Kissed

Evangeline Edwards is just an average girl holding out for guy: too bad he's not into her. Or so it seems.

Music pulsed through the speakers, a loud obnoxious song that was about sex. Typical. Neon lights flashed across the dance floor, illuminating the sweating bodies as they fist-pumped and dougied.

 

I stood off to the side, glaring at a particular couple who were dancing a little closer than all the others. The boy was perfect: blond, curly hair, green eyes and a delicious dimpled smile. The girl was what any little girl wished to be when she grew up: a real life Barbie. She had the perfect hair, the dazzling white teeth, innocent blue eyes, and of course, the slimmest body.

 

I glanced down at myself. I’m not fat, but I’m not as skinny as Barbie. I crossed my arms over my chest and went back to staring at the couple I despised.

 

Well, half of the couple. I adored Leo, but not Sabrina. I leaned against the wall and sighed to myself. Why couldn’t I look like Sabrina? Why did I have to have the brown hair that curled weird? Why did I have to have the grey-green eyes that weren’t appealing at all? Why wasn’t I ever noticed as much as Sabrina?

 

At that exact moment, Sabrina turned towards me and we stared at each other. She smiled devilishly at me, then turned back to Leo. Sabrina grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into her. Their mouths met and as they sank into each other I pushed off the wall and headed to the bathroom. On my way, I saw April talking with Hailey Fields and grabbed her arm.

 

“What the hell, Evangeline?” she growled as I pulled her into the bathroom. “I was talking with Hailey!”

 

I checked to see if there were any other people in the bathroom. We were alone. I collapsed against the wall and put my head in my hands. I tried to stop them, but the tears came. No doubt they were smudging my makeup.

 

I heard April cross the room. “Evie, what happened?”

 

“Sabrina kissed Leo,” I sobbed.

 

April patted my back. “Hun, they are on a date.”

 

“But she only did it ’cause she saw me watching!” I cried. “She’s such a b***h! She knows I like Leo!”

 

April sighed. “I’m sorry, Evie. But there’s nothing I can do.”

 

I let out a sob and April hugged me, and it comforted me only the way a best friend’s hug can. She held me for a minute, then stood up, pulling me with her.

 

“Okay, I’m going to help you with your makeup,” she declared. “But no more crying.”

 

I nodded. “No more crying.”

 

April smiled. “Good.”

 

So I let her fiddle with eyeliner and mascara and lip-gloss until she was satisfied. When she was finished, she blew me a kiss and scampered out of the bathroom. I took a collective breath, then followed.

 

The dance floor was just as packed and hectic as it was ten minutes ago. I unintentionally looked for Leo and Sabrina and was not pleased when I found them. Leo had Sabrina pressed up against a wall, the exact spot I’d been skulking in just minutes ago, and they were still kissing.

 

I forced myself to look away. I strolled over to where I’d last seen April, hoping she’d wandered back over there, but couldn’t find her. I just wanted to go home.

 

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I spun around and faced Noel, my best friend after April.

 

“Oh, hi, Noel,” I greeted and smiled half-heartedly.

 

He grinned. “Hey.”

 

“What’s up?” I asked and looked past him, searching for April. Unfortunately, I spotted Sabrina tugging Leo into the supply closet. My heart panged.

 

“Uh, not much,” he said, but his cheeks turned a cute shade of pink. It looked a little odd in contrast to his jet-black hair, but whatever.

 

I smirked. “You’re blushing.”

 

His cheeks reddened more and I smiled. “Yeah, I just had a question for you"”

 

I heard the slam of a door. I looked up a little and saw Leo stomping furiously out of the supply closet. His shirt was unbuttoned.

 

“Hold that thought, okay, Noel?” I said and started to maneuver away. “I’ll be right back.”

 

“Sure, okay,” he grumbled, but I was already walking in the direction Leo stormed.

 

I saw him push open the gym doors. I followed. He ran up the stairs and I had to hurry to catch up.

 

“Leo!” I called out.

