Текст книги "Better Off Friends"

Автор книги: Elizabeth Eulberg

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

The morning of the ceremony, Mom took her to get a manicure and pedicure. I was invited, but refused – I needed to keep some of my guy points intact. The ceremony was boring. We all got to go up and get a diploma, but we were only graduating eighth grade. We’d see each other that fall, in a different school. With more people. Thankfully.

We headed back to my house afterward. Macallan, her dad and uncle, and me with both my parents and my mom’s family from Chicago. Mom had been fretting all week what to make since Macallan had quickly eclipsed Mom’s cooking skills.

We all gathered in the living room and snacked on the appetizers (Macallan made sure to compliment Mom’s cooking a lot). It wasn’t long before Macallan and I broke from the adults and went out to the backyard.

“So does this mean we’re officially young adults now?” I asked her.

“I don’t know. I’ve already been reading those kinds of books for a few years.”

“Uh-oh, does this mean I’m still a baby? I really love Everyone Poops.”

“Do you need me to answer that?” She nudged me playfully.

“Probably not.”

Silence fell between us. This was a common occurrence whenever we’re alone. When you’re comfortable with someone, you don’t need to always fill the void with noise. I liked it when we would just be.

“Do you think next year will be different?” Macallan asked.

“I don’t know. I’m excited about it, though, you know?”

She shrugged. “I guess.”

I could tell she was uneasy about the move. It made sense. What was strange was that I wasn’t that nervous. I was excited. I felt the new school would give me another start. More opportunities.

“Everything could change,” she said in a quiet voice before she shot me a look. “Or not. Blimey if I have a clue.”

“Hey, that’s my line,” I teased before I put my arm around her. “Listen, nothing will change with us. I promise you right here, right now, that I’ll be there for you through good times, bad times, friend issues, boy issues, teacher issues, whatever issues. And you’ll always have a date to any social event that requires a male companion. I hear I clean up nicely.”

“I wouldn’t trust your sources.” A smile was now on her lips. “And what makes you think I couldn’t get my own date?”

I shook my head at her. “For the record, I don’t think you’d have a problem finding a date. I just imagine every guy will pale in comparison to me and never live up to your clearly heightened expectations.”

She looked at me flatly. “The only thing heightened around here is your ego.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go stag, then.” I dropped my head.

“Okay, fine. If neither of us has a date, we should do things like homecoming together. Why not? Everybody thinks we’re a couple anyway.”

“Why not? I guess I’ll take that as a yes. Sound good?” I held out my hand.

She shook it. “Sounds perfect.”

It was kinda perfect. And you didn’t seem that horrified when I took you to homecoming freshman year.

That was fun. Freshman year was really great, actually. Pretty easy transition. We both made some new friends. No emotional trauma that wasn’t solved with a Buggy and Floyd marathon.

And then you had to get a boyfriend.

It was only a matter of time before I was snatched up, especially when you can bake a brownie like I do.

Oh, is that what the kids are calling it these days? Baking brownies?

Gross. But don’t forget that you got a girlfriend at the start of sophomore year.

Yes, I did.

But did the questions stop about whether or not we were a couple?

No, they did not.

If I could’ve talked to my eighth-grade self, I would’ve told her she had nothing to worry about. Freshman year was easy. Admittedly, having a boyfriend who’d already spent a year there helped a lot.

“Are you cold?” Ian put his arm around me.

“Why do I have a feeling that was just an excuse to get closer to me?” I leaned into him.

He gave me a little squeeze as we sat in the bleachers during the JV football game at the beginning of sophomore year. Of course, Ian had assumed Levi and I were dating when high school first started. I couldn’t really blame him. Not only did Levi and I go to and leave school together (unless he had practice), we sat together at lunch, went to homecoming together, and did pretty much everything together.

I got it. I really did. But that still didn’t mean I was going to stop spending time with my best friend.

I guess Ian figured it out because he asked me on a date the Saturday after Thanksgiving. By the time the JV game came along, we’d been together for ten months, and not once had he ever complained about Levi to me. Sure, he’d tease me, but I knew I deserved most of it.

“Have I ever told you that you’re too good a friend?” Ian laughed.

“There’s always a chance that he’ll get in.” I hoped the universe heard me on that one.

