee table as they worked on their ninth grade homework. Amalia diligently answered the questions about the experiment they had conducted in school that day, whilst Sean was more lax in his approach. His sheets contained more white space than pencil markings. He scribbled a sentence—more of a jagged line—on the paper before pushing it aside. The packet fell to the floor as he turned to her with a smile that spelled trouble.
“Lia,” he started, “why don’t we go get some ice cream? I think we’ve done enough work for today.”
Amalia narrowed her eyes at him. “This isn’t just another attempt to go on a date with me, is it?”
“What, no.” His mouth was agape in feigned offense. “How could you even ask that?”
“Sean,” Amalia said, sternly. “I know you. You’ve spent the last ten years asking me out.”
“Fine, yes,” he relented, flopping back onto the couch. “But would that be so bad? We’ve known each other forever and are like, best friends.”
“It’s because we’ve known each other forever that I’m not sure. What if your feelings for me are the result of society saying boys and girls can’t be friends? How can you be certain that you haven’t deluded yourself into thinking your feelings for me are romantic when they’re actually platonic?”
Sean smiled, guilelessly. “I didn’t understand a word of what you just said.”
Amalia sighed. “Sean, how do you know that you like me that way?”
“Well, there was that time in first grade you gave me an Oreo without me having to ask first.”
Amalia merely rolled her eyes, ignoring the disappointment she felt. “Right, of course.”
“But most importantly,” he said, pushing himself up so he could look her in the eyes, “you’re smart, kind, and you know me better than anyone. How could I not have fallen for you?”
She stared at him in a daze, struggling to compute what he just said. She thought she had him figured out, that he never meant his declarations of love for her. That it had simply become a running joke or a part of their routine at some point.
“So do you want to go get some ice cream?” Sean asked with a hopeful lilt to his voice.
Amalia quickly composed herself and turned back to the papers scattered on the table. “No,” Sean gaped at her in disbelief, “we still have homework to do but ask me again tomorrow.”
Once what she just said hit him, Sean grinned widely, snatching his packet off the floor and getting back to work. A poorly concealed smile lit up Amalia’s face, excitement coursing through her at the thought of tomorrow.
