Tag Your It!

The day was a bright sunny day in Galveston, Texas. Kayla had just turned 13 and was enjoying the Spring like weather. She enjoyed going to the park that was down the street. She would go there every

day just so she could see her friends. They would play tennis, swim in the Olympic size pool or just hang out and play cards on the picnic table. It was early June and the heat hadn’t hit that part of the country yet. Kayla was going to enjoy the pool and work on her tan. She saw Kevin in the park too and was hoping he would talk to her. Kayla had him in her History class the year before. He sat behind her and liked pull on her pigtails. Kayla really liked Kevin but she didn’t think that he knew she existed much of the time, since he ignored her when her other friends were around.

    When Kayla entered the pool at the shallow end she saw several of her friends hanging out in the middle of the pool. Sara yelled to Kayla, “Come on in Kayla and play Tag with us.”  Kayla raised her head to Sara to let her know she heard her. They were playing  Marco Polo. Kayla looked around and she spotted Kevin entering the pool as well. She started playing the game with her friends. “Marco” Polo said Kathy….Marco….Polo said Kevin as he joined in….this went on for quite some time. They each took turns saying Marco and having everyone else say Polo and then trying to reach out and catch the person that said Polo. When Kevin was saying Marco….Kayla said Polo and he reached out and pulled her by the hand to him. He opened his eyes and saw her green eyes wide opened and smiled. He then abruptly let go of Kayla and went about the game.

   When it was time to go home, Kevin walked with Kayla out of the park entrance and down the street to his house. Kevin’s house was closest to the park and then Kayla lived on another street but further

down. Kevin talked to Kayla all the way down the street like they were old friends. He asked Kayla to come over for a while before she went home. Kayla was reluctant but decided that she really wanted to

spend time with him so she said “Yes”. When they got to Kevin’s house, he looked around to make sure no one saw them go inside the house. Kayla had a puzzled look on her face and asked why he was looking around? He said “He didn’t want his little brother to bother them while they went to watch TV.” 

They sat down on the couch and Kevin automatically put his arm around Kayla. It was awkward at first but then they settled down and it felt natural. Kevin put his finger on Kayla’s chin and drew it close to

him. He gave her a soft, gentle kiss at first, almost feather like on her lips. Kayla was surprised, but went along to see what would happen next. She was in awe that Kevin had even asked her over. They sat

there for quite a while and kissed. Kayla didn’t want to go but needed to get home for supper. She said good-bye to Kevin and he kissed her good-bye.  Kayla walked in a daze all the way home.   The whole summer, Kayla and Kevin spent as much time as they could with each other. Eventually, it got to be where Kevin pushed Kayla to let him touch her more and more.

     Months later school started and Kayla and Kevin were now in 8th grade. They continued to see each other but Kevin didn’t want anyone to know. When they were together they were in their own little bubble and neither one of them wanted to have their friends or family burst their bubble. They both were busy with their social lives separate from each other. When it came time for the 8th grade dance, Kayla was upset that Kevin wouldn’t take her. So while on the phone one day, she broke up with him.

With tears in her eyes, she told him that she didn’t want to see him anymore if he wouldn’t be willing to take her to the dance. Kevin said fine, and hung up on Kayla. Kayla was miserable, but knew in her heart that it was the right thing to do.

     A week later, after the dance was over. Kevin called Kayla and convinced her to see him at the park. They went and sat down at one of the picnic tables and talked. High School was much the same of

breaking up and getting back together. Kevin would see other girls and then would also see Kayla every couple of days usually under the cloud of darkness.

   When Kayla and Kevin were broken up, which happened every other month it seemed, Kayla would entertain the thought of seeing someone else. Dates were few and far between in high school because Kayla had given her heart to Kevin when she was 14 and it was hard to feel the same way about other people.

College came and went….in November of 1984 is when it all came to a head and the end finally came for Kevin and Kayla. Kayla remembers still how there was no caller-id and when she got the call from Kevin .

She was devastated. Kevin simply said that he didn’t want to see her anymore and that he was moving to a different state. He then just hung up. Their time together was over. Kayla was depressed and

moped around for a long time. It took her years to get over the fact that Kevin just left her. She had given him more than 9 years of her life and he had taken her virginity back when she was 13 yr. old.

28 years later…..

Kayla is married and has three kids living in Louisiana and Kevin is married and has three kids living in Georgia.   Gradually, they reconnect and start talking to each other. Then on April 30 they have a long conversation and discover how much they still have in common.The high school reunion was going to  be in a couple of months. Kayla and Kevin made plans to see each other at the high school reunion.  Neither one of their spouses were going to the reunion with them.

When they met at the reunion, it was like nothing had changed for them.  They enjoyed the reunion with their friends and got to see how they had all grown up. Kevin was still a player with the other women at the reunion. Kayla was glad she didn’t marry Kevin.  To think she considered having a rendezvous with him in his hotel room. Instead, while everyone was dancing, Kayla texted her husband.  He wrote back.” Wish I was there with you so I could tag you with a kiss!  “How I wish you were here too.” As Kayla was typing on her phone,she looked around to the door opening and there was her husband. She ran over to him and gave him a big kiss right there.