We were at the football game to support Levi, even though he’d never made it to the field. Ever. Not as a freshman, not during the first two games of sophomore year. It wasn’t the running he struggled with; the coach repeatedly told him he was the fastest on the team. It was catching the ball that was the issue.

So Levi sat on the bench. But he was a part of a team.

And Levi was a part of my life, which is why I was also sitting on a bench.

“Do I need to remind you that I come to all your track meets in the spring?” I nudged Ian.

“Do I need to remind you that Levi’s also competing? So let’s not pretend you’re there just for me.”

I opened my mouth in shock. “Exactly what are you implying?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m certainly not questioning your allegiances. I know I’d lose that battle. Plus, you know I like him … except for the fact that he’s getting close to beating my times.”

I hid my face. I was grateful that the only time my boyfriend and best friend got competitive was during track. The varsity track coach, Mr. Scharfenberg, had already told Levi he was pretty much a shoo-in to be on the varsity team this year.

Ian and I sat through the entire game. I tried to pretend to be interested in what was going on, but honestly, if Levi wasn’t playing or the players weren’t wearing green and gold, I couldn’t have cared less.

I did spend a significant amount of time avoiding eye contact with the cheerleaders. Emily performed like she didn’t have a care in the world, and she probably didn’t. She’d dated Troy for a bit, followed by Keith, then James, then Mark, then Dave. Despite all her concerns, she never struggled to fit in. She had an even bigger circle of friends now.

Danielle had gone with me “in the divorce,” which was good, because I’d really needed her dry sense of humor to help me after the breakup. Whenever Emily and I had class together, we’d sit and chat, but as soon as the bell rang, she’d go to her new friends. But I had new friends of my own, which made it easier not to have hard feelings.

After the game was over, Ian and I waited by the locker room for Levi.

He exited the building with a gray hoodie pulled low over his head. His entire posture showed defeat.

“Hi!” I tried to be enthusiastic for him, but not too enthusiastic.

“Hey, guys.” Levi continued to look down at the floor.

“I told your mom we’d give you a ride home. But first maybe some custard? On Ian?”

“Hey!” Ian grabbed me by the waist.

I swatted his hands away. “Ever the gentleman.”

Levi wasn’t amused. “Nah, I’m okay.” He wouldn’t even look at us.

There were two words for a moment like this: awk-ward.

We got into Ian’s car. I could practically feel Levi’s eyes roll into the back of his head when a rap song came blasting from the stereo. I turned the music down.

“So, Levi.” Ian glanced in the rearview mirror. “I heard you’re dating Carrie Pope?”

I didn’t think you could technically call one coffee and one movie dating. But Levi nodded.

“Isn’t she a freshman?” Ian’s interest in Levi’s dating life was making me anxious.

“Hey, pot, are you calling this kettle black?” Levi said with a laugh. I was relieved that he still had his sense of humor.

“No,” Ian stammered. “I’m just saying she’s cute.”

“Hey!” I playfully hit his arm.

“That’s not what I meant. She’s not my type.”

“Oh, so cute isn’t your type?” I countered.

“Sounded like that to me,” Levi announced from the backseat.

“You know, you guys are no fun,” Ian sulked. “Nobody can ever win anything with the two of you ganging up on poor, poor souls.”

“Oh, please.” I turned around and gave Levi a high five just to annoy Ian further.

“Blimey if we can help it,” Levi said in a British accent.

“Ack!” Ian protested. “Enough with that blimey stuff. You guys are too much.”

“I believe he means too much awesome,” I clarified.

“Clearly,” Levi agreed. “Can’t imagine what else it would be.”

“Unless it’s amazing.”

“That’s another word people often use to describe us.”

“And fabulous,” I reminded him.

“Inspiring.”

“Extraordinary.”

“Stop!” Ian cried out like he was in physical pain. “Oh, I’ve got plenty of words to describe you two. Believe me.”

He pulled over in front of Levi’s house. “So, Levi, how about we even the playing field and go on a double date. Then maybe Carrie and I can gang up on you two for a change.”

An odd silence took over the car. Levi and I were no longer joking around. I don’t know why we were both reacting so strangely. It wasn’t as if Levi didn’t hang out with us, but now we were adding a fourth. Would it be uncomfortable?

“Was it something I said?” Ian asked, to lighten the mood.

I tried to grasp on to reality and not overreact. “No, yeah, I think that would be great.”

