My Collection of Short Stories

Almost Kiss

I spotted him from across the room, standing there like he was patiently waiting for someone. My stomach erupted in butterflies at the mere sight of him. He was absolutely beautiful, and I don't normally say that about boys. I started walking over to him, my cheeks slowly taking on a pink tint. He smiled when he saw me, causing my chest to explode with elation. I always loved it when he smiled, it was like a mini sunshine. I waved in greeting. We were friends, but not close enough that we knew each other inside and out. At least not yet, I kept telling myself. "Hi," I said with a smile.

"Hey, how are you?" he responded with a politeness that I adored. Whenever I talked to him, it was filled with a tension I couldn't explain. I had no idea if that was just me, or if he felt it too. Despite the tension, however, it was always easy to slip into a nice conversation with him. I also always fiddled with something, a sign that I was nervous. If he saw it, he didn't comment on it. 

"I'm good, what about you?" As we began talking, that tension was back. I stood across from him rigidly, trying to maintain my polite exposure. He was listening, his lips upturning into a smile once in awhile. I found myself flicking my eyes downwards before hurriedly moving them back towards his green eyes. I began fiddling with my purse's strap in nervousness. I so badly wanted to touch him. I wanted to put a hand on his arm or hug him or something. I wanted to slip my hand in his without the fear of him pulling away. This feeling was painful, so painful that I wanted to end the conversation so I could get a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist, leaned down, and whispered "follow me."

Of course I was going to follow him! Why wouldn't I? He kept his fingers wrapped around my wrist gently as he led me out of the building. I had no idea what was happening. I was only focusing on the sensation of his touch. He finally stopped when we were on the side of the building. I tried to play it cool, but my heart was beating so fast I thought I was having a heart attack. "Was there a reason for dragging me out here?" I asked in a teasing voice. 

"It was just loud and stuffy in there, so I wanted to hear you better," he gave a close-lipped smile. For some reason, I didn't believe him. Something was going on. Did he notice the tension? 

"Is something wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right? I've told you that before," I took a small step closer to him. I hated it when he was feeling down. It meant that his smile was gone, and I never wanted that smile to go away. If something was bothering him, I would always jump at a chance to help him. 

"No, nothing's wrong," he said. But he was cracking his thumbs, something he did when he was nervous. This time, I broke the barrier and placed a hand on his arm. 

"We talked about this. I promise I won't judge you for whatever you're going through. We're friends, aren't we?" I internally cringed at the word 'friends.' He was just staring at me now. I could feel his muscles tense from where I touched him. I removed my hand, afraid that I crossed a line. I wanted to say something, but found that I couldn't get any words out. His smile was gone, and his eyes were wide. I thought I saw a slight blush on his cheeks, but maybe I was imagining it. He stepped closer to me. That tension was a boiling pot now. We were closer to each other than we've ever been, so close that I could clearly see his pupils dilate. 

Was I breathing hard? I'd been so focused on him that I paid no attention to anything around me. We weren't even saying anything to each other, just staring. I flinched as I felt his hand come up to caress my cheek. Woah, that was new, but I found that I liked it. I could see that he was paying attention to how I reacted. He was getting closer now, if that was even possible. Then, it hit me. He was looking down at my lips. He was about to kiss me! All of my hopes and dreams were about to come true. I had no idea how to kiss. Did I just wait until he kissed me first? Oh gosh, my heart is being so loud right now! His eyes were fluttering closed. Should I close mine too? We were inches apart now. I slightly parted my lips and leaned in closer to him. I had to stand on my tip toes since he was taller than me. I felt his breath on my lips and mentally prepared for the moment. However, I heard the side door swing open at that moment. We both quickly stepped away from each other like nothing happened.

A family came out of the door, not noticing that two teenagers had been so close to kissing for the first time. Once they were gone, I turned to him with a bright blush on my face. He reached up to scratch the back of his head sheepishly. I opened my mouth to say something, but his phone rang out a text tone. He looked down at it and sighed. "My parents are wondering where I am," he gave a small frown. "I don't wanna leave." I smiled at his confession and slipped my hand into his.

"You can text me when you get home. If you want, we could set up a date," I suggested.

"I would like that," he squeezed my hand. 

"You better hurry up before your mom sends out a search party," I chuckled. He laughed and turned to leave. At the last minute, though, he quickly gave me a small kiss on my cheek. I blushed once again.

"See you around!" he called as he ran to catch up with his parents. I stood there in shock for a few short moments before realizing what just happened. I squealed and bounced on my toes in excitement. Quickly, I ran to find my parents. I couldn't wait to tell them the good news.