by C L Walker
I looked at Amber and she nodded her head in agreement and I thought maybe they were right, but I didn’t relay all the details of his letter to them either because it had been personal. They didn’t know how sad his life had been and how much his career meant to him.
But what’s more important, a human connection or a job?
Not that he would lose his job, but I needed him to accept the risk in order to move forward.
“I guess that means operation catch a bitch is back on,” I said vehemently.
Philip chuckled into his cup and the water splashed out the sides. “I’m sure he’d be thrilled to hear you talking about him like that.” He cleaned up his mess with a napkin and tossed it at me. “I feel bad for him; God knows I couldn’t deal with you.”
“He knows how I am,” I said, and I tossed his napkin back and it smacked him in the face.
Amber patted my hand in a condescending manner, so I pulled it away quickly and scoffed at her. “And yet somehow he still wants you,” she said.
“Dearest it would be wise of you not to make fun of me right now. As you know I now hold something over your head that I could expose before you’re ready for it to be.”
“But we both know you wouldn’t.” She looked confidently at me. “I’m calling your bluff girly, but nice try.” She was good at acting unaffected.
Philip smiled innocently and tucked himself against her to try and butter her up. “Do tell, gorgeous? It seems to be a night for revealing secrets.”
As I looked at him I couldn’t believe I thought he was gay, that Amber and I both did, and for what reason? Because he wasn’t a douche, because he hung out with us instead of a bunch of sweaty jocks? I felt like an ass. Yeah, he was dramatic and had this odd flare to him, but it was just his personality. He was bubblier than most men, but he was fun and didn’t give a shit about keeping up his masculine appearance.
I wished more men felt that kind of freedom, so it was easier to drop the harmful stereotypes.
I sighed to myself thinking about how much fun it would have been if he were gay so we could all check out guys together.
But then I couldn’t bear witness to the awkward relationship building between them.
I started laughing as Amber pushed him off her but not before I saw the blush on her cheeks. “Not today my friend.” She pushed him out of the booth. “Her secret is big enough for all of us. Now, let’s get out of here, I’m tired and we have the festival to do tomorrow.”
“Yes, my queen,” he said, and turned his irritation at being left out on me. “Stop laughing loser.”
“Never.”
Chapter 21
Kyla
“What in the hell kind of costume is that?” I looked Amber up and down again in disbelief. When she showed up an hour late, I had wrongly assumed it was due to her getting ready. But she showed up in our school uniform, with the same makeup and hair style I had seen her with that morning when we went out for breakfast.
She had told me her costume was a secret, but she lied because she knew I was going to flip out about it.
“I’m a schoolgirl,” she said without pause, and shrugged her shoulders before she walked over to the booth and set the money jar on the counter before she sat in a chair and pulled out her phone.
“But...” I pointed at her and she quirked her mouth stubbornly, getting ready to fight me on whatever I said. “But… you wear that every day!”
“Kyla, mind your own damn business and worry about yourself, you have work to do.” She gestured with her head towards Sora who was walking up with his own chair in his hand.
He was wearing white skinny jeans and a black sweater, but I hadn’t expected him to dress up.
“Does no one have spirit?” I asked.
“This isn’t Christmas,” Amber said, and Sora nodded his head in agreement as he passed me.
He sat down beside her and pulled out his phone as well.
I sighed loudly so they knew that they were sucking all the fun out of the festival.
“Where the hell is Philip?” I asked and received no response. “I need someone to back me up here that isn’t grumpy.” I looked pointedly at both of them but neither looked up or acknowledged me.
“Kyyylllaaa!” Just then my knight in shining armor showed up but I stopped short of hugging him when I turned around and found that he was wearing his football uniform.
“Dudeeee are you fucking kidding me?” I said, and I threw my hands up in the air.
“Miss Nilsen,” Sora warned.
Philip ignored me and pulled me in for a hug, leaned down into my ear and whispered, “I’m going to do something that’s going to shock you, but I think it’ll help.”
“What? No!” I pleaded, but he pushed me back to arm’s length anyways before he bent down and kissed me.
It was fast and light, but it still shocked me.
“First kiss for our booth!” he exclaimed, before he walked over to the jar and threw a ten in.
I didn’t know which of them to check first, Amber or Sora. I turned towards them slowly as I finally decided on Amber, she looked away quickly then shifted her gaze back down to her phone and pretended like she didn’t notice, but I saw the sadness in her eyes.
Then I dared to glance over at Sora and he was staring at me blankly as anger seemed to radiate from his body.
People were going to be kissing me all day, so I didn’t quite grasp what his issue was.
Philip sat down next to Amber none the wiser about what was brewing all around him over his actions.
Eventually the tension was too much for me to handle, so I spun on my heel and headed for the bathroom.
I sat down on the toilet lid and took out my phone to text Amber because reassuring her was my priority.
Me: Dude he told me before he did it that it’d be shocking, but he thought it’d help. Which means he thought Sora would react to it. I am so sorry Amber it was hella quick, it felt the same as kissing you I swear!
