Things were supposed to take a turn for the better after the 8th grade. To continue in high school one needed to pass the State Exams which I did while most of the rowdy crowd didn't and were sent to trade schools to learn painting, plumbing, lathe operation and whatnot while the future doctors, engineers, teachers, literary critics and such were on their way to college among their equals who aren't moved to violence upon hearing words like "ambidextrous" and "superfluous"

I was home enjoying … you guessed it – another book. I have most of the summer ahead of me, next school year promises to actually be good… Maybe I'll do some biking tomorrow… RRRRRING… Our landline phone was loud and a bit scratchy. A call came from my school. I was required to show up tomorrow at 8am for a surprise excursion to a destination unknown but it's mandatory and there will be ice-cream there. Strange – they've never organized any bus trips and ice-cream is unheard of but I was at the school on-time. Even stranger – everyone, all 54 of us, have showed up exactly at 8am to see the bus pulling in. The driver told us to load up and be quick about it – the principal is waiting at the destination. I set by the window closer to the front of the bus and a girl set next to me. I knew her well – she was the tallest in the grade and was very shy. She also passed the State Exams and was going to start the 9th grade next Fall. Diana was her name. I was noticing the glances she was sometimes sending my way over the last school-year and with all the knowledge I got from romantic books, figured she must be interested in me because I'm also tall. Considering that girls mature earlier than boys, she probably thinks we'd make a cute couple. I've always avoided her – the books seem to suggest that it's either love or studies and I'd rather get a good grade than a girlfriend. Just like that – teenage absolutes. There is "love" or "non-involvement" – there is no "flirt" or "romantic interest" or even "friendship".

The bus started and we rolled through the familiar streets. Noisy teens for some reason were quickly quieting down and some even settling in the amazingly comfortable seats for a nap. By the time we rolled to a tunnel through the huge mountain everyone on the bus was fast asleep. For some reason I just surveyed everyone as I felt Diana's head resting on my shoulder. A girl's head calmly leaning on me – that sensation isn't something you can read about. It's just way too… real. As I was looking at her peaceful face I suddenly realized … our city doesn't have any mountains around it. NONE. No mountains, no tunnels especially without any other traffic and no lights on the walls and the ceiling. WHERE ARE WE? Why did everyone fall asleep so quickly? Why is the Principal "waiting for us at the destination" with all the teachers and no one is riding with us? This is a surprise trip indeed and I don't like surprises.

I was looking around and then back at Diana noticing how gentle and defenseless she looks. These long eyelashes, the gently freckled nose, the tiny emerald stud-earrings… Suddenly her eyes opened wide and she rapidly breathed in. Her head went to the back of the chair while I instantaneously noticed a small emerald cross pendant in the opening of her blouse. "A set" I thought for a second remembering a book on History of Jewelry I read last year. Then she looked at me with a plea in her eyes and her lips slightly parted. It was clear to me she is asking for a kiss – after all that's what the romance novels talk about, don't they? A maiden looks longingly, sets her lips up and the knight seals them with his before going off on a journey. I clearly had the theoretical backing but sometimes wondered – what do you do about the nose? With two people bringing their faces together, won't their noses collide and the lips never touch? I looked into those eyes and decided to risk it – I'll do it even if someone will tell my parents and they will yell at me for this. I bent over and several things happened at once. First, I've learned the answer to the "nose" conundrum – turns out when the heads are slightly tilted – by I'd estimate about 15 degrees – the nose touches the cheek of another person and is not in the way. Second – that cheek is soft and smells nice. Third – her lips are soft and are slowly moving slightly catching and releasing mine causing sensations not described or maybe just hinted at in books.