Night in the Ruts

Nicky - Charlie

What surprised me most was that I kissed him back and how much I enjoyed it.

        His lips curved into a little smile against mine.  Well, I must be doing something right.

      Even though this should be weird; feel wrong because we're friends, it doesn't.  Not in the slightest.  It feels so right.

        I don't know how long we stood there for, I hoped he didn't know that my face was on fire though.

        We broke apart at the beeping of a car horn.  Oh, shit.  I didn't even hear the car pull up!  Nicky looked frightened for just a second, then he looked back at me and smirked.  I'm glowing red.  "Uh, see ya," he muttered and dashed away.

        "Wait, Nicky, is that you?" Jess yelled, stepping out of her car.  A wave of relief flooded my veins.  I thought that was my mom; the headlights were so bright I couldn't tell what car it was.

        "Yeah," he said hastily, "hey Jessie... Gotta go."  He jumped into his mom's car and started the engine.  Jess chased him down the driveway, leaning against the passenger side window.

        "Don't just dine and dash," she said brightly, "that's my sister."

        Oh, God.  Dine and dash.  That sounds disgusting.  I don't hear his reply.  I ran inside while they were still talking.  I went straight to the mirror, in the bathroom.  I was on fire.  My face was so red!  How did he not notice that?

        Am I that good of a kisser?  What does this mean, now?  Are we gonna like, date?  Are we no longer friends?  How does Steven fit into this mess?

        He's a rockstar, you dummy! I thought.  Steven has no part in this mess whatsoever!  Who cares if you kissed him... Three times.  It's not like it matters in the long run.  He probably has a girlfriend (or many) anyway.

        I sighed at the thought, but then again, I kissed Nicky.  And it was really something else.  Like, there were all these butterflies in my stomach when it happened, and they flew right up into my brain and clouded my thoughts while exploding into little fireworks.  It made me all warm and fuzzy feeling.  It ran a shiver down my spine.  What's going on?

--

"Charlie!" Jess yelled up the stairs.  "What the hell?"  I didn't get off my bed; I was loosing myself in my guitar.  Trying to clear my mind from everything.  Except maybe the kiss I shared with Nicky.  That was too good to clear away just yet.  Jess burst through my door, breathless and flushed.  "What the hell!" she repeated.

        I look up, but don't stop playing.  "What?" I say innocently, but I snap my head back down, trying to hide my smile and the blush covering my face.

      "Don't what me, you little flirt!" she exclaimed.  "I saw that!  All of it!  Oh my God!"  She was absolutely beside herself with glee.  I laid my guitar down next to me, folding my hands in my lap, knowing there's not an easy way to get through this.  "Was it good?  How long?  How'd it happen?  Are you two together?"

        I remembered an earlier conversation, about how Jess made fun of me, saying I couldn't get a boyfriend.  Since I'm living off the high of that kiss still, I'm a little hyper.  "Ha!" I say, jumping up.  "You said I couldn't get a boyfriend!  Look at me now!"

        "Yeah!" she squeals.  "You're f– f– frickin' making-out with guys now!  I've done good work."

        I don't know why we don't cuss in this family.  It's so blatantly obvious that we do everywhere else so why don't we do it at home?  "I didn't 'make-out' with him," I say, knowing perfectly well that in fact, I did not.  I'm not sure how to, exactly.  I know that Nicky has, though.  He used to date this girl he used to go to preschool with.  He met her in Paris while on a 'business trip' with his dad.  Paris is another great place–much like Vegas–for job offerings.