Amber: I know don’t worry about it. Sora stormed off after you left by the way. He seriously looked like he wanted to murder Philip, so we had a good laugh about it after he left.
Me: Well I didn’t want to fight dirty, but I can’t say I’m not pleased with this result. Still sorry though :/
Amber: Anyway, it’s fine, just hurry up, people are arriving and I’m at the booth alone.
I walked out of the bathroom and ran into Philip who was waiting for me outside. “I’m so sorry I surprised you like that,” he said.
“You’re a damn fool Philip, didn’t you see how upset Amber was?” When he said nothing but adopted a confused look on his face I continued, “You better not say a word about what I am about to say. I’m only doing this because I doubt she’ll ever pursue you, and you probably think that you don’t have a chance. But she likes you and you kissed me, dumbass.”
“Oh shit.” He covered his mouth and looked towards the auditorium with excitement in his eyes.
“Go easy on her, she’s still getting over Jake and she’s going to have some issues to work through.”
“Look at you, you little match maker,” he said, before he backed away suddenly as someone’s presence became obvious in our peripheral vision, that someone being Sora.
“Can I see you privately for a moment Miss Nilsen?” Sora asked, and he turned around before I could answer and headed towards what I assumed was his classroom.
Philip squeezed my arm. “Thank you, and good luck. I’m going back to help Amber; I’m going to mention how gross it was to kiss you, but I won’t mention this talk.”
I nodded in agreement of his plan and said, “Okay, be there soon.”
I ran to catch up with Sora and I was right in assuming we were going to his classroom.
It was weird walking down the dark hallways on a Saturday, there was only a little light that came in through the windows, but it was quickly fading as the sun was setting.
When we walked inside, I was surprised when
he turned around suddenly right in front of the closed door.
He looked me up and down and took a step towards me and I backed up to the door.
“That costume is very fitting for you Miss Nilsen,” he said darkly.
I was dressed up like a witch, my costume consisted of a short black dress paired with black fishnet tights, black lipstick and a small Lolita witch hat that was pinned into my hair. I was also wearing black high heels, the whole shebang.
It was a little much for school, but dressing up was fun so why not, especially when I had been under the impression that everyone else was going to do it as well.
I stood straighter and affected a bored look. “What are you trying to imply Mr. Tanaka? That I am a wicked witch?” I asked, even though the answer was obvious. “So, you’ve taken to insulting me to make yourself feel better?”
“Yes, you are witchy today because you orchestrated that kiss to piss me off,” he accused, as he put his hand next to my head on the door and leaned his face down towards mine.
“No, I didn’t,” I said.
His lids were heavy as his eyes stared down into mine and his mouth had an angry line to it that did little to hide the thickness of his lips.
“Why must you continue to push me?” he asked.
“I didn’t, he kissed me out of nowhere I swear.” Which was true but I didn’t dare tell him that Philip knew what was going on. “I don’t want him, and you have to know that.”
He tipped his head sideways as he took a step closer and pushed his body against mine, and then his free hand slid a ten-dollar bill into my dress.
His fingers grazed the top of my breast slowly and I sucked in a breath. “What are you doing?” I asked nervously.
He leaned in further and nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck and feathered a few small kisses upwards and over my chin.
“Obviously, I’m paying for a kiss to support our school, and I’m also making sure his isn’t the one you remember tonight when you’re lying in bed.”
“Oh.” I sighed after his lips softly grazed mine, and his hands gripped my face to hold me to him as he deepened the kiss.
My arms gripped onto his shirt as he slid his tongue into my mouth, and I felt my knees begin to shake.
His hands were practiced, knowing, they slid down my body slowly, they grazed over my breasts and finally settled on my hips where he grabbed firmly and pulled them into his.
He was breathing heavy as his tongue kept sliding slowly along mine, the kiss was fevered, and his mouth felt hot.
It was everything I imagined it would be and more, it was simply everything.
“You taste so good,” he said, “better than I could ever have imagined.”
He reached his hands around and cupped my ass through my dress and smashed his hips into mine as we hit the door.
I felt his erection rub against me, and I moaned into his mouth.
The sound I made seemed to jolt him back into awareness because he said, “Fuck,” suddenly and pulled away.
I slumped against the door, because I didn’t have my bearing yet and all I wanted to do was pull him back to me.
I stood there and waited; I was afraid to say the wrong thing, so I said nothing.
He paced for a few moments before he came to stand in front of me again, he seemed to have pulled himself together, so I relaxed.
“I’m sorry I keep doing this, but we-” he began.
I shoved him away from me as hard as I could. “Don't you dare say it Sora, I won’t hear it. I’m leaving right now before this looks suspicious, but don’t you let yourself believe that this is over because it’s not even close. You don’t get to kiss me like that and still act like you can resist me.”
I left him without letting him argue with me, there was no point anymore. That kiss was everything I dreamed it would be, I had never felt anything like it before and I wasn’t about to let him go after having a taste.
He’s mine.
After I fixed my makeup which was a mess of black lipstick, I returned to find that Amber and Philip had already earned twenty bucks and still had a line.
