Read Online Kiss by Francine Pascal - Free Book Online Page A

streetlights, nearing the tops of the trees. Closer and closer to the gauzy, dark purple night sky. She looked ahead to the ever improving view of Central Park with its dark carpet of trees and the twinkly lights along Fifth Avenue.
    Gaia felt her own breath swelling inside her chest. It was magical. “Beautiful,” she whispered to Mary.
    Mary squeezed her hand.
    Gaia tried to stamp this feeling, these sights, into her brain so she could remember them later, when she needed to convince herself there was happiness in the world.
    â€œOh, shit!” Mary suddenly cried, puncturing Gaia’s reverie. Mary yanked her hand from Gaia’s, pinching wildly at the plastic of the balloon to steady herself. “I’m losing it, Gaia!”
    The plastic had grown so taut under their hands, it was hard to keep holding. Mary’s grip was slipping fast.
    Gaia turned to her new friend, expecting to see fear in the girl’s eyes. Instead she saw wide-eyed thrill.
    â€œGaiaaaa!” Mary was yelling. “Eeeeeee! This is where it gets really fun! When I say go, let go!”
    A laugh erupted from Gaia’s throat. This was crazy. It was fun.
    â€œGo!” Mary screamed.
    â€œAhhhhhhhhh!” The two girls’ voices mingled in a scream as they slid on their stomachs all the way down the growing mountain of balloon and landed hard on the ground.
    They lay there for a moment in a tangled clump.
    â€œAre you okay?” Mary asked, pushing her hair out of her face, trying to organize her limbs.
    â€œOkay? That was awesome!” Gaia jumped to her feet and pulled her friend beside her. “Let’s do it again.”
    Mary laughed and swatted Gaia on the shoulder. “I knew we were gonna get along.”

Extra Love
    TWO HOURS LATER GAIA LAY BESIDE Mary on the grassy part of Strawberry Fields and watched the first light of sun spread across the sky. The air felt damp and surprisingly mild.
    Gaia fell in love with the place on first sight. She loved the curving pathways and the odd accumulation of humanity gathered on the handsome benches. She loved the white-and-black mosaic that said “Imagine” in the middle.
    â€œThis is my favorite place,” Mary said, grabbing the sentiment right from Gaia’s mind.
    â€œI see why.” Gaia turned her head to see Mary’s face.
    Mary yawned and raised her arms, stretching long fingers toward the sky. Gaia caught the yawn from her.
    â€œHey, Mary?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œThanks for inviting me along on this night. It’s been great.”
    Mary turned to her and smiled. “It wouldn’t have been great without you.”
    Gaia must have been very tired because she was saying things she would never normally say. She was forgetting to censor her feelings and words, forgetting what the consequences could be. “And thanks a lot for looking after me at that bar.”
    â€œNo prob,” Mary said to the sky. “I always take care of my friends.”
    Gaia thought for a few moments. “Why is that?” she asked. Her voice was so quiet, she wasn’t sure it would carry to Mary, two feet away.
    Mary yawned again. She put her fingers into her fiery hair. “Because I can afford to.”
    Gaia squinted at her. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI get a lot of love. From my folks, my brothers. I have extra.”
    In the pale morning light, that seemed to Gaia both a totally unexpected and beautiful thing to say. She tried to imagine what kind of parents would love Mary so well and let her stay out all night, doing whatever she pleased. “Why not keep it for yourself?” Gaia heard herself asking. It was unusual for her brain to connect to her mouth so directly. “That’s what most people would do.”
    Mary considered this. “I have trouble holding on to it.”
    Silence enveloped them again.
    After a long time Mary turned on her side and propped herself up on her elbow.