 

He stopped and turned. “Evangeline?”

 

“Hi.” I felt stupid. I was totally stalking him!

 

But he smiled and my insides melted. “Hey.”

 

“What happened?” I asked. “I mean, sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it.”

 

“No, it’s okay,” he said and waved me over. I click-clacked closer to him, my heels making a ton of unnecessary noise.

 

“So?” I pried.

 

He sighed. “When Sabrina and I were kissing, she kept muttering something. I couldn’t understand it until she said it a bit louder. She was saying ‘Derek’ the whole time.” He sounded flustered.

 

“Derek? Her ex boyfriend?”

 

“That’s the one,” Leo said.

 

I touched his arm gently. “Sorry about that.”

 

He shook his head. “Don’t be. You didn’t do anything.”

 

There were a few minutes of awkward silence, and I realized I wouldn’t get a better opportunity than this. I gathered all my nerve. “Uh, Leo?”

 

“Mhm?”

 

I grabbed his shoulder, like Sabrina had, and pulled him towards me. Our lips touched and I swear sparks crackled in the air. He put his hands on my waist and yanked me closer, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. My fingers ran through his hair and his ran along my back. Leo started to kiss me harder, and I let him. Then I kissed back harder, too. I put my hands on his chest and felt his heart beating faster than usual.

 

Then he pulled away.

 

“Sorry, Evangeline, but I don’t really think you’re the girl for me.” He had absolutely no remorse in his voice.

 

“What? But you"”

 

He interrupted. “Just, go back to the dance, okay?”

 

My bottom lip wobbled. “But Leo . . .”

 

“Shut up.”

 

I staggered backwards towards the doors. I whirled around and pushed them open. I ran blindly across the dance floor, trying not to let anyone see the tears in my eyes.

 

“Evangeline!” I heard someone call. But I didn’t care. It wasn’t Leo’s voice.

 

I dashed out into the parking lot and chilly air slapped my burning cheeks. I slumped against the brick wall and ripped my hair out of its styled bun. I let my head thump against the wall as the tears streamed down my face.

I took a deep breath and tried to gain control over myself; that didn't work at all. Leo's kiss was imprinted on my lips and the taste of him wouldn't leave. Every second the taste grew more and more sour. I banged my head against the wall and tried to get my mind off Leo. 

It travelled to Sabrina, for some absurd reason. Why had she kissed Leo if she was still thinking about her ex? Was she really petty enough to do that only to piss me off? I didn't think so. It's not like she hated me that much . . . at least I didn't think she did. 

I cleared my head and just relaxed into the wall, which wasn't very comfortable. Especially compared to Leo's body, pressed up against mine. 

Oh, d****t. 

I squeezed my eyes shut and Leo's face floated through my mind. I tried to ignore it, but that's easier said than done. I eventually opened my eyes and stared at the black gravel all around me. An angry crack in the pavement made me think of a heart splitting like that. More specifically, my heart. 

And that started a tidal wave of thoughts I couldn't control. I was angry at Leo for being such a jerk; he kisses me, leads me on, and then turns his nose up at me. I was angry at Sabrina for taking him to the dance in the first place, since she obviously wasn't even all that into him. And I was mad at myself for not having the courage to ask Leo before Sabrina had. 

 

I heard the gym doors open and footsteps on gravel.

 

“Evangeline!”

 

The footsteps quickened. I turned my head and saw Noel jogging towards me, a panicked look on his face. Relief swelled inside me; at least I could talk with one friendly face tonight.

 

“Evangeline, are you okay?” he asked when he reached me. He plopped himself down beside me.

 

I shook my head. “Not at all.”

 

“What happened?”

 

His gaze was fixated on me, as if I was the most important person on the planet. It made me feel a little better.

 

“Leo.” Was all I said, but Noel’s face completely changed. His features went from confident and worried, to uneasy and twice as worried.

 

He swallowed. “What about him?”

 

I looked away and held back tears. “He’s just an a*s, that’s all.”