I found my place quickly and began smooching.
Sora returned about ten minutes after I did, and he took a seat to the side of the booth and watched me angrily.
He got an especially sour look on his face every time I had to kiss the cheek of any guy, but of course the girls were fine. No one had even paid for a kiss on the lips, he was being a big baby.
What kind of idiot gets that jealous over a girl and tries to say he can’t be with her? He needed to be with me for his own sanity if anything because at that point we were being more obvious around each other because we were denying what we wanted. We had no control over ourselves or the situation and it was boiling over.
He acted like a man child, pushing, and pulling me everywhere, writing dramatic letters then kissing me a few days later because he had no self-control left.
And I had long since left mine in the dust.
I guess I had Philip to thank because his kiss seemed to have been the last straw for Sora.
I looked up to see my ex-boyfriend Danny next in line and cringed inside.
“Hey guys do I get to pick?” he asked, as he sneered at me suggestively.
Philip sighed beside me oblivious to Danny’s intentions. “Yeah but I’d prefer it if you didn’t pick me.” He had been acting just as salty as Sora was, apparently our kissing booth didn’t sit well with either boys.
Danny had a tilt to his thin lips, and I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t mistaken, and he was going to pick me. “Cool, Kyla? For old times’ sake?” he asked.
What a jerk, he dumped me like I was nothing after taking my virginity and hadn’t talked to me since. But then he thought he could casually walk up to my booth and get a kiss from me!
I was about to give him a piece of my mind when Sora interrupted and said, “Kyla it’s your turn for a break.”
I turned to look behind me and he was standing there with an impatient look on his face, then he flicked his chin off to the right and said, “Go.”
I had been at the booth for only an hour before he sent me on a break, if he wasn’t careful, he was going to give himself away.
I didn’t feel like checking out any of the booths, so I went into the bathrooms and sat in a stall again.
I pulled out my phone to text him.
Me: Hey you might want to chill otherwise you’re going to be the master of your own destruction.
Sora: I’m cool woman, I could tell you wanted an out, so I gave you one. Nothing else to it.
Me: Bullshit. You’re super jealous today!
Sora: Am … not…
Me: Okay well I guess I’ll go find Danny and give him what he’s been waiting so long for then. He was my first and well you know… the guy from my paper… you know, THE ONE.
Sora: Your age is showing.
Me: Alright I take that to mean you don’t care!
I slammed open the stall door before I ran down the hall and back into the auditorium and searched the room for Danny.
I wasn’t planning on kissing him because that would be ridiculous, but Sora didn’t know that.
I made sure to walk slowly so he would have time to notice me, and when I was about five feet from Danny who had his back to me, I got a text.
I looked at my phone with a triumphant smirk on my face as I saw Sora flash across the screen.
Sora: Please don’t.
I happily turned around and went back to the booth.
After another half hour, when the line thinned, I decided it was time to let Amber and Philip mingle together. “You guys go, I’m bored with the other booths anyways, so I’ll handle this for a while.”
They looked at each other hesitantly and I rolled my eyes at them, they were ridiculous but so were Sora and me. We were all a bunch of fools.
“Seriously don’t look at me like that, get the hell out of here. Go check out the booths.
”
With my reassurance they walked off together, and I took over for them.
The rest of the evening went by uneventfully, after we cleaned up, we left Sora to count the money and headed out for the after party at the barn where costumes were required. But Amber and Philip were as lame as always and didn’t bother to change.
I didn’t feel like partying and I didn’t want to drink so I don’t know why I went. But it was Halloween, and my parents wouldn’t be home for the night, and I didn’t want to be alone.
Thoughts were evil creeping things that I didn’t want to deal with, so I welcomed the distraction.
Chapter 22
Kyla
“So?” I asked Amber, as we leaned against the wall, and watched people get drunk and grind on each other across the dirt floor of the barn as cheap blue colored lights flashed over them.
She glanced sideways at me. “So, what?”
I was so tired of everyone, including myself, skirting around everything. “Oh, you know, just wondering what’s going on?” I asked.
She threw back her shot as she watched Philip who was across the room talking to someone on the football team. “Don’t be vague Kyla.”
“Oh, my, gosh. Seriously, you were upset earlier about him kissing me, you like him, and you may not be over Jake, but Philip might be just the thing to help you along,” I said.
She glanced down at the bottle of vodka in her hand and filled her glass up. “We’ve only known him for a month wouldn’t that be rushing?” she asked.
I could tell that she wanted me to tell her it wasn’t.
I took the bottle from her and set it on the bar a few feet away from us because she didn’t need to get drunk and make mistakes.
“It’s not about how long you’ve known each other; you know that well now after all the time you and Jake spent together. Philip is honest, real, and I can tell he wants to protect you. I never saw Jake do that.” I glanced at Philip and kept my eyes on him. “Look it’s up to you but I don’t think you’d be making a mistake. Besides, we are young, we have time to screw up, so be reckless, go after boys, get rejected or maybe find something that’s work taking risks for.”