I looked at Levi, who was studying my face. “Sure,” he said. Although he didn’t sound sure.

“Great!” Ian was way too excited about this. “We’ve got that party at Keith’s next weekend.”

“We do?” I hadn’t known we had that.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” I shook my head in response. He continued. “Oh, well, let’s go grab a bite beforehand and go over together.”

“Ah, okay.” Levi got out of the car and gave me a little wave before going inside.

“See.” Ian leaned over toward me. “Look at me playing nice with your BFF. What does this get me?”

“The privilege of driving me home,” I stated flatly.

He laughed. “You’re something else. You know that, right?”

So I’ve been told.

I didn’t know if it should comfort me that Levi was as hesitant about the double date as I was. I’d met Carrie a couple of times, but I’d tried to give her lots of space. I knew that Levi having a girl as a best friend could be intimidating. She seemed sweet and he liked her, so I wanted it to work for him.

Plus, I had learned to knock before entering rooms, both literally and metaphorically.

The four of us were eerily quiet on the drive over to the restaurant for Friday night fish fry. I gave Levi the front seat, thinking he and Ian could talk about guy things and I could get to know Carrie more.

“I like your skirt,” I offered. Carrie was wearing an orange skirt with an off-white cashmere wrap sweater.

“Thanks. I like your outfit, too,” she replied, although I was only wearing jeans and a basic black top. But she was clearly trying to make an effort.

“Thanks.”

She smiled at me. “And you have, like, the best hair.” She started fiddling with her own long honey-brown hair.

“You’ve got great hair, too.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “My color is so boring.”

Levi turned around. “Seriously, hair and clothing? Way to shatter stereotypes, Macallan.”

I shot him my patented death stare. “What were you guys going to talk about, sports?”

“Well, we’re clearly manly.”

“Seriously? You want me to get in this with you right now in front of Carrie.” I raised my eyebrow, daring him.

He turned back around. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

While I was pretty sure he was saying it in a joking manner, I agreed with him one hundred percent.

I tried to adjust my attitude as we sat down at Curran’s Tavern. We made small talk before the waiter came over and took our orders.

Levi gave me a crooked smile. “Shall I order or do you want to?”

“We always get the same thing,” I explained to our confused companions. “Yes, I’ll have the fried cod with baked potato, but can I please have extra sour cream with that? And blue cheese dressing on the salad. Thanks.”

“I’ll have what she’s having,” Levi announced. “Although you forgot one thing.”

“Oh! Cheese curds!” I practically screamed. “Um, can we start with an order of fried cheese curds as well? Thanks.”

The waiter nodded and turned toward Carrie, who asked for a grilled chicken Caesar salad.

“And I’ll have the cheeseburger, medium rare,” Ian ordered.

I didn’t have to say anything, because I knew Levi would.

“Seriously? Who goes to a fish fry and doesn’t get fish?” He shook his head. “First of all, I will not be sharing my corn fritters with either of you, and I know for a fact that Macallan won’t, either.”

“Preach it,” I encouraged.

Levi leaned in, his face so serious it was almost solemn. “Listen, guys, I never heard of a Friday night fish fry until Macallan’s family took my family. You have no idea how spoiled you are in Wisconsin: fried fish, corn fritters with honey butter, baked beans, bread and butter, coleslaw, potatoes – you get your choice of potato! And did I mention the butter? So much butter! I mean, what more could you want on a Friday night? Ordering something else … It’s madness, madness, I say!”

While Carrie and Ian didn’t look as amused as I was, a strange sense of pride overwhelmed me. If only seventh-grade Levi could see himself now. He was even starting to get a little Midwestern accent.

“What are you smiling at?” Levi inquired.

“Nothing,” I responded a little too quickly.

“Like I would ever fall for that.” He leaned forward and gazed in my eyes as if he was trying to read my mind. I looked away. At that point, I wouldn’t have doubted that he could. “Ah, see, I know you’re up to something.”

“Who, me?” I said in my most innocent voice.

“Please.” He leaned back and put his arm around the back of Carrie’s chair. “Let me tell you a little something about this one, Carrie. Do not fall for the good-girl, straight-A-student façade. Beneath her sweet exterior is a snarky center with quick wit and even quicker rebounds.”

“Which is exactly why you’re best friends with me.”

“Obviously,” Levi agreed.

