Chapter 8

“You did what?” Katy demands. It’s the next morning and Katy had entered my room to find me lying in bed. She knows that I’m an early riser and this is unusual for me, so she immediately begins questioning me. It didn’t take long for me to spill the whole story.

“I didn’t do anything!” I say loudly before burying my face in my pillow.

“Then what did you have done? What exactly did Jason do? I don’t believe I heard you correctly…”

“He kissed me!” I say into the pillow.

Katy takes my shoulders and pulls so my face is slightly above the pillow. “Repeat that?”

“He kissed me.”

“On the lips?” she asks in disbelief.

“Yes.”

“Just… out of nowhere?”

“Katy!” I groan.

“Sorry. It’s just… so unlike him.”

I finally sit up on my own and Katy turns to sit more comfortably. “Well,” she begins, “how was it?”

“Horrible.”

“No. what were you feeling? Honestly.”

My mind immediately thinks the word sparks but I don’t say it. I push it aside and said, “I don’t know. Nothing.”

“You’re lying.”

“What? No I’m not.”

“Hayley. You’re a terrible liar.”

It’s true. Throughout my life I’ve gotten away with very few lives. I believe even the ones I got away with were known, but excused. But still, I respond, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Stop it.” Katy’s voice is serious, and I know I should give in and tell her the truth that I’ve been fighting.

“I guess… it was nice. It felt kinda nice. But…. I still hated it.”

“Well did it feel like any other kiss you’ve gotten before?”

“No,” I say. “It was my first kiss.”

Katy immediately begins apologizing, and continues to do so for the next twenty minutes. “Head down to the pool and I’ll get dressed and meet you there, okay?” she finally says.

I nod and she leaves, allowing me to change quickly. As soon as I’m ready, I leave my room and begin going down the stairs. I enter the kitchen on my way to the pool to find Jason standing there, holding a banana in his hand. I attempt to pass him silently, but he won’t allow it.

“Is it true?” he asks.

“Is what true?” I respond, keeping my gaze on the floor.

“Was that your first kiss?”

A slight nod from me results in a slow, sad sigh from him.

“So, the other art is true, too?” he questions. I can hear the disappointment in his voice.

“What?”

“You didn’t feel anything.” He waits a moment before muttering, almost silently, “I felt something.”

I finally lift my gaze and catch his. I’m trying to decide if he’s serious… if I believe him.

“I’m being honest,” he finally says.

“I don’t know,” I state.

“Don’t know what? If you felt something?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Well then, let’s find out.”

As soon as the words leave his lips, he leans his head down and places them on mine. His kiss is softer than the last, and I know that he’s willing me to feel something.

“Well?” he questions as his lips part from mine slightly.

My response is me pushing up on my toes and kissing him again.

I don’t know how long we stand there, sharing kiss after kiss, but we did until we were interrupted by the kitchen door opening. We tear apart and face the door to see Katy.

“Come with me right now,” she commands, before grabbing my hand and dragging me away.

Katy drags me all the way to the pool before releasing my wrist. “What was that?” she demands. “Just earlier you were in tears because he kissed you.”

“I know…” I say.

“So what changed?”

I stop to think before shrugging. As soon as I do, Katy continues questioning. Pushing to know why I kissed him. Finally, after I collect my thoughts, I spill them, telling her the whole story.

“So… you lied to me?”

“I wasn’t sure if I’d felt anything,” I defend.

“Well… okay. Listen, just be careful.”

“Careful about what?”

“About having Jason as your boyfriend.”

“Oh…” I say softly.

“He did ask you to be with him… didn’t he?” Katy asks, in a slightly accusing tone.

“Umm...” I trail off.

“Hayley…” Katy says slowly. “Tell me.”

“Well, I mean, not exactly…”

“Oh Hayley,” Katy groans, not bothering to hide her disappointment from me.

“What?” I ask slowly.

“Look, I didn’t want to say anything before because I assumed you two wouldn’t do anything. Especially with how upset you were the first time he kissed you… I just thought with the hatred between you two, nothing would ever happen. You know?”

“Katy, you’re rambling. What are you trying to say?” I ask, becoming worried.

“Jase is, you know, popular with girls…”

“So?” I say, still not understanding where Katy is coming from or what she’s trying to say.

“Hayley… let me just tell you that he’s only had one girlfriend for longer than a month.”

“I don’t understand what the problem is…”

“He just… has girls one or two times and moves on.”

“So… you think he’s using me.” The words aren’t a question as they slip from my lips easily and without emotion.

“I mean… I don’t know that,” Katy says quickly. “That’s just… what he does typically. Maybe he’s changed.”

“Guys like that don’t change,” I say without a moment or hesitation or questioning.

“Hay… you don’t know that…”

“Yes I do.”

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