The Impact of You

Chapter 40

Avery

Entering the classroom for our Human Sexuality final, Jase begins chuckling. Oh boy, what now? I turn to see what’s caught his eye. Self-Love 101 is written on the white board at the front of the room. Okay... this should be interesting. Professor Gibbs hadn’t given us any indication what would be on the final today, and now suddenly I’m nervous. And not just because I didn't study for it--that was impossible to do without knowing what material to study. No, I'm nervous for an entirely different reason.

Once the class is settled, Professor Gibbs sets my mind at ease. All we have to do is write one last journal assignment on what we’ve learned in his class, and we’ll turn this in as our final.

We get to work, and Jase steals glances me throughout the hour-long class, a little smirk tugging his lips. I wonder how much of his paper is about me. I will kill him if he writes anything embarrassing. Especially anything about my first orgasm. I glance at his paper and swear I see the word Whistle. He clucks and shakes his head, shielding the page from my view. I narrow my eyes and keep writing.

Once our papers are turned in, Professor Gibbs invites anyone who cares to share to tell the class what they’ve learned. The old me would’ve hung my head, dare not make eye contact with him for fear of being called on. The new me has butterflies in her belly, half of me wanting to raise my hand, the other half nervous and unsure.

A girl in the back shouts out, “Communication during sex is important. We’ve gotta teach guys what we like!”

The class erupts in laughter. Wow. She went there. Huh. This class is kind of awesome.

A guy sitting in front of me with a mop of blond curls raises his hand. “Use lotion. Less chafing.”

I roll my eyes. A few more people speak up, and most of them take it seriously. The girl next to me says she’s learned if you want a real relationship, not to jump into bed right away. Jase surprises me by raising his hand next. I’m more than a little curious about what’s on his mind.

“I learned a lot this semester. I met this amazing girl, and we worked on her ability to…O…I mean overcome some fears and insecurities. And I learned it’s more fun to give than to receive.”

My face goes bright red. I want to kick him. But when his gaze meets mine, I just smile at him. A big, dumb, I’m-totally-in-love-with-you grin. It’s the same grin he’s giving me. With Jase’s encouragement, my butterflies take a leave of absence and I raise my hand.

“Avery,” Professor Gibbs nods.

I take a deep breath. “If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. And most importantly, never film it.”

Once the words leave my lips, I’m a little unsure if I should’ve said all that. It’s probably too bold to put that out there, but hey, let them wonder. I have nothing to hide. Anymore.

“Amen sister,” a girl calls from the back of the room and my nerves ease. Wow. I guess I'm not the only girl in the world to make a mistake...

It's then that I realize Jase is watching me, his blue eyes dancing on mine. His expression is happy, and relaxed, and he looks... proud of me. I'm proud of me too.

No regrets. Just life lessons. And I’m feeling pretty good about what I’ve learned along the way.

* * *

The End