First Kiss (Sweet N' Sour Kisses

by Cindy M. Hogan

  Praise for Sweet N’ Sour Kisses

  “Great teen fiction. It was very well written and the author portrayed the feelings of a teenage girl perfectly. The story line was very unique compared to other Teen Fiction stories. I was pining for more." -Teen Literati

  “As addictive as your favorite TV show.” -EJ Baker, reviewer

  “Can't wait for the next books in the series to come out.”-Sherry Gammon, reviewer

  “This book is such a fun read.”-melbelle, reviewer

  “Great characters and very fun story line.”-Aimiez, reviewer

  “Cindy M Hogan really knows how to grab your attention right away and keep it! She takes you on an amazing adventure and keeps you guessing. I love books that make you feel like you are right there with the protagonist. Definitely would recommend to a friend! -Katie Biddle, reviewer

  “I loved it! This short story was a breath of fresh air. The voice of the main character was full of personality. She broke the mold of typical teenage heroines which I really appreciated. Brooklyn also reminded me a lot of myself in high school, which made the story fun and relatable.” –Lindsey, reviewer

  “I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed my attention right away and kept me interested. I couldn't put it down until I was done. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.” –Pamela, reviewer

  “I love Cindy Hogan! She is able to get right into the minds and hearts of teenagers. I loved the feel of this book, you feel like you're right there with Brooklyn as she has the adventure of her 16th birthday and subsequent first date. Can't wait to read more of her adventures!” -MyBookADay Blog

  “It had me hanging on to every word and wishing it never ended.”

  -Snowkissedu, reviewer

  “This was a fabulous book, Cindy can sure grab your attention fast and keep it through the entire book, did not want to set my Kindle down. It felt as if you were sitting next to Brooklyn the entire time. I can't wait until the next episode comes out. :) 5 out of 5 stars.” –Jessy B., reviewer

  “A must read. This episode of 'Confessions' had me glued to my couch reading non stop. Basically "stay out of my way"! –Howell, reviewer

  Sweet N’ Sour Kisses

  VL. Virgin Lips. You may not have heard of it, but where I live, it’s a thing with a card, even if it is a figurative card. I was Brooklyn Hamlin, certified virgin lips, and I planned on clinging to that figurative card with all I had—while dating as many of the hottest guys at school as I could.

  Maybe that’s a bit strange. I mean, what teenage girl isn’t interested in kissing? Locking lips definitely interested me, but the drama that came with it didn’t. No kissing, no drama. Simple.

  But on my sixteenth birthday, on my first real date even, the drama found me. His name was Luke Graham—cute, funny, and bad news for the whole female race.

  First Kiss (Sweet N’ Sour Kisses: Episode 1)

  Copyright ©2013 by Cindy M. Hogan

  First Edition

  Cover design by Novak Illustrations

  Cover photography by Still Memories by Tomi

  Edited by Charity West

  O’neal Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, O’neal Publishing. This is a work of fiction. Characters and events in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are represented fictitiously.

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  Also by Cindy M. Hogan

  Audio, Print, and eBook

  Watched Trilogy

  Watched

  Protected

  Created

  Adrenaline Rush

  Hotwire

  Gravediggers

  Sweet N’ Sour Kisses*

  *Formerly called Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips

  First Kiss

  Stolen Kiss

  Rebound Kiss

  Rejected Kiss

  Dream Kiss

  See all Cindy’s books here

  First Kiss

  VL. Virgin Lips. I know what you’re thinking. It’s 2013—that’s not a thing anymore. But But I come from a strict Christian family in a historically religious community. Trust me, it’s a thing. There’s a card, even if it is figurative. And right up until my 16th birthday I had my VL card. I was certified virgin lips, and I was clinging to that figurative card with all I figuratively had.

  See, I know teenagers have this reputation for being rebellious. The words are practically glued together. In the dictionary: teenager, see: rebellious. But believe it or not, there are actually some of us who like the rules. Call me mature beyond my years, but to me rules have always made sense. In fact, I love the rules. They give me a sense of security and purpose. And for me, and most of my friends, the rules were simple: No attending boy-girl parties, No boys at the house, and (absolutely!) No dating.

  Until you’re sixteen, that is.

  After sixteen, everything changes. Boys come into the picture. At parties? Yup! At the house? Why not! And on dates? You better believe it. And yes, in Utah, we actually go on dates. No lie. Well, at least some of us do.

  But the rules are still there in their comforting way, just a little updated. Fewer No’s, more Only’s. Dating’s allowed, but only in groups. A guy can take you out, but only if he meets your parents first.

  There was still one more No, at least for me—No kissing.

  This wasn’t my parents’ rule, or my church’s rule. It was mine, and I knew it was a good one. I’d seen the girls sobbing their eyes out in the bathroom at school, and I was not going to be one of those girls. If you don’t kiss, you don’t get serious, and if you don’t get serious, you don’t get your heart broken.