Ian cleared his voice loudly. “So, Carrie, I think we need to intervene before the Levi and Macallan Show takes over. Once they get started, they don’t stop. Ever.”

Carrie maneuvered uncomfortably in her chair and played with her straw wrapper.

I mouthed sorry to Ian. This wasn’t the first time, nor did I think it would be the last, he’d had to intervene when Levi and I got into one of our epic conversations.

I ended up playing twenty get-to-know-you questions with Carrie until our food arrived. Besides being really sweet, she was running for student council and volunteering at the animal shelter on the weekends. I felt like a total slacker in comparison.

Although I was having a good time, I had to fight every instinct I had to talk to Levi whenever a thought came up that I knew he’d enjoy or have a comeback for. I needed to be on my best behavior. We had our dates to consider. After all, it was a pretty big miracle we could find members of the opposite sex who enjoyed our company as much as we did.

We arrived at Keith’s house when the party was in full swing. Everybody from the football team, cheerleading squad, and marching band was there.

“Hey, California!” Keith came over and did that guy hand-slap/chest-bump combination that must be taught in some dude class. “Welcome, welcome, all!” He looked me up and down, and I gave him a stare that made it clear I wasn’t the least bit interested in anything he was looking for.

“Hey, man,” Ian said, coming between us. “Thanks for the invite.”

“Oh, right, you two are together. See, I keep forgetting that, since she’s always with him.” He pointed to a clearly annoyed Levi.

“Keith, this is Carrie.” Levi gestured in her direction.

For whatever reason, Keith laughed. “Okay, I get it, I get it.” He reached down in a cooler and pulled out some cans of pop. “I’d say go long, Levi, but I don’t think my mom would appreciate getting pop on the carpet.” He laughed again. We all remained stone-faced.

We each took a can and made our way over to the corner of the kitchen.

“Don’t let him get to you,” I said to Levi.

“But he’s right. I can’t catch anything … except grief.” He shook his head.

I turned my back to Carrie and Ian. I knew how embarrassed Levi got about his lack of catching skills. “You’re getting much better. The other day, Adam was telling me you caught a ball nearly all the way down the block.”

“I guess.” His voice was faint. “But it’s so humiliating sitting on that bench every single game.”

“I thought you only wanted to play football to make some friends and fit in.”

He shrugged. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to play.”

“I know, but look around. You’re at a party and Keith invited you.”

“He invited everybody.”

“But at least you’re here. And he’s ribbing you. Isn’t that the bro way of being friendly?”

“The bro way.” He laughed.

“You know, how guys show affection. Or mark their turf. Kind of like how dogs pee on something to let you know it’s theirs.”

“Do you have any idea of what you’re talking about?”

“Of course not,” I admitted. “But does it at least make you feel a little better?”

“Yeah, just a little.”

I elbowed him playfully. “Well, that will not do. Clearly my job here is not done. Let me count the ways that you’re a stud.”

“Wait, wait.” Levi pulled out his phone. “I need to record this. I may even make it my ringtone.”

I grabbed his phone and spoke directly into the mic. “I, Macallan Marion Dietz, do hereby swear that Levi Rodgers is a total manly man, the ultimate bro. Reason number one, he does a mean British accent. Reason number two, he knows to always compliment a lady’s cooking skills. Um, reason number three. Um …”

“Nice.” He grabbed his phone back. “You can’t even come up with three reasons?”

“See, there are just so many reasons, my poor brain is on overload.”

“Good save.”

“Phew!” I wiped my brow dramatically.

“Hey!” Danielle approached us. “I didn’t see you guys come in. But then I saw your dates outside and figured you were doing that thing you do.”

Danielle could read the nonverbal exchange Levi and I shared. “Let me guess. You didn’t realize your dates left.”

I grimaced.

She shook her head. “You guys are too much.”

“Clearly,” Levi and I said in unison.

“Well, may I suggest that you take your party outside and keep your dates company?”

“Thanks!” I gave Danielle a quick hug before she returned to her marching band friends.

Levi and I went to the glass patio door and saw Carrie and Ian leaning against the deck railing. Ian was telling some story that was making Carrie laugh.

“Well, at least they’re having a good time,” Levi remarked. “In fact, it looks like they’re having a better time now than they did at dinner.”

“Levi.” I stopped him from opening the door. “I think that maybe it’s not the best idea for us to go on double dates.”

