kinda awful.”
Nyelle laughs. “You think so?”
“C’mon. For a guy, there’s so much pressure to perform, but there’s no way you’re going to. You have no idea what the hell you’re doing, no matter how many… Anyway, it’s not going to be good. And for a girl, it hurts. How can that be any fun?”
“I’d like to think there are a few exceptions.” Nyelle smiles thoughtfully.
“Yours didn’t suck?” I question, completely shocked. I wouldn’t expect Kyle to be very attentive. Even if he’s two years older. Unless there was someone else before him… I really don’t want to be thinking about this.
“Who was your first?” Nyelle presses.
“Um… Lily Graham,” I answer carefully, watching for a sign of recognition because I know she knows her… or did, when she remembered things. Nothing. Just an anticipatory brow raise, encouraging me to continue. “Nothing romantic. We’d been going out for a couple months our junior year. She invited me over when her parents weren’t home, so we decided to do it. There was a hot tub. Clothes came off. We ended up getting the couch soaking wet. She cared more about her parents being pissed about the couch than the fact that we’d just had sex for the first time. It was… fast.”
“What happened?” Nyelle leans in closer, scooping another fingerful of icing out of the tub without taking her eyes off me. There isn’t much more to the story, but she’s sitting on the edge of her branch in expectation.
“What do you mean what happened?”
“To the two of you? Did you love her? Why’d it end? Did you break her heart too?”
“Uh, no. We weren’t in love or anything. I mean, we were in
high school
. We actually broke up two days later.”
Nyelle’s shoulders sink with a disheartened, “Oh.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“What about your first kiss?” she asks, perking back up.
I stop to recall my first kiss. I’ve always considered there being two. The
first
was technically part of a game. The other was by choice. It doesn’t matter—they were both with the same girl. My mouth slides into a small grin. I can’t share this with her. Especially considering she was there.
* * *
“This is the dumbest game ever,” Rae complains, sitting with her legs crossed on the floor of her living room, leaning against the plaid couch.
“You won’t be saying that when the bottle lands on me,” Brady says with a wink.
“Ew, gross!” Rae grimaces. “I’d rather kiss a snake.”
“Oh, you want tongue,” Brady says with a cheesy grin, making us all laugh. Rae flips him off.
“Okay, there’s three girls and three boys,” Richelle declares. “Alternate, and whoever the bottle points closest to is who you have to kiss.” She narrows her eyes at Brady. “And there’s no tongue, sicko.”
“Boo!” Craig protests.
“Nicole, you go first,” Richelle instructs.
Nicole’s face turns bright red. “Me?”
“Yeah. Go ahead,” Richelle repeats.
Nicole looks to me quickly, and I nod in encouragement. I won’t admit it, but I want it to land on me. We’ve been friends for two years, since she moved here in fourth grade. But I like her. I always have. Even if she is a little shy. She’s not bold like Richelle. And Rae is more of a guy than Brady is. Nicole may not have much to say, but I still think she’s… perfect.
I’m holding my breath watching the Mountain Dew bottle spin in a circle. It doesn’t spin around many times before it lands between Richelle and Brady.
“Lucky girl,” Brady says with a smile. My teeth clench, ready to push him over if he touches her.
Nicole leans over the circle so she’s on her hands and knees. Brady leans in, probably expecting more than the quick peck that he receives. I don’t even think she kisses his lips.
“That’s it?” Brady grumbles. “My grandmother kisses longer than that.”
“You’re disgusting.” Rae scowls. “This game is probably the only time
Nyelle laughs. “You think so?”
“C’mon. For a guy, there’s so much pressure to perform, but there’s no way you’re going to. You have no idea what the hell you’re doing, no matter how many… Anyway, it’s not going to be good. And for a girl, it hurts. How can that be any fun?”
“I’d like to think there are a few exceptions.” Nyelle smiles thoughtfully.
“Yours didn’t suck?” I question, completely shocked. I wouldn’t expect Kyle to be very attentive. Even if he’s two years older. Unless there was someone else before him… I really don’t want to be thinking about this.
“Who was your first?” Nyelle presses.
“Um… Lily Graham,” I answer carefully, watching for a sign of recognition because I know she knows her… or did, when she remembered things. Nothing. Just an anticipatory brow raise, encouraging me to continue. “Nothing romantic. We’d been going out for a couple months our junior year. She invited me over when her parents weren’t home, so we decided to do it. There was a hot tub. Clothes came off. We ended up getting the couch soaking wet. She cared more about her parents being pissed about the couch than the fact that we’d just had sex for the first time. It was… fast.”
“What happened?” Nyelle leans in closer, scooping another fingerful of icing out of the tub without taking her eyes off me. There isn’t much more to the story, but she’s sitting on the edge of her branch in expectation.
“What do you mean what happened?”
“To the two of you? Did you love her? Why’d it end? Did you break her heart too?”
“Uh, no. We weren’t in love or anything. I mean, we were in
high school
. We actually broke up two days later.”
Nyelle’s shoulders sink with a disheartened, “Oh.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“What about your first kiss?” she asks, perking back up.
I stop to recall my first kiss. I’ve always considered there being two. The
first
was technically part of a game. The other was by choice. It doesn’t matter—they were both with the same girl. My mouth slides into a small grin. I can’t share this with her. Especially considering she was there.
* * *
“This is the dumbest game ever,” Rae complains, sitting with her legs crossed on the floor of her living room, leaning against the plaid couch.
“You won’t be saying that when the bottle lands on me,” Brady says with a wink.
“Ew, gross!” Rae grimaces. “I’d rather kiss a snake.”
“Oh, you want tongue,” Brady says with a cheesy grin, making us all laugh. Rae flips him off.
“Okay, there’s three girls and three boys,” Richelle declares. “Alternate, and whoever the bottle points closest to is who you have to kiss.” She narrows her eyes at Brady. “And there’s no tongue, sicko.”
“Boo!” Craig protests.
“Nicole, you go first,” Richelle instructs.
Nicole’s face turns bright red. “Me?”
“Yeah. Go ahead,” Richelle repeats.
Nicole looks to me quickly, and I nod in encouragement. I won’t admit it, but I want it to land on me. We’ve been friends for two years, since she moved here in fourth grade. But I like her. I always have. Even if she is a little shy. She’s not bold like Richelle. And Rae is more of a guy than Brady is. Nicole may not have much to say, but I still think she’s… perfect.
I’m holding my breath watching the Mountain Dew bottle spin in a circle. It doesn’t spin around many times before it lands between Richelle and Brady.
“Lucky girl,” Brady says with a smile. My teeth clench, ready to push him over if he touches her.
Nicole leans over the circle so she’s on her hands and knees. Brady leans in, probably expecting more than the quick peck that he receives. I don’t even think she kisses his lips.
“That’s it?” Brady grumbles. “My grandmother kisses longer than that.”
“You’re disgusting.” Rae scowls. “This game is probably the only time
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