  Because seriously dating in high school? Come on, you gotta know that’s going to end badly. So, dating in high school is just practice. You figure out what you like and what you don’t like, and when you get to college you can make an informed decision. And then—and this is the best part—when you’re ready, and you find that perfect guy, and you are both really and truly and perfectly in love, you kiss and it’s the most perfect, magical, life-changing experience. And you ride off into the sunset, happily ever after.

  See? It was a good rule.

  And completely safe behind that rule, I was ready for this magical birthday that would change everything. I knew, I absolutely knew with my whole heart that it was going to be perfect.

  Now, this is the part when you cue the little did she know. It’s dramatic irony—I learned about it in English class. Because what you know, and what I know now thanks to Luke Graham, is that sunsets are an illusion. Perfect doesn’t happen. Magic isn’t real. And kissing? Kissing is disgusting.

  Here’s my story.

  Chapter 1

  I couldn’t believe I was locked out. I rang the doorbell one more time just to make sure. No one came. I turned to my Ali, my best friend, and shrugged.

  “I guess we can check the back door. Maybe someone left it open.” I set my bags of new clothes and jewelry on the porch and kicked through a pile of leaves as I headed for the stairs.

  “I think it’s about time you reevaluated your
policy of not carrying your house key with you whenever you leave,” Ali said.

  “I’d just lose it and besides, someone is always here.”

  “Not today,” she said. “You are so lucky, Brooklyn. I can’t believe you already have a date. And it’s on your birthday. I still haven’t been on an official date yet, and I’m seventeen already. The closest I’ve been was holding hands with Matt at the movies that one time.”

  I frowned sympathetically, but it didn’t hold for long. Thinking of my upcoming date forced the frown into a grin. “I can’t believe it either. I couldn’t believe it when Luke asked me out.” I stopped before taking the first step.

  “Yeah, right,” Ali said. “Every guy at school is drooling to go out with you.”

  “Exaggerate much?”

  “Okay, maybe not everyone, but I’ve heard about ten guys say they couldn’t wait to take you out.”

  “Luke’s the only one that’s asked, though.” I couldn’t help but think back to when he asked me out. There was no way I’d forget it.

  It was September, the first week of swim practice. After practice that day, I had been walking across the street to the high school when he’d caught up to me.

  After giving me a mind-tingling smile, he said, “You wanna go see a movie on Friday?”

  My insides slammed into each other. Luke was asking me out. This guy was attractive. He was not only hot, he was mega-hot and an amazing swimmer. I had no idea why he was giving me so much attention. He had to be the most popular boy on the team. To top it off, he was funny. He made me laugh every day. But I knew what I had to do. I laughed softly before saying, “I can’t date until I’m sixteen.” I could see the disappointment on his face.

  He rallied. “And when would that be?”

  “October fifth.” I looked at my shoes wondering if he was the type to wait. I hoped he was. But, if not, then he wasn’t worth it, right?

  He whistled. “That’s only a month away.”

  I nodded, wondering if it were possible for a heart to break free from its cage and flop out onto the ground.

  “Sweet sixteen, huh?” His eyes glittered with excitement.

  “You got it.” I hoped he felt the same way I did and thought it was cool that I’d waited.

  He bumped his shoulder into mine. “Well, I call dibs on your first date. And it has to be on your birthday.” He cocked his head to the side and grinned.

  I smiled back.

  “Is that a yes, then?”

  I looked away and then back at him. “Yes,” I said, trying to keep calm. I couldn’t believe it. I had a date with the hottest senior I knew. And the date was on my sixteenth birthday.

  Ali sighed and leaned on the stair railing, bringing me back to the present. “It’s total crap that everyone just hangs out in groups. I guess it’s the easy way out for the guy. They don’t have to spend any money on you and they still get to be with you. Sucks for us.”

  “Groups are good, though,” I shrugged, starting down the stairs. “Thanks for taking me birthday shopping. I love the earrings.”

  “No problem. I had fun.”

  “Me, too.” We headed toward the gate that led to the backyard. Ali made everything great. I loved hanging out with her. It was weird to think we’d only been good friends for a few months. We reached the corner of the house.

  “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if all the guys are just waiting for you to actually turn sixteen to ask you out. You know how they love fresh meat.” She laughed.

  I stopped. “Very funny.”

  “I’m not kidding. I was shocked how all the senior guys went crazy for all the new sophomore girls at the beginning of the year. They promptly dated them and then dropped them. It’s been what? A month?”

  “Are you serious? Why’d they drop them?”

  “They just wanted to make out with them. It didn’t take long to achieve that.” She laughed again.

  “That’s nuts.”

  “Yep. You’re a ten on the hot meter right now because not only are you a virgin dater, you’re a virgin lips.”

  I shook my head. “Do you really think that’s the only reason Luke wants to take me out?” I frowned, worried. “He is a senior. And I’m a sophomore.” We started for the gate again.