He nodded. “I know. It’s hard to throw anybody into our mix. I don’t want to mess things up with Carrie.”

“You and I will still hang out. I’m only saying that maybe date night should just be date night. Not forcing our dates to put up with the two of us.”

Levi’s gaze was fixed straight ahead. His jaw was tightly clenched.

“Levi?”

When he didn’t respond, I followed his stare. Ian moved closer to Carrie and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She blushed, but leaned into him. He then put his arm around her.

“Are they flirting?” I gasped out. There was no way this was happening.

Levi and I remained frozen as we watched Ian and Carrie get closer and closer. He said something else that made her laugh. She twirled a piece of hair with her finger. Then he leaned farther into her. Her smile dropped. They were studying each other. Intensely.

I recognized that look on Ian. He tilted his head and put his index finger up to her chin.

This was so not happening.

“I can’t …” Levi’s pained voice snapped me into action.

I slid the glass door so quickly it rattled.

“How could you?” I found myself in front of Carrie. I know I should’ve been more upset with Ian, but at that moment I was furious at Carrie. Levi had been on a few dates with her, he’d asked her to come hang out with his friends and go to a party he was invited to, and this was how she repaid him?

Carrie shrank from me. But Ian stepped closer. “Are you being serious right now?” I’d never seen him mad before. But he was mad now.

“Are you being serious right now?” I threw back.

He looked at me with disgust. “Do you realize how messed up this is? You’re mad at Carrie? Do you even care about me? You know what – you don’t need to answer that. It’s clear that your only concern is Levi, not your boyfriend. No, wait, your former boyfriend.”

“Let me make sure I’m getting this straight.” My mind was trying to keep up with everything that had happened in the past few minutes. “You were flirting with another girl. If I hadn’t stepped in, you were probably going to kiss another girl. You were going to cheat on me. Yet you’re mad at me? And you’re breaking up with me?”

“Do you have any idea how much this hurts me?” Ian’s voice cracked, and I could tell it was completely genuine. I felt awful. Maybe I had hurt him. But I certainly knew I didn’t do anything that justified cheating.

“How are you putting this on me?” Confusion swirled around in my head. Ian and I had never fought. Not once. We were talking about going into Milwaukee for our one-year anniversary. And now he was breaking up with me? “Have you been drinking?”

“You know I don’t drink,” he snapped at me. “Maybe I did do this on purpose, for you to see what it’s like to have your boyfriend give another girl all your attention. I really like you, Macallan. But I can’t sit here and play second best to Levi anymore.”

“You wouldn’t think any of this if he was a girl.”

“But he’s not. And that’s the problem. Why don’t you two just go out already?”

This was what it always came down to. The perception that there was no way Levi and I could be legitimately best friends and only friends. Nobody ever got that.

Mostly because those people never had a best friend of the opposite sex.

Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say that none of those people had Levi as a best friend.

“If you’ve had such a problem with it, why are you only saying something now?”

He groaned. “Because I figured that the closer you and I got, the less I’d have to deal with him?”

“Deal with him?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Levi’s voice say, “I’m so sorry.” I had forgotten that he and Carrie were there. In fact, a whole crowd had started gathering around the door.

Carrie was hunched over in a clear attempt to disappear. “I should go,” she said quietly.

“I’ll drive you home.” Ian walked into the group of observers with Carrie following behind him.

I heard some clapping. “Dudes,” Keith called out, emerging from the crowd. “I know I can always count on you two for entertainment. If only I had some popcorn! That was insane.”

“Really, Keith?” I asked.

Something in my voice stopped him. “Oh, man, I’m sorry, Macallan.”

I stood there waiting for him to make a sarcastic follow-up comment. But he had a look of actual sympathy on his face. Which made me feel even worse. If Keith felt bad for you, you knew your life must be pathetic.

“Let’s get out of here.” I grabbed Levi by the arm and led us out of the house.

“Um, our ride left,” Levi said with quiet resignation.

“We’ll figure something out.” I opened the door and started walking. “I think fresh air might do us some good.”

Levi stayed uncharacteristically silent for several minutes. I left him alone with his thoughts, as I had a ton of mine to sort out. Mostly, what had just happened? Maybe I was missing some signals. I racked my brain for signs that Ian had been unhappy. He’d made lots of jabs at how much time I spent with Levi and usually pretended to gag whenever I would talk about him. But he was a guy. I’d thought he was teasing me.

