When Best Friends Kiss

After the Kiss - Part 2

It was a week after my sixteenth birthday, a Friday in November of grade 10, that I went with Malcolm to Carly's house to hang out. I entered the kitchen to find the cutest boy I'd laid eyes on since Liam.

"This is Reed," Carly said dismissively, heading to the fridge to grab our pop before we went to her room. Carly had already told us about him. He was her 17-year-old cousin and had moved in with her at the start of that year. He was supposed to be in grade 12 but had been held back a year, so was in the same grade as Carly. Most people didn't know they were cousins considering how different they were; while Carly wore anime shirts and had a license to do CPR, Reed wore band tees and had a license to drive a motorcycle.

He was leaning on the kitchen island with a can in his hand. As his bright blue eyes gazed at me, he ran a hand through his black bangs and smirked. "Well, aren't you a cutie."

I couldn't fight my flattered smile. "Is that your motorcycle outside?" I asked, pretending like I didn't already know.

"Yeah." He paused. "Maybe I could give you a ride home from school sometime?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

Malcolm rolled his eyes so hard I thought they might fall out. Carly grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "Don't mess with him," she said. "He's a cocky jerk."

"I just wanted to try flirting," I told her.

"Since when do you like bad boys?" Malcolm asked as we entered Carly's room.

I found myself getting defensive and embarrassed at the same time. "I— C—Come on, he has gorgeous eyes. And a cute smile. You know that's my weakness."

"He. Is. A. Jerk." Carly repeated as she set up Guitar Hero on her Playstation 2. "He's here because his parents wanted him to get away from the crowd he was with in Winnipeg so he can graduate. Like, he has a criminal record."

"For what?"

Carly stopped a shrug midway. "Like... drunk driving. And he smokes. And I'm pretty sure he steals."

"They're just rumors, right?"
"Baad boooys. Talking 'bout the bad boooys," Malcolm started to sing from the bed while fake strumming the guitar controller.

I sat down beside him and gestured to do rock paper scissors for the first go at the game, while Carly ignored him. "My parents didn't tell me the details, but I know for sure about the first two, at least."

"I don't steal, Carly. That's mean."
Reed was standing in the doorway still looking hot. Carly rolled her eyes and grabbed the second guitar.

"What's your name?"

"Alex," I answered, ignoring Carly's gesture for rock, paper, scissors.

Malcolm leaned forward and said pointedly, "His real name is Alejandro."

I slapped Malcolm on the arm. Reed was older and I'd read somewhere not to give in too easily. I turned to Carly. "You can go first."

Reed leaned closer. "Has anyone ever told you how cute you are?"

I spit out a laugh. "Oh my god, shut up. Do you say this to everyone? Are you teasing me because I'm gay?"

"Haven't you heard the rumors? I'm bi."

"So the rumors are true?"

"Not all of them."

"How do I know which ones are?"

Malcolm made gagging noises from beside me.

"What kind of music do you like?"

"Oh, all types of stuff. You know, 80s stuff. Like, The Cure." That was not a lie. When Liam and I were 12, we found an old album that belonged to his mom. It was Our band. Our secret. But there was no Us anymore.