I look at the grubby boy. He is tall and broad with fierce black eyes and straight black hair. He must be at least a couple of years older than me. I think he’s the son of one of the traveling gypsies. His father did some work for my father. He is standing in the garden. His clothes are dirty and his hands are grubby, but for some strange reason I don’t understand why I feel drawn to him. I decide to walk up to him and offer him some food. 

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“None of your business,” he says rudely.

“What a rude little boy you are,” I say scornfully. “I only came over to see if you are hungry.”

“I’m not hungry. I don’t need your charity.”

I put my hands on my hips feeling angry at his rudeness. “I was only trying to be nice.”

His eyes flash. “You want to be nice?”

I look at him, confused. “Well, I did. I’m not sure I want to anymore.”

“Then piss off.”

I gasp. I don’t know why I didn’t just walk away and tell Daddy. “Why are you being so rude?”

“Why are you being such a pest?”

“All right I want to be nice. What do you want?”  

Suddenly he grabs me and kisses me on the mouth! I am too surprised to resist. His mouth is firm and forceful and hot. Something flutters in my belly. Then he lifts his head and looks into my eyes. I can’t look away. I’m too astonished.

“Liliana Eden, I’m going to marry you one day,” he declares, before striding away.

I touch my lips. They are still tingling. He kissed me. Ewww … Yuck. The rude boy kissed me! I run towards our house as fast as I can. I fly in through the door and burst into the kitchen. Both Mommy and Daddy are there. “A boy kissed me,” I announce breathlessly.

“What?” Daddy shouts and jumps up, his face dark with fury. 

Mommy grabs hold of his wrist. “She’s only eleven, Jake. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Fuck it doesn’t.” Daddy swears furiously as strides out of the house.

I watch him march up to the boy’s father. They talk, Daddy gesturing angrily. The man calls his son and slaps him upside the head. The boy says nothing. He just turns his head and looks at me through the window. There is no smile on his face. He just stares at me until his father slaps him again and pulls him away.

I touch my lips. They are still tingling. I wish I had not told Daddy about him.