I strip down to my boxers and lay down on my bed. It’s too hot to go under the covers.
As I drift off to sleep, I’m transported back in time to when Maria and I first met.
We’re both about fifteen and we’re freshmen high school. I was new in the neighborhood and new in school. Kids gave me a hard time when they found out I was Puerto Rican. The neighborhood and the school were mostly Mexican.
My only friend was A.J. He too was a misfit. He was a mix of Puerto Rican, Cuban and white.
Maria was the worst. She would taunt me, throw things at me, and just make each day miserable. I tried to ignore her but then A.J. would get in her face. As soon as she caught me alone, she’d start again.
One day, when A.J. was out sick, she cornered me in the hallway.
"Excuse me, Maria, but I have to get to math class," I told her.
"I just wanna ask you something," she said.
"What?" I asked skeptically.
"I’m having my quinceañera next month and I need an escort," she began.
"You want me to ask A.J. for you?" I ask. Surely she didn’t want me to be her escort.
"No, pendejo, I want to ask you."
"Why me?"
"Because, you idiot," she said, rolling her eyes. "I like you."
Before I could answer, she kissed my cheek.
I told my mom about and she told me I should go.
"It’ll give you a chance to make other friends besides that A.J.," she says. She thought A.J. was weird. Well, she was right about that.
For the next four weeks I went to Maria’s house and learned how to waltz. The first time she put her hand on my shoulder, I felt an electrical surge run through me.
At first I thought it was because she wasn’t hitting me for a change. But then, every time she touched my shoulder, my arm, my back, or wherever, I felt the same sensation.
It got so I looked forward to those rehearsals.
When the big day finally arrived I was excited. I did the escort thing in the church as well as could be expected. With a big smile on my face, I hooked my arm through Maria and walked her down the aisle.
Afterwards came the reception. Before the food was served, Maria and I were to perform the waltz with the other kids.
I couldn’t believe that I remembered all the steps. I looked to Maria for her approval.
"You crazy Puerto Rican," she hissed in my ear. "Don’t you know how to count?"
I messed up on the rest of the dance. Then a salsa song came on and I pulled Maria to me. I spun her around a couple of times.
Soon everyone cleared the floor for us. I spun her around a few more times. When the song was over, there were applause.
I was so embarrassed that I left the assembly hall and ran home.
I was sleeping in my boxers like I am now. As I drifted off to sleep, I heard something against my window. Then I heard it again. I went to the window and look out.
Maria was in the alley throwing stones up at my window.
I raised the window and poked my head out.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Can I come up?" she said.
I was still upset with her, but I let her come up the fire escape stairs anyway. I grabbed her arm and helped her climb through the window.
"Why’d you leave?" she asked.
"You saw how everyone was making fun of me," I said.
"They weren’t making fun, pendejo," she said. Then she grabbed my face and kissed me on the mouth. She slipped me her tongue.
She pulled away from me but I grabbed her face again and gave her another kiss, with tongue.
She pulled away from me again and took off her shirt. She had no bra on. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
She looked so beautiful. I took her in my arms and held her close. She ran her fingernails gently down my back. I’d never felt so good in my life.
I somehow managed to push her toward my bed and lay her down. I lay on top of her but she pushed my off.
"Wait," she said, and pulled something out of the pocket of her cutoff jeans. It was a condom.
"Where’d you get that?" I asked.
"You ask too many questions," she giggled.
"You really want to use that thing?" I asked with slight amusement. I couldn’t believe this was happening.
"Yes," she says with a big smile on her face.
"Have you done this before?"
"No," she said, her eyes wide and her face all serious. "Have you?"
"No," I told her.
"Good, so we’re even," she giggled. She undid her cutoffs and slid them off. She wasn’t wearing panties either. I felt myself get hard.
She sat up and hooked her thumbs in the waistband of my boxers and pulled them down. My penis was sticking straight up in the air. When she saw it, she smiled. She ran her hand up and down the shaft a few times. I closed my eyes and moaned softly.
She ripped open the condom wrapper and took it out. Holding onto the tip, she unrolled it onto my penis.
"How do you know how to do that?" I asked.
"There’s directions on the back of the box," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Where did you get that anyway?"
"My sister," she said as she lay back down on the bed.
"I’m a little nervous, Maria," I told her.
"Don’t be nervous, Howie," she said, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. That was the first time I recall that she ever used my name.
I hovered above her holding my penis in my hand. I lined it up with her vagina and inserted it slowly.
When it was all the way in, Maria gasped.
"Am I hurting you?" I asked.
"No honey," she said. "You’re okay."
I put all my weight down on her. I began to thrust slowly and gently. I could feel Maria’s heartbeat pounding through her chest. Our breathing became heavy.
"I like this," she said.
"Me too," I told her. She felt so nice and soft inside. I began to thrust a little faster. She began to move with me. We moved together so naturally, it was as if we were meant to do this.
She wrapped her arms and legs around me and whispered in my ear.
"Faster, mi amor," she said. I obeyed her wish. Soon we were both moaning loudly.
"Maria, you feel so good!" I shouted.
"I’m going to come!" she shouted back.
"Me too!" I felt my whole body shudder. Underneath me, Maria’s body trembled. For a few seconds I felt my groin muscles contract. My whole body then relaxed and I collapsed on top of her. She was still trembling.
I kissed her cheek, her forehead, her eyelids and finally her mouth.
After the condom was disposed of, we lay together on the bed, our arms and legs wrapped around each other. She was fast asleep and I was awake, contemplating the beautiful and exciting thing that had just happened to me.
There was a knock on the door. I panicked. Was it my mom?