Regardless of what I’d done, it didn’t give him any excuse to flirt the second my back was turned. But what made me the most upset was that it had been Levi’s girlfriend. I would’ve thought Ian would’ve wanted Levi to have a girlfriend.

“Is any of this making sense to you?” I asked Levi.

He shook his head and kept walking. This was bad.

We found ourselves walking to the same place. We didn’t discuss where we were going, we just led each other to Riverside Park. We silently walked over to the swing set and sat down. Me in the middle swing with Levi seated to my left. This was how we always sat when we’d go to the park after school in seventh grade.

I started rocking my swing back and forth.

“So I’ve been thinking,” Levi announced, remaining motionless on his swing. “I think you’re right. We shouldn’t go on any more double dates.”

I looked over and saw a slight smile on his face. “Are you making a joke?”

“Well, it’s either that or come to face the fact that I’ve been cheated on twice.”

“She didn’t technically cheat.”

He clicked his tongue. “Yeah, only because you stopped it.”

“We don’t know what was going to happen.” I didn’t believe the words as they came out of my mouth. I tried to lighten the mood. “I guess I really need to stop going to parties where your girlfriends are. And where there are doors.”

“Tell me about it.”

He got up and went behind to push me. I closed my eyes and let the swing take me higher and higher.

We stayed like that for nearly an hour. I glanced down at my watch. “We either have to start walking home or call one of our parents.”

We decided it was best to call Levi’s mom for the ride. Dad and Uncle Adam were very protective of me, so I didn’t think they would take it lightly that I’d been essentially abandoned at a party. Although I was with Levi, which would’ve made them feel a little bit better. They both really liked Ian, so I knew they’d be disappointed to hear it was over.

Over. It was so strange to think about it.

Levi and I sat on the curb while we waited for his mom.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Not really.” He wrapped his arms around his legs. “I don’t know, I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” I assured him.

“But why do girls keep cheating on me?”

“You’ve had one girl cheat on you and one girl make a poor decision.”

He sighed. “Maybe I’m a bad kisser.”

“I’m sure it’s not that.”

“How would you know?” He got me there. “Let’s think about it. My first girlfriend here was away from me for ten days and started sucking face with some other guy the second she was alone with him. Tonight my girlfriend was away from me for like two seconds and she was going to make out with another guy. It clearly has to be me.”

“You’re being silly.”

“I don’t think I am.” Then Levi was the opposite of quiet. He spent the next five minutes going on and on about how it must be that he was a horrible kisser and that he would never have a girlfriend because he’s lousy. How he was never going to date another girl because he couldn’t trust them. How pathetic he must be that EVERY girl jumped at the chance to be with someone the second his back was turned.

It was getting extremely annoying.

Levi was usually pretty laid back about things, so I wasn’t used to his being so hard on himself over a girl. And being so overdramatic.

I kept trying to tell him it wasn’t about him. It was about how Emily liked to flirt and wasn’t really “girlfriend material” because she preferred to date and play the field. And who knew about Carrie? She was young. She’d made a mistake.

But that wasn’t enough. I was getting so frustrated with Levi. Part of me wanted to smack him, but I knew that wouldn’t shut him up.

“Nope, that’s it. I’m a horrible kisser. And it’s going to spread around school and then no girl will ever give me a chance.”

“For the love, Levi!” I shouted at him.

And before I really knew what I was doing, I grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. He was tense, probably from shock, for the first couple seconds. Then his arms were around me and he eased into it.

I pulled away and Levi struggled for breath. “Wh-wh-what …” he stammered.

“You’re fine. You are not a bad kisser. It has been verified. Moving on.”

His eyes were wide, his mouth speechless.

I loved that he was so flustered.

We saw his mom’s car approaching. I stood up and he remained on the curb. I reached out my hand to help him up. It took him a second to process it. He got up on his feet, still completely stunned.

“So that’s one thing I have over your friends in California and your bros here,” I said to him.

He returned a blank stare.

I laughed and hit him on the shoulder. “I don’t think any of them would’ve had the nerve to prove to you that you’re not a bad kisser. You’re welcome, by the way.”

He stayed mostly silent for the ride to my house.

I laughed silently to myself in the backseat.

All it really takes to fluster a guy is a simple kiss.