 

Noel inched closer. “Well, I already knew that.” He paused. “Now tell me what happened.”

 

Noel always had been a pushy one.

 

I sighed and closed my eyes, not wanting to see Noel as I explained. It just felt weird.

 

“Well, I’ve kind of been crushing on him for a while now,” I started. “But he was with Sabrina tonight.”

 

Noel was silent.

 

“I was kind of watching them out of the corner of my eye for awhile, and so I saw them go into the supply closet. And I also saw Leo trudge out. I followed him, of course.”

 

I let my words sink in. I peeked at Noel and he was staring hard into the distance.

 

“Anyways, then I kissed him and . . .”

 

Noel made a little noise that sounded like a suppressed gasp. I ignored it.

 

“And he kissed back. Then, out of nowhere, he says I’m not his type, then when I try to get an explanation, he snaps at me.”

 

I struggled not to cry again. “Noel, I really liked him.”

 

Noel grabbed my hand and squeezed. It was comforting.

 

“It’s his loss, Evie. Trust me.”

 

I was surprised he’d said that. “You mean that?”

 

There was no hesitation whatsoever before he answered. “I do.”

 

When I opened my eyes, his face was inches from mine. His closeness took my breath away, but in a good way. His gaze held mine for the longest time, and neither of us moved. I barely even breathed. I think he was waiting for me to pull away, but I never did.

 

I didn't know why I was enjoying his closeness so much. Maybe I was messed up from Leo, or maybe I was just losing my mind. But I didn't care one bit.  

I was pleasantly surprised when he leaned in closer and put his lips on mine. At first, I was a little stunned, but quickly recovered. I opened my mouth to let the kiss deepen, and he followed suit. We scooted closer and I threw my arms around his neck, like I had to Leo only minutes ago.

 

It was odd thinking about Leo as I kissed Noel. It was like a headache after you take a pill: forgotten. So I let myself just enjoy the moment and clung to Noel as if my life depended on it.

 

His hands came up and cupped my face, and I was a bit surprised at how cold they were against my cheeks. Either he was freezing his a*s off out here, or I was blushing hard-core.

 

The kiss intensified and I felt myself just get completely lost. That’s how intense it was. I couldn’t concentrate on anything except Noel’s lips, and I didn’t do anything but continue to keep mine up against his.

 

It felt amazing.

 

Finally, we parted. Noel pressed his forehead to mine and we both breathed heavily as we stared at each other. His eyes were shining and his mouth was curled into a pleased smile. If he was Leo, I’d probably be worried about how I looked, but this was Noel. He wouldn’t care. That was an incredibly comforting thought.

 

“Thanks,” I whispered to him.

 

A confused look crossed his face. “For what?”

 

I half smirked, half smiled. “For having the balls to kiss me.”

 

He grinned at me. “It took me long enough.”

 

I leaned back in for another kiss. Just as our lips met, I heard the door open. My eyes shot open, and I saw Leo standing in the doorway.

 

“Leo?” I called out, confusion laced in my voice.

 

Noel turned around, but just before he did, I caught a glimpse of uncontrolled anger on his face. Oh, hell.

 

“What are you doing?” I yelled at Leo.

 

“Me? I came looking for you!” He sounded angry. “And I find that you’re over me in ten minutes!”

 

I stood up, very aware that Noel was eyeing me suspiciously, as if I might run back to Leo and kiss him instead. Yeah, right. But even though I tried to squelch it, a fluttery feeling boiled up in me when Leo said he’d been looking for me.

 

“You said I wasn’t your type,” I said and literally struggled to stay calm. This was all too much.

 

Leo scratched his head. “I was wrong.”

 

My breath caught in my throat. I’ve had a crush on Leo since the end of tenth grade, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for him to show interest. And now that he finally was, I’d just kissed my best friend. Passionately. Without holding back.

 

I was faced with a heart breaking choice: go for the guy I’ve been holding out for or the guy who’s been holding out for me? 

