FIRST KISS (High School Romance - FYI - In need of redrafting/rewrites)

Chapter Eighteen

I had to tell someone. I just had to. But when it came down to it I couldn't bring myself to. I couldn't say it out loud.

There was something excruciatingly sweet about keeping that moment to myself; knowing that only Bryce and I knew about it; knowing that we were the only two people in the world that knew what had happened and why.

Actually, even I wasn't really sure about the 'why' part.

The following day Anna picked me up early, and we went to the mall. It felt awesome to be able to be out of the house, doing something other than going to school.

My first day of freedom.

But I couldn't really appreciate it because thoughts of Bryce filled up my head. The whole day it was on the tip of my tongue to tell her about nearly kissing him...about how intense it had been...about how he was all I could think about...about how he had thrown me out in the rain. And how I didn't know what to do now.

But I just couldn't do it.

*

On the Sunday night Ali arrived home, laden with bags and books from college. She had one last essay to finish, but had decided to do it from home and email it to her tutor, especially so she could see me perform in the winter concert.

"Mel!" She dropped her bags in the hall and threw her arms around me. She'd had her hair highlighted and she was tanned, (I suppose that's what happens when you live on the west coast), but otherwise she looked almost like my twin. We were only a couple of grades apart, but she'd always been cooler and more popular. I guess it made it easier for me growing up, knowing that Ali was there, looking out for me.

"Mom is gonna freak at your hair!" I said, grabbing bits of it.

"Ow! Cut it out," she said tugging her head free. "I know she is, but you know what? I don't really care. I'm a freakin' college student!" She laughed.

After she had said hi to our parents, and they had recovered from the shock of seeing her chestnut locks all bleached, I helped her to her room with her bags.

"How's Bryce?"

Damn. I knew it was only a matter of time before she asked.

I dropped her bag on the floor and bit my lip. "Umm..."

She was pulling clothes from another bag and flinging them across the room, but stopped when she heard the noise I'd made. She looked up.

"What's up?"

"Well..."

And that was it. Like a cork popping from a champagne bottle, I told her everything, from the beginning. Taylor, the halloween party, Bryce getting beaten up at Luke's house party, and then, finally, the almost kiss.

"I knew it!" She sat back on her heels, the open bag still in front of her.

I had no idea what she was referring to. It was not the reaction I had anticipated. "Huh?"

"You love him!"

"I do not!"

"Oh you so do. And he's always been crazy about you. I don't know how you didn't see it. We used to talk about it all the time."

My jaw dropped. "We?"

"Me and the parentals." She shrugged like I should've known. "Oh it's fine," she said in response to the concern and shock on my face.

"No it's not! How could you all talk about us like that? And didn't you listen to my story? He threw me out!"

"Yeh, but he obviously didn't really want to. He just chose the easy option. FYI, that was really weak of him. Very High School." She laughed, just so I knew that last bit was a joke. "Do you want to be with Bryce?"