  “Who knows? I don’t really know him.”

  “You’re so helpful, Ali. Really, it’s just like talking to a therapist when I’m with you.” I rolled my eyes at her, but she just smirked as I pushed at the tall, wooden gate. It wouldn’t open. I sighed. The stupid thing was always sticking. I bent my knees a little and shoved my shoulder into it. It gave way, leaving me to stumble through into the backyard—and into a waiting crowd of people. I gasped.

  “Surprise!” More than twenty kids were there, all with big grins on their faces.

  I hid my reddening face behind my hands and looked over my shoulder to find Ali.

  “You knew about this?”

  She threw her arm over my shoulder. “Of course! Come on, let’s enjoy the party.”

  I laughed as she pulled me toward my friends. They gathered around me, slapping me on the back and doing impressions of me falling through the gate, making cartoonish gaping faces and exclaiming in falsetto voices. I was embarrassed, but I was also thrilled. A surprise party! It was exactly the perfect start to my magical 16th birthday that I had hoped for.

  I was extremely grateful I’d dressed up to go shopping with Ali. I’d worn my cute plaid Converse, trendy dark jeans, and a bright pink, super fun Tee to match my shoes, along with a blue hoodie. I’d even crimped my long blonde hair. I felt good.

  My birthday wasn’t for another three days. It was Saturday, though, and since my birthday fell on Tuesday this year, I’m sure my parents held the party today out of sheer practicality. It had to be, because in truth, they were breaking their own rules. Boys were at my house, and I wasn’t even sixteen, yet.

  Speaking of boys, just as I was registering the fact that they were actually there at my house, one of them grabbed me around the waist, picked me up, twisted me around and yelled, “Happy Sweet Sixteen.”

  Meet Parker. He was by anyone’s standards the most popular guy in school. He was the sophomore class president this year and had been an officer throughout Junior High. You might think that would make him the guy I liked, but it didn’t for some reason. We were just friends. I had been a cheerleader last year, and we’d spent a lot of time with the officers at games, and this year we were on the swim team together, so I knew him pretty well—at least what he was like at school.

  I couldn’t stop laughing even after Parker put me down. Before I could even gain my balance, Harrison, the tallest guy at the party, took his turn, lifting me over his shoulder and carrying me across the deck, down the steps, around our large pool, and back up to where everyone talked and hung out on the porch. His shoulder dug into my stomach, but I didn’t care. Boys did this kind of stuff to me at games and in the halls at school. It was fun. A silly worry flew through my brain. What would my parents think of a boy carrying me around my yard? Was it okay since we were in a group? I also wondered what the next guy was going to do to one-up Harrison. Boys. They were so competitive.

  But the competition ended when Harrison set me down on the porch in front of a long table filled with all kinds of food and treats. My friend Katherine grabbed me into a hug and screamed. “You are so lucky. My birthday’s not until May.” She had her long, red hair pulled into a ponytail and her thick, fake eye lashes fringed her blue eyes. Even though she was a bit shallow, she mesmerized me. I wasn’t sure why her sixteenth birthday mattered to her. She dated all the time already. In fact, I thought she had a serious boyfriend. She handed me a small wrapped present and then everyone circled around me giving me cards and presents and wishing me the best.

  By the way, I think I neglected to tell you that about eight girls were there, too. Sorry, the guys blinded me a bit to them. My one and only sister Hannah was there too and gave me a cute wave and smile. E
ven though she was three years younger than I was, we got along great. She had brought her best friend to hang out with at the party and they sat on the brick wall to my right.

  Someone turned some music on and I looked up. My mom stood near the door to the house right by the speakers, smiling at me like a raccoon that had just made a huge mess of our garbage. (They do that around here, and it’s no fun to clean it up, but the raccoons loved it—just like my mom was loving this.) She took picture after picture, laughing and talking with all my friends.

  I felt a little weird having boys over. My mom must have noticed I was freaking out inside because she mouthed, It’s okay, sweetie. Happy Birthday. I shuffled over to a chair and set all the gifts down on it, some of them spilling onto the patio floor and then ran over to her, smashing her into a big hug.

  “Thanks, Mom,” I whispered in her ear.

  “You’re welcome. You surprised?”

  “Totally. I had no idea.”

  “I made your favorite cake,” she sang.

  “You didn’t!” I opened my eyes wide, truly not believing her.

  “I did. And I can’t wait to tell everyone all about it.” She snickered.

  “You wouldn’t,” I said, my nerves exploding.

  “Oh, I would.”

  “Please, Mom. No. You can’t. It’s my birthday.”

  “I’ll consider your request, but there are no promises.”

  “You better not, Mom. Seriously.” But, I figured my words meant nothing to her. My mom had a wild and unpredictable nature. It was probably why all my friends adored her. And truthfully, why we got along so well. I could tell her anything.