 

I looked at Noel, who’d stood up and was now leaning against the brick wall. I wondered what he’d do if I chose Leo. Could we still be friends? No, probably not. We couldn’t go back to the way it used to be. And if I ditched him for Leo, he’d never forgive me.

 

But if I chose Noel, what would Leo do? I had no idea. I didn’t know him well enough.

 

I looked up at Leo. He was staring at the ground, so focused that I could see his brow furrowed. But when I looked at Noel again, he was staring right at me, a sad smile on his lips.

 

“Go to him,” he whispered, barely audibly. “I know you’ve been waiting for him.”

 

His words squeezed my heart painfully. He was telling me to go after Leo, even though it was plain as day that he’s been waiting for me, probably just as wistfully as I had been for Leo.

 

My heart did what it wanted before I even knew what it was doing.

 

I lunged for Noel. I literally jumped into his arms and hugged him so tightly the air got knocked out of me. He enveloped me into him and sighed shakily. He was probably expecting me to run for Leo.

 

I heard a little disgusted huff from Leo, but ignored him. I didn’t care about him as much as I’d thought I had. I pulled away from Noel just enough so we were face to face.

 

“Thanks,” he told me.

 

I smiled. “For what?”

 

“Having the balls to choose me.”

 

I laughed and he smiled at me. Then he kissed me, harder than before. And I loved every second of it. 

Author's Note

bear in mind that this was my first real written piece and trust me, i know it's cheesy. hopefully you still liked it.

Reviews

[crazysox]

A very sweet teenage fantasy. Completely unrealistic, but then again, that's the magic of dreaming and crushes, isn't it?
I loved it for the most part. The only suggestion I have is to maybe put a little more of a gap between Leo and Noel's kiss. (Okay, that sounded a bit strange; I mean Leo's kiss to Evangeline and Noel's kiss to Evangeline.) Put in more of her thoughts, let us really feel how sad Evangeline is over the loss of Leo. At the moment, while I know this was not at all your intention, she kind of comes off as that girl who just goes around kissing every guy that gets near her. Even in a moment, a thousand thoughts can race through a girl's mind. And while the readers still know that it all happens in a mere moment, it's the thoughts of that moment that help us understand the story.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading it! :)

[Jamie Raintree]

I really enjoyed it! It's very cute! It reminds me of every school dance I ever went to. The tears, the friends, the boys. I really like the way you brought the characters to life in such a short piece. I understood their relationships and it all made sense to me. It's also VERY clean--fantastic proofreading. I think that shows that you put a lot of value into your writing, which is the best thing a writer can ever do. I'm not sure how long you've been writing or what your goals are but I can see a lot of potential in you. I definitely suggest you keep it up.

[Echo]

It wasn't that cheesy.
It was great.

[Tessa Lilywood]

I LOVED it! What a sweet romantic peice. Keep writting! It makes my heart feel happy and tender when I read it! Good job!

[Pugglove]

It was wonderful! I enjoyed every minute.(I love drama so i would loved it if she would have ran and not chosen either and there would be conflict) But i love it this way more!!

[Lost in Wonderland]

awww that was so sweet! thank you for entering this contest :)

[Vertigoingnowhere]

i didnt like it i loved it! i realy felt like i was there great imagery!

[Brenden Moran]

Quite a fantastic piece. I really enjoyed it. I think you should make a part two.

[13ReasonsWhy]

OH MY GOSH YOU ARE AMAZING!!! this was so deep, it was feeling and you could read every emotion.

[SwagMaster]

I loved it! It was very sweet, and romantic. The only problem I saw was that it seemed that there was too short of a gap between kissing Leo and Noel, like Evangeline was just looking for an excuse to forget about Leo. I think maybe you should put one or two days in between the two kisses, give time for Evangeline to truly mourn, and slowly start to realize Noel is into her. The beginning was good, but the middle seemed rushed and a little poorly constructed time wise.
Anyway, I loved it!!

[Sarah E. Pearson]

A. Maz. Ing.