The Passed Note Issue 9 February 2019 | Page 15

Sandra does not know. She will never know.

She still believes in love but—

Romance, and chivalry, are dead.

5

The fifth time I kissed a boy, I didn’t trust him.

My hands were shoved in my pockets and my eyes stayed open, carefully watching his every move. He was a nice boy, shy and quiet, but when I looked in his eyes, I did not reel with the possibilities of what our future could be. How could I, when everything had been stripped away from me?

Sandra said she understood, but I could see in her eyes she didn’t. To Sandra, each kiss means the world.

She has never met someone she didn’t trust.

I hope she never has to.

6

The sixth time I kissed a boy, it was